Well done, I'm with you. I've being doing similar in the games industry for years. If we, the actual makers stand against immoral action it will both build pressure and incentive for alternative ways of doing business.
I am by no means an expert, but I have spent time and experience enough with chronic pain to state that this rather one dimensional. Meaning their group although big was narrow in scope. For example, no chronic head pain?
We have been working on a VR body mapping app(https://www.hatsumivr.com/), I'm the art lead on it. And you quickly find that there is an ocean if different experiences out there, and thats probably the biggest obstacle to helping people with chronic pain. Its is often treated (at the policy level) as one condition with a select few options for treatment. Studies with conclusion like this reinforce a reductionism in medical spaces and leave the people that don't fit into their pidgin holes out in the cold, alone, and in pain.
These numbers are actually promising. 400 sales in early access for a 'niche' game would open the door for a few publishers out there. And as it stands this game has momentum behind it, NOT an easy thing to accomplish.
And further more, the steam page has quite a few problems that are easily fixed and would drives sales in a positive direction. Add some streamer outreach to the mix and this could do well enough to fund their next game. Just perhaps not well enough to satisfy the developers ambitions. Yet.
I would love to have this momentum on my own (very) niche game. Its is also on early access, interesting premise, zero marketing budget, and so on. Its numbers are nowhere near as promising as Yerba Mate Tycoon. Its a rare thing to click with an audience and YMT has done so.
To the Developer, keep going. Keep that mindset of honouring your customers its rare in games and of value to the gamers. Spend more time on you store page and promoting, and release it.
It will be worth it.
Thanks, I don't want to seem like I'm shilling with any of my comments. This is Kanso, a relaxing game that invites the player to slowdown and find a moment of Zen:
A nice wee gameplay trick I really liked was the text path projected in the direction the player is moving.
I know it doesn't seem like much but it could easily be overlooked and really adds to the flow of the game. Love it.
I'm a games designer/developer and I work freelance for other studios.
I say NO way more often than I say yes, precisely because of that particular problem.
Money is nice and all that, but I've seen first hand the damage that these predatory practices can do to people. AND the attitudes of the people working at these game studios ands its frankly disgusting.
This is fantastic!
I had no idea about Iyashikei as a genre, I knew it existed but had no idea that it had a name. I am particularly happy about this as I am just finishing my own Iyashikei game called Kanso.
Does anyone know of any good resources for Iyashikei? I'd like to dig deeper.
Just to chime in here on point on there being no normal classic pubs. It is the case many pubs have become family friendly, but only where families are going. Places where families dont go, the old man pubs still exist in great numbers. The classic no windows 'bunker' as it where.
Its easy to see the extinction of the classic pub, but in more poverty stricken areas in the UK the bunker is still prevalent.
