Author Topic: Steam release?  (Read 3752 times)

Offline Chris Fifty-Two

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Steam release?
« on: July 15, 2010, 04:59:49 pm »
As a big fan of AI War: Fleet Command (with expansion) I was looking around on your forum and homepage and found this little gem of a game.
Really really want to see the game released on Steam as...I get 90% of my games there.
Seeing how much support AI War: Fleet Command has gotten from you I would love to have a chance to play this on Steam, along with achievements and other Steamworks features.

I do notice that you talked about your distribution partners in the 1.000 thread and guess Steam might be one of them but still wanted to ask you guys. Will be a day one purchase for me if it does end up on Steam (and will probably be gifted to my fiancée as well).

Keep up the good...ehh no brilliant work so far.
Big fan and...suck up,
Chris Fifty-Two

Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2010, 05:05:01 pm »
Many thanks for the support!  Tidalis will be coming out on Steam tomorrow, actually, so you should be all set! :)
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Offline Chris Fifty-Two

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2010, 05:15:48 pm »
Your quick replies never stop being impressive. Think you guys are among the most active devs I have come across. Love the news of the release as well. Now my only problem is waiting till tomorrow.  ;D

Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2010, 05:22:24 pm »
Our pleasure! :)
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Offline Rustayne

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2010, 06:09:55 pm »
Will it be like AI war is with the serials?  If you buy it off steam, you can use the serial for with your site's download, and vice versa?

Offline Dragon

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2010, 09:24:26 pm »
Yes, you get a cd key when you buy the game on steam.  You have to find it, but it's there.  I bought my copy (of AI War, I'm assuming Tidalis is the same) on steam, but don't have steam installed anymore....  It's also the only game I bought on steam.  Only did it that way because a friend was like "here, try this" and linked me to the steam page for the game.  I didn't find these pages until later.....

Speaking of Steam though, how much of a cut do they take?  Is it so huge that I should be encouraging people to buy directly from you?  Or is it just like 1% or something, so for people that already use steam I could just point them there?

Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2010, 10:22:53 pm »
Will it be like AI war is with the serials?  If you buy it off steam, you can use the serial for with your site's download, and vice versa?

Yep, it's the same.


Regarding the cut that Steam gets, I can't speak to that for NDA.  But Impulse and some of the others publicly post their numbers as 30%, and that's pretty common through the industry.  When it's through our direct site we get all but 8%.  But we get exposure (and thus further sales) when people but through someplace like Steam, Impulse, Direct2Drive, or similar.  So it all balances out in the end, really.
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Offline Dragon

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2010, 11:53:13 pm »
Ahhh, okay then.  How does it provide extra exposure?  I'm not really all that familiar with steam, other then that it's some kind of game distribution system...

Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2010, 11:55:02 pm »
Well, with any of these places, there are "most popular" or "top seller" lists.  As is so often the case in life, those who got, get. ;)  So if you're on one of those lists, you wind up selling even more, in other words.  Only 5% of our total sales income comes directly from our own site, the other 95% is from partners like the above, so we rely very heavily on placement and visibility there.
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Offline SmileyFace

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2010, 03:34:47 am »
Well, with any of these places, there are "most popular" or "top seller" lists.  As is so often the case in life, those who got, get. ;)  So if you're on one of those lists, you wind up selling even more, in other words.  Only 5% of our total sales income comes directly from our own site, the other 95% is from partners like the above, so we rely very heavily on placement and visibility there.
Ok, then I had better mention there are a couple of visibility issues on Steam.

The "visit website" link goes to: http://www.arcengames.com/img/side_tidalis.png

And there is no "visit forum" link. Either link it to the Tidalis forum here or make one on Steam. Speaking in general, I never buy a game without checking the forum for feedback first.

Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2010, 12:38:01 pm »
Thanks for that, I think the website link was my own error from a stupid of over-tiredness, and I know the Valve guy was also making updates to the page at like 1am.  I've asked them to fix the website link, and about the forum -- great catches, and we really appreciate it!
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Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #11 on: July 19, 2010, 03:27:46 pm »
Okay, these changes are both now out, Valve is speedy. :)
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Offline eRe4s3r

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #12 on: July 19, 2010, 03:29:12 pm »
Speaking of steam - is there yet a Tidalis Group to join (an official one?) ;P

Edit: Yes there is - And i am the 2nd most beautiful member in that group!  ;D ;D ;D ;D
« Last Edit: July 19, 2010, 03:50:37 pm by eRe4s3r »
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Offline x4000

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2010, 03:56:57 pm »
Good call, somehow I hadn't set that up before. Hot off the presses, here's the link for the new steam community!  http://steamcommunity.com/games/tidalis

:)

EDIT: Ah, you already found it!  I just added it, you were very fast  ;D
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Offline SmileyFace

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Re: Steam release?
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2010, 09:03:56 am »
Okay, these changes are both now out, Valve is speedy. :)
I just noticed that. I hope it helps sales, however marginally!

A first impressions thread on the Steam forum might be a good idea, too, sort of like the metacritic, etc reviews for AI War. It will inevitably start.

Any takers? I haven't bought Tidalis yet so I can't do it.

 

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