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

Gratuitous Space Battles FREE weekend on steam

cliffski

…has now started. behold:

gsb_free

I could (and probably will) talk at length about the reasoning behind doing this, from a business POV. Suffice it to say for now, that there are always people who are skeptical of buying a game based on reviews, or a demo, and feel they need to play the whole game properly before they can commit to buying it. I guess this is the appeal of pay-what-you-want in some ways (I guess retrospectively…) and also FreeToPlay games. Never let it be said that cliffski is an old man afraid of trying new things :D

If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, Gratuitous Space Battles is my best-known game. It’s a space strategy/management game, that in some ways is like football-manager with space fleets, and in some ways it’s a puzzle games, and in some ways it’s an RTS. You can control the ships mid battle these days, by the way. The game has sold VERY well for a small indie, and won awards and stuff. You can check it out for free this weekend on steam (and there is a nice tasty discount to tempt you too).

So as to show off some of the latest shininess, here is the video for the last GSB expansion pack: The outcasts again… PLEASE TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THIS FREE WEEKEND!

2 thoughts on Gratuitous Space Battles FREE weekend on steam

  1. Heh. This is totally pointless for me, as I already own the game and all the expansions on Steam. But as you said, this might get some people who don’t already own the game to buy it, and that is (from a business perspective) a good thing.

  2. :) Looking very, very cool! I don’t have the new expansion yet, but looks like i will have to get it on payday, even if i miss the sale.

    -Teal

    oh… p.s. I know you have your hands full with Democracy 3 now, and it looks like I will have to get that one as well. But watching the vid i had a thought, what with Gratuitous Space Battles and Gratuitous Tank Battles… out and cheerfully destroying space ships and tanks for Positech, well, perhaps after you get a breather and D3 is out the door, what would you think of a little idea about a game of a little medieval destruction… Gratuitous Siege and Catapult Battles?

    Normans and Saxons have at it!

    … a bit like GTB, top down, except you have two sides, their side and your side, and your troops and siege weapons and catapults attacking their castle, while of course they are advancing and laying siege and waste to your castle as well, All automated, or semi GTB drag and drop?

    With both defensive tarps to throw over the wall, and flame haystack throwing catapults on the offensive side?

    With xxx amount to spend for both, and having to figure out as we go along, should i spend more attacking right now? Or hold off and concentrate on defense towards the end of the game?

    Oh dilemma’s dilemma!

    Just a silly idea, but you know it might round out the GT series and of course offer something a bit different from the other games as well… flaming and boiling oil anyone? :)

    -T

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