So, it turns out, if you want to sell a game on PC, and you're not an AAA developer, your options are to use Steam, or to use Steam (or don't sell much at all).
ANYWAY, there is a small section of Steam a lot of people seem to forget about. Specifically, this section http://store.steampowered.com/software/
You can see where this is going right? Why not try to get BYOND added to Steam. Not a game made with BYOND, but BYOND it's self.
You might need to give it a little make over (no offence, but it does look like it came straight out of 1998 and it's 2014 now), and maybe a reason to slap a price tag on it (maybe offer a years membership if they buy it off steam or something).
Can it hurt to try? You can even use Greenlight to get software added on Steam. The guy who made Nestalgia has experience with getting things added to Steam through greenlight, so I'm sure you could ask him about it.
But I will say it again. Can it hurt to try?
Edit: Forgot to mention, Game Maker, several versions of RPG Maker and a bunch of other similar programs have been added to Steam. So it's not like it can't be done.
ID:1547377
 Apr 16 2014, 1:17 pm
|
|
Tom wrote:
We've been working with Silk & Steam for the NEStalgia release, and I hope we can follow suit with other games down the line. Interested parties should contact us. Really gotta fix how sluggish and unresponsive the Steam overlay is on BYOND games before you're gonna get anywhere. | |
Tom wrote:
While I like the idea of having BYOND itself on Steam, I'm not sure what the incentive would be for users. Have you ever thought of creating a Dream Maker Pro? I know Game Maker for example, you can get the software for free, but distribution licenses and other utilities go for a premium. You guys already ask a fee for the executable, so why not bundle them together, and throw it up on Steam? | |
Not a bad idea, Crazah.
| |
Once HTML5 client is doable, I think marketing BYOND via steam might actually be possible. As it stands, there aren't many plugin-free HTML5 engines out there that actually permit multiplayer gaming, so BYOND might actually be a competitive engine within a certain niche again once that's possible.
| |
Ter13 wrote:
so BYOND might actually be a competitive engine within a certain niche again once that's possible. And then we take over the world. | |
If you need to know anything about Flash portals like ArmorGames or Kongregate, feel free to contact me. I actually used to work a lot with Flash before DM. I know for a fact that ArmorGames actually pays to have their logo at the beginning of good games. There are many other websites that do this as well.
| |
Adding BYOND to Steam will be good, if only it is for the publicity you could potentially relieve, making a pro version, as Crazah noted, seems like an excellent idea to gain some cash down the line.
| |
I disagree. BYOND is a limited engine that still isn't quite viable for high-quality online games. If you look at NEStalgia's Steam reviews, the overall reception ranged from neutral to negative. Not to mention how players have very limited control over how the core engine functions (nothing is client-side, how advanced your game's engine can be is dependent on how many loopholes you can find in BYOND's code). It's limited in features and hogs up an excessive amount of memory for trivial tasks. I can't see it doing too well as becoming the standard for 2D online games, and that's just my 2 cents.
| |
BYOND is a limited engine that still isn't quite viable for high-quality online games. This is patently not true. There's plenty you can do if the production value is put in. Right now, we've had a single game make an attempt. Second, Gamer, if you can't stop beating a dead horse about these NEStalgia reviews, you'll be seeing removed posts in your history. NEStalgia's Steam reviews have been predominantly positive, not mixed or negative. | |
I thought of BYOND on Steam as well last year when I saw that there's also a Greenlight section for software: http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/ browse/?appid=765§ion=software
Could be pretty cool particularly if you go with a plan like Crazah's. | |
While I like the idea of having BYOND itself on Steam, I'm not sure what the incentive would be for users. We'd have to charge for it, so I'd think users would just come here to get it for free instead.
What I would like to do is make BYOND more of a system for creating games that can be visible in many places; obviously Steam, but also places like Kongregate and Facebook once we have web support. We just have to figure out a way we can monetize that without being too annoying.