Tuesday, December 12th 2023
"The Day Before" Developer Ceases Operations 3 Days Into Game Release, Steam Steps in with Refunds
"The Day Before" is an open-world post-apocalyptic horror/survivor game that released to much fanfare on December 7. Like most games released in the past 3-odd decades, it's a little rough along the edges at launch, which its developer is expected to smoothen out with regular game patches over the following weeks or months even; if only there was a developer left. Fntastic, the game's developer, ceased operations as a business on December 11.
Everyone who pre-ordered the game and bought it after the December 7 release date, still has it; but they now stare at the prospect of a game that potentially has gameplay breaking bugs and other issues that will never be fixed. Steam's refund policy sets a 2-hour gameplay deadline in which to decide if you like what you're playing, and get a refund otherwise. Predictably, there is a large class of gamers who have played more than 2 hours, but yet are left with a potentially broken product that's no longer supported by its developer, just 3 days into its launch. Gamers took to Reddit come draft a template for support e-mails to send to Steam, requesting refunds. The store responded, and made an exception for owners of "The Day Before" to seek refunds, even if they've crossed the 2-hour gameplay limit.
Source:
Takeown
Everyone who pre-ordered the game and bought it after the December 7 release date, still has it; but they now stare at the prospect of a game that potentially has gameplay breaking bugs and other issues that will never be fixed. Steam's refund policy sets a 2-hour gameplay deadline in which to decide if you like what you're playing, and get a refund otherwise. Predictably, there is a large class of gamers who have played more than 2 hours, but yet are left with a potentially broken product that's no longer supported by its developer, just 3 days into its launch. Gamers took to Reddit come draft a template for support e-mails to send to Steam, requesting refunds. The store responded, and made an exception for owners of "The Day Before" to seek refunds, even if they've crossed the 2-hour gameplay limit.
39 Comments on "The Day Before" Developer Ceases Operations 3 Days Into Game Release, Steam Steps in with Refunds
Yeah looked okay no idea what it sold for though
Probably to much for myself I'd never do a prepay.
Also, they just opened up a new studio right after. When a fish stinks, it stinks.
What is the day before? Is that the setting? It's the ONE day before? It's post apocalyptic setting, so it's not the day before the apocalypse. The day before what?
In summation I absolutely hate the title.
The good thing is that consumers will be more aware to the concept of "Asset Flip Games". This will become more relevant from day to day. When you can just buy game assets and "LEGO" your game together with minimal game design skills, it just opens the flood gates for scams. Just look at the "FREE" games that get released each week at the EPIC Store. It's wild, lol.Steam does provide refunds only to those who ask for a refund. ;) You have tons of people who are not familiar with Steams refund process or the ones who are just too lazy to go though it. All the money from them will go in their pockets. Pretty sure it will be at least 1/3rd.Most of their "offices" are located in low wage eastern European countries where the average monthly income is around $1k, often even lower. :oops: It was also reported that many of their team where "volunteers", so they where basically working for free. Let's say 1/3rd refund the game, Steam takes a 30% share, very low staff costs, you're still walking out with a profit of around 1.8mil at best (minus the advertisement costs for Time Square commercials & of course Nvidia DLSS propaganda).
So that's really not bad for a product you put very low effort in. Dam, I should become a game DEV.
:love: Open world
:love: Crafting
:love: Survival horror
:love: Early access
There was for sure a scam, but I’m thinking it was Eastern European dev teams taking the Singapore money for a long ride - because otherwise they would have made it a lot more profitable.
01) Pre-order games are sucks. You may make a pre-order if you are ready to say goodbye to your money. If a game would not be complete garbage like TDB (it does not deserve to be written by full name), Golum, or Cyberpunk 2077 (like it was at the start) so you are lucky.
02) Pre-order games that are making by developers that you know and you trust so much that you can give them your own money earned by sweat and tears.
03) If you are not ready to say bye-bye to money - Do Not make pre-orders, specially made by "orks" in "orkostan".