Comments on: Gunpoint Recoups Development Costs In 64 Seconds

By: Nicht spielen. Entwickeln! – Hedefe Yol

Nicht spielen. Entwickeln! – Hedefe Yol — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:38:47 +0000

[…] seinem eigenen Blog schreibt er, nach dem enormen Erfolg seines Spiels: „So, I quit my (regular) job. In fact, I […]

By: Marc Forrester

Marc Forrester — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 19:00:09 +0000

Three years on, and Gunpoint sits solidly in the top 50 Steam rankings of all time. Holy crap. http://steamtrayapi-steamtray.rhcloud.com

By: anon

anon — Mon, 09 May 2016 13:43:15 +0000

great game bro

By: Mario B

Mario B — Fri, 06 May 2016 20:13:59 +0000

Did you have to go through Steam Greenlight? If not, how did you get approved?

By: Returning customer

Returning customer — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 14:09:36 +0000

Just want to say one thing. The fact Gunpoint was a good buy for me means in financial terms to _you_ that I might buy your next game. IF instead you would have released a game that is no good (buggy, not working, or just bad game) and I would have bought it, I would never buy your next game unless some of my friends would suggest it and even then I would do extensive research if i want to buy it (and still might not because crappy experience first time).

The point is that “returning customer” is more valuable than single sale. Basics of successful business. Not all people behave this way, but if you want proof, think Bioware before they were sold to EA. They made good games and managed to get solid fanbase who, no matter what the game was about, bought the company’s new game without trying it, without reading reviews etc. Just because they trusted that the quality will be “Bioware quality”.

What I’m saying is that solid fanbase is more important for smaller developers than fast, single sales. For big companies, single sales are more important because they have things called “market share” and “volume”. they can fuck up lots of games and release buggy ones because marketing department will get them out of that hole. For small developer the marketing department is the fans of the game and what happens when your marketing department tells people your product is not worth buying ? Everyone can connect the dots here.

Thank you for making Gunpoint. Really loved it, only “complain” I have is not 21:9 aspect ratio support, but at the same time I understand very well why not, and will not fault the game or you for it. But maybe in future games we will see support for it ?

Again, Thank you for the great experience, please do keep storyline as entertaining and smart for your future games.

By: What I’m Working On And What I’ve Done - a post on Tom Francis' blog

What I’m Working On And What I’ve Done - a post on Tom Francis' blog — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:55:33 +0000

[…] trailer, development breakdown, dev log videos, the whole development blog in chronological order, how its launch went, in-game commentary and a making-of feature are included in the Exclusive Edition, Get it: free […]

By: slizer88

slizer88 — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 05:47:17 +0000

Dear developper,

This is absolutely amazing. I’m about to buy the game with only having seen reviews and trailers, partly because of what you wrote here. I’m also making games in Game Maker (8.1 Lite and Studio Pro), so you are quite inspirational to me. Keep up the good work. I’m going to go blingly spend $5 on your game in the steam sale.

slizer88

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 19:20:05 +0000

loved the game, hope you can make more cool games in the future, did you really get anything out of that heavy discount on steam? I felt almost robbing you…

By: Floating Point

Floating Point — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 06:23:15 +0000

[…] Gunpoint came out, and did well, I thanked those who bought it for putting me in a position where I didn’t have to actively chase money with everything I do. In […]

By: Floating Point Is Out! And Free! On Steam! Watch A Trailer! - a post on Tom Francis' blog

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:14:55 +0000

[…] Gunpoint came out, and did well, I thanked those who bought it for putting me in a position where I didn’t have to actively chase money with everything I […]

By: 5 success story avec Game Maker, je publie quand la vôtre ? | Tuto Game Maker

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 21:03:34 +0000

[…] l’a énormément aidé. Les retours de Gunpoint ont tellement été positifs qu’il a décidé de quitter son job […]

By: Vance

Vance — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 00:26:41 +0000

LOVED This game, Thank you so much!

By: Leon Rose

Leon Rose — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 15:53:52 +0000

Loved the game, will blindly purchase anything you make in the future.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 08:27:14 +0000

I love you.

By: Jannette

Jannette — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 16:30:55 +0000

enough brand recognition that they have become a keyword in their own.
Since we are in a time of recession right now, and competition for jobs is fierce, a simple lack of computer skills can be the difference between your family getting fed, and your remaining unemployed.
Take advantage of this free tool so that you can close out
for sales and keep customers for life.

By: Future Plans, Game Dev, and Future Plans of Game Dev | Decentralised Processing Unit

Sat, 26 Oct 2013 07:07:19 +0000

[…] on: Now that I’ve got you in an agreeing mood, go read this (old) blogpost by indie game-dev, Tom Francis. No need to read the whole thing. Maybe just go as far as where he […]

By: Noelia

Noelia — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:36:20 +0000

Read?this?article,?and?it?will?show?you?any?steps?and?tips?to?block?websites?in?Windows?8_s?Hosts?File.
Many Urdu Websiites provide good collections of this work today along with the audio and video clippings of the events held to present the
shayaris. If you’re bored, though, Wikipedia is a great way to find a plethora of information about
practically any topic.

By: Gunpoint Development Breakdown, by Tom Francis

Gunpoint Development Breakdown, by Tom Francis — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 18:24:07 +0000

[…] post about how it all worked out when we […]

By: ‘Gunpoint’ Developer Talks Engine Updates, Mac/Linux Ports, And Steam Workshop « DIYGamer

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 12:49:18 +0000

[…] lead by Tom Francis. The game was a success, and the costs of development were recouped in mere moments following the game’s availability. Since Gunpoint’s June 3rd release, Suspicious […]

By: Jasmat

Jasmat — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 01:41:02 +0000

I like how Tom Francis seems like a genuine fan and all round nice guy, its what we need after this fez 2 business…

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 09:21:10 +0000

I decided to buy Gunpoint after watching the Giant Bomb Quick Look, and I absolutely loved it. The slower pace allowing me to plan out my moves, the music (my god, the music!), the simple sprites which were gorgeous, I even found myself enjoying the story! I absolutely loved this entire game, what an amazing package. Absolutely phenomenal work.

(I haven’t gushed like this over a game in a LONG time.)

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:28:50 +0000

Love the game. So glad its been such a success for you. Looking forward to steamworkshop support in the future! Any chance of a sequel/DLC?

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 03:54:49 +0000

Just want to say good job… I watched the trailer and wasn’t convinced, but downloaded the demo for the hell of it and loved it. Too many games these days focus too much on polish and not enough on gameplay

By: BuggerRat

BuggerRat — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 21:57:25 +0000

One of the best (Not just indie; games in general) I have played in years. Thanks for showing that solid gameplay design trumps flashy graphics and gimmicks every time. Will definitely recommend to my circle of gamers. Best of luck and I’ll be keeping an eye out for your next game.

By: James F

James F — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:59:52 +0000

Loved it, good work. I demand regular updates to figure 2 continuing with the ‘hilarious’ y axis scaling. many thanks.

By: DarkAvenger

DarkAvenger — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 06:27:50 +0000

Suggestion:

If possible, could you introduce a community tab in the game.
Where people can submit their custom made levels and others be able to play?
In there you can have popular rated maps, most downloaded, new, ‘Tom’s Pick of the Week’.. That would be so awesome!

Also, I loved the game. I don’t really venture into the indie games category (I should now after finding this).. but this game was well worth it. I enjoyed it and have been spreading the word everywhere.

By: The Business Of Demos | MultiPlatform

The Business Of Demos | MultiPlatform — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 19:59:55 +0000

[…] The purpose of a demo is to let consumers try out a game to see if they actually like it enough to buy it. Why assume that absolutely everyone will like the demo and thus buy the game? Do movie producers assume everyone who sees a trailer will like it enough to see the whole movie? The guy who made Gunpoint said something along these lines in his blog. […]

By: Blanjipan

Blanjipan — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:46:41 +0000

Seriously can’t wait for your next game.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:52:36 +0000

Congratz! But the title is very much misleading as also game devs need to eat and pay for a place to live in. So your dev costs were much much higher than 30$.

By: Ethan Hand

Ethan Hand — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 04:43:38 +0000

You need to add a page on the website where players can upload their home-made levels so that other people can easily play them too.

By: Jan

Jan — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 07:17:18 +0000

I congratulate you on being able to quit your job and continue earning a living with making games – which is something that you seem to really enjoy.

Good luck for the future and keep us posted on further updates and games please :)

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:10:29 +0000

An incredible tale. I’m really happy it worked out, you deserve it.

By: wirm

wirm — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 02:26:21 +0000

my mind is fucking blown! congrats!

By: Jonas

Jonas — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 01:53:09 +0000

Well, they’re right. Releasing a demo is bad for game sales. If your game sucks. Or is terribly overpriced. Oddly, your game didn’t suck. Might be why you didn’t have crappy sales.

Oh sure, there are aspects of your game that suck. Such as being too short. And…being too short. But, uh, didn’t exactly pay 59.99$ for it either. It may have been short, but I wasn’t expecting 200 hours of fresh gameplay at the price either…

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 19:45:11 +0000

The people who say demos hurt their sales are also the people who make games that are completely uninspiring in every way once you play them.

By: Fireflower

Fireflower — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:42:06 +0000

Congrats!
It’s probably a risk to release a demo before final release. If people don’t like it they probably won’t buy the game but if they do like it it will most likely mean more sales. So in your case it was a good move to do it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:34:24 +0000

Being a journalist and knowing how to present things to media certainly should have helped. There are a lot of nice games that are not doing so well not because they are bad but because the devs don’t know how to present their games. Tom, please write now something of a short how-to for working with media :)

By: Cyberis

Cyberis — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 17:08:36 +0000

It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy or a more surprisingly fun game. Don’t become too predictable or invested in the GD community and you’ll continue to succeed.

By: Paul T

Paul T — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:03:16 +0000

Having listened to the PC Gamer (UK) podcasts since those heady days of it being recorded in the pub, I’ve always considered you guys a good bunch, and you in particular sound a well balanced and amiable chap, so it comes as no surprise to see you being such a decent fellow when it comes to how you’re treating us minions. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.
Any thoughts on how to upgrade a Special Ed to the super-duper version? (or the standard to the special ed?) I’ve probably not got the time to go through the various versions in the Deluxe Uber version (though I’m taking the tiem to listen to the commentary) but there may be some that would like the chance to upgrade rather than buy it again.

By: AlmostNot

AlmostNot — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:03:07 +0000

Cracking game. Great concept, great execution, level designer concept just tips it over the top into genius.

Look forward to see what you make next?

By: ShotGaming

ShotGaming — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:16:23 +0000

It is fantastic to hear you made your goal. The game was so amazing and it is nice to see a person with a dream can still make it without needing a giant budget. We covered the game on our show and gave it our highest rating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7exhDRrq4

We can’t wait to see what you work on next!

By: SleepyMatt

SleepyMatt — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:23:42 +0000

But … but… I *do* feel tricked.. the only ending to the demo was “Buy the game”!

On a serious note, this joke in the demo actually made me laugh so much that I instantly went and pre-ordered – I had been following the development for a while, and was pretty keen anyway, but the humour infused in the demo was a fantastic deal-clincher.

Congratulations on your success, and hope you have plenty more in the future!

By: RagnarRipper

RagnarRipper — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:01:51 +0000

Holy crap! I’m really and sincerely happy for you.
Been following your development since very early on and was psyched to be given the opportunity to try the demos back when you needed testers.
GLADLY paid the money for the game and am loving it and everything surrounding it (release notes, achievements and all the humor you ooze even in those parts that have only marginal interest to “regular” gamers…plus the game itself).

I can only hope to be as fortunate as you one day.
Thank you :)

By: gryffinp

gryffinp — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:01:58 +0000

The only problem I have with this is that I really like it when you write for PC Gamer.

By: Beat Darwin

Beat Darwin — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:11:06 +0000

Hey Tom, I just belatedly watched your dev log video about launch week. That was wrenching! I hope you have been able to de-panic since then, relax a bit and enjoy the success that you and the rest of the team have created. And here’s hoping that the curve on the graph above keeps going up and to the right. Enjoy it, man!

By: JOtto

JOtto — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:00:24 +0000

Congratulations. Please keep ignoring advice that feels wrong, re-hire the music guys for any expansions/next project, and keep RPS informed of your progress.

Well done!

By: Ryan D.

Ryan D. — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:43:56 +0000

Congrats! It’s great to hear that you’ll be able to keep making games and being awesome. Good luck in your future adventures! :D

If and when you get the game ported to Mac/Linux, I’ll be there to buy it and play it.

By: Tom Kenny

Tom Kenny — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:40:59 +0000

I’m so stoked to read this! You’re a darn good human being and I loved Gunpoint.

By: Quinn

Quinn — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:33:12 +0000

So awesome. Congratulations! Really looking forward to the Mac release – I’ve been waiting for that ever since I got to sample the game at GDC 2012!

By: Out Reach

Out Reach — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:40:03 +0000

A mixed bag of feels, It’s great that gunpoint has done so well and you’ve basically made your dreams a reality. But I’m sad you won’t be writing any more. You’ve been one of my favorites at PC Gamer since Plan B made me go buy one of my favorite games ever.