Indie game pricing rambles
Forum rules
Ren'Py specific questions should be posted in the Ren'Py Questions and Annoucements forum, not here.
Ren'Py specific questions should be posted in the Ren'Py Questions and Annoucements forum, not here.
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
$50? That's £32, according to Google. I'd happily spend that much on something like Phoenix Wright or Another Code; as evidenced by the fact that I have. New games generally range from £30 for a DS game to £40 for a Wii ($46-$62). So, I guess $60 is about what you can expect to pay for a new computer game by a big company... Maybe PC games are a little less? Honestly, my PC is so old that I haven't looked at the latest PC releases in ages because it simply can't run them, so I don't know. I don't think I've seen many (if any) OELVNs (or whatever we want to call them) I'd pay that much for, though; at a minimum, the length of the indie VNs is usually not enough for that kind of money.
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:37 pm
- Projects: Working on ミツマタ [Mitsumata (c)].
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Seems like the solution would be to price according to country.
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
I'll be frank, the way lots of people think here saddened me, even if I think it's very true.
I myself prefer quality over quantity. I would rather pay 50 usd for 1 awesome game, than paying lots of 10 dollars for a bunch of mediocre games which currently saturate the market. The problem here obviously the consumers get intimidated easily by the price tags, thus the game makers have to resorts of making cheaper, lower quality games in order to survive. I can't blame the game makers if they are encouraged to go this way, because the market just don't support the raising of quality games.
I myself prefer quality over quantity. I would rather pay 50 usd for 1 awesome game, than paying lots of 10 dollars for a bunch of mediocre games which currently saturate the market. The problem here obviously the consumers get intimidated easily by the price tags, thus the game makers have to resorts of making cheaper, lower quality games in order to survive. I can't blame the game makers if they are encouraged to go this way, because the market just don't support the raising of quality games.
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:37 pm
- Projects: Working on ミツマタ [Mitsumata (c)].
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Thiiiiiiiis so hard. And this is after I used to put a cost limit on all my games only to find that, hey, I never played those cheap crap games anyway and wasted money that could've gone to a PS3 and FFXIII or smth. >_>Mirage wrote:I'll be frank, the way lots of people think here saddened me, even if I think it's very true.
I myself prefer quality over quantity. I would rather pay 50 usd for 1 awesome game, than paying lots of 10 dollars for a bunch of mediocre games which currently saturate the market. The problem here obviously the consumers get intimidated easily by the price tags, thus the game makers have to resorts of making cheaper, lower quality games in order to survive. I can't blame the game makers if they are encouraged to go this way, because the market just don't support the raising of quality games.
- jack_norton
- Lemma-Class Veteran
- Posts: 4084
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:41 pm
- Completed: Too many! See my homepage
- Projects: A lot! See www.winterwolves.com
- Tumblr: winterwolvesgames
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
I think there is a "middle ground" ! You can have good games for $20, not excellent games for $50 OR crap games for $10
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 701
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 3:41 pm
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
A ticket to a good movie doesn't cost more than a ticket to a bad movie. A good CD doesn't cost more than a bad CD. A good book doesn't cost more than a bad book. There's a limit to the prices the market will bear, no matter how good your product. I suspect the limit for EVNs is well below $50. For me, the limit is $20.
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Not totally true, though; while I agree on the movie ticket example, I think that bad/not popular CDs (although taste is a subjective thing, and lots of popular things are in my opinion crappy) often end up being heavily discounted almost from the beginning, same for games and books. It goes without saying, I may be influenced by my experience in my own country.Wintermoon wrote:A ticket to a good movie doesn't cost more than a ticket to a bad movie. A good CD doesn't cost more than a bad CD. A good book doesn't cost more than a bad book. There's a limit to the prices the market will bear, no matter how good your product. I suspect the limit for EVNs is well below $50. For me, the limit is $20.
On the same note, good games keep being sold at the same price for a longer time, and sometimes become overpriced "rare" games, if they're considered to be good enough.
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Well, majority of the indie games I bought ranged around 15-20, still they aren't anything outstanding. Many good games can't beat 1 awesome masterpiece which I am not seeing in indie market.jack_norton wrote:I think there is a "middle ground" ! You can have good games for $20, not excellent games for $50 OR crap games for $10
Not every market works that way. Any other stuff in the world have different price tags for different qualities. Clothes, food, house, etc. If everything came with same price tag for any quality, then most creators would get very discouraged to try something that breaks the ground. It's not just game's world that is saturated with mediocre stuff, books/movie also kinda stagnant in my opinion. It's like the only way to succeed is how to grab more attention. It's fight for attention (quantity) not fight for quality.Wintermoon wrote:A ticket to a good movie doesn't cost more than a ticket to a bad movie. A good CD doesn't cost more than a bad CD. A good book doesn't cost more than a bad book. There's a limit to the prices the market will bear, no matter how good your product. I suspect the limit for EVNs is well below $50. For me, the limit is $20.
- jack_norton
- Lemma-Class Veteran
- Posts: 4084
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:41 pm
- Completed: Too many! See my homepage
- Projects: A lot! See www.winterwolves.com
- Tumblr: winterwolvesgames
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Problem is that definition of "awesome" varies a lot, based on tastes. For me the most awesome RPG was Planescape: Torment. For others, might be Dragon AgeMirage wrote: Well, majority of the indie games I bought ranged around 15-20, still they aren't anything outstanding. Many good games can't beat 1 awesome masterpiece which I am not seeing in indie market.
And a kind of game based on a story is even more subjective. I love sci-fi, and I made Bionic Heart because I couldn't find any sci-fi VN (not good, just ANY). But as my ultimate survey showed, most people hate sci-fi...
-
- Regular
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:25 pm
- Projects: Speed Dater Evolution, The Magistrate
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
That must be why Mass Effect and Dead Space (yeah I know they're not VNs) have been complete failures lately ... Uuuh ? What ? Nooo, actually, they have not.
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
That's true. I supposed I am being very picky. =Pjack_norton wrote: Problem is that definition of "awesome" varies a lot, based on tastes. For me the most awesome RPG was Planescape: Torment. For others, might be Dragon Age
And a kind of game based on a story is even more subjective. I love sci-fi, and I made Bionic Heart because I couldn't find any sci-fi VN (not good, just ANY). But as my ultimate survey showed, most people hate sci-fi...
About sci-fi, I don't think that's the case. I just see it that more guys like sci-fi than girls. And guys seem to prefer games with plenty actions like warcraft, starcraft, halo and the likes. If you are strictly talking about VN, that's a completely different story. Not sure how many girls willing to pick sci-fi VN. (Though if your sci-fi consists plenty bishonen, you never know.)
- jack_norton
- Lemma-Class Veteran
- Posts: 4084
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:41 pm
- Completed: Too many! See my homepage
- Projects: A lot! See www.winterwolves.com
- Tumblr: winterwolvesgames
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Yes sorry I was strictly talking about VN. And indeed more action sci-fi games like Mass Effect have been huge successes (luckily, personally I am starting to have enough of sword & sorcery themes!!).Mirage wrote: About sci-fi, I don't think that's the case. I just see it that more guys like sci-fi than girls. And guys seem to prefer games with plenty actions like warcraft, starcraft, halo and the likes. If you are strictly talking about VN, that's a completely different story. Not sure how many girls willing to pick sci-fi VN. (Though if your sci-fi consists plenty bishonen, you never know.)
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 649
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:21 pm
- Completed: Fading Hearts, Infinite Game Works
- Projects: Don't Save the World
- Organization: Sakura River
- Location: Canada
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
I know when I was in Comiket, there were some games I bought that was seriously higher quality than the price was. Also games that are available in limited quanties (not downloadables) tend to be bought at whatever price because they usually end up going out of print. No waiting for the game to be on the bargain bin. Seriously the street prices goes up.
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:37 pm
- Projects: Working on ミツマタ [Mitsumata (c)].
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
1) I've never personally bought a game that was seriously good for $20 unless it was also minimum a year old. For any system. Since Pokemon Blue.
I don't know where you get off thinking that good books and not nearly as good books, as well as CDs aren't separated by quality/popularity. xD Again, you seem to be talking in a bit of a personal void. xD
Uh, actually, in my area, they do, even as far as movies (this is about more objective quality, though, not individual taste). The movie theatres that can't afford to hold the good movies charge you $6 for the crappily made ones, and the massive major movie theatres that ONLY show Blockbusters charge you $12, and there are often even specials at those for movies that aren't up to par with the Blockbusters for cheaper.A ticket to a good movie doesn't cost more than a ticket to a bad movie. A good CD doesn't cost more than a bad CD. A good book doesn't cost more than a bad book. There's a limit to the prices the market will bear, no matter how good your product. I suspect the limit for EVNs is well below $50. For me, the limit is $20.
I don't know where you get off thinking that good books and not nearly as good books, as well as CDs aren't separated by quality/popularity. xD Again, you seem to be talking in a bit of a personal void. xD
-
- Miko-Class Veteran
- Posts: 701
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 3:41 pm
- Contact:
Re: Indie game pricing rambles
Visual novels have a lot in common with games, CDs, books. Almost all of the costs are fixed costs. They can be copied for free. Physical copies are cheap. A physical copy of good CD is produced in exactly the same way as a bad CD with the same materials, and may even be cheaper if it is made in a larger production run due to the economies of scale. In short, you can aim at selling a lot of copies for cheap, which scales a lot better than selling a few copies for a higher price. Relatively few people became rich and famous by selling high-priced luxury goods to a niche market.Mirage wrote:Not every market works that way. Any other stuff in the world have different price tags for different qualities. Clothes, food, house, etc. If everything came with same price tag for any quality, then most creators would get very discouraged to try something that breaks the ground. It's not just game's world that is saturated with mediocre stuff, books/movie also kinda stagnant in my opinion. It's like the only way to succeed is how to grab more attention. It's fight for attention (quantity) not fight for quality.
You're paying extra for the better theatre.kinougames wrote:Uh, actually, in my area, they do, even as far as movies (this is about more objective quality, though, not individual taste). The movie theatres that can't afford to hold the good movies charge you $6 for the crappily made ones, and the massive major movie theatres that ONLY show Blockbusters charge you $12, and there are often even specials at those for movies that aren't up to par with the Blockbusters for cheaper.
CDs are discounted when many copies are produced, but the CD turns out to be unpopular. If the same CD was intended for a niche market with only a small production run, it wouldn't be discounted. If it was made in a limited production run of 500 copies, it might even become more expensive than the popular CD.Ren wrote:Not totally true, though; while I agree on the movie ticket example, I think that bad/not popular CDs (although taste is a subjective thing, and lots of popular things are in my opinion crappy) often end up being heavily discounted almost from the beginning, same for games and books. It goes without saying, I may be influenced by my experience in my own country.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Amazon [Bot]