The following blog post carries the personal thoughts of Elder Prince, founder of Blossomsoft Games.
I want to be open and honest with you all about the state of the game development. Unfortunately, it’s not as positive as I had hoped. While I haven’t lost all hope, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep the franchise alive. With a heavy heart, I must acknowledge that my endeavor seems impossible now.
2022 in a nutshell.
At the beginning of 2022, I was filled with optimism that the development of Eternal Eden 5 would result in its release within the same year. However, by May, I was forced to secure a full-time job due to a decrease in my income, which was a disappointing setback. From May to mid-October, I was employed full-time by a multi-service company where I worked tirelessly cutting grass with a string trimmer during heatwaves. The vibration from this gasoline-powered device took a toll on my hands and mostly ruined them. This demanding job left me exhausted, and I was unable to dedicate any time to the development of Eternal Eden whatsoever. So zero progress occurred in seven months.
The money I earned during that time allowed me to focus partially on game development from November to mid-December. I had a lot of catching up to do. Eternal Eden: Mandela Edition seemed like the best alternative for that limited time, but I was soon back to facing a pile of serious debts.
2023 so far.
I recently took on DoorDash deliveries full-time as a last resort alternative. Despite the seemingly easy nature of the job, it is characterized by inconsistent pay. While I was able to earn $20 CAD per hour during peak hours, the wait times between deliveries during most other hours resulted in a poor pay rate of only $10 CAD per hour. It’s a complete waste of my time. I’ve never been so frustrated to be kept away from game development for things that just simply lead nowhere.
The most concerning aspect of my recent work experience doing food deliveries is the strain it has put on my sciatic nerve. The constant pressure on the gas pedal while driving has caused intense pain (not to forget that I also slipped on ice and fell on my buttocks), making it one of the top 5 most painful injuries I have ever endured. Over the last weekend, the pain worsened to the point where I can barely walk. As a result, I may be forced to take time off work this week in order to let my muscle rest and recover. Unfortunately, this will likely result in additional late payments and may require me to work overtime in the upcoming weeks.
So that’s almost zero progress for the first two months of this year, again. It seems like an endless cycle.
Solutions?
With unwavering determination and hope, I am committed to finding a solution to overcome the challenges I face.
I want to extend my gratitude by acknowledging the generosity of a monthly donor who provides me with financial assistance. Without his generous and gracious support, I would be in a completely impossible situation.
Launching a short crowdfunding campaign may be our only chance for success at this point, but it will still require a significant amount of time and effort from my end to prepare it and make it successful.
Additionally, a significant number of my older fans are still unaware that my website has been back online since December, which is a factor in the current low traffic. Facebook seems to shadow-ban most of my publications for obscure reasons. When I am ready to make an official announcement, I will need to send out a newsletter to notify the tens of thousands of people on my mailing list.
How can you help?
You’re invited to make a donation:
- via my itch.io page (when you download the game)
- via my PayPal link. (Easier alternative for me)
- via bitcoin: bc1qngjmd92zjzwg6hymdu2cv8fg6w23e6ugtkgmjq
By making a donation, you’re encouraging me to release Eternal Eden: Mandela Edition free of charge.
I also appreciate feedback via the comment section to each of my blog post as another form of your support.
My greatest wish is to get the game development back on track.
Conclusion.
I don’t mean to burden you with a sad tale, I’m simply sharing the facts about what’s delaying the game’s development so much. It has nothing to do with lack of motivation or laziness.
If it weren’t for the setbacks I faced, the Mandela Edition would have been available to you all much sooner. Eternal Eden 5 could have been an holiday release without last year’s troubles.
As soon as I’m allowed to jump back to game development, my aim is to swiftly release Eternal Eden: Mandela Edition, it’s probably a two week full-time endeavor. I can also release Eternal Eden 5 within the same year. To achieve this, it is imperative that the current difficulties come to an end.
I have faith that things will improve and I am keeping my fingers crossed and sending prayers to God/Jesus/Holy Spirit for guidance.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this blog post.
-Elder from Blossomsoft
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