2023 Wrap-Up
about 2 years ago
– Fri, Dec 22, 2023 at 08:26:55 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters!
Sea of Stars has been out for almost four months now, and what a ride it has been! As we are closing in on an eventful year for the studio, we wanted to take the time to touch base with you all and recap some of the latest highlights.
Details below, but the gist of it is simply this: Thank You <3
This year has once again reminded us of how amazing our community is, and we can only look back with awe at how far this little dream project was able to go thanks to our supporters.
SEA OF STARS WON BEST INDEPENDENT GAME AT THE GAME AWARDS!
Sea of Stars won the award for Best Independent Game at this year's The Game Awards that took place in Los Angeles on December 7th!
Shoutout to our fellow nominees, make sure to check them out:
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Viewfinder
Sea of Stars was also nominated in the Best RPG category, which ultimately went to Baldur's Gate 3. Congratulations to our friends and neighbors at Larian Studios!
It's been quite a year for games, and this specific night is one our team will cherish forever. Here are some photos from the live event, and some more from the watch party at the studio!
Award season has been incredibly good to us! Here's a more complete list of what Sea of Stars has won so far:
Best Independent Game - The Golden Joysticks
Best Independent Game - Playstation Blog’s Games of the Year
Best Independent Game - Brazil Game Awards
Best Independent Game - Equinox Latam Game Awards
Best Independent Game - Algeria Game Awards
Best Indie Adventure - OTK Video Game Awards
Best Overseas Game - Indieplay China Indie Game Awards
Best New Characters - Indie Live Expo 2023
OVER 4 MILLION PLAYERS IN LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS
Including all platforms and subscription catalogs, Sea of Stars has been played by over 4 millions people since launch.
The fact that the little world we built has connected with so many players around the world is unreal. What a time!
FOR THE HOLIDAYS, SEA OF STARS IS ON SALE ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS!
This might interest some of your friends: Sea of Stars is currently on sale on different platforms with its biggest discounts yet!
Steam Winter Sale - Available at $ 27.99 (%20 off) from Dec. 21 to Jan. 4
The PlayStation Store’s Holiday Sale - Available at $ 24.49 (%30 off) from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5
Nintendo eShop New Year Sale - Available at $ 31.49 (%10 off) from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3
PHYSICAL EDITION UPDATE
As mentioned earlier this Fall, we made sure that the major bug fixes and updates were included in the physical edition, without the need for a patch download. With that in mind, the latest version (v1.0.46981), announced earlier this month, has been sent to print for physicals.
The ROM has passed certification on all platforms. We’re currently finalizing some details around packaging and extras with our partners. The plan hasn’t changed, the target is still to ship the backer-exclusive edition early 2024. More details will be shared in January!
Good progress is made on the vinyl front too - the tracklist is set in stone and the box set is looking great! The plan is to ship all physical items around the same time.
If you have any questions or issues regarding your pledge, please reach out to us at [email protected]
SEE YOU IN 2024
That's it for 2023!
Please note that the studio will be closed from December 22 to January 8. While the team will be enjoying some well deserved rest, we're all excited for what lies ahead and can't wait to share with you more about what is currently cooking.
Once again, a big thanks to all of you. To all who celebrate, we wish you the very best for the Holidays, and a happy 2024!
All the love,
-SaboTeam
Game Awards Nominations + Steam Awards Voting
over 2 years ago
– Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 10:09:00 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters.
Things have been quite busy keeping up with everything since the game’s release, but we wanted to share some updates with you all!
Awards season is in full swing, and it’s been a real honor for us to see our little game receiving so many nominations amidst a year that is so incredibly stacked.
In case you missed it, Sea of Stars has already won Best Indie Game of the Year at the 41st ceremony of the Golden Joystick Awards held in London on November 10. While we have yet to land from the news, we want to thank everyone who took the time to vote!
To add to the excitement, Sea of Stars has officially received two nominations for this year's The Game Awards: Best Independent Game, and Best RPG!
Also, public voting has opened up for the Steam Awards, where we're hoping Sea of Stars can get nominated for Outstanding Visual Style.
If you like to partake in voting for award season, here's some more info:
GAME AWARDS NOMINATIONS
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME
After the win at the Golden Joystick Awards, it was a real treat to see that Sea of Stars was also receiving a nomination for Best Independent Game at The Game Awards!
Plus, if you feel like helping us even more by spreading the word, you can like and share this post.
BEST RPG
2023 gave us a long list of amazing RPGs from AAA studios. Let’s just say that we weren't expecting to find ourselves among these giants. It is an immense honor for us to be included as one of the best in the genre this year.
YOU CAN HELP SEA OF STARS MAKE ITS PLACE IN THE OUTSTANDING VISUAL STYLE CATEGORY FOR THE STEAM AWARDS!
For the Steam Awards this year, we chose the Outstanding Visual Style category for Sea of Stars!
As the nominees are determined by the community alone, every vote makes a big difference. You can cast yours right here.
Whichever titles you wish to support, we hope you will all participate in big numbers <3
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
Before we go, quick reminder that we expect the physical rewards for backers to be ready for delivery early 2024. We’ll have more info about it before the end of the year.
If you still have any issue with your digital rewards, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Once again, a big thanks to all of you. We couldn’t be here without your overwhelming support from the very start.
Cheers,
-Saboteam
It’s Launch Day!
over 2 years ago
– Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 09:01:06 PM
Here we are after 5 years of development--Sea of Stars has officially launched!
The game is out now on all platforms, and backer codes have been sent.
Even though it goes without saying, we are elated to finally put the game in your hands, and once again, want to take this opportunity to thank you for helping us in bringing this dream project to life.
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
Here’s how and when you can expect to receive all the rewards included with your pledge.
As always, If you need any support, please reach out to [email protected] or join us on Discord in the #fulfillment-support channel. We’ll do our best to answer everyone in a timely manner despite all the hecticness surrounding launch.
Digital game codes
As of posting this, the digital backer codes for all platforms have been sent via email. You’ll be receiving yours at the email address associated with your Kickstarter/Backerkit account as soon as they make it through.
Not that if you were set to receive codes for multiple platforms, they will arrive in separate emails.
The digital release of the artbook will initially release with 80+ pages, featuring content from the early chapters of the game, to give everyone time to play the game without encountering any spoilers that would be revealed by the artwork. Coinciding with the eventual release of the physical edition of the book, the digital release will be updated with content from the remaining chapters of the game.
For all backers (Kickstarter or BackerKit) whose pledge includes the digital artbook, downloads will happen through BackerKit.
Digital OST
For all backers (Kickstarter or BackerKit) whose pledge includes the Original Sound Track, downloads will happen through a Steam key. Those keys will be sent through a separate email.
Physical update
As mentioned in our previous update, our philosophy behind physical copies is that it should be able to act as a standalone product, without the need to download a patch of any sort. As such, we opted to offer all physical backers a free digital code, to allow the time for the game to release, and for us to address any reported notes from players.
This means we will send the official ROM to print after the first big patch (ETA Mid-October), which puts us in early 2024 for the prints to be finalized and ready to ship.
Alright, time to play now!
Thank you all once again for the overwhelming support and positivity throughout the years, we can't wait for all of you to finally get your hands on Sea of Stars. From our hearts to yours, we hope you are looking forward to a great adventure.
-Saboteam
Launch Trailer + Standard Physical Release
over 2 years ago
– Tue, Aug 22, 2023 at 07:01:41 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters!
Emotions are flying high at the studio with only one week left until we push the button to release Sea of Stars into the world.
We're keeping ourselves busy until then, so let's look at the latest news!
THE LAUNCH TRAILER IS OUT!
We've been floating the idea of revealing a fourth playable character along with the launch trailer. In the end, we did go for it. There won't be any spoilers in this post, but if you prefer not to see the character reveal, we recommend avoiding the launch trailer for now!
The final week's ramp up to launch is by far the most critical moment for us, especially amidst all the high profile releases surrounding our launch window. So, now more than ever, if we can ask for your help one last time, the best way to bring eyeballs is to leave a comment on the video on YouTube, and share this tweet.
A STANDARD PHYSICAL RELEASE IS HAPPENING, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IAM8BIT.
As early supporters you probably already have your backer-exclusive physical orders settled, but this could be good news for any non-backer friends that might have missed it!
More details will come later this Fall. For anyone wanting to keep in touch, the best is through this newsletter: bit.ly/8bitseaofstars
Physical copies arrive early 2024.
Our philosophy behind physical copies is that it should be able act as a standalone product, without the need to download a patch of any sort. With this idea in mind, we opted to offer all physical backers a free digital code, to allow the time for the game to release, and for us to address any reported notes from players.
This means we will send the official ROM to print after the first big patch (Mid-October), which puts us in early 2024 for the prints to be finalized and ready to ship.
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
The digital backer codes will be sent to the email address associated with your Kickstarter/BackerKit account the moment the game releases on August 29th, along with the other digital rewards (artbook and soundtrack).
If you need any support with your pledge, please reach out to [email protected].
THAT’S IT FOR NOW!
It wouldn't be possible to describe in words how we feel right now. In exactly seven days this dream project of ours will be sent out into the world for all to see. Putting the finishing touches over the past couple of months, there has been a unanimous sentiment on the team that we genuinely ended up with something we would consider special.
So, thank you all once again for the overwhelming support and positivity throughout the years, we can't wait for all of you to finally get your hands on Sea of Stars. From our hearts to yours, we hope you are looking forward to a great adventure.
-SaboTeam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. Now more than ever as we’re getting close to the game’s release. If you have a moment to help us even more than you already have, here are a few ways you can can do so in 30 seconds or less:
Invite a friend or internet traveler to do any of the above!
Certification Complete + Documentary Now Available
over 2 years ago
– Tue, Aug 15, 2023 at 09:01:20 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters!
There are only two weeks left until launch, and we are happy to confirm that Sea of Stars has officially passed certification on all platforms!
This means everything is locked in and out of hands now--like everyone else, we're just waiting for it to go live on August 29th, which is proving to be one of the most challenging steps of this whole journey!
THE 'MAKING OF' DOCUMENTARY FROM THE ESCAPIST IS NOW AVAILABLE
Back in April, The Escapist’s documentary team flew to Québec City to visit our studio for a few days. We had a great time sharing our story and opening up about our process a little more. As of today, you can watch the full thing (runtime 35 minutes) on their YouTube channel.
In case you are worried about spoilers, since the documentary was a Kickstarter stretch goal meant to release before launch we made sure not to show or discuss anything outside of what has been shown already in trailers and social media posts. So, if you have been avoiding everything so far it's probably best to save this one for later, but if you have been keeping up, rest assured that you won't find any spoilers in there!
We want to thank everyone at The Escapist for the amazing opportunity. Working with them has been a real treat, and we will remain forever grateful at how they managed to capture such an important moment of our lives. One for the old days!
If you feel like spreading the word, the best way is to like the video, leave a comment on YouTube, and share this tweet.
Enjoy!
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
The digital backer codes will be sent to the email address associated with your Kickstarter/BackerKit account the moment the game releases on August 29th. The other digital rewards (artbook and soundtrack) will also be distributed via email on launch day.
As we’ve mentioned when bonus digital keys were added to the relevant packages, the physical goods need more time to be manufactured and shipped. We’ll update everyone as soon as we have a better idea of when we expect them to be delivered.
If you need any support with your pledge, please reach out to [email protected].
THAT’S IT FOR NOW!
Only two weeks left until you all get to explore the little world we built. As the press is busy playing the build and writing their reviews (embargo lifts August 28th, a day before launch), we join the wait while being thankful that it is now only a short one.
Thank you all once again for your overwhelming support.
-SaboTeam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. Now more than ever as we’re getting close to the game’s release. If you have a moment to help us even more than you already have, here are a few ways you can can do so in 30 seconds or less:
