Messages

1

General / Re: Consider updating the pricing

« on: January 14, 2011, 08:30:30 pm »

If you don't agree, you don't agree.  I personally think it's a little ridiculous so many are eager to say they would(emphasized because I assume that none of you actually have) pay $50 dollars for this game, as if that statement of its "worth" is meaningful in a conversation about where the price should be set.  (Worth is so subjective it's almost not worth(ha) discussing.)  I think it's silly that some of you can't get past the notion that price is somehow a reflection of quality.  In this industry, it certainly factors in, but just as certainly is not the primary factor.

If you have not noticed that there is a clear pricing difference between indie titles and large studio titles, then I am not going to try to make you see that.  If you don't understand the reason behind why that price difference would exist, I am not going to try to make you understand it.  If you have not noticed that games generally follow a pattern of a series of price reductions as they age, I am not going to attempt to convince you that they do.

I like Aquaria.  I think it is a very high quality game.  I spent a good amount of time playing it.  But it is not the Jesus of video games.  If someone has $20 dollars to spend, they have a wide variety of high quality games to choose from, many of which are younger than Aquaria, and many of which are large studio games.

I assume that the mostly likely reason for not touching pricing recently is because they're simply busy people that do not currently schedule much time to think about old projects.  That's fine, but I made this thread because I thought they could use a nudge toward what I believe is an appropriate change  (which might even result in a revenue increase).

2

General / Re: Consider updating the pricing

« on: December 22, 2010, 05:15:40 pm »

My post is not in any way meant to disparage the quality of the game.


I am more specifically discussing price as it relates to the age of the game, whether it was made by a big name or an indie, and whether it has likely reached a plateau at its current pricing.  You say they deserve to be paid for their hard work, and that a lower price trivializes their work.  I would respond with 3 points.  First, I think it's safe to say that they have been compensated for their work to a degree that most indie developers never will be.  Second, it is very normal for games to move  to lower pricing over time, whether they were made by one person (Braid, I think) or a studio (Bioshock 2 -  on steam $10 dollars at the moment, base price $20, both certainly below its release price).  Third, that tendency to move to lower prices is not a commentary on the quality of the game, or the work of the people who made it.


I admit to being on the frugal end of game purchasing spectrum.  My statement that I have "have always felt like $20 is a bit high" could more accurately be stated "I am not likely to purchase any game at its release price, whether that's $20-$25 for an indie or $50-$60 dollars for a big studio game".  I do, however,  think I'm a more common specimen than someone who is willing to pay $50 for an indie title (at any point in its price lifetime).

3

General / Consider updating the pricing

« on: December 22, 2010, 06:14:19 am »

I got Aquaria in humble bundle 1, played it through completely and I loved it.  But I've always felt like $20 is a bit high for indie games.  (Be honest everyone, if you bought the bundle did you even pay $20 for all 5 games?  Statistics say you did not.   I paid $15, which put me above average).  It also seems high considering the game has probably saturated the market that is willing to pay that.


Other games in a similar situation have tended to lower their base price point, and also still participate in sales.  ( See Braid and World of Goo on steam.  I believe both games started at $20, are currently $10, and are both involved in holiday sales happening now. )


Consider setting Aquaria's base price at $10 and seeing if you can get in on sales.    I'm not personally planning on buying any more copies of the game, but I'm much more likely to recommend it to gamer friends if it's priced like that.

4

Support / Re: Why is Aidalgol's thread locked?

« on: July 15, 2010, 08:00:09 pm »

The thread should be deleted or retitled, because the title itself is a spoiler.

5

General / Re: Aquaria Source Code Released

« on: June 04, 2010, 10:04:59 pm »

Is there a someplace that someone has put a basic write-up for getting from the source code as it's provided to compilation?  Like, what compilers or IDE were used for development/can currently compile the code, what dependencies we need that aren't included, etc.  Something to help out the simple minded, you know.

If someone knows of such a document, please provide a link?  Thanks.