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GYLD raises $1m to fund proprietary games research system that marked Clair Obscur as a potential hit
Gaming investment agency GYLD has secured $1 million in funding to further develop its proprietary game research system, Critical Compass. This AI-powered tool analyzes game features and audience potential, having already supported over $100 million in funding for more than 45 projects. GYLD aims to democratize access to this advanced market research, making it more affordable for developers of all sizes.
GYLD closes oversubscribed $1m seed round to fund proprietary games research system
GYLD, a publishing and investment agency, has successfully closed an oversubscribed $1 million seed funding round led by Kameha Ventures. The capital will be used to further develop its proprietary games research system, Critical Compass, which utilizes AI and human analysis to evaluate market viability for game projects. The system has already supported over $100 million in funding for more than 45 projects and is used by publishers like Sega and Gameloft.
"Entire nations will hate you": Steam expert warns devs to use good regional pricing and localization if they don't want Silksong-style review bombs
An expert warns game developers that ignoring regional pricing and proper localization can lead to negative reviews and player backlash, citing examples like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Slay the Spire 2. Tom Kaczmarczyk of IndieBI emphasized that failing to adapt prices and provide good localization, especially for markets like China, can significantly suppress sales and damage a game's reputation.
"Unless you're Nintendo," developers should never price games over $70, expert says, even though pricey…
Video game sales expert Tom Kaczmarczyk argues that most developers should avoid pricing games at $70, with Nintendo being a notable exception due to its closed ecosystem. He suggests that while more expensive games may initially seem profitable, they rarely outcompete Steam sales for other developers. Kaczmarczyk advises pricing games expensively but planning for significant early discounts to generate revenue.
Slay the Spire 2 review bomb didn't actually affect sales that much, Steam expert says, even though "in any other case you would say this game is dead"
Despite a significant review bomb on Steam, Slay the Spire 2's sales were not heavily impacted, according to IndieBI founder Tom Kaczmarczyk. While the negative reviews, particularly from players in China, caused the score to plummet, Kaczmarczyk stated that in other cases such a drop would indicate a game is dead. He believes the game will endure due to its strong foundation and the nature of early access development.
