#0004: Happy Holidays!
Well well well... here we are, yet again, at the end of a year. How crazy!.
First things first. Merry christmas!
Now, I'm here to talk about what this year did for me, and where things are going. So, this is a small blog where I just say some stuff to close the year.
THE TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE DEMO IS FINISHED
This year, I launched the Tales From The Other Side project to the public! That's kind of wild. It may be hard to believe that the demo was launched 9 months ago... But, as someone that's been working on it for years now, it's been about 3 years since the project was conceived as an rpg maker game... damn.
So far, we've got 875 downloads of the demo (combining both itch and steam) and 1060 Wishlists for the game so far... That's amazing! It means that, as far as numbers go, 100% of those who played the demo added the full game to their wishlist. There are even some people that, despite not playing the demo, decided to add the game to their wishlist just by looking at it... that's crazy to think about.
When I launched the Demo, I sincerely didn't think it would get much traction. Call it insecurity, but I didn't believe it was a game that would get any kind of audience. Yet, it did amazing despite my poor attempts at marketing! Make no mistake, these are still small as hell numbers for a successful indie game today, I'm sure of that. But +1000 people looked at my game and said "I want to play that someday"... never thought that would ever happen.
After many updates and fixes, I'm not going back anymore. I wasted too much time with this demo. So consider the demo FINISHED for good. It even has its own steam page. PLEASE, if you played the demo, consider leaving a review on its page! It helps a ton.
THE WEIRD SENTIMENTAL TALK
Besides the joy of releasing a game, demo or not, this year has not been the best for my mental health. After finishing what it seems like a lifetime of music education, I'm essentially done with it. While many would see this as a joyous occasion, I've been feeling dread.
This is the year I lost confidence in my music and my own talent. I've stopped believing in my ability to make music most people could enjoy, and began to feel like I'll never achieve anything with it, no matter how hard I try. That is why I've stopped contributing more frequently to some projects, because while I only see the music of my peers being amazing and memorable, my contributions seem to land flat and become filler tracks to me on every project I've been on so far.
Is this true? I don't know. Maybe after 8 years of doing music, I've become more cynical in how I view my own talent and work. I may be harsh on myself and this is only a reflection of my own insecurities. But it is what I feel, and I'm here to say it. This is not a call for sympathy, it's more like venting in a place I know most will not read or care about it.
This is not some sort of retirement letter. I will die if I ever stop making art. I'm still working and helping with music here and there, so that will continue as intended.I have a whole game soundtrack to make too, so there's no time to retire.
Again, this is not a call for sympathy. I guess the reason why I'm writing this is as an explanation in case y'all see me slowing down music wise. So, yeah. Anyways.
THE FUTURE OF BOTH ME AND THE GAME.
Things continue as planned. I'm still working on the music and the game. My original plan was to make an update per month of development, but it seems easier to do big updates in a more irregular fashion while sharing small peeks into the game on my socials. So you should follow me on both twitter and bluesky for that.
The next big look into what I've been working with act 2 will be released on the demo's anniversary. The original plan was to get it done by the end of this year, but it seems it will take more time than expected. Oh well, it is what it is.
I've also been thinking about ways of financing the game, not sure if it will happen, but turning this game into my full-time job would make things so much easier. But with the amount of reach I have, I doubt something like a kickstarter could ever work. But you know, never say never.
SO, LONG STORY SHORT: I'll keep working, only time will tell what happens next...