Devs and updates

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

I want to suggest that Steam change it's policies on when a dev can list a game on the website. There are tons of games on the website that have not yet been released and devs put games up that then never seem to materialize or if they do get released it's years and years later. Like one in my wishlist that I have been following for almost 2 years is listed a COMING SOON. I see posts in the discussions area that go back to 2021. Four years of waiting is NOT COMING SOON.

There needs to be a way for them to list it but also not mislead customers at the same time maybe a new set up like this.

* In Development (No dates yet released) (Annual updates)
* Coming this year (meaning release expected in the next year.)(monthly updates)
* Coming soon (like 3-6 months.)(monthly updates if not more frequent)
* Release date (release date with the date when date is known)(as needed)

Listing games as coming soon and going on for 4, 5 or more years is very misleading to customers.

I also think that devs should be required to keep communities updated on progress. I added the time frame for the updates also to the above list. This way steam and game customers are kept in the loop and know they have not been abandoned yet again by a dev who gave up.

As a courtesy to the customer it should be part of steams requirements in order for a dev to list the game that way users know what is happening with an upcoming game and where it stands good or bad. The game I am looking at we're all currently left totally in the dark after 4-5 years of not even one update.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Devs and updates

I want to suggest that Steam change it's policies on when a dev can list a game on the website. There are tons of games on the website that have not yet been released and devs put games up that then never seem to materialize or if they do get released it's years and years later. Like one in my wishlist that I have been following for almost 2 years is listed a COMING SOON. I see posts in the discussions area that go back to 2021. Four years of waiting is NOT COMING SOON.

There needs to be a way for them to list it but also not mislead customers at the same time maybe a new set up like this.

* In Development (No dates yet released) (Annual updates)
* Coming this year (meaning release expected in the next year.)(monthly updates)
* Coming soon (like 3-6 months.)(monthly updates if not more frequent)
* Release date (release date with the date when date is known)(as needed)

Listing games as coming soon and going on for 4, 5 or more years is very misleading to customers.

I also think that devs should be required to keep communities updated on progress. I added the time frame for the updates also to the above list. This way steam and game customers are kept in the loop and know they have not been abandoned yet again by a dev who gave up.

As a courtesy to the customer it should be part of steams requirements in order for a dev to list the game that way users know what is happening with an upcoming game and where it stands good or bad. The game I am looking at we're all currently left totally in the dark after 4-5 years of not even one update.

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamworks/announcements/detail/3289340571611574692

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamworks/announcements/detail/3289340571611574692

:nkCool:

Yeah but there is still way to many games sitting there with never a single update to users.Updates should be a requirement at least at certain intervals so users know whats going on

[nullable]

Valve doesn't manage other people's projects. If a company doesn't want to market their product or engage (potential) customers, Valve isn't going to make them.

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by nullable:

Valve doesn't manage other people's projects. If a company doesn't want to market their product or engage (potential) customers, Valve isn't going to make them.

They most likely have a listing agreement as steam makes money from game sale so they would have an agreement to be listed and hence they can also mandate that steam users are given updates rather then leaving users hanging!

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Yeah but there is still way to many games sitting there with never a single update to users.Updates should be a requirement at least at certain intervals so users know whats going on

Things can happen for any reason at any time including some horrible stuff, meaning a game might not even come out. Seen a case where a lead member died in an accident and a game got closed down shortly after.
Devs can't plan for everything, so people should just wishlist and if it's been too long, remove it from the wishlist and call it a day.

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Yeah but there is still way to many games sitting there with never a single update to users.Updates should be a requirement at least at certain intervals so users know whats going on

Things can happen for any reason at any time including some horrible stuff, meaning a game might not even come out. Seen a case where a lead member died in an accident and a game got closed down shortly after.
Devs can't plan for everything, so people should just wishlist and if it's been too long, remove it from the wishlist and call it a day.

yeah but like if a game is ended they can do a simple update to let users know the tools there rather then leave a game in a coming soon state never to come at all

[Ben Lubar]

A Steam store page for a game with no release date doesn't owe you anything.

[BJWyler]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Originally posted by nullable:

Valve doesn't manage other people's projects. If a company doesn't want to market their product or engage (potential) customers, Valve isn't going to make them.

They most likely have a listing agreement as steam makes money from game sale so they would have an agreement to be listed and hence they can also mandate that steam users are given updates rather then leaving users hanging!

Developers pay Valve $100 to list and sell their game on Steam.

You are not a customer until you buy the game. Absolutely nothing is lost if a dev lists their game on Steam and does not release for 2, 5, 10, or 100 years. There is absolutely no obligation nor need for anyone who has not paid one red cent to a developer for said dev to inform anyone of their progress.

You not being able to wait for a game to release or for news about a game is solely and 100% a You problem.

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by BJWyler:

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

They most likely have a listing agreement as steam makes money from game sale so they would have an agreement to be listed and hence they can also mandate that steam users are given updates rather then leaving users hanging!

Developers pay Valve $100 to list and sell their game on Steam.

You are not a customer until you buy the game. Absolutely nothing is lost if a dev lists their game on Steam and does not release for 2, 5, 10, or 100 years. There is absolutely no obligation nor need for anyone who has not paid one red cent to a developer for said dev to inform anyone of their progress.

You not being able to wait for a game to release or for news about a game is solely and 100% a You problem.

Well I personally don't agree but then I guess if I was a dev I would want potential customers to know what is going on so they don't fly the coup as it were just waiting. If they know what is going on perhaps they will stick around. What's it cost a dev to post a copy and paste update on a game. NOTHING unless it's on some form of a membership type site otherwise it cost their marketing department nothing to keep customers informed and it might just keep some on the fence on the fence or inside the fence rather then fleeing for greener pastures!

[Ben Lubar]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Originally posted by BJWyler:

Developers pay Valve $100 to list and sell their game on Steam.

You are not a customer until you buy the game. Absolutely nothing is lost if a dev lists their game on Steam and does not release for 2, 5, 10, or 100 years. There is absolutely no obligation nor need for anyone who has not paid one red cent to a developer for said dev to inform anyone of their progress.

You not being able to wait for a game to release or for news about a game is solely and 100% a You problem.

Well I personally don't agree but then I guess if I was a dev I would want potential customers to know what is going on so they don't fly the coup as it were just waiting. If they know what is going on perhaps they will stick around. What's it cost a dev to post a copy and paste update on a game. NOTHING unless it's on some form of a membership type site otherwise it cost their marketing department nothing to keep customers informed and it might just keep some on the fence on the fence or inside the fence rather then fleeing for greener pastures!

Players aren't being held hostage by game developers while waiting for them to be ready to release their games. Forcing developers to spend time making news posts when there's no news to post will only result in the release date being even later.

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Well I personally don't agree but then I guess if I was a dev I would want potential customers to know what is going on so they don't fly the coup as it were just waiting. If they know what is going on perhaps they will stick around. What's it cost a dev to post a copy and paste update on a game. NOTHING unless it's on some form of a membership type site otherwise it cost their marketing department nothing to keep customers informed and it might just keep some on the fence on the fence or inside the fence rather then fleeing for greener pastures!

Players aren't being held hostage by game developers while waiting for them to be ready to release their games. Forcing developers to spend time making news posts when there's no news to post will only result in the release date being even later.

ROTFLMAO you mean it takes hours on end to post a copy and paste and what you think devs don't have different departments like a marketing department specifically in place to market their games! Who do you think puts up the videos and screen shots you see on store pages!

[Ben Lubar]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

Players aren't being held hostage by game developers while waiting for them to be ready to release their games. Forcing developers to spend time making news posts when there's no news to post will only result in the release date being even later.

ROTFLMAO you mean it takes hours on end to post a copy and paste and what you think devs don't have different departments like a marketing department specifically in place to market their games! Who do you think puts up the videos and screen shots you see on store pages!

Yes, it takes hours for a game developer like me to write and edit a news post, and even more time if it needs to be translated to multiple languages.

Writing a few thousand words isn't the kind of thing you can do without using up a significant chunk of a day.

[❄️The Last Frontier 😊]

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

ROTFLMAO you mean it takes hours on end to post a copy and paste and what you think devs don't have different departments like a marketing department specifically in place to market their games! Who do you think puts up the videos and screen shots you see on store pages!

Yes, it takes hours for a game developer like me to write and edit a news post, and even more time if it needs to be translated to multiple languages.

Writing a few thousand words isn't the kind of thing you can do without using up a significant chunk of a day.

ROTFLMAO

Who said it had to be 1000 words or even 100 words.

The games still in development it had been delayed a few weeks due to an issue we discovered the new release date has been pushed back by 2 months.

Took me 30 seconds to write this 29 word post and it would be enough to update the users. It would take a few extra minutes to pop it into a translation program and do the needed languages.

Doesn't take all day to update users what you wrote is merely an excuse for poor business practices. Marketing is just as important as development as it makes no sense to market is interested customers have given up and gone elsewhere.

[William Shakesman]

Vaporware has been a long standing tradition of vidya. Steam is not really in a position to stop it. Coming Soon forever store entries are already buried in the search. I do not see what limiting developers flexibility can help here. What problem does this issue even cause?

[William Shakesman]

Originally posted by ❄️The Last Frontier 😊:

Originally posted by Ben Lubar:

Yes, it takes hours for a game developer like me to write and edit a news post, and even more time if it needs to be translated to multiple languages.

Writing a few thousand words isn't the kind of thing you can do without using up a significant chunk of a day.

ROTFLMAO

Who said it had to be 1000 words or even 100 words.

The games still in development it had been delayed a few weeks due to an issue we discovered the new release date has been pushed back by 2 months.

Took me 30 seconds to write this 29 word post and it would be enough to update the users. It would take a few extra minutes to pop it into a translation program and do the needed languages.

Doesn't take all day to update users what you wrote is merely an excuse for poor business practices. Marketing is just as important as development as it makes no sense to market is interested customers have given up and gone elsewhere.

Developers who write news posts have to write them against the hundred questions people inevitably ask. What issue? How long? Why are you delaying? Any sort of complicated news statement has to be written carefully and professionally, especially when it is bad news.

Some devs can get away with tapping these out on their phones or whatever but marketing requires professionalism too and that does not ever come quick or easy