Solo Queue

@sparky_buzzsaw: I dunno, this seems like more of a realistic representation of what happens to these games even a week after release.

I'm sure that after the initial release, for a few days at least, people will play these games. But what happens after that? Does the game even have legs?

That's what I want to know.

Alternative Name: Digital Dumpster Diving

Will anyone ever see the hovercrafts? That entire game is just locked away forever

With a lot of these games not having any guarantee of quality, or even a lasting player base, I don't think it would be feasible for the GB crew to ask their community to fork over the $20+ (in this particular instance) required to play these games under ideal conditions. This video, at least, is useful in demonstrating these games as they exist right now, and while it maybe slanted slightly towards the negative end of the spectrum in terms of coverage, it isn't like Jeff was going full Jim Sterling on these developers.

Didn't GB used to do advertising for one of those dumb card apps? Like the Star Wars one or something?

Every indie mp-focused game should launch together with a Free Weekend. I really don't get why they don't. It's a no-brainer decision. Exposes your game to everybody, get people to play it who would be oblivious to it otherwise, you see the game as it's designed to be, better chance to get people to buy the game after the weekend.

Put your best foot forward.

Currently watching the video and I can already tell it will be a bit depressing. It feels like a video that should be shown to every indie attempting to make a multiplayer focused game.
Doesn't mean nobody should try to make one, I personnally donated to a kickstarter for a multiplayer fps.
The only thing I would change to this is maybe adding someone else to the mix and make them play something else while Jeff is queueing up. Then again maybe the fact that he's alone adds more to the experience.

This is the video equivalent of the China Don't Care/Fuck Ryan Davis t-shirts, and I'm totally ok with that.

It was 1230am local server time in that car combat game, may have been why you couldn't find anyone.

@sneakingmission: never realized how much he looks like Drew.

I thought this was going to be an Overwatch stream :(

@dizzyhippos: THANK YOU, SIR!

My favourite new feature in ages. Gives Jeff room to flex his character.

Keep them coming.

I don't feel like Jeff's intention was to specifically attack these games. This is a fantastic video highlighting a number of issues currently facing the industry. I don't expect this to be a regular feature because as I say it didn't come across to me as a specific attack on these games but more as a cautionary tale.

The Steam market place has been a mess for a while and the consoles are rapidly heading in a similar direction and they lack the option of refunds that Steam at least offers if you are caught out by something like this. Quality control should be a priority for these services and just because someone has made something doesn't mean they should be given the platform to sell it if it's not up to standard. It's a shame because I'm sure there are some quality products being completely missed because they get lost in the cascade of crap.

The rise of the indie game has been brilliant for the industry but if the current trajectory continues I can see a lot of people not bothering to try and find the diamonds in the rough and sticking to the more known quantities from AAA developers

I love this

Heard about this happening on twitter, awesome to see it in action.

There are so many multiplayer games that I don't know of and will never get to see at all, and this shows a selection of them as they are; mostly unplayable but that's not Jeff's fault. So this isn't mean-spirited at all, it is in fact a fair quick look into a select few multiplayer games in their current state - thereby informing us about them.

The fact that no one's playing most of them is sad for the developers but that's how the "biz" is. At least in this feature they're getting some exposure which can only help them. Any PR is better than no PR. Your efforts were noticed by an industry icon we know as Jeff.

I don't know if there's any chance of this but I would like to see more "episodes" of Solo Queue since it's interesting on many levels.

Look, you want an audience for your indie multiplayer game? You roll out free open betas way in advance of release. And assuming your game is good and is at least in some way different from other currently popular MP games it may attain staying power. Otherwise, you have no chance considering how many choices for great MP games there already are, ESPECIALLY on PC.

Edit: Oh, and Early Access is not the panacea it used to be. After being burned many times, people are generally far less inclined to buy unfinished games nowadays. Unless you're someone with clout, you are actually doing yourself and your game a disservice and potentially dooming it to failure from the get-go if you release it in Early Access.

Giant bomb is here to entertain us - not to provide free promotion for games indie or otherwise. I get really tired of people who act like indie is some badge of honor and games deserve some kind of pass based on who made it. They don't. A game is either good or it isn't. Good games should get played - people who make bad games should go do something else.

@alexandrite: They are playing games they find fun. No games "matter". Games are either fun or they are not and it is all opinion. No GiantBomb should not be funneling people into particular games and trying to "control" people. These types of games don't need "saving" if they are good they will survive. I agree with you the virtual scarcity of cards and online games are stupid - so I don't play them or give any money to them. I vote with my money. This is what you do. If others don't agree with me and the games I like die so be it - sad but real life. Majority wins. Never heard of Defcon but I certainly don't give games a pass because of who made them or when. Independent or made by a big company - good game is a good game. It is the quality that matters.

Please don't underestimate the luck factor when it comes to a game's success. Being established doesn't guarantee your game will have staying power. Even major developers have far more failures than you may realize.

@sparky_buzzsaw: I'm not gonna say you're not free to feel what you want about it, but I'm gonna have to agree with everyone that's been disagreeing with you. I can see where you're coming from, but I think you're misunderstanding where Jeff is coming from on this and why it turned out the way it did. Also it'd help to keep in mind the only reason this exists is because Jeff mentioned he had tried looking into some of these games on his own time and the internet coerced him into recording another attempt.

Anyway, Jeff is good.

@sparky_buzzsaw: It certainly is, and I respect that. It's just a hard truth that trying to cover the flood of indie games on a regular basis is a herculean task and generally not worth the time of websites big and small. I write reviews for a smaller site, and the views usually don't justify us covering anything but the biggest games, and we always have to work around that for games we believe in. It breaks my heart every time, but that's life.

This concept is great, its just a reason to get Jeff to sit down and talk for an extended period of time, im a big fan of Jeff so im a big fan of this new show XD

I think this should be for everyone, not just premium members. It's a service and a warning.

This is great.

@jeff , just watch 08th MS Team and Iron Blooded Orphans. The rest is garbo.

So as someone who just finished watching OG Gundam for the first time, I have to say: It holds up surprisingly well. Maybe the movies would be better paced or better fleshed out, but I enjoyed watching the entire series. I loved the arcs the characters go through.

I'm probably about 1/3 of the way through Zeta Gundam right now, and the jump in visual quality and storytelling is pretty noticeable. Characters and Mobile Suits actually animate now, instead of just slowing sliding on and off screen!

"This game is 30 dollars." - Jeff

I certainly see how this could work as consumer advice, but maybe checking if there are scheduled community events bringing players together at set times could be a useful addition if this series were to continue.

I play plenty of small multiplayer shooters like these, and almost all of them have scheduled events, usually one for US and one of EU players so there's a chance you'll find other players to play with at those times.

There are certainly a few that don't draw any players even with scheduled events too, so I suppose the most useful thing for these videos would be to try to line up the recording with one of those events and see if there's anybody playing then.

30 dollars to get stuck in a matchmaking lobby forever.

What was the name of that Early Access Halo-like Jeff and Drew did an Unfinished off a million years ago? That thing seemed like it had promise, but befell the same fate as the games in this video.

drew_japan

Is this art?

I was excited about this feature when hearing about it, but after seeing this video I agree that it can be kind of sad for these games to be featured and think maybe this isn't the best thing GB could spend their time on.

This is actually a great service Jeff is doing. There are plenty of games I look at buying but have no idea if there are concurrent players. These all seem like great games, but if no one sticks around longer than a month or two it doesn't seem worth it to own a game that is essentially useless within the same year of release. I tend to stick to local multiplayer games (Nidhogg, Gangbeasts, etc) because it's at least possible for me to get 4 friends together on a couch to have fun without each of us having to spend $20+ to each own it individually.

I really appreciate that you made this happen, so thanks, Jeff. Also highlights a genuine issue that still crops up pretty often.

Should check back in on Shattered Horizon...nahh

This is absolutely genius!

for the few people that don't pay attention to user review count or in-game player counts, maybe? it's pretty easy to tell if a multiplayer-focused game is dead in the water.

That Jeff would waste his time to record and publish this stupid idea is why I love Giant Bomb.

I would have said that a game not having multiplayer (no man's sky) listed on the steam page would be enough but apparently not. If people don't check to see if it's a feature I doubt they check player counts.

@sparky_buzzsaw: To let us know the current state of the game maybe? Online communities, or lack of one, are deciding factors in these games. And the approach of 'hey, buy this game nobody plays so you can play with us' is one I hope GB never takes. If you want that type of coverage, it can be found on twitch. .I think your heart is in the right place, as I think we all feel for some of these developers, but I could not disagree more with you. It would be boring if we all agreed all the time though, so no worries!

Hitbox reminds me how much I hate that generic modern EDM sound.

YOLO, losers!

While I do think this video is starkly illustrative of a real problem, as someone else said I would imagine at least a few of these types of games do have scheduled community events to try and overcome it.

That said though I don't think this is negative at all. The setup is representative of what a consumer would experience: "I wanted to play these games because they looked cool. I literally can't. Also they're like $20-$30." The only mean-spirited one may be Umbrella Corps if you're of the mind that it deserves to be a ghost town.

Still, people wake up in the morning to work on these games that possibly dozens may ever play. That sucks and I don't think anything short of them hitting it big somehow or an artificially contrived Indie Showcase feature will change that.

i dont understand why people waste so much money on cheap steam games in the first place. with games like tales of berseria and the witcher 3 in this day and age there is just no reason at all to play a $5 indie game on steam.

Why would anyone play tap titan? It looks like a game for crazy people.

Edit: "game"

I wonder if the audio from the hive jump video was a "wreck it Ralph" style thing. Sounded like the starting from the hero's duty game

This is a great, ridiculous video illustrating a real issue with multiplayer games on Steam.

Thank you for this.