Hello everyone, I'm 1000water, the producer of "Esports Godfather".
Thank you all coaches for your patience! We are now just twenty days away from the official release of "Esports Godfather", and we are in the final stages of preparation and bug fixing. So far, everything is progressing smoothly, and the game will be launched on May 24th as scheduled.
Recently, we have received many inquiries regarding pricing and specific plans. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to communicate our plans with everyone.
Firstly, regarding pricing, the official version of "Esports Godfather" will be priced at 78 RMB in the domestic market (19.99 USD in the US, and 129 HKD in Hong Kong) upon release. We will offer a promotional discount of 12% off during the first two weeks, making the price around 68 RMB in the domestic market (17.6 USD in the US, and 113.5 HKD in Hong Kong).
Additionally, we will be launching a new trial version around May 16th. This trial will include customizable options, all heroes, six matches in the internet cafe league, and six matches in the amateur league, offering approximately 5 hours of gameplay. Moreover, we will ensure compatibility between the trial version and the official version saves.
For those still hesitant about purchasing the full version of "Esports Godfather", you can use this trial version to make your final decision. Except for some locked features and incomplete systems, the trial version will provide a consistent experience with the full version.
However, regarding the new trial version, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused by the previous flawed data management. Due to this issue, the previous "Esports Godfather: Internet Cafe League" had some corrupted data which rendered the game unplayable. We will replace it with a new APPID for the trial version, accessible at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2960430/_/
Upon the launch of the new trial version, we will shut down "Esports Godfather: Internet Cafe League". I deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
After the official release of "Esports Godfather", we plan to continue improving the game for at least six months, until the end of 2024. We have allocated sufficient funds for this purpose, so rest assured, May 24th is just the beginning for us, not the end of the journey.
As for future updates, the World Championship module has been confirmed. We estimate spending three months to refine and develop the World Championship as the ultimate challenge.
Furthermore, regarding hero additions, I want to mention that while we initially stated there would be 54 heroes, there might only be 53 upon release. This discrepancy occurred because I counted some heroes twice due to having multiple portraits. To compensate for this mistake, we plan to introduce four additional heroes for free after the release.
Now, regarding promotion.
Those who follow us on Bilibili may have noticed my recent posts.
Here's a recap:
I want to explain to everyone who follows us why we have decided not to engage in commercial cooperation for promoting the game. There are primarily two reasons for this decision.
Firstly, there have been instances of fake positive reviews on games recently launched on Steam. We have also received numerous advertisements regarding "controlling reviews" lately. From a personal perspective, I consider this behavior unjust. From the standpoint of our studio, we firmly oppose any form of review manipulation. A good game is good on its own merits; it doesn't need artificially inflated reviews or similar activities.
Secondly, I have personally experienced some exaggerated promotion of games resulting from commercial cooperation. I ended up purchasing some poorly made games. This experience led me to believe that the credibility of game media promotion has significantly declined due to the actions of a few who exploit the system. This reminded me of the Atari Crash, and I don't want to be part of such practices or contribute to them.
Therefore, for the future of "Esports Godfather," we will not engage in any form of commercial cooperation for game promotion, nor will we spend any money on game promotion.
I know many of you are concerned about our survival. I want to thank you all for your support. However, I have to say that, as I mentioned during "Variable 2," there are only two ways for a game studio to fail: losing the ability to create quality content or losing the motivation to create quality content. Survival is not the critical issue; the reason we established Small Asteroid Studio was to create unique and innovative games, provide players with new experiences, and fulfill the dreams of everyone in the studio. I believe this purpose is just, and I don't want to achieve it through what I consider unjust means.
I admit that refraining from commercial cooperation for promotion is a risky move, but opportunities for risk are rare. I'm genuinely curious whether, in today's world, gold eventually shines or if good wine is indeed afraid of deep alleys.
So, I hope you all understand our stubbornness, and when leaving feedback for "Esports Godfather," please do so solely based on the game itself. If you find it valuable or enjoyable, leave positive feedback; if you find it uninteresting or boring, don't let anything else cloud your judgment. Good is good, bad is bad.
Finally, thank you all for listening to my rambling. Until next time.