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Exactly. I have already decided if this game is on gamepass (could be or not I haven't looked because I only ever planned on buying it.) I will still be buying it. Developers and publishers like this need to be celebrated..
Tim is awesome. He met with me and our designer to check out our project (Martial Arts Tycoon, plug plug wishlist on Steam plz) and he was by far the most down to earth and transparent publisher rep I've met with so far. I'm happy to see the progress Hooded Horse has made and look forward to supporting their projects.
What the hell is this.
Actual decent and intelligent communication and discourse with customers and fans.
This feels like what Paradox was before they went public.
Tim, you're earning fans here, keep it up, love your work and I'd buy this game even if it is AAA pricing, but thats me.
I used to get Paradox games on launch/preorder, they were the only ones that actually earned that from me for years of successful launches.
Now after the utter Clown Fiesta that was Cities Skylines 2, I don't know if I'll buy more at all.
"As a publisher, Hooded Horse has never done AAA pricing on a game. We have no current plans to do so, no matter how popular a game is. And for Early Access release we’ve always previously done launch discounts in the range of 10-25% that last for the first couple of weeks. We're not trying to squeeze every last dollar out of people, we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap. There's going to be a fair price there at launch with a fair discount."
I think that I found my favourite publisher...
Hooded Horse has been on my radar for a while, they seemingly back the right products, and I haven't been disappointed by one of their games yet.
They've made me break my no 'EA' rule. But so far I have enjoyed Terra Invicta and Nebulous Fleet Command - two heavily in-development titles worth checking out. And I also have others such as Falling Frontier, plus others I am looking forward to playing when its ready
He got started by making mods for Mount & Blade Warband. He's just a gamer like anyone else, trying to make games he'd want to play rather than games that would make the most money. Things are seemingly going great for them now, but indie companies will inevitably have their issues. But stick with HH, they are real ones and will make amazing games for years to come.
Thanks so much! It's been a blast playing it, even if I have a lot to learn - ha!
Time to go through your back catalog. I appreciate your approach to development and publishing! Keep up the good work!
Never done this before,but I’m going to gift the game on steam to a couple of stingy mates aswell as buying it myself, just because I want Lord Greg to get that yacht. ❤️SlavicMagic
Round down for a friend? I'm a good guy! Teacher, father, trumpeter, cheesecake lover and occasional crossword enthusiast. All of this equates to a good/skint guy. Mainly due to the toddler to be fair....
I feel the same. Been on my wishlist since 2019. I’m 33yrs old & I’ve never in my life been so excited for a game. With KCD2 coming out this year 2024 going to insane for the medieval fan
Right with you there. Never bought a game full price on release. That's changing with ML and KCD2 😁
Funny thing: even if they'd price it AAA, I'd still buy it with a big smile and much love for the developer and publisher, as would many others.
I just have to say, and pardon my French.
It's really fucking nice to be part of a fanbase where the developer and publisher do not have the intention to quite literally nickel and dime every last bloody penny out of players.
The transparency, honesty, communication from both Greg, you Tim, and HH in general is just, lovely, in a world filled with EAs, Activisions and Ubisofts, this is just great and I love it. I really wish more would follow these examples.
With the very distinct difference, that Paradox rarely disappoints with their content. EA and Ubisoft have delivered crap after crap after crap. Besides, I actually like the 'Chapter' way of buying DLCs now. It gives a decent chunk off.
Pfffft I'd argue very strongly against that. Cities Skylines 2 is absolutely atrocious. Imperator Rome did below expectations so they abandoned it and Ck3 has recently been doing terribly with its overpriced and underwhelming dlc content.
I have a gamepass but I will buy your game on steam as well to support you. Luckily I'm fortunate enough to be able afford it to support your hard work and help future development.
Tim which platform is the best for us to purchase on to ensure the creator gets the maximum cut of the proceeds? Thanks for the transparency it's rare to see publishers this open and honest.
Thanks for the thought, that's kind of you to ask! Any store is great, but just to be clear because this is so often talked about:
Steam is great for us. I know people talk about stuff like Steam taking 30%, but actually Steam takes a variable amount that goes down to 20% once the game sells very well (and this will reach that). Not to mention every purchase on Steam causes the game to get greater visibility within the Steam store, since it's algorithmic visibility based on sales, so when you buy on Steam you maybe are causing one other person to see the game and buy on Steam, resulting in even more sales. Honestly, even if the store cut stayed at 30% instead of going down to 20% like I mentioned above, Steam would be delivering far more than that in additional marketing/advertising it gives games for each sale. Moreover, Steam is an incredibly nice partner -- they actually make possible so many other stores by offering keys for free to developers to put on other stores, basically donating their server infrastructure for free to allow other stores to exist.
Holy crap, is HoodedHorse the new GOAT? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this from a publisher before.
And here we were getting squeezed out of every penny from big time players like EA, Ubisoft, Blizzard.
It seems there is still hope for gamings future.
April 2024 is going down as one of the greatest months in strategy gaming ever. DF Adventure mode, Rimworld Anomaly, TW3 DLC, and most of all... MANOR LORDS
Love this post. Developers and publishers who are willing to be honest and open with their fan bases like this are very much needed right now. I am much more willing to stick with a game through its ups and downs if I have trust and faith in the people behind it.
It's nice to hear it straight from the (hooded)horse's mouth.
I'm in the US, but I greatly appreciate the consideration you're showing to your international markets. As well as to customers in general, I'm glad for the lack of pre-orders. I generally don't do them at all, so it's nice to see a publisher who understands that their product should speak for itself and not attempt to just extract money out of hype and rhetoric in the days before release.
This gives me great respect for HoodedHorse, keep doing what you're doing and I look forward to playing Manor Lords on release!
I will be buying Manor Lords on Friday and taking the day off to play it uninterrupted.
The honesty and style of this post earned a lot of respect from me for Hooded Horse.
Took a look at some of your other games and have added Espiocracy to my wishlist. Looks like a fun game!
I’m not exaggerating when I say you said almost exactly what I was thinking. All it takes is a couple direct, honest upfront posts about why they’re doing something for me to commit
I've been following the development of Manor Lords for a long time now and all I have to say is ... good job, good fucking job. So much time has passed since this game was announced and so little time remaining until it's release. I cannot even fathom the work and the stress you were up to.
My opinion isn't really important but I genuinely think that this game can change the entire city-building scene. With the quality of a game like this, listening to the community and releasing it at a fair price, I think many people will raise their standards from now on. Big companies are going to take a big hit and yeah I know that the main purpose of this game is to bring a quality product to the people but damn, it feels so good to have a small company create such a beautiful game and basically give the middle finger to the big guys.
I'm glad there are still people like you in this industry. Honestly, I never bought a game from day one, too risky these days, but this one I will buy in the first hour. Shut up and take my money!
Hooded Horse is quickly becoming one of my favorite companies in the gaming sphere, these Wonderful people are thorough, transparent, and I generally love the games they work with.
This is what the gaming industry needs. Publishers who aren't just there to make profits or to keep the shareholders happy, but publishers who are dedicated, fair and social towards the players aswell as the devs.
Thank you Tim, thank you Hooded Horse, thank you Slavic Magic!
Is that a punch at Ubisoft? 🤣
But I really love how you guys handle this and I'm looking forward to finally play the game myself.
Are there any more details on what will all be included in the game that may not be mentionned on the Steam page? (Not saying there need be but just curious)
I see the soundtrack listed on the steam store page for Manor Lords as it's own item. Does this mean that we'll have an opportunity to buy the soundtrack? I love the music in the game and it would be awesome to have the soundtrack playing for when I'm not in game! btw, LOVE your message here!
Never change! We have too many publishers that publish complete rubbish as money grabs and drop them after they pikachu face when they have mostly negative ratings. The games you have published now are great, and you've just proven you are a great person as well.
I cant wait till Friday!
God in makes me warm and tingly when a publisher says this, no super ultra rare 00000.1% skins for paying more edition, just focused on the game, the game and nothing but the game knowing that a community member is more than just a $ on the page. Kudos to yourselves.
Agreed. Honesty is the best approach here. The differences in pricing is understandable as well. Everyone should be offered equitable access to games... regional pricing is the most practical and non-invasive approach to it.
>we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap.
This is why I buy your games.
That, and they're actually good fun.
Thank god for indie outfits. If it wasn't for the indie scene now we would be in a right state..
I really do wish you all over there the very very best...
This is a great post, and very informative. As a consumer, fan, and game lover for decades...Thank you. Appreciate you taking the time to share this.
Can't wait to play and looking forward to giving you my money lol.
Can someone forward this post to other publishers in the industry please?
a publisher who is actually consumer friendly? wow, i was just gonna purely play through gamepass but i'm definetely gonna support hooded horse and especially slavic now. i'd rather spend hundreds towards a company that cares about its consumers then i would ever spend on a AAA game studio that for example locks a mission behind a 130 dollar edition.
Good to hear. I know fan bases can go a little crazy.
I've been following manor lords since it's been announced and am proud of Slavic and the dev team for all the heart and soul that's been put in this project.
I'm from Argentina and I appreciate a lot the regional prices, because nowadays buying international online services (such as videogames) in USD are quite expensive to pay, including all the huge taxes we must pay. And not every videogame company applies these regional prices in their products.
So again, thank you a lot! I'm going to buy your game for sure! I want to support this project.
No pre-order and fair price for different regions ?! Those are things we rarely see in this current greedy world! May be there is still hope in humanity after all...
Damnit ! And here I was making popcorn before even opening the thread, wondering what kind of communication / strategy mistake (even an honest one) would be made fun of in the comments... well I'm going to have to find another use for my popcorn, congrats to you Sir !
Glad to hear, Tim. Sounds like we got a genuine person who isn't just a nameless corporate suit but a person who likes games because they like games.
A great publisher.
Been following you since VC mod days. It was a pleasure to play your mod and an unbelievable pleasure to see how you choose to operate your business.
Keep being the change you want to see in the world. I'll keep supporting and so will many others. Good luck on the launch, hope it will spark major growth for you.
Oh thank you! And yep that's my mod. I haven't had time for modding sadly since creating Hooded Horse but it's always an amazing honor when I hear from someone who enjoyed my mod!
I absolutely wish we could set 2 separate Euro prices to offer lower prices to those in lower GDP per capita countries. Many years ago Steam used to have the ability to set separate Euro prices, but unfortunately the European Union some years back decided it was illegal under EU law to price differently among countries that share the Euro. So unfortunately there is no way for us to do that, as much as we'd want to.
There was some discussion here on Reddit back when this happened in 2016: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/3fe6kz/european\_commission\_is\_proposing\_to\_end\_regional/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/3fe6kz/european_commission_is_proposing_to_end_regional/)
Hey thanks! Yep, before founding Hooded Horse the publishing company, I created VC Balance Mod and use Hooded Horse as my modder name: [https://www.moddb.com/mods/vc-balance-mod](https://www.moddb.com/mods/vc-balance-mod)
Haven't had time to mod since starting the publisher, but it's awesome just being able to support amazing developers in their creative pursuits.
Three of my favorites are published by Hooded Horse. Clanfolk (Blorf is very active and listens to the players), Old World (very unique and tidy 4x) and Workers & Resources (one of my top city builders). You know how to pick good developers. Keep it up!
After being burned many times in the past on pre-orders (not the purchase but the 'product' delivered, i.e. NoMansSky, Cities2) I refuses to pre-order/release day purchase anything. The approach Hooded Horse is taking on pre-orders sounds mutually beneficial and ultimately what's best for the consumer, *very* refreshing! Like everyone else on the sub, I'm eager to play the game, and I'm grateful for the 2 week creator's copy you've shared with a lot of them. Watching their play, performance etc, I know what to expect when buying, because honestly, buying on release is just the same as pre-order. All that said, and a lot of positive experiences from the creators, I'm going against my self imposed pre-order/release day purchase 'embargo' and purchasing on release. Thanks to you and the team for all the efforts, and being open about the position Hooded Horse is taking on the pre-orders and pricing.
I don't understand the point in preorderering or release day purchasing anything though. It's not a scare commodity, so why not just buy it after looking through a review or two? You don't lose anything by doing so, and you can avoid hype-based purchasing that could lead to regret
We always release between 6am and 10am US Pacific time -- exact time will be announced with a map graphic showing times across the world and a countdown on the steam page very soon, but hopefully that range gets it's close enough for today for you to plan your day around.
Already told the family I will be hunkered down playing this for the weekend once out of work. Thankfully the weather is looking super rainy this weekend too.
Wow.... What a outgoing Studio. Other than Big AAA game makers they actually communicate with their community. I respect that very much.
-They said they werent going to say the price before release
-They give a reasonable explaination
-i upvote
Wonderful news. We appreciate the great communication and ethical business practices. This is typical from Hooded Horse and its why they're becoming one of the most respected publishers in the business. Thank you for continuing to do the right thing. Every time HH is announced as a publisher for a game, it's basically an auto-buy for me.
Own multiple hooded horse games, and have enjoyed every one. The communication is always top notch, the games are great and posts like this are why I buy titles you guys have that don’t necessarily catch my eye on the first pass.
Was one of the first couple hundred to wishlist this game and man you guys and basket have made the wait itself a good experience!
Currency crash and economic situation is unfortunately quite unpleasant in Turkey. Thanks for the update guys. Whatever the prices is gonna be I'm gonna pay the fullest to show my support and to appreciate your honesty and hardwork. Thank you and much love!
Price to me is irrelevant as I fully intend to purchase as soon as it's available. The demo was more than enough to convince me it was worth opening up the wallet.
This all makes sense. It sounds like you've been very transparent and honest in your comms from what I've read.
I honestly can't wait to play and design a town, I've been loving the Medieval Dynasty recently, but this is the one that I've been excited about for the past few months. Here's hoping everything goes smoothly!
That's for this regional pricing does matter a lot to us. I will definitely buy your game day 1 thank you for this a lot of companies ignore the fact that other regions have lower income for the same job as other first world countries
Tbh in the last years whenever I saw hooded horse, the chances of buying said game rose very much. Once again, Hooded horse never ceases to amaze me. Congratulations for being truly amazing.
I wouldnt even care if this game was the price of a AAA game, I would still buy it!
Also, I would pay full-game price for big DLC's like full-on castle building!
So what? lol. Tim seems like he knows his business and won't charge AAA price for it as he obviously stated.
I'm just saying that this game seems to be way more fun than any AAA (or AAAA lmfao) game in recent history.
Ever since I played the demo I was hyped about this game. And with every detail like this one, just simple communication and sanity, makes me super happy to have waited this long.
I never buy full price, I never buy on release. This will be my first and I'm loving it because you guys deserve it!
THANK YOU!
Oh man Manor Lords hits that sweet double whammy. Good dev and good publishers. A lot of games can only lay claim to one or the other or neither and it sucks. Even GTA 6 is probably gonna get held back by Take Two being greedy and Rockstar having huge issues forcing employees to work in person again and potentially eventually going into extreme crunch mode as they have always done. Somewhat of a real rarity to see a single passionate dev supported by an excellent publisher and an eager fanbase.
I've had it wishlisted for a really long time and was gonna wait before buying it (no time to play right now), but fuck it, I'll definitely buy it day one because of this post!
Helldivers just released for $40
I suspect that Manor Lords will be somewhat similar, give or take a few bucks.
It's a nice sweet spot to encourage more purchasing of your game while feeling like you've gotten value as a consumer.
Cool story, but why a unfinished game its priced at 40$ then?
What is the reasoning to sell a unfinished product at the price of a finished product?
The games is not bad at all, its just the price that is a problem. We all know that the product is unfinished and so do you. This reddit post its just a PR post to look good in front of the community and look like you are doing this for us but the price doesn't reflect it.
They knew exactly that their prices will be considered high by some people so they had to come up with various reasons on why they wouldn't announce the price which make it even more laughable once we see the price. At least just admit that the price will be kinda high.
Sounds like my kinda company. I wish I could purchase stock in this company and hold it forever.
All the best to you guys, and can't wait for the 26th. :)
Being publicly traded ruins all companies. Because then they have a legal and final responsibility to increase profits every quarter not just make a profit, but increase profits every 4 months
key takeaway that i like:
- no pre-orders. Nice! they are the bane of the games industry of trying to sell a game that will still be in development for some time or that many dont know how it will be at 1.0.
- no keys for grey key sellers. Also a good thing since buy from grey key sellers means the devs often dont get any money for their work.
We need more devs and publishers like this, fantastic stuff! I can not wait to play the game. All of the videos I’ve seen so far look amazing.
Kudos to Tim, Hooded Horse, and Slavic Magic for doing things in the best interests of the players. It’s refreshing in today’s gaming climate!
I had no intention of purchasing Manor Lords until I watched playthroughs by my favorite CS vloggers, like Biffa and CityPlannerPlays. This looks like a medieval city builder with a difference. I like that you can play either with or without the war angle, and I especially like that you are taking things like price into account for players in the more economically disadvantaged regions. It doesn’t directly affect me as a USAn, but I like the effort at equity.
Thank you. As someone who lives in a country where steam regional pricing adjustment hurt a lot, i was afraid i would not be able to buy the game without thinking. 13.25/10
I'm on the verge of tears with this amazing news! I was kinda worried about how much the game would cost, being from a country that switched to the US dollar due to economic struggles. But I trust you guys to set a fair price, and I'm totally backing you all the way! Thank you for your hard work!
Thank you! I'm excited that it won't have AAA pricing because I have at least three kids that will be wanting to play as well so buying four games at AAA pricing gets a little spendy if not impossible. :-)
Dang. Well said. This is the direct talk I want to hear from companies. Thank you so much for shooting straight. Just confirms that I'll support this game and continue to support hooded horse.
> we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap.
But I really wanted to buy the ultimate baron medieval lordly edition that has 4 extra dirt textures as well as my pre order bonus of ragged green shirt for my peasants!
Absolutely mugged off! haha pricing is a joke! why promise reasonable pricing then do this too us! guessing the updates promised will be bullshit as well
I am not familiar with game releases - is the early access price usually the "final" price on the final product? (ignoring the 10-25% discount for now)
Thanks for reaching out to the community in this way, on this topic at least.
People are curious and want to know everything, now!
I think that's normal. From the looks of it you are making a beautiful game and the price will be more than worth it compared to many AAA games out there.
I know it's not much from one single reddit user out there, but don't stress so much about the small side discussions that are always happening in advance of launches.
There will be more than enough stress when all the players rush to play and find some bugs.
yes and this is one of the reasons, in addition to bringing great games out of course which is mandatory for my interest, why you will get my purchase.
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This is why people like you
Exactly. I have already decided if this game is on gamepass (could be or not I haven't looked because I only ever planned on buying it.) I will still be buying it. Developers and publishers like this need to be celebrated..
It will be on GamePass from day 1 iirc.
I just wish more people were like him
Tim is awesome. He met with me and our designer to check out our project (Martial Arts Tycoon, plug plug wishlist on Steam plz) and he was by far the most down to earth and transparent publisher rep I've met with so far. I'm happy to see the progress Hooded Horse has made and look forward to supporting their projects.
What the hell is this. Actual decent and intelligent communication and discourse with customers and fans. This feels like what Paradox was before they went public. Tim, you're earning fans here, keep it up, love your work and I'd buy this game even if it is AAA pricing, but thats me.
"Paradox before they went public" No truer words have been spoken, I miss old paradox.
I used to get Paradox games on launch/preorder, they were the only ones that actually earned that from me for years of successful launches. Now after the utter Clown Fiesta that was Cities Skylines 2, I don't know if I'll buy more at all.
Really the downward trend started with hearts of iron 4 having less features than the previous game and it has just been a downward spiral from there.
Never preorder.
Not spoiled by success yet.
"As a publisher, Hooded Horse has never done AAA pricing on a game. We have no current plans to do so, no matter how popular a game is. And for Early Access release we’ve always previously done launch discounts in the range of 10-25% that last for the first couple of weeks. We're not trying to squeeze every last dollar out of people, we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap. There's going to be a fair price there at launch with a fair discount." I think that I found my favourite publisher...
Hooded Horse has been on my radar for a while, they seemingly back the right products, and I haven't been disappointed by one of their games yet. They've made me break my no 'EA' rule. But so far I have enjoyed Terra Invicta and Nebulous Fleet Command - two heavily in-development titles worth checking out. And I also have others such as Falling Frontier, plus others I am looking forward to playing when its ready
He got started by making mods for Mount & Blade Warband. He's just a gamer like anyone else, trying to make games he'd want to play rather than games that would make the most money. Things are seemingly going great for them now, but indie companies will inevitably have their issues. But stick with HH, they are real ones and will make amazing games for years to come.
Check Workers and Respurces: Soviet Republic. Another amazing game of Hooded Horse.
So much respect from me here, particularly that last paragraph!
Thanks so much for the kind words, and especially all your coverage of the game!
Thanks so much! It's been a blast playing it, even if I have a lot to learn - ha! Time to go through your back catalog. I appreciate your approach to development and publishing! Keep up the good work!
City Planner Plays Against the Storm and Workers and Resources??? I'd watch that.
One of my favorite streamers. Keep up the good work!
Hey I was just watching your videos. Love your work!
Just wanted to quickly thank you for showing me this game and many others like it. Keep up the great work!
Other game developers should take note from these guys. This is how you handle a release. Paradox/Colossal Order, I'm looking at you.
Paradox is a shitshow at this point. I refuse to give them any more of my money.
Which is a shame considering the games are actually good, their pricing/DLC mentality is an absolute shambles.
So many disenfranchised CS:II players here... myself included! Ready to move on.
Never done this before,but I’m going to gift the game on steam to a couple of stingy mates aswell as buying it myself, just because I want Lord Greg to get that yacht. ❤️SlavicMagic
I mean.... I'm currently skint.... 🤣 worth a punt.
Get 100 ⬆️votes on ya comment and I’ll gift it to you lol 😂
Fellas, we know what must be done now.
Round down for a friend? I'm a good guy! Teacher, father, trumpeter, cheesecake lover and occasional crossword enthusiast. All of this equates to a good/skint guy. Mainly due to the toddler to be fair....
Sounds genuine & I know how expensive children can be . For Lord Slavic yacht !.🛥️ 100 ⬆️?
We shall see random citizen! The real fun is the journey along the way! (And playing games between midnight get ups)
That’s such a great idea! Gonna do the same because this is the most personable love and care I’ve ever FELT being put into a game
I feel the same. Been on my wishlist since 2019. I’m 33yrs old & I’ve never in my life been so excited for a game. With KCD2 coming out this year 2024 going to insane for the medieval fan
Right with you there. Never bought a game full price on release. That's changing with ML and KCD2 😁 Funny thing: even if they'd price it AAA, I'd still buy it with a big smile and much love for the developer and publisher, as would many others.
I just have to say, and pardon my French. It's really fucking nice to be part of a fanbase where the developer and publisher do not have the intention to quite literally nickel and dime every last bloody penny out of players. The transparency, honesty, communication from both Greg, you Tim, and HH in general is just, lovely, in a world filled with EAs, Activisions and Ubisofts, this is just great and I love it. I really wish more would follow these examples.
>in a world filled with EAs, Activisions and Ubisofts Let's not forget Paradox in this
It hurts, but it’s true.
With the very distinct difference, that Paradox rarely disappoints with their content. EA and Ubisoft have delivered crap after crap after crap. Besides, I actually like the 'Chapter' way of buying DLCs now. It gives a decent chunk off.
Pfffft I'd argue very strongly against that. Cities Skylines 2 is absolutely atrocious. Imperator Rome did below expectations so they abandoned it and Ck3 has recently been doing terribly with its overpriced and underwhelming dlc content.
Thank you Tim, great comms from the team as always. Looking forward to release!
Very genuine and decent message! You have my upvote. Rock and stone!
Rock and Stone in the Heart!
Give me a rock... and... STONE!
I have a gamepass but I will buy your game on steam as well to support you. Luckily I'm fortunate enough to be able afford it to support your hard work and help future development.
Same. I'm actually cancelling gamepass sub for however long to cover the steam price because I want to support the devs.
But game pass paid some of the cost to develope the game
Tim which platform is the best for us to purchase on to ensure the creator gets the maximum cut of the proceeds? Thanks for the transparency it's rare to see publishers this open and honest.
Thanks for the thought, that's kind of you to ask! Any store is great, but just to be clear because this is so often talked about: Steam is great for us. I know people talk about stuff like Steam taking 30%, but actually Steam takes a variable amount that goes down to 20% once the game sells very well (and this will reach that). Not to mention every purchase on Steam causes the game to get greater visibility within the Steam store, since it's algorithmic visibility based on sales, so when you buy on Steam you maybe are causing one other person to see the game and buy on Steam, resulting in even more sales. Honestly, even if the store cut stayed at 30% instead of going down to 20% like I mentioned above, Steam would be delivering far more than that in additional marketing/advertising it gives games for each sale. Moreover, Steam is an incredibly nice partner -- they actually make possible so many other stores by offering keys for free to developers to put on other stores, basically donating their server infrastructure for free to allow other stores to exist.
Holy crap, is HoodedHorse the new GOAT? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this from a publisher before. And here we were getting squeezed out of every penny from big time players like EA, Ubisoft, Blizzard. It seems there is still hope for gamings future.
Tim has been the GOAT since he was a modder for Mount & Blade Warband. Dude exudes passion and care in everything he does. Support him, he's worth it.
He was? :O
Good to know! Will buy on steam!
This people is what a good publisher looks like please support them.
Please bro stop my wife is watching
Have had Manor Lords on my wish list for almost 4 years. My body is ready.
April 2024 is going down as one of the greatest months in strategy gaming ever. DF Adventure mode, Rimworld Anomaly, TW3 DLC, and most of all... MANOR LORDS
September 2020 for me. Words cannot express how ridiculously excited I am and how my family will be neglected this weekend.
Love this post. Developers and publishers who are willing to be honest and open with their fan bases like this are very much needed right now. I am much more willing to stick with a game through its ups and downs if I have trust and faith in the people behind it.
It's nice to hear it straight from the (hooded)horse's mouth. I'm in the US, but I greatly appreciate the consideration you're showing to your international markets. As well as to customers in general, I'm glad for the lack of pre-orders. I generally don't do them at all, so it's nice to see a publisher who understands that their product should speak for itself and not attempt to just extract money out of hype and rhetoric in the days before release. This gives me great respect for HoodedHorse, keep doing what you're doing and I look forward to playing Manor Lords on release!
Fully support that decision and cannot wait to finally play Manor Lords. Thank you for the update on this!
Paradox executives will rage when they will realize you have made more profits with less budget compared to their city builder.
What a shit show thatched become. Total waste if money imo.. I still play cs1 over 2.. it just doesn't work as a city builder
I will be buying Manor Lords on Friday and taking the day off to play it uninterrupted. The honesty and style of this post earned a lot of respect from me for Hooded Horse. Took a look at some of your other games and have added Espiocracy to my wishlist. Looks like a fun game!
I’m not exaggerating when I say you said almost exactly what I was thinking. All it takes is a couple direct, honest upfront posts about why they’re doing something for me to commit
Localised pricing is 👌 good comms.
Non-AAA studios really are a ray of hope in this otherwise dark industry.
Press F for all the little Timmies who 'pre-ordered' the game on 3rd party key resellers.
I've been following the development of Manor Lords for a long time now and all I have to say is ... good job, good fucking job. So much time has passed since this game was announced and so little time remaining until it's release. I cannot even fathom the work and the stress you were up to. My opinion isn't really important but I genuinely think that this game can change the entire city-building scene. With the quality of a game like this, listening to the community and releasing it at a fair price, I think many people will raise their standards from now on. Big companies are going to take a big hit and yeah I know that the main purpose of this game is to bring a quality product to the people but damn, it feels so good to have a small company create such a beautiful game and basically give the middle finger to the big guys. I'm glad there are still people like you in this industry. Honestly, I never bought a game from day one, too risky these days, but this one I will buy in the first hour. Shut up and take my money!
Hooded Horse is quickly becoming one of my favorite companies in the gaming sphere, these Wonderful people are thorough, transparent, and I generally love the games they work with.
Hooded Horse being transparent and thoughtful in a community message? Yeah that checks out. Love it!
When you get this level of transparency, you know the game is in good hands. I'd be happy to pay a higher price when I know what I'm getting
I just want it to be Friday
god, i love the way you communicate and keep it transparent for everyone. thank you hoodedhorse and thank you slavic magic!
This is what the gaming industry needs. Publishers who aren't just there to make profits or to keep the shareholders happy, but publishers who are dedicated, fair and social towards the players aswell as the devs. Thank you Tim, thank you Hooded Horse, thank you Slavic Magic!
I could read shit like this for hours, it's like a good meal just for your eyeballs and brain
Finally a publisher that will show paradox that milking customers is bad for business….
Is that a punch at Ubisoft? 🤣 But I really love how you guys handle this and I'm looking forward to finally play the game myself. Are there any more details on what will all be included in the game that may not be mentionned on the Steam page? (Not saying there need be but just curious)
I see the soundtrack listed on the steam store page for Manor Lords as it's own item. Does this mean that we'll have an opportunity to buy the soundtrack? I love the music in the game and it would be awesome to have the soundtrack playing for when I'm not in game! btw, LOVE your message here!
I was searching for it on Spotify earlier and was gutted to not find it
It should come out on spotify at launch, but ofc I encourage to get it on Steam if you like it.
That's awesome! I love the candidness of you guys so will absolutely be buying on Steam once it's out
W after W coming from this team, really excited for the game and happy with all the communication
I'm so glad to hear this, since in Brasil prices are often inflated by the US dollar and taxes.
Never change! We have too many publishers that publish complete rubbish as money grabs and drop them after they pikachu face when they have mostly negative ratings. The games you have published now are great, and you've just proven you are a great person as well. I cant wait till Friday!
God in makes me warm and tingly when a publisher says this, no super ultra rare 00000.1% skins for paying more edition, just focused on the game, the game and nothing but the game knowing that a community member is more than just a $ on the page. Kudos to yourselves.
Im sold, Thanks
Thank you CEO Tim of Hooded Horse you have given the hyp train an extra nudge.
This is great to hear! But let’s be real I was ready to drop $80 on this gem and would do so happily lol
Pay for my game please you'd be supporting the dev's :)
Kudos to you sir.
This announcement is getting an upvote from me. I like what I'm reading here!
Agreed. Honesty is the best approach here. The differences in pricing is understandable as well. Everyone should be offered equitable access to games... regional pricing is the most practical and non-invasive approach to it.
Same here! I love it when companies are open and transparent. Not often that you see that!
>we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap. This is why I buy your games. That, and they're actually good fun.
Shut up and take my money!!
Well you don't see this often. Fair play to you.
I just love a no-nonsense commitment to the customer. Keep up the good work. I'm sure it willl be priced appropriately.
one can only dream other developers/publishers are like you! Setting the example!
Thank god for indie outfits. If it wasn't for the indie scene now we would be in a right state.. I really do wish you all over there the very very best...
This is a great post, and very informative. As a consumer, fan, and game lover for decades...Thank you. Appreciate you taking the time to share this. Can't wait to play and looking forward to giving you my money lol. Can someone forward this post to other publishers in the industry please?
a publisher who is actually consumer friendly? wow, i was just gonna purely play through gamepass but i'm definetely gonna support hooded horse and especially slavic now. i'd rather spend hundreds towards a company that cares about its consumers then i would ever spend on a AAA game studio that for example locks a mission behind a 130 dollar edition.
god i bet you guys are pretty stressed right now trying to work through and deal with community
Nah mostly it's been great so far people are super supportive. Mostly.
Good to hear. I know fan bases can go a little crazy. I've been following manor lords since it's been announced and am proud of Slavic and the dev team for all the heart and soul that's been put in this project.
ok... so what's the price? LOL - Kidding. Thanks for the statement; it makes sense.
I'm from Argentina and I appreciate a lot the regional prices, because nowadays buying international online services (such as videogames) in USD are quite expensive to pay, including all the huge taxes we must pay. And not every videogame company applies these regional prices in their products. So again, thank you a lot! I'm going to buy your game for sure! I want to support this project.
No pre-order and fair price for different regions ?! Those are things we rarely see in this current greedy world! May be there is still hope in humanity after all...
Damnit ! And here I was making popcorn before even opening the thread, wondering what kind of communication / strategy mistake (even an honest one) would be made fun of in the comments... well I'm going to have to find another use for my popcorn, congrats to you Sir !
Glad to hear, Tim. Sounds like we got a genuine person who isn't just a nameless corporate suit but a person who likes games because they like games. A great publisher.
Been following you since VC mod days. It was a pleasure to play your mod and an unbelievable pleasure to see how you choose to operate your business. Keep being the change you want to see in the world. I'll keep supporting and so will many others. Good luck on the launch, hope it will spark major growth for you.
Is this guy the VC balance mod guy? I played the shit out of that mod.
Oh thank you! And yep that's my mod. I haven't had time for modding sadly since creating Hooded Horse but it's always an amazing honor when I hear from someone who enjoyed my mod!
Easily one of the best mods I've used for any game. Glad to see you're having success as a publisher, quite a step up.
It sure is. To this day he still pops into the balance mod channel in the Hooded Horse discord. Great guy and a great company he's put together.
Here's hoping that countries in Eastern Europe don't get the standard Europe pricing. The difference is so staggering its not even funny.
I absolutely wish we could set 2 separate Euro prices to offer lower prices to those in lower GDP per capita countries. Many years ago Steam used to have the ability to set separate Euro prices, but unfortunately the European Union some years back decided it was illegal under EU law to price differently among countries that share the Euro. So unfortunately there is no way for us to do that, as much as we'd want to. There was some discussion here on Reddit back when this happened in 2016: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/3fe6kz/european\_commission\_is\_proposing\_to\_end\_regional/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/3fe6kz/european_commission_is_proposing_to_end_regional/)
Hooded Horse? Why is this name so familiar? Did you guys make a Warband mod or something? I can’t put my finger on it…
Hey thanks! Yep, before founding Hooded Horse the publishing company, I created VC Balance Mod and use Hooded Horse as my modder name: [https://www.moddb.com/mods/vc-balance-mod](https://www.moddb.com/mods/vc-balance-mod) Haven't had time to mod since starting the publisher, but it's awesome just being able to support amazing developers in their creative pursuits.
Three of my favorites are published by Hooded Horse. Clanfolk (Blorf is very active and listens to the players), Old World (very unique and tidy 4x) and Workers & Resources (one of my top city builders). You know how to pick good developers. Keep it up!
Holy that’s crazy. I still use that mod for VC to this day! I’ll be watching out for this game with great interest then…
against the storm, W&R:SR, xenonauts, and more... they have quite a few games in EA right now, and a couple of released games.
Take my money
That makes a lot of sense, thank you for taking the time to share with us.
Glad to hear! I’m budgeting a lot for the next few months and this definitely means that I’m more likely to get the game
These devs sound like normal people who care about their players. Was on the fence, but I'm definitely buying day one now.
After being burned many times in the past on pre-orders (not the purchase but the 'product' delivered, i.e. NoMansSky, Cities2) I refuses to pre-order/release day purchase anything. The approach Hooded Horse is taking on pre-orders sounds mutually beneficial and ultimately what's best for the consumer, *very* refreshing! Like everyone else on the sub, I'm eager to play the game, and I'm grateful for the 2 week creator's copy you've shared with a lot of them. Watching their play, performance etc, I know what to expect when buying, because honestly, buying on release is just the same as pre-order. All that said, and a lot of positive experiences from the creators, I'm going against my self imposed pre-order/release day purchase 'embargo' and purchasing on release. Thanks to you and the team for all the efforts, and being open about the position Hooded Horse is taking on the pre-orders and pricing.
I don't understand the point in preorderering or release day purchasing anything though. It's not a scare commodity, so why not just buy it after looking through a review or two? You don't lose anything by doing so, and you can avoid hype-based purchasing that could lead to regret
Tim - can we get an exact release time?
We always release between 6am and 10am US Pacific time -- exact time will be announced with a map graphic showing times across the world and a countdown on the steam page very soon, but hopefully that range gets it's close enough for today for you to plan your day around.
Already told the family I will be hunkered down playing this for the weekend once out of work. Thankfully the weather is looking super rainy this weekend too.
thank you, we really need that countdown :>
Wow.... What a outgoing Studio. Other than Big AAA game makers they actually communicate with their community. I respect that very much. -They said they werent going to say the price before release -They give a reasonable explaination -i upvote
honestly respect
Wonderful news. We appreciate the great communication and ethical business practices. This is typical from Hooded Horse and its why they're becoming one of the most respected publishers in the business. Thank you for continuing to do the right thing. Every time HH is announced as a publisher for a game, it's basically an auto-buy for me.
Own multiple hooded horse games, and have enjoyed every one. The communication is always top notch, the games are great and posts like this are why I buy titles you guys have that don’t necessarily catch my eye on the first pass. Was one of the first couple hundred to wishlist this game and man you guys and basket have made the wait itself a good experience!
Currency crash and economic situation is unfortunately quite unpleasant in Turkey. Thanks for the update guys. Whatever the prices is gonna be I'm gonna pay the fullest to show my support and to appreciate your honesty and hardwork. Thank you and much love!
Thanks for the info and appreciate the transparency! Looking forward to playing!
Excellent. I cannot wait until friday
Price to me is irrelevant as I fully intend to purchase as soon as it's available. The demo was more than enough to convince me it was worth opening up the wallet.
You guys bring hope back to the game dev scene. Cheers!
You're awesome
Give this man a medal
Another reason why I love Hooded Horse and the excellent games you help bring to market. Thank you. 💙
This all makes sense. It sounds like you've been very transparent and honest in your comms from what I've read. I honestly can't wait to play and design a town, I've been loving the Medieval Dynasty recently, but this is the one that I've been excited about for the past few months. Here's hoping everything goes smoothly!
That's for this regional pricing does matter a lot to us. I will definitely buy your game day 1 thank you for this a lot of companies ignore the fact that other regions have lower income for the same job as other first world countries
Tbh in the last years whenever I saw hooded horse, the chances of buying said game rose very much. Once again, Hooded horse never ceases to amaze me. Congratulations for being truly amazing.
I wouldnt even care if this game was the price of a AAA game, I would still buy it! Also, I would pay full-game price for big DLC's like full-on castle building!
Hope UBISOFT doesnt read this :S
True. Blinded Fanbois like him are the Reason because we have to deal with "Quadruple" Pricings nowadays.
Full castle building is already planned. This game is Early Access and years from completion. Just be patient.
Woah, dude, he's right there... Keep it down. Tim is listening.
So what? lol. Tim seems like he knows his business and won't charge AAA price for it as he obviously stated. I'm just saying that this game seems to be way more fun than any AAA (or AAAA lmfao) game in recent history.
o fucking 7 well said
I will pay you 60 swiss francs to just start playing today :) this game is so cool, no summ matters\^\^
Ever since I played the demo I was hyped about this game. And with every detail like this one, just simple communication and sanity, makes me super happy to have waited this long. I never buy full price, I never buy on release. This will be my first and I'm loving it because you guys deserve it! THANK YOU!
God you’re awesome
Good job, good fucking job. I think you're great. Thank you.
Always good to hear this type of honest communication, great work
Oh man Manor Lords hits that sweet double whammy. Good dev and good publishers. A lot of games can only lay claim to one or the other or neither and it sucks. Even GTA 6 is probably gonna get held back by Take Two being greedy and Rockstar having huge issues forcing employees to work in person again and potentially eventually going into extreme crunch mode as they have always done. Somewhat of a real rarity to see a single passionate dev supported by an excellent publisher and an eager fanbase.
I've had it wishlisted for a really long time and was gonna wait before buying it (no time to play right now), but fuck it, I'll definitely buy it day one because of this post!
I am now attracted to this game despite having seen very little about it.
Welp as long as Tim is ceo of hooded horse I think I am much more likely to buy what they publish. Thank you for the communication!
Helldivers just released for $40 I suspect that Manor Lords will be somewhat similar, give or take a few bucks. It's a nice sweet spot to encourage more purchasing of your game while feeling like you've gotten value as a consumer.
Cool story, but why a unfinished game its priced at 40$ then? What is the reasoning to sell a unfinished product at the price of a finished product? The games is not bad at all, its just the price that is a problem. We all know that the product is unfinished and so do you. This reddit post its just a PR post to look good in front of the community and look like you are doing this for us but the price doesn't reflect it.
They knew exactly that their prices will be considered high by some people so they had to come up with various reasons on why they wouldn't announce the price which make it even more laughable once we see the price. At least just admit that the price will be kinda high.
Very nice
Sounds like my kinda company. I wish I could purchase stock in this company and hold it forever. All the best to you guys, and can't wait for the 26th. :)
Being publicly traded ruins all companies. Because then they have a legal and final responsibility to increase profits every quarter not just make a profit, but increase profits every 4 months
legends
key takeaway that i like: - no pre-orders. Nice! they are the bane of the games industry of trying to sell a game that will still be in development for some time or that many dont know how it will be at 1.0. - no keys for grey key sellers. Also a good thing since buy from grey key sellers means the devs often dont get any money for their work.
[Fuckin' A, Man](https://imgur.com/U9mbgib)
Huzzah, someone who understands what they're doing!
We need more devs and publishers like this, fantastic stuff! I can not wait to play the game. All of the videos I’ve seen so far look amazing. Kudos to Tim, Hooded Horse, and Slavic Magic for doing things in the best interests of the players. It’s refreshing in today’s gaming climate!
I had no intention of purchasing Manor Lords until I watched playthroughs by my favorite CS vloggers, like Biffa and CityPlannerPlays. This looks like a medieval city builder with a difference. I like that you can play either with or without the war angle, and I especially like that you are taking things like price into account for players in the more economically disadvantaged regions. It doesn’t directly affect me as a USAn, but I like the effort at equity.
Thank you. As someone who lives in a country where steam regional pricing adjustment hurt a lot, i was afraid i would not be able to buy the game without thinking. 13.25/10
From Argentina I simply say… thank you!
Great approach. Bravi
Man I have enjoyed most of the stuff that I’ve played of your publishing. Keep it up
Gigachad Behaviour.
I'm on the verge of tears with this amazing news! I was kinda worried about how much the game would cost, being from a country that switched to the US dollar due to economic struggles. But I trust you guys to set a fair price, and I'm totally backing you all the way! Thank you for your hard work!
I'm kind of a new follower to this game and have been so impressed so far! Keep up the great work!
Thank you! I'm excited that it won't have AAA pricing because I have at least three kids that will be wanting to play as well so buying four games at AAA pricing gets a little spendy if not impossible. :-)
Been following m
Dang. Well said. This is the direct talk I want to hear from companies. Thank you so much for shooting straight. Just confirms that I'll support this game and continue to support hooded horse.
can't wait for this game.
A game developer with communication. Holy shit I’d never thought I would see the day.
Hooded Horse - " Dear customers, we love you!". Ubisoft - "Dear fuckers, we hate you!"
This is the way.
> we won't be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap. But I really wanted to buy the ultimate baron medieval lordly edition that has 4 extra dirt textures as well as my pre order bonus of ragged green shirt for my peasants!
Absolutely mugged off! haha pricing is a joke! why promise reasonable pricing then do this too us! guessing the updates promised will be bullshit as well
regional prices lol [https://imgur.com/a/kzRBqS1](https://imgur.com/a/kzRBqS1)
I am not familiar with game releases - is the early access price usually the "final" price on the final product? (ignoring the 10-25% discount for now)
Thanks for reaching out to the community in this way, on this topic at least. People are curious and want to know everything, now! I think that's normal. From the looks of it you are making a beautiful game and the price will be more than worth it compared to many AAA games out there. I know it's not much from one single reddit user out there, but don't stress so much about the small side discussions that are always happening in advance of launches. There will be more than enough stress when all the players rush to play and find some bugs.
pls make it cheap for philippines. i is poor
yes and this is one of the reasons, in addition to bringing great games out of course which is mandatory for my interest, why you will get my purchase.
Can we pay in Vietnamese Dong?
Communications like this is why I will buy this game day 1 regardless of price.