apolloseven
patreon
3/7 Status Update
🕑 Added 2025-03-08 02:02:21 +0000 UTCLast week I talked about how I needed to decide whether or not to push back the release of Netoria 2 to allow for more polish. Well I've made my decision, and it's not any of the options I was talking about. What I've decided to do is change the game's distribution model.
Netoria 2 will now be released on Steam, Itch, and my subscription platforms. I no longer plan to release all of Act 1 or the rest of the game for free. I was thinking about it, and the main point of giving away the game is exposure. But this game is a sequel, people can play the first game if they want something free. What's the point of putting the series on Steam if I just shift away from it immeadiatly?
To be frank, selling games upfront is a business plan I like a lot better anyway. Patreon and Subscribestar have always felt a bit icky to me. Trying to give people value for their money month after month creates patterns that are aligned against the interests of creating as good a game as possible. It also makes me anxious in a way that the revenue stream from Steam games doesn't. If this is an opportunity to move more towards Steam as the main place to get and pay for my games, I think I should take it. That doesn't mean that there won't be any free version of the game. I plan to make a demo with the first maybe 5-6 levels of the game. And I'm sure it will be leaked to the piracy sites regardless, that's fine. But I won't be the one posting the game for free on them myself.
I'll be releasing all of Act 1 as an early access release, with Act 2 and 3 released over time until the game is complete and comes out of said early access. Now, this may sound basically the same as what I did for Netoria 1, releasing updates over time, but it has a few key differences. The biggest is that I shouldn't feel pressure to get X update out by Y month. Since people will pay up front, even if some updates take longer people aren't burning money like they are on the patreon. I think it's important to stress how crappy that kind of thing makes me feel. Regardless of whether my supporters actually feel like they're getting value for their money or not, I feel a pressure to release things on a schedule of how often they're charged instead of when I think the content is ready. This is a psychological thing, but that doesn't mean it impacts me less. Making these games is largely a mental battle, trying to have fun and make things balanced against a wide variety of demoralizing elements like burnout, writer's block, and anxiety about my own production and funding model.
I suppose since you're reading this and already subscribed to either Subscribestar or Patreon, this doesn't actually affect you that much. I still plan to give the game to higher tiers even if you don't buy it elsewhere and I still plan to give out preview content and builds. But this pivot does mean the game won't be out for at least a few months. I haven't even started the approval process with Steam yet and that took quite a bit of time last time. Maybe it will be faster now since this is a sequel, I don't know. But either way I'm thinking May at the earliest now.
I know that's quite a delay from the original target of January, but the game has grown a lot since that projection. I really want to make this game as good as I can, I think it has the potential to be really special. Sorry for this pivot so close to the game being done, but I think it's the best thing to do overall.
That's all for this week. As always, thank you for your continued support.
Comments
IncubusLaertes
Since it is my opinion, that as a Patreon I am a Mäzen, and this means that I am supporting a Creator in order for him to create soemthing, not for me to get goodies every month. Did Augustus get monthly goodies from Vergil? No! He got the "Aeneis". Did the patreons of Lucas Cranach the Elder receive goodies? No! At best they were placed in the pictures. Therefore this change does find my approval, especially since it influences your emntal helath positivly. (I can however see how this sudden shift may cause annoyance with ppl not of the same disposition than myself.)
Apollo Seven
Sorry if the change doesn't work for you. But I feel it's what's best for the game and me.
Xambul
RIP, best of luck to you
