So no Dominions 4?

[Kraftwerk]

Then why the heck are you still charging 60 dollars for a game thats a bargain bin title?

And you wonder why people pirate games...christ...this game is as much as my car insurance. Ever heard of depreciation? Game might sell a bit better at a lower price. Like say, 30 dollars? Considering it didnt cost 1/100th of what it costs to create A+ titles?

I cant get anyone to try this game because its too darned expensive. I cant get another copy so i can legitimately play with my roomies, because its too darned expensive.

Why do you fail at marketing.

Bioshock, that cost umpteenth million dollars, dropped to half your price in the first 6 months it was out.

You people are obviously on crack.

Drop it 15 dollars and youll prolly triple yer sales.

[Sombre]

I'm glad we have a business and marketing expert here to finally set things straight.

There have been numerous articles written on why 'indy' games are more expensive than big name high street titles. Google them.

[Tifone]

Kraftwerk,

Even if I don't share your bad words against the devs, I have to agree that I would like a price reduction too. My friends would better like to buy the game and we could organize MP games together sometimes (and the 2 of them playing WoW would probably get detoxified ). Even if Sombre evenly pointed up the reason for the different cost of indy games, I must say that the opportunity-cost of a game going for 3 years old and still costing around 45/50 euros is not little. Here in Italy, but surely everywhere, every month 4/5 magazines of pc gaming come out - they cost 6/7 euros each, they give you a complete game of 2 or even 1 year ago (and one of the "big pieces"), all the new demos and patches and mods, and come of course with the magazine itself with many interesting news about the gaming world. That just to talk about the opportunity cost of this game.

Having said that... I can't complain a lot against whoever decides the price. The devs put a lot of love in this game - a kind of passion that you don't find in many games from the bigger companies. Lots of new patches, and enough free new contents with every patch that many companies would have asked you another 20/30 euros for "the expansion". The game also comes with a 300 pages manual which surely they don't print for free, and well, even after 2+ years, it is always the same nonetheless.
And another thing. This game is huge. You could probably play it... dunno, 6, 7 years? with it without getting bored, if it's your genre (and it is my genre, for example). Many so-called "masterpieces" today maybe come at 50 euros, 30/20 euros if you wait some months, but longevity=10/15 hours=one week or so for me, surely less for many gamers.

So, it is difficult to judge. The game has its reasons (free support with new contents and patches, great and nice manual, virtually almost endless longevity) to have the actual price. A price reduction, on the other hand, would be very appreciated now that many of the long-time fans have bought the game and shown their support to our dear Shrapnel, as other people, less likely to spend 50 euros on an indy niche game, would probably get attracted by a lower price and give it at least a try.

P.S. None gets offended please, I tried to show comprehension with everybody's ideas while bringing my ones, and I am opened to new points.

[Omnirizon]

dom3 is on patch 17 now.

nowhere else do you get that kind of love without a monthly subscription.

aside from that, dom3 is just better than everything else. if you celebrate the mediocrity and imitation coming from titles like bioshock as "A+"; well then I don't know if anything I can say to you will be of use.

[Amhazair]

Kraftwerk said:
Drop it 15 dollars and youll prolly triple yer sales.

I fail to see how selling 3 times as many games for a total income less than selling the original number at full price would be considered a good thing.

Other than that I totally agree with Sombre.

[MaxWilson]

Kraftwerk said:
I cant get anyone to try this game because its too darned expensive. I cant get another copy so i can legitimately play with my roomies, because its too darned expensive.

Why do you fail at marketing.

Bioshock, that cost umpteenth million dollars, dropped to half your price in the first 6 months it was out.

Hmmmm, sounds like proof of Dom3's quality and lasting appeal.

(Well actually it sounds like a different business model for niche vs. pop-culture markets. But I'll stick with lasting as the "official" explanation, because it does have that.)

-Max

[Gandalf Parker]

I dont understand why "no Dominions 4" on a game which is still getting regular free upgrades makes it suddenly a bargain bin game. Wouldnt that be the reverse? IF they DID announce a Dom4 THEN you might make that argument. Until then this is still a first-run game going strong.

And Im not sure we have any firm answer on Dom4. All we know is that they have a new project. But the types of conversations going on here at the time did seem to push the devs into going in a whole new direction. But I dont know for sure.

[Theonlystd]

Yes the price makes no sense.. Considering the game is approaching its second year.. Theres no reason a 2 year old game that didnt have a quarter of the production costs of mainstream games to still cost as much as those.

Thats one of the appeals of most indies games.. Cheaper cause they didnt have to hire 100 artists for 2 years to get top of the line graphics..


And i also cant get anyone to even look at the game.. They say it sounds interesting i tell them how much it costs and they laff considering the graphics and age..

[Tifone]

Seems like n0b0dy here reads or tries to consider each other's opinions and reasons - The "high quality of the game" Holy Temple consider a blasphemy to talk about a price reduction, the "It didn't cost 50 million dollars" Dark Rebels start their guerrilla, and n0ne tries to better show their points or to come to a peaceful solution.

[Ironhawk]

Eh, Tifone, the poster asked to be marginalized by writing in such a flame-attracting way. I dont begrude anyone mocking and/or flaming him.


This said, the point is still valid. While I certainly love Dom3, I dont think its unreasonable to expect the price to drop over time - even in an indy market.