TLDR: project too big so they ended up burning all their money (5,4 millions $) and couldn't finish the game properly

http://steamcommunity.com/app/319910/discussions/0/528398719797223737/

I'm particularly amused at the comment just a few posts down stating he won't be supporting the DLC business model - when the devs stated there are no plans for DLC.

Anyway, it's too bad they overreached. I think their biggest mistake was not announcing that before release instead of waiting untilt he good will from the first two games drove a lot of sales - and then spawned disgruntled customers.

Glad I didn't buy it.

Would've pre-ordered on the spot if it weren't for that... Now I'll just wait for a sale .

I actually haven't finished the first or played the second, but i know what i did play was solid and fun. But trading 2D platforming and basic physics for the same controls you have in resident evil and Bioforge... i just don't get.

Maybe they thought they could do better, i don't know. I think if you ARE going to have 3D platforming, there shouldn't be fighting or heavy precision... Think FF7 through 10. Fights are in a separate interface, while platforming in the world is rather simple and never gets in the way, or if you fail on it for some reason it's so easy to backtrack and make it work...

Of course when you get used to how controls manage even with a fixed camera angle, yeah it gets easier and more intuitive, but we're probably looking at it from a programming group who worked on it for 100+ hours and got the system down in their heads while we are looking at it 4-6 hours and it feels clunky because it's still new to us...

Maybe they can make enough in sales to add the remainder to the game, or maybe they'll do what Blizzard did and split it in 3 parts and sell each separately (Starcraft 2), or maybe they could get Valve to throw them a few million since they are making a gazillion a day it seems...

hmm ... why do they have to apologize again?

There's "platforming" in Final Fantasy? Whut? ( And yes, I've played and finished the games you mention. )

Anyhow, it seems like most of the platforming gameplay in Trine 3 is still similar to the previous Trine games, as someone else in the release thread confirmed. And other gameplay aspects, such as boss fights, and fighting in general, could really benefit from not being limited to 2-dimensional movement.

On topic: So how long is the game? Shorter than Trine 1 or 2?

From a publicity standpoint they felt they had to say SOMEthing, and the "Screw them" or "Apologize" coin toss came up tails. XD



I see this as a contradiction:

"We have squeezed everything we could into the game, there's nothing left on the table."

Followed right after by:

"We initially had a much longer story written and more levels planned..."

You DID leave stuff on the table: the "much longer story" and "more levels". Yes, I realize there's a reason for that: the budget. But by their own words they had fully intended from the start to make a significantly longer game - presumably at a similar price point - and development costs got in the way of that. The snipped content is what got left on the table, and that's the crux of the complaints.

Same price, a lot less content. But I hear it looks really pretty...

So before we continue, how short is "short"?

...the lady asked.

This is what the devs said in the linked thread:

...generally around 6-7 hours is what we think new players will spend with the game on average. We're aware that some players have completed the game in less than that, 4-5 hours for example, and we accept that.

I would buy this game. Pretty cool looking too :D

Am I wrong or is it not far off the average playtime for the first two games?

Ok missed that. I'm trying to figure out if that is longer and shorter than e.g. Portal, LIMBO or maybe even Mirror's Edge, just to get a point of reference. Ok ME is probably longer than that, but beating it the second time on hardest difficulty level didn't take me that long.

I guess 4-7 hours for an action game sounds acceptable to me, if the price is right. For me, that probably translates to playing it over two or three days (because I am a slow player who checks every nook and cranny).

I've no idea. I just know it would likely take me longer, as I tend to be a lot slower than many people in most games I play.