Sad news for fans of action platformers, as Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night for Linux has been officially cancelled.
Bloodstained was crowdfunded on Kickstarter back in June of 2015, with that they managed to gain $5.5 million dollars. During the campaign, they confirmed Linux was going to be a supported platform, they even told us they were aiming for a simultaneous release.
However, that's all changed now. Sharing the news in a Kickstarter update posted today, they said this:
In this update, we have a very important announcement to make. Bloodstained will no longer be supported on Mac and Linux. We have made this tough decision due to challenges of supporting middleware and online feature support and making sure we deliver on the rest of the scope for the game. We will be offering backers who planned to play the game on Mac and Linux the option to change the platform of their order. If you would like to change your platform, please send an email with your new platform request from the email address associated with your Kickstarter pledge. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and we hope for your understanding.
So not only are they cancelling the Linux version, they're seemingly not offering a refund and only allowing you the option to change your platform. I had to wipe my glasses and read it again to be sure! A refund simply isn't mentioned, only the chance to change your platform.
I didn't personally fund this one, so I don't have any personal grudges or anything like that. Even so, I find this extremely poor, to put it rather lightly. I just can't believe my eyes, given they had over eleven times their original funding goal!
I've added it to our dedicated page tracking individual crowdfunding projects, with 150 projects that puts individual projects that promise Linux support at around 89% that deliver.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Maybe I'm just hoping for the best, but this seems like just an omission or maybe bad English. Why would they need to offer you the option to change your platform if the alternative option wasn't a refund? If there were no second option, the wording would be, "Mac and Linux users will receive the Windows version instead." I could be wrong, of course.
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Quoting: ShmerlQuoting: Alm888Paying for soundtrack is dumb, IMO.
I usually try to extract the soundtrack from games, as you can see in some scripts I posted here (see older pages there as well).
However, games naturally usually ship sound with lossy codec (no reason to use lossless), and I always like to get it in lossless FLAC as well, which I usually encode in Opus for playback. So I don't mind paying for lossless release at all. But I prefer it to be provided through some convenient stores like GOG and Bandcamp.
Well, there is no denial that BandCamp is awesome, that's for sure! :D
But my situation is reversed. Most of the time games ship their soundtracks in OGG/Vorbis format (due to easily available royalty-free decoding libs) and shove crappy MP3's as standalone soundtracks (they just assume that's what general audience wants). FLAC is too disk-heavy for my taste.
It is entirely different story when the separate soundtrack also includes bonus tracks not used in the game or expanded versions. But one can not be sure with Kickstarter: there are almost always no preliminary description on what stores or in what quality/quantity the soundtrack will be provided. Sorry, no "iTunes" or "Google Music" DRM for me!
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MichaelTunnell Dec 27, 2018
This is why I never back games on Kickstarter. This has happened so many times even when they get an insane amount of money they screw Linux users. After it happened once it guaranteed I will never back another game on Kickstarter.
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Quoting: melkemindMaybe I'm just hoping for the best, but this seems like just an omission or maybe bad English. Why would they need to offer you the option to change your platform if the alternative option wasn't a refund? If there were no second option, the wording would be, "Mac and Linux users will receive the Windows version instead." I could be wrong, of course.The other options besides Windows would be the various console versions.
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Quoting: Whitewolfe80MMM So no refunds just more of this come on guys dont you own a good platform type of mentality that some developers have. We are not out of 2018 yet and this just more bad news in a year of terrible cancellations and delays for previously promised linux games. Should be used to it by now, maybe time to become a console peasant esh doesnt appeal but better than going back to dual booting.
being an console peasant is not an option on my country (Brazil), the games for consoles and consoles are to expensive and i need an computer anyway (to work and etc) , i dont need an console.
i recomend those who already got the game and will chose other verion to down vote it.
Last edited by elmapul on 27 December 2018 at 11:26 pm UTC
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Normally I am quite forgiving in these sorts of cases. As they say, shit happens.
However, this is a big project that has also had funding from other sources and is likely to profit well after release. There's enough high quality porting services available which should be well within budget to have only a small impact on profit margins (or even easily break even on fulfilling the pledge).
The second major problem is with the lack of a refund option. Shit may well happen, but one should not leave ones mess lying around. This project did handle their (imo, much more understandable) wiiu version cancellation properly. There's absolutely no excuse for not just copy-pasta-ing the message they used for that case, with the proper modifications.
Last edited by emphy on 27 December 2018 at 11:47 pm UTC
However, this is a big project that has also had funding from other sources and is likely to profit well after release. There's enough high quality porting services available which should be well within budget to have only a small impact on profit margins (or even easily break even on fulfilling the pledge).
The second major problem is with the lack of a refund option. Shit may well happen, but one should not leave ones mess lying around. This project did handle their (imo, much more understandable) wiiu version cancellation properly. There's absolutely no excuse for not just copy-pasta-ing the message they used for that case, with the proper modifications.
Last edited by emphy on 27 December 2018 at 11:47 pm UTC
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not surprised at all. All of their videos of the game show a very unpolished product, like a really early alfa. And the game is way overdue. they are clearly inexperienced devs that got hype because of a game they didn't make. Shame that this flopped, really, but this year was a good year for metroidvanias.
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Maybe I should mail them to ask for an alternative game to give my money to. (Because obviously, it won't be theirs...)
That's a real shame because they had Castlevania's creator on board, I really wanted to play this.
That's a real shame because they had Castlevania's creator on board, I really wanted to play this.
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orochi_kyo Dec 28, 2018
Just reading comments on kickstarter page, some people could be right... this middleware could be DENUVO and Im pretty sure their next announcement will be delaying the GOG version or even cancelling it.
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Quoting: orochi_kyoJust reading comments on kickstarter page, some people could be right... this middleware could be DENUVO and Im pretty sure their next announcement will be delaying the GOG version or even cancelling it.
That would be strange, given that GOG already lists the game. It means they agreed to release it DRM-free there.
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Quoting: Alm888Well, there is no denial that BandCamp is awesome, that's for sure! :D
But my situation is reversed. Most of the time games ship their soundtracks in OGG/Vorbis format (due to easily available royalty-free decoding libs) and shove crappy MP3's as standalone soundtracks (they just assume that's what general audience wants). FLAC is too disk-heavy for my taste.
That's where crowdfunding helps somewhat. Since backers can request DRM-free FLAC release in advance, and developers usually listen. There is no real reason for them not to release in FLAC. The reason some execs are against it, is because some huge stores like Amazon don't sell lossless, so in their mind "no one needs it".
Problem is, that while they provide the download it can come from some weird places. It already happened to me with The Bard's Tale IV and We Happy Few. At least the former let me download it from Backerit, but weirdly couldn't manage to provide it from GOG for which I got backer key. And We Happy Few was even worse. They gave me a... Steam key for the soundtrack! Despite game being redeemed from GOG. A bummer, so I simply won't select any tiers with OST anymore.
Last edited by Shmerl on 28 December 2018 at 1:21 am UTC
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Quoting: omer666Maybe I should mail them to ask for an alternative game to give my money to. (Because obviously, it won't be theirs...)
That's a real shame because they had Castlevania's creator on board, I really wanted to play this.
Technically, IGA was the assistant director of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
I haven't researched it in depth, but the guy who has the best claim on the title "Castlevania's creator" is probably Akihiko Nagata, who Wikipedia lists as the producer of the original NES Castlevania and the designer of the MSX2 version that was developed in parallel and released a month later.
Last edited by ssokolow on 28 December 2018 at 1:35 am UTC
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Quoting: ssokolowI also backed Underworld Ascendant before I stopped backing things, and contacted them when they said that. They assured me that they still intend to come to GOG, that the Steam-downloadable version doesn't require Steam to run, and it's just delayed, so I'm willing to put my outrage on "snooze" for a while.
Yeah, I know they are trying to get it out on GOG, but that didn't go far yet. See this thread. I also asked about possibility of itch.io release for backers, but something didn't work out there as well, due to game size.
Last edited by Shmerl on 28 December 2018 at 1:34 am UTC
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orochi_kyo Dec 28, 2018
Quoting: ShmerlJust think for a moment and what kind of "Middleware" affects Linux/MAC development but not PS4/Switch? DRM!!Quoting: orochi_kyoJust reading comments on kickstarter page, some people could be right... this middleware could be DENUVO and Im pretty sure their next announcement will be delaying the GOG version or even cancelling it.
That would be strange, given that GOG already lists the game. It means they agreed to release it DRM-free there.
They already announced delays, cancellations and many other stuff, pretty sure they could announce GOG cancellation and console/windows kids will still be kissing Iga's butt.
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Quoting: orochi_kyoJust think for a moment and what kind of "Middleware" affects Linux/MAC development but not PS4/Switch? DRM!!
Can be any kind of junk really. So I wouldn't rush to assume it's DRM. Remember when Tex Murphy: Tesla Effect cancelled Linux release because they used some junk Bink that didn't work on Linux?
Last edited by Shmerl on 28 December 2018 at 1:44 am UTC
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This is super shitty of them to not offer refunds and to announce this so late. There's no way that whenever they decided to include whatever middleware they're referring to that they didn't know they were releasing on Linux. No excuse.
Also as someone else mentioned this is against Kickstarter's TOS. KS itself won't refund you obviously but still worth reporting them, a TOS violation may prevent them from taking anyone else's money in the future on KS.
Also as someone else mentioned this is against Kickstarter's TOS. KS itself won't refund you obviously but still worth reporting them, a TOS violation may prevent them from taking anyone else's money in the future on KS.
11 Likes, Who?
orochi_kyo Dec 28, 2018
Quoting: ShmerlBut they are very explicit about this, its a online "middleware", nothing related to graphics or sound. Now the online coop is promised since 2015 why they took 4 years to realize LINUX/MAC didnt have support for their netcode?Quoting: orochi_kyoJust think for a moment and what kind of "Middleware" affects Linux/MAC development but not PS4/Switch? DRM!!
Can be any kind of junk really. So I wouldn't rush to assume it's DRM. Remember when Tex Murphy: Tesla Effect cancelled Linux release because they used some junk Bink that didn't work on Linux?
I know people wants to be positive about this, but this is already very fishy. Only time will tell.
Last edited by orochi_kyo on 28 December 2018 at 1:55 am UTC
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Quoting: orochi_kyoBut they are very explicit about this, its a online "middleware", nothing related to graphics or sound. Now the online coop is promised since 2015 why they took 4 years to realize LINUX/MAC didnt have support for their netcode?
I know people wants to be positive about this, but this is already very fishy. Only time will tell.
We'll see I guess, but I'm not likely to buy it even if it will come out DRM-free.
Last edited by Shmerl on 28 December 2018 at 1:57 am UTC
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Stuff like this is why I stopped crowdfunding entirely several years ago.
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Well, Inafune had already throw the name of old Japanese developers in the mud with Might No. 9, now Igarashi just run a bus over it.
Never thrust those guys again. The next one asking for money, claiming to be a developer from a beloved old franchise, will be received as a scammer.
Never thrust those guys again. The next one asking for money, claiming to be a developer from a beloved old franchise, will be received as a scammer.
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