question pertaining to commercial made games

[namastaii]

Would it be pointless to release your first VN as a commercial game? How successful could it be? What are your views and experience on this subject?

[trooper6]

If your first game has the quality and length of other commercial games and has a compelling hook that makes it stand out from other VNs? Then release it as a commercial VN.
How successful could it be? Who knows? Depends I suppose on the game and your marketing of it.

Lots of people put out really good free VNs. That makes people less willing to buy VNs unless they are really good, or really special...or you've built up goodwill/fanbase through the release of free games.

I imagine you'd have a paying audience if you also service an underserved audience as well.

[namastaii]

Do you believe that a free demo of a really good game could significantly draw in a paying audience?

[MaiMai]

Honestly, it really depends on your marketing and what you're offering in the demo. A "really good game" could imply literally hundreds of things and it's unknown what that will translate to.

But yeah, a demo of a prospective commercial game would help at least draw interest.

[namastaii]

I feel like I want to do that or just release the first one free and the sequels will cost.. I figure hours and weeks of work on something.. Maybe deserves a couple dollars eventually

[Mad Harlequin]

It sounds like you may want to try the pay-what-you-want route, just to dip your toe in the water. I don't really know much about how to successfully market a VN, at least not from personal experience, but I do know there are risks involved. You'll want to consider them.

[namastaii]

Pay what you want?

[trooper6]

Cyanide Tea did this with Nachtigal. The customer can pay whatever they want for the game, including nothing. Or a million dollars.

http://cyanidetea.itch.io/nachtigal

[namastaii]

Interesting

[Sights]

I'm guessing you're hesitant to make your first game commercial, because you're worried there won't be enough people to buy it. But if you get a fan base from the first free game, then they might buy your second commercial game. That's the idea, right? That can work, the only downside is people will expect your commercial game to be very superior to your free one. Not necessarily in quality, but in funding. Can you afford to add more features in the commercial game, not available in the free one? Otherwise people will feel like they're paying for the same quality game, just with a different story.

I believe the main reason first-time visual novels aren't that successful, isn't mostly because they're poorly made. Assuming they aren't, I believe it's because hardly anyone knows they're selling a game. They don't put enough work into spreading the word, and that's no small task. So when only a few dozen people on Steam or their website consider buying their game, they wonder why it's not selling well.

I've seen a few visual novels with decent followings, that I know could have used some serious improvement. But they had the money to advertise, so they drew in more customers.

[namastaii]

Well, the game I'm working on is very complicated compared to most. Which is the only reason I even considered it. I'm thinking release a really in depth lengthy demo that seems fair for a free time play. Then after a certain point ask to pay a few dollars for the full version. Its a really open ended game with tons to do and experience. A lot of work has been put into it. But there is a long way to go as well.

[trooper6]

I want to say something about this thing you've said twice now, "a lot of work has been put into it."
I lot of people put a lot of work into their games. But is that work quality?
I am currently playing a game (a free game), that clearly had a lot of work put into it. But it is cliché as all get out. I would not pay money for this game. I really don't know if I can force myself to finish playing it. Well...considering I tend to always finish games I started, I'm sure I'll finish one play through...but I certainly won't play a second play through.

You can put a lot of work into something...and have that thing still be sub-standard.

[Sights]

Demos are a good idea. People are naturally hesitant when spending money on a new game they don't know about. Offering a demo helps draw in those hesitant customers. I wished most games offered demos. Without them, you have to rely on everyone else's opinion.

[namastaii]

I'm not saying others don't take work. I am meaning that there are a lot of complex additions. Its kind of hard to explain since I'm on my phone. But I did post something about the game not too long ago.

[trooper6]

Whatever your game is, I wish you the best of luck with it! Remember...advertising and marketing are really, really, really important in generating an audience.

ETA: Just checked your WIP Page. Your game is a high school dating sim. Most of the stat stuff doesn't seem all that complicated for the standard dating sim. The one thing that seems interesting and different is the MMO element. You may want to play that up in advertising.