Music Partnership Update - part 2
[p]Hi Spiritographers,[/p][p]Keith here, the art director and one of the three co-founders of Mooncube Games.[/p][p]It's usually me writing these announcements, so I just wanted to introduce myself again and speak directly to our community.[/p][p]Our recent announcements about our partnership with Lofi Girl, and the replacement of the original music tracks, have sparked a lot of discussion. Some of you are excited, and some are understandably upset or confused. [/p][p]I’ve also seen some accusations and false assumptions being thrown around, that we are being deceptive, selling out, or acting in bad faith. That’s hard to read, because we’ve always operated with the community at the heart of what we do. I hope the trust we’ve built together isn’t so easily undone, and that our intentions continue to show through in the work we create and our interactions with you. If we've disappointed you recently, I'm truly sorry. I hope that you will allow us to prove to you in the future that we sincerely love and care about our community. We’re committed to showing you through our actions that we’re in this for the long haul.[/p][p]
[/p][h3]About the Homework Radio music in game[/h3][p]First of all, I’m happy to announce that we have negotiated a new deal with Homework Radio. That means we will no longer be removing any music from the game on August 25th. We have secured a new 3-year contract with Homework Radio, so for the time being the music is here to stay. [/p][p]We heard your feedback, loud and clear. We will also try to do a better job of highlighting the potential expiration of music licensing further in advance. [/p][p]For context, music licensing agreements are almost always limited in time. We originally had an exclusive contract with Homework Radio. This partnership helped us ship the game at a time when we had no clue it would do so well on Steam. While that contract was close to reaching its end, the opportunity to partner with Lofi Girl came forward. Rather than continuing with a short-term deal that would eventually expire, we thought that this was the best possible outcome and we chose to build a more stable foundation with music that can remain part of Spirit City for the long term. Unfortunately due to the timing of everything, we didn’t have time to announce this change far in advance.[/p][p]Homework Radio has been more than gracious in all this, and we’re grateful to continue to have their music in game.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Our Partnership with Lofi Girl[/h3][p]Lofi Girl has been part of the inspiration behind Spirit City from the very beginning. We built the game while listening to their streams, and their focus on creativity and community has always resonated with us. We are super excited about this partnership! This is not about a large publisher stepping in and changing who we are. This is two companies with the same values partnering together[/p][p]Lofi Girl now owns shares of Mooncube Games. Us original three co-founders still own shares in the company as well. This isn’t about giving up independence. We’re still Mooncube Games, the small studio that created Spirit City, and we’ll continue making creative choices that reflect our values. What this partnership gives us is the security to keep doing this work in a sustainable way.[/p][p]We started Spirit City as a team of three, with help from a few amazing contractors. Today, we’ve grown to seven, and we’re proud of how far we’ve come. But there are some things we can’t do alone. With Lofi Girl’s support, we can grow our team safely and create new experiences both within Spirit City and in the Lofi Girl universe.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]A Message from Lofi Girl[/h3][p]"To be completely transparent, the founders of Spirit City first reached out to us more than two years ago, even before the game launched. At the time, we didn’t feel ready to take the leap into the world of gaming. It’s only recently that we decided to truly commit to creating video games.[/p][p]Naturally, our choice turned to Mooncube Games. Their authentic, human approach and their vision for cozy gaming resonate deeply with the values we uphold at Lofi Girl.[/p][p]This partnership was born from a shared desire to build something beautiful together — not to take over or reinvent an existing franchise. Mooncube keeps full autonomy in their creative decisions and in the direction of the project. For us, that’s essential: we’re not here to impose anything, especially not on a world that’s already so coherent and so loved by its community.[/p][p]The goal is to bring to life a shared vision of gaming — gentle, immersive, comforting experiences — by combining our strengths while fully respecting the DNA of Spirit City and the indie spirit of Mooncube Games.[/p][p]What truly won us over, beyond the game itself, was the way the Mooncube team works: a small, human-scale structure, transparent communication with their community, a strong artistic sensibility, and above all, a deep respect for players. That’s exactly what we want to encourage in our adventure into gaming."[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Q: What is the status of the music in the game?[/p][p]A: The Homework Radio tracks will be staying in the game. We currently have a 3 year contract with them, with the intention of renewal at the end. We will ensure that any changes on this front are communicated more clearly, and further in advance.[/p][p]We are also adding additional music from Lofi Girl to the game, any Lofi Girl music added will be permanent. [/p][p][/p][p]Q: Are you still indie? What does the partnership with Lofi Girl mean for the studio?[/p][p]A: Yes, we are still “indie”. Lofi Girl is a small, people-focused company themselves, not some big corporate machine. Their investment in Mooncube isn’t the case of a larger studio trying to assimilate us, it’s two companies with shared values working together.
We still have the same freedoms we had before, to choose the projects we want to work on. These days the term “indie” has been warped a bit. To us, and you may have your own definition which is fair, indie means:[/p]
Q: Will you add the ability to play custom music in-game?
A: We are exploring this possibility. It was not a priority before, but seeing how important it is to many of you, we have started looking into it. We cannot promise it yet, but we want you to know that it is on our radar.[/p][p]
Hopefully this will answer your questions and give you some reassurance.[/p][p]As always, thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have other questions or concerns that weren’t covered here, please let us know.[/p][p]
[/p]
[/p][h3]About the Homework Radio music in game[/h3][p]First of all, I’m happy to announce that we have negotiated a new deal with Homework Radio. That means we will no longer be removing any music from the game on August 25th. We have secured a new 3-year contract with Homework Radio, so for the time being the music is here to stay. [/p][p]We heard your feedback, loud and clear. We will also try to do a better job of highlighting the potential expiration of music licensing further in advance. [/p][p]For context, music licensing agreements are almost always limited in time. We originally had an exclusive contract with Homework Radio. This partnership helped us ship the game at a time when we had no clue it would do so well on Steam. While that contract was close to reaching its end, the opportunity to partner with Lofi Girl came forward. Rather than continuing with a short-term deal that would eventually expire, we thought that this was the best possible outcome and we chose to build a more stable foundation with music that can remain part of Spirit City for the long term. Unfortunately due to the timing of everything, we didn’t have time to announce this change far in advance.[/p][p]Homework Radio has been more than gracious in all this, and we’re grateful to continue to have their music in game.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Our Partnership with Lofi Girl[/h3][p]Lofi Girl has been part of the inspiration behind Spirit City from the very beginning. We built the game while listening to their streams, and their focus on creativity and community has always resonated with us. We are super excited about this partnership! This is not about a large publisher stepping in and changing who we are. This is two companies with the same values partnering together[/p][p]Lofi Girl now owns shares of Mooncube Games. Us original three co-founders still own shares in the company as well. This isn’t about giving up independence. We’re still Mooncube Games, the small studio that created Spirit City, and we’ll continue making creative choices that reflect our values. What this partnership gives us is the security to keep doing this work in a sustainable way.[/p][p]We started Spirit City as a team of three, with help from a few amazing contractors. Today, we’ve grown to seven, and we’re proud of how far we’ve come. But there are some things we can’t do alone. With Lofi Girl’s support, we can grow our team safely and create new experiences both within Spirit City and in the Lofi Girl universe.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]A Message from Lofi Girl[/h3][p]"To be completely transparent, the founders of Spirit City first reached out to us more than two years ago, even before the game launched. At the time, we didn’t feel ready to take the leap into the world of gaming. It’s only recently that we decided to truly commit to creating video games.[/p][p]Naturally, our choice turned to Mooncube Games. Their authentic, human approach and their vision for cozy gaming resonate deeply with the values we uphold at Lofi Girl.[/p][p]This partnership was born from a shared desire to build something beautiful together — not to take over or reinvent an existing franchise. Mooncube keeps full autonomy in their creative decisions and in the direction of the project. For us, that’s essential: we’re not here to impose anything, especially not on a world that’s already so coherent and so loved by its community.[/p][p]The goal is to bring to life a shared vision of gaming — gentle, immersive, comforting experiences — by combining our strengths while fully respecting the DNA of Spirit City and the indie spirit of Mooncube Games.[/p][p]What truly won us over, beyond the game itself, was the way the Mooncube team works: a small, human-scale structure, transparent communication with their community, a strong artistic sensibility, and above all, a deep respect for players. That’s exactly what we want to encourage in our adventure into gaming."[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]Q: What is the status of the music in the game?[/p][p]A: The Homework Radio tracks will be staying in the game. We currently have a 3 year contract with them, with the intention of renewal at the end. We will ensure that any changes on this front are communicated more clearly, and further in advance.[/p][p]We are also adding additional music from Lofi Girl to the game, any Lofi Girl music added will be permanent. [/p][p][/p][p]Q: Are you still indie? What does the partnership with Lofi Girl mean for the studio?[/p][p]A: Yes, we are still “indie”. Lofi Girl is a small, people-focused company themselves, not some big corporate machine. Their investment in Mooncube isn’t the case of a larger studio trying to assimilate us, it’s two companies with shared values working together.
We still have the same freedoms we had before, to choose the projects we want to work on. These days the term “indie” has been warped a bit. To us, and you may have your own definition which is fair, indie means:[/p]
- [p]Explore our creativity without reporting every decision to a publisher[/p]
- [p]Take risks and try out new ideas[/p]
- [p]Work as a small, close-knit team[/p]
- [p]Stay true to our values and identity[/p]
- [p]Connect directly with our community and listen to player feedback[/p]
Q: Will you add the ability to play custom music in-game?
A: We are exploring this possibility. It was not a priority before, but seeing how important it is to many of you, we have started looking into it. We cannot promise it yet, but we want you to know that it is on our radar.[/p][p]
Hopefully this will answer your questions and give you some reassurance.[/p][p]As always, thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have other questions or concerns that weren’t covered here, please let us know.[/p][p]
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