Well, Valheim just announced another milestone.
Five Million Vikings! /5 million sold and they're on version 0.147.3 ... That's SO insane.
If Mortal can just get a piece of that pie! Fuck! Really hope they do!
Hell, Mount and Blade 2 ("released" in March 2020 to early access... and just now on version 1.5.7) may have sold as many as 5-10 mil.... (steamspy says 5-10mil. Best other source is from July 2020 @ 2-5 mil already)
Really just blows me away that early access games sell like that. What an intense signal to the devs out there.... given again and again, louder and louder over the years. "We'll pay BIG! for your unfinished games. We want the next thing, but we want it right now and we will not be left behind."
There's a point where we need to rethink what "release" really means. It's used in all of these games' media to promote themselves and encourage people to buy. When... none actually "released"... right? Conveniently there's a built-in excuse of "Well... it's only early access, of course the game is buggy or X doesn't work right"
It's obvious to me "early access" = "release" these days. We 'gamers' have made it crystal clear that we are OK with that.
I feel very old complaining about this. And in hindsight, seeing how it slowly changed, I wish i would have stopped buying into certain games earlier.
Anyone remember free closed betas? They're actually still around today, but the more common early access model is the obvious choice when you wish to release an unfinished game.
\\New MMO is coming! You'd nervously fill out your application on their website "Oh please! Let me test your game! I'll give very very good feedback."... I was rarely chosen for the first rounds
But the all-mighty FREE OPEN BETA was just around the corner. After a quick stress test.... The servers were bombarded by free users (usually within a couple months of release)
It was formula. That's how games released.... Sorry, "released".
I'm not sure what that image is... let's not dwell on it...
The point being... Early Access = Beta = Release... and not open beta, but 'needs some serious fucking work' beta. Err, i mean release?\\
At this point there's no reason to challenge it. My wallet is nothing compared to the collective 'gamers'. I hold onto this decaying standard of some ancient and forgotten nobility. Mostly imaginary. Mostly jaded and irritated.
With all that said, I WILL be paying a sub at "release" to SV....
...
...
Maybe THIS is the feeling they get. Those 'early accessors'. Supporting the team/people they believe in. For the coveted ability to test their creation.
Good intentions and all that fervor...
Five Million Vikings! /5 million sold and they're on version 0.147.3 ... That's SO insane.
If Mortal can just get a piece of that pie! Fuck! Really hope they do!
Hell, Mount and Blade 2 ("released" in March 2020 to early access... and just now on version 1.5.7) may have sold as many as 5-10 mil.... (steamspy says 5-10mil. Best other source is from July 2020 @ 2-5 mil already)
Really just blows me away that early access games sell like that. What an intense signal to the devs out there.... given again and again, louder and louder over the years. "We'll pay BIG! for your unfinished games. We want the next thing, but we want it right now and we will not be left behind."
There's a point where we need to rethink what "release" really means. It's used in all of these games' media to promote themselves and encourage people to buy. When... none actually "released"... right? Conveniently there's a built-in excuse of "Well... it's only early access, of course the game is buggy or X doesn't work right"
It's obvious to me "early access" = "release" these days. We 'gamers' have made it crystal clear that we are OK with that.
I feel very old complaining about this. And in hindsight, seeing how it slowly changed, I wish i would have stopped buying into certain games earlier.
Anyone remember free closed betas? They're actually still around today, but the more common early access model is the obvious choice when you wish to release an unfinished game.
\\New MMO is coming! You'd nervously fill out your application on their website "Oh please! Let me test your game! I'll give very very good feedback."... I was rarely chosen for the first rounds
But the all-mighty FREE OPEN BETA was just around the corner. After a quick stress test.... The servers were bombarded by free users (usually within a couple months of release)
It was formula. That's how games released.... Sorry, "released".
I'm not sure what that image is... let's not dwell on it...
The point being... Early Access = Beta = Release... and not open beta, but 'needs some serious fucking work' beta. Err, i mean release?\\
At this point there's no reason to challenge it. My wallet is nothing compared to the collective 'gamers'. I hold onto this decaying standard of some ancient and forgotten nobility. Mostly imaginary. Mostly jaded and irritated.
With all that said, I WILL be paying a sub at "release" to SV....
...
...
Maybe THIS is the feeling they get. Those 'early accessors'. Supporting the team/people they believe in. For the coveted ability to test their creation.
Good intentions and all that fervor...
