Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone Can’t Let Go Of Stardew Valley
Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone Can’t Let Go Of Stardew Valley
"Once I reopen the book on Stardew, I always have a hard time closing it again"
At this point they should just hold on to all the updates they want to add, and make it a sequel. I love all the things that they've added and it's clearly a piece of passion, but at some point they're going to need to publish something else
He surely has enough money from Stardew to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Why would he need to publish anything?
I never thought about it like that. If he makes an average of just $0.50 per sale after all the storefront fees and taxes and stuff, he would still have enough money to pay himself $200,000 a year for an entire lifetime, just from the sales he's already made. No wonder he's so chill about keeping the game updated for free. What an awesome guy
This reminds me of the new game Andrew Gower and his brothers have been working on, Brighter Shores. It's a pure passion project based on a from scratch game engine that was created to make programming (even massively) multiplayer online games much easier.
The goal isn't profit but rather, to have fun, and make a cool enjoyable game. He's said they've made more than enough money from the sale of Jagex and RuneScape back in the day (which FWIW, he regrets that sale and a lot of what has happened at Jagex/to RuneScape).
I love to see game developers (and people in general that ... "make it" and then go "you know what, I do have enough").
He is making something else, Haunted Chocolatier.
It looks like he's effectively using Stardew Valley as a testing ground for features to see how they might work in that game.
So, not a direct sequel, but not a completely unrelated game either.
And have it end up like Starbound? No way.
Seems like the thing I've always considered true: you can turn a mediocre game into a masterpiece with the right application of music.
Not that I'm saying Stardew is mediocre, but good music seems to uplift a game more than any other part.
I wouldn't go as far as masterpiece but indeed the music is very important. The best Final Fantasy, in my opinion, have OST composed by Nobuo Uematsu, a musical genius, for example. And they wouldn't be as good without his work.
That's how I feel about RuneScape! I don't find it a particularly fun game, but the music is so great and iconic and fits the game so well, I hear it and want to play.
music, lighting, and basic game design.
nail those 3 things and don't fuck up anything else, and people will throw money at your game, because the rest of the industry seems to refuse to provide games that are simply enjoyable without trying to turn you into a dairy cow.
The title seems to imply that it's a bad thing? Why should he let go of it? Should Minecraft devs let go? Terraria?
Stardew Valley was released in 2016. My understanding is it took 10 years to make (Eric Barone worked at a movie theater, and when he wasn't at work he was working on the game) and he's been supporting and releasing new content for the game for 8 years now. The Wiki pages for the characters contain the artwork for the characters he's drawn, and redrawn, and redrawn over the years.
He basically won the cozy farming genre, it's time to move on, for his own health if nothing else.
He seems very happy to keep working on it and he's bringing on help as he needs. He's even taking breaks from other project to prevent burnout. Seems like he's practicing good balance. Why does someone need to move on from a passion project they're approaching with a level head and have invested their career in?
Terraria was released in 2011, and still gets free updates with similar frequency to Stardew. Minecraft alpha was released in 2010.
Sure, Eric won the cozy farming genre. He is also clearly passionate about the game. Maybe looking out for his own health is exactly why he continues to dabble with the game.
If he is enjoying his work and able to continue living as he is doing it, then why must he "move on"? Why can't he continue to make content for Stardew? Why are you thinking he is "unhealthy"?
Dumb article that thinks he invented the genre and resource gathering.
Though Stardew Valley did not invent the farming genre...
Seems to say the exact opposite from what you are claiming?
lol can’t read, hates stardew, invents things.
Dang, haven't seen this many downvotes on lemmy.