Freebird Games' purchasing policy

[Reives]

Hi all, just trying to make this more visible for those who aren't familiar yet:

Simply, as with all games from Freebird, there's a 100% no-questions-asked refund policy if you regretted your purchase in any way, even if it just happens to not be your cup of tea. You can email me at kan<at>freebirdgames<dot>com with a receipt and I'll get it done personally.

While I do definitely stand with things that I make, part of the reason for this too is because these games can be a bit odd as far as expectations go, especially to folks who aren't familiar with the kind of games I make. So I hope this'll also make it more accessible and less of a risk for those curious.

So that's that -- Cheers guys, and thanks for your time!

-Kan

P.S. Somewhat relevant with the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSAz2-IQNOo

[Kabraliah]

Refund? Man I wanna give you MORE money, these games are works of art ;_;

[markoh00]

Hi Kan,
I just played A Bird Story (bought i on Humble Store) and I really don't know how you do it. I KNEW this story would be a short story about a boy and a bird and I KNEW that there would not be much interactivity in it so I really did not expected emotions like I hade with "To The Moon". But the few times you let the player be interactive were exactly the right ones and I was so immersed in the story and this friendship that I found it very, very, very hard to do those last keycombinations at the end of the game. You truly are a master of narration and emotions and I cannot wait for your next game which I'll definitely buy on release!
Thank you for those great moments with your beautiful games.

[Harley]

i never asked for my money back cause i never bought them game cause it looked dumb

[730]

What happens if someone just buys the game and immediately asks for a refund, just to get a free game?

[Sendrien]

引用自 730：

What happens if someone just buys the game and immediately asks for a refund, just to get a free game?

It is certainly possible to abuse Freebird's more than generous policy by doing that. But keep in mind several things:

1. Policies like these ultimately benefit us, the consumers. So if we don't abuse them, and only make use of them when truly needed, it might give other companies the confidence to offer similar policies, and that benefits all consumers on the whole.

2. If someone were trying to get a free game, I'm pretty sure they could find easier, less hassling ways of achieving their goal.

3. Developers like Kan Gao are one in a generation. The world needs more games like To the Moon, and A Bird Story. There won't be games like these if we don't support the genuine artists/geniuses that make them.

4. Freebird Games donates proceeds from their sales to charities, while being a low-budget indie developer. It would be so easy for Kan to leave charity up to the AAA studios (who are certainly not donating 50% of OST proceeds to charity, incidentally). But he hasn't. He's sharing the fruit of his own labours, and he even has the magnanimity to honour this refund policy, despite the possibility of being abused and cheated.

5. Since To the Moon came out, Freebird has released TWO completely FREE DLCs even 2 years on. Think of your typical AAA company. They're charging left, right and center for DAY ONE DLCs. (The most recent example being Evolve.) If you support having to shell out $80 for a game only to find that you have to spend an extra $50 the first day to get the full content of the game, then by all means go spend $130 on a game like Evolve, and cheat Freebird of their $5 game by asking for a refund in bad faith.

Kan Gao and his indie studio...these are the good guys, if not the very BEST guys, in every way.

Sure, you can take advantage. But think thrice.

[730]

引用自 Sendrien：

引用自 730：

What happens if someone just buys the game and immediately asks for a refund, just to get a free game?

It is certainly possible to abuse Freebird's more than generous policy by doing that. But keep in mind several things:

1. Policies like these ultimately benefit us, the consumers. So if we don't abuse them, and only make use of them when truly needed, it might give other companies the confidence to offer similar policies, and that benefits all consumers on the whole.

2. If someone were trying to get a free game, I'm pretty sure they could find easier, less hassling ways of achieving their goal.

3. Developers like Kan Gao are one in a generation. The world needs more games like To the Moon, and A Bird Story. There won't be games like these if we don't support the genuine artists/geniuses that make them.

4. Freebird Games donates proceeds from their sales to charities, while being a low-budget indie developer. It would be so easy for Kan to leave charity up to the AAA studios (who are certainly not donating 50% of OST proceeds to charity, incidentally). But he hasn't. He's sharing the fruit of his own labours, and he even has the magnanimity to honour this refund policy, despite the possibility of being abused and cheated.

5. Since To the Moon came out, Freebird has released TWO completely FREE DLCs even 2 years on. Think of your typical AAA company. They're charging left, right and center for DAY ONE DLCs. (The most recent example being Evolve.) If you support having to shell out $80 for a game only to find that you have to spend an extra $50 the first day to get the full content of the game, then by all means go spend $130 on a game like Evolve, and cheat Freebird of their $5 game by asking for a refund in bad faith.

Kan Gao and his indie studio...these are the good guys, if not the very BEST guys, in every way.

Sure, you can take advantage. But think thrice.

I wasn't saying I would do this, I got this game because I loved To The Moon. It's just I would be sad if people were to exploit this policy. But yeah, I guess people who'd want to get a game for free wouldn't want a game like this anyways.
What I think would be nice is if Steam let developers manage refunding, so in this case, you could refund someone while at the same time removing the game from their library.

[adeemin]

Is there a way we can donate to you? After all the time and effort you put into ttm it kind of seems like your doofing yourself, your probably a really nice chap. I'd hate to see you get cheated out of what you deserve.

[Skorpzy]

Be careful of people purchasing one of your games and demanding money back just for the sake of it, though.

[GattMoreTTV]

Anyone who asks for a refund on this has no heart...great work sir

[mrarky89]

引用自 Sodapop：

I'm sorry, Sodapop. I know this has nothing to do with the thread but I have to ask you. Was your screenname inspired by a certain character from 'The Outsiders'?

[The King Possum]

you are correct!

引用自 crono：

And that's how you do customer service ;)

the developer of this game brings hope to pc gaming.

[Wakane]

Finished the game. I like it.

Things to improve :
* Please provide a built-in resolution scaler. Playing it with Magnifier is not that bad, but it'll be great if it's handled in the game. I believe most player have got higher than 640x480 resolution in the monitor. The old-FF style graphics is nice, just need a scaler.

PS. I'm not sure doing To the Moon again is a good idea. You can go a totally different story theme/path.

[ItsTheSebbe]

引用自 adeemin：

Is there a way we can donate to you? After all the time and effort you put into ttm it kind of seems like your doofing yourself, your probably a really nice chap. I'd hate to see you get cheated out of what you deserve.

You can donate via their Bandcamp page, by adding more than necessary to your purchase of the OST :)

引用自 Sendrien：

引用自 730：

What happens if someone just buys the game and immediately asks for a refund, just to get a free game?

It is certainly possible to abuse Freebird's more than generous policy by doing that. But keep in mind several things:

1. Policies like these ultimately benefit us, the consumers. So if we don't abuse them, and only make use of them when truly needed, it might give other companies the confidence to offer similar policies, and that benefits all consumers on the whole.

2. If someone were trying to get a free game, I'm pretty sure they could find easier, less hassling ways of achieving their goal.

3. Developers like Kan Gao are one in a generation. The world needs more games like To the Moon, and A Bird Story. There won't be games like these if we don't support the genuine artists/geniuses that make them.

4. Freebird Games donates proceeds from their sales to charities, while being a low-budget indie developer. It would be so easy for Kan to leave charity up to the AAA studios (who are certainly not donating 50% of OST proceeds to charity, incidentally). But he hasn't. He's sharing the fruit of his own labours, and he even has the magnanimity to honour this refund policy, despite the possibility of being abused and cheated.

5. Since To the Moon came out, Freebird has released TWO completely FREE DLCs even 2 years on. Think of your typical AAA company. They're charging left, right and center for DAY ONE DLCs. (The most recent example being Evolve.) If you support having to shell out $80 for a game only to find that you have to spend an extra $50 the first day to get the full content of the game, then by all means go spend $130 on a game like Evolve, and cheat Freebird of their $5 game by asking for a refund in bad faith.

Kan Gao and his indie studio...these are the good guys, if not the very BEST guys, in every way.

Sure, you can take advantage. But think thrice.

You just summed up exactly what I had in mind... Freebird is a one in a kind developer and we should definitely stimulate behaviour like this.

[Reives]

@Yoshi: Oh, it's you! I think I remember another message from you somewhere else accusing To the Moon of "misandry" in a peculiarly worded post similar to this one. I personally found your suggestions rather odd and curious, but that's fine, to each their own. c: Anyhow, just here to respond to this:

引用自 yoshi_s_island：

You make no word of this policy on To The Moon page, however.

For TtM, there's not only a refund policy, but also a demo that carries over save files:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/206440/discussions/0/846945579819326996/

[Sendrien]

引用自 Reives：

@Yoshi: Oh, it's you! I think I remember another message from you somewhere else accusing To the Moon of "misandry" in a peculiarly worded post similar to this one. I personally found your suggestions rather odd and curious, but that's fine, to each their own. c: Anyhow, just here to respond to this:

引用自 yoshi_s_island：

You make no word of this policy on To The Moon page, however.

For TtM, there's not only a refund policy, but also a demo that carries over save files:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/206440/discussions/0/846945579819326996/

Way to go Kan :) Please know that people like Yoshi are in the vast, vast minority, and never let the voices of the dissenting few interfere with your creative process!

To the Moon is not only a work of art, it is what I consider (with no hyperbole) a masterpiece in modern storytelling. You achieved with that story what many writers fail to do: compose a vast story with intrigue, depth, and scope which feels completely unresolvable, yet you manage to do it in the most satisfying way.

And to resolve the built up mystery of an ENTIRE story told in reverse chronology with a single scene...if that is not sheer art in its truest form, then certainly, it must be the rarest miracle ;)