The steam game is not exactly the same game, plus everything except some art was done from scratch. I'd rather people who didn't buy this version get the game for cheaper than people who did buy this version having to pay more. My game is and always has been very cheap even I added additional content completely free and it still doesn't seem to be enough, this new version is superior in many ways and contains a new game mode that was very hard to get working, I worked a lot for it and I don't think I'm asking for much in return, on the contrary I'm asking for too little to be fair.
What you have described is exactly the premise of buying a game that is in development or early access. You wouldn't buy an early access title on Steam, expecting to then pay again when it is fully released, would you?
As a real life example, I present you Wayfinders. A game that came out in paid early access as a shared space mmorpg (think Destiny or Diablo 4) that was an always online title slated to have battle passes, seasons, etc, as a live service title. The game developers didn't like the way the game was going and broke away from their publisher and completely remade the game again, removing all the live service and always online parts, and rebalancing and reworking everything. They even had to remove it from Steam for roughly a year. When it came back, in your terms, it woas "not exactly the same game". It was even renamed to Wayfinder Echoes. Even after all that, the ones who bought it before didn't have to pay another cent, and even got extra bonuses in game such as an early character unlock and boosted currency, all for supporting them throughout. That is what gratitude looks like
I'm not saying you have to do anything that big, but asking people who have bnought the game already to buy it again just because you putr more development into a game that was in development is a bit of a low blow and a middle finger to those who have paid, regardless of how much they paid.
No you are wrong, the difference here is that my game have never been in early access, the game here was completed, I just added more stuff (dlc)
On steam I am selling a remake.
The issue you have is that you keep thinking that I am selling the same piece of software but no, the game on itch is finished and I am selling another one.
And besides that, itch and steam are different platforms I if I buy a game on steam I don't have the access to it on ps, xbox, epic store too or even here on itch, I only have it on steam and it is the same for the others.
Hey I watched markiplier play your game I think this is such an amazing concept, you have done amazing work and don’t listen to ungrateful people who have never touch game design software in their life. I’ve done games design as a course and know exactly how hard it is to get some programs working and getting all the codes to run together smoothly it takes patience and dedication. Keep up the good work!
Despite everything you said, a steam key is still justified. I bought this game at one of its earliest release points, and for a while I wasn't disappointed until this steam "remake" came out. The cheap discount on the steam version given to all people should just be further reasoning to grant us early supporters a steam key