How Steam saved Introversion Software

This is a story about how a then-failing game developer was brought back from the brink of closing. Introversion Software whose games include Darwinia+, Multiwinia and the upcoming Subversion, was a stone’s throw away from shutting its doors before Steam came along and saved the company.

Introversion Software was suffering from lackluster sales of its XBLA game Darwinia+ following its release in February 2010. According to GI.biz, the company had to layoff all of its employees and closed its office in preparation for the worst. Then a miracle occurred. Introversion managed to get one of its games called DEFCON onto Steam. After adding Steam achievements to the game, Valve hosted a sale which included DEFCON. DEFCON was met with near instant success and Introversion Software was given a second wind.

Mark Morris, one of the founders of Introversion explained to GI.biz just how well business has become following the Steam sale.

“We’ve now sold more than $2.5 million through Steam, which is pretty good for Introversion, through life,” Morris said. “Not all of that comes back to us, because sometimes it’s been in bundle packs, and we’ve gotten less. But basically it equates to almost bang on £1 million, so we’re really pleased.”

Even though Darwinia+ was also subject to a sale on Xbox Live, it didn’t do nearly as well as the Steam sale. Morris feels getting a game on Steam should be every indie developer’s goal.

Morris exclaims getting a game on Steam is not an easy process, but that difficulty encourages developers to make a product that’s unique enough for Valve to take notice. The approval process also helps to make sure only the best games make it to Steam. Or as Activision’s localization project coordinator Mark Timmins comments, “I think Valve are more selective to avoid over-saturating their store. Look at how the iPhone has turned out – so many apps of widely varying quality that one wouldn’t know where to start.”

Introversion Software partly relies on Steam, but also sells its own games on its website for additional revenue.

Via [GI.biz] Read [Big Download]