Xbox Announcement + Game Informer Cover + Demo Feedback
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Mar 15, 2023 at 11:05:33 AM
While the team is progressing steadily towards the Beta (content complete) milestone, we have one last platform announcement for you, along with some exciting news you might have missed. Let's jump right in.
SEA OF STARS IS COMING TO XBOX
Talk about an announcement that was long overdue!
Since the very beginning, we were secretly hoping to be able to cover all current and previous generation consoles. With production being a world of curve balls, we had to leave the messaging at "PC and Consoles" to avoid having to walk some things back. With the big unknowns now in the rear view, we are delighted to finally confirm the addition of Xbox to the party!
This puts the bow on platform announcements until launch. Sea of Stars will be available day and date on August 29 on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation (4 and 5), and Xbox (One and Series X/S), with cross-buy enabled where applicable.
Oh, and in addition to being currently available on Nintendo Switch, the playable demo will be coming to the other launch platforms later this year!
(If you want to help bring more eyeballs to Sea of Stars, please RT this post!)
THE FINAL BACKER SURVEYS ARE COMING IN A FEW WEEKS
Now that all platforms have been confirmed, you can expect the backer surveys to be sent out very soon! We will do a full update including all relevant information the moment everything is ready. There will also be multiple reminders to make sure no one misses out.
Physical copies need time to be produced and shipped once the gold master build is ready. Evaluating options, we opted to release the game digitally as soon as it is ready (August 29, 2023), which means physical copies will arrive at a later date. But worry not, for every physical copy pre-order will be given a free digital game code usable on day one.
As an additional treat to backers, digital codes do not need to be for the same platform as the physical version you are picking. Feel free to take this opportunity as a free copy on an additional platform, or a way to keep your physical copy sealed!
The same goes for vinyls. Our top priority is letting everyone play the game as soon as possible, but we will be putting in all efforts to get them to your door as fast as pressing will allow. This also helps since the soundtrack is bound to contain a spoiler or two.
More details coming soon!
SEA OF STARS MADE THE MARCH COVER OF GAME INFORMER!
That'll be one to look back on in our autumn years!
Along with inviting us to be the cover for the March issue, Game Informer crafted a 10 pages-long, in-depth cover story with exclusive in-game content. It contains interviews with our creative director Thierry, composer and audio designer Eric, lead animator Bruno, and guest composer Yasunori Mitsuda.
Physical copies of this issue are now available in GameStops in the US, and the digital version is available here.
There’s also a Gold Edition! This one is a rarer print and not for sale, but should you be interested, here’s a quote from Game Informer on how to get your hands on it:
“To learn about places where you might be able to get a copy, check out our official Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.”
Rumor has it that some copies may be shipped to our studio, so we might get a few copies to give away in the near future as well so… stay tuned!
Both amazing artworks by our concept artist Bryce Kho are available as hi-res wallpapers here:
In just a couple of weeks, over 200 000 people played the demo on Nintendo Switch! We read through countless feedback and gathered helpful insights for the road as we tackle the closing stages of production. Overall, we were blessed with an overwhelmingly positive response, which gave the team a lot of energy for what lies ahead.
The #sos-demo-feedback channel on Discord is still open if you’d like to share your thoughts!
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
As mentioned, we will be in touch for the next phase of fulfillment very soon.
In the meantime, we thank you all once again for your overwhelming positivity and support <3
All the best,
-Saboteam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. 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!
SEA OF STARS LAUNCHES ON AUGUST 29 + SWITCH DEMO
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Feb 08, 2023 at 02:36:59 PM
Hello dear backers and supporters!
As you might have seen, Sea of Stars was featured in today’s Nintendo Direct bringing two major announcements.
It goes without saying that receiving an invite for something as prestigious as a Nintendo Direct is a huge honor for Sea of Stars, as well as a big highlight for our careers.
While we finish pinching ourselves, here’s the release date announcement trailer in case you missed it:
AT LAST, SEA OF STARS LAUNCHES AUGUST 29!
We officially locked it in, Sea of Stars will release on all target platforms on August 29th 2023, precisely (even though not intentionally) 5 years after the launch of our previous game, The Messenger.
So much has happened since we first announced Sea of Stars, and it all started with the overwhelming support from early believers. Once again, thank you!
As production wraps up, we are ramping up efforts in QA, localization, marketing and optimization. We remain committed to offering the best experience possible to as many players as possible across the world.
PLAYABLE DEMO AVAILABLE ON NINTENDO SWITCH!
The button has been pressed. Time until availability may vary depending on your time zone, but as of this post, the demo has been shipped to be live on Nintendo Switch!
As you may remember, we were already looking at the potential for a public demo late last year. Let's just say that, when we received a formal invitation to drop it during a Nintendo Direct, it became a no-brainer..
While the demo features areas that will be part of the final game, we made sure to pick a slice that did not reveal any major spoilers from the main story. It is designed to give a hint of context, but mostly showcase some gameplay systems and mechanics around dungeon crawling and combat. It aims to provide a sense of the tone and vibe without giving away major points of the journey.
There is still too much work ahead of us to call it final, but we feel this playable slice is a good representation of what we are shooting for. We hope you will enjoy it!
The demo will be available on other platforms later this year. Going for a single platform is a decision we had to make in order not to delay the release date. We will roll it out to other platforms as soon as possible.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE DEMO!
We’ll be more active on our Discord in the following days to gather as much feedback as we can on the demo. Feel free to come talk to us and share your thoughts in the #sos-demo-feedback channel!
DEMO + Q&A STREAM THIS FRIDAY AT 4PM EST / 1PM PST
For the occasion, we will close this week with a long overdue stream where Thierry will play the demo while answering questions from the community!
We will send notifications on Discord and social media before going live on Friday. Until then, you can ask your questions in the “#dev-questions” forum on Discord or upvote the questions you’d like to see answered.
THAT'S IT FOR NOW
Time for us to get back to dev. We are currently in the midst of the final stretch of production- the BETA (content complete) milestone is in clear view, and we are happy to report that the game sings in all the ways we were hoping it would.
The team's morale is soaring and everyone is doing well, save for the sting of grief creeping up with an occasional reminder that we will one day not be working on this dream project anymore.
In the meantime, we thank you all once again for your overwhelming positivity and support <3
All the best,
-Saboteam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. 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!
A word from Yasunori Mitsuda
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 06:26:37 PM
Hello again everyone!
Hot off the heels of yesterday's update, we have a bonus round for you: a word from Mitsuda himself!
Follow this link where Mitsuda shares some thoughts on Sea of Stars and production, while his beautifully named first track, "Coral Cascades", plays in the background.
That's it for this mini update, we hope you enjoy and have a wonderful time during the holidays <3
See you next year,
SaboTeam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. 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!
Once again, thank you for everything.
2022 Wrap-Up + Road To Launch
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 11:00:19 PM
Hello dear backers and supporters!
It’s already been 6 months since our latest big announcement for Sea of Stars (confirmed coming to Playstation) and it feels like a backers update is long overdue. For the past months we have been fully dialed in on concrete milestones to take this dream production home, and we're happy to report that both the team and the game are doing great!
While everyone's patience and support has been felt by all of us, we want you to rest assured that getting closer to launch also means slowly reemerging from the depths of gamedev to communicate more, starting of course with our community.
So, here’s a wrap-up of the highlights of 2022!
SEA OF STARS IS ON TRACK TO RELEASE IN 2023
While there is still a lot of work left, the path to launch is clearer than ever. The whole team is aligned and on pace to complete the production for Sea of Stars to release in 2023.
Working towards the infamous BETA milestone, technical unknowns are now behind us and all gameplay systems are locked-in. We are hard at work completing content, balancing and fine tuning the game's moment-to-moment experience.
While we cannot provide a specific release date yet, we want to reaffirm that 2023 will be the year Sea of Stars is released.
FROM TITLE SCREEN TO END CREDITS
Four years ago, a small team began work on the level design tools and renderer code that would be required to deliver the vision for Sea of Stars: unshackled traversal, dynamic lighting, and seamless turn-based combat.
As of writing this, the game's main path is fully playable from title screen to end credits. Game mechanics sing the way we were hoping they would, and the story has been finalized with all levels fully playable.
In case you don’t follow us on social media, here’s a few updates you might have missed.
First, a look at the cooking menu.
Here’s a quick stroll through Zenith Academy, with Valere and Zale as kids.
Oh, and here's a big boss just for fun!
SO, WHAT'S LEFT?
A bit of optional content, a lot of NPCs, localization, a whole lot of bug fixing, and an impossible amount of polishing. We are currently operating on a weekly build-review schedule, covering every segment of the game with the finest brush, ensuring readability of the levels, balanced combat, and properly paced cutscenes.
To reach BETA, we need every and all moments and elements of the game to be at the highest quality we can produce.
THE LAST STRETCH
Once the game reaches BETA (content complete), we will work towards the last milestone, GOLD (bug-free), making sure Sea of Stars offers the best experience for everyone, on all its supported platforms. This implies performance optimization, accessibility, compliance, localization and quality assurance.
As a reminder, the game will be available in English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.
BACKER SURVEYS WILL BE SENT IN 2023
With almost 30,000 backers (!!) the fulfillment of the campaign is something we have been preparing for.
The backer experience remains a top priority for us, and we want to make sure everything is in place for quality customer support. As such, surveys have been delayed to 2023. Other than the platform selection, we will be collecting any information relevant to fulfillment at that time (shipping address, name for the credits, etc.)
Rest assured that there will be plenty of reminders, and that we will do everything we can to get in contact with everybody.
LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD
As 2023 approaches, it is clear that we have a big year ahead of us. For now, it is time for the team to take some well-deserved time off, recharge and spend time with loved ones before we all get back together to finish this journey at last.
Again, your support, patience and optimism means a lot to the team. It carries us in these efforts, and after all this time has never failed to mean the world to us. We can’t wait for the moment you all finally play Sea of Stars!
Until then, thank you once again for everything, and we wish everyone a happy 2023!
With love,
-SaboTeam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. 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!
Once again, thank you for everything.
2023 Release + PlayStation Announcement
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, Jul 08, 2022 at 04:29:20 AM
As we are nearing an important production milestone, the road to launch materializes and we have important updates for you! Let's jump right in.
SEA OF STARS IS COMING TO PS4 AND PS5
It was always the plan to bring Sea of Stars to as many people as possible, but as with all things, planning and timing were key. Through PlayStation's Indie Spotlight event, we are happy to confirm today that Sea of Stars will be available on both PS4 and PS5 on launch day, cross-buy.
For over a year we have been working with PlayStation dev kits to make sure it ran as smoothly as on our other target platforms. To avoid spoilers, we showcased the same content as the Nintendo Switch trailer, but still made a point to recapture everything on PS4 and PS5 directly!
(If you want to help bring more eyeballs to Sea of Stars, please RT this post!)
We can also confirm that PlayStation will be an available platform for the backer exclusive physical version published by Limited Run Games. For those who were waiting on a PlayStation confirmation, you can pre-order your copy here (Surveys for platform selection will be sent later this year).
SEA OF STARS WILL RELEASE IN 2023
You might have already seen the 2023 announcement last week on our social media; to avoid spam we were waiting on the PlayStation announcement to bundle everything into one Kickstarter update.
Emphasizing our two main priorities (quality of the finished game, and a healthy work-life balance for the team), production remains a road where the unexpected occurs a lot even if the destination is set. Where there is a wall we tear it down, where there is a tree we walk around it, and where there is a gem we pick it up. The vision remains clear, but seeing the response and hype we made the conscious decision to make sure to leave no gems on the floor. Something special is happening here, and we are committed to making the most of it.
We also want to make sure Sea of Stars is the best experience possible for everyone, which implies considerable efforts in terms of performance optimization, accessibility, localization, QA and porting.
A precise release date will be announced as soon as we pass the Beta milestone.
Once again, thank you all for your overwhelming positivity and patience.
IN THE STUDIO, AT LAST
As a quick side note, after more than two years of remote work and short-lived comeback attempts, the team is officially back in the studio! It’s a huge morale boost to reconnect with the energy of the production floor. We’re feeling blessed to finally be reunited as we undertake the final stretch of development.
NEXT STEPS
With virtually all technical risks already tackled, the team is focused on finalizing the game's content.
We’re also getting ready for the final phases of fulfillment for the Kickstarter campaign. The surveys to gather shipping information and platform choices for both digital and physical versions of Sea of Stars will be sent later this year via Backerkit. We will do multiple announcements on all channels when we’re ready, to make sure everyone has plenty of time to fill them.
In closing, we want to once again thank you for your patience. It’s a long ride, and your overwhelming support goes a long way in keeping the team's motivation high. We feel truly blessed, and can’t wait for you to experience Sea of Stars in its final form.
With love,
-SaboTeam
FOOTNOTES
As we are self-publishing, growing awareness is paramount throughout production. 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:
