In another topic and thread, skavenhorde quoted and commented three articles by Jeff Vogel (Avernum series and more indie RPG) that was bout prices of indie games:
Those Vogel articles are a good reading and a cool analysis. All of that seems quite solid with strong arguing explaining why prices could not go too low but for some sort of games quickly build. I don't have real counter arguing to this but some point of view shift.
In one of those articles Jeff quote that if he has the right numbers his games generate a 3% buy per download that are enough to continue his business. But that means huge numbers, so what would have happened if the Jeff Vogel games was at $.99 sale price during 2 or 3 month? How many impulse buy the sale at bottom price would have involved?
It's juts a virtual question because he couldn't charge $.99 payments because of transactions cost. But the question remain, I won't try analyze, it's just a question.
Another point is only evoked from far in those articles, the App Store prices. One argument that many players fans bring is that now they play with an idevice they buy much more cheaper games but the sum spend is quite more important.
I'm not at all the typical player nor of PC games nor of igames. Anyway I tried make a rough computing:
It's not a surprise that Jeff Vogel made 3 articles on this subject because there's clearly changes, perhaps temporary or not. When checking Steam I noticed recently that Sega sold very old games ported/emulated on PC for prices like 2.5€ and even a pack of those games for an average price of 0.75€ ie even smaller than $.99 (but it's a pack). The game prices on App Store for idevices has gone crazy and tend to $.99. When I look at buy of PC/Mac games I could have done this year, a lot was sales and many for prices bellow $10. I even seen recently an indie game for PC and Mac sold at 1$ at its release.
Those Vogel articles are a good reading and a cool analysis. All of that seems quite solid with strong arguing explaining why prices could not go too low but for some sort of games quickly build. I don't have real counter arguing to this but some point of view shift.
In one of those articles Jeff quote that if he has the right numbers his games generate a 3% buy per download that are enough to continue his business. But that means huge numbers, so what would have happened if the Jeff Vogel games was at $.99 sale price during 2 or 3 month? How many impulse buy the sale at bottom price would have involved?
It's juts a virtual question because he couldn't charge $.99 payments because of transactions cost. But the question remain, I won't try analyze, it's just a question.
Another point is only evoked from far in those articles, the App Store prices. One argument that many players fans bring is that now they play with an idevice they buy much more cheaper games but the sum spend is quite more important.
I'm not at all the typical player nor of PC games nor of igames. Anyway I tried make a rough computing:
- iPad games: $112 per month, 50 games bought per month
- Mac/PC games before the iPad: $114 per month, for 5.5 games bought per month.
- Mac/PC games during the iPad: $96 per month, for 4 games bought per month.
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