Codex Preview RPG Codex Report: Expeditions: Conquistador, Logic Artists and Kickstarter

Who cares about boxes these days? Can you even buy a fucking PC game, especially an obscure indie one, in a store these days? Digital is where the action is and that's the main reason why publishers lost influence - the traditional distribution channels are simply not needed anymore.

 

Yeah, when the PC shelving disappeared in places like Gamestop, the whole publishing game kind of fell apart. These days it seems like its used more as a general term for funding development, not distribution. I miss the days when there were big, huge racks of PC games in Gamestop, back in the 90's, and a tiny corner with a few lame consoles on display.

 

If we had cool boxes like before, with nice extras inside then people would still care. However, having games in stupid dvd-cases without even a room for a manual inside sucks. Besides, keeping original media is bothersome. I prefer to have isos and keys stored on a backed-up harddrive.

 

And to think, this used to be just average for a box.

 

Well I don't care about that either. But I do care about WHEN. As an independent project it should be shipped when done and ready. Now, Grunker, didn't they tell you in person that it would be done and ready on February 28th? Why the hell didn't I get the game then?

Oh, because appearantly new ways to cash in have occured. More promising than the kickstarter crowd, right? They've already paid their toll so fuck those losers.

 

Uh, oh. The follow up kickstarter project might prove difficult. TurdComposer the only hope now!

 

A video game not meeting the release date? Oh man, someone call the media.

Them not informing me on that day was bloody retardation - we've talked enough about their ineptitude at communication. But is it in itself a problem the game's release date is pushed? Hell no. I thought it was a fucking miracle that it seemed to get out on time.

Is it shitty that the game industry can't hold release dates? Yeah, I guess, but it ain't hardly unique to this game. Only the terrible communication is.

 

First and foremost, creating an impression that they don't care about the backers and breaking a promise made to said backers was a mistake. Reputation, goodwill, and such are very important factors for an indie developer and damaging them in exchange for some unclear benefits should never be done lightly.

As for Steam, well, if they really wanted to be on Steam, they should have put in some marketing effort. I did the impressions because many people were looking for some info on the game but couldn't find anything. Also, just because they couldn't get on Steam right away doesn't mean they couldn't get on Steam a few months later, using positive impressions and reviews either to get the votes or to approach Valve directly.

They didn't have to release the game to all, but they should have released the game to the backers.

 

It IS a big deal!!!

 

If the game wasn't ready and simply needed more time, nobody would have said a word. The issue here is that the game was ready but held back, despite the commitment to the backers, because of a last-minute deal with a publisher.

 

And what's the big issue with that? If this ultimately means more success for the game and the developer and thus more chance of them surviving and making the games we want?

I'm sorry, I'm having a motherfucking hard time seeing any big transgression here besides horrible communication. This is a storm in a glass of water and I'm honestly surprised at you fannin' the flames.

 

Ah, good, Grunker has finally embraced the spirit of potatos defending Twitcher to the last breath

 

The issue with it , is in many people mind kickstarter was a way to bypass the evil publishers, so understandably they are a bit butthurt over it . But dont worry when its published and if its good people will polish their shoes again can call them bro.

 

I don't really see the equivalence. I think having Multiplayer or Not. being funded by publishers or not is immaterial here. The point is, that we were lied to. Not a big thing in and itself since it only (thankfully) means postponement. The point is that just that it is not defensible. I am not going to pester them any more and I hope none of us does. This does not however preclude anyone feeling deceived and expressing that.

 

This one I think everyone is in agreement. Sometimes it just gets too stressful, so I personally can easily forgive them for this little thing. They must be doing lots of stuff at the moment...

Well, I definitely would love to get some advise on marketing effort. We wrote press releases, contacted many sites, and response so far has been not so big. Partially, that is probably result of the state of our game (which is still raw in some aspects). But in general - it's not so easy to get press write about you. Now, with the Greenlight campaign, I feel like it's Kickstarter all over again. None of the big sites wants to write about us and it's actually them who create the biggest influence. Hopefully, it changes when our game is more solid, but still, that's not something that is very easy to do.

About releasing the game to backers when it's ready. Again, the question is how. Creating your own distribution through your web site could be tough. Most of the projects promise to distribute through some platform not because they are lazy, but because making an extra version means more testing, more everything. So, for example, in my opinion GOG is best for DRM-free distribution of copies of the game. But again, the release of the game is best when it's simultaneous on all plaftorms, it creates then more media attention. Is there a way for a indie studio to release your game ahead of release date at GOG to backers? I don't know, to be honest.

 

Exactly, so they should have delivered the single-player game they promised to their kickstarter backers, when they promised it without the unexplained last minute delay due to the publishing deal. After that they were free to do whatever deal they wanted with publishers, including taking on board the 'publisher influence' and adding multiplayer or whatever else the publisher required before agreeing a deal. Instead we got this:

I understand that they need to get a distribution deal besides just sending the game out to backers. I understand that delays happen in game development and bugs need to be fixed. But the above examples of the communication we've received seem like a pretty shitty way to treat people who've backed your project. If they'd updated us a few weeks before it was due, to explain they needed a bit more time for bug fixes I'm sure noone would have complained (much). But if your aim is to 'polish' and 'fix bugs' you don't then keep implementing new multiplayer features. If you've raised funds on the premise of a single-player game then getting that right should be your priority.

Hope the game turns out well but good luck if they ever try another kickstarter with this track record.

 

Do I really have to explain this one? I understand that you met them and like them and ate their doritos, but surely you see that what they did wasn't the best move?

I thought that their KS was fairly successful, no? Almost 80k for virtually unknown developers. I thought that was the very idea - crowd-fund our game and we'll make it for you (not some publisher).

So, the KS promises mean nothing to you?

 

This. Compounded with his utter inability to communicate and say things in a straight manner. I know that games get delayed. Shit happens. But when the delay is because back alley deals and when the supposedly indie and community-aware developer just take a dump on its backers... Well

 

This.

 

The backers take a dump on them, amirite?

 

Regarding Steam Greenlight: Apparently they were getting 50/50 in terms of upvotes and downvotes, so they really weren't going anywhere.

Honestly, I'm kinda glad it got delayed because if it had been released everyone would be complaining about bugs instead.

 

Hyperbole of the worst kind. A counter-question just a stupid would be: "So delaying a game a bit constitutes complete betrayal to you?"