As a dev myself, this is a major bummer. Sadly not the first I'm hearing of it

Before the advent of AI I used to have this fear that talking about my game before it was ready for release would make it likely that someone could steal the idea and get to market faster, cheaper, or better than I could. But making a game required a ton of effort, so it was pretty easy to see it was a mostly irrational fear.

AI enables grift in every industry. It's never been easier to steal intellectual property. Now I'm back to not talking about my games until they're ready for release, and that fear feels far from irrational.

Terrible. We hope the bubble bursts soon.

@guacamole 😆

@gamingonlinux This should have a "SPONSORED" -Tag as this is obviously advertisment for Ryanair

Hmm it seem the wrong text was grabbed somehow. I am going to update it.

Everything about this very clearly says it's for the GBA.

@gamingonlinux While i like the Resident Evil games, "Inventory space is scarce and every slot matters." is what i really hate. This needless running around is such a bad and annoying game-stretching mechanic and maybe the reason i never finished the early ones...

@srfirehorseart :)

"The perfect successor to the original Neofeud game... Exposes more of the capitalist system." Thanks Kiazra for the great Neofeud 2 review, & yes, I hope more of these systems are exposed, and resisted! store.steampowered.com/app/461 #indiedev #retrogame #Steam #cyberpunk

@silverspookgames I like the hex code reference.:goose_hacker:

@gamingonlinux what do you mean with "EA-based solo developer" is Electronic arts involved or not in it?

What is GOYslop??

Edit:

Wikipedia:

Goyslop is an antisemitic internet slang term for ultra-processed foods, fast food, and other mass-produced products, framed by conspiracy theorists as a tool used by Jewish elites to keep non-Jews unhealthy and compliant.[1][2][3]

The term is a compound word joining goy, a Hebrew and Yiddish word for a non-Jew or gentile,[4][3] and slop, meaning food waste or refuse of low quality.

I just.... Everyday, I swear. At this point, maybe it's better to not know.

Only 33 of them? We would have thought steam had more.

It's a bit loosely defined, but it's a term for a new "genre" of indie game, turned around fairly quickly, with an emphasis on multiplayer, usually proximity voice chat, sold for cheap. They're games that are meant to let you and your friends create really fun moments together.

It's "slop" because these aren't usually very deep games, with fairly simplistic art, usually sold for less than 10$, but honestly they're fantastic, and I'd highly recommend many of them.

My favourites would probably be Lethal Company and Peak, but there's also Content Warning, RV Life, REPO, Gamble with your Friends, and tons of others.

It wasnt really independent if microsoft was publishing it. People seem to confuse "indie" and "smaller budget" games.

They really think new generations of players will keep paying expensive subscriptions just to (temporarily) be able to play "their" overpriced and overused old-franchises, AI-bloated, AAA games.

never owned an Xbox and looks like I never will, always thought they were the death of gaming honestly, they just brought a bunch of PC style games to console and made them exactly the same platforms. boring ass shit from a boring ass shit company

Hard competition to! Indie make good game.

With these layoffs they are effectively creating the indie studios they will be competing against.

it can be related to the term goyslop. Just like the AI/LLM one can be in some circumstances.

Anti-Semitic?! What?! How even hahaha

It has roots in low-effort, especially AI/LLM stuff. Beyond AI/LLM, it often refers to stuff with low replay value or little gameplay time put out for streamers to play with each other for their audience.

Where are you getting antisemitism?

one of these ridiculous new terms for games made to be played with friends.

It also might have its roots in anti-semitic 4chanesque language too.

It's just a bad term all around.

Wtf is friendslop?

In partnership with Lugosi Enterprises, Tezcatek is honored to bring Bela Lugosi into the video game realm for the first time in an officially licensed release, in a style of game that has long been associated with the horror classics.

I was curious about the licensing, so here you go!

Not taking any sides here. But as a developer this isn't really a new thing? So if there is a danger of people being done with your game in 2 hours, maybe rather release it on itch.io or wherever? I understand that may not look as attractive, seeing how Steam dominates the market, but it may still lead to you keeping more money from sales.

Steam could however make an exception for short games, but probably this would open some other weird loopholes too that I cannot think of.

Unlike what the article says, I think even at a sales price of 3 dollars I would not be happy to pay for a game lasting less than 2 hours and chances are that all refunders have similar thoughts. Not a fair comparison, but I just got Hollow Knight in the summer sale close to what this game is costing full price.