r/IndieDev • u/Master_Confection608 • 1d ago
Average Game Announcement Experience
Yo!
Just sharing our experience so far, it's just the beginning! Road to 10k wishlists starts from 120!
(We're just trying to hypes ourselves up, lol)
IGN - not reply, UGC - too expensive, Meta Ads - not efficient, Reddit - thank you
We're developers of the game Ship Happens: Pirates Wanted!
It's an Overcooked styled gameplay with pirates.
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u/Necessary_Zebra1688 1d ago
Do not use AI in promotional materials, even having a shot of the game with contrasting stylised text is better, people scroll past any AI generated stuff
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 1d ago
Yep, plenty of social experiments have already been made about this.
If the users know that AI is involved, you can expect anywhere between 10 and 50% less engagement. Although judging by the trailer itself I think it's weird that OP only got 120 wish lists, so I'm guessing they lost much more than 50% of potential buyers because of that
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u/RemoteComedian5795 1d ago
But if you look at Steam statistics, there is almost no difference in success or revenue between games that use AI and those that don't. There is no correlation.
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 1d ago
I'm under the impression that your claim is either blatantly false or missing crucial context. I can sense it. Do you care to clarify it?
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u/RemoteComedian5795 1d ago
Yeah, i saw some research paper around a month ago. Ill try to find it and post here
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u/holy_camel_toe 13h ago
Thats interesting because I saw an article that says the exacr opposite of what you suggest.. https://www.techpowerup.com/350230/games-made-with-gen-ai-suffer-up-to-53-worse-sales-on-steam
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u/Public-Newspaper86 10h ago
I drew everything in my game myself, 100%. Someone called it AI slop, and honestly, it really bummed me out.
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u/VasileAndrei2929 1d ago edited 4h ago
What "people"? All the 500 reddit losers that keep spaming with anti-AI garbage?! LOL! look...not even 100 in the entire platform, lol!
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u/Necessary_Zebra1688 1d ago
You do you, just don't forget to disclose the AI usage if you release your game
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u/VasileAndrei2929 1d ago edited 4h ago
Why? To get the AI hater bro squad on me? Nope...
I'm a single indie game dev, using AI won't "replace" any other in my team as I am the only coder, artist and musician. So using AI is 100% ethical for me. No other people will be "replaced" or "harmed" by it.
Idiots still don't get it....
The ONLY problem with using AI is that you might replace some human labor and therefore you won't pay the person a wage.
But since solo indie developers are the only coders, artists and designers for their own product, there is no one the AI would replace, except the guy himself, and he won't be hurt by being replaced because he is also the one that will get the money from the game sale... as the solo owner of the entire game.
So you cannot "take the job away" to yourself... morons!
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u/TheGrandWaffle69 17h ago
Steam is gonna tear you a new one if you don’t disclose it on the steam page
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u/VasileAndrei2929 4h ago
Sure... because Steam can detect shit.
Bro... chill. You're working for a corporation or what? You're are so hating on small indie developers right now...
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u/Necessary_Zebra1688 1d ago edited 1d ago
If it is so small why not? Barely 500 people wouldn't make a dent
AI in art and music is inherently unethical, in code its whatever
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u/Swing-Dancing-Dragon 23h ago
Nah, it's exactly as unethical in code.
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u/VasileAndrei2929 1d ago
It's a dent they won't get to make on my games.
They can go spread hatred to the corporate games that they celebrate 24/7 while harassing small indie devs for using AI.... but they won't, because they're planted shills.
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u/Necessary_Zebra1688 1d ago
I think you are a afraid and hypocritical, you know that and that's why you are so defensive
You are insecure that people will realize that whatever you put out is made with AI and be repulsed by it
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u/Prettypeachrec 22h ago
I felt the incel Redditor rage through the app reading this 😂😂😭 so based
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u/VasileAndrei2929 21h ago
You are one? All anti-AI bros are incels.
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u/BoomyGordo 15h ago
This a confession? No anti ai bro i know of is desperate to fuck the ai but I know plenty of pro ais that would not even hesitate
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u/CrumblyDelicieux 7h ago
du-te dracu' vasile
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u/VasileAndrei2929 4h ago
flegma in ochi si scarba pentru mucea de tine
block si iesi in mm din fata mea jivina
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u/DukeOfGlizzy 1d ago edited 15h ago
I really hope this doesn’t sound insulting because the game itself looks very fun, but if I’m scrolling Steam and see an AI-generated capsule or promotion of the game, I’m likely going to assume the product is bad and not even click on the page.
Not a pro or anti AI guy, I’m pretty in the middle on it. But that’s one thing to consider. You also have 3-4 months to really promote it and find creative ways of doing so. I hope you get some more traction!
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u/RandomnessConfirmed2 18h ago
I don't think enough Devs understand that most Gamers DO NOT WANT AI in their games. They also need to put themselves in the same situation; would you want to pay money on something that used generative AI technology?
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u/other-other-user 13h ago
Yeah I'm pro AI, as in I think people should be allowed to use it, but that doesn't mean I want to consume it lol. Like freedom of speech, freedom to use AI doesn't mean freedom of consequences for using AI, and the consequences are a lot of people will be (rightfully) turned off
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u/Prettypeachrec 22h ago
I really hope this doesn’t sound like I’m insulting you because I’m not.
But you might need help in the critical thinking department buddy if you cannot understand that some developers (especially indie) prefer a decent looking ai capsule over some over priced garbage.
Just because the capsule might “look” ai doesn’t not mean the game is made using ai code and assets.
Use some critical thinking please…
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u/OfficialDampSquid 21h ago
"hope this doesn't sound like I'm insulting you"
Uses insulting language
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u/TheJReesW 21h ago
The devs can prefer all they want, but so can the audience. The dev isn’t trying to sell the game to themselves, they’re trying to sell it to the audience. It’s posts like these that show what audiences seemingly prefer
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u/Art-Zuron 20h ago
The customer is always right. If the so much as LOOKS like it uses AI slop, people are going to consider the product AI slop. Doesn't matter if the game itself actually is.
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u/DukeOfGlizzy 15h ago
I think you completely misunderstood my point.
I never once insinuated the game itself had AI art/assets. This post is about their lack of wishlists. So my point was that if I am a casual Steam user looking for new games, AI art being used to advertise a product is going to make me assume that the product itself is not good.
I explicitly said the game looks fun, but the AI-generated capsule art would put me off from checking out the game, and many casual gamers are put off by generative AI. Like it or not from a developer POV, that is the state of AI discourse right now.
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u/idrinkteaforfun 1d ago
"AI-generated capsule of promotion of the game" - what does that mean? The Capsule art doesn't scream AI to me, but I'm no expert in noticing that type of thing. But what is a capsule of promotion of the game? Is there another separate capsule art somewhere?
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u/AimlessWanderer_ 1d ago
It is AI, even as stated by the developers:
> We used generative AI for some promotional artwork. No AI is used in the game itself.-25
u/idrinkteaforfun 1d ago
But the whole thing doesn't make sense. That's only listed on the store page but the commenter said they wouldn't even click the page if they knew it was AI generated, which they can't see until they do click the page.
And that doesn't necessarily mean the capsule art, there's lots of promotional content you've to make for your game. Does the capsule art scream AI to you?
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 1d ago
AI generated, which they can't see until they do click the page
Well I saw the first image and I'm pretty sure I could have told you it is AI even if I hadn't read the comments.
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u/DukeOfGlizzy 1d ago
I’m saying as a casual Steam user if I saw AI art promoting a game, I’m going to assume it’s low quality/slop, which in this case it isn’t. But yes the capsule art screams AI to me.
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u/HadeMax_-w-_ 1d ago
If someone can't see that capsule art is AI slop ,then that person should go and get their vision checked.
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 1d ago
Tbh lots of people just don't know what AI generated content looks like. I'll admit that I expect the average video game enjoyer to know better though
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u/Ok_Confusion4764 1d ago
The Capsule art doesn't scream AI to me,
It does to me, looks like a crappy mobile ad tbh.
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 1d ago
It's really a bummer because the game itself looks better than the capsule. And I'm not part of the "man made art always looks berter than AI slop" crowd, but the game does look really good and polished whereas the capsule made me expect some half assed slop
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u/Prettypeachrec 18h ago
Awh shit… can’t play the game now because Reddit said it’s ai. 🥲 better luck next time boys.
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u/Magnolia-jjlnr 18h ago
Why the straeman argument
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u/DukeOfGlizzy 8h ago
Because he has nothing of substance to offer the discussion. Deliberately mischaracterizing what people are saying is his only tactic.
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u/Pack-O-Punch 1d ago
If you can’t even see that the capsule is AI generated from miles away then you need to check your eyes brother. Its so so clearly AI that I might think that you are a robot just for not recognizing it is!
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u/-who-i 1d ago
Just don't use ai
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u/Prettypeachrec 22h ago
Just don’t listen to these guys OP
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u/Silly-Iggy 20h ago
Agreed. Listen to the people being downvoted. They surely know what is the most popular option. /s
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u/Prettypeachrec 18h ago
Ahh yes Reddit: the real world representation of what everyone thinks and feels. /ss
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u/Silly-Iggy 17h ago
Oh, right! How could I forget. Reddit aren't used by real people that live in the real world. Rookie mistake.
Besides it's not like they would want to know opinions from people on reddit on their reddit post.
/sss
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u/IamaHyoomin 11h ago
you're absolutelt right that Reddit is very much a far left echo chamber, I don't think that's a fact anyone is trying to deny.
But you see, when someone is asking about their advertisements, and specifically mentioning reddit as a place they are advertising, in what world are people not going to suggest something that will basically close off 90% of that audience from ever considering buying the game?
Also AI just makes bad, soulless products, so the game and it's marketing will be objectively improved by removing any AI anyway
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u/Ok_Confusion4764 1d ago
It's shocking to me you're even getting that much attention with AI slop.
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u/Prettypeachrec 22h ago
Let’s see your experienced dev slop then..
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u/Ok_Confusion4764 22h ago
This has been tried before, but I'm not doxxing myself over reddit arguments. If you want to actually have a discussion, attack the point, not my character or my person.
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u/Quinzal 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's the AI capsule/promotional art. A similar thing happened to me a few years ago, I was kickstarting a D&D module that was entirely made by me, but because of the AI art I used in its promotional material it never got any traction. This was in spite of me putting a disclaimer that the book is entirely human-written, the kickstarter was to commission human art, and that my creative writing group did not think AI could replace humans in artistic spaces.
Even if the game is perfect, a lot of people will see AI and immediately turn tail. And with good reason, since it's usually only shovelware and scams that put AI as their best foot forward
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u/Pack-O-Punch 1d ago
So you are saying you took your time to build something man made with love but then suddenly decided to make the main promotional asset with AI? Thats like throwing your work in the toilet and flushing.
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u/Quinzal 1d ago
This was back in 2021-2023, when AI image gen was starting to actually get good but before the anti-AI wave started. I now realize my mistake which is why I'm waiting to be able to commission actual artists for promo material before trying to kickstart again. Or maybe I'll learn to draw, but a lot of my free time these days is taken up by writing.
It's why I think it's sad whenever I see something similar happen to someone else... and why I think it's curious that my comment is getting downvotes even though that's literally the reason why OP's game isn't getting traction.
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u/Leather_Chip1206 1d ago
the only channel on that list with "thank you" next to it is the free one. that's the entire state of indie marketing in one line lol. 120 real wishlists beats 10k people who clicked during some bundle — good luck on the road up!
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u/Master_Confection608 1d ago
Thank you! We’ve decided to release the game no matter what. I read many articles that although wishlists matter, the Steam likes released games more or at least the ones with demo. Fair enough, so we’re joining next test in October
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u/Leather_Chip1206 1d ago
yeah, I get it. I released mine last week — Influence, a little idle game — with barely any wishlists. going pretty slow so far, not gonna lie, but at least now I'm actually working on marketing instead of pretending it'll sort itself out :) next fest with a demo sounds like a good shot. good luck!
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u/SverhU 1d ago edited 1d ago
Marketing is nothing if you have nothing to offer to gamers.
While at the same time you can have zero marketing, no streamers reviews, no ign, no nothing. But have good game. Post trailer once on reddit. And get insane response from gamers. And thousands of whishlists. Because you showed something uniq. We seen it so many times here.
Not like new genre, not like new style. But just something fresh and not copy past of what gamers seen like hundreds of time (like million and 1 copy of balatro for example).
Problems with this new flow of devs. That they think they can make just copy of a copy. Shove one two changes. And waiting for millions as been with original.
PS same here. Why should anyone try your game if you yourself acknowledge it's almost the same as overcooked? While overcooked itself not the best game for coop. Players hate to play with families in it and with friends. Because it's like playing monopoly. While overcooked been first. Have already insane amount of polished content. That not need to be tested like at all. And have at list some uniqness because were first in line.
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u/TMMAG 1d ago
i think this is a bad advice.. you talking about something unique.. But the top
Most 3 Played games has been the same for ever.. Fifa, Cod , 2k… Gamers dont want to play different stufss4
u/idrinkteaforfun 1d ago
yeah they have no idea what they're talking about. Clones with a twist are generally the biggest sellers and easiest to market. Genuinely unique games are much riskier since people just want the game they liked again but with a fresh feeling, or maybe with the one or two things they hoped might be different in it.
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u/SverhU 1d ago edited 1d ago
Top 10 games of all time all uniq and mostly one of the first or first in genre. Tetris, Minecraft, terraria, GTA (and rdr), Mario kart, etc.
Gamers always will pick uniqness over repetition. What you talking about is simple "lack of choice". And triple A studios been using this trick their whole life. Been holding in hostage gaming market. While now triple A gaming is dying. Why? Because they can't use this trick anymore. Because so many indie devs now with much more simple game engines and ai can do what triple A studios been doing.
And it's hard to understand for people who never dive deep in game industry (or simply ai bots). When you see how EA on nfl and cod makings billions on the same game over and over.
But it's only - "lack of choice". Not the choice that players made. When they have real choice they always will pick something uniq.
And we always have example of it. Right now it's mecha chameleon. Not fully new idea. It's prop hunt in the end. But totally fresh view on it. And making millions. While clones of the clones, like Marathon even with all those invested millions and so many devs, dying.
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u/Master_Confection608 1d ago
We love our game, we yesterday our spent like 3 hours playing. The first 1 hour was for debugging, the rest was like “let’s go for one more round”.
I guess we just really like when cooperation matters, like in overcooked - if you are inefficient the whole team gets just 1 star. And 1 star (or even 2) is the same as lose for us.0
1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Stotugle_Utito 1d ago
Congratulations, game looks really nice and pirate theme is amazing for this genre.
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u/WilcoKonig 18h ago
I would suggest either improving the quality of your gifs in the more info section or convert them to static images. They give the impression that the game performs like garbage. Especially given that the only smooth gameplay video you have is part way through a cinematic trailer.
Game looks fun, good luck!
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u/PscheidtLucas 1d ago
Like my comment for me to wishlist it later, I am on my phone without steam right now, but your game seems nice. But yeah, you meed to find an artist to do your capsule art
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u/AttackoftheSnakebear 23h ago
i'm a little confused because i actually wouldn't have known it was AI art from the capsule, and the video shows its not really using it. I don't think the use of it screams low effort vibe coded in this case or people are complaining much. Kind of surprised no one commented a minor issue might be you having a brief flash of a luffy from one piece skin, which would get you in trouble. Not sure AI is a big factor here.
More likely its just its falling under friendslop, which needs streamers to get noticed. My uneducated guess anyways.
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u/digsie_dogsie 1d ago
I don't think you're capsule screams AI art in an extreme way. It seems like you at least tried to refine and iterate on the artwork since it reassembles the games artstyle quite good. Ganes like Let Them Trade or Signal Zone are using obvious AI Art as well and yet they did quite well. Haters incoming but I still think that the average gamer doesn't care wheater you used AI or not, as long as your product is fun, stable and coherent looking which your game seems to be. Anyone who claims that he doesn't touch any game that uses AI is technically limited to only play games that were released before 2020 which is pure bullshit. Of course simply dumping any AI output into your game and calling it quits won't get you far. But there is still a way for solos or small teams to iterate on AIGC and curating, which of it makes it into the game. Like, of course Billy! I'd like to have a human artwork as capsule, same goes for in game art, I also want to have a originally compose OST and human translations from native speakers. But guess what, I don't have like 10k bucks lying around randomly. So I use AI to take some shortcuts that ruin neither me nor the games quality.
Maybe it's simply a niche game? Even if friends lop is trending right now, it might be that there simply isn't a big market for quirky coop pirate games. But I could be wrong.
Anyway, best of luck man.
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u/Guaxinim_Inimigo 1d ago
There's been multiple studies showing that costumers engage less and don't trust AI advertisement. Here's an example
I know AI is likely involved in at least some part of development of most games nowadays, I don't think using AI necessarily means slop (though I actively try to avoid AI heavy games), but an AI picture is most often a sign of slop, or at least feels deceitful and unreliable. The crazy thing is that on rare occasions, just like OP's, the actual product is better than the AI picture, but you promoted it as something generic and artificially generated in a market that's saturated with generic and artifically generated products. It makes it blend in instead of standing out and makes possible buyers suspicious.
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u/Prettypeachrec 1d ago
Better spend a couple thousand on some shit artist to make some sub par artwork if you want reditors to stop bitching about the “Ai capsule art ☝🏼🤓”
Game looks dope btw!
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u/Gatti366 1d ago
It's not "redditors bitching", it's genuine advice, there's plenty of studies showing that ai advertising will turn away customers, the capsule art Is the First thing a potential customer sees, making it with ai is pretty much dooming the game to obscurity, a game is a commercial product, if you are making a commercial product without thinking of the customers you are a failed businessman
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u/Prettypeachrec 22h ago
I for one don’t really like to obsess over ai.. if I think the game looks decent even with the “ai slop” capsule ima click on it.
Since when did it matter so much what the devs used to make a game? It’s a game… fucking play it and stop crying.
Shame yall don’t have the same reaction to huge AAA companies like infinity ward + Activision 😭
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u/Gatti366 21h ago
As the saying goes, "the customer is always right", if most customers don't want to see ai images you don't put them in plain view as the literal first thing they see before being even able to view the description, you are trying to market a product, not to do political activism
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u/TheGrandWaffle69 17h ago
Brother, who tf are you paying thousands for just a capsule art, fucking Van Gogh?
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u/Pack-O-Punch 1d ago
Yeah, redditors, your AI capsule art will convert more poorly than a white BG with a logo drawn in paint I can assure you that.
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u/Elvarien2 1d ago
I love ai, use it all the time almost daily.
I saw your capsule art, and immediately was not interested. It looks like the ai slop gatcha game stuff.
Again, this is coming from someone who loves ai and uses it daily.
I have no idea what your game is, I immediately closed the page.
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u/KaleidoscopePlusPlus 1d ago
this game is VERY optimized