RukBot
11-03-2022, 01:51 PM
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/super-lone-survivor-header.jpg
The real horror is launching an indie game in 2022Super Lone Survivor was supposed to launch on Switch this year, but that may not be happening now, meaning it will miss its 10 year anniversary. The original Lone Survivor launched a decade ago to great sales and critical adulation. Created by one-person development studio Jasper Byrne, who before that was most well known for his unofficial Silent Hill 2 demake Soundless Mountain II (https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-interview-soundless-mountain-iis-jasper-byrne/), the game was lauded for its accurate, empathetic depiction (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-is-one-of-my-favorite-games-about-psychosis/) of someone suffering from psychosis, as well as its fantastic art, design, music, and story. It was an unlikely success story, largely promoted by independent game bloggers and journalists, all of whom (including myself) had no idea if anyone would actually care about our opinions.
Byrne too was never sure the game would be a hit, and at one point even said he was uncomfortable taking people's money for it (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-dev-is-uncomfortable-with-taking-your-money/). We can guess that devoting so much of his time, energy, and hope to a game about feeling alone and constantly unsafe inevitably ended up being more than a little autobiographical, at least metaphorically.
Despite its success, Byrne stepped out of development for nearly a decade after its release, starting and stopping on other game projects, and contributing music to other people's projects like Hotline Miami (https://spacerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hotline-miami-ep). Still, Byrne never forgot his magnum opus, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he got to work on creating Super Lone Survivor (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1907440/Super_Lone_Survivor/), an enhanced port featuring a new aspect ratio, art, music, pieces of the story, and more. Hey, if The Last of Us can be rereleased twice in ten years with nothing but cosmetic upgrades, why couldn't Lone Survivor do it once with updated visuals and extra content?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUwDCn_D6vY
The answer, so far anyway, is that releasing an indie game in 2022 is much more treacherous than it was a decade ago. According to Byrne, one of the first reviews on Steam incorrectly stated that the game had no new content. Though other more positive, accurate reviews have since trickled in, and the writer of that original review has since found a lot of the new content, that initial take wrecked the game's launch. That's because it was, for a time, the only review of the game you could find. Most game sites have also not reviewed the game as of yet, presumably because indie coverage doesn't do the numbers that it used to. Worse still, big streamers and Youtubers are also been quiet on Super Lone Survivor (https://www.nintendo.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-switch-remake/). Maybe Markiplier will give it another try? His video on the original game has a million views on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgUuJ1ywOvI), so it's not out of the question.
If not, and sales of the game stay flat, it's unclear when Super Lone Survivor will make it to Switch. Byrne revealed today that, though he worked furiously to get the game certified on Switch (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1577470355924393985), the poor Steam sales thus far and the "hate mail" received over the game (presumably because it's not clear enough what's "super" about it?), have killed his momentum for the project (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588117387483967489).
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sls.jpg
This hurts for a few reasons. Byrne is so earnest and he seems to feel so genuinely bad that some have said they are disappointed with this new project. It's painful to see him say he thinks the game might not be worth playing for everyone (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1587265256220491776), and even feel the need to apologize (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588117631516680195) for... making a very good video game even better? But that's life on the internet for you.
It's also sad news for Switch owners, who are more likely to be entirely new to the game. Likewise, they aren't likely to get any other Silent Hill 2-esque remakes (https://www.destructoid.com/silent-hill-2-remake-bloober-team-konami-ps5-pc-reveal/) on Nintendo's handheld anytime soon, so having the chance to get at one of the best really stings (if they know it or not). For now, though, we can hope that word about all the new content in Super Lone Survivor (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588128611936227328) will continue to spread, and that the many people who are sure to love it will give it a try.
The post Lone Survivor Switch launch delayed due to hate mail and low Steam sales (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-switch-launch-delayed-due-to-hate-mail-and-low-steam-sales/) appeared first on Destructoid (https://www.destructoid.com).
More...
The real horror is launching an indie game in 2022Super Lone Survivor was supposed to launch on Switch this year, but that may not be happening now, meaning it will miss its 10 year anniversary. The original Lone Survivor launched a decade ago to great sales and critical adulation. Created by one-person development studio Jasper Byrne, who before that was most well known for his unofficial Silent Hill 2 demake Soundless Mountain II (https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-interview-soundless-mountain-iis-jasper-byrne/), the game was lauded for its accurate, empathetic depiction (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-is-one-of-my-favorite-games-about-psychosis/) of someone suffering from psychosis, as well as its fantastic art, design, music, and story. It was an unlikely success story, largely promoted by independent game bloggers and journalists, all of whom (including myself) had no idea if anyone would actually care about our opinions.
Byrne too was never sure the game would be a hit, and at one point even said he was uncomfortable taking people's money for it (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-dev-is-uncomfortable-with-taking-your-money/). We can guess that devoting so much of his time, energy, and hope to a game about feeling alone and constantly unsafe inevitably ended up being more than a little autobiographical, at least metaphorically.
Despite its success, Byrne stepped out of development for nearly a decade after its release, starting and stopping on other game projects, and contributing music to other people's projects like Hotline Miami (https://spacerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hotline-miami-ep). Still, Byrne never forgot his magnum opus, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he got to work on creating Super Lone Survivor (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1907440/Super_Lone_Survivor/), an enhanced port featuring a new aspect ratio, art, music, pieces of the story, and more. Hey, if The Last of Us can be rereleased twice in ten years with nothing but cosmetic upgrades, why couldn't Lone Survivor do it once with updated visuals and extra content?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUwDCn_D6vY
The answer, so far anyway, is that releasing an indie game in 2022 is much more treacherous than it was a decade ago. According to Byrne, one of the first reviews on Steam incorrectly stated that the game had no new content. Though other more positive, accurate reviews have since trickled in, and the writer of that original review has since found a lot of the new content, that initial take wrecked the game's launch. That's because it was, for a time, the only review of the game you could find. Most game sites have also not reviewed the game as of yet, presumably because indie coverage doesn't do the numbers that it used to. Worse still, big streamers and Youtubers are also been quiet on Super Lone Survivor (https://www.nintendo.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-switch-remake/). Maybe Markiplier will give it another try? His video on the original game has a million views on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgUuJ1ywOvI), so it's not out of the question.
If not, and sales of the game stay flat, it's unclear when Super Lone Survivor will make it to Switch. Byrne revealed today that, though he worked furiously to get the game certified on Switch (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1577470355924393985), the poor Steam sales thus far and the "hate mail" received over the game (presumably because it's not clear enough what's "super" about it?), have killed his momentum for the project (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588117387483967489).
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/sls.jpg
This hurts for a few reasons. Byrne is so earnest and he seems to feel so genuinely bad that some have said they are disappointed with this new project. It's painful to see him say he thinks the game might not be worth playing for everyone (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1587265256220491776), and even feel the need to apologize (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588117631516680195) for... making a very good video game even better? But that's life on the internet for you.
It's also sad news for Switch owners, who are more likely to be entirely new to the game. Likewise, they aren't likely to get any other Silent Hill 2-esque remakes (https://www.destructoid.com/silent-hill-2-remake-bloober-team-konami-ps5-pc-reveal/) on Nintendo's handheld anytime soon, so having the chance to get at one of the best really stings (if they know it or not). For now, though, we can hope that word about all the new content in Super Lone Survivor (https://twitter.com/jasperbyrne/status/1588128611936227328) will continue to spread, and that the many people who are sure to love it will give it a try.
The post Lone Survivor Switch launch delayed due to hate mail and low Steam sales (https://www.destructoid.com/lone-survivor-switch-launch-delayed-due-to-hate-mail-and-low-steam-sales/) appeared first on Destructoid (https://www.destructoid.com).
More...