Interesting thoughts about how to define success for video games in today’s market, particularly for those using early access. Lots of respect for Hooded Horse’s CEO, Tim Bender, he says all the right things and seems genuine.
He describes van Lierop’s post as “exactly the kind of distorted endless growth/burden of expectations/line must go up perspective that causes so much trouble in the games industry”. He’s also unconcerned by Manor Lords falling behind its initial vast popularity, poking fun at “the apparently dark reality that some people, after enjoying their purchase of a premium, single-player title, might decide to go on and play another game (The horror! The horror!).”
Headline is a little melodramatic though.
god forbid they have expectations of “successful” instead of “most profitable game in our company’s history”. I don’t think PUBG or WoW set out to be the successes they were, it just happened, I wish companies knew that that success can’t be planned for
WoW did set out to be massively popular with a gameplay style that encouraged daily play.
PUBG lucked into the popularity by getting the scale and pacing correct for a large audience.
Both also seemed to benefit from server issues causing an ‘exclusive’ thing that means people lined up to get in during peak hours. Popularity can breed popularity, especially when the games are fun.