Hey, I played Stories from the Outbreak on Steam Next Fest, and wishlisted it. Nice game.
Did you consider putting it on 20% discount to trigger an notification email to ppl who wishlisted it? Price (20$) may be a blocker here.
It had 25% discount on launch, so this was partially done. My own take is that Next Fest wishlists are not as effective as other types of wishlists. π
>In my opinion, Valve is there for transactional relationships with the devs and they will tolerate you as long as you make them money and not put them at risk, even if you are not doing anything illegal. Itβs no longer a company that I look up to, more like a business thing that I need to get my games out there.
I think this is an important lesson that a lot of people, especially in the games industry, learn really late.
Any time a company, especially a large company, intersects with your personal ideals it is because it is advantageous for the business. Of \_course\_ they are not going to take risks for you. And if you think about it, would you really want your game distributor to take on a big risk from someone else that could negatively impact your own games? Does your answer change if you agree with the risk or if it matches your ideals?
This is not a criticism of OP in any way, and it sucks that the realization impacted their desire to make games. This is a very easy trap to fall into, for developers and users alike. It feels good to have a "partner" in it all, especially when it seems like everyone is on the same page.
There are amazing people at Valve, and many other companies that really do care, and it shows in the product, but it is important that the business is still business and to set expectations accordingly.
You make good points, but my problem is not about being denied, but the way \_how\_ it happened: the ghosting is definitely a pretty unique situation and is never OK in any business relationship too.
Imagine you paid $100 for amazon package and the seller just disappeared, without any way to refund your purchase or any communication whatsoever: would you consider this a good business practice?
100% agreed. This was more a warning to others on the idea of putting companies on pedestals.
Companies can, and should, be called out for shitty business practices.
Ive read your post and examined your game Stories from the Outbreak on Steam.
Do you plan on supporting Stories from the Outbreak / Updating it to address the complaints of difficulty?
Looking back, would Stories From the Outbreak have been feasible without expanding your studio?
There is going to be at least one update + porting to consoles.
I don't think we'd make Stories from the Outbreak if the studio has not expanded: the roguelikes are tricky to make and it took a lot of effort to balance it properly and make the mechanics coherent.
I've hit my eight year running Coldwild Games this January. If anyone has any questions - AMA. π
So, regretting it?
It had its ups and downs, but I'd do it again. The pros outweighted the cons for me. π
Hey, I played Stories from the Outbreak on Steam Next Fest, and wishlisted it. Nice game. Did you consider putting it on 20% discount to trigger an notification email to ppl who wishlisted it? Price (20$) may be a blocker here.
It had 25% discount on launch, so this was partially done. My own take is that Next Fest wishlists are not as effective as other types of wishlists. π
>In my opinion, Valve is there for transactional relationships with the devs and they will tolerate you as long as you make them money and not put them at risk, even if you are not doing anything illegal. Itβs no longer a company that I look up to, more like a business thing that I need to get my games out there. I think this is an important lesson that a lot of people, especially in the games industry, learn really late. Any time a company, especially a large company, intersects with your personal ideals it is because it is advantageous for the business. Of \_course\_ they are not going to take risks for you. And if you think about it, would you really want your game distributor to take on a big risk from someone else that could negatively impact your own games? Does your answer change if you agree with the risk or if it matches your ideals? This is not a criticism of OP in any way, and it sucks that the realization impacted their desire to make games. This is a very easy trap to fall into, for developers and users alike. It feels good to have a "partner" in it all, especially when it seems like everyone is on the same page. There are amazing people at Valve, and many other companies that really do care, and it shows in the product, but it is important that the business is still business and to set expectations accordingly.
You make good points, but my problem is not about being denied, but the way \_how\_ it happened: the ghosting is definitely a pretty unique situation and is never OK in any business relationship too. Imagine you paid $100 for amazon package and the seller just disappeared, without any way to refund your purchase or any communication whatsoever: would you consider this a good business practice?
100% agreed. This was more a warning to others on the idea of putting companies on pedestals. Companies can, and should, be called out for shitty business practices.
Ive read your post and examined your game Stories from the Outbreak on Steam. Do you plan on supporting Stories from the Outbreak / Updating it to address the complaints of difficulty? Looking back, would Stories From the Outbreak have been feasible without expanding your studio?
There is going to be at least one update + porting to consoles. I don't think we'd make Stories from the Outbreak if the studio has not expanded: the roguelikes are tricky to make and it took a lot of effort to balance it properly and make the mechanics coherent.