The Daily Populous Monday July 22nd, 2024 evening edition
Authored by eurogamer.net and submitted by Prudent-Character431

Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has said he'll "never" charge money for a DLC or update "for as long as I live".

Earlier today, the developer posted on social media site X to say console and mobile ports of the Stardew Valley 1.6 update are "still in progress", following the PC release back in March.

"The ports and next PC update are still in progress," said Barone. "I know it is taking a long time, it's on my mind every minute. I have personally been working on the mobile port every day. I will announce when there is any meaningful news (eg. a release date). Hope you're having a good summer."

A fan followed up this post to say people won't complain about the wait "as long as everything you add is completely free".

"I swear on the honour of my family name, I will never charge money for a DLC or update for as long as I live," replied Barone. "Screencap this and shame me if I ever violate this oath."

I swear on the honor of my family name, i will never charge money for a DLC or update for as long as I live. Screencap this and shame me if I ever violate this oath — ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) July 22, 2024 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings

Farming life-sim Stardew Valley was released in 2016 and has received plenty of updates ever since, but none of these have cost money.

The 1.6 update added a tonne of new content, including new festivals, items and crafting recipes, dialogue, a new farm type, and plenty more. It was well-received by fans and was followed up by more patches of content.

Players can also now drink mayonnaise, should they really desire to.

What's more, Barone's comment didn't relate specifically to Stardew Valley, meaning his sentiment could also apply to his next game, Haunted Chocolatier.

There's no release date for that yet, though Barone said he's "not too concerned with the pressure" and that it's "better to have a delayed game that's actually good than a bad game that's on time".

kreteciek on July 22nd, 2024 at 14:42 UTC »

SV is the best and ultimate indie game, can't change my mind. And easily in top 10 games ever (imo).

incrementality on July 22nd, 2024 at 12:57 UTC »

Never met the man but think he thoroughly deserves all his success by working solo for 4.5 years on a project that had no guarantees of succeeding. His girlfriend also worked two jobs at that time to support his endeavor.

KungFuHamster on July 22nd, 2024 at 12:32 UTC »

Eric Barone's net worth is estimated at anywhere from 8 to 9 figures depending on the source, with $30 million being the lowest estimate, and $400 million being an upper estimate. That's Buy An Island and Start Your Own Country money.