Descent Underground Next Year

Descent: Underground was planned for release this year, but developer Descendent Studios was careful to hedge, saying the timeline was "subject to change" since they "are a small, independent team." Now they announce the 6DoF shooter is expected next year through a publishing agreement with Little Orbit. The good news is this will make the game available on more platforms, as it's now expected for consoles as well as Windows, macOS, and Linux. They note that the game is currently no longer offered through early access, but those who already bought it that way are entitled to the full game when it arrives. Here's the plan:
Worldwide Video Game Publisher, Little Orbit, today announced it has partnered with Descendent Studios, the Austin-based developers of Descent: Underground: a reboot of the classic full-freedom shooter Descent. Under the agreement, Little Orbit will publish and distribute the game by expanding distribution of Descent: Underground to include retail boxed copies and console versions for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in addition to Windows, Mac and Linux.

"We're proud to help give the Descent series the full, modern AAA rebirth it deserves," said Matthew Scott, CEO of Little Orbit. "Descendent had the experience, the vision, and the drive. Now with our help, they have the support to take Descent: Underground out of this world!"

In August, Little Orbit took over development of Unsung Story, a crowdfunded tactical RPG project started by Yasumi Matsuno. With Descent: Underground, Descendent will continue to lead development, while Little Orbit is providing completion funding, additional resources, marketing, and distribution. In order to focus on finishing the game faster, Descendent recently delisted the game from early access on Steam and other sites. Little Orbit confirmed that players who purchased Decent: Underground in early access would receive the finished game upon release. Gamers interested in staying up to date with the development process can follow the game on www.BrightLocker.com

"Little Orbit is helping us to enrich players' experience in Descent: Underground with a larger storyline campaign, excellent art, and deeper metagame," said Eric Peterson, Descendent's CEO. "With Little Orbit on board, we're progressing faster towards delivering the amazing modern rebirth that Descent deserves!"

More information on the game can be found here: https://littleorbit.com/game/descent/
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33 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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33.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 16:41
Slick
 
33.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 16:41
Nov 2, 2017, 16:41
 Slick
 
Beamer wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 12:07:
Who do we owe more here? The publisher putting out PR, or our fellow gamers who trust each other to be informed about what's going on?

I'm so confused, is this the new reality? I could have sworn I've been living in an alternate universe on this board for years now...

Exhibit A: Every time I publically "like" a DICE game on here, I'm told that I'm an EA shill, an astroturfer, a sellout, and a corporate propagandist. Even though I couldn't give a fuck who publishes a game I like, I just like the games I like.

Can't we just go back to that? the good old days where "Slick = corporate shill" and everyone is allowed to criticize everything? I think I enjoyed that more.

The idea that any piece of news is sacrosanct, and not to be challenged by anyone because corporate PR is divine is just ridiculous.

Here KxMode, I'll give you what you want, and what you've thought I actually said in my first post:

D:U doesn't look very good, it looks bad in fact. I can't see myself enjoying 5 minutes of it. I'd much rather play the obviously superior OverLoad.

Happy? Next time I'll lead with that and you'll have a better chance of making sense. Even though there's still absolutely nothing wrong with posting the above paragraph...

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32.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 16:32
Slick
 
32.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 16:32
Nov 2, 2017, 16:32
 Slick
 
I'll be the first to admit that I've acted like a "d-bag" on this forum before.

This wasn't one of those times.

also:

ForgedReality wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 07:53:
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:31:
The Bible isn't exactly competing against video games.

No, just against intelligence. XD Perhaps that's where your ideas of what consists of a valid argument come from...

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
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31.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 16:24
31.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 16:24
Nov 2, 2017, 16:24
 
Burrito of Peace wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 07:59:
Fuck it, I am going to threadjack this and make it about turtles.

Turtles are all kinds of awesome and, in some very unique cases, can turn out to be ninjas.

The only thing better than a ninja turtle? A pirate turtle because pirates destroy ninjas seven times before breakfast.

Come at me bro

When I was in high school, I was tromping through the woods and came across a little 6 inch snapping turtle. I scooped it up (carefully!) and brought home. Kept that sucker in an aquarium all winter. It was a total ninja. I'd plop in 10 gold fish once a week or so, and he'd snap them all up in about 30 seconds and burp out the scales after each one. In the spring I let him go where I found him. Very cool pet.

If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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30.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 12:07
30.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 12:07
Nov 2, 2017, 12:07
 
I consider it bad etiquette to not inform me of other games coming out that will be in direct competition that I may prefer.

Who do we owe more here? The publisher putting out PR, or our fellow gamers who trust each other to be informed about what's going on?

29.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 12:00
Kxmode
 
29.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 12:00
Nov 2, 2017, 12:00
 Kxmode
 
Jerykk wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 00:08:
But this isn't a publisher forum. This is a gaming news forum. I see nothing wrong with talking about Overload, since that game would also be of interest to people interested in D:U. If Overload compares favorably to D:U, that's not our fault.

That's not the point, and BluesNews doesn't have to be a publisher's forum to have basic etiquette.

HoSpanky wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 00:34:
Well, I assume this means you’ll never mention a game other than the one in a thread’s title, ever.

For references, sure (e.g. "missions in this game remind me of the missions in X game"). As a direct "promotion" no. Decorum dictates certain behavior be observed. Blue provides a large amount of leeway when we post comments. Basically, it's a "d-bag" move to do what Slick did in the first post. This is not hard to comprehend.

Slick wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 01:55:
ESPECIALLY one in the same genre, with the same projected release date, on an open forum where gamers gather to largely gather to shout their OPINIONS into the void.

It's a d-bag move.

Slick wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 01:57:
"IMO" isn't a "valid excuse" to "have an opinion"? What, if that opinion isn't sanctioned by you? If you choose to self-censor, that's your business, fuck off trying to impose that backwards nonsense on the rest of us.

You didn't provide an opinion. You promoted another competing title. "IMO" means nothing in context.

jdreyer wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 03:50:
1. I'm pretty sure I've never attacked the fact that you bring up religion, although I may have argued points that contradicted scientific fact.

2. It would be stranger if someone didn't bring up Overload. The games are so similar and will be released near the same time.

3. Your argument is like saying don't bring up Elite:Dangerous in a Star Citizen thread. I'm pretty sure you've never argued against that before. It's strange to pick this game as your hill to stand on.

4. No games about Jesus? Did you forget about Left Behind?

5. Decorum? This is Blue's News!

1. I hear you. However, remember those comments generally appear in an off-topic manner. It is not the same as what Slick posted. Apples, oranges.
2. True. But this is where decorum comes into play. Promoting another title is a total "d-bag" move. It is like a child (let's call her Suzy) who worked hard on a lemonade stand. On the day Suzy begins promoting its upcoming launch another kid (let's call him Steve) appears to promote Bob's lemonade stand and that he invented lemonade. How would you feel/react to Steve's shenanigans?
3. The comparison is fine, and we do it all the time. That's not what Slick did. His post was a straight-up promotion akin to my analogy in #2.
4. The "rapture" isn't about Jesus.
5. Blue affords a great deal of post freedom. However, don't confuse leeway with etiquette.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 07:59:
Fuck it, I am going to threadjack this and make it about turtles.

Turtles are all kinds of awesome and, in some very unique cases, can turn out to be ninjas.

The only thing better than a ninja turtle? A pirate turtle because pirates destroy ninjas seven times before breakfast.

Come at me bro

Mentioning turtles in this thread isn't a threadjack. It's off-topic. Not the same point.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
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28.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 08:51
28.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 08:51
Nov 2, 2017, 08:51
 
Going to agree with everyone saying this is the right space to discuss a competitor, just like Star Citizen threads were the right space to discuss Elite.

It's good for people interested in a certain underrepresented genre to know of the options out there. Neither game is identical, so people are bound to prefer one to the other. Making sure they make the right decision is what word of mouth forums are for.

It's not saying "LOL WHAT MORONS WILL BUY DESCENT WHEN A NEW MORTAL KOMBAT IS COMING OUT!" it's saying "if you're interested in this game, it stands to reason you'd also be interested in this game." That's exactly the information I want out of this place.
27.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 07:59
27.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 07:59
Nov 2, 2017, 07:59
 
Fuck it, I am going to threadjack this and make it about turtles.

Turtles are all kinds of awesome and, in some very unique cases, can turn out to be ninjas.

The only thing better than a ninja turtle? A pirate turtle because pirates destroy ninjas seven times before breakfast.

Come at me bro
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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26.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 07:53
26.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 07:53
Nov 2, 2017, 07:53
 
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:31:
The Bible isn't exactly competing against video games.

No, just against intelligence. XD Perhaps that's where your ideas of what consists of a valid argument come from...
Avatar 55267
25.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 06:39
25.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 06:39
Nov 2, 2017, 06:39
 
It actually says:
Together we’ve developed a schedule that gets this game in your hands a heck of a lot sooner than if we’d tried to go it alone. When? That’s Little Orbit’s tale to tell, but keep your eyes peeled for an announcement at one of the big 2018 conventions

So the schedule will be released in 2018... no t necessarily the game...
24.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 04:13
24.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 04:13
Nov 2, 2017, 04:13
 
There were a lot of red flags about the Kickstarter. For one, nobody on the team had actually worked on any of the original Descent games. There's also the fact that almost none of the devs have worked on a game that's shipped within the past 10 years. Then there was the paltry $600k goal with an 8-person team. That would cover maybe a year's worth of development if they worked out of someone's house, skipped all benefits and accepted a low salary.

I don't have much faith in Overload either. They made $300k on KS (before taxes and KS's cut) and have about 6000 owners on Steam. If you subtract the KS backers, that means they've only sold about 1000 units on Steam since they started Early Access in March. 1000 units in 8 months is pretty terrible.

Sadly, there simply isn't much interest in the 6DoF genre. By comparison, Carmageddon: Reincarnation and Road Redemption (two other KS games based on old niche genres) have over 100k owners on Steam.
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23.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 03:50
23.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 03:50
Nov 2, 2017, 03:50
 
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:31:
jdreyer wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 18:36:
Dude, who put a bee in your bonnet?

I don't like people hijacking an indie's thread the promote another competing product. That I backed D:U for $50 is irrelevant. I wouldn't do it in any game's thread. Have some standards.

P.S. You'll likely reply "well Kxmode you talk religion all the time, " and this is true. The fundamental difference is no one releases a game about Jesus. The Bible isn't exactly competing against video games. IOW apples and oranges.

1. I'm pretty sure I've never attacked the fact that you bring up religion, although I may have argued points that contradicted scientific fact.

2. It would be stranger if someone didn't bring up Overload. The games are so similar and will be released near the same time.

3. Your argument is like saying don't bring up Elite:Dangerous in a Star Citizen thread. I'm pretty sure you've never argued against that before. It's strange to pick this game as your hill to stand on.

4. No games about Jesus? Did you forget about Left Behind?

5. Decorum? This is Blue's News!
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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22.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 02:26
22.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 02:26
Nov 2, 2017, 02:26
 
CJ_Parker wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 15:13:
BTW, here is the devs' more personal message regarding the recent development issues and the publisher announcement.
Looks like they've been going without pay for a while so WingMan & co. really needed this deal to make the game happen at all.
Thanks for the link.

I do feel bad for the studio. They have some neat ideas, but what they promised and how much money they raised were not well aligned. It was obvious early-on that they'd run out of money before finishing everything they said they would. So I'm glad they found an outside publisher, though it means they now have to walk a very fine rope since they have to balance the worst of both worlds.
21.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 01:57
Slick
 
21.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 01:57
Nov 2, 2017, 01:57
 Slick
 
Lol Jesus Christ KxMode.

The straw-manning is real.

"IMO" isn't a "valid excuse" to "have an opinion"? What, if that opinion isn't sanctioned by you? If you choose to self-censor, that's your business, fuck off trying to impose that backwards nonsense on the rest of us.

And since when is ANYTHING on this cesspool of a backwoods underground obscure gaming forum considered beyond criticism? Where do you think you are exactly?

You directly compare my benign comment where twice I state my OPINION as equivalent to going on a publisher's highly-moderated forum talking trash while bigging-up a competitor's product (not that I'd give two fucks about doing that either). I didn't even talk trash about D:U if you even bothered to read what I wrote before getting visibly triggered.

Why stop there? What if I went up to Queen Elizabeth and spat in her eyes then farted on her face? Surely THAT would be considered trollish. I mean, while you're making things up out of whole cloth, you might as well go apeshit.

I'll remember my "decorum" next time there's an article about CoD and I post how CoD is a piece of shit and Battlefield does everything CoD tries to do MUCH better. You know like I do in every thread ^_^

If you're incapable of participating in the free interchange of ideas and opinions, I'd suggest a much more moderated forum would be to your liking. That shit doesn't fly here, you should know that by now. Your freedom to be offended doesn't supercede my freedom to express my opinion, snowflake.

Bee in the bonnet indeed.
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20.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 01:55
Slick
 
20.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 01:55
Nov 2, 2017, 01:55
 Slick
 
HoSpanky wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 00:34:
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:31:
jdreyer wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 18:36:
Dude, who put a bee in your bonnet?

I don't like people hijacking an indie's thread the promote another competing product. That I backed D:U for $50 is irrelevant. I wouldn't do it in any game's thread. Have some standards.

Well, I assume this means you’ll never mention a game other than the one in a thread’s title, ever.

ESPECIALLY one in the same genre, with the same projected release date, on an open forum where gamers gather to largely gather to shout their OPINIONS into the void.
Avatar 57545
19.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 01:14
19.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 01:14
Nov 2, 2017, 01:14
 
siapnar wrote on Nov 2, 2017, 00:13:
CJ_Parker wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 15:13:
BTW, here is the devs' more personal message regarding the recent development issues and the publisher announcement.
Looks like they've been going without pay for a while so WingMan & co. really needed this deal to make the game happen at all.
These guys got 600k USD from Kickstarter. From the look of it, they didn't manage that money very well because the game doesn't have much content and lacks in the looks department. I think they blew a bunch on marketing and image without really giving the game substance. Or not. Either way, this screams bad resource management

$600K is absolutely nothing when it comes to game development even with a small team. A drip in the ocean is what a measly $600K is.

Besides, they probably got quite a bit less than that because the funding stalled at around $500K for the last week of the KS.
It was very obvious back then that they helped the KS over the $600K by themselves just so it would succeed.
They kept the campaign running on their website but IIRC it raised maybe $15K more over the next year+ (pocket change). It was a minuscule sum that they raised post-KS-campaign.

The campaign ended in April 2015. It's been over 2.5 years since then with a laughable $500K to start.
Their team page might only show four devs now but when they launched their original website it introduced more like about ten people or so who worked on the game initially.
With a team like that, employee costs, hardware, licenses and all the other bills that come with running such a gig, you are not going very far with $500K. A few months at most...

The only reason they are still around is Steam early access. They managed to sell between ~35K and a little over 40K copies (I deducted the KS backers from SteamSpy's numbers).

Most KS projects are not fully covered... not even the big ones. Larian, inXile, Obsidian all spent considerably more money on making the respective games than what they raised on KS. They used the KS campaign as a marketing tool.

In Descendent Studios' case it might turn out to be a costly mistake that they did not accept defeat when the project stalled far below $600K. You can not make a quality game with single and multiplayer on a hamstring budget and with no way to properly subsidize development from other sources of income.

With a publisher they are finally on the right track now and I wish them all the best. Just about the only good thing about Star Shitizen to date was the Wingman's Hangar show on YT back in the day.
18.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 00:34
18.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 00:34
Nov 2, 2017, 00:34
 
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:31:
jdreyer wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 18:36:
Dude, who put a bee in your bonnet?

I don't like people hijacking an indie's thread the promote another competing product. That I backed D:U for $50 is irrelevant. I wouldn't do it in any game's thread. Have some standards.

Well, I assume this means you’ll never mention a game other than the one in a thread’s title, ever.
Avatar 15603
17.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 00:13
17.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 00:13
Nov 2, 2017, 00:13
 
CJ_Parker wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 15:13:
BTW, here is the devs' more personal message regarding the recent development issues and the publisher announcement.
Looks like they've been going without pay for a while so WingMan & co. really needed this deal to make the game happen at all.
These guys got 600k USD from Kickstarter. From the look of it, they didn't manage that money very well because the game doesn't have much content and lacks in the looks department. I think they blew a bunch on marketing and image without really giving the game substance. Or not. Either way, this screams bad resource management
16.
 
Re: Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 2, 2017, 00:08
16.
Re: Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 2, 2017, 00:08
Nov 2, 2017, 00:08
 
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 23:19:
And Slick "IMO" is not a valid excuse. But since you fail to understand what I'm talking about. Do this: the next time you log into a publisher's heavily modded community forum, start promoting another competing title. See how fast your post gets locked/deleted/relocated.

But this isn't a publisher forum. This is a gaming news forum. I see nothing wrong with talking about Overload, since that game would also be of interest to people interested in D:U. If Overload compares favorably to D:U, that's not our fault.
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15.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 1, 2017, 23:31
Kxmode
 
15.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 1, 2017, 23:31
Nov 1, 2017, 23:31
 Kxmode
 
jdreyer wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 18:36:
Dude, who put a bee in your bonnet?

I don't like people hijacking an indie's thread the promote another competing product. That I backed D:U for $50 is irrelevant. I wouldn't do it in any game's thread. Have some standards.

P.S. You'll likely reply "well Kxmode you talk religion all the time, " and this is true. The fundamental difference is no one releases a game about Jesus. The Bible isn't exactly competing against video games. IOW apples and oranges.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
Avatar 18786
14.
 
Re: Descent Underground Next Year
Nov 1, 2017, 23:19
Kxmode
 
14.
Re: Descent Underground Next Year Nov 1, 2017, 23:19
Nov 1, 2017, 23:19
 Kxmode
 
jdreyer wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 18:32:
Kxmode wrote on Nov 1, 2017, 13:30:
You know Slick, that's a very trollish thing to do. Give DU its moment to shine.

Actually came to this thread wondering about Overload, so was pleased with Slick's comment. Blue gave DU it's chance to shine by making it the second FP story this morning.

Well, it's hard for something to shine when the very first comment hijacks the thread to talk about another game. And not some random game either, but a direct competitor; or as Slick puts it, "Overload is made by the actual creators of Descent."

All I'm saying is have some decorum. We know about Overload. Don't hijack this thread to make some noise about that game. That's some low-level trolling. That would be like if every time Blue posted an article about Star Citizen, Derek Smart appears to pimp whatever monstrosity he's making.

And Slick "IMO" is not a valid excuse. But since you fail to understand what I'm talking about. Do this: the next time you log into a publisher's heavily modded community forum, start promoting another competing title. See how fast your post gets locked/deleted/relocated.
"...and in stonks, Fizzy Squeezy Stocklebocks leaped over Droopy Whoopy Bondfluffs, hitting 300-gigglebits to their 150-snorebucks. Meanwhile, in Whimsyland's market, the pancakes reached parity with pogo sticks."
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