Releasing in early access can offer developers a lot of benefits. NotGames' Jason Orbaum and Andrew Murray said the early access model behind episodic FMV game Not For Broadcast let them incorporate fan feedback leading up to its 1.0 launch. The same can be said for blockbuster hits like Supergiant Games' Hades, which first released in 2018, but became a Game of the Year contender in 2020. However, Satisfactory presents downsides to an Early Access model.
That's not to say the first-person factory-building simulator has been a failure; since releasing through Early Access in March 2019, Satisfactory has reached three million sales. Yet Coffee Stain Studios CEO Stefan Hanna said it's difficult to move a game from Early Access to 1.0 because the possibilities for content are limitless, meaning a team may struggle to set boundaries. Game Rant spoke to Hanna about Coffee Stain's future plans regarding Satisfactory.
Satisfactory: Standing on The Shoulders of Giants
Coffee Stain Studios hit it big with Goat Simulator in 2014, providing it funding that led to horizontal expansion in its business ventures. Partner studios became official subsidiaries, like Gone North Games turning into Coffee Stain North, and it opened a publishing arm with feelers in various Scandinavian titles like Deep Rock Galactic and Valheim. The entire Coffee Stain enterprise would also be acquired by THQ Nordic (later Embracer Group) in 2018.
Yet Goat Simulator was a "joker in the deck" compared to the games Coffee Stain Studios is interested in, according to Hanna. Their first major enterprises were Sanctum and Sanctum 2, first-person tower-defense games that share DNA with the current Early Access venture. Satisfactory was originally designed as a sort of sequel to Sanctum with the same base code when Coffee Stain prototyped new ideas in late 2015.
The concept behind Satisfactory was to make a first-person twist on Wube Software's Factorio — another game with an extended Early Access release until August 2020 — using experience with building from Sanctum. Hanna said exploration games like Subnautica and No Man's Sky also helped define Satisfactory's particular niche. Its prototype was developed between 2016 and 2019, and Hanna finds it interesting to see fellows like Automation Empire and Dyson Sphere Program take on more specific niches within the genre.
"I'd assume this holds true for any studio, it's just interesting to see how the games you make affect what you make next. We couldn't have made Goat Simulator without the base of Sanctum. The lessons you learn are brought to the next project."
Benefits and Drawbacks to Satisfactory's Early Access Release
Game Rant spoke with Hanna shortly after Microsoft announced its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which highlighted positive and negative aspects of being a relatively small studio. Having a smaller team invested in development "draws people who share our idea of how to make games," Hanna said. He feels having just a few dozen people ensure everyone's contributions matter, so there are no "anonymous pawns" in the company. That further highlights a studio's strengths and weaknesses. "I don't think it's the perfect way to make games by any means, but I feel like we know this corner of it."
He said a small team makes it harder to work on grand ideas requiring time and resources, but this is one way Early Access is beneficial. Over time Satisfactory has grown a community with more concurrent users than Goat Simulator, and focusing on major updates rather than small, weekly content drops has helped it weasel through peoples' filter of new game releases. Coffee Stain Studios can interact with its community, tease content in the long-run, and even drop surprises.
"I think the numbers show this model works ... Our hardcore fans keep coming back, and when they do the game gets up in the algorithms, friends see them playing on Steam, and it creates a ripple effect."
Hanna became CEO in 2020, well into Satisfactory's development, excited to take on new challenges after nearly 10 years as a programmer. He's been working toward version 1.0 having learned that "there is no real end to the game if you don't outright say where the ending is." He believes Coffee Stain Studios could stay in Early Access for five more years building on community fervor, as the team is good at making content, but this creates a stressful environment — like a marathon with a moving goal post. "We have to make sure people at the studio enjoy developing the game and don't just do it because numbers keep coming in."
Updates Through Version 1.0 and Beyond
Though the team is struggling with the "golden question" of when Satisfactory will reach Version 1.0, plenty is in the works. The time between Update 3 in February 2020 and Update 5 in November 2021 has been like a "mini-launch" according to Hanna, with the latest release focusing on cosmetics as well as bringing systems like trains up to the standard they should have been at launch. Dedicated servers also came with Update 5, having been long requested by fans — though Hanna feels the multiplayer stability it promises is more a result of fixes needed to facilitate those servers.
With the team discussing its schedule going forward, Hanna doesn't know when Update 6 will arrive. He knows upcoming content will include improved mod support, beginning and end scenarios for Satisfactory, and bringing areas like combat up-to-date where they've been lacking. "We still want to make sure all parts of the game feel good, that nothing feels left behind." Hanna also thinks console releases would be fun, even if it means leaning on partners to develop ports, but for now they're focusing on the promise of delivering 1.0 for PC.
Only about three original members of the Satisfactory team are still at Coffee Stain Studios. Hanna sometimes gets his energy from newer coworkers enjoying Satisfactory's success and interacting with players, but knows many of them are eager to start new things. "The studio is more than just this game," Hanna said, but this game has been a passion project since the first prototype over five years ago.
"There's tons and tons of extra features stacked on top now, but it's the same core. It's good that we knew what was fun about the game early and had that to work with."
Satisfactory is available now on PC.