Manor Lords, the medieval-themed RTS game that took Steam by storm, has been stirring up some controversy within the gaming community. One of the main reasons for this controversy is the claim by the developer, Slavic Magic, that the game was created by a "solo developer."
However, this claim has been called into question by Arthur Bruno, CEO of Crate Entertainment, the studio behind Farthest Frontier. Bruno stated in an interview with PC Gamer that Slavic Magic's team size may actually be larger than his own. This raises doubts about the accuracy of the "solo developer" claim.
Upon further investigation, credits for Manor Lords reveal the involvement of additional programmers, artists, animators, writers, and more in the game's development process. This contradicts the notion that Manor Lords was solely the work of a single developer.
In response to this criticism, Greg Styczeń of Slavic Magic has acknowledged that the claim of being a "solo developer" is indeed open to fair criticism. However, Styczeń also argues that they have "earned the solo thing" due to the pressure they face in growing and hiring for the development team.
I want to address some devs being angry that I call myself a solo dev even though my credits are so long. I agree! Kind of. I face a huge pressure to grow and hire and it's slowly happening. But also, THIS is the "mocap department". My best friends in child photography studio. https://t.co/fOLZtLEJWg
— MANOR LORDS (@LordsManor) May 4, 2024
Despite the controversy surrounding its development, Manor Lords has seen significant success, selling over 1 million copies in just one day. The game currently holds a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, indicating that players have been enjoying the gameplay experience.
It remains to be seen whether this controversy will have any further implications for Slavic Magic, Arthur Bruno, or the gaming community as a whole. As Manor Lords continues to attract players and garner attention, the debate over its development process is likely to persist.
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