Pricing?

2

Comments

  • SloppyKissesSloppyKisses omgawd a furreh! Virginia Join Date: 2003-07-05 Member: 17942Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1579713:date=Nov 22 2006, 12:51 PM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flayra @ Nov 22 2006, 12:51 PM) [snapback]1579713[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Well I'm glad that so many of you say you'd spend a lot for NS, but I think it's going to be in our best interest to keep it comparable to the other games on Steam. There is also value in selling a game that isn't in their money - they may tell a friend about it and they may be more likely be to buy a future game from us. Because we're so small we aren't trying to make a killing - just get off the ground.

    I'm guessing we're going to sell NS2 for $19.99 U.S., but that's just a guess at this point.
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    wow thats wicked awesome
    <3 you flay D:
  • GiGaBiTeGiGaBiTe Join Date: 2003-10-07 Member: 21489Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1579256:date=Nov 21 2006, 12:59 AM:name=Hyperion)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hyperion @ Nov 21 2006, 12:59 AM) [snapback]1579256[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    The Red Orchestra guys have been selling ROO for $25 on Steam, the only differnece is that they didnt have to split 50/50 with valve for the engine. IDK if that is how NS2 will work, however if that is the case then a higher price is certainly reasonable. Note also that I would have payed $60 for ROO and would be willing to pay the same for NS2 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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    RO is based on the unreal engine, not the source engine.
  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    I'd lean more towards the $29.99 price. Whenever I see a game on steam for $20 my gut reaction is to think there's something wrong with it. Maybe it's not as good a game as these slightly more expensive ones.

    It's totally irrational and I recognise it as such, however a lot of people won't realise that their gut reaction is wrong.

    --Dcythe--
  • J!J! NS2 Artist Join Date: 2004-11-14 Member: 32788Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester
    edited November 2006
    What if you got a free weekend of NS2, like DoD:S?
  • glimmermanglimmerman Join Date: 2004-04-29 Member: 28300Members, Constellation
    edited November 2006
    Now that is a good idea!

    Oh and FYI, $100 is a standard price for a brand new single player game over here, although they did go down a bit as the US dollar weakened <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />.

    $19.99.................... Are you insane?

    Itsn't that what they sold Darwinia for? And look at the quality of that game!

    $29.99.

    I must ask. If you release a single player version (which you should). Will it be seperate to the multiplayer (i.e. you have to buy it)?
  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    edited November 2006
    $20-30 is what I'd go for. You could aim for an unpublicised target price of $20 and then have scope to raise it if it requires more funding. Nobody's going to complain about it being $30 or under, I'm sure (well, nobody worth listening to).

    The reason games like Doom3 or HL2 can command $50 price tags is because they have the potential to revolutionalise the industry in terms of graphics (textures, lighting, etc.), physics engines and so on. NS2 will probably only offer 'revolutionary' gameplay features, and with all the FPS/RTS crossover mods that are already two or more years into development released or nearing release, that claim is looking more and more tenuous.

    I heard David Braben (co-creator of Elite, founder of Frontier Developments) talk about the history of videogames recently and one of the things that stuck in my head was that game development is an industry where you have to design something according to the landscape and climate of the future. You have to make predictions about (or at least consider) what the games industry will be like 18 months down the road; what games (or mods) will be out? What sort of technology are you going to be competing with (or can you plan to incorporate)? When pricing NS2 I'd look at what, by the time it has been released, will have come before it in terms of tech and games, and value it accordingly. Perhaps this is why you have suggested a $20 price tag.
  • SpaceJesusSpaceJesus Join Date: 2004-07-02 Member: 29683Banned
    A lot of new games in the UK come out around £40+ which is the equivalent of $80+ ....
  • carlgmcarlgm Join Date: 2004-08-26 Member: 30907Members, Constellation
    $19.99 to $29.99 sounds fair.
  • CrispyCrispy Jaded GD Join Date: 2004-08-22 Member: 30793Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1580602:date=Nov 25 2006, 02:51 PM:name=SpaceJesus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SpaceJesus @ Nov 25 2006, 02:51 PM) [snapback]1580602[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    A lot of new games in the UK come out around £40+ which is the equivalent of $80+ ....
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Yeah, but you wouldn't give your game a price equal to £40 in all territories, especially since the largest market you're likely to make sales in is the U.S.

    Sadly, the strong pound and growing production costs have a lot to do with the UK's lacklustre game development scene at the moment. With more areas of development requiring more time spent on them, teams are larger and paying for your production team to live and work in the UK is extremely expensive (although hopefully online content distribution can make great strides to improve this).

    Basically, that's why at the moment it's more sensible to have your HQ and offices in the US and ship games to the UK, because very few US citizens are gonna pay $80 for a game. On the other hand, the leap from $50 (~£25) to £40 isn't very noticeable by the paying UK public, and it covers the cost of overseas shipping, UK distribution and UK-based marketing and advertising.
  • tigersmithtigersmith Join Date: 2004-11-11 Member: 32749Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Supporter
    <!--quoteo(post=1580562:date=Nov 25 2006, 06:33 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Nov 25 2006, 06:33 AM) [snapback]1580562[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> What if you got a free weekend of NS2, like DoD:S? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Im sure thats on the table. Most games on steam have one
  • GoldenprizeGoldenprize Join Date: 2006-11-05 Member: 58379Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1579713:date=Nov 22 2006, 06:51 PM:name=Flayra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Flayra @ Nov 22 2006, 06:51 PM) [snapback]1579713[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Well I'm glad that so many of you say you'd spend a lot for NS, but I think it's going to be in our best interest to keep it comparable to the other games on Steam. There is also value in selling a game that isn't in their money - they may tell a friend about it and they may be more likely be to buy a future game from us. Because we're so small we aren't trying to make a killing - just get off the ground.

    I'm guessing we're going to sell <b>NS2 for $19.99 U.S</b>., but that's just a guess at this point.
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    WHAAAAT?
    Amazing price <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
    I think if this is realy that price, in germany (15 Euro) will many people buy it.

    Yes free weekend will come i think, but not so fast because many people will buy it.
    I ask friends, they stop playing NaSe and they say, that they only wait for NaSe 2.
  • NecroNecro &lt;insert non-birthday-related title here&gt; Join Date: 2002-08-09 Member: 1118Members
    personally i wouldnt go over 20.
  • serialxserialx Join Date: 2006-12-02 Member: 58835Members, Constellation
    I think that the price should be cheap as possible, so that we can get a large user-base. This is a multi-player game, and people dont buy a multiplayer game with small user-base.

    And ppl should note that even the 20$ price could be expensive in countries other than usa or europe.

    User base should be considered first!
  • glimmermanglimmerman Join Date: 2004-04-29 Member: 28300Members, Constellation
    Do peopole out of those countries (and mine) even have computers <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ??
  • Shadow_SporkShadow_Spork Join Date: 2005-01-07 Member: 33306Members
    For quality vs. quantity, the price should would be somewhere around $20-$25 USD.
  • BOZOBOZO Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 3973Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Well judging from the current build of NS and the new DI video, if the team keeps up this AAA work then I wouldn't mind paying $49.99-$59.99 for it. Just like any other AAA title, just because it's on Steam doesn't mean is lesser quality.
  • serialxserialx Join Date: 2006-12-02 Member: 58835Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1583271:date=Dec 2 2006, 05:00 PM:name=glimmerman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(glimmerman @ Dec 2 2006, 05:00 PM) [snapback]1583271[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Do peopole out of those countries (and mine) even have computers <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ??
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    Then you're saying that I live in a country with no comps?

    Dude, what internet line do you use? A 56K modem?

    A country with 100mbit dedicated line everywhere,, but no comps. rotfl..

    DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT CURRENCY???

    You have just flamed me <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
  • MasterPTGMasterPTG Join Date: 2006-11-30 Member: 58780Members
    edited December 2006
    Flayra, remember that $$ == perceived quality in the mind of the consumer. Why can Logitech charge 100$ for a mouse or a keyboard? Perceived quality that was solidified when they bought the product. Don't charge too little, or the perceived quality of the game will be MUCH LOWER--thereby fewer people will buy the game even though it rox.

    If you create the game (and polish it well) before it comes out, you could easily, easily charge 29.99 b/c of the quality. 30$ is comparitively nothing to most college peeps (b/c they use their uber loans to pay for their gaming stuff). Once they're out of college, they have a job--again not a big problem. If they're 18 or under, they can use their PT-job money to buy it/a new video card lol.

    I think a 29.99 would also set it apart in terms of perception value. Cheap crappy games are sold for 20$. Fairly good games are sold for 30$. Big budget = 40$. Revolutionary = 50$. NS2 should be a 'fairly good game'.

    My last suggestion is to work very very hard/fast to make sure NS2 is polished. NS was an amazing game and a lot of people know it. The reason people don't play it now is because a) learning curve is killer and b) the graphics are not comparible to new/old games. Those 2 things kill it, and...because of this add a tutorial section (like the FF team is doing)?

    Not to mention you'd be able to hire more people to help you out for tweaking NS2/expanding it/going on to your next project. 29.99 for the first 2 weeks, then drop it down to 26.99 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />.
  • yimmasabiyimmasabi Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58318Members
    10$-20$ is the best value for the first priced relase i think. Please thnik the whole world.
    In my country (Turkey) no body paid over 20$ i tought.

    This price would be introduction price which targets the nowadays CS & CS-Source Players.
    If NS-R2 reaches 50.000 players in a moment then a new version (e.g. NS-R3) would be 30$-60$.
    Please think whole world when u price this game.
  • arabarab Join Date: 2005-01-07 Member: 33505Members
    i think the pricing should be cheap....
    a. to get more ppl to buy it
    b. wen more ppl buy it, it means that more ppl play the game -> which is the point of a multiplayer game
    c. the exchange rate will play a role
    d. like ppl said its a multiplayer game, so it should sell with a similar price.

    so i think 10-20USD will be acceptable? but the issue is to release it while its hot and hyped up, which means that you guys need to finish it asap(that doesnt mean rush it and muck it up), but i think if u guys keep ur working rate u will be able to keep up the hype and in the end it will be an anticipated game, not only frm the players of NS1 but, NS2 will gain new fans and get more ppl to play.
  • ChesterChester Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58296Members, Reinforced - Silver
    I think, $19.95 or $24.99 are acceptable for this great game <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
  • Mr. EpicMr. Epic Join Date: 2003-08-01 Member: 18660Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1578905:date=Nov 19 2006, 11:29 PM:name=intensityrising)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(intensityrising @ Nov 19 2006, 11:29 PM) [snapback]1578905[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    $29.99 sounds good.
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    sounds good to me too. Pricing it at 20 dollars would be like saying ns is equal to the gameplay of the ship or just an expansion pack for an existing game (like episode 1, etc..). 29.99 tells the customer this is a real game worth the extra money. Make the preorder 25.00 and it will be awesome.
  • MasterPTGMasterPTG Join Date: 2006-11-30 Member: 58780Members
    What Cybermantis said. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />.
  • Corporal_FortierCorporal_Fortier Join Date: 2005-03-22 Member: 46079Members, Constellation
    I think it's a little too soon to set the retail price of the game. NS2 is still pretty far from release (or maybe they've worked in secret for years, but I doubt so ^^) and it's impossible to predict what will happen between today and the (unknown) release date. Maybe everything will go fine, maybe there will be lots of problems (although I wish there wont!), so even The Great Flayra said he is <i>guessing</i> about the price...

    My 2¢ about the pricing? Well, many people suggested ±30$ so it would be equal to the others multiplayer-only games. I find this a good way to see things, and it would make sense, yet I tend to prefer the 20$ idea. While I think CyberMantis has a point when saying it may not reflect the quality of the game, I think it would also have its benifits:

    Based on my experiences, I would not buy a game just by looking at its price. I've played too many bad-boring-buggy-unpolished-rushed expensive games to let me be influenced by the price. Many people (like me) will want to read reviews about it first. Now, we all know NS2 will be awesome (putting a little pressure on the dev team ^^), so the reviews will mostly say "NS2 is great! Get your hands on it, it's worth the 30$!" Now, with a lower price, it may be more like "NS2 is great! You'll never see such a high-quality game for 20$! What are you waiting for?!"

    Ok, I'm pretty sure it wont be written that way, but you guys get the point ^^. The Great Flayra said they want to <i>just get off the ground</i>, so I think a low price would allow more people to play the game and know about Unknown Worlds. But then again, it's too soon for the devs to have a definite idea on all this..

    My wallet doesn't mind about all that anyway ^^.

    Thoughts?
  • glimmermanglimmerman Join Date: 2004-04-29 Member: 28300Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1583322:date=Dec 2 2006, 01:55 PM:name=serialx)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(serialx @ Dec 2 2006, 01:55 PM) [snapback]1583322[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Then you're saying that I live in a country with no comps?

    Dude, what internet line do you use? A 56K modem?

    A country with 100mbit dedicated line everywhere,, but no comps. rotfl..

    DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT CURRENCY???

    You have just flamed me <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
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    24Mb

    Don't take it as a personal attack? Could you tell it was sarcasm?

    Anway...

    I too believe that if NS2 is going to include all the A+++++++++ work it should easily sell for aroun $40 if not more.
  • CEldinCEldin Join Date: 2002-09-16 Member: 1323Members
    I think a lot of this "price discussion" is moot, considering we don't know any of the selling statistics Steam has or how large the market is. We just don't have the information.

    To most of the people on this forum, 50 would be a price they would gladly pay. The real decision is not for us though, it's for guys with Economics degrees who know their ish.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Join Date: 2006-11-11 Member: 58532
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • MystiqqMystiqq Join Date: 2003-01-03 Member: 11755Members
    20 euros is pretty attractive price.
  • bmhmbmhm Join Date: 2006-11-17 Member: 58641Members
    <!--fonto:Verdana--><span style="font-family:Verdana"><!--/fonto--> Exactly. $ 20.00 for pre-ordering, $ 25 for full game.

    Not too cheap (just another messed up gameplay)
    nor too expensive.<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->
  • zone_Blackwolfzone_Blackwolf Join Date: 2004-06-20 Member: 29415Members
    Well, Natural-Selection®2 will be a full standalone game, which is possibly more professional then other full-developed games. I mean NS has his roots in a HL modification.

    I would pay 40$ for NS2 and more. If it's going to be a complex game, then it has to be treaten like every other full-version game <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

    Unknown Worlds Entertainment will develop a great game. I believe / trust in them.

    <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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