In the wake of catastrophe you must find the means to make your family whole again. Somerville is a Sci-Fi adventure grounded in the intimate repercussions of large scale conflict.
"The Gothenburg-based (Sweden) indie games publisher and developer Thunderful and the Guildford-based (the UK) indie games developer JUMPSHIP, are today very glad and proud to announce that their mysterious sci-fi adventure game “Somerville“, is now available for the PS5 and PS4 via PSN for €9.99 (the PC version is to be released in the coming months)." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
As a player, Game Pass is incredible, but there’s no denying that services like it change your relationship with games. You’re much more likely to try things, but you’re also more likely to drop off if something doesn’t grab you straight away.
There’s a danger that subscription services could do to games what they did to music. Famously, Spotify changed how musicians implement their hooks, putting them closer to the start of the song to grab the listener – all to cater to a new, more impatient kind of customer. It wouldn’t be a huge leap to imagine something similar happening in games, which are often backed by data-driven business minds.
Clickbait title he say it help and can see why it might hurt sales if your game if don’t make good first 10 minutes impressions.
In the interview, Patti states how the deal was good, but they also believe it may have hurt their sales by saying:
I also think it hurts sales. Because a lot of people just go in and try it, and they don't invest. If they don't like the first 10 minutes? That's it. Also, if you don't make the first 10 minutes amazing, maybe it's also a problem. I think [Game Pass] is okay. It's not my favorite. My favorite is the old premium model, where I sell you on some video, on big images and earn your $30. And then after that, I have to deliver. I don't need to get money out of you later."
Im curious what the GP payment model is. From this article it sounds like there's some kind of engagement/performance based remuneration, rather than a single fixed payment based on some kind of pre-conceived worth. Otherwise the fist 10 minutes point wouldn't have any relevance.
The game has 64% positive reviews on Steam.
Gamepass likely hurts sales... but if they don't have a good game, that will also hurt sales, specially for a indie title.
There are countless good indie games on Steam, that weren't on Gamepass, have lousy sales.
The whole reason Microsoft even adopted the day one release on Game Pass was because a lot of their first party games didn’t sell well
Who actually expects this service to increase sales when Microsoft themselves admitted it doesn’t
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "If I had one all-encompassing diagnosis of Somerville it would be termed “plagued by detail.” When storytelling, atmosphere, and albeit rudimentary gameplay complement each other it can lead to some fascinating moments. But then, you see the cracks begin to form outside of those: under-polished instances when odd bugs occur, the way some puzzles are clumsily handled, the overly-vague story taking confusing creative turns, not being able to pet the dog (currently as the dad), and so on. Those foundational fissures keep propagating the further I went into this 5-hour journey. The fault isn't with Jumpship utilizing Playdead’s successful template, but in forgetting to incorporate the pedigree alongside it."
Amazing game!