Game Design, Programming and running a one-man games business…

Humble Indie Bundle 4

cliffski

So have you all seen this?

Quite a few people probably guessed it was coming due to my tux image tease, but GSB is part of the Humble Indie Bundle. Yes, that means there is a linux port of the base game, for people who prefer to run native linux builds I do NOT have the final linux installer yet, so if you want a linux build and you bought GSB direct from me (so I can verify the sale), then you will be entitled to it for free, once I have it. Don’t email me asking for it yet, because I can’t reply with a link, and it will get complex and bottlenecked. Obviously I’ll blog it when it’s all ready.

A few words about the bundle, and Gratuitous Space Battles being in it (as one of the ‘beat the average’ games).

Some people have expressed surprise about this move, because I rant about devaluing of games, and bundles a lot, so why am I doing this?

Firstly, it’s the beat the average game :D You can’t pay $0.01 and get GSB, can’t be done, so there is that in there.

Secondly, GSB is actually quite old now. It got updated a LOT, but it’s release was September 2009. It’s been full price everywhere for a long time, so I’m much more flexible regarding stuff like this at this stage in the games sales cycle.

Also, there is a new game coming in the first quarter of 2012, it can’t do any harm to remind people about GSB, and to get people who sat on the fence for those two years to grab a copy at a discounted price. Hopefully when GTB comes out they will be more inclined to buy it at full price rather than wait another two years. I hope!

I often talk very frankly about sales figures and games revenue, but that’s regarding direct sales. Humble Bundle is a proper publisher arrangement with contracts etc, so don’t ask me for financial details about splits etc, because I can’t talk about that.

As I typed this, the total raised has passed a million dollars. That’s good then  :D.

19 thoughts on Humble Indie Bundle 4

  2. Will you make info hom much did you earn from this bundle? Can be in % compared to earnings from ‘normal’ transactions.
    I’m just curious if it’s good idea to sell games that way :)

  4. Humble Bundle games usually fall into one of two categories. Older games that the developers are trying to get one last hurrah from, and new games that developer needs exposure for and can afford (or thinks they can afford) to write off the loss of potential full price customers as a marketing expense.

  5. I loved playing GSB, but I’m also a Linux fan. One of the things I was hoping that someday it would find itself over to my platform of choice. Thank you, I know it isn’t trivial in general.

    I also hope that the Humble Bundle is worth it to you; it would be interesting to hear about your opinions after this is all done with.

  6. Though, I honestly wonder how Edmund McMillen’s done with the HIB’s. His team seems to have gone “all in” over the last few years.

  7. It was surprising indeed to see GSB in the HiB :P

    After all these studies on the influence of marketing, sales, website organization on your sales, I hope we’ll have more data about how the incomes will go with the HiB, compared to the rest of the time, and how it influenced current sales, once the bundle will be over.

    It will be interesting to read about it!

  8. (note, not asking about the exact sales during the bundle, since obviously you can’t disclose all details. But seeing how the regular sales figure go afterwards could be interesting)

  9. Not only is the current HIB being discussed on Slashdot right now, but there are several favorable comments directed specifically at GSB. It was nice to read them, as well as see this great game in the limelight again!

  10. Yeah, your game is a perfect fit for one of the humble bundles. I’m also curious to know, now that you have that game on three platforms, do you plan on making GTB or other future games multiplatform closer to initial release?

  11. Yaaay! This will tide me over until the iPad release of GSB (should that eventuality become reality.) Will the bundle version be compatible with the DLC?

  12. The humble bundle is an instant buy for me no matter what. The exposure to games I wouldn’t normally buy and the low price is great and have lead to me buying games I would normally pass over.

  13. Well, I just bought the Bundle, fell in love with GSB and just went ahead and bought all the DLC. So for about $20 all up, I have a game which has me in thrall and is making me curious about Kudos and the Democracy games.

    What are the chances of those coming up in a future Bundle? :D

  14. ^ Just thought I should add that If the DLC part doesn’t sound significant, it was the first time I’ve ever bothered to get DLC. I even list the free DLC codes I get in my 360 games on eBay and I’ve never even considered buying before. I hope you find my Australian dollars are as tasty as your US ones :D

  16. whats ironic? the post even explains why a two year old game goes in the bundle.
    That’s different to LAUNCHING a game as pay-what-you-want.

  17. Yes, it’s different from LAUNCHING a game in a bundle, however that is not what that article is about. Let me refresh your memory.

    “I just read about an indie games bundle where one of the main ‘selling points’ of the bundles was that you can get six games for just $5.

    That sucks.”

    And most important part of your conclusion:
    “We get that. Lets not try to force all of them to stay tiny and huddled around a begging bowl though.”

    Maybe you forgot, but in that post you are not talking about lauching a game on bundles. You are talking about bundles in general. I find this kind of an attitude kind of perverted. Now you tweet about the bundle that’s like the greatest thing in the world… Yup…so that’s why it’s ironic.

  19. Thanks so much for supporting Linux!!

    GSB is (in my short time with it) mind-gobblingly enormous in scope and complexity… as well, it is irritatingly addictive. How did you do that!?

    Please do consider arranging Desura key distribution with the HIB team. They’ve done it before, and it works fantastically for me.

    I have the 32 bit client on my laptop and the 64 bit client on my desktop; play deep games on the desktop (where I can be comfortable with a mug of tea), casual games on the laptop, manage my games with the Desura client, and all on Linux, it works great!

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