Greetings Chipsters!
We have some important news to share regarding Paint Chips. We've taken quite a long hiatus on this project and have recently returned to continue development. With a lot of internal discussion we've decided to transition to a paid model starting October 1st, 2023. The game will cost $14.99.
Why the change?
The biggest problem with our game is the lack of players online. The original idea of releasing the game for free was to allow anyone to download and try it out. Being a game you don't have to pay for also seems to include it being a game you don't have to care about.
According to our data from release up to the date of this post, only about 10% of players continued playing past their third match (roughly 10 minutes of playtime), and only about 5% continued past their tenth match (~30 minutes). That means 90% of players who tried the game have played it for less than 10 minutes.
With such a small community, the free version is not holding up as well as we would like. We feel that if players purchase the game, maybe they'll invest a little more time in to it before deciding to put it away or get a refund. Of course we could be wrong, but we're going to give the paid version a chance.
We want to continue adding new features, improve gameplay and make the game into something we're proud of. We love this game and want everyone who plays it to enjoy their time with it.
What does this mean for you?
Current Owners: If you already own Paint Chips, congratulations! You're all set and can continue enjoying the game without any additional cost.
Future Access: For those who haven't yet downloaded the game, starting on October 1st, a one-time purchase will be required for new players. If you add the game to your Steam library before the transition date, you will own the game for free!
What happens to the in-game microtransactions?
They're gone!
Bukkits will no longer be available for purchase. We're planning to convert the VIP and FAN packages to paid DLC. If you've already purchased one or both of these, you will still own them in-game.
Any Bukkits in your possession will be automatically converted to Chips for you. There's no need to worry about purchasing any items using your remaining Bukkits as they will be converted to the appropriate Chip value for the items in the shop.
After the transition:
We have a large update planned to be released very soon after the change from free to paid. We expect to be ready to release it on the same day. It will include new medals, a new co-op gametype and some new features. It will also include many improvements to existing systems. We also plan on opening the EU server once again!
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us on Discord.
We want to express our sincere thanks for your ongoing support. Your passion drives us to create an even better experience. Thank you for being a part of Paint Chips. Together, we'll continue to make this game amazing!
<3
The PhatRobit Team
