Why is vintage story not on steam

Overview

Vintage Story is a sandbox survival game developed by Anego Studios that began development in 2015 and launched in 2016. The game was created as a spiritual successor to Minecraft's early modding scene, specifically drawing inspiration from the TerraFirmaCraft mod that emphasized realistic survival mechanics. Unlike many indie games that launch on established platforms like Steam, Vintage Story was published independently through the developers' own website from its inception. This decision was made early in development, with the team citing their experience from previous projects and a desire to build a direct relationship with their player community. The game has evolved through numerous updates since 2016, with major version 1.0 releasing in 2020 after four years of early access development. As of 2024, the game continues to receive regular updates approximately every 2-3 months, with the development team maintaining complete control over the release schedule and feature roadmap.

How It Works

The decision to avoid Steam operates through several key mechanisms. First, the developers established their own digital distribution platform using the Humble Widget system initially, later transitioning to a custom storefront integrated with their website. This allows them to process payments directly through services like Stripe and PayPal, bypassing platform fees. Second, they implemented their own update delivery system using a custom launcher that players download from their website, which handles game installation, updates, and mod management. Third, they maintain complete control over pricing strategies, frequently offering direct sales and bundles without needing platform approval. Fourth, community management occurs primarily through their own forums and Discord server rather than Steam's community features. This approach requires maintaining their own infrastructure for distribution, payment processing, and customer support, but provides 100% of revenue after payment processor fees (typically 2-3% compared to Steam's 30%).

Why It Matters

This distribution model matters significantly for both developers and the gaming industry. For Anego Studios, it means retaining approximately 70% more revenue per sale compared to Steam distribution, which has allowed them to sustain development with a small team since 2016. For players, it creates a direct relationship where feedback goes straight to developers rather than through platform intermediaries. In the broader industry, Vintage Story demonstrates that successful indie games can thrive outside major platforms, challenging the dominance of storefronts like Steam. The game's community of over 100,000 players shows that dedicated niche audiences will seek out quality games regardless of distribution platform. This model also allows for more experimental development approaches without platform content restrictions or feature requirements.