Friday Facts #181 - Calm before the storm

[AnarCon]

NICE WORK ART DEP! wow... this is why i clock so many hours in the game, just not cuz the art n game is so nice to play, but the dedication you guys put in to polish every aspect of the game
Press key & content policy: imo, u are totally in ur right to invalidate the asshats who dont deliver on their end when you have provided ur part if the agreement with the keys and i wouldnt lose any sleep over it neither, if they have a issue with it, they can contact u again and then explain why they failed on delivering their part
EDIT: after seeing some of the comments here, couldnt it be invented some sort of automation (yea faccy addict here to give em x days to post a review or some coverage and if they fail the keys will automaticly be disabled?

[Albrat]

4. Possible Solutions.
I'm pretty sure you can't sell or trade away games in your Steam library, so activate the product directly to the appropriate Steam user library. I'm guessing that Valve/Steam don't offer appropriate infrastructure for this, otherwise you would already do this.

If you can't do the above, then do the equivalent by offering reviewers/Youtubers etc a free account here that lets them download the full game, plus gives mod portal/multiplayer access, but doesn't give them a Steam key. You could optionally make that account time limited, with the option for you to reactivate/extend the time when it expires, or transfer them to a regular account with a free steam key etc.

Edit: Fixed typo's.

Another Possible Solution would be to send them a reviewers link. They have to log in as a reviewer, download a custom client that has a reviewers watermark in the corner with username and version number displayed in the watermark. This would mean that if they sold on their "reviewers copy" then it would be easy to trace the user who sold it. (the forcing them to make a account with the website forces their hand a little.)

Edit : This way you could also make it possible for the user to purchase a copy of the game afterwards to "upgrade" their account to a normal account and get the game without the watermark.

[aober93]

I disagree with this argument that revoking keys only hurts the final buyer.

It's because final buyers choose to purchase from shady sellers that this happens. Educate them and you fix the issue.

You mean hit the customers to the head hard enough that they learn what exactly? I dont think you know what you are talking about.

[Hamster]

Vaclav well done. I really like the new graphics.

[0xE1]

4. Possible Solutions.
I'm pretty sure you can't sell or trade away games in your Steam library, so activate the product directly to the appropriate Steam user library. I'm guessing that Valve/Steam don't offer appropriate infrastructure for this, otherwise you would already do this.

That's actually best idea I've seen. And Steam actually have this to some degree

[aka13]

4. Possible Solutions.
I'm pretty sure you can't sell or trade away games in your Steam library, so activate the product directly to the appropriate Steam user library. I'm guessing that Valve/Steam don't offer appropriate infrastructure for this, otherwise you would already do this.

That's actually best idea I've seen. And Steam actually have this to some degree

I think there can be a flag set to a gift that its not tradeable and not marketable, sou all press keys could be sent as gifts from a steam account dedicated to press account key giftings.

[MicFac]

I wonder if that Little Tint in the Chemical Plant is Editable.
I assume it is, for Modding.
Also, maybe i missed it, but the is the HD Version gonna be a Seperate Version, or is there just a Option for it in-game?

It will be an in-game option in the graphics settings

Perfect

[Stripes]

May your Coding be Swift and Path taken - Smooth!

Art Department work is, as always, simply fantastic.

[ledow]

£10 deposit to get a press key, refunded when the review comes online (with a clear line that says the review not need to be favourable in order to get the money back).

[StoneLegion]

Forced Review is way worse. I would give it a negative review because I don't do negative reviews. If I don't enjoy the game or find it something I like or can't find enough positive things in the game I just don't talk about it / make videos period.

But if you force me to do so then you are only hurting the game because I would give it a negative review stating that I'm forced to do this to get my deposit back lol.

[noliVe]

well well above all conversation we ignore the most valueable aspekt of a youtuber or any other streamer...they are the easiest way to publish a game to the correct and loyal "keygroup". So giving away keys is a common way to handle advertisment.

Sadly my website didnt cover the requirements. since we are not found on google ;( who can help us with this?

[Engimage]

As for press keys.
I would suggest press keys having two options.
First - an expiration period. This is effective anyways but has a downside if you want a certain streamer to cover the game in the long run. However such people are rare and would most likely buy the full copy for themselves or you should know them anyways and provide them with full keys.
Second - you could provide the game with watermark saying this is a review copy and not for retail. If you purchased this copy go to some-link.

[Avezo]

How exactly those press keys work? Are they basically free full games?

[Nerro]

I disagree with this argument that revoking keys only hurts the final buyer.

It's because final buyers choose to purchase from shady sellers that this happens. Educate them and you fix the issue.

You mean hit the customers to the head hard enough that they learn what exactly? I dont think you know what you are talking about.

Do you ?
When you buy a key on a website that sales insurance against getting ban for having a stolen key, you know that your doing somethin shady...

[Aru]

I am really excited about the increased resolution, it's going to be great, and I think it will draw in yet more customers, probably more than most would guess. It will certainly look better on youtube and in screenshots, which will attract more people and turn off fewer candidates at the outset who might spend a couple more seconds looking at it, then eventually buy it. Also excited about everything else, other graphical improvements, vanilla fission reactors.

"These cases have raised some moral question in me about whether it is acceptable to deactivate a review key. If a channel writes in and asks to cover our game, and even 6 months later they haven't shown the game at all, do they deserve to keep their free copy?"

I would say that, you should be VERY careful about deactivating keys. Always err on the side of keeping them active if you have doubt. Rather, instead you should be more careful about giving them out in the first place. That is, err on the side of not handing out a free key, and make CERTAIN that you very clearly state your policy on deactivating free keys BEFORE you hand them out. Make it an exact length of text, so that later you can come back and quote the same exact block of text, stating that 'every single person that got a free key after X date, agreed to this text'. Then, you can freely stipulate, and therefore enforce, a restriction such as a 6 month time limit to make good on a promise to publish the youtube content or review or whatever within 6 months of giving out the key. Declare a definite deadline in advance, then you can enforce it in good conscience, without meaningful backlash that will reflect badly on Wube. Instead, all interested parties will clearly understand who is really at fault when you tell them about this agreement. Perhaps also include a mention that only factorio.com and steam can sell legitimate keys within said text. Also, you should send reminders at preset intervals beforehand, for example at 4 and 5 months.

In short, yes you should be able to deactivate these keys, and to that end, you should set up an acceptable manner to deactivate them in advance, otherwise you really can't.

[legnou]

Guy ask for key to make a video on youtube or a press review Ok.
Guy get the key Ok.
Guy didn't do any video or any press review ... desactivate the key and kindly ask him to go f... himself.

[brunzenstein]

I'm a (now already retired but long time former) reviewer in the capacity as publishing editor of all kind of Mac and iOS sw. We bought and still do buy mostly the codes for the programs (except some really expensive one) we review(d) - where is the problem? The few bucks? Come on...
I also bought Factorio right of the developers site for a 10€ steal.

The point for us when I was active was (and nowadays still is) was exactly the other way round:
It's that many small and large sw producers usually force free keys (and much more) onto reviewer & publications in order to get a free foot in the marketing door the "cheap Charly way". (and get nice reviews) That creates a market for thieves. On this wave rides indeed gangs of crooks who try to trick sw companies to give them free codes they are reselling then.

We actually never run into that problem on a broad scale as even we had to hand out many reviewer copies (which were personalized and included either a self deactivation time mechanism or inability to upgrade ever, which makes them equally useless for thieves) to a army of sub-suppliers of reviews, co-writers, guest reviewer and such as the reviewer copy's (NOT CODES) ran out automatically after a certain usage and/or timing.
That a capacity of Kovarex has not set up this very simple protection measure for the reviewer copies he distributes is beyond me.

[brunzenstein]

How exactly those press keys work? Are they basically free full games?

Yes - but reviewer key are tricky - better for that usage are "enhanced coded" personalised reviewer copies - as a reviewer needs the full program in order to write about and usually he needs some backside info from the developer too to do his work - but the reviewer codes are usually time triggered and run out after a certain period.

Apple is providing for free a dedicated system ("TestFlight" https://developer.apple.com/testflight/) enabling developers to give out admissions to test versions bound to the UUID of the device.
That works perfect.
The problem with stealing codes lays with Steam (to be avoided or circumvented wherever possible for security reasons when thinking of giving away free admissions) and the responsible folks at Factorio

[gacekssj4]

Release will be soon, I feel it. I have alot of projects to do now, so it has to be to suck me into game and destroy my deadlines...

[ChurchOrganist]

Sadly my website didnt cover the requirements. since we are not found on google ;( who can help us with this?

You're top of the list if you type factorio i-craft into Google Search