• Grimy@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    This is an article that was floating on lemmy a few months ago.

    https://www.wired.com/story/death-occurs-in-the-dark-indie-video-game-devs-are-struggling-to-stay-afloat/

    25% more of the profit can go a long way, if Steam were to only take 5% for example. And it’s not only about bankruptcy, it’s budget for more features, dealing with bugs and potential sequels. The quality is affected as well and Steam, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony don’t deserve all that money instead of the devs, just for being the middle men.

    • wia@lemmy.ca
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      7 hours ago

      I’ll bite. I hate billionaires. Let’s check this out.

      Things that hurt indie devs in this article:

      • Lack of available talent
      • Burnout
      • Lack of upfront funding (before a game is ever released)
      • Generally bad economy post COVID
      • Actual predatory exclusive tactics from epic or gamepad
      • The nebulous idea that the entire industry and fans need a culture change

      Things not cited in this article as a problem:

      • Steam in any capacity. Directly or implied
      • Grimy@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        Lack of funding is mentioned every paragraph?

        belt-tightening can often mean simply shutting down.

        Sheffield says it’s hard not to feel guilty when other studios go under, even as his own struggles. “We’re all kind of fighting for a tiny slice of the same pie,”

        “When an indie doesn’t get funding for its game, you just quietly never see their work again,”

        The industry is struggling because steam and the other stores keep them on the brink, they have no leeway. I don’t know how steams greed could be seen as unrelated.