A Heavy Day, and Looking Ahead
Added 2023-04-04 00:44:41 +0000 UTCThe headlines here are that today Kal and I received confirmation from Steam that the TRW Visual Novel has been firmly rejected for sale on their platform, and that today's Monday strip for the Level Two tier has been delayed, possibly until next Monday. For details, please read on.
The rejection message we got was as vague as it was frustrating. The primary reason given was the high school setting, as apparently no amount of us explicitly stating that every character is a legal adult was enough to counter that one detail in the eyes of our reviewer. It's frustrating because I'd estimate abouuut 99% of all the lewd anime-styled visual novels already on the platform include a high school in some capacity. And aside from Parker (who would be considered "busty" if she were a real woman) one would be hard pressed to argue that any of my characters don't look like adults.
So personally, I think there was more to our dismissal than that, and that our reviewer just wasn't in the mood to provide us with an essay stating the rest of their specific grievances. They concluded by telling us that we are unwelcome to make changes and resubmit. The TRW visual novel is permanently banned from Steam.
I don't normally talk about this kind of stuff here, but needless to say, this is a pretty devastating blow to Switchverse Games. Kal and I are looking for silver linings and trying to stay positive, but come on, it's not every day that a project you've been working on for five years gets perma-banned from the biggest gaming storefront in the world. As for me, I've been staring at a blank page for a couple hours now, and I think I have to just admit that an idea for a Monday Strip isn't going to come to me today. I'll be fine, and TRW will still post this Thursday of course, but as of now I'm simply not in the headspace to come up with anything good, and I apologize for the delay.
So I guess the big question is "now what?" As far as where Kal and I should be focusing our efforts moving forward, I mean. We both figured that game design was the path towards growing our business here, but in one single day that's been thrown in to question. I've been working on a proof of concept demo for a new adventure game for months now, and that demo WILL be finished. No crisis of faith could ever make me scrap a project I've put this much work into already. But what about after its finished? Should I focus more on animated shorts? More TRW pages? A spin off comic? I guess I'll have to wait and see how the demo performs upon release to make an educated decision, but in the meantime if you have any suggestions or opinions to share, I'd love to hear them.
I'd like to close by thanking you all for being here. Whatever the future holds for my content creation, your support is more appreciated now than ever.
Comments
One more storefront option to consider that I haven't seen mentioned is affect3d.com. They sell adult comics, 3D animation, and games, so that might be a good fit.
Deus
2023-04-12 03:19:52 +0000 UTCI wonder whether there are other cases of rejected submissions that were able to get some sort of appeal. I admit I haven't researched this. It just seems so very brutal for Steam to reject without offering some means to re-submit. I wonder if it's because the related comic would still feature the high-school if any game fans went searching?
Rascal
2023-04-10 15:51:05 +0000 UTCThat would track. Still sucks though, the production value and story of yours is so much better than the others I’ve seen.
Patrick Furlong
2023-04-07 19:51:19 +0000 UTCThanks! And yeah we'll figure something out! :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:04:52 +0000 UTCMuch appreciated! :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:04:34 +0000 UTCFor sure, we'll check them out! :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:04:22 +0000 UTCNot in our case, they quite explicitly told us to bugger off and not come back.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:03:59 +0000 UTCWell word is some of the reviewers weren't wild about how Steam backtracked on its "no porn" policy a couple years back, and we may have been lucky enough to get one such reviewer. Just an idea though, I've got nothing to back that up.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:03:35 +0000 UTCFor sure! You might be on to something there. :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:02:09 +0000 UTCI hope so, and thanks!
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:01:46 +0000 UTCThanks! :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:01:37 +0000 UTCThank you!
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:01:29 +0000 UTCMaybe? Hard to say? It took us months just to apply this one time. Seems they thought of that, and made the submission process as big a pain in the ass as possible to combat it.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:01:13 +0000 UTCThank you!
Reinbach
2023-04-07 04:00:12 +0000 UTCYeah it seems we could have put a few fake mustaches over a few things. But still, if that were the case, you'd think they'd let us have the option to change some names and try again.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:59:59 +0000 UTCI don't know about raising Steam hell. If they say our game is too perverse, I can't do a lot to argue. It's a porn game, it was SUPPOSED to be perverse.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:58:34 +0000 UTCMight be worth a go, I personally have been using Gumroad for years and haven't had any trouble, but I may just be one of the lucky ones.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:57:43 +0000 UTCFor sure, itch does seem to be the next one worth exploring.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:56:49 +0000 UTCEither way, Steam's purposely vague TOS leaves them the option to ban whatever they feel like for any reason, (USUALLY they don't give a fuck what ends up on their platform until Twitter backlash ensues) so our hands are fairly tied on this one.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:56:12 +0000 UTCGood to hear! And you're right, I guess Steam isn't really known for a ton of adult stuff.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:54:34 +0000 UTCWell you may be on to something there. Kal and I are brainstorming on what else we can do with the assets from the game.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:53:31 +0000 UTCFor sure! Considering the very first person who was shown our game who wasn't looking for it was so repelled that they swung a ban hammer, that may be a sign that it was never meant for a mainstream audience anyway.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:52:42 +0000 UTCNot yet, but we're exploring all options atm.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:51:44 +0000 UTCThanks for the heads up! :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:51:27 +0000 UTCFor sure, we're going to explore our options here.
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:51:14 +0000 UTCThank you!
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:50:58 +0000 UTCThank you!
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:50:42 +0000 UTCI'm sure Gabe is too busy rolling up and smoking hundred dollah bills to care about us little perverts lol. XD
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:50:32 +0000 UTCHopefully not. We're working on other ways to sell it. :)
Reinbach
2023-04-07 03:49:45 +0000 UTCWhat else gets on Steam? I don’t play VNs so I don’t know what they allow.
ScuzzBucket
2023-04-06 01:14:02 +0000 UTCThat sucks really hard, specially the perma ban without a real explanation. Try Itch.io, maybe GOG or humble bundle. Also do not give up! I'm pretty sure you´ll find a way forward
Graci
2023-04-05 06:14:58 +0000 UTCThat sucks, but also highly expected. For Steam *any* school settings is huge red flag. I've been supporting you with dollars for years, today I also offer a virtual hug as well.
Doorknob22
2023-04-04 23:04:23 +0000 UTCI'm gonna echo all the other people here noting that yeah, that sucks hardcore and you should take some time you need after this. Also going to echo how this rejection is fucking WEIRD, given the kind of filth and far shadier stuff that goes on Steam. Itch.io isn't nearly as big as Steam but it's a platform that I think will accept the game, so that's an alternative at least.
Kyman201
2023-04-04 20:36:38 +0000 UTCThere’s no appeal process at all?
Rascal
2023-04-04 18:41:17 +0000 UTCThat sucks. I'm quite curious as to what their logic is. I've gotten other Spicy Caliente games from steam. One in particular is obviously set in a high school though the dialog clumsily refers to it as "college" and there are even incest overtones though the game dodges this by allowing the player to define the "relationships" between the characters living in the same house. There are even relations between the student and teacher characters at the "college". Perhaps "demonic" possession bothered someone there... does steam have a Christian streak no one has noticed? (I'm mostly joking, but who knows)
Patrick Furlong
2023-04-04 17:30:03 +0000 UTCIs there an appeals process or a way to request more information? As for me, seeing more pages, pinups and commissions would be nice, but I’m not sure how lucrative those are compared to games. I was to understand the game had been a big help for your Patreon numbers. Maybe, uhhh… smaller games? Like one offs to keep it going and maintain a Patreon base?
ScuzzBucket
2023-04-04 16:39:31 +0000 UTCDon't give up! The game's quality speaks for itself, and there are other reputable platforms. If you put it out there, people will definitely buy it :)
HungryOuroboros
2023-04-04 15:52:45 +0000 UTCKeep up the good work and don't look left or right. As for looking for the store, as MrDisturbed mentioned above, GOG could be a good choice.
eF..cz
2023-04-04 14:32:09 +0000 UTCI am sorry to hear this, hope you will not get too discouraged. Beacause honestly, while this sucks, I absolutely love your game, and consider it to be one of the best western ones ever, and I think it would be an absolute shame if you decided that this is it and did not want to make any other ones. In all cases, we stay to support, your content is great man!
Wiern
2023-04-04 13:52:34 +0000 UTCThis is a wildly irresponsible suggestion, but what if you completely re-title the game as College Super Adventure or whatever, wait about six months, and have someone else submit it as a new game? It's not ideal and may not work, but Steam is such a huge faceless entity that you never know.
keithbungle
2023-04-04 13:16:15 +0000 UTCI am so sorry to hear, Rein. I would be crushed too and I hope you and Kal are alright. I know this hurts but think of it like small roadblock I know you will push through and be back on track in no time!
Lukas West
2023-04-04 09:29:54 +0000 UTCThis must be why so many visual novels have the MC stuffing their books in a hallway locker at their "college", which is run by a "principal", and has "professors" who can give "detention".
Andrew Edelstein
2023-04-04 06:55:53 +0000 UTCGOG have started selling Adult games and if you get on there and raise enough hell you might get steam to give you a second look
MrDisturbed
2023-04-04 06:06:35 +0000 UTCI know some artists stopped putting their works on gumroad because of fraudulent payments.
25shadow25
2023-04-04 05:42:44 +0000 UTCHave you tried putting the game on gumroad
alex baker
2023-04-04 04:24:07 +0000 UTCIn the deceptive case, add a high resolution image or two and call it something new, TRWDeluxe. You know, three months later or whatever. Otherwise, putting my hat in for itch.io. It's the only other of the alternatives mentioned I've actually downloaded anything from.
Darryl Williams
2023-04-04 04:19:08 +0000 UTCI was in the Discord server when Kal came in and dropped this bomb on us. The whole thing sucks mega. Have you considered reaching out to other H-game creators who have their games up on Steam? I wonder if your experience was similar to any of theirs or if yours is unique. That whole "you may not re-submit this even if you make changes and get rid of the things we don't like" sounds very odd to me. Do indie creators only get one shot at getting in, or did you get a reviewer who has some kind of hate-on for H-games?
Squid Hills
2023-04-04 02:40:35 +0000 UTCHave you considered store fronts like itch.io? I also feel like moving towards games and “selling” them via Patreon and smaller stores like itch could still be very successful as I think you have an audience here and adding games will only grow that audience. Also I just don’t know how many gamers really go to steam for “adult” content. It’s the goto for games, but adult content there tends to be a gross trash fire of low quality garbage. It’s certainly not something I use to discover quality games like TRW.
Vernacular Ham
2023-04-04 02:09:41 +0000 UTCOuch. From what I know of the Steam process it mostly sounds like you got the 1 reviewer who had it out against you if they aren't allowing any sort of alterations., As you say there are plenty of other far more sketchy games already on Steam. There are other platforms to look at, but your biggest push is probably going to have to be through a private website, discords, patreon and other stuff. As for future games... while I was not in exactly this situation I was part of a company that produced a game all the way up to release state when the distributor pulled the rug out from under us. At that point all you can really do is ask yourself should you let that one instance dictate your future or do you still want to make games? Take on what this has taught you (That distributors are pricks) and try to avoid those pitfalls the next time around, just because they rejected this game doesn't mean they will the next. If your art-style wasn't so distinctive I would encourage you to rebuild the game, make the alterations to the high school references, rebrand the company and then resubmit it, in about 6 months. You might get it through with a different reviewer or by trying to sneak upload a tame early access build that you can then reshape over time.
Lord of Nightmares
2023-04-04 02:07:22 +0000 UTCAs much as that really sucks you might honestly be better off. Steam is such a dumpster fire of indie games being spewed out all the time yours would just get buried under the flood. Other, more specialized sites like the ones people are suggesting will definitely give you a better short of standing out and way less fear of being arbitrarily rejected. And it also frees you up to explore elements that might not be allowed on Steam but are on other websites. Most places that sell porn games and whatnot are way more lenient and open minded anyways so you won't have to compromise any possible visions. Or at the very least it'll be way less likely! Which is always a good thing in my book!
Snizzlefit
2023-04-04 02:02:02 +0000 UTCHave you tried submitting the game to Fakku or New Grounds?
Vylon Delta
2023-04-04 01:59:49 +0000 UTCMaybe a zoom function for the mobile port? I'm sure people would love to be able to enjoy the art up close in any case, since a mobile screen would be smaller. Still I'd definitely download a mobile version, I think the game would do really well on the app store.
Malcolm Tent
2023-04-04 01:41:42 +0000 UTCThere's not an official mobile version, I know some people have made their own mobile ports. However, I can make a mobile app version, but as far as I can tell from the documentation, the accurate of where you need to click could be affected and we've got some very small places to click with a mouse let alone fingers.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:38:44 +0000 UTCIf Steam won't take you, then might recommended trying, FAKKU, Kagura Games, or JAST USA. They all have store fronts of their own specialized in to selling adult them games.
Strategist G Bu Shi
2023-04-04 01:26:23 +0000 UTCHoneslty itch.io might be solution as well as fakku like someone stated above to just have the game itself available I know it won't get the exposure like steam would but there are still options available
ElysianReign
2023-04-04 01:19:01 +0000 UTCAbsolute horseshit. I'm so sorry that you have to deal with these fools.
Daniel Schwartz
2023-04-04 01:18:47 +0000 UTCI don't think I've checked but is there a mobile version? Have you guys considered taking it direct to the app store? Might need to add in some ads (billboards in the street or posters of something in the background), but you could go in that direction and then just do your marketing personally.
Malcolm Tent
2023-04-04 01:10:55 +0000 UTCWhile I have no constructive suggestions, I can still say; chin up, you will find a path forward.
Tristram Wulfschlaeger
2023-04-04 01:10:10 +0000 UTCDamn, all the potential money they could've made, gone
PhantomZone
2023-04-04 01:08:30 +0000 UTCthanks for the suggestion, not heard of that one.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:04:24 +0000 UTCI'm looking into alternative sights tomorrow, Itch.io was one of them. There may be more I just need to get my head around what's happened.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:04:13 +0000 UTCI'm looking into alternative sights tomorrow, Itch.io was one of them.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:02:39 +0000 UTCWhat a fucking knife to the gut. Some mods really do think they be some hot shit.
Licorice Lain
2023-04-04 01:01:40 +0000 UTCI wish we could, the email stated the app is banned, and cannot be resubmitted even if we make adjustments. It would be simple for me to find all the references and change them too.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:01:38 +0000 UTCI wish we could, the email stated the app is banned, and cannot be resubmitted even if we make adjustments.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 01:01:02 +0000 UTCFucking hell, all the time and effort, straight to the bin...
NKL
2023-04-04 01:00:49 +0000 UTCAfraid so, the email stated that even if we made adjustments, the app is banned and cannot be resubmitted. I wish they would tell us more than they did, it's just crazy, I can't even ask why in detail since they closed the ticket down.
kaldonis
2023-04-04 00:58:56 +0000 UTCMaybe Fakku?
GeminiDragon
2023-04-04 00:57:28 +0000 UTCYeah, the High School bit is very annoying as there are multiple NSFW games (some I even own) that take place in a high school with the names filed off. Have you considered a Steam version with the HS renamed to community college?
Roto
2023-04-04 00:57:02 +0000 UTCI know it's a bullshit cop out, but college setting?
Pedro Ruiz
2023-04-04 00:57:00 +0000 UTCGetting banned because of a high school setting is such hypocritical bullshit when there’s other games with way worse stuff in them on Steam already.
Adler No
2023-04-04 00:56:02 +0000 UTCPut it on itch.io? I mean there is no storefront with the reach of steam, but at least get a a distribution channel open. sucks that this happened.
Kamenjojo
2023-04-04 00:50:19 +0000 UTCBullshit all around. All the porn games im still being suggested on Steam, all of which hilariously low quality and this gets perma rejected.
Jon
2023-04-04 00:50:03 +0000 UTCGod damn. So sorry to hear that man. It’s absolutely hypocritical too as you said given the content of visual novel games on that platform. AND how young the anime girls who appear in said games look. 🤦♀️
Merjia
2023-04-04 00:49:57 +0000 UTCHow about itch.io? They have mature games
Charles Wallace
2023-04-04 00:49:47 +0000 UTCThat’s very obtuse of steam. Almost ridiculous. I hope you get through this bump in the road without much hassle . I personally enjoy all your work and wish to see more.
VNOverlord
2023-04-04 00:49:40 +0000 UTCTechnically speaking Steam can ban anything they want for any reason forever. The only measures against it is to raise enough hell on Twitter and they might reconsider.
Jon
2023-04-04 00:48:54 +0000 UTCSorry dude. It’s real bullshitty
Lord Washington
2023-04-04 00:47:43 +0000 UTCPerma-ban? Can they actually do that? Feels like someone overstepped.
Licorice Lain
2023-04-04 00:47:34 +0000 UTC
