Spiderweb Games - Why you can't have every game for a dollar

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Yep, I have to agree. You'd be VERY surprised about how few people who post about games know squat about economics and running a business.

I'll take that a step further: you'd be quite surprised how many people working in the gaming industry know next to nothing about how to keep a company afloat. I have to give Jeff credit for keeping this thing going this long. So many gaming ventures crash-n-burn because the folks who try and run these companies don't know the first thing about how to manage money and grow a company.

Well maybe i'm off base then but it really all seemed like common knowledge to me.

It seems to me that when people try to decide whether to buy a game or not they should focus on whether the asking price is one that they are willing to pay for it, instead of whether the asking price is one that they would be willing to charge if they had made the the game.

Personally, I've never said he should be selling his games at 1$. I've suggested 10-15$ - which he also claimed to be unprofitable.

I'm sure he has a ton of experience, but I have to say I think he's just not a very smart person when it comes to this aspect of the business.

To put it another way: I think he's been too slow when it comes to waking up to the times and the change in the industry from when he started.

Seems to fit well with his approach to game development.

He's just the "conservative" type.

The assertion that he "can't" sell his games for a dollar and make money is pure BS. Two months ago he said he couldn't sell his games for five dollars and make money. Every different tier of pricing brings in exponentially more customers. At $0.99 you get people browsing and buying 5 or 10 games at a shot after reading a little blurb. Crucially, you get people buying games they will never play, games like Avadon that they don't have time to play.

I'm not saying that he would for a fact make more money at the one dollar price point. I am saying it is certainly possible, in my opinion even probable. Personally, I think Jeff should stop holding forth on business models he only has six weeks experience with.

Originally Posted by screeg
The assertion that he "can't" sell his games for a dollar and make money is pure BS. Two months ago he said he couldn't sell his games for five dollars and make money. Every different tier of pricing brings in exponentially more customers. At $0.99 you get people browsing and buying 5 or 10 games at a shot after reading a little blurb. Crucially, you get people buying games they will never play, games like Avadon that they don't have time to play.

I'm not saying that he would for a fact make more money at the one dollar price point. I am saying it is certainly possible, in my opinion even probable. Personally, I think Jeff should stop holding forth on business models he only has six weeks experience with.

Why don't you go back to making that little cthulhu game of yours and become rich then, please. I'll buy it for a dollar…

I certainly wouldn't say he should be selling his games for $1, especially his new games. I only think his old games are over priced, and even those, I wouldn't sell at $1, but definitely not $15.