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You only deal with the Steam or EGS or Gog cut if you're utilizing their storefront; if you are just hosting the game on your own site, then whether that game i

You only deal with the Steam or EGS or Gog cut if you're utilizing their storefront; if you are just hosting the game on your own site, then whether that game is a webassembly package or a desktop application, you don't have to pay some gatekeeper (other than your file host). Same thing with Android, though there is a bit more friction there.

flohofwoe 5y ago
The "gatekeeper" in this case is Windows SmartScreen. SmartScreen will pop up a scare dialog unless the installer has enough "reputation points" by being popular or signed with an EV code signing certificate (which is a lot more expensive, and hassle to obtain and use than a regular code signing certificate). In any case, for ease of distribution nothing beats an URL which when clicked immediately starts the game.
yesco 5y ago
This doesn't really solve the issues with advertising though. I believe the main reason so many developers want their games on Steam is because of the greater attention they get rather than the distribution side of things. That said, I think the niche of casual remote party games would probably work very well here. During the height of the pandemic my friends and I started doing a lot of "remote game nights" with various different kinds of games. However since most of them rarely played games, owned macs and weren't very technically inclined, the games that had the least friction were generally the browser based ones. Since party games by nature tend to be great at organic advertising and benefit the most from quick easy installs, I think there is a big opportunity here that not many have taken notice to yet.
- softfalcon 5y ago
  This is it. What kills a game isn't its platform, but where and how you sell it. Sales and user eyeballs matter more than even what game engine you use. We use Steam, Xbox Live, PSN, etc not because we wouldn't prefer to use our own store, but because no one cares about anything else.
  - astlouis44 5y ago
    Chrome has over a billion potential users of a game, and the reason it's so compelling is that fun is just a click away. Local installs of a client can be a thing of the past.
softfalcon 5y ago
Unfortunately, choosing to not use Steam, GoG, or similar is simply out of the question. The reality of you selling your game at a profit without the help of one of these app storefronts is improbable. Keep in mind that even if you somehow become successful in this regard, these storefronts have a vested interested in making sure you and your technologies fail. Edit: apologies if I seem dire, I'm actually on your side and WISH that the world was a free market without all these gatekeepers. Myself, my partner, and many of my close friends constantly battle with these "gate keepers" as game devs/designers and I wish they would go away, but the market (users) love (to use) them even when they hate them.
- anonymousab 5y ago
  > Unfortunately, choosing to not use Steam, GoG, or similar is simply out of the question Sure but that situation doesn't change by simply distributing a webassembly package through a website. Or rather, that situation is no different than if you distribute a desktop binary through your website. In both cases you are eschewing the storefront.

flohofwoe 5y ago

The "gatekeeper" in this case is Windows SmartScreen. SmartScreen will pop up a scare dialog unless the installer has enough "reputation points" by being popular or signed with an EV code signing certificate (which is a lot more expensive, and hassle to obtain and use than a regular code signing certificate). In any case, for ease of distribution nothing beats an URL which when clicked immediately starts the game.

yesco 5y ago

This doesn't really solve the issues with advertising though. I believe the main reason so many developers want their games on Steam is because of the greater attention they get rather than the distribution side of things. That said, I think the niche of casual remote party games would probably work very well here. During the height of the pandemic my friends and I started doing a lot of "remote game nights" with various different kinds of games. However since most of them rarely played games, owned macs and weren't very technically inclined, the games that had the least friction were generally the browser based ones. Since party games by nature tend to be great at organic advertising and benefit the most from quick easy installs, I think there is a big opportunity here that not many have taken notice to yet.

softfalcon 5y ago
This is it. What kills a game isn't its platform, but where and how you sell it. Sales and user eyeballs matter more than even what game engine you use. We use Steam, Xbox Live, PSN, etc not because we wouldn't prefer to use our own store, but because no one cares about anything else.
- astlouis44 5y ago
  Chrome has over a billion potential users of a game, and the reason it's so compelling is that fun is just a click away. Local installs of a client can be a thing of the past.

softfalcon 5y ago

Unfortunately, choosing to not use Steam, GoG, or similar is simply out of the question. The reality of you selling your game at a profit without the help of one of these app storefronts is improbable. Keep in mind that even if you somehow become successful in this regard, these storefronts have a vested interested in making sure you and your technologies fail. Edit: apologies if I seem dire, I'm actually on your side and WISH that the world was a free market without all these gatekeepers. Myself, my partner, and many of my close friends constantly battle with these "gate keepers" as game devs/designers and I wish they would go away, but the market (users) love (to use) them even when they hate them.

anonymousab 5y ago
> Unfortunately, choosing to not use Steam, GoG, or similar is simply out of the question Sure but that situation doesn't change by simply distributing a webassembly package through a website. Or rather, that situation is no different than if you distribute a desktop binary through your website. In both cases you are eschewing the storefront.