Dark Matter

Dark Matter

View Stats:
 This topic has been pinned, so it's probably important
[ICE]_Beastman  [developer] Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:04am
State of the game: Clearing up any confusion.
Dark Matter was originally planned to be a self-funded game, but in able to elaborate more on the immersive story-line, a Kickstarter project was devised. The idea was to make it a larger, more epic title, with significantly more levels and selling at full price ($30). Sadly, the Kickstarter project failed to reach the target amount and this idea had to be abandoned.

The idea was then formed to make Dark Matter an episodic series, with episodes selling at a budget price of $14.99. Any further episodes would, however, need to be dependent on the success of the previous instalment. The first instalment is what has launched recently on Steam and is simply called Dark Matter.

We would like to stress that the game is exactly as described on Steam (including that it contains 14 levels) – it is simply not true that the game is unfinished, or unplayable. Some people have misquoted the developer as having admitted that the game is incomplete; we should reiterate that what was meant was that this is not the $30 full-priced game, but the episodic budget version (currently selling at $13,49 at 10% off).

There are presently something like 5-9 hours of absorbing and highly entertaining gameplay to be had. However, like with all games, it is possible for the game to take longer or indeed a shorter time to complete, if you do not explore all areas and collect all pick-ups. We still feel , like many gamers have also posted, that the game offers value for money and is an enjoyable gaming experience throughout.

It is true however, that at present, the end of the game may cause confusion and is not satisfactory. We sincerely apologise for this, as it is not of the standard we would expect. We are working to offer a more conclusive and satisfying ending to the game as we speak and expect a fix to appear as soon we are able to.

Erik Schreuder
CEO
Iceberg Interactive
< >
Showing 1-15 of 240 comments
gusgreco7 Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:15am 
stll confused. is this the full game or are you planning on releasing more episodes?
its exactly the type of game i enjoy but all these discussions about the ending have made me wait
Last edited by gusgreco7; Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:17am
himmatsj Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:24am 
Nice. I totally love how $15 is considered a "budget price". FTW!

Also, are you now CONFIRMING it is episodic in nature? Earlier on, you or another dev said this is the end product and there are no immediate plans whatsoever to work on an Episode 2 or any continuation of some sort.

Finally, can you please address accusations that the version currently being sold on Steam is almost 100% the same as the DEMO that was sent to journalists and vloggers around the time of the Kickstarter campaign?
Last edited by himmatsj; Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:26am
Djavo Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:54am 
so its not a finished product. i understand like that. the thing is, i like the game but not the attitude of developers. the end of the game is like developers are making fun with us. shame on you.
Last edited by Djavo; Oct 20, 2013 @ 6:54am
[ICE]_Beastman  [developer] Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:03am 
It is a finished product, but not as big nor as expensive as it could have been. Any sequels will depend on this game's success.

Any references to sequels should not have been left in, nor are we happy with the current ending. This will be patched, just as minor bugs will be fixed.
Djavo Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:08am 
so why didnt you make the ending reasonable first and then sell it? did you ever check the ending before the official release as a CEO of Iceberg Interactive? Have you ever played the ending?
Arrakis Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:15am 
You guys might've gotten a lot less outrage about this if you had sold it as "episode 1" instead of just dark matter. I can understand a lot of people feeling ripped off by this, which sadly isn't good publicity for you guys and makes the chance of an episode 2 less likely :(
TheUncleanOutcast Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:29am 
This clears up a lot of questions I had, I'm currently enjoying the heck out of this game! I however do agree that perhaps changing it's title to Dark Matter: Episode 1 or something like that may help prospective purchasers, other than that good work! (sucks that your kickstarter didn't go as planned)
himmatsj Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:30am 
I am with @djavo

If you aren't happy with the ending, why did it even make it to retail in this manner? Can we trust the games that you decide to publish in the future?
[ICE]_Beastman  [developer] Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:38am 
We have considered labelling it Episode 1 but we felt this could also be constrived as misleading as it isn't certan that there will be an Episode 2. So we had to make a choice. Like with any new gaming universe there are always more stories to be told but finances will dictate its viability.

I do hear you about the ending and this is a severe oversight on our and the developer's part. This is certainly not typical for our games and we definitely strive to better ourselves in that regard. The ending-situation will be rectified as soon a humanly possible.
Kemp_J Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:41am 
So basically, "this is all you're getting unless you convince everyone else to buy it"? Great business strategy...

All someone has to do is look at the state of the game (not just the ending) and look at how the game is advertised on the store page and it's clear that 1) the episodic thing is something you thought of just now and 2) the game isn't leading in to other future content, it's simply incomplete.
Shylaar Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:44am 
Right, total backpedalling then, okay. So what about as himmatsj said, how the game appears identical to the demo build released months ago?
zeroxxx Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:48am 
You should've put this on Early Access. Now all you're getting is bad names and publication.

Good luck defending yourself from internet's wrath.
himmatsj Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:52am 
Originally posted by ICE_Beastman:
...we should reiterate that what was meant was that this is not the $30 full-priced game, but the episodic budget version (currently selling at $13,49 at 10% off).

See, another big fat lie right there. The Kickstarter backers who paid $12 were promised the full game on release. Generally, Kickstarter backers get games for slightly cheaper (or the same price) as the final version. If you are saying the full price was to be $30 (come on, who're you trying to kid, eh?), then backers got it for almost a third! Which is a joke, isn't it?

I can safely assume $15 was the intended price all along, and now you guys are caught in a terrible web of lies that there is a point of no return.

PS: Kickstarter games usually cost $5 less than the final version (and usually the same as the pre-release price). So that's why I deduce $30 seems unlikely.
Last edited by himmatsj; Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:56am
Krelian Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:52am 
imagine buying "Alice in Wonderland" book with the part about Wonderland being ripped off. There's a glued post-it right after the rabbit hole sequence that says "Alice discovered a magical land, made many friends and ultimately escaped the fury of the Queen of Hearts. THE END"
It IS a finished book, delivers the story of Alice going into Wonderland "as advertised", but still...
popcornAC Oct 20, 2013 @ 7:53am 
Originally posted by himmatsj:
Originally posted by ICE_Beastman:
...we should reiterate that what was meant was that this is not the $30 full-priced game, but the episodic budget version (currently selling at $13,49 at 10% off).

See, another big fat lie right there. The Kickstarter backers who paid $12 were promised the full game on release. Generally, Kickstarter backers get games for slightly cheaper (or the same price) as the final version. If you are saying the full price was to be $30 (come on, who're you trying to kid, eh?), then backers got it for almost a third! Which is a joke, isn't it?

I can safely assume $15 was the intended price all along, and now you guys are caught in a terrible web of lies that there is a point of no return.


The Kickstarter failed. So that no longer matters
< >
Showing 1-15 of 240 comments
Per page: 1530 50