JAGIELSKI Posted December 31, 2024 Report Posted December 31, 2024 People like Vinesauce (Joel or Vinny, doesn't really matter), Markiplier, other big gaming creators/streamers, and yes, even Pewdiepie (if you can manage to get him to play it). Reason being that right now VS has a visibility problem, with many people simply not knowing the game exists and had it not been for a Minecraft content creator I tend to watch making a video about VS that landed in my recommended feed on Youtube, I wouldn't know the game exists either (despite the fact that I really enjoy it now that I know about it and may in fact be developing an addiction). Mods, if this is more appropriate for Suggestions board, please move it there, just posted in a generic discussion area in case Suggestions is meant for game suggestions only.
LadyWYT Posted December 31, 2024 Report Posted December 31, 2024 17 minutes ago, JAGIELSKI said: Reason being that right now VS has a visibility problem, with many people simply not knowing the game exists and had it not been for a Minecraft content creator I tend to watch making a video about VS that landed in my recommended feed on Youtube, I wouldn't know the game exists either (despite the fact that I really enjoy it now that I know about it and may in fact be developing an addiction). Honestly...I think right now it's maybe for the best that Vintage Story is not widely popular. It's still got a ways to go before it's finished; story to flesh out, gameplay loops to add, jank to fix. I think it'll be easier for players to pick up and enjoy once a lot of that is sorted out, especially since there may be some major changes to some of the gameplay before the game is considered finished. I also don't think the game needs to be given to big YouTubers for publicity--let the game stand on its own merits instead. Those who are interested will buy it, and popularity can spread via word-of-mouth for a quality product. I'd also note that when a product is just given to someone, their response is tainted because it comes across as just buying their influence. Additionally, they haven't shelled out their own money for said product, so one also has to wonder if a positive review is due to the product actually being a good one, or whether it's more due to the product being free. 7
JAGIELSKI Posted December 31, 2024 Author Report Posted December 31, 2024 Most people won't take the issues you've mentioned into account. They're going to be like "Oh, X played it on their channel, so it must be good. Better get it too!" and then proceed to getting the game. Also, I'd say that the game is pretty good at teaching you stuff (the handbook), much better than Minecraft is. The little jank that is in it is understandable and early MC versions were even jankier. As long as there is no constant crash/data corruption bugs unrelated to some badly done mod (and to my knowledge, there are none), it will get a pass, especially since it's a small indie team. Game is plenty fun as it is now, even if you remove lore bits (or ignore them). I got pretty smol brain and even I can play the game well. 1
LadyWYT Posted December 31, 2024 Report Posted December 31, 2024 1 hour ago, JAGIELSKI said: Most people won't take the issues you've mentioned into account. They're going to be like "Oh, X played it on their channel, so it must be good. Better get it too!" and then proceed to getting the game. Maybe, but I get the impression that the culture is changing a bit regarding that. I still think it's better to let those who genuinely want to play the game just buy it themselves; they don't feel obligated to force a positive reaction that way if they end up not liking it. 1 hour ago, JAGIELSKI said: Also, I'd say that the game is pretty good at teaching you stuff (the handbook), much better than Minecraft is. The little jank that is in it is understandable and early MC versions were even jankier. As long as there is no constant crash/data corruption bugs unrelated to some badly done mod (and to my knowledge, there are none), it will get a pass, especially since it's a small indie team. Game is plenty fun as it is now, even if you remove lore bits (or ignore them). I got pretty smol brain and even I can play the game well. A fair point. I just think it'd be less aggravating for a lot of people to play the more polished product. Of course, a lot of that sentiment is probably stemming from the uh...current salt levels flying around about some of the things in 1.20. 1
N0ma13 Posted December 31, 2024 Report Posted December 31, 2024 2 hours ago, LadyWYT said: Maybe, but I get the impression that the culture is changing a bit regarding that. I still think it's better to let those who genuinely want to play the game just buy it themselves; they don't feel obligated to force a positive reaction that way if they end up not liking it. A fair point. I just think it'd be less aggravating for a lot of people to play the more polished product. Of course, a lot of that sentiment is probably stemming from the uh...current salt levels flying around about some of the things in 1.20. Don't we want salt for pickled veggies? TBF I got VS because I saw it on youtube. Couldn't tell you who, don't care about youtuber's names etc. I watch videos that look interesting and almost never sub to any thing. Was watching minecraft vids and VS popped up, looked like a better version so I bought it. Great decision. Never give it away though.. If these people are so famous they can afford to buy it. 3
JAGIELSKI Posted January 1 Author Report Posted January 1 (edited) 1 hour ago, N0ma13 said: Never give it away though.. If these people are so famous they can afford to buy it. Then they'll never play it. Ever heard about that thing called "marketing"? 4 hours ago, LadyWYT said: Maybe, but I get the impression that the culture is changing a bit regarding that. I still think it's better to let those who genuinely want to play the game just buy it themselves; they don't feel obligated to force a positive reaction that way if they end up not liking it. But that's precisely the point: More people buying the game = more funds to develop it faster and better. And nobody will buy it after seeing a negative video. Especially from a big creator. Edited January 1 by JAGIELSKI
LadyWYT Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 15 minutes ago, JAGIELSKI said: Then they'll never play it. Ever heard about that thing called "marketing"? If it's something that interests them, they'll buy it and play it. But if it's not something they'd really enjoy playing, they aren't exactly going to provide a glowing recommendation that actually feels genuine, even if you give them a free copy. More effective to let people buy and enjoy for themselves, and goad their friends into buying it too via glowing endorsements. A big name promoting a product, in many cases, is not genuine--someone paid them to promote it. A recommendation from someone one actually knows personally is much, much better. 23 minutes ago, JAGIELSKI said: But that's precisely the point: More people buying the game = more funds to develop it faster and better. More people buying the game just means more money; it doesn't mean that anything gets developed faster or better. There are several many companies out there today with a ton of money and other resources to work with developing their games, that neither develop anything quickly, nor anything of particularly good quality. As I understand it, Vintage Story is currently well-funded, and I'd much rather the developers take their time making quality content. Quality content is what will pull in the customers. 27 minutes ago, JAGIELSKI said: And nobody will buy it after seeing a negative video. Especially from a big creator. Depends. Assuming that a negative review holds any truth, then yeah, that can turn a lot of people away from purchasing a game, for a very good reason. But if the game is very high quality, then it's logical to assume that most reviews will be positive, and not negative. Big creators might have a lot bigger reach than smaller creators, sure...but they certainly aren't the holy grail of what determines whether or not people purchase a game. 3
JAGIELSKI Posted January 1 Author Report Posted January 1 I have to disagree with you. If Pewdiepie didn't play several games, they wouldn't be as popular as they are. Pewdiepie and Markiplier made FNAF popular - I have no doubts that without them it wouldn't be such a juggernaut it turned out to be (for better or worse). Another example. Amඞng Us would probably rot in obscurity, had it not been discovered by several large content creators. It was released YEARS before it was made a popular thing to play. And giving free keys to content creators is basically how its done in the indie space. You can't change that anymore you can change the mind of a bear currently mauling you.
Thorfinn Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 If money were what the devs were looking for, they'd just release it on Steam. So far, Tyron has just left it at, "Thanks, but no thanks." For now, anyway. In part, that might be what they want to avoid -- the demographic you see posting on pretty much every game on Steam. You know the kind, "I know you don't think it's broken, but fix it now!" 7
LadyWYT Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 24 minutes ago, Thorfinn said: In part, that might be what they want to avoid -- the demographic you see posting on pretty much every game on Steam. You know the kind, "I know you don't think it's broken, but fix it now!" It's a huge influx of this demographic that I'm concerned about. Those who decide to just jump into the game because it seems to be the "popular thing" are probably going to have a rude awakening from the difficulty, hence I would expect a rather unpleasant outburst of "Game broken, fix now!" I'd happily be wrong about that scenario, of course, but it's one of the major reasons I say it's best to just let those who are after this kind of game buy it themselves, rather than rely on some advertising gimmick to pull in a larger crowd. 3
357 Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 3 hours ago, JAGIELSKI said: I have to disagree with you. If Pewdiepie didn't play several games, they wouldn't be as popular as they are. Pewdiepie and Markiplier made FNAF popular - I have no doubts that without them it wouldn't be such a juggernaut it turned out to be (for better or worse). Another example. Amඞng Us would probably rot in obscurity, had it not been discovered by several large content creators. It was released YEARS before it was made a popular thing to play. And giving free keys to content creators is basically how its done in the indie space. You can't change that anymore you can change the mind of a bear currently mauling you. I don't agree with you, friend. Maybe you have good intentions, and you hope to promote this game and give more help to the creators. However, if you blindly expand the game community, it may bring unknown changes, and with the current development progress of the game, this change will most likely be a bad result, and this method will do more harm than good. You may be able to solve this small problem and create a bigger problem, friend. In my opinion, if the creators don't have the financial difficulties that they desperately need, they will need to devote themselves to developing this game. Propaganda is nothing but a means. If you compare it to a perfect piece of ore. Without going through thousands of tempers, how can we achieve real steel. Weapons made from unfinished pig iron will only shatter at the touch of a button. I love the game as well, but I agree with LadyWYT that maybe this isn't the right time for it to actually come out. 4
ArgentLuna Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 8 hours ago, JAGIELSKI said: Then they'll never play it. Ever heard about that thing called "marketing"? Then they are not worth having if they have to be bribed to play X game. People who like something will find it and enjoy it and some people only will play what their shepherd plays and that herd is often not worth the bother of having's attention 3
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