The onward march of the bundles of March

[lhzr]

I got the bundle and it seems the secret bonus content is still secret.

[alms]

@TillEulenspielen - I suspect the main obstacle these "minor" bundles have to overcome is Steam-related inertia. Most buyers at this point pretty much expect Steam keys, and failing to offer them, Desura is a less well received but still acceptable alternative, in a large part thanks to IndieRoyale. Of course most of these games aren't even on Steam in the first place, but IndieRoyale have been able to push 1 or 2 Steam debuts with each bundle.

OTOH it would be understandable if GG didn't want to hand out keys for competing digital platforms but the self update feature offered by Steam/Desura is a great comfort for alpha games like Kenshi. If they want to improve sales, they will have to offer a better service (but that'll be hard if they don't have their own client) or figure out some other incentive, either in the form of more attractive titles or something entirely different.

BTW since we're talking keys, Kenshi "kind of" activates on Desura with the supplied key, i.e. it stays a demo as far as Desura is concerned, but the full game gets unlocked. The author has said he could technically convert GG keys into full-fledged Desura ones but that it takes too much time off real work so he won't.

[trjp]

I got the bundle and it seems the secret bonus content is still secret.

The consensus opinion seems to be that GG are lazy and unlock stuff manually - e.g. when they're in the office.

People have also noted that the developer 'thank you' video hasn't been released and that unlocked a while ago??

I suspect you won't find out what the secret is until the bundle closes - which is daft as it's harming sales and pissing-off people which is what you don't really want to do with a promotion like this?

I used to think GG were a bit more savvy but this demonstrates that they have much to learn - they can't even copy an idea without screwing it up! :)

[alms]

Why u so negative?

They simply haven't production code ready yet, this is their first bundle and every single bundle site has had some sort of technical trouble on their first offering - their platforms tend to become more mature with time, which is pretty much expected. There is no ready-made package to handle this kind of stuff, and GG also has to integrate the bundle code into their pre-existing structure.

Anyway, the deadline has been extended twice (and this last time they've been pretty ninja about it) and ended up being a sunday which was likely not planned. The solution is pretty easy, though, just give another time extension, and nobody will be pissed :)

[trjp]

I don't think I'm being negative, I'm just restating what others have said and the feeling I get from their mixture of defensiveness and lack of actual action.

Anyway - the bundle has now ended with no sign of anything new being added anyway - we've left the twilight zone of bizarre teasing and entered borderline misdescription :)

If Humble got anything right when they 'invented' the bundle, it's that it worked and it was interesting. They (and others) have developed the concept and this copies the idea wholesale but manages to do it poorly.

What's the point of a 'secret' unlock that you extend your bundle for (twice) but then don't bother releasing when people finally pony-up enough money?? Check places like the Steam forum where people were tracking the total towards the goal, you can almost feel the disappointment!!

That's not their intention surely?

[alms]

I've been following this one too and am disappointed as well. I'm gonna cut them some slack for the reasons stated above. Also there have been worse failures than this (think BeMine1)

Unless the bonus turns out to be Skyrim ;) the thing that disappointed me the most is nobody even bothered to show up on twitter to drop a line about this. I haven't heard much from the partner manager. I'm not on facebook, but I suspect there wasn't news over there either.

Half assed usage of social media is worse than no presence at all.

[trjp]

Well that's a working-day over and they've still not ponied-up the extras or replied to people asking about them.

It takes proper talent to essentially give stuff away and actually upset people at the same time :)

[celt]

I'm watching Facebook, Steam, GamersGate, and here for any news. I can't believe there isn't any, yet.

15 minutes before it was going to close last night, I bought the bundle using blue coins. I'm going on the theory that their mis-announcement that Demise:Ascension was going to be in the bundle means that the accident occured because it kind of IS in the bundle, but just as the secret unlock. We shall see.

[JamesG]

I think it might have been added to the wrong part of the bundle, if you click on the IndieFort bundle itself, in your games list, you'll get a 'patch' offered up of the Steel Storm OST. Which is a pretty naff secret, as though when you were little your parents had promised you an extra special secret present at Christmas, only to reveal that it is socks.

[alms]

Colin Brown of Backlog Journey wrote about the Steel Storm OST back on April 6, so I would be keen to assume it was there since the beginning.

[trjp]

At least one website commented on the OST being there LONG before anything unlocked - that and the fact the developer 'thank you' video are still conspicuous by their absence suggests the surprise is yet to arrive.

My guess is they're a bit disappointed with sales and are thrashing around looking for something to offer which doesn't cost them anything/eat into the money they've collected thusfar - tho they'll probably come along and either blame someone being ill or somesuch other lies - or even say they intended it to remain a secret even from the people who paid to unlock it - who knows.

I know I'd be less keen on their next offering, whatever else happens...

[alms]

I tweeted to gamersgate, the partner manager and the video guy about this mysterious unlock hours ago and so far I've been 100% ignored. Let's hope it's just a huge delay.

Anyway, let's get ready for more bundling, the next Indie Royale, aptly named "Spring Bundle" is expected this week and concerning the IG4, which has been already finalized days ago, there are rumors it could be out very soon as well ;)

[Duckee]

You sure love your indie games alms. Why the craze?

[alms]

HIB7 appeared on the radar, rumor has it the second AaAaA by Dejobaan will be the BTA bonus. IFK has added the bonus game, no surprises here. IUP currently in its final rush, 1$ gets you first-tier games (not preorders). Top posts updated accordingly.

@Duckee it's a hobby, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg unlike most hobbies (and that's greatly appreciated in these times of economic crisis), it's interesting, fun and I get games.

[icupnimpn2]

I love bundles, too. Why not like increased buying power? Just annoys me when bundles pop up and the games have already been bundled elsewhere. If that's the case, I'd rather have a sale then a bundle, so I could buy just the game I want.

At their best, bundles give me the opportunity to get a couple of games I want with a couple of games I might or might not like, or would not be motivated to buy under normal circumstances. Hence more variety is introduced into my gaming back catalog and I feel more culturally diverse, which as a boring white person I take where I can get.

[alms]

Hence more variety is introduced into my gaming back catalog and I feel more culturally diverse, which as a boring white person I take where I can get.

That's an interesting way to put it :)

Plus I love hunting for tidbits of info and trying to get sneak peeks. Finally when the bundle gets out it's like a micro christmas ...you don't always get what you want but it's the spirit that counts!

[arccos]

Bundles are lovely! I really enjoy starting games, but generally get sick of them pretty quick. So its nice to have a handful of games I probably never would buy and try them out, even if they aren't all that great.

I also like tapas for the same reason.

[sopabuena]

New Indie Royale Spring Bundle is out:

Unstoppable Gorg
Depths of Peril
Tobe's Vertical Adventure
Inferno+
Slydris
Ballistic

Not very interesting in my opinion...

[alms]

Updating main post right now ...and it's done.

[alms]

It's not a bad bundle at all IMO. Unstoppable Gorg is a very stylish TD, Depths of Peril looks very interesting from what Kieron Gillen said about it and Tobe's Vertical Adventure was on my wishlist. All three have demos on Steam for those who want to try before they buy.

It’s an enormously dense game in terms of strategic decisions – which is the thing which would alienate some RPGers – quests exist to be solved or destroy you rather than just existing as a means to get XP, as in most games. That ticking clock before a hero monster recruits a mob of fellows and then ends up leading a raid on a village… well, it’s putting you in a situation where the decisions have weight and meaning. It captures the sense of a besieged and beknighted settlement better than any other Action-RPG I’ve ever played.

I don't care much for the shooters personally, but Radian Games gets consistently praised by indie game sites AFAICT.