For example, Kerbal Space Program has benefitted from a healthy modding community, YouTube Let's Play videos, Twitch streaming, and its own active Subreddit. Some of those options have benefits beyond good word-of-mouth. Luckily, in today's day and age you have a lot of options.' 'Like, I've really upset a lot of people and we're doing a lot wrong. 'This is pretty much for every game I've ever worked on, when you go to the forums, you walk away feeling kind of bad,' Holtzman said. For example, the Kerbal Space Program forums comprise less than 5 percent of the total player base. While Holtzman said it's important to listen to the people on forums and interact with them, he said it's crucial to understand they are a vocal minority. So you've got a situation where we really rely on our players to serve as our megaphone,' Holtzman said.įostering community means a lot more than just going on forums. 'We don't spend money on traditional marketing, per se. You're going to have a reputation that you're going to have to uphold to a certain extent if you want your community to move it forward or pay it back, however you want to see it.'īeyond that, Squad relies almost entirely on the fanbase to get the word out about Kerbal Space Program. 'And that means other people will know, so that means our reputation is on the line. 'If our community is unhappy with us, they're going to let us know,' Holtzman said. There are two areas specifically where running afoul of a fanbase like Kerbal Space Program's would come back to bite the developer 'If you upset them or turn them off, you're just not going to get anywhere.' 'It's a double-edged sword,' Holtzman said. 'You're going to have a reputation that you're going to have to uphold to a certain extent if you want your community to move it forward or pay it back.' While an engaged and passionate community can help an Early Access game on both the marketing and development fronts, it is not completely free from drawbacks. 'Not that the development team isn't awesome, but it's that relationship that we've been able to nurture.This is just something I've seen going on with games since I've started working, and it really comes down to how well the developers and community can work through their potential issues to make the game better and make people more excited about it.' 'The community is the reason why KSP has been successful,' Holtzman said. As for what made the game a hit, Squad director of PR Bob Holtzman told GamesIndustry International it's due to the fanbase. And as anyone who has made a habit of browsing the Steam storefront since the game's March 2013 debut knows, Kerbal Space Program has frequently been a featured title and regular inhabitant of the best-seller section. While the developer doesn't disclose sales figures, the Steam Early Access sandbox space simulation last summer boasted more than 43,000 daily active users.

Kerbal space program community