Just kidding. I *would* go in for an extra premium "Hey, This Is What It Costs If You Actually Want It To Be Completed" Kickstarter, though... I imagine the price elasticity of those of us in the Queen's Wish Fan Club is pretty darn low, given that we've been around for a while.
(I like the new resource mechanics perfectly well, but it's always been the story for me. So satisfying to play a game in which everybody has actual rational motivations that the game respects, but without coming off as a vacuous "whoa man, it's like, everybody's right from their point of view, they must all be equally valid" copout.)
It looks like I am a weirdo: every time you mention a game didn’t do well, it’s one of my preferred. Nethergate, then Queen Wish 😅 ok, sure, the Geneforge series is in a league of its own. Less so if one doesn’t play as a shaper though. I have always wondered why you did put those alternative classes. Where you afraid your potential customers would feel lost with the unorthodox shaping?
It's always too bad to hear that QW2 didn't sell well, since it was a good improvement of all the experimental stuff you tried in QW1. I hope you're able to finish the story in a satisfying way since I want to know what's going to happen to my probably doomed fantasy family, but needing to eat is important and I also am eager for all the Geneforge remakes.
It's interesting to hear all the business stuff, since my wife wants to try to make a video game as we transition to less active in working lives, but we've firmly established 'it's going to be a passion project' if we do since in today's market there's really no way for it to be viable as a vehicle for sales. It's something I've always wanted to do, in some part because of playing your games, but always stayed away from after hearing all the nightmares that it involves professionally.
"Passion project" is definitely the way to go. I think most products that break through started as "I truly believe in this but I don't think it'll go anywhere." My first game was certainly that.
I really liked Queen's Wish 1 & 2. The gameplay was solid and the ideas in the story about empire / self-determination for the different groups was intriguing. Especially in 2, when it was revealed where the main character's father came from.
I only really hang out on the Rock Paper Shotgun newsfeed, but somehow Geneforge 2 got a lot more coverage there than Queen's Wish 2 did -- a full (glowing) review, plus an interview with you. This lead me to be less surprised that the game sold better.
I guess we'll find out what (if anything) you did differently in the "Next time, we will look at the actual announcement, PR work, and shipping" follow-up column
Your existing cult following can’t be overstated enough as being a big reason for continued financial success. GF2 is great, but if it came out of nowhere from a brand new indie studio, success would not be guaranteed.
Obviously, I know that. Though I think it's interesting how aggressive a hedge "would not be guaranteed" is.
My new game is a quality product for an underserved market. I believe, with work and a few lucky breaks, a product like it could break through and sell 5000 copies, which is enough to get your foot in. Even if it didn't have an established fan base.
"Queen's Wish 3: The Microtransactions"
Just kidding. I *would* go in for an extra premium "Hey, This Is What It Costs If You Actually Want It To Be Completed" Kickstarter, though... I imagine the price elasticity of those of us in the Queen's Wish Fan Club is pretty darn low, given that we've been around for a while.
(I like the new resource mechanics perfectly well, but it's always been the story for me. So satisfying to play a game in which everybody has actual rational motivations that the game respects, but without coming off as a vacuous "whoa man, it's like, everybody's right from their point of view, they must all be equally valid" copout.)
It looks like I am a weirdo: every time you mention a game didn’t do well, it’s one of my preferred. Nethergate, then Queen Wish 😅 ok, sure, the Geneforge series is in a league of its own. Less so if one doesn’t play as a shaper though. I have always wondered why you did put those alternative classes. Where you afraid your potential customers would feel lost with the unorthodox shaping?
Maybe you could sell Wizards of the Coast on an AA version of Queen's Wish as a Birthright tie-in?
It's always too bad to hear that QW2 didn't sell well, since it was a good improvement of all the experimental stuff you tried in QW1. I hope you're able to finish the story in a satisfying way since I want to know what's going to happen to my probably doomed fantasy family, but needing to eat is important and I also am eager for all the Geneforge remakes.
It's interesting to hear all the business stuff, since my wife wants to try to make a video game as we transition to less active in working lives, but we've firmly established 'it's going to be a passion project' if we do since in today's market there's really no way for it to be viable as a vehicle for sales. It's something I've always wanted to do, in some part because of playing your games, but always stayed away from after hearing all the nightmares that it involves professionally.
"Passion project" is definitely the way to go. I think most products that break through started as "I truly believe in this but I don't think it'll go anywhere." My first game was certainly that.
I really liked Queen's Wish 1 & 2. The gameplay was solid and the ideas in the story about empire / self-determination for the different groups was intriguing. Especially in 2, when it was revealed where the main character's father came from.
A lot of people liked them. The first one sold quite well. But sometimes, I dunno, a title just doesn't catch fire.
I only really hang out on the Rock Paper Shotgun newsfeed, but somehow Geneforge 2 got a lot more coverage there than Queen's Wish 2 did -- a full (glowing) review, plus an interview with you. This lead me to be less surprised that the game sold better.
I guess we'll find out what (if anything) you did differently in the "Next time, we will look at the actual announcement, PR work, and shipping" follow-up column
Part of the problem was that our previous PR team REALLY dropped the ball on Queen's Wish 2, while our new firm is on top of it.
Hi Jeff, I'm interested to know which are you planning on doing next?
I will say before too long.
At this time, QW 2 has "very positive" reviews in Steam. Perhaps the game launched at the wrong time? Perhaps it didn't reach the target audience?
I think ... A combination of bad PR and that, while it's a solid design, one game of it was enough for most people.
Your existing cult following can’t be overstated enough as being a big reason for continued financial success. GF2 is great, but if it came out of nowhere from a brand new indie studio, success would not be guaranteed.
Obviously, I know that. Though I think it's interesting how aggressive a hedge "would not be guaranteed" is.
My new game is a quality product for an underserved market. I believe, with work and a few lucky breaks, a product like it could break through and sell 5000 copies, which is enough to get your foot in. Even if it didn't have an established fan base.