Hard Copies and how much Lemma loves them.

[kinougames]

Basically just as the title says!

A couple of games on lemma have sold games as CDs at conventions in America, but because of the potential demand factor, they have not sold them en masse online due to the massive cost to indie companies who don't get any discounts from the mail or anything.

For the people who love to collect physical copies of games, how much is that worth? Is it worth an extra cost over a download for the case, an insert, and a physical CD, which could be maybe $10 total extra including your shipping? If that extra cost is okay with you, why do you feel it's that worth it to have a physical CD?

How much do you think it costs to make a download into a CD?

[Greeny]

Yes, it's totally worth it. Even for an extra 10$, although when you think about it, that really doesn't mean anything since the original value is completely subjective. For one, you get more of a feeling that you bought something that was made, well, I'm not going to say "professionally", but, uh, something along those lines without actually neccessarily being that.

Secondly, if you just download your game, it's abstract. You've paid good money for what amounts to litterally nothing more that 1's and 0's. If you buy a cd box, you have something phyisical. Something you can put on a shelf among a collection and say "these are the games I bought".

Thirdly, security. It's more secure against data loss and whatnot.

4 to 7, shiny.

And optionally, if you only sell it as a physical cd, that might deter potential pirates.

[kinougames]

Well, pirates aren't really as much of a problem for indies as you'd really think. There's not much hard proof that it hurts the original developer so much as licensing companies.

However, I do think that selling CDs has an advantage, especially in the minds of potential buyers.

I'm considering making a mass CD option, but we'll see.

Edit: One last question...would you feel as if there was a difference between a DVD case and a CD case regardless of what's inside?

[papillon]

There's not much hard proof that it hurts the original developer so much as licensing companies.

Except by giving them ulcers?

Not going to get into the whole debate over actual-financial-impact here (and I don't know the answers myself!), just sayin', I've known devs who made games that didn't sell a single copy but were passed around pirate sites, and it was emotionally devastating for them.

[kinougames]

Oh, I'm sure you can get a lot of anecdotal data from various people who will say "pirating helped!" "pirating killed my baby!" but with anything that goes on your computer, you can basically expect it to be pirated...worrying about it isn't going to do me much good. =/

[Greeny]

Edit: One last question...would you feel as if there was a difference between a DVD case and a CD case regardless of what's inside?

CD cases feel kind of old... These days they're only really used for music anyways.

[kinougames]

All my old games came in the hard plastic CD cases. We might go that route for some games just to emboss that "old school feel".

[jack_norton]

Piracy cannot prevented, casual piracy yes, and I have solid proof that hurts sales (I tracked orders coming from google search for pirate/cracked version of my games).
About the CD/DVD thing, speaking for myself only I wouldn't buy them unless there's some extra stuff. For example, a short book of just 16 pages with a story or maybe a comic or images related to the game world/story. That's one thing I'd like to do with some CD versions of my upcoming games

[musical74]

I actually prefer having a a phyiscal CD in my hands for a few reasons...

1) there's times I'll go through a phase where I want to play something, get tired of it, and then awhile later, want to play it again. With a physical CD, if I've changed computers, I don't need to rebuy the game, just stick the CDs in and reinstall it.

2) CDs last much longer than computers! (see reason #1)

BUT jack_Norton brins up a very good point, if I buy a game at a store. I'd expect something extra. If I buy a game at Best Buy and there's the CD and that's it...kind of annoying really.

[jack_norton]

haha if you change PC, is enough to redownload the game no? I don't understand why you have to rebuy it ? all systems I know (steam, gamersgate, etc) or even indies allows you to redownload/get the serial code again if you just email them.

[kinougames]

About the CD/DVD thing, speaking for myself only I wouldn't buy them unless there's some extra stuff. For example, a short book of just 16 pages with a story or maybe a comic or images related to the game world/story. That's one thing I'd like to do with some CD versions of my upcoming games

There would be an insert if you bought the CD version. We planned a manual to go inside explaining some story, a few extra pictures, and of course, basic how-to-play info.

[LVUER]

I definitely won't buy hard copies. Although I really love to have physical disc, especially if it have nice covers or some added stuff, the shipping cost more often than not really burdens me. Not to mention if we must add custom tax. And don't forget that the CD could be damaged in the shipment (happened several times in my case, or if anyone forgot, Panzer Dragon Zwei case...).

Besides, if we want the game to be "physical", we could burn the disc on our own.

[kinougames]

If the idea of a physical copy was just burning it to a disc, it wouldn't be much sense.

[LVUER]

Why? Some people feel un-secure if they can't hold the game they have. So just burn the data into a disc... Of course, that if your game doesn't include any bonus like books, posters, or other stuff.

[Alera]

Why I see myself sort of like the source of this topic? XD

Well I love original CDs just because I do. -lol- Especially when they have pretty covers, bonus things like colourful manuals, extra stuff~

It's really different from burning a disk on your own.

Of course shipping and extra taxes are uncool, but if you want your hard copies to be still sold- adding bonuses maybe is the best 'trick'.