For the past couple of weeks, I have been keeping an eye on a nuclear-throne-like game, called Brutal Force, and noticed that it has jumped prices quite a few times. Going back and looking at the game's actual price history, there have been a total of 7 price changes (today marking the 7th) in under a month. The base price has gone $13 > $6 > $5 > $2 > $1 > $4 (with a 75% discount making it $1) > $8 (with a 75% discount making it $2).

This game is already slightly fishy in that when it was first launched on Steam, it had a nearly identical description as that of Nuclear Throne, and has a habit of removing most posts from it's actual discussion board that speak negatively about the game (including technical/bugs).

Now, I have not played the game itself yet, so I can not speak of it's quality (and they do seem to be constantly updating it, which is a plus), but the antics of the devs do raise some eyebrows.

The game itself

August 5 Update: One day later, and there is an 8th price change. Base price is up to $13 (with the still current 75% discount making it $3.25)

August 11 Update: The 75% sale has now ended, and the base price immediately went back down to $1. So anyone buying the game during the "sale" has essentially been conned into thinking they got a good deal, when they really just paid an extra $2.25
ALSO, the Dev recently posted on his facebook page bragging that the controversy helped to generate more sales.

9 years ago*

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Okay, so quick google reasearch showed me few threads on Brutal Force steam community forum about this game being a ripoff. When I tried to access them, i was redicreted to forum itself, where, right now, are only 4 threads. Going further I was cheking negative reviews and some dude stated that neative threads was 'moved or deleted" which, in my eyes, only prooves that developer is a person who have something to hide and/or can't stand any criticism.

As I kinda fail to see the purpose of your threas (are you informing us? asking about our opinion?) I can still share my thoughts: I wouldn't buy this game, just in sake of not encouraging dev in his toxic behaviour. I might consider buying it, when it will be fully relased, because whole situation makes me suspect that this game might never leave EA.

9 years ago
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Well, it was mostly just to put the information out there. After recent shady devs (Estetiikka and Darkbase 01), thought I would bring attention to this game as well. Hopefully it doesn't get as serious as those other incidents, but it's best to let people be informed asap.

9 years ago
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Yeah, now I feel you. That's a great thing to do, thank you for this infos :)

9 years ago
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no cards = no sale! :3

9 years ago
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As one of the devs said to a brazilian fb group that we participate: "We don't like of the term 'Deal' or 'Discount', so we just decrease the price"

9 years ago
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Yet the game's -75%

9 years ago
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hmm, i bought this game for even cheaper base price for today
that is odd

9 years ago
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Current Lowest Price: 1,99€ at Steam (Info)
Historical Lowest Price: 0,99€ at Steam on Wed Jul 29 2015 (Info)

Player Data
Owners: 443 - 2,417
Players total: 17 - 1,413 (50.00%)
Players in the last two weeks: 17 - 1,413 (50.00%)
Average playtime: 0 hours, 15 minutes
Average playtime in the last two weeks: 0 hours, 15 minutes

Playing now: 2
Today's peak: 3
All-time peak: 5

great game

9 years ago
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Another instance of censorship from them today: When a thread was made pointing out the price changes, it ended up getting removed, with the creator claiming to have been banned from the board. Now Reddit has picked up on the drama

9 years ago*
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I don't know why but I somehow enjoy reading peoples rant about shady devs, and devs responses. It's almost like watching reality tv :D

9 years ago
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Interestingly, now that the reddit thread is starting to get big, all those previous bans are being lifted, with threads being restored. No actual word from the devs themselves yet though.

9 years ago
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Damn, we can already see that at games disscussions on steam coomunity page.

Anyway, in my eyes, how bad it wouldn't sound, I think he should just ban everyone as he did eariler. Unbanning people and being quiet is, IMO, a wrongest (is there word like that in english?) thing he could do. He should lift bans and make announcement where he would explain everything and this might end good. He might just still ban everyone and count on people without clue, hoping tjhat they will buy his game. But letting people tell others about his behaviour and not commenting on it? It's like suicide.

9 years ago
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Yeah, internet drama ftw :P

9 years ago
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The price change by itself could just indicate the dev trying to move it down instead of a simple sale… even though in marketing 101 they teach that a product costing 10 dollars at full price is less lucrative to a customer than a product costing 10 dollars on a 75% sale.

The rest of the story around this game… well, it reeks. Really reeks. Reeks to the point that maybe the whole game itself is stolen, not just a rip-off.

9 years ago
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There has been a brutal price changing force at work

9 years ago
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Crazy.. I don't really like when devs do this sort of thing. Seems like they can't make up their mind on the price, lol. Glad I bought it for 0.99 when I could.

9 years ago
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They use to drop Steam keys on their Facebook page.

9 years ago
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New update. The 75% sale has ended, which would mean that the game should now cost $13, right? Nope, the base price has dropped back down to a dollar again. The dev is clearly showing that he is trying to cheat the system by slapping a "sale" sticker onto his game to attract attention, while also raising it above what he was charging.
He also bragged on his facebook page that the controversy is helping to bolster sales of his game

9 years ago
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Closed 6 years ago by AuthenticZac.