Time for some straight talk: Release Raptor is being pulled and refunded.

[x-4000 (Chris McElligott Park)]

http://steamcommunity.com/games/471770/announcements/detail/845936196513496491

[Coronis]

I appreciate your honestly on this matter and I'm sorry that the sales didn't turn out the way you hoped. I personally had really been excited for this project and if it is being left by the wayside, it is very unfortunent. Your communication is greatly appreciated however, and should be a model to all indie developers how to properly interact with a customer base.

If it is any conselation, I will eagerly look forward to any future arcen projects as well as the kickstarter for AI war 2

[criggie]

Originally posted by Coronis:

I appreciate your honestly on this matter and I'm sorry that the sales didn't turn out the way you hoped. I personally had really been excited for this project and if it is being left by the wayside, it is very unfortunent. Your communication is greatly appreciated however, and should be a model to all indie developers how to properly interact with a customer base.

If it is any conselation, I will eagerly look forward to any future arcen projects as well as the kickstarter for AI war 2

+1 agreed

[uraizen]

Raptors are my favorite animal too, man. Sorry it didn't work out.

[taytothief]

Whatever happens, thanks for giving us the heads-up. I wanted to pick this up, and would hate to have missed it.

Also. Steamworks. Seriously. I don't know wtf devs are thinking when they release something on Steam these days with no Trading Cards and/or achievements. There are too many games now, it's genuinely difficult to chose what to buy. Take the one day this game came out, the 24th; I count 21 releases (not including f2p). I mean, come on, how do you expect to compete? An unfinished game with no trading cards or achievements.

And before you jokers with the "OMFG I don't need cards to enjoy my game" nonsense start, don't. I've heard it before, it's boring.

[Stefan8000]

Nooo. It is so cool to have a raptor game. I bought it right when i saw it on the store. But a question, how will you handle the refund-process? If i start the refund, steam will remove the game from my account. I do not want to loose the game.

[Logorouge]

Originally posted by Stefan8000:

But a question, how will you handle the refund-process? If i start the refund, steam will remove the game from my account. I do not want to loose the game.

I don't know how they will refund it, but the plan is to refund and let us keep the game. So I don't think you have to do anything on your side for now.

[wany1981]

Well.. that's a real suprise... from what i seen from this game. It's not bad at all with 80% user positive rating already. It's so sad to hear that u will pull this game just after 2 days of release on earlly access.

I now have 4 copies of this game stuck in my inventory. Which I will activate one for myself and 3 others to send out on steamgifts instead of 4.

1 of the GA ended today and 1 more for tomorrow. I will save the last copy for much later.

Do have a question about refund though. You said you gonna let us keep the game while doing a full refund. Do I need to send steam ticket to ask for refund? Do I get refund for all 4 copies of my game even though I will send 3 of them out as gifts?

[Krysle Quinsen]

Sad news. I think one of the problems is it's Early Access which turns off most people as well. Hopefully, this isn't forced refund of sort, I would like to keep it as well as supporting you.

While I'm quite not into the Kickstarter, but if you do I'll definitely back it. (If I'm there to back it)

[PhrostB]

how would this work exactly? keeping both the game and the money? i thought it was one or the other.. also how do gift copies work? theoretically someone could buy multiple copies?

[velocireptile]

Personally, I believe a velociraptor simulator is something the world has needed for a long time, and I'm glad for your determination to bring it one. I would have enjoyed to see this in it's final form. Also, I learned about and picked up Bionic Dues at the same time I bought Raptor and have had a good time with it. I hope you can keep creating the games that you want to make.

[Air]

Originally posted by PhrostB:

how would this work exactly? keeping both the game and the money? i thought it was one or the other.. also how do gift copies work? theoretically someone could buy multiple copies?

Why is this game still being sold ? Shouldn't VALVe at least stop the sale of the game in preparation of automatic refunds ? Yeah I think Steam gifts will be refunded too, to buyers of these Steam gifts.

[Queen Mona]

Man, I was looking forward to checking this out when it was closer to being finished. :( Thanks for the warning though, I went ahead and bought it so I can mess around with what's already there. Would've been sad if I missed my chance to play it at all.

[Air]

Originally posted by Vinnie Venomous:

Man, I was looking forward to checking this out when it was closer to being finished. :( Thanks for the warning though, I went ahead and bought it so I can mess around with what's already there. Would've been sad if I missed my chance to play it at all.

Yes. Soon you'll even get your purchase refunded and you get to keep your game, double win.

[taytothief]

I don't need a refund. I got a game. I'm not a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

[Tyrian Mollusk]

Please, Arcen, make the games YOU want to make. We need so much more of that in the game community, especially from people who can actually make neat and interesting games.

But you have to know that when you make a game for a different market, that market doesn't know about you, and people don't take the time to find out. You don't get that immediate response of "It's Arcen, give it time and see what they do with it." Then it's Early Access, which is fine from an honest committed dev, but EA is littered with trash games abandoned in EA and bundle sites are actually focusing attention there, rather than on successful games. People see EA and don't even think about the game until it's further along. Then it's $5. Not a serious game price, and another area where Steam is littered with throwaways. Goat Simulator is $10... $30 with DLC. THIRTY DOLLARS! Of course people aren't going to take time seeing what you've got in store here in EA at $5 with a video or a wonky raptor floating around breaking boxes. Frankly, I am amazed you didn't see the Goat Simulator comparison coming. I guess you are too close to it. Yes, pushing why this is more than Goat Simulator is #1 priority, because people don't see a video of a wonky animal knocking stuff over and wonder what else the game has on offer. It's a cynical time to make this game, but it's also ripe for dramatically busting those assumptions.

And the people who do know to wait and see what you make of something are waiting and seeing, especially if the game might not be in their wheelhouse. You aren't going to see main sales for a while, and making a different "romp" style game is going to make that especially slow, because your fans probably need to be convinced and the target market doesn't even know you're targeting them.

Don't refund the game. Raise the price and commit to something great. Tell people it's a side project and it will grow as you get to it, but work hard on it now so there's enough there to dissuade those "nothing to see here yet" and "this will never happen" reviews. Give it a nudge every month or two. Get some cards and achievements in there. If you were thinking you were going to sell DLC for it, commit to free DLC and just charge more for the base game.

Also, just FYI, keep in mind that those new post-announce sales encompass votes to keep on it, last minute grabs at something unusual, people that just heard about the game, and people taking advantage of you basically announcing this is a free game, even if unfinished. That last group will issue their own refunds if you don't follow the announced refund-and-keep plan.