6 ms·

PS5 shooter goes from 5 players to bestseller after devs defend game

94 points by driftsumi-e 1y ago

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
mindcrash 1y ago
Maybe this is me sounding really cringe, but the world needs more people like this. Now more than ever.
- 12_throw_away 1y ago
  TBH, I think the problem is not a lack of people like this, but that there's no oxygen for them anymore. Tech/gaming journalism is on life support (at best). All the remaining platforms are huge and corporate. Big tech is laying everyone off ... The current ecosystem doesn't really reward passion and competence anymore.
  - lupusreal 1y ago
    Traditional gaming journalism as once existed with magazines and later websites modeled after those magazines is wholly obsolete. For game discovery, reviews, and game tricks and tips, it has been replaced by independent youtubers and streamers. We're all much better off for this too, the new system gives much wider and deeper coverage to much more obscure games than the magazines ever could or would. Just as one example, Master Hellish creates an absolute ton of OpenTTD tutorials and showcase videos. The most the old games journalism industry would ever make for a game like that is one or two articles highlighting it as an obscure novelty, but never going I'm depth with the game mechanics.
    - lyu07282 1y ago
      Or Mortismal Gaming who only covers CRPGs with more depth and passion than any legacy gaming journo.
RyanHamilton 1y ago
I love their honest answer. Very retro.
kgwxd 1y ago
Literally every indie game dev says exactly the same thing. It had nothing to do with "honesty", just luck again.
- NotGMan 1y ago
  Unfortunately this is the truth.
- mikeymz 1y ago
  As original as the hacker news cynic
- munchler 1y ago
  Yes, but luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
- pryelluw 1y ago
  Says the spermatozoon that beat the others to the egg.
CorpOverreach 1y ago
I wish more games would prioritize couch co-op modes over online play. Games that are focused on online only play basically have an expiration date from the day that they launch. Some may live longer, some may be dead on arrival. But, make a good game that's playable by friends together at any time on a rainy day? If the game is good, it never dies.
- jayd16 1y ago
  I think the cloud providers should figure out some kind of service for perpetual matchmaking/hosting of private servers. Devs are not always going to open source things but if you could fit your game server in some kind of package for Amazon to host then you can skirt that issue. In theory, enthusiasts could pay to keep the lights on even after the developer went out of business.
  - Gamemaster1379 1y ago
    Honestly Valve had it right with offering dedicated server packages. I respect any studio that does the same, like TripWire and Killing Floor. I run my own private server for a live service game that shut down in just 1 year. We got lucky because they seemingly bundled the server code into the client. But the game was never meant to allow for that...
  - int0x29 1y ago
    This isn't a technical problem. It's a legal and corporate political one. Copyright and patent issues are no more likely to go away with Amazon. Also Amazon's gaming division may make them a potential competitor. I also doubt that such a could service would be immune to corperate restructuring by the like of Amazon. We need gaming companies to be more comfortable providing server binaries if we want anything that lasts.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
  - numpad0 1y ago
shayway 1y ago
This is not a criticism of the developers at all, and certainly not their sentiments. I am behind those 100%. But. There are so many fantastic games made with just as much heart out there that don't have a tweet go viral and revitalize the playerbase. Developers that aren't able to support their families by doing what they love. While it's always nice to see game development pay off, the real lesson here isn't honesty or values; it's good marketing and good luck.
- ninetyninenine 1y ago
  Luck is a huge factor for many forms of success. It is also the least attributed factor. Partly because it’s the least controllable factor.
hnburnsy 1y ago
This speaks to the power of social media.
wewewedxfgdf 1y ago
There's a motto in our house: "Gaming is complaining" or "When you're gaming, you're complaining."
- abbadadda 1y ago
  Wtf does this even mean?
dkkergoog 1y ago
[dead]
huhtenberg 1y ago
I picked up a copy of Hypercharge back in 2020 after spotting it on one of the gaming subs. While it is technically a shooter, it turned out to be a 3D tower defense game - you place your turrets, shields and whatnots to protect against waves of enemies and then run around managing the defence and occasionally shooting at the baddies. It's not PvP. This was a bit of letdown because I was really hoping for a remake of an old Unreal Tournament mod when all players were inch tall and were running around a house, hiding in cupboards, closets, climbing curtains, etc. That was crazy fun. Anyone else remember it?
- martythemaniak 1y ago
  I don't remember that one, but I loved de_rats (same idea) so much I stopped playing CS when it fell out of favour.
- crawancon 1y ago
  ut2004 had the make something unreal contest which really kicked maps and mods up a notch. i think even ut99 had some of those "we're small" maps like Simpsons house, etc. but yeah, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, all seemingly covered.
- pathartl 1y ago
  Most FPS's of the era had that sort of map. Return to Castle Wolfenstein had Kung Fu Grip, which I played many, many hours of. The map was built by a clan member and we used to have map test nights.
- seanalltogether 1y ago
  Shogo had a mod called Squishie where one player was normal size and on a team by themselves, and all the other players were tiny and on the other team. It was the most fun I've ever had at a LAN party in those early 00's. I'm surprised no one ever picked this up and turned it into a real game. https://www.moddb.com/mods/squishie https://www.moddb.com/mods/squishie
  - 3eb7988a1663 1y ago
lupusreal 1y ago
Article calls it a third person game but from the gameplay footage I see online it's clearly first person. Have games journalists already been replaced with LLMs? Or maybe they should be. In any case, I'm glad the devs found some success.
- SloopJon 1y ago
  The video on Steam shows both first- and third-person perspectives. Speaking of LLMs, Gemini says: "Hypercharge: Unboxed is both a first-person and third-person shooter. You can switch between perspectives based on your preference."
doright 1y ago
Instantly reminded me of Toy Commander.

94 points by driftsumi-e 1y ago

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

mindcrash 1y ago

Maybe this is me sounding really cringe, but the world needs more people like this. Now more than ever.

12_throw_away 1y ago
TBH, I think the problem is not a lack of people like this, but that there's no oxygen for them anymore. Tech/gaming journalism is on life support (at best). All the remaining platforms are huge and corporate. Big tech is laying everyone off ... The current ecosystem doesn't really reward passion and competence anymore.
- lupusreal 1y ago
  Traditional gaming journalism as once existed with magazines and later websites modeled after those magazines is wholly obsolete. For game discovery, reviews, and game tricks and tips, it has been replaced by independent youtubers and streamers. We're all much better off for this too, the new system gives much wider and deeper coverage to much more obscure games than the magazines ever could or would. Just as one example, Master Hellish creates an absolute ton of OpenTTD tutorials and showcase videos. The most the old games journalism industry would ever make for a game like that is one or two articles highlighting it as an obscure novelty, but never going I'm depth with the game mechanics.
  - lyu07282 1y ago
    Or Mortismal Gaming who only covers CRPGs with more depth and passion than any legacy gaming journo.

RyanHamilton 1y ago

I love their honest answer. Very retro.

kgwxd 1y ago

Literally every indie game dev says exactly the same thing. It had nothing to do with "honesty", just luck again.

NotGMan 1y ago
Unfortunately this is the truth.
mikeymz 1y ago
As original as the hacker news cynic
munchler 1y ago
Yes, but luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
pryelluw 1y ago
Says the spermatozoon that beat the others to the egg.

CorpOverreach 1y ago

I wish more games would prioritize couch co-op modes over online play. Games that are focused on online only play basically have an expiration date from the day that they launch. Some may live longer, some may be dead on arrival. But, make a good game that's playable by friends together at any time on a rainy day? If the game is good, it never dies.

jayd16 1y ago
I think the cloud providers should figure out some kind of service for perpetual matchmaking/hosting of private servers. Devs are not always going to open source things but if you could fit your game server in some kind of package for Amazon to host then you can skirt that issue. In theory, enthusiasts could pay to keep the lights on even after the developer went out of business.
- Gamemaster1379 1y ago
  Honestly Valve had it right with offering dedicated server packages. I respect any studio that does the same, like TripWire and Killing Floor. I run my own private server for a live service game that shut down in just 1 year. We got lucky because they seemingly bundled the server code into the client. But the game was never meant to allow for that...
- int0x29 1y ago
  This isn't a technical problem. It's a legal and corporate political one. Copyright and patent issues are no more likely to go away with Amazon. Also Amazon's gaming division may make them a potential competitor. I also doubt that such a could service would be immune to corperate restructuring by the like of Amazon. We need gaming companies to be more comfortable providing server binaries if we want anything that lasts.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- numpad0 1y ago

shayway 1y ago

This is not a criticism of the developers at all, and certainly not their sentiments. I am behind those 100%. But. There are so many fantastic games made with just as much heart out there that don't have a tweet go viral and revitalize the playerbase. Developers that aren't able to support their families by doing what they love. While it's always nice to see game development pay off, the real lesson here isn't honesty or values; it's good marketing and good luck.

ninetyninenine 1y ago
Luck is a huge factor for many forms of success. It is also the least attributed factor. Partly because it’s the least controllable factor.

hnburnsy 1y ago

This speaks to the power of social media.

wewewedxfgdf 1y ago

There's a motto in our house: "Gaming is complaining" or "When you're gaming, you're complaining."

abbadadda 1y ago
Wtf does this even mean?

dkkergoog 1y ago

[dead]

huhtenberg 1y ago

I picked up a copy of Hypercharge back in 2020 after spotting it on one of the gaming subs. While it is technically a shooter, it turned out to be a 3D tower defense game - you place your turrets, shields and whatnots to protect against waves of enemies and then run around managing the defence and occasionally shooting at the baddies. It's not PvP. This was a bit of letdown because I was really hoping for a remake of an old Unreal Tournament mod when all players were inch tall and were running around a house, hiding in cupboards, closets, climbing curtains, etc. That was crazy fun. Anyone else remember it?

martythemaniak 1y ago
I don't remember that one, but I loved de_rats (same idea) so much I stopped playing CS when it fell out of favour.
crawancon 1y ago
ut2004 had the make something unreal contest which really kicked maps and mods up a notch. i think even ut99 had some of those "we're small" maps like Simpsons house, etc. but yeah, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, all seemingly covered.
pathartl 1y ago
Most FPS's of the era had that sort of map. Return to Castle Wolfenstein had Kung Fu Grip, which I played many, many hours of. The map was built by a clan member and we used to have map test nights.
seanalltogether 1y ago
Shogo had a mod called Squishie where one player was normal size and on a team by themselves, and all the other players were tiny and on the other team. It was the most fun I've ever had at a LAN party in those early 00's. I'm surprised no one ever picked this up and turned it into a real game. https://www.moddb.com/mods/squishie https://www.moddb.com/mods/squishie
- 3eb7988a1663 1y ago

lupusreal 1y ago

Article calls it a third person game but from the gameplay footage I see online it's clearly first person. Have games journalists already been replaced with LLMs? Or maybe they should be. In any case, I'm glad the devs found some success.

SloopJon 1y ago
The video on Steam shows both first- and third-person perspectives. Speaking of LLMs, Gemini says: "Hypercharge: Unboxed is both a first-person and third-person shooter. You can switch between perspectives based on your preference."

doright 1y ago

Instantly reminded me of Toy Commander.