Inspired by true events from this morning
I released a game like three years ago and it’s earned $97 in that time.
I feel your pain
I make games and this literally happened to me this morning
Submitted 2 months ago by Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/200e6307-711e-40d3-a1ba-b2db30080c9b.jpeg
Comments
Bougie_Birdie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Buy it yourself, get over 100, cash out
Bougie_Birdie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Haha, I’ve considered it. I’d really like to at least be able to buy pizza for the gang who helped make the game.
Amanduh@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Tell us the game now.
Person264@lemmings.world 2 months ago
Concord
indomara@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Whats the game? :)
cheddar@programming.dev 2 months ago
If you roughly convert your hourly salary, how much money did you spend working on this game?
Bougie_Birdie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
If we were to compare it to our day jobs, the opportunity cost for the team and me would probably be around ten grand.
If we compare the time spent to the money earned, then we’re each worth several cents an hour.
It’s a good thing I didn’t get into game dev for the money, it seems I’m quite bad at it
Evotech@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m sure if you owed them 100 bucks they’d demand it
Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 2 months ago
*$99
MadBob@feddit.nl 2 months ago
Perhaps that’s a $99 discount on the next amount owed?
CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Fairly certain I’ve bought a game that was like 34 cents or something. I definitely charged me the 34 cents.
maneframe@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
Hey me too! I released my first game on Steam a month ago and by all objective measures it was a flop, but as a hobbyist I’m still proud of it. It honestly did better than I thought for a small niche game that I did a terrible job of marketing, and my one review so far was quite positive so I’ll count that as a small win as I move onwards to the next game.
gwen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
you cant just SAY that and then not mention the game name
wow you really are bad at marketing
DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 2 months ago
The eternal conflict between being an indie dev and not wanting to be a shill :'(
maneframe@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
Oof, though you’re not wrong!
maneframe@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
By the way, here’s the game for anyone interested: store.steampowered.com/app/2792160/SnowDown/
I didn’t expect to see so many replies!
indomara@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This is super cute! If I buy these now for my friends and family but set it to deliver the gift near Christmas, would you get the money now? Or not til Christmas?
This looks perfect for when everyone is over on Christmas eve! <3
Donjuanme@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Got it on follow, if I ever get a house with a better Internet connection I’ll give it a shot and leave a review
gerbler@lemmy.world 2 months ago
As someone who is also awkwardly treading the line between being a soulless hack and trying to get my work noticed by literally anyone: please edit your top comment with a link to your game.
I mean it. I can’t even muster the courage to post my renders to Instagram without feeling like some desperate influencer goof.
CondensedPossum@lemmy.world 2 months ago
this is unexpected, i was expecting a COD type game but instead it has penguins and you’re supposed to have friends
PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Reminds me of some of the old school flash multiplayer games
Bongles@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Considering you’re a hobbyist and probably don’t have marketing, it’s too soon to say it’s a flop. Many games like that pop off later once it gets seen.
maneframe@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
I appreciate the optimism! I hope it can find an audience over time, but it’s definitely tough to stand out. For now, I’m aiming to just keep making games and improving, rather than giving up after the first try, which sadly seems to happen a lot out there.
SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Rarely happens. The vast majority of game on Steam make the bulk of their sales within a few months of release.
TachyonTele@lemm.ee 2 months ago
What’s you game? Niche games are awesome. And if you made it with Godot I’m definitely interested.
maneframe@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
Here’s my game: store.steampowered.com/app/2792160/SnowDown/
It’s a little action party game you can play with phones as controllers (similar to how you’d host a Jackbox game). And yes I did make it with Godot!
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
I have lots of bills that are less than that every month, and yet somehow I can’t just say they’re not worth paying…
kameecoding@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I am guessing you dont have service providers from all over the globe with international transaction fees
Blackmist@feddit.uk 2 months ago
If I did I’d probably have lots of little satellite offices in various regions to make that easier.
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If you want to support me, a wishlist of my current game will mean the world to me: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2336120/Do_Not_Press_The_Button_To_Delete_The_Multiverse/
But please don’t spend money on my previous games, I recognize that they aren’t that good I don’t want to burden anyone financially with them (I loved every minute of making them, but I was still a noob back then).
Muehe@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Arhgh missed that! Thank you so much!
indomara@lemmy.world 2 months ago
But please don’t spend money on my previous games, I recognize that they aren’t that good I don’t want to burden anyone financially with them (I loved every minute of making them, but I was still a noob back then).
You’re not my mum! I bought Be a Rock anyway. Keep going, make games!
I believe in you!
thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org 2 months ago
I will advertise this to my friends, they have lots of young people in their circles that go through games at a good pace. This looks right up their alley.
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
WOW! Thank you so much! Word of mouth is important for small indie dev teams
JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world 2 months ago
You know what? Fuck you.
Buys “Be A Rock”
Wurzelfurz@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Would you mind explaining how wishlisting a game helps the devs? Is it an algorithm thing? Will it be shown to more people when it is being wishlisted more?
gwen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
yeah pretty much, if a ton of people wishlist a game it pops up more on the front pages of categories bc that means it’s rlly popular
MajorHavoc@programming.dev 2 months ago
The screenshots sell it well. That’s some funny stuff. I’ll plan to check it out.
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Thank you :)
w3dd1e@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Does Wishlisting a game help the developer in anyway other than indicating excitement for a game?
I’d love to know if there an any incentive to interacting with a game’s store page other than buying a game, obviously.
If Steam gives a bonus for that kind of thing, I’m going to be a lot more generous with my clicks.
TachyonTele@lemm.ee 2 months ago
It definitely helps. Every dev I’ve heard talking about releasing a game stresses wishlisting. I forget why, unfortunately. It might make it more noticable, sort of like likensub on YouTube.
SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
I love that the Lemmy workshopped toaster has made it to the Steam page already.
Wish listed!
jacecomix@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
One of my friends has your game wishlisted. That’s one more than I expected to see based on your post, so shoutouts to you for exceeding expectations! Hope you keep making better and better games. :)
sevan@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Wish listed! Also bought Be a Rock, I look forward to being a rock later tonight, it sounds fantastic!
AGreenPurple@lemmynsfw.com 2 months ago
Funnily I saw the playthrough of your game in YouTube and it really looks like a labour of love. As the guy who did the playthrough suggested, still need to buy it as a thank you.
Or is that another game with a red button? The maker of the game I’m thinking about wrote a comment on YouTube
Deestan@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My bank: “We have a new valuation on your home! Open your app to see it!”
…
“It’s down 2%!”
swordgeek@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
I guess I shouldn’t be expected to pay for games until my total is over a hundred bucks then?
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’ve had Google charge me $0.01 before for firebase usage.
They really should have waited until I owed more since that cost them money.
Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
itch.io once sent me 4$
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
If a game gets lost in the steam store and no one ever plays it, was it ever a game at all?
RiQuY@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I feel you, on Twitch is 50$.
grandma@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
They don’t seem to have an issue sending $10 refunds to my bank account, I wonder how much it actually costs them
WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I used to make mobile apps as a hobby and I still get the weekly report of my dwindling numbers.
MarcomachtKuchen@feddit.org 2 months ago
Do they just keep your earning in your account until one month your total outstanding earnings breach the 100$ threshold and you’ll receive all your earning in one transaction or does this money get swallowed by steam?
Philharmonic3@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Policy schmolicy. Withholding even one cent you are owed is fucking shitty.
Deceptichum@quokk.au 2 months ago
I’ve been waiting like 20 years for my money from NewGrounds. I was at $80 last time I checked a while ago.
ExtraMedicated@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Happens to me almost every month. Good think I didn’t quit my day job.
recursive_recursion@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
if this is true I’d recommend sending GamersNexus an email with the details as they might be able to help considering their past actions to hold companies accountable
itsmect@monero.town 2 months ago
Seen your meme during my lunch break doom scrolling on another site. Happy to see you are here on lemmy too!
NOOBMASTER@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
don’t make shitty asset flips then
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Jesus. This makes it reasonable to just buy $100 worth of your own game every month, just to make sure. Yeah, that’s a non-zero opportunity cost for you, and additional float for Valve, however petty it may be. But for a small developer, maybe that makes sense.
Wawe@lemmy.world 2 months ago
My experience every month.
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
For context: I make indie games and have released two so far and I’m currently working on the third one which is weird as fuck. So the way that Steam works is, they don’t send you money anytime you make a sale, but they send all of it at the end of every month. Now September is almost over and I got an e-mail titled “Steam Payment Notification” and I get all hyped up. I open it and read it that the Payment Notification is actually that there is no Payment since I didn’t make $100 in sales. Way to hype me up and bring me down, Steam.
Zoot_@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Youtube and twitch work this same way. When I was starting there were months where I didnt make any money because I didn’t meet the minimum. Hoping next month meets the requirement for you boss 🙏
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Does the balance at least accumulate until you do hit the threshold, or is the money just gone?
SirDerpy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Does Steam take a cut for distribution?
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yes, their cut is 30% which is a lot, but they are pretty much the only big platform out there. Epic games has been trying to get in the game but so far they are not close. Their cut is 15%.
reshuffle6655@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Other games include “be a rock” and “pizza synthwave” and this is the weird one.
Wish listed.
crimsoncobalt@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I see you settled on a design for the toaster. Love the mustache.
Road_Warrior_10@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Thank you : )
moody@lemmings.world 2 months ago
You raised my hopes, and dashed them quite expertly sir! Bravo!
Korrok@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Oooh, I remember seeing you post about the toaster
a_wild_mimic_appears@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Since i’m a sucker for weird games and very bad at following simple rules i wishlisted your new game lol
choss@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Ayy I remember that toaster! This looks great! The sign with “Do not bite yourself to check whether you are a cake” got me smiling good
indomara@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Whats the game? :)