How do you engage with Shovelware? Bundles, Epic, Xbox/PS, Steam sales, let me know in the comments!
96% out of 5.6k reviews recommended Retrowave. So how does that qualify as an asset flip or shovelware?
Yeah, it's cheap. But I'd rather want a cheap filler that is fun to play for a short time, than some buggy mid-budget tier game that I'm not even interested in enough to install it.
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Asset flip = game where a significant portion of the assets (art/audio) used to create it were purchased from asset stores instead of being made exclusively for the game in question. The term "asset flip" has nothing to do with whether a game is fun or not.
I don't agree with the op calling Retrowave 'shovelware' though, as that normally refers to games that are both low effort AND not very fun (where as clearly people are enjoying Retrowave).
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An asset flip is a type of low-budget, poor-quality shovelware video game, specifically one in which a video game developer legally purchases pre-made assets, such as a game engine, 2D art or 3D models, and uses them to create numerous permutations of generic, often unfinished games to sell to unsuspecting customers in the guise of a finished product.
This game has quality, it's not part of a series of similar unfinished games. Using assets alone doesn't qualify a game as an asset flip.
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Isn't the quality coming from the assets he bought not from any work he did? I don't actually know what the dev added to this game or any of his other games. One of his newer games "Rampage Miami" from 2019 is the same game as another one of his games called "Hammer 2" from 2017 with the vaporware asset pack on, that's it, same exact map as noted in the reviews and Hammer 2 is literally an asset from the Unity game store, after the original dev made a game with it and decided to publish the asset for sale so others can create works with it, so the level itself isn't even his. He hasn't done anything other than basically compile it and pay steam $100 and cash in.
This isn't a ref link so I hope this is alright but 4 years ago the dev was deleting comments mentioning the asset flips as well.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/79pltb/asset_flip_developer_banning_users_exposing_their/
Most links are dead pointing to the exact assets but if you need me to show them to you for whichever game let me know. They're all exact copy pastas and I don't know what the dev added to either of these games. I actually own a few of his games and didn't know that every single one of his games is an asset flip.
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I have no idea, I haven't played it.
But after watching https://youtu.be/2pgaeeKmoYE I doubt that it's just the assets that people enjoy. Several modes, difficultly levels, plenty of cars plus skills to unlock and more options. Some work has been done and people like it.
Someone creating a reddit thread where they found used assets is honestly pretty irrelevant to me. I could have told that they heavily relied on assets too. And maybe most of the dev's games do qualify as asset flips, I'm not really interested in testing them out. 😬
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I don't want to confuse you with what I mean by assets. The core gameplay is an actual asset.
https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/templates/packs/highway-racer-50866
The actual game is an asset. The whole mainframe runs on this.
Even if you want to say the trees in the back are unique, they seem to be from this asset unless I'm wrong and it's something else similar: https://3docean.net/item/low-poly-palm-tree/8552062 all with a retrowave shader asset on top of it. I didn't see the cars anywhere but I gotta be honest, I didn't really search that much, I only looked into it because of the comments in this thread and from what I saw in the reviews.
I refunded my copy but I do own like 3 other asset flips from this person.
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Sounds like a reasonable argument for "Asset flip", as that's defined as taking prexisting assets and "flipping them", a term used to refer to a quick resale [ie, without time set aside for additional efforts to be put in]. The shovelware labeling still seems a bit off, as shovelware really only relates to games that are either both low-budget and low-quality, or to games that have poor (ie, low-budget/low-quality) porting. In this case, to argue shovelware, I believe you'd need to argue that either the underlying assets are low-quality, or that the arrangement of the assets was low-quality (eg, leading to bugs, performance issues, or interface issues).
Frankly, if we're talking quality of production, Retrowave still looks like a FAR more playable game than some of the low rated games we've seen in previous Choices, regardless of whether they were indie productions or AAA productions.
None of that means it's an appropriate game to include in Choice, of course. At least with shoddy AAA games, you can argue the base expense of getting it elsewhere, given their high retail prices (regardless of whether the pricing is warranted or not). Shoddy indie games, cheap DLCs, Bethesda's demo offerings.. we've had some pretty iffy content in past Choices/Monthlies.
That said, I'm not sure how many people would be able to argue against Retrowave's inclusion even based on its valuation.. if we were still getting full Choice picks. There, in the case of picks, one can simply just not pick the game, and in the case of bonus games (ie, 12 picks instead of 10) you're getting just that, bonuses. Unfortunately, it appears we're now only getting 10 games in Choice in total, forcing a significantly subpar pick?
Thus, we can state that the issue isn't necessarily Retrowave, but Choice's declining quantity. More than that, one can certainly question the direction Choice is going with their inclusions (ie quality) overall. After all, this is one of the better recent bundles..
So, in summary..
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My thoughts exactly, I enjoyed the Choice in humble choice when it was pick 10 from 12, and then getting all 12 was nice because it's more games but I honestly had more fun choosing my selection than I would with those 2 extra games, and now back down to 10 with no choice.... I'm kinda over it.
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True, I guess my use of the word Shovelware is a bit harsh, especially to all the high-quality games that Epic has given away, though it's usually years after they are relevant and they do just seem to serve the purpose of trying to lure in new customers to their storefront.
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The flip from asset flip comes from the term flipping in market- like how people flip houses and such... essentially you buy, retouch if needed just to resell.
Asset flip isnt used for 'uses assets' but for putting assets together and releasing just for a quick buck. Assets also include base gaming code (like walking, shooting, getting a score)- someone can just paste a bunch of assets together that 'play' and call it a day- thats asset fliping.
in short flip stems from reselling, not creating. Least amount of work
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I've been at the point for years where I don't see any reason to spend money on games when I can just wait for Epic, amazon prime, GmG, Steam, Humble bundle, or PS + to give it away to me for free later, almost every game I play Is one of these or something I won off steamgifts. The rest of my games are all from charity bundles. If I really wanna play a new game a friend will usually let me borrow it after they beat it. Buying things is dumb.
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This is exactly what I thought didn't exist, so thank you for letting me know you're out there! All these freebie games systems seem to not be relevant to anyone who purchases games that they want to play, which would make them wholly game from their freely-received library, and that's really awesome that you're doing it!
Enjoy the saved money!
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It really started when my library got so big that I had enough good games that I would never be able to get around to beating them all, and at that point it's hard to justify buying anything new. But it's cool that I can get money to developers just by clicking a button on epic, and have the ability to play another game I otherwise couldn't. I have friends who get every free game on epic like I do, and when a multiplayer one shows up we play it together. Or I can send a link to those games to friends I know don't have a lot of spending money and be like, "get this free game and play it with me". That's very cool, because I do have a lot of issues normally with my friends not owning the same games as me. On top of that I'm just kind of anti consumerism in general.
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Yeah multiplayer games are always good for at least a little bit with friends, my friends and I have Xbox Gamepass and when a new multiplayer title comes up we always check it out together.
Epic pays a flat fee for a game, not per download, so you adding the game to you library does not give any more money to the developer.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/4/22418782/epic-games-store-free-games-cost-apple-trial-arkham-subnautica-mutant-year-zero
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Oh interesting, I didn't realize. Well that makes all the free games I added that I already owned somewhere else a little more meaningless. I wonder if any other services do pay per activation.
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I tend to judge bundles and subscription services based on what is of value in them and not the parts that has little to no value (shovelware). Because I can just not redeem or giveaway shovelware, I guess I don't vote with my wallet or protest in that way against bundles that mix shovelware with non-shovelware. So I do not opt out of bundles or subscriptions only as a result of the number of items that provide little to no value.
I otherwise don't intentionally redeem, collect, or buy Shovelware because by definition they are "low-budget, poor-quality games". Maybe there's a few games I redeem because they look interesting or I have a different/limited perception of quality than someone else, thus resulting in me appearing to redeem shovelware in a few cases.
If I were somehow broke but not broke enough to sell my gaming system(s) and I couldn't afford to buy any more games and didn't want to play anything I already had, then perhaps that might be when I would consider playing shovel ware?
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With the inclusion of Retrowave in this month's Humble Choice I have just about had it with shovelware. Epic has been giving away games for years now and before that Xbox Gold and PS Plus feigned adding value to their monthly service fee by throwing in access to a few games that you don't even own. Humble Choice went from 12 games to 10 saying they would be higher quality, but then include a $1.99 (half that on sale) blatant asset flip. Epic is trying to draw users to its platform with a constant stream of free games, and at least you get to own them, but they are usually older games of course and those who I have seen be interest in them are usually lukewarm on the titles since they didn't pick them up at launch, so I am wondering how often these shovelware titles actually get played.
All hostility made in jest, I understand the business models of the current gaming ecosystem, and it really isn't harmful receiving free/cheap games even if they aren't the latest and greatest, I am just curious to hear from anyone on this topic!
I did purchase this humble choice, as always, and I am in the top poll option... shovelware be damned! =)
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