Stardew Valley creator wishes he'd known how popular it would be, so he could have "made my life easier for making all these updates"
Stardew Valley Creator Regrets Game Design?
Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, expressed in a PC Gamer interview that he bases game updates on his personal whims and gameplay experiences. Despite the success of the game, which has sold over 30 million copies, Barone wishes he had initially designed the game to simplify the update process, as each one requires considerable effort. As he focuses on resolving issues with the latest 1.6 update, Barone is also looking forward to his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, though he remains committed to Stardew Valley for the time being.
How has the success of Stardew Valley affected Eric Barone's approach to game updates?
Eric Barone's approach to updating Stardew Valley is influenced by the game's success in that he wishes he had initially set up the game to make updating it easier. In the interview with PC Gamer, Barone mentioned that he decides what to include in updates based on his personal impulses and experiences playing the game1. He occasionally considers player feedback, but it is not his primary guide. Instead, he relies on what he feels would enhance the fun of the game.
The significant success of Stardew Valley, which has sold over 30 million copies, has led Barone to reflect on the process of updating the game. He expressed a wish that he had invested more effort upfront to simplify the process of making updates, given the extensive updates and the addition of multiple languages the game has required over time. This insight from handling Stardown Valley's updates is something he plans to carry into the development of his next game, Haunted Chocolatier1. Currently, Barone is focused on resolving issues with the recent 1.6 update of Stardew Valley, which has been a substantial task, delaying his work on Haunted Chocolatier.
How does player feedback influence the updates in Stardew Valley according to Eric Barone?
Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, acknowledges that player feedback plays a role in shaping the game, but it is not the primary factor guiding his decisions on updates1. He describes his approach to updating the game as largely based on his personal intuition and what he feels would enhance the fun of the game12. While he does consider player feedback and requests, these do not serve as the ultimate guide for his update decisions1. Instead, Barone emphasizes that his own experiences and spontaneous ideas from playing the game are what predominantly drive the changes and additions in each update.