How to release game on STEAM ?

[izzulfikri98]

Everyone , please help me , how can release game on steam. If bought regristration fee on steam with 100$ , and this any change , how to get preparation of game to get release on steam ?
Are there any special requirements for entering games in steam, like for example all game resources must be original?
For example graphic game resource takes from the work of others who license free but in the game have include the credit for resource , plugin , or any with free licensed , whether the game can still release in steam?
please maybe someone can give experience to get rpg maker game release in steam, because i'm still new indie game development

 

[Poryg]

There are no real requirements as far as I know, as long as you use resources legitimately and give proper credits and attributions, you have nothing to worry about. You don't need to have original resources, you just have to use them in accordance with terms and conditions.

 

[TWings]

Go on Steamworks (https://partner.steamgames.com/) and read carefully everything.
There's some paperworks to do for the taxes and other stuff that takes time to clear.
Then you'll also need to configure your game informations and upload it using the provided SDK application.
Again, read the documentation, that takes some time, but there's no shortcuts.

 

[izzulfikri98]

There are no real requirements as far as I know, as long as you use resources legitimately and give proper credits and attributions, you have nothing to worry about. You don't need to have original resources, you just have to use them in accordance with terms and conditions.

In my experient , before release game on steam , game must be reviewed with steam direct.
Whether the game will be included in the steam is rejected by the steam direct , even though it has paid the registration fee of 100 $ ?

 

[TWings]

Well, it's the same website (https://partner.steamgames.com/steamdirect) everything's written.
The game is reviewed when everything's ready, but they mostly check if it runs.

Before your store page or game build can go live, there is a brief review process where we run your game, look at your store page, and check that it is configured correctly and running as expected and not doing anything harmful. This takes between 1-5 days.

So if your game works properly, there's no problem. Furthermore, you can still edit it and submit it again in any case.

 

[bgillisp]

Heh...Steam doesn't review the games. They just released a game with no exe file so it couldn't even run. That shows how great their review process is these days. So I think you'll be fine.

Edit: The game was Shadow: Treachery cannot be Tolerated. It seriously was released with no files initially. And I've heard other games have slipped through with no files in the game too. So, nope, I don't think Steam reviews games anymore, not with all the $@%!^ that has slipped through in 2018. They may say they are going to, but their actions don't prove it. At least not these days.

 

[izzulfikri98]

Wow thanks about fast respon in this forum . I get confident to release my game on steam. But i am worried my game to get refused on steam . Because this regristration fee on steam is expensive in my country . I cant imagine , if i bought regristration fee , and my game get refused on steam and doesnt released them on steam

Thank about for information @bgillisp @TWings

 

[Matseb2611]

So long as you didn't use any ripped resources from other games, then you should be ok. Your resources don't have to be original. You can use stuff you bought from resource packs on the store here on RMW, or even RTP stuff the engine comes with, or the free stuff people post in resources section on the forum (so long as they allow commercial use of their stuff). If there is an issue with your game build, Steam will let you know so that you can correct it (like if it doesn't run and gives an error message), although they can sometimes take days to get back to you. But otherwise, there's no need for worry.

If I am not mistaken, there's also a waiting period that Steam has. After you bought your $100 slot, you have to wait a month before you can make a release. And there's a 2-week wait period between your game page being approved and your release date. So you have to plan it all in advance. Buy the $100 slot at least a month before you want to release your game and get the game page approved by Steam at least 2 weeks before the release (that also includes having a trailer on it).

 

[izzulfikri98]

So long as you didn't use any ripped resources from other games, then you should be ok. Your resources don't have to be original. You can use stuff you bought from resource packs on the store here on RMW, or even RTP stuff the engine comes with, or the free stuff people post in resources section on the forum (so long as they allow commercial use of their stuff). If there is an issue with your game build, Steam will let you know so that you can correct it (like if it doesn't run and gives an error message), although they can sometimes take days to get back to you. But otherwise, there's no need for worry.

If I am not mistaken, there's also a waiting period that Steam has. After you bought your $100 slot, you have to wait a month before you can make a release. And there's a 2-week wait period between your game page being approved and your release date. So you have to plan it all in advance. Buy the $100 slot at least a month before you want to release your game and get the game page approved by Steam at least 2 weeks before the release (that also includes having a trailer on it).

Nice information , thanks

 

[Uzuki]

@izzulfikri98 Can I add that you if you do go commercial that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. Spread out and try to reach other store platforms like GOG or Itch.o to sell your game. Not only will be taking a 25% cut, before taxes, but it'll be hard to get your game noticed unless you do a massive amount of marketing. Indie games tend to thrive better on smaller markets and don't take as huge of a chunk as Steam does.

 

[hp4000]

So long as you didn't use any ripped resources from other games, then you should be ok. Your resources don't have to be original. You can use stuff you bought from resource packs on the store here on RMW, or even RTP stuff the engine comes with, or the free stuff people post in resources section on the forum (so long as they allow commercial use of their stuff). If there is an issue with your game build, Steam will let you know so that you can correct it (like if it doesn't run and gives an error message), although they can sometimes take days to get back to you. But otherwise, there's no need for worry.

If I am not mistaken, there's also a waiting period that Steam has. After you bought your $100 slot, you have to wait a month before you can make a release. And there's a 2-week wait period between your game page being approved and your release date. So you have to plan it all in advance. Buy the $100 slot at least a month before you want to release your game and get the game page approved by Steam at least 2 weeks before the release (that also includes having a trailer on it).

Once you get through the first round of waiting periods, how long does it take to make an update you make for the game live?

 

[TWings]

After the initial release, I believe there's no other delay or manual check.
So your updates go live as soon as you decide it.

 

[Matseb2611]

Yeah, once the game's out already, there are no waiting periods for any updates.

 

[hp4000]

Yeah, once the game's out already, there are no waiting periods for any updates.

After the initial release, I believe there's no other delay or manual check.
So your updates go live as soon as you decide it.

Shweet!

Does anyone know/where to find the demographics are of Steam? (ie: average age of users, male vs. female, kid vs adult, etc.)
Kongregate lists it here: https://docs.kongregate.com/docs, but I can't seem to find it for Steam...

 

[Matseb2611]

Honestly not seen one. Just tried to google it, but nothing specific, just people throwing guesses and estimations out there. From what I gather regarding genders is that although women make up almost 50% of gamers in total, there is a much lower number when it comes to Steam (Steam market seems to be dominated by men mostly). Didn't see anything relating to age demographics though, though from general statistics, the average age of a gamer nowadays is something like 30 or 31. The generation of old-school gamers has grown up by now.

 

[hp4000]

Do you need to do anything special to your game, or can you just export an .exe file from RPG Maker MV and submit that to Steam? I don't want to do achievements, just list the game.

 

[Tuomo L]

Do you need to do anything special to your game, or can you just export an .exe file from RPG Maker MV and submit that to Steam? I don't want to do achievements, just list the game.

You should do achievements. You really, really, REALLY should even if they'd be shoehorned in.


You're literally costing yourself customers not putting in achievements. There's people who don't buy any games if they don't have achievements and there's MANY of them.

 

[Matseb2611]

I am pretty sure you can just submit it straight away (could be wrong though, since I always have Steam integration plugins for the sake of achievements), but I do agree with @Tuomo L that achievements are highly recommended, even if you're just putting a few of them in.

 

[Kes]

Plan your achievements even before starting to make your game. The advice might be too late for the OP, but as a general piece of advice it's worth giving.

In my previous games I didn't, and it was a huge amount of work putting in all the variables, switches etc so that the Achievements could be implemented. This time round I have put those switches in place already. So if there is an achievement for finding X number of Y, the variable is already there and counting them. If there is an achievement for completing something, that switch is already there. And so on. Saves a lot of time and effort in the long run.

 

[Tuomo L]

Plan your achievements even before starting to make your game. The advice might be too late for the OP, but as a general piece of advice it's worth giving.

In my previous games I didn't, and it was a huge amount of work putting in all the variables, switches etc so that the Achievements could be implemented. This time round I have put those switches in place already. So if there is an achievement for finding X number of Y, the variable is already there and counting them. If there is an achievement for completing something, that switch is already there. And so on. Saves a lot of time and effort in the long run.

You're overthinking the achievements. A simple "You beat the game" or "you beat boss X" are enough for achieves. You don't need to have many of them, just few is enough.