Studio Gombo

In the light of the new updates from Itch.io staff (@leafo), we are feeling cautiously optimistic about the affair evolution. At least, we really appreciate that Itch.io are starting to re-list games and to search other payment carriers to add to their current ones. This is why we are keeping the door open to Itch.io.
Which instead is not the case of Paypal and "den Rest der coolen Gang", since they did not take any steps backwards.

itch.io Community » itch.io » Ideas & Feedback · Replied to The Kernel in Yellow in Please Itch, Begging You To Listen

Studio Gombo155 days ago

Moving to a self hosted space is what we are actually doing.
As we have already stated (in case, see our developer's page), we are not dealing with the targeted games. Yet, we don't like at all this situation. This is why, coherently, we don't want to keep on feeding the involved money carriers.
Being based in the EU, a self hosted space will let us deal via SEPA; it's not yet as comfortable as a card, but it allows instant payments as well. It's also true, as someone said here in another thread, that in the EU we still have to use their cards in daily life. Correct, but, with a bit of patience, the upcoming digital euro will likely help even this.
So, in the end, we guess our next step is offering our video games from our site, and eventually staying on Itch.io as a display page in which to give information about new issues.
It's not definitive, it's a road we wish to try.

itch.io Community » General » General Discussion · Posted in I encourage all devs, nsfw or not, to leave or boycott itch until this is reversed

Studio Gombo156 days ago (1 edit)

Yet, though the avalanche came down on 24 July, it didn't happen overnight.

Months ago some tags disappeared from the "Select a tag..." drop-down search menu. Check the Wayback Machine (https://web.archive.org/web/20240401000000*/itch.io), and you'll see that for example ero* tags, just to say, were still there in January '24, but no more in May '24.

That could mean that actually the guys at itch.io had already been targeted in early 2024, and they likely tried to manage it in a soft and quiet way... before this bubble came out. Yet, the question "Why not starting to prepare soon developers to big changes?" remains. Whether bona fide inexperience or attempt to play it, it will be up to them to explain when they'll be in the condition to do it. Of course, if they ever want to.

That said, this doesn't mean we are changing our views on the situation. We won't, as this goes beyond niche video games. We've seen it a lot of times in history, and please apologize for the expression: it always starts targeting the weirdo and fringe of the village (as nobody cares of him/her/them, being such a minority), but then it's someone else's turn, and someone else's... Remember rev. Niemöller's saying ("First they came...")?

What if, for instance, tomorrow a self-proclaimed "healthy food" supporter group call those payments people and say, "Sirs, explain how feeding people with beer and hamburgers comply with your business strategies"?

On Itch.io behaviour comments · Posted in On Itch.io behaviour comments

Studio Gombo158 days ago

And yes, in the end we did it: we wrote off the entire "coolen Gang".
Already these days there is no shortage of alternatives to PVM here and there: of course, more niche, but they exist. Still, it won't be long until in the EU we'll have also a digital euro.
So, guys at Itch.io, it seems that remaining stuck to that people is going to be more and more a matter of personal choice than a real lack of different options. Personal choice which, as stated above, we are not going to argue.
In the meantime, as already mentioned, our games will remain downloadable for free from our Itch developer's page.

Asthore the Adventurer comments · Replied to Rathernewman in Asthore the Adventurer comments

Studio Gombo297 days ago

As declared, a little help in graphics.

itch.io Community » General » Release Announcements · Created a new topic CAPITALISM. Where Our World Is Going Back to

Studio Gombo1 year ago

A simple resource management text game by Studio Gombo.
You play as Jack Marley of Scrooge & Marley Co. (but both name of character and company are customizable), a businessman with no scruples who has got to make the most out of his workers.
Hire applicants, exploit hard workers and fire the bad ones, keep your popularity high among your peers, keep away tax officers and trade unionists... and grasp as much money as you can before relocating somewhere else. That's how you win.
CAPITALISM is written to be a funny relaxing little game, but it is actually also a pungent satire on the fast deterioration of work conditions in the Western world.
Technically, Capitalism is written in PHP and encapsulated in a portable PHP environment, so you may launch it as a common executable game both on Win and Linux.
Of course, Capitalism is available on Itch: https://studiogombo.itch.io/capitalism
Enjoy... and behave!

itch.io Community » General » Release Announcements · Replied to No Time To Play in The Labours of Hercules, a VN by Studio Gombo

Studio Gombo1 year ago

Just forgot, sorry. Here it is.

itch.io Community » General » Release Announcements · Created a new topic The Labours of Hercules, a VN by Studio Gombo

Studio Gombo1 year ago (1 edit)

The Labours of Hercules is the first visual novel by Studio Gombo. It is based on the mythological tales on the hero and his feats.

You play as Hercules, and follow him in his famous twelve labours around Greece, Egypt and various unknown worlds.
Twenty-three characters to interact with, and Hercules himself evolving during the adventure.
The dialogues tell the "real" story in a generally funny atmosphere. Still, you may stumble in a couple of spicy situations and a few impolite words. Nothing scandalous anyway.
The VN comes in two languages (English and Italian) and for several OS's (Win, Mac, Linux, Android).
Enjoy it at https://studiogombo.itch.io/the-labours-of-hercules