Shadowgrounds developer Frozenbyte has admitted that the cross-platform launch of Trine, marred by a controversial gap between PC and PS3 price points, is “not really the optimal way to do a game launch.”

In an interview with Eurogamer, studio spokesperson Joel Kinnunen describes the project as “a big mess,” but insists that the game, available for PC on July 10, is “the part that really matters.”

Trine is a collaborative side-scrolling puzzler in which three characters - a Wizard, a Thief and a Warrior – use distinctive powers to deal with enemies and obstacles. Available now in the US, The PC version retails for USD$40 (£25), though online portal Steam has slashed that to USD$30 (£18). This, however, still raises eyebrows when compared to the price of the unreleased PS3 version: USD$20 (£13). The disparity has been condemned by some of the developer’s forum users, though many consider both prices reasonable.

Nevertheless, the Finnish studio is apologetic, describing multiplatform pricing as “unbelievably complex when there’s so many partners involved,” comparing it to the general gap between US and European retail prices. “We never had the same problems in this scale with our Shadowgrounds games so this whole situation caught us by surprise,” adds Kinnunen. “We’ll be better prepared in the future.”

The release date for the PSN version of Trine remains unknown, the game currently subject to lengthy QA. The developer won’t be drawn on an XBLA version, meanwhile, despite persistent rumours and its ‘confirmation’ by US publisher Atlus at E3. International prices for the PSN version are a further mystery, though an announcement is expected soon.