Larian Studios - Should Indies Go Retail?

They must have a different definition of Indie than I do. I haven't even remotely considered going retail with Unfettered.

Let's see, I've spent $330 so far and need to spend another $1500 on a Unity3d license before I "ship". CDs pressed, boxes, printed manuals, shipping, another method of patching to support and a hundred other things I haven't though of, how much would just getting the CDs pressed alone cost me? What are the odds of me making that back retail when I have to compete with very limited shelf space with TV commercial advertised games like Skyrim and Mass Effect? As an indie I'd probably be better off sticking that make believe money into a totally unrelated marketing segment ( say Golf magazine ) than hoping the typical Wal-Mart PC game buyer decides to pick my game off the shelf.

Digital distribution has no upfront costs, if my game doesn't sell I'm out 2 grand of dev cost and a lot of time. With retail I'd need to spend thousands of dollars upfront that does nothing to make my game better creating a physical product before I even have a chance at a sale. I wish I had that kind of a budget but even if I did, I'd just sink into something that'd give a better return on gameplay.

Forget it.

LuckyCarbon said:

than hoping the typical Wal-Mart PC game buyer decides to pick my game off the shelf.

Click to expand...

You are speaking of the U.S. - in Europe, things are different.
And Larian is from Belgium.

Electronic chains are the *main* outlet for video games here in Germany, for example. Shops like Walmarkt (which tried to establish itself here but withdrew due to a "difficult market" we have here in Germany) have games as well, but they are not the main outlet for games.

Support Independent Shops : http://www.omd.uk.com/story/support_independent_record_shops
Direct Link : http://www.indiegogo.com/Last-Shop-Standing-Documentary-phase-2

This sheds light on another facet : Independents vs. Corporates : It doesn't only affect the gaming business, but also record companies - and, as in this example, independent record shops …

Result : The more the bigger corporates flourish, the less there is diversity ... Like in an ecosystem where only a limited number of animals is available - but that with a huge number of animals of a single race, for example ...

Corporatism is like ... Quantity vs. Quality. And coprporates rather dominate through ultra-low prices - so low that all of the independent shops have to close - and THEN, when thereis nothing more than corporate-based chains of shops left, THEN they can dictate any price they want ... Even towards the original manufacturers or against farmers, for example ... Because they are selling shelf space - an they want to sell it high ...

The system is easy to understand : First, lower the prices so much that it will crush as many indies as possible because they just can't afford these ultra-low prices. This is the time when the big companies will have losses.
Second, when all opposition is eradicated, slowly , slowly increase the prices ... Just so much tghat no-one will consciously notice it like you can't see grass growing either ... This is the time when the proits come in ... And people will be desparate to turn to these shops because thre's no more specialists left anymore ... Or only in extreme niches where it doesn't make sense to invest in from a corporate point of view ...