Horseganador
Member
It's been a huge flop that has gone completely unnoticed, not even MS has publicized it at all, and it will be one of the next studios to be closed in the next round of mass layoffs at Xbox studios.
Double fine's new game "Keeper" has launched with under 200 players on steam.
- Thread starter Sebastian1295
- Start date
- Opinion
calico
Member
Eyeballing new releases (games only, excluding free games)... I'd say it's a majority using Steam's launch discount option.
Steve Holt
Member
Loboxxx
Member
Tell that to Tango Gameworks...
Steve Holt
Member
All the studios output in the past have been highly acclaimed and creative. This title from it's very origin, was always going to be a GamePass title and it turns out to be mid. Annoyingly predictable.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
I did a very poor job with that post. It needs more context.
I meant sales don't mean anything in reality to your personal enjoyment of a game...but we have been instituionised to care about them.
We then have products that are mainstream entertainment products now and gaming is at that level.
I should have mentioned that a few decades ago I never even thought about sales. It's wild that I, and we think about that stuff and link it to our enjoyment or success of a game. Something I've been actively trying to separate myself from for a while now and I think it's slowly working.
Loboxxx
Member
That's how it is now, and that's why you don't buy the game or subscribe to Gamepass
. The damage is done; the games are already devalued.
ShaiKhulud1989
Gold Member
I've bought the game because I love Double Fine, but oh god is it mid outside of visuals. Can't say I'm surprised about the lack f marketing budget here. Add the costs of maintaining the team in Bay Area and it's looking grim for DF.
demigod
Member
You got called out for being a hypocrite and now you're trying to backtrack.
Sorcerer
Member
That's what I'm saying, Microsoft is giving the boot to small developers I would gather. They probably could care less about a more diverse artistic catalog. I would say Bro Shooter Xbox is coming back, but I understand even Doom flopped under Microsoft. LOL!!!
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Madserb2023
Member
Good game. Shame that it will up the same way as Hi Fi Rush and Prince of Persia. Should be on PlayStation 5 and the Switch 2.
Skifi28
Member
If the Steam numbers are any indication, It might not even be worth the porting costs.
Loboxxx
Member
At this point, I think we can all agree that THERE IS NO STRATEGY AT MICROSOFT. It is a complete mystery what decisions will be made by the hundreds of Microsoft executives who make decisions by studying Excel spreadsheets.
reinking
Gold Member
Kvally
Member
Just started the game, not even 10min in and already had several huge traversal stutters. Some literally freezing the game for a second on my 5800X3D and 4090 FE.... wtf. How fuckin hard can it be to have a shader precompilation step for such a small game?
It looks pretty, but is VERY demanding for what it is. Dropping into the 60s in 1440P with DLAA. Running at DLSSQ and FG now at 144 FPS capped (my 4090 is in the 90% loads mostly, so it could dip below later in more demanding areas).
It looks pretty, but is VERY demanding for what it is. Dropping into the 60s in 1440P with DLAA. Running at DLSSQ and FG now at 144 FPS capped (my 4090 is in the 90% loads mostly, so it could dip below later in more demanding areas).
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Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
You WALK* as a fucking lighthouse. There is no gameplay in this "game" here.
Nearly put me to sleep earlier today.
RCX
Member
MS will fire a bunch of them without any thought that greenlighting a niche game like this, no matter how creative or high quality it is, is probably more their fault than DFs. All they had to do is say "no, make something that will sell".
Their long strategy of staying hands-off with their own studios is absolutely insane. How many games like this have we had now? Pentiment, Hellblade 2, South of Midnight and now this. How many years were eaten up pursuing these no-chance bets?
How in the fuck is Phil not fired yet?
Their long strategy of staying hands-off with their own studios is absolutely insane. How many games like this have we had now? Pentiment, Hellblade 2, South of Midnight and now this. How many years were eaten up pursuing these no-chance bets?
How in the fuck is Phil not fired yet?
Radical_3d
Member
GHG
Member
Showing your age there kiddo.
diffusionx
Gold Member
I don't see Double Fine surviving the next round of layoffs/closures.
Microsoft doesn't need "award bait" that doesn't get any awards, and gets mediocre reviews, and doesn't sell.
Microsoft doesn't need "award bait" that doesn't get any awards, and gets mediocre reviews, and doesn't sell.
midnightAI
Member
Is it just me or does the art style and everything look like Dreams (I know it's UE5), it's art style has a very similar 'splat' like look to it
nowhat
Member
Ehh, they've let Ninja Theory live so far. Despite HB2 not exactly setting the world on fire, and also being very late. So who knows. Maybe they'll live.
(having said that, not releasing this day 1 on PS/Switch is a braindead business decision that is sure to bite them in their ass)
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Krappadizzle
Member
It looks great, but I have so much to play and so little time, that I'll wait for an inevitable sale and more time and then play it. I love DF though and hope they survive. There's not many developers like them left in today's market.
they let ninja theory live for the ps5 port, which pretty much bombed there too.
they are nowhere safe either.
that being said hb2 peaked at 4k ccu, something like 20x more than this.
neocycle
Member
Not really.
You must not have ever used Steam because that's how this works all the time
Steam even has documentation about this https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/discounts
Fortress of Regrets
Member
But it does precompile shaders. It's literally the first thing the game does. I see reports that only the PC game pass version has the severe stutters.
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nowhat
Member
Wouldn't an open box Keeper at a $50 discount make it -$20? A great deal for the consumer, but probably the wrong thread to you.
diffusionx
Gold Member
DF games are always mediocre and don't sell
They are often creative and have good artwork, but they're basically hipster devs and we are long past the hipster era
Denton
Member
I played for 20 minutes and nearly fell asleep. I might finish it to see the visuals but it will be a struggle if it does not pick up.
Not always, at the very least Psychonauts 2 was awesome.
Not always, at the very least Psychonauts 2 was awesome.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
PSA....you can get an open box $50 cheaper and much quicker than new ones
Wrong .. topic ?
nowhat
Member
He's just having a senior moment. We should try to lure him back to the target thread without confusing him further, I think plum pudding could do the trick.
Hawk The Slayer
Member
Never even heard of this game until today so barely anybody would know about it. The game does look pretty interesting but most people would be like "who" when mentioning this game for the first time.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Next thing you know,
Topher
's gonna start telling us that he can sell us medicine at a 1000% discount.
Topher
Identifies as young
DragonNCM
Member
No wonder you didn't heard about it........YOU PLAY AS FUCKING LIGHTHOUSE....
diffusionx
Gold Member
There's like a billion indieshit games that come out all the time just like this. I just beat one that was on PS+, Viewfinder. Many of them are fine and nothing wrong with them and many are even good, but they are a dime a dozen.
It's getting shilled here because it's an Xbox exclusives
longrainwater
Member
Would be curious to see a venn diagram of gamers who insist that games are an art and gamers who think sales indicate worth
Liopleurodon
Member
Interesting style, and otherwordly vibes, but even if it was free, I don't think I would have played this kind of game.
Even someone like Kojima includes good looking women, and guns in his games.
Even someone like Kojima includes good looking women, and guns in his games.
Jinxed
Member
AutumnLeaves
Member
What a depressing thread.
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
This is the kind of game that simply can't be successful in today's market, and that wouldn't even exist if the devs didn't have backing from a big publisher.
Deal with it, this is not the fault of Game Pass. It's simply that a game with this kind of production values is beyond the scope of most small indie studios, and can't come at a low price. But it's also a kind of game that you can't really promote, because it's not something that anyone with a brain can expect to sell big numbers. It's not GP's or MS's fault if the market has come to a point where Sex With Hitler and hentai slop have a much better chance of being bought on a whim thanks to low price, frequent sales, and being good palate cleansers between one safe-as-can-be AAA release and the next. Gamers not taking any chances with something different that costs more than $5 is what killed this kind of game, not GP or lack of promotion from MS and the like. If anything, GP allows games like Keeper to get tried by more people than they would be if they weren't on GP.
Deal with it, this is not the fault of Game Pass. It's simply that a game with this kind of production values is beyond the scope of most small indie studios, and can't come at a low price. But it's also a kind of game that you can't really promote, because it's not something that anyone with a brain can expect to sell big numbers. It's not GP's or MS's fault if the market has come to a point where Sex With Hitler and hentai slop have a much better chance of being bought on a whim thanks to low price, frequent sales, and being good palate cleansers between one safe-as-can-be AAA release and the next. Gamers not taking any chances with something different that costs more than $5 is what killed this kind of game, not GP or lack of promotion from MS and the like. If anything, GP allows games like Keeper to get tried by more people than they would be if they weren't on GP.
DarkBatman
SBI’s Employee of the Year
I finished Keeper over the weekend and have to say I'm extremely disappointed. I love DF and (almost) all their games, but I found their latest release incredibly boring. The "WTF, you're playing a lighthouse?!" moment quickly wore off, and after that, it felt like nothing happened until the credits rolled. Yes, it's stylish and creative. But the commercial failure, coupled with MS's merciless layoff policy, makes me very concerned for the studio.