# MY LITTLE PONY: A Maretime Bay Adventure

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1600780
- Developer: Melbot Studios
- Publisher: Outright Games Ltd.
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $39.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.4k to $3.6k per month (mid $3.0k)
- Opportunity score: $6.4k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 20.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $203.6k
- Review sentiment: 80% positive across 898 reviews (638 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 12.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 2.3 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 4.2 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 9 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.8 review velocity during past deep sales

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $5.5k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $4.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.0k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

6, 3, 10, 3, 7, 7, 8, 7, 8, 6, 4, 2, 13, 5, 2, 3, 10, 12, 28, 9, 15, 5, 10, 6

## Estimated acquisition range

$72.8k to $145.6k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $36.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- german: 3%
- russian: 27% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 3%
- japanese: 1%
- brazilian: 4% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 2%
- english: 55%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 5% (game NOT localized in this language)

Localization gap: 37% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: russian). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2022 licensed My Little Pony adventure game for young children, developed by Melbot Studios and published by Outright Games.

Maretime Bay has quietly generated $203.5k lifetime revenue across 20.4k units at $39.99 base price, with 80% positive sentiment and a community weighted toward Russian speakers (152 of 638 Steam reviews). The title remains dormant, generating $3,032/mo residual revenue with minimal marketing friction, but is constrained by thin content (1-2 hour completions), high per-unit cost relative to target audience expectations, and total dependence on Hasbro IP licensing. Best case is a content refresh bundled with a broader MLP gaming or media strategy; standalone acquisition has limited upside given IP encumbrance and aging platform.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Hasbro holds all My Little Pony intellectual property; any continued operation or revision requires active licensing agreement and approval of creative direction.
- Risk (market): Core feedback criticizes $39.99 price point for sub-2-hour playtime; perception of low value-to-cost ratio is entrenched across player base and may resist repositioning.
- Risk (other): Developer Melbot Studios is marked 'fading' with only one title in portfolio and no developer communication in 27.5 months, signaling limited capacity for ongoing support or content expansion.

What players are asking for:
- Longer gameplay and more substantive story content beyond mini-games
- Expansion pack or sequel with mermaids, fairies, or unicorns (per parent feedback)
- Price reduction or inclusion in subscription services (free-to-play comparison made against MLP mobile title)

Suggested first moves:
1. Verify Hasbro licensing terms, renewal timeline, and creative approval rights before any acquisition inquiry; confirm whether IP cost scales with revenue or is fixed.
2. Audit Russian-language community (152 reviews, highest non-English concentration) for regional pricing or localization insights that may explain retention variance.
3. Model a free-to-play or discounted tier ($9.99-$14.99) repositioning alongside Hasbro's broader G5 transmedia roadmap; assess if bundling with streaming/toy campaigns could recover margin.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1600780
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.