A 10-year game project was finally released on March 7, only to get SMASHED by 11 shadow drops from EA. An unlucky and tragic case that perfectly demonstrates the unfairness in this industry.
Imagine you've spent 10 years, working on a game project that you are really passionate about, you pick the perfect launch date and build up great marketing for the game, just for EA to drop 11 games right after you and ruin everything.
10-Year Project Slammed By EA Shadow Drops
Potions: A Curious Tale has been in development for 10 years and was finally set to release on March 7, women's day... But much to the surprise of developer, Renee Gittins, aka Stumbling Cat, EA shadowdropped 11 games right after and pushed the year-long game project out of the "New and Trending" Steam rankings, despite good reviews.
The "New and Trending" rank is incredibly important for small developers, who can't rely on massive marketing campaigns and a big player base from the start. Therefore, losing that spot to a mass publisher like EA is incredibly painful.
Potions developer, Renee, recently talked about that struggle on TikTok and other platforms to express her frustration and to make people aware of this issue.
My indie game I worked on for 10 years was immediately bumped off of New & Trending by @EA spam releasing 11 titles at once. All of the built-up marketing and momentum squashed in an instant. #HappyInternationalWomensDay ! pic.twitter.com/Z71wMIYoSN
— Renee Gittins GDC | Potions: A Curious Tale (@RikuKat) March 9, 2024
Sadly enough, she is not the only developer that had to go through this. Publishing a game is very dependent on time and place. Especially when you're a smaller studio, you generally try to avoid releasing your game right before or after big titles come out.
There have been many cases of great games being released but never getting the attention they deserved, just because of their bad timing. And this does not only affect small studios. A good example would be Horizon: Forbidden West, which released exactly one week before Elden Ring, which later on became Game of the Year (well-deserved by the way). But for Guerilla Games, this was still a disaster that probably cost them millions in the end.
Renee Gittins' story has already caused quite a stir online, causing many people to look up the game or even purchasing it. Potions: A Curious Tale is a cozy action & crafting game, where you play as Luna, a young witch who overcomes obstacles with the potions she brews, as she gathers items from enchanted lands and conquers devious puzzles on her quest.
Feel free to take a look at Potions on Steam, and give it the attention that this passionate project really deserves!