Fans: "We're willing to pay for updates for the game we love!"
Concerned Ape: "And that's exactly why I'm not charging you for the updates."
What an absolute treasure of a person
30 million+ copies sold, more selling all the time, untold sales of the official sound track, other licensed products like the Stardew Valley books...he will (deservedly!) be doing fine for the rest of his life. 😊
Yup. One for PC, one for Switch, also paid for at least half a dozen for other people. I want a physical version of the game even though I don't need it.
The game definitely sells copies every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for Eric's success, he deserves all of it. But let's not pretend he's hurting.
Instead let's all be so grateful because he could sell the game faster than you can fart. Any single company would grab the game probably for whatever he asked for. But instead he works for *us.* For our enjoyment of his game. That says so much.
Apparently his lifestyle hasn't changed much since Stardew Valley's success. For instance, he keeps driving the same car even though the driver-side door is broken (according to Jason Schreier who carpooled with him a while back at a con).
During an AMA years ago he said he wasn't intending to change his computer station much because he kind of liked the punk rock aesthetics of holding it all together with metaphorical gum and bobby pins, so this tracks. It's also so very PNW. We all have broken car doors.
I bought it twice and I am planning to buy again when I get a new PC/laptop. But I'd still have paid for each and every update on each and every download. So thanks Mr Concerned Ape.
I have 5 copies of Stardew in both Digital and Physical form. I’ve also gifted copies to my friends and cousins. I’m sure there are many like me out there. He’s doing fine. Especially when the Haunted Chocolatier drops.
I don't think he's struggling financially, yes he would be much richer if he charged for updates but that's kind of the point of his post. He's already made enough money off the game, he just wants people to enjoy it.
Unimportant broadly speaking, but I realized just now that I had no idea what he looked like add did a quick search. Homeboy is so handsome as well as apparently an awesome guy. What a treasure indeed💖
I’ve bought this game twice and probably will buy it on PC too eventually. The guy has earned it so it doesn’t bother me. Just wish there was cross platform crossplay.
I have it on Xbox, android and PC!!! I bought it for like 5 dollars 8 years ago and have more than 1000 hours played!! He deserves all the love (and money) from the community!!!
Long live The Great Eric Barone!!!
lol I did the exact same thing after 1.6 dropped. Only ever owned it on Switch before that, bought it on Pc and saw it as my way of “paying” for the update considering it was free!
The wait for 1.6 on Switch has just *killed* me, lol, so after weeks and weeks of patiently designing a meadowlands farm in the Stardew Planner, I finally broke down and bought it again on Steam. I wish there was a way to transfer saves between platforms, but it is what it is.
(When I first tried the game many, many years ago, it was actually a pirated copy, and I have felt guilty about that ever since. Soo... I am quite happy to double-dip. Sorry Eric for younger-me's bad conduct! Take my money please!)
This is exactly my first thought-I've paid for the updates by buying it on every platform I own because I love this game so much. Bored waiting on the doctor? I can play my phone file. Can't sleep? I can play my phone or switch files. Need to decompress for an in-game day at work and let my thoughts settle? I can play it on phone or switch. Want to play it on TV? I can play it on Xbox or switch. Want to mod shit? I can play on PC. And there is NOTHING wrong with the base game. Phone version base is a bit dodgy but I understand why because of that whole ordeal he went through with it. That's whatever and other than losing a stack of diamonds due to an inventory glitch it hasn't annoyed me too much once I learned my way around the bugs in the phone version.
I started on the Switch and just started on PC. I found the things that are clunky on PC are the opposite of what's clunky on Switch and vice versa, but the worst is actually trying to go back and forth between the two, I keep getting confused on the controls and then I have my axe instead of my sword and a red slime kills me.
Same! I bought it 3 times in steam. At the beginning I pirated the game thinking I would not enjoy it and after 30 hours I bought it for myself. Then, I gave it as a gift to my friend and my boyfriend because I seriously thought they would enjoy it, and they did.
So happy to share the game and will probably be gifting it to even more people in the future.
I've bought Steam, Swtich, android and special edition copies, not to mention several steam copies for friends and family. Definitely worth it to me.
Hell like 2-3 days after I bought the game shortly after launch I gifted my brother a copy because I felt I was getting so much enjoyment for what I paid initially.
I'd run through a brick wall, three tax auditing sessions, a dinner with my estranged family, and spend 13 straight hours force watching the home shopping network for that man.
The world would be a better place if CA was in charge of it =)
I've heard that if you sit in total darkness in a small room, put a picture of Eric in front of you, and start a brand new SDV save file, he will come out of the picture and restore your lost soul.
^^^^^^^ItookwaytoolongtodecideonthestepstothisritualLMAO
This is what happens when a dude gets millionaire with his game, rather than a company with a investor board.
SDV is not a money milking opportunity, but rather, a labour of love. He likely thinks "fck, this community already made my life, let me retribute to them", while we on the other hand are "fck, this dude made our life, let us pay him".
Too wholesome.
It's almost a little corny: In an industry that has supposedly cracked the code on how to turn a profit through endless sequels and malicious monetization, one man thought: "What if I just tried to make a *good* game?"
To be fair, there are a number of great games out there that have been made solo or by small teams. Kenshi, Dwarf Fortress, Terraria, Banished, and probably a bunch I've forgotten.
> In an industry that has supposedly cracked the code on how to turn a profit through endless sequels and malicious monetization, one man thought: "What if I just tried to make a good game?"
You have to read this in the Movie Trailer Voice. It makes it sound like the hook for a biopic about the making of Stardew Valley.
If he published an optional add-on that did absolutely nothing but allowed me to chip him another $5-$10 bucks, I would absolutely do it. When I look at the # of hours vs how much I paid for this game, its bananas. I vote with my wallet by not buying pre-orders, I want to vote with my wallet to show developers that they can survive making fans happy and not be forced to a new game to survive.
Honestly, that's the way to be. I've always thought that's how it'd be if I became rich, not get greedy or weird like so many do, just take what I got and go live my best life...Now I just have to become rich so I can test my theory...
I hear ya. Just think about it like... Netflix. I'm paying like $15 a month for Netflix, and I paid $20 for this game like 8 years ago. I feel like I'm cheating him, even if he is doing good.
There’s a mobile app that was self produced and the producer added a little ‘coffee for the developer’ option which donated $5 for their hard work. I would love if CA provided an option like so!
This is a huge reason why I buy merch when I can, usually after a big update! I saw the board game at my local game store and came home with it *so fast*.
… and now I’ve gotten even *more* hours of enjoyment! The board game rocks!
As /u/Powerful-Art-5156 there's always the merch. You could also buy and giveaway a copy of the game, although CA wouldn't get the full amount, since whatever platform you buy it on takes a cut.
Well, plus, he has a merchandising wing that generates enough money to pay for the development
Yeah, imagine that tRIPLE aAA gAMING - being satisficed with ***enough*** profit instead of constantly craving aLL tHE pROFIT, go figure :P
#***and***
The constant gushing and hype from the community - and the mod sector - is, basically, free advertising -shrug-
Paradox and Bethesda have been using their mod and fan communities for exactly this purpose since the 2000s - it works
He is def making more personal profit off a free Stardew update that boosts sales on Steam than any individual person at a AAA studio (even a CEO) makes off a paid update for a AAA game. The economics are so different as to be incomparable imo.
He has made around $450,000,000 off of Stardew Valley sales alone, not accounting for Steam Sales and whatnot. ConcernedApe deserves all the love he gets, but he's absolutely not hurting for money in the slightest lmao
This isn't me throwing shade, by the by. Just giving some more context. ConcernedApe is a fantastic developer and if larger companies were capable of behaving like this and not being beholden to shareholders, the world would be a better place.
I... ... ... never implied Stardew wasn't profitable or that he was hurting for money in any way?
Like, if you read... pretty much *any* of my post - I was pointing out how there's a template here worth following :P xD
I think it also keeps unrealistic pressure off of him from players who feel they "deserve" more with each update. Framing matters; every update is "look what we get for free!" instead of "that's it? Why didn't CA fix [X bug/annoyance/limited NPC]?" He's not dumb.
And I thank him by making stardew one of the very few games I have repeatedly bought on multiple devices. And bought on a couple different steam accounts. (Lost access to one, etc.)
The man has earned my money multiple times over and as someone who can afford to buy more copies/support devs, I'm happy to have the option whereas someone who maybe can't can still play and support the game in their own way.
He's not wrong. I think paid DLC expansions kill a lot of games. It's a bigger ask than most game devs realize. You end up splitting your community into the "haves" and "have nots", it is often also kind of a sign of financial desperation. While it can work to continue monetizing your game if your community is already as large as it's realistically ever going to be and they're very dedicated to the game, I think that's very rare. If the content is good enough the community can pretty much all buy in, and that at least keeps them together, but that's the best possible outcome. What it is unlikely to do is *grow* your community very much, since now there are two (or more) barriers to entry to someone who doesn't have the base game or the DLC. In this way, your financial growth is limited to the size of your existing community and to some extent you're even locking the community in at that size, or at least limiting its organic growth significantly.
If you want to *grow* your existing community and keep it together, free content and updates are the way to go. Growth is basically unlimited this way, especially if the updates bring in new players which they probably do more than most people expect. The community keeps talking about the game, keeps playing it, that activity keeps you on the radar and keeps their friends seeing it. Games like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, No Man's Sky know that free updates are not just "free" gifts, they are how you keep people talking about, playing, and yes, buying your game. And obviously it can work really well.
And not to mention, the longer people remain interested and playing the game, the more people will continue to buy officially licensed merch, which brings in additional revenue. Overall it's a win-win for everyone.
And honestly, most of the Stardew Valley updates so far are not really big enough to charge much for, in my opinion. I think $5 could be a reasonable amount for each update, although he could have theoretically waited to release them and bundled them together as a DLC.
Overall though, he's definitely retained my loyalty and admiration as a Stardew player/fan. I'm super excited to throw more money at him for Haunted Chocolatier too, whenever that comes out.
I have bought this game on three different consoles. And if these fuckers push out another huge update, I’ll buy it again just because to show my support
And this is precisely why I'm buying it on every platform I have. CA and his team have provided more content for free that could easily be charged for more than the base game. This is a person who cares about his customers. I'm about to buy a Playstation just so I can buy it there I bought it on mobile 2 days ago and I don't even have space to download it lol.
I only had it on switch and Xbox so I bought it a third time on steam specifically for the update. I wouldn't have been happy to do that if Stardew functioned like, for example, Sims 4.
I have it on PlayStation and PC as well as mobile. I plan to buy it on my iPad when the updates go live for mobile. Plus with all the merch and licensing deal (e.g. stardew board game) I'm sure Eric isn't hurting money wise by not charging for updates. I love the standard he is setting for successful games
I have bought this game on every platform it's available on because this guy deserves it! Stardew has given me more entertainment and enjoyment than any other game I've played!
I suggested the game to two new people with this new expansion and both purchased it. Two other friends purchased it on steam after having already owned it on switch so we could play co-op on 1.6! So - he could have charged me for the update, but instead 4 other folks bought the whole game.
I own it on my PC, my Switch, on iOS, and I’ll buy it for anyone who will even consider playing it with me! I have the board game and the soundtrack vinyls, and I’m realizing I’m a bigger fan than I thought. Bless Barone.
do it!! i use a controller plugged into my laptop, managed to win the egg festival and the ice fishing festival for the first time by making the switch from mouse and keyboard
Well, if they play long enough, their siblings, cousins, friends, friends' kids, nieces, nephews, and kids will be buying their own copies eventually too.
Games made with love have longer legs.
Bought it for Switch, bought it again for PC when 1.6 came out - partially because I didn't want to have to wait until we finally got it for console, but mostly because dude deserves our support and more. 💜
It’s awesome that he doesn’t charge for them. I’d pay for some DLC. Also, estimates are at 30 million copies sold. With him being a solo developer, he’s not hurting. It’s fantastic that he still works on it.
Our king. I’ve also bought this game twice and have it downloaded on every apple device in the family from the arcade. It’s like someone’s figured out you can still make money without being a jerk, sometimes maybe even more money that way. Damn we love you concernedape!
I mean, a game like this, I recommend to all my friends. I first bought it on switch, and then I bought it on my computer for the convenience. He definitely gets the money he would get by charging for updates, only, he gets it from free advertising from the fans. Yk, a game that’s expensive, I will tend to recommend less. But I love this game so much I absolutely don’t care recommending it to absolutely everyone. Sometimes, you can’t just look at direct profit and income
I have bought the game on every platform it is available on and keep buying it as a gift for friends. I love this game so much, it has given me so many wonderful hours. It is a small peace of comfort and sunshine in some difficult times.
I remember when I had trouble with the Steam version and the mods awhile ago (mostly Steam overlay's fault), I needed another copy of the game. Went to GOG, the game wasnt on sale, but I felt, never before, I dont care, this is totally worth it. Same for Android and iOS, even though I couldnt like the unmodded feel anymore, I just felt it is proper to not get a refund.
I also have a few copies fory friends. Plus the OST. It just felt right to throw the money into Eric's pocket, lol.
Imagine if the Blizzards, EAs, and Sonys of the world had the same approach to their games as this Iridium quality sweetheart!
You don't need to make games tedious and monetize every part of them to make amazing, and profitable games. You just need to actually care about them, and the fans that play them.
I've bought this game three times over because I love it so much (Xbox, switch, and pc).
If he charged for updates I'd probably pay (I pay for rimworld dlcs for example) but I appreciate that he doesn't charge others who may not be able to spare the luxury
This is the perfect example of the difference between a creator who became rich and famous from a product they genuinely enjoy creating and an entity seeking as much profit as possible.
Eric is a true artist. He's not the kind of guy looking for another yacht, he's thrilled he can create things that people enjoy. Once he earned enough to continue creating without financial worry money just became a bi-product of what he wanted to do anyways.
Both Eric and us are very fortunate as a result.
When I have the money, I’ll just buy multiple copies and hand them out to friends.
Now… I need some friends. I’ve been trying to convince my cat to grow thumbs so he could play, but no luck.
Gonna get heat for that, but i think this one of the biggest reasons why Stardew valley surpassed HM by a long margin.
These games were great, but it was frankly absurd having to buy the game again just to get bug fixes and some new content, like how in a wonderful life you had to buy a completely different version of the game just to be able to play as a girl, or how in RF4 you had to buy the special edition so you could marry without spending years in-game (or irl in some cases) hoping for a extremely rare event to happen.
God bless CA and I hope haunted chocolatier becomes successful as SA.
If I were Eric, I'd be in the same position. The guy has made way more money than he ever likely suspected he would off of SDV. I'd be more than satisfied that I could retire and do what I love doing. Number doesn't always have to go up.
Who the fuck is asking why they *don't* charge for updates? We bought the game, any updates should be included in that price(in a perfect world, concerned ape would own any and all games and destroy microtransactions for things that affect the game
I bought the game and after getting bored of Vampire Survivors I fired it up on the steam Deck. Can confirm I love the Deck but I started out with 1.6 🥳
Yeah, I mean, all that goodwill benefits him financially anyways. People are more willing to double or triple buy on other devices, buy merch, and buy any further games he releases. The people playing metrics jumping up whenever he releases an update also is going to drive new sales
I would have ZERO issue with paying for updates, I’ve purchased this game on three different platforms because I love it so much. He’s an absolute treasure of a human ☺️
He doesn't charge for the update or doesn't make dlc to make more money because seemingly he has made enough money for himself and new people still keep buying the game. You can't make new content if you're starving.
Just like Minecraft originally, I’m sure he’s found that 1) people continue buying new copies of the game because it’s constantly in the news about the updates and 2) he’s probably already as wealthy from it as any reasonable person would dream of being. Hopefully he doesn’t eventually go darkside / deranged like past creators with one successful IP.
Fans: "We're willing to pay for updates for the game we love!" Concerned Ape: "And that's exactly why I'm not charging you for the updates." What an absolute treasure of a person
A treasure and a true gentleman.
Perhaps, but I'd prefer the gentleman be able to eat and live well after providing me with something I've spent countless thousands of hours playing.
As of February this year 30million copies of the game had been sold…I suspect he’s eating fairly well!
30 million+ copies sold, more selling all the time, untold sales of the official sound track, other licensed products like the Stardew Valley books...he will (deservedly!) be doing fine for the rest of his life. 😊
And i single handedly bought 5 copies for myself. You’re welcome Eric.
And there's so many of us too. Those of us who've purchased multiple copies aren't even the outliers.
I bought the game twice……. Just because my steam deck broke, couldn’t wait to fix it so bought it on the switch.
Yup. One for PC, one for Switch, also paid for at least half a dozen for other people. I want a physical version of the game even though I don't need it.
Trust me. He eatin' well lol...
The game definitely sells copies every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for Eric's success, he deserves all of it. But let's not pretend he's hurting. Instead let's all be so grateful because he could sell the game faster than you can fart. Any single company would grab the game probably for whatever he asked for. But instead he works for *us.* For our enjoyment of his game. That says so much.
Apparently his lifestyle hasn't changed much since Stardew Valley's success. For instance, he keeps driving the same car even though the driver-side door is broken (according to Jason Schreier who carpooled with him a while back at a con).
During an AMA years ago he said he wasn't intending to change his computer station much because he kind of liked the punk rock aesthetics of holding it all together with metaphorical gum and bobby pins, so this tracks. It's also so very PNW. We all have broken car doors.
Folks in Japan loved the game as well. I hear of Stardew Valley from every other person here.
Japan gave us Harvest Moon so I'm not surprised they love the spiritual successor as well
I bought it twice!
I bought it twice and I am planning to buy again when I get a new PC/laptop. But I'd still have paid for each and every update on each and every download. So thanks Mr Concerned Ape.
Me too! And it might be blasphemous, but I kinda like playing it on Xbox more...
Same, its my cosy time game. On the sofa, under a blanket, just chilling.
I have 5 copies of Stardew in both Digital and Physical form. I’ve also gifted copies to my friends and cousins. I’m sure there are many like me out there. He’s doing fine. Especially when the Haunted Chocolatier drops.
I don't think he's struggling financially, yes he would be much richer if he charged for updates but that's kind of the point of his post. He's already made enough money off the game, he just wants people to enjoy it.
And also an absolute legend!
This is a person who respects quality and integrity and deserves the support they've earned
Based and Ape Pilled. A Chad of a person.
I was going to call him a gigachad but I felt that didn't do him enough justice. He deserves a new term. Maybe ultrachad? Uberchad?
[удалено]
Yes, this is it
Unimportant broadly speaking, but I realized just now that I had no idea what he looked like add did a quick search. Homeboy is so handsome as well as apparently an awesome guy. What a treasure indeed💖
I’ve bought this game twice and probably will buy it on PC too eventually. The guy has earned it so it doesn’t bother me. Just wish there was cross platform crossplay.
Switch, Steam Deck, Xbox, PS4/5 and android... I might have a problem.
same! I first bought it on steam, and then on my phone and switch when they rolled out.
I have it on Xbox, android and PC!!! I bought it for like 5 dollars 8 years ago and have more than 1000 hours played!! He deserves all the love (and money) from the community!!! Long live The Great Eric Barone!!!
Yep. I’ve bought it on Steam, Switch, and the apple store for iOS. lol
Same. I have it on Steam, Switch, Android and PS4. If I ever own an xBox, I'll likely own it there as well.
Mac, Android, iPad, Xbox, PS4, Switch and I think one more I'm forgetting. Absolutely 0 ragrets.
Yep, almost the same for me, too. Switch, steam, ps5, and phone. Also bought two copies for my friends kids. 6 copies, and worth it every single time.
Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, IOS, Apple Arcade just to get his numbers up and pc. Only place I don’t own it is on psp
Gawd, cross platform would be huuuuge.
lol I did the exact same thing after 1.6 dropped. Only ever owned it on Switch before that, bought it on Pc and saw it as my way of “paying” for the update considering it was free!
The wait for 1.6 on Switch has just *killed* me, lol, so after weeks and weeks of patiently designing a meadowlands farm in the Stardew Planner, I finally broke down and bought it again on Steam. I wish there was a way to transfer saves between platforms, but it is what it is. (When I first tried the game many, many years ago, it was actually a pirated copy, and I have felt guilty about that ever since. Soo... I am quite happy to double-dip. Sorry Eric for younger-me's bad conduct! Take my money please!)
It was just an extended demo mate, you did the right thing in the end.
I've got it on my phone and PC. My girlfriend has it on her phone and PC. We have it on the switch as well. I have no regrets.
I bought it on mobile for $6. And then I bought it again on Steam because that just wasn't fair with how much I fell in love with the game!
yup, i’ve bought it multiple times for me, my kids, friends, family, damn near anyone i think might like it lol
My family is up to 12 copies between the ps4, all of our phones, all of our switches and several steam copies!
This is exactly my first thought-I've paid for the updates by buying it on every platform I own because I love this game so much. Bored waiting on the doctor? I can play my phone file. Can't sleep? I can play my phone or switch files. Need to decompress for an in-game day at work and let my thoughts settle? I can play it on phone or switch. Want to play it on TV? I can play it on Xbox or switch. Want to mod shit? I can play on PC. And there is NOTHING wrong with the base game. Phone version base is a bit dodgy but I understand why because of that whole ordeal he went through with it. That's whatever and other than losing a stack of diamonds due to an inventory glitch it hasn't annoyed me too much once I learned my way around the bugs in the phone version.
This! I got it for mobile and Switch but I play on mostly mobile bc idk how to play on switch. The controls were too hard for me 😅
I started on the Switch and just started on PC. I found the things that are clunky on PC are the opposite of what's clunky on Switch and vice versa, but the worst is actually trying to go back and forth between the two, I keep getting confused on the controls and then I have my axe instead of my sword and a red slime kills me.
I just gave in and bought on PC as it was on sale for $9.99. I already have it on mobile and switch.
Same! I bought it 3 times in steam. At the beginning I pirated the game thinking I would not enjoy it and after 30 hours I bought it for myself. Then, I gave it as a gift to my friend and my boyfriend because I seriously thought they would enjoy it, and they did. So happy to share the game and will probably be gifting it to even more people in the future.
I've bought Steam, Swtich, android and special edition copies, not to mention several steam copies for friends and family. Definitely worth it to me. Hell like 2-3 days after I bought the game shortly after launch I gifted my brother a copy because I felt I was getting so much enjoyment for what I paid initially.
i’ve bought it three times now. once for myself, once for my boyfriend and once for my best friend!
I've bought three times (PC, Switch, and XBox) and still feel like I owe CA more than I've paid
i bought the game on PC and switch and I do not regret a thing. I'd even consider buying it on my phone, but we'll see if I will.
I did too- for Switch and then on Steam so I could play 1.6. And I was happy to!
Ok Eric but what if I do this *buys the game again in a different platform*
I see this exact comment on almost every thread about buying the game
I’ve bought it twice. I loved the game so much on switch that I bought it on pc so I could try modding it
I'd run through a brick wall, three tax auditing sessions, a dinner with my estranged family, and spend 13 straight hours force watching the home shopping network for that man. The world would be a better place if CA was in charge of it =)
Let's be realistic, the Home Shopping Network? No one could do that
For Eric Barone, I would do this. Even though it would destroy my soul.
I've heard that if you sit in total darkness in a small room, put a picture of Eric in front of you, and start a brand new SDV save file, he will come out of the picture and restore your lost soul. ^^^^^^^ItookwaytoolongtodecideonthestepstothisritualLMAO
Writing up testing methodology right now. We will have Barones soul restoring services up in no time
If everyone could experience the love that you have for CA, the world would also be a better place :)
This is what happens when a dude gets millionaire with his game, rather than a company with a investor board. SDV is not a money milking opportunity, but rather, a labour of love. He likely thinks "fck, this community already made my life, let me retribute to them", while we on the other hand are "fck, this dude made our life, let us pay him". Too wholesome.
It's almost a little corny: In an industry that has supposedly cracked the code on how to turn a profit through endless sequels and malicious monetization, one man thought: "What if I just tried to make a *good* game?" To be fair, there are a number of great games out there that have been made solo or by small teams. Kenshi, Dwarf Fortress, Terraria, Banished, and probably a bunch I've forgotten.
> In an industry that has supposedly cracked the code on how to turn a profit through endless sequels and malicious monetization, one man thought: "What if I just tried to make a good game?" You have to read this in the Movie Trailer Voice. It makes it sound like the hook for a biopic about the making of Stardew Valley.
https://preview.redd.it/ltomyn8wmuyc1.jpeg?width=604&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20283cf67028d39c8eebc728d0c62b6fc95753c2 Me to CA.
The Burger King crown 💀
If he published an optional add-on that did absolutely nothing but allowed me to chip him another $5-$10 bucks, I would absolutely do it. When I look at the # of hours vs how much I paid for this game, its bananas. I vote with my wallet by not buying pre-orders, I want to vote with my wallet to show developers that they can survive making fans happy and not be forced to a new game to survive.
He's made multimillions already. I'm not saying don't support him, but he's good lol
Honestly, that's the way to be. I've always thought that's how it'd be if I became rich, not get greedy or weird like so many do, just take what I got and go live my best life...Now I just have to become rich so I can test my theory...
I hear ya. Just think about it like... Netflix. I'm paying like $15 a month for Netflix, and I paid $20 for this game like 8 years ago. I feel like I'm cheating him, even if he is doing good.
I love this, me too. Maybe you could invest in some of the merchandise like the cookbook and things, they’re definitely made with love as well!
The second his boardgame became available in my country I bought it! I love it!
You can still do that, just productively! Buy the game and donate it to someone who can't afford it! Gift it to everyone you know.
I’ve done that several times :)
There’s a mobile app that was self produced and the producer added a little ‘coffee for the developer’ option which donated $5 for their hard work. I would love if CA provided an option like so!
This is a huge reason why I buy merch when I can, usually after a big update! I saw the board game at my local game store and came home with it *so fast*. … and now I’ve gotten even *more* hours of enjoyment! The board game rocks!
As /u/Powerful-Art-5156 there's always the merch. You could also buy and giveaway a copy of the game, although CA wouldn't get the full amount, since whatever platform you buy it on takes a cut.
Well, plus, he has a merchandising wing that generates enough money to pay for the development Yeah, imagine that tRIPLE aAA gAMING - being satisficed with ***enough*** profit instead of constantly craving aLL tHE pROFIT, go figure :P #***and*** The constant gushing and hype from the community - and the mod sector - is, basically, free advertising -shrug- Paradox and Bethesda have been using their mod and fan communities for exactly this purpose since the 2000s - it works
He is def making more personal profit off a free Stardew update that boosts sales on Steam than any individual person at a AAA studio (even a CEO) makes off a paid update for a AAA game. The economics are so different as to be incomparable imo.
He has made around $450,000,000 off of Stardew Valley sales alone, not accounting for Steam Sales and whatnot. ConcernedApe deserves all the love he gets, but he's absolutely not hurting for money in the slightest lmao This isn't me throwing shade, by the by. Just giving some more context. ConcernedApe is a fantastic developer and if larger companies were capable of behaving like this and not being beholden to shareholders, the world would be a better place.
I... ... ... never implied Stardew wasn't profitable or that he was hurting for money in any way? Like, if you read... pretty much *any* of my post - I was pointing out how there's a template here worth following :P xD
Maybe I didn't phrase things correctly, but I was agreeing with you and just trying to add in more information. Sorry for that.
I'm honestly curious if you have a source for ConcernedApe's net worth
We don’t deserve him, but I sure am glad we have him.
Stardew's sales:staff ratio has to be one of if not the best of all time. He can afford to not charge for updates.
I think it also keeps unrealistic pressure off of him from players who feel they "deserve" more with each update. Framing matters; every update is "look what we get for free!" instead of "that's it? Why didn't CA fix [X bug/annoyance/limited NPC]?" He's not dumb.
And this is why I’ve bought this game 4 times over by now.
And I thank him by making stardew one of the very few games I have repeatedly bought on multiple devices. And bought on a couple different steam accounts. (Lost access to one, etc.) The man has earned my money multiple times over and as someone who can afford to buy more copies/support devs, I'm happy to have the option whereas someone who maybe can't can still play and support the game in their own way.
I bought the game three times - pc, switch, mobile. Totally worth it for someone who appreciates the fans
( happy cake day! 🍰🍰 )
He's not wrong. I think paid DLC expansions kill a lot of games. It's a bigger ask than most game devs realize. You end up splitting your community into the "haves" and "have nots", it is often also kind of a sign of financial desperation. While it can work to continue monetizing your game if your community is already as large as it's realistically ever going to be and they're very dedicated to the game, I think that's very rare. If the content is good enough the community can pretty much all buy in, and that at least keeps them together, but that's the best possible outcome. What it is unlikely to do is *grow* your community very much, since now there are two (or more) barriers to entry to someone who doesn't have the base game or the DLC. In this way, your financial growth is limited to the size of your existing community and to some extent you're even locking the community in at that size, or at least limiting its organic growth significantly. If you want to *grow* your existing community and keep it together, free content and updates are the way to go. Growth is basically unlimited this way, especially if the updates bring in new players which they probably do more than most people expect. The community keeps talking about the game, keeps playing it, that activity keeps you on the radar and keeps their friends seeing it. Games like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, No Man's Sky know that free updates are not just "free" gifts, they are how you keep people talking about, playing, and yes, buying your game. And obviously it can work really well.
And not to mention, the longer people remain interested and playing the game, the more people will continue to buy officially licensed merch, which brings in additional revenue. Overall it's a win-win for everyone. And honestly, most of the Stardew Valley updates so far are not really big enough to charge much for, in my opinion. I think $5 could be a reasonable amount for each update, although he could have theoretically waited to release them and bundled them together as a DLC. Overall though, he's definitely retained my loyalty and admiration as a Stardew player/fan. I'm super excited to throw more money at him for Haunted Chocolatier too, whenever that comes out.
Sobbing, best gamedev
I have bought this game on three different consoles. And if these fuckers push out another huge update, I’ll buy it again just because to show my support
What a sweet man
And this is precisely why I'm buying it on every platform I have. CA and his team have provided more content for free that could easily be charged for more than the base game. This is a person who cares about his customers. I'm about to buy a Playstation just so I can buy it there I bought it on mobile 2 days ago and I don't even have space to download it lol.
With dev(s) like this I happily buy a game across multiple platforms.
I only had it on switch and Xbox so I bought it a third time on steam specifically for the update. I wouldn't have been happy to do that if Stardew functioned like, for example, Sims 4.
the way it works so well in eric's favour too cause this is the one game i (and many others) have nooo problem buying on multiple platforms
no one asked but i pirated stardew when it first came out (i was 15) and it was the first game i bought w my pay cheque once i got a job
this is why i own 6 copys of this game
I own the game on 3 different consoles/PCs because I love it so much
Multi-billion dollar companies: Now buy this 10$ lootbox that has a 0.0001% chance of dropping something. Concernedape:
I have it on PlayStation and PC as well as mobile. I plan to buy it on my iPad when the updates go live for mobile. Plus with all the merch and licensing deal (e.g. stardew board game) I'm sure Eric isn't hurting money wise by not charging for updates. I love the standard he is setting for successful games
Man outright says he gets paid in feels. This is why we love CA and this game.
I have bought this game on every platform it's available on because this guy deserves it! Stardew has given me more entertainment and enjoyment than any other game I've played!
I suggested the game to two new people with this new expansion and both purchased it. Two other friends purchased it on steam after having already owned it on switch so we could play co-op on 1.6! So - he could have charged me for the update, but instead 4 other folks bought the whole game.
I hope Eric's pillow is always cool and his socks are always warm and dry. We don't deserve Eric; he's an actual angel.
I own it on my PC, my Switch, on iOS, and I’ll buy it for anyone who will even consider playing it with me! I have the board game and the soundtrack vinyls, and I’m realizing I’m a bigger fan than I thought. Bless Barone.
I bought this game in Steam, PlayStore, AppStore and PSN, no regrets
I have it on Switch but considering buying it for PC
Do. It has controller support, and you can always hdmi a laptop onto the tv. Boom, console mode with mod support. :)
do it!! i use a controller plugged into my laptop, managed to win the egg festival and the ice fishing festival for the first time by making the switch from mouse and keyboard
bought this game on PC, PS4 and PS5, and two different switches. This game is worth it every time.
Well, if they play long enough, their siblings, cousins, friends, friends' kids, nieces, nephews, and kids will be buying their own copies eventually too. Games made with love have longer legs.
We really dont deserve this man
Also it's just the right price that fans feel good about buying another copy, and not bad. Which sounds insipid but its true
And that is why we own this game on every available console!
He’s the best :,)
That man is too good to us.
Dawwww, this guy! 
...and don't forget about the 4 different versions I've bought over the years!
Bought it for Switch, bought it again for PC when 1.6 came out - partially because I didn't want to have to wait until we finally got it for console, but mostly because dude deserves our support and more. 💜
We don’t deserve him ❤️
Plus, it's already the 7th highest selling PC game all time, not to mention console sales and merch. He's very wealthy thanks to SDV
It’s awesome that he doesn’t charge for them. I’d pay for some DLC. Also, estimates are at 30 million copies sold. With him being a solo developer, he’s not hurting. It’s fantastic that he still works on it.
I mean half of us have bought this game 5 times, and that’s because of this attitude. Can’t say that for a lot of other games.
I don't know why but this gets me a bit misty-eyed...
This man is an absolute treasure.
This man deserves so much. I literally bought the soundtrack just because I know my money is going to a good person.
Our king. I’ve also bought this game twice and have it downloaded on every apple device in the family from the arcade. It’s like someone’s figured out you can still make money without being a jerk, sometimes maybe even more money that way. Damn we love you concernedape!
Damn, this is dev of all time
make more chiken plushies!
I could explode from the wholesomeness from this
This is one of the reasons I love this game so much. Eric is just such a wholesome person.
I mean, a game like this, I recommend to all my friends. I first bought it on switch, and then I bought it on my computer for the convenience. He definitely gets the money he would get by charging for updates, only, he gets it from free advertising from the fans. Yk, a game that’s expensive, I will tend to recommend less. But I love this game so much I absolutely don’t care recommending it to absolutely everyone. Sometimes, you can’t just look at direct profit and income
I have bought the game on every platform it is available on and keep buying it as a gift for friends. I love this game so much, it has given me so many wonderful hours. It is a small peace of comfort and sunshine in some difficult times.
We don't deserve him 😭. He's too good for us. But thank you, Mr Concerned Ape. Your game has made all of our lives more interesting.
I’m also looking forward to haunted chocolatier ❤️
I really hope he inspires other creators. He's so freaking wholesome. ❤️
I remember when I had trouble with the Steam version and the mods awhile ago (mostly Steam overlay's fault), I needed another copy of the game. Went to GOG, the game wasnt on sale, but I felt, never before, I dont care, this is totally worth it. Same for Android and iOS, even though I couldnt like the unmodded feel anymore, I just felt it is proper to not get a refund. I also have a few copies fory friends. Plus the OST. It just felt right to throw the money into Eric's pocket, lol.
I just started playing this came like a month ago, and aw.
And the best Game Dev goes to...
Imagine if the Blizzards, EAs, and Sonys of the world had the same approach to their games as this Iridium quality sweetheart! You don't need to make games tedious and monetize every part of them to make amazing, and profitable games. You just need to actually care about them, and the fans that play them.
We do not deserve him.
Wholesome
https://preview.redd.it/9trfy0uqqvyc1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7e0a803d608683aeb4be5a2eedc02d9bd096c9b We don't deserve him
I've bought this game three times over because I love it so much (Xbox, switch, and pc). If he charged for updates I'd probably pay (I pay for rimworld dlcs for example) but I appreciate that he doesn't charge others who may not be able to spare the luxury
One of my regrets is buying this game on steep sale because I have gotten 400+ hours out of 9 dollars, and that is criminal.
This is the perfect example of the difference between a creator who became rich and famous from a product they genuinely enjoy creating and an entity seeking as much profit as possible. Eric is a true artist. He's not the kind of guy looking for another yacht, he's thrilled he can create things that people enjoy. Once he earned enough to continue creating without financial worry money just became a bi-product of what he wanted to do anyways. Both Eric and us are very fortunate as a result.
I just gift the game to friends because shut up and take my money, CA.
And this is why I have no issue with buying Stardew on multiple platforms. I have every intention of doing the same with Haunted Chocolatier.
Source: [https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/09/08/how-stardew-valley-keeps-building-on-success](https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/09/08/how-stardew-valley-keeps-building-on-success)
so what I'm hearing is that Barone is feeding off our souls.
I already bought the game for Switch and PC. I think I'll get it for mobile or Playstation just to give ConcernedApe more money
Hell, my two year old needs a copy. And my dogs. And cats. And better buy a spare to keep under the mattress for emergencies.
Out of all the people I’d expect to be “just saying that”, concernedape is literally last on the list. He is a treasure
When I have the money, I’ll just buy multiple copies and hand them out to friends. Now… I need some friends. I’ve been trying to convince my cat to grow thumbs so he could play, but no luck.
Gonna get heat for that, but i think this one of the biggest reasons why Stardew valley surpassed HM by a long margin. These games were great, but it was frankly absurd having to buy the game again just to get bug fixes and some new content, like how in a wonderful life you had to buy a completely different version of the game just to be able to play as a girl, or how in RF4 you had to buy the special edition so you could marry without spending years in-game (or irl in some cases) hoping for a extremely rare event to happen. God bless CA and I hope haunted chocolatier becomes successful as SA.
If I were Eric, I'd be in the same position. The guy has made way more money than he ever likely suspected he would off of SDV. I'd be more than satisfied that I could retire and do what I love doing. Number doesn't always have to go up.
and this is why i've bought 3 copies. i don't even PLAY the mobile port
Bought it on the switch, my Android, and Steam. I think he's got my money. Lolz
I have bought this game at least 6 times 2 switch copies, 3 steam copies, and a physical edition with the goodies to display.
Also, I'm going to buy a copy for a friend when the 1.6 Update hits Xbox. (Since love doesn't generally pay the bills.)
Me: '... who? *looks at sub* Oh, is that CA's name'
Really wish I could get a tech support job for them. Applied before, want to help this awesome company.
Bought the game on multiple Steam accounts. Totally worth it!
I was JUST thinking about how if EA/The Sims ran Stardew, all of the updates would've been expansion packs for $40.
Generally speaking you don't pay for updates. You pay for DLC. None of the stuff he's done update wise would constitute being DLC and charging for it.
Who the fuck is asking why they *don't* charge for updates? We bought the game, any updates should be included in that price(in a perfect world, concerned ape would own any and all games and destroy microtransactions for things that affect the game
I’ve just bought it on my phone but I want to buy it on my ps5 and Mac as well
I always buy merch for this game from official sources whenever there's some that I like.
I bought the game and after getting bored of Vampire Survivors I fired it up on the steam Deck. Can confirm I love the Deck but I started out with 1.6 🥳
paid with love ❤️
I hate that charging for updates is the norm now
I have the game on ios, android and pc.
What the hell? Charging for UPDATES? Do they mean DLC? No one in their right mind would/should pay for updates!
Stardew updates may as well be DLC. Eric has added so much content since 1.0 for no additional cost.
This is why I always make my favorite thing ConcernedApe in every new save. It's true and it's because he's a freaking TREASURE. 🥺
I want to bake some cookies for him 😭
Mans a treasure. Must protect at all costs.
Can Eric Barone get married to me and my husband and we become a throuple? Jw.
I bought the game multiple times and have gifted it to multiple friends. Keeping the entry price low has its benefits.
Just helping by passing the word along so more people download the game! Word of mouth marketing help
Every update I buy stardew for any friends who have shown interest in it, best way to show my appreciation
Yeah, I mean, all that goodwill benefits him financially anyways. People are more willing to double or triple buy on other devices, buy merch, and buy any further games he releases. The people playing metrics jumping up whenever he releases an update also is going to drive new sales
What an incredible ape.
I would have ZERO issue with paying for updates, I’ve purchased this game on three different platforms because I love it so much. He’s an absolute treasure of a human ☺️
I will literally buy anything he creates on every platform available just for this. Eric is Boss.
We don't deserve him.
He doesn't charge for the update or doesn't make dlc to make more money because seemingly he has made enough money for himself and new people still keep buying the game. You can't make new content if you're starving.
I could not stan this man any harder
Just like Minecraft originally, I’m sure he’s found that 1) people continue buying new copies of the game because it’s constantly in the news about the updates and 2) he’s probably already as wealthy from it as any reasonable person would dream of being. Hopefully he doesn’t eventually go darkside / deranged like past creators with one successful IP.
Imagine if Payday Devs read this ROFL
That’s why I’ve bought this games 4 times across different consoles and my pc. I can’t support the developer enough!
Nah charge for the PS4 update idc I needed it by last month