SpaceBase DF-9, Double Fine and the state of Early Access titles

Squark

Squark

Squark

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Very annoyingly Doublefine have announced that they're effectively pulling the plug on SpaceBase development and releasing it as v1.0 straight from alpha6.
Tim Schafer claims that lack of sales has forced them to cease development, to me this is a poor reason, as surely most people would only buy into a game like that when it's feature complete, or close to.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/246090/discussions/0/613936673464943075/

As someone who bought in to this game based on the potential I saw in it I'm rather annoyed they they're just giving up on it when there's so much that needs to be improved and added to it to make it wholly playable and enjoyable. The dev plan on the website had a big list of interesting features planned which sounded interesting.
I would pop on and play some more each time an update came but they started coming fewer and further apart recently.

Imo this game had much potential and this decision is a poor reflection on Tim Schafer, DoubleFine and the whole Early Access system. I know that Early Access and things like kickstarter offer no promises but still, I had some faith that a developer with the seemingly good reputation of DoubleFine would see the game through to completion, especially after recently promising that they 'wouldn't silently pull the plug on the project'.

I doubt that I'll purchase another DF game.
 
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Having just read some of Tims replies, this seems to be a **** fest for Double Fine.

I have to say, they seem to have screwed this up and need to give something to their customers who purchased this.

Tim trying to backout by saying "Hey, we said these features might be in the game" is a cop out at the highest level.

Yes, he did say "might" but then does that mean he cheap shotted his customers? He cannot use that as a "get out" and say "Well, you perceived what I said incorrectly, tough poop".

Tim Schafer, you are a bad man.

Something else for you to ponder, I have only just found out about this game.....

I will reconsider my purchase of Costume Quest 2 and Grim Fandango.
 

TB makes a pretty good video and after reading around the subject, this does seem a but like DF pulling the plug and running due to the game not turning over enough cash anymore... before release. Mere speculation but thats what it seems.
 
Oh wow, this is really disappointing if true, I thought Double Fine and Tim Schaffer were better than this. This isn't how early access is supposed to be used. They should have went to Kick Starter so they could at least know what sort of funding they had to deal with if they weren't willing to fund it out of their own pocket.

Early access shouldn't be used as an early financing scheme.
 
It certainly seems like DF have just piddled away the money they've taken in by being financially irresponsible.

Thanks for the link itchy
 
AHarvey said:
The sooner people stop giving devs money before the game is finished the better.
Click to expand...

This. Anyone can come up with a feature list and idea for a game that sounds amazing, but the amount of people who can actually pull it off is a truly tiny percentage.
 
I've bought a single early access game, and I'll never buy another, after the devs basically took the money and shut up shop (Wollay and Cube World). It's a fool's game.
 
The Bobby Kotick bit mentioned in Totalbiscuits video was a surprise to be reminded of, I remember that story doing the rounds and as TB said everyone was slating Kotick for picking on the little guys but it all seems to holds true!
 
A lot of Schafer apologists seem to have arisen elsewhere over this story, he can do no wrong in their eyes.
 
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