Red Thread Games' Statement on Dustborn: An Echo Chamber in the Making
Red Thread Games released a statement addressing the community about the reception of their game, Dustborn... and boy, is it absolutely (unintentionally) hysterical.
The statement, cloaked in language about "thoughtful feedback and respectful criticism," comes across more as crying and complaining instead of genuine thoughts. It reveals more about the developer's true stance on engagement than they intended.
While they claim to "welcome discussion and debate," their actions suggest otherwise, veering closer to an echo chamber than fostering dialogue.
In their message, Red Thread Games states:
This initially sounds like an earnest call for dialogue, but in reality, it paints a picture of selective listening. Sure, they expected "conversation and debate," but only as long as it aligned with their narrative. The moment dissent arose, it was dismissed as "hate and abuse."
Are they truly interested in engaging with their community, or do they only want to hear praise and positive feedback?
I think we all know the answer to that...
A Game Developer's Right, But Not a Demand
Look, if you want to make a game with a particular message, perspective, or ideology and release it to the world, that's perfectly fine. It's your creative vision. But where Red Thread Games missed the mark is in demanding that everyone not only engage with that vision but also support it financially.
They make it sound like it is the audience's duty to embrace Dustborn:
While no one condones hate speech or harassment, the problem here is the broad brush with which they paint all criticism. If you create a product—especially one that is attempting to push boundaries or messages—you have to be prepared for pushback.
As consumers, we have the right to spend our hard-earned money on whatever want to. If that means not buying Dustborn, then Red Thread Games needs to accept that reality and not try to muzzle dissenting voices under the guise of "hate." Maybe instead, I dunno - crazy thought, next time create a game that people want to play!
The Reality of the Marketplace: Failure Happens
Red Thread Games' response feels less like an acknowledgment of their audience's right to choose and more like a demand for validation. They need to understand that just because they put out a game, not everyone has to buy it. In fact, the vast majority of gamers typically don't. It's like The Model Gamer said on Twitter: Assuming that just because I put out a video on my channel, the entirety of YouTube has to watch it. Sure, I'd be thrilled if they did, but that's not how things work. Consumers have every right to pick and choose what they engage with.
Failure is a part of reality. Game developers need to recognize that, like many developers before them, they'll face setbacks. If Dustborn doesn't sell well, then the path forward isn't to blame the audience or dismiss criticism as hate. It's to learn from the experience, dust themselves off, and try again... But blaming the audience for critique? For shame, Red Thread. Not to mention your own developer seemed to go off the deep-end against the community far worse than any gamers on Twitter that I've seen... So there's also that.
Open Dialogue or Controlled Conversation?
In the end, Red Thread Games' statement reflects a common theme among those who don't quite understand public discourse. Entities like this say they want debate, (or, FIGHT ME, PHYSICALLY) but what they truly desire is an echo chamber. If they really wanted to engage with their audience in a meaningful way, they'd take all feedback—positive and negative—with grace and use it to grow. Instead, they've chosen a path that alienates potential players and dismisses valid criticism.
As they themselves put it:
Maybe it’s time they start by listening to the stories that don't fit their narrative... But then again, in order to produce the garbage that is Dustborn, you need to be a bit 'off'...
~Smash