Support NeoGAF

[Nirolak]

A little over a week ago I looked at Stardew Valley's third day sales (when SteamSpy officially considers its results to start being representative) and thought they seemed reasonable at 40K.

I was very impressed at its 98% approval rating though and thought it would well over time.

That ended up being quite an understatement.

The game has proceeded to sell 30,000 copies a day, and sometimes more. And this is even before four player co-op is being added later this year, which is a huge word of mouth and group-buy amplifier.

The game is currently over 266,000 copies. If the game keeps up its astonishingly consistent sales pattern - and currently it's actually increasing - it would end up at 1 million copies by the end of the month.

When will it stop doing 30K a day? Well, let's find out.

http://steamspy.com/app/413150

 

[GhostTrick]

Who would've thought a farming sim would do well on Steam !

Spoiler

I hope XSeed/Marvelous are taking notes ;p

 

[Jintor]

Is there any equivalent on PC at all? I suppose you could draw a parallel to Minecraft and Terraria, but to me, this says that people have been jonesing for a Harvest Moon on PC for a long, long time.

Also it's good. Only dipped my toe in a bit yesterday, but it seems solid and full of stuff to do.

 

[Striek]

Thats awesome for the devs. I keep checking into the OT to read impressions which I don't really do for most games, but the nostalgia for HM SNES is strong. I'll buy it when I have time for it, shame its so friggin' ugly though.

 

[Dezzy]

Don't forget, it's also for sale on GOG.com as well. Not sure we can track those sales though.

 

[Corpekata]

There was that crappy Harvest Moon announced for PC last year that I bet someone is really kicking themselves for not releasing earlier.

 

[Tyrus]

Really glad for the dev. It looks like a really fun game; definitely digging the visuals.

I heard the developer has been pretty quick on the trigger in regards to patches/updates?

Will hop into it when I need something more cheery after my Dark Souls 2016 marathon ends.

 

[BennyBlanco]

It's really fun and I'm surprised it took this long for a good indie HM style game to materialize.

Shit, I like it better than Rune Factory and Story of Seasons.

Thats awesome for the devs. I keep checking into the OT to read impressions which I don't really do for most games, but the nostalgia for HM SNES is strong. I'll buy it when I have time for it, shame its so friggin' ugly though.

Ugly seems a bit harsh. They pulled off their art style pretty succesfully IMO.

 

[Mephala]

Congrats. Well deserved.

 

[Ferrio]

Thats awesome for the devs. I keep checking into the OT to read impressions which I don't really do for most games, but the nostalgia for HM SNES is strong. I'll buy it when I have time for it, shame its so friggin' ugly though.

1 Dev.

$$$$$

 

[Anno]

It is pretty amazing, both the sales and the basically universal warmth towards the game. I wonder if it just snowballs even more by making it onto a couple larger review sites and out to even more players.

Congrats to that dude, he seems to have found a market people were absolutely starving for. I'm curious if he'll develop the game more now that it's such an (presumably) unmitigated financial success. Seems like a good kind of game for just iterating systems and content on top of.

 

[Eolz]

The streams and let's play helped a lot, really was designed for that.

 

[Orayn]

Seems like an the right game released at the right time. Harvest Moon hasn't been in the limelight in a positive way for a while, and it's been just long enough that nostalgia for the series is fairly strong. Combine that with a reasonably priced game that'll run on low spec PCs, and you have a lot of potential sales.

 

[Corpekata]

The streams and let's play helped a lot, really was designed for that.

Don't know if I agree with it being designed for that. It's a slow, long game with not a lot of story. Doesn't seem like stream fodder at all to me.

 

[epmode]

I love the PC gaming market.

Game's amazing, by the way. I never knew how much I'd enjoy a Harvest Moon-style game.

 

[GhostTrick]

It is pretty amazing, both the sales and the basically universal warmth towards the game. I wonder if it just snowballs even more by making it onto a couple larger review sites and out to even more players.

Congrats to that dude, he seems to have found a market people were absolutely starving for. I'm curious if he'll develop the game more now that it's such an (presumably) unmitigated financial success. Seems like a good kind of game for just iterating systems and content on top of.

He already made nearly 3 millions of revenue and that's taking the 30% Valve cut.

 

[Mahonay]

Congrats to the dev. Made an incredibly solid and strong game. Well deserved.

 

[Phamit]

Wait, there is Harvest Moon type game on Steam?

+1 sale soon

 

[Persona7]

Don't forget, it's also for sale on GOG.com as well. Not sure we can track those sales though.

It's been in the number one spot since right after launch too.

 

[GamerJM]

I think it's insane how niche PC games like this are now selling more than a good portion of the Vita's library.

 

[KarmaCow]

I wonder what Natsume (or is it Marvelous?) think of this or if they're even aware.

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

I caved and finally just bought it tonight after getting the hype from watching (mainly DansGaming) Twitch streams the past week or so. It fills a niche were there wasn't really an equivalent game on PC before.

LIRIK played it as well, among a few other fairly big streamers with ~5k+ regular viewers.

 

[AuthenticM]

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

 

[dity]

Well, it IS a good game.

 

[Hristi]

It's gonna have 4 player multiplayer? I wonder how that will work. Hope to buy this soon.

 

[BronsonLee]

I think it's insane how niche PC games like this are now selling more than a good portion of the Vita's library.

Well, PC as a platform is so massive that it's not really a fair comparison, ya?

Wonder if this is a Recettear style hit. Seems like even a bit higher?

 

[afreaknamedpete]

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

Why not get it for the PC? It could probably run on a toaster.

 

[Abilidebob]

He already made nearly 3 millions of revenue and that's taking the 30% Valve cut.

Doesn't Chucklefish get a cut too?

 

[BennyBlanco]

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

It's kind of awkward to play with a controller IMO. Could easily be improved on tho.

 

[AmuroChan]

I think it's insane how niche PC games like this are now selling more than a good portion of the Vita's library.

Not surprising given the install base of PC vs the Vita. If even 1% of Steam users bought a niche PC game, that's almost the entire Vita userbase.

 

[Man God]

This is actually what happened to the early HM games in the US, though a bit slower.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

just bought it

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

lol just buy it on pc, it should run on what you have

 

[Cow Goes Moo]

probably the most successful harvest moon game that isn't called harvest moon

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

it's not a demanding game and the controller support, while a bit awkward. works perfectly fine. Just play it on PC. If it ever comes out on PS4 I'd double dip, it's THAT good.

 

[@MUWANdo]

I wonder what Natsume (or is it Marvelous?) think of this or if they're even aware.

Natsume has their own Harvest Moon game they're preparing for PC and I'm sure they must be pissed that they weren't able to get in on the action while there was still no competition.

 

[Nirolak]

It's gonna have 4 player multiplayer? I wonder how that will work. Hope to buy this soon.

Yes. It was going to at launch, but he decided not to delay the singleplayer since that was ready, as he determined it was going to take a number of months to get all the bugs out of the multiplayer.

 

[Tagyhag]

Word of mouth can be better than official marketing if your game is good/appealing enough. Look at Undertale for example.

It also helps to have famous Youtubers play your game.

 

[Savitar]

It came at the right time and filled a need that wasn't being met at the time. I say kudos, heard nothing but great things about it.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I was cold on it before release, thinking it was taking the wrong lessons from Terraria or other builder-style games, but actually playing Stardew Valley has turned me into an evangelical fan of the game.

It's the Harvest Moon I've been dying to have for a long time, and I'll take every opportunity to tell people that!

Spoiler

buy it

Don't forget, it's also for sale on GOG.com as well. Not sure we can track those sales though.

It's on the top of Humble's store, too.

Well, unless No Man's Sky is; the layout is a little confusing...

This is actually what happened to the early HM games in the US, though a bit slower.

I'd believe it. They set up a really good formula.

When I first played HM64 it was unlike anything else. A little sim, a little RPG, a little adventure; it's an all-around great mixture of gameplay in a compelling and approachable format.

 

[Crono27]

fantastic game deserves all the success

 

[Mikey Jr.]

This game is PHENOMENAL!

Best $15 I have ever spent.

Seriously, it puts Harvest Moon to fucking shame. Shame. And it was made by 1 guy.

If anyone is on the fence, don't be. This game is crack in game form.

 

[Roubjon]

I mean, the only thing that stopped me from buying newer Harvest Moon games is that they always seemed mediocre as hell. I don't like how Stardew Valley aesthetically looks at all, but the mechanics seem really good and it's great game apparently. So I'm not surprised when people latch onto a game in the genre that has been stagnant for years. Especially one on PC where Farming Sim games with such depth seem to exist.

 

[Aselith]

Natsume like "FML"

 

[udivision]

Um... is this going to end up one of the best-selling Harvest Moon games?

 

[impact]

Natsume like "FML"

so many Japanese companies sleeping on Steam, not just them

 

[bizzarewars]

Honestly I've been wanting an old school Harvest Moon like game for some time. Had no idea it was pushing those numbers, though. Glad it's doing well. I've been really enjoying it.

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

I'm buying a copy as soon as I beat Return to PopoloCrois based on the word of mouth.

 

[Wilsongt]

Don't know if I agree with it being designed for that. It's a slow, long game with not a lot of story. Doesn't seem like stream fodder at all to me.

Lots of streamers have really sold teh game, though. It also helps the the game is actually really, really good and well done.

 

[Corpekata]

Think it comes down to a few main things:

1. PC gamers have been wanting a game like this for a while. It's amazing it took so long and that the franchise holders for HM or Rune Factory didn't take advantage of the desire for this sort of game in a post Minecraft and Terraria world.
2. Console gamers don't get access to the genre either very much with the genre relegated to handhelds, and it is low spec and simple enough to control that it gets buyers that might prefer to play it on console but don't want to wait.
3. The genre itself over the past half dozen years has gotten stale. Even the better quality games tend to be more on the decent side rather than good.
4. It feels more like an actual new competitor in the genre rather than an imitator or clone given it is a lot better than most other series have been for ages.
5. They priced the game well, similar to Undertale last year.

 

[DocSeuss]

Baaaah, still haven't got around to playing it 'cause of IRL responsibilities. I hear it's good, though, and I can't wait to actually run it.

And also Pokemon.

I really hope an indie dev finally makes a good Pokemon clone. Would love to see how it would be handled by someone who isn't GameFreak, y'know?

I want to play this game so badly. Here's hoping its crazy success will encourage its creator to release it for consoles.

Port begging is a bannable offense tho.