It goes without saying that Steam has many fans. Becoming the number one digital distribution platform for the PC did not happen overnight; it took a well-curated selection of games, as well as attract prices, plus ease of use. Which is why most decisions are generally approved.
But not all. If there's one black stain on the service's reputation, at least among some circles, it has to be Mutant Mudds. The retro 2D platformer (which sports 3D visuals, if played on the 3DS) from indie developer Renegade Kid has not been able to find a home on Steam, much to the confusion of many. Including the developers themselves.
Renegade Kid co-found Jools Watsham recently addressed the long and winding road that has been his attempt at getting his game onto Steam in a blog post, which was recently republished by Gamasutra. It kicks off with Watsham making the conclusion that Steam seemed liked a natural fit, since the offerings found already ranges in genre and quality, which gave the impression that there are no real guidelines.
Things were looking pretty good early on. Watsham was able to make contact with a member of the Steam team, who expressed interest in giving his game a spin. But after sending off a build of his game, the following response was recieved:
Thank you for submitting "Mutant Mudds" for potential Steam distribution. We have taken a look at the information provided and determined that Steam is not a good fit for distribution. It is our company policy not to provide specific feedback on a submission but we would like you to consider Steam distribution for your future products.
Watsham noted how he was genuinely shocked, since it seemed at least on par, quality-wise, with many of the offerings already found. The whole bit about not giving specific feedback on a submission was equally perplexing.
But when Steam Grennlight came about, a second chance soon materialized (we first mentioned its appearance on that end here, btw). And given how critically acclaimed the original release was, it would surely find an audience among Steam users, right? Wrong.
And then, it quickly seemed as though the games that were being received well on Greenlight were either first-person games, contained zombies, and/or were supported by a built-in PC community or a unique publicity angle. Mutant Mudds could not find its audience. Greenlight is, after all, a popularity contest. Some seem put-out by calling it this. There is nothing wrong with it being a popularity contest. Isn’t that the point of asking a community of thousands to vote? It is what it is. But, now do I need to launch a dedicated PR campaign to get my game(s) noticed and accepted on Steam?
At the moment, Mutant Mudds is at #82, which is the position it has been for the most part. At best it was able to hit #40. Watsham states that 30,000 people have casted their votes, which breaks down to 54% / 46% for yes vs no. Apparently, some people feel strongly enough about the game not being in Steam to cast a no vote.
Watsham concludes with:
It is puzzling though. How can a game that has been accepted with open arms on one platform be shut out on another? It is truly a fascinating case study. The 3DS audience is more-than-likely very different than the Steam audience, which is one factor for sure. I suppose Steam’s original rejection of Mutant Mudds is somewhat justified now that the community itself has also not accepted the game. Perhaps this means that a game like Mutant Mudds is not suitable for Steam. But, hang on… there are games like VVVVV, Offspring Fling!, Capsized, Beep, Braid, Serious Sam Double D, Super Meat Boy, and even Commander Keen available on Steam right now.
It's worth noting that many people in the comments section of the Gamasutra post, most of whom are active members of the game making community, which is the primary audience of the outlet, are less than surprised. Many professionals have never been fond of Steam Greenlight, and there are plenty who are in the same exact boat as Mutant Mudds (including the creator of Saturday Morning RPG).
As Aaron San Filippo, developer of Race the Sun states:
Greenlight is totally failing when it comes to great niche products.
There is also confusion across the board as to what impact a no vote actually does. As in, does it cancel yes votes, or is simply it's only number.
