Santa Ragione's controversial horror game, Horses, has sold 18,000 copies. However, this might not be sufficient to secure the studio's future
Despite facing removal from major platforms Steam and Epic Games Store, the horror game "Horses" by Italian developer Santa Ragione has exceeded 18,000 units in sales. Earlier in October, Santa Ragione suggested in a GamesIndustry.biz interview that their operations might be at risk after Valve rejected their horror game from its platform.
The developer expressed concern over the inability to access a vast PC audience, thereby jeopardizing the recovery of their development expenses. These challenges intensified when Epic Games Store also opted not to distribute the game. Recently, the company reported accumulating roughly $65,000 in net sales, attributed to extensive media attention on the bans, backing from GOG, and player enthusiasm. However, this revenue is insufficient for securing the studio's future financial health.
Santa Ragione stated, "The earnings mainly address financial commitments stemming from the extended development phase. Continuous sales could potentially finance a new prototype, but as of now, team members are undertaking other roles and projects to manage financial duties. Although we aspire to reunite the team, achieving it will be challenging."
The studio highlighted that the initial sales success doesn't offset the repercussions of prior events. "The restrictions from Steam and the consequent development postponements drove us into a prolonged financial struggle, dealing with debts and team members moving to other ventures," Santa Ragione remarked. "This dispersion of the team is a significant aftermath, though the release has had positive elements."
Furthermore, Santa Ragione urged for greater clarity, transparent procedures, and significant accountability from dominant distribution platforms, emphasizing that other games are also quietly banned or stuck in review, leaving developers wary of stepping forward due to concerns of backlash or rejections.