As a longtime fan of indie games and supporter of crowdfunded projects, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the recent news of Humble Games‘ mass layoffs and its impact on developers like Stairway Games and their projects, such as Coral Island.
As a gamer, I was shocked to hear the news that Humble Games, the publisher behind some of my favorite indie titles, had to let go of their entire team of 36 people. This sudden decision not only affected the company’s employees but also the developers and projects under Humble’s wing, such as Coral Island. Now, the future of its Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation versions hangs in the balance.
Stairway Games, the developer behind the game in question, shared a statement explaining that Humble Bundle’s recent layoffs have caused an issue with releasing updates for the console versions of their game. Normally, Humble handles these updates, but without their assistance, Stairway is unsure how to proceed. An upcoming fix meant for all platforms, including consoles, cannot be released outside of Steam. The team expressed frustration and uncertainty about how to distribute this update to console players due to the lack of necessary permissions on those platforms. Furthermore, they acknowledged the significant delay in releasing the Switch port, initially planned for 2024, which has yet to materialize.
As a gamer, I can understand when things don’t go as planned and the developer expresses frustration by saying, “This isn’t ideal, I get it.” or “We’re working on a solution for this issue.” Instead of using strong language, they choose to acknowledge the problem and assure us that they’re taking steps to make things right.
— Coral Island (@coralislandgame) July 26, 2024
Previously, the game managed to gather $1.5 million through Kickstarter and surpassed its goal for console and Switch versions. In compensation for the Kickstarter backers who were promised a Switch key, Stairway is now providing alternative keys on Steam.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve had the pleasure of playing some truly remarkable games published by Humble Games. Here are a few that have left a lasting impression on me: A Hat in Time, where I collected hats to progress; Carto, an intriguing puzzle adventure game; One Step From Eden, a roguelike experience with strategic depth; Forager, a farming simulation game with RPG elements; Slay the Spire, a deck-building roguelike where I strategically built my deck; Temtem, a massively multiplayer creature collecting adventure; and Moonscars, an intense action platformer with a rich narrative.
In the past year, mass layoffs have happened multiple times within the game industry. Between early 2023 and mid-2024, over 20,000 jobs were eliminated from companies like Ubisoft, Epic Games, Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts, and Sega, among others.
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2024-07-26 19:09