itch.io

Okay, sorry if I am piling on with the replies here.

Recently Parasite Black by Damned Studios posted a message on Steam that they had reached 60k downloads,  Now their game is a dark fantasy, and has artwork that is more exaggerated than Summer Scent (reminds me a bit of Simon Beesley, with a dose of Frazetta sprinkled in), so they may attract a slightly different audience,  perhaps bigger than Summer Scent can hope to pull in.  It's also more graphic in its depictions, providing greater fan service appeal. Their target audience is not the same as yours. But it could still be a useful comparison.

Their price is set at $17.95, discounted to $13.99 during their introduction.  (cheaper still if you get it in a bundle with other adult dark fantasy games) If 90% of Parasite Black's downloads were actual purchases, and if they cleared $10 per sale after Steam took their cut, the math looks pretty good to me, but I have no idea of the expenses and time they've sunk into the game.

Summer Scent is not a dark fantasy and features a different, less juvenile style of art than Parasite Black. For better or worse, Summer Scent is probably not going to grab as large an audience, simply because your game is more realistic, and because you're not writing to fulfill that kind of adolescent power fantasy(and I do not mean to speak ill of adolescent power fantasy as a genre; I bought Parasite Black, played it and enjoyed it!). You might sell more than Parasite Black, but let's assume that you set your price at the same point that they did, offered the same discounts, bundled it with similar games from other devs (cross promotion seems to have its benefits after all), and that you sold half of what they sold in your first few weeks.

Would you consider that a success?  What if you sold a quarter of their sales? A tenth? I think you need to decide, before your Steam debut, where that line is. Hope for the best result, but be mentally prepared for the worst possible outcome, have a threshold that must be crossed in order to justify your continuing to be an adult game dev.

You can do some things to improve your chances. Develop relationships with other devs, especially those that have put their games on Steam already or are about to. See if you can arrange to be a part of some bundles. Get people that have a following to review your game on Itch and offer to do the same for them if you like their work. Oppaiman.com seems to be popular with many devs, though I don't know how much help they truly give, nor how much that help costs. 

I'm not a dev, and have no experience in this business, but it seems like some devs who have a great game fail, while others who have less interesting games succeed. There's a LOT of competition out there, but also a lot of cooperation and support between competing devs. Try to take advantage of that if you can, starting with the devs whose work you most enjoy. And take what I have said with a grain of salt; like I said, I have no experience!

Sorry for being so long-winded. I've seen games that I loved wither away because they couldn't find an audience. I really don't want to see that happen here.

I've got my fingers crossed!

Well, from all I have read, Steam offers your best chance at realizing a lucrative payday from your efforts.  I think your game is worth $15 or more and I think the majority of players would feel the same.  I'm sure that most of your subscribers would understand making changes to the terms, especially when you explain your reasons.  You've always been prompt with updates and dev reports and that generates a lot of goodwill.

If you don't make money from the game, there's little chance for a second (or third or fourth) game, and I believe that most players, especially the type that buys into Subscribestar and early access games, want to see their favorite creators make additional works in the future.

My favorite example is Eternum, which I think is one of the finest adult games around. His previous work was good, but Caribdis truly came into his own with Eternum.

Then there is Mundo Games with Above the Clouds; it's a great game, but after the release of the first season on Steam, he seems to have gone silent, even on his Patreon.  Did he see a big payday and lose interest in the second season? Or was he disappointed with the sales and decide that it was not possible to continue the project? I don't know...

Whatever happens, your core fans will support you. You may lose some along the way as you navigate the road ahead, but most will remain true.  It's the larger pool of consumers of adult games that you really have to worry about, who will make it a success or failure, and Steam is likely the best way to get your game noticed by that group.

Anyway, I do hope it works out for you, and that you make mad amounts of money in the end. I really want to see a future project!

I'm not sure where your price point is going to be, nor where you would like it to be, but I think the game is worth $15-20.  A price as high as this might make some potential buyers think twice before purchasing, but the ones that do put down their money will surely be happy with the game's quality.  The fact that it is also in Early Access will also keep some customers away, as we have all been burned by a game we invested in being abandoned before completion.

I would advise you to think carefully about adjusting you Subscribestar terms, and I say this as one who is NOT one of your patrons.  Even a $2 a month patron will send you $24 a year, and changing the terms at this point may alienate some of those folks that have been supporting the game to this point.  Or maybe they'll see the logic in your decision and take it in stride, who knows?

Of course, I really have no idea how the economy of adult games work, so you should listen to the advice you get from other (successful) game devs more than you should listen to the words of a fanboy like me...  I just want you to prosper enough from this game that you would be inclined to create another.  You've made a fine game, one of the best that I've had the pleasure to play; I look forward to more.

This is really a shame.  While Frustration isn't the best adult game I've played, it is a very good one, and I'm sorry that you're stopping.  I appreciate that you're being upfront about it and I support your decision; you should do what you think is best for you, whatever that is.

But I also hope you'll reconsider.  I don't know that much about the economics of the adult game industry, but if you're within 12 months of completing the game... Well, a Steam release could be really rewarding, I think, even with all the hoops they make you jump through.

In any case, I wish you the best and I've really enjoyed your work.  I hope you find greater success and satisfaction with your next project.

Love your game!  Really looking forward to seeing where it will go next.

Look, I want to have speedy new installments as much as anyone, but you have to stop beating yourself up for having a real life!  It's okay to have a doctor appointment, or to go on a vacation once in a while.  I'd hate to see this game turn into another one-update-per-year game, but if you get burned out, well, that's not good for anyone either.  You're doing great, really one of the best AVNs out there, and I'm sure most of your fans would rather wait a bit longer and have the usual stellar quality update that you're known for than get something less than that in a hurry.

The story just keeps getting better and better.  Who would've thought Lin would be so awesome?  The protest really advanced the plot, as well as developing the personalities of several of the characters.  I don't know how long you'll be before you finish this game, but I'll be with you to the end!

No Steam key for me, I will happily pay for it again on Steam.  This is one of the best AVNs out there and, since I can't really afford to become a Patron, I want to support it where I can.  You do excellent work!

You call it overthinking, but Summer Scent is probably the most nuanced and detailed visual novel, adult or otherwise, that I've had the pleasure to read.  I want weekly updates, sure, but I'd rather wait and be continually amazed than get the more immediate gratification of a less enjoyable update.

Take your time, you're doing excellent work.

I am thrilled that I will have to rewrite my review of this game, in which I mourned its abandonment!  There is something special here and I am happy to see you have come back to it.  Thanks for sharing your vision with us!

Wonderful treat!  Thanks for this! 

I wouldn't mind another play-through from the beginning, especially since I started out "wishing the author didn't waste so much time on fricking dialogue"; it took a while for me to notice the story actually had real appeal and I humbly apologize for not appreciating from the start.

Great game, fantastic story!  The girls are nice too!

I am new to the game and I am amazed. This is an impressive bit of work and I look forward to seeing where you take it, both in game improvements and story!  Thank you for making such a great game.