Dominions 3 no longer available from Shrapnel?

[Soyweiser]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

I dont know. Not my area to study altho I have worked for companies that had people who did. The all important price break point that people feel has been missed involves more than just income. Many mention the phrase target demographics but dont seem to realize that the change in target demographics is also a change in the player community that is created.

What a bunch of elitist drivel. So people with less money are not good enough to play dom3?

Edit:
community management by pricing... that is the most retarded way of managing community ever. And guess what. It doesn't work. *******s also have money.

Edit2:
Proper community management is done in different ways. You want to manage the oldtimers. The way they interact influences how newbies interact. Old timers call others out on unwanted behaviour, and they way they post (or posted, as anybody can view the history) influences new behaviour.

Mods also influence a lot, but as they cannot edit every post that is made. They do not the only thing to blame if a forum goes sour.

[Gandalf Parker]

Yeah it sounds like crap. It gets done a lot, pricing for target demographic with no basis on the product. Everything from music to clothes and even foods. But its not something corporations own up to much. Even those that dont do it on purpose end up with the results apparently.

I dont think any corp cares who buys it and uses it.

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Admiral_Aorta

Are you seriously that baffled as to why people don't want to pay 60 of your earth dollars for a six year old game? Of course it stops people who would otherwise be interested from buying it.

Did I say I was baffled? The question is how much of an impediment has the price been. 20% of potential sales lost? 30%? More? I have no idea. So that's what will be interesting to see.* Though of course in addition to a (presumed) price drop the game will also get additional exposure (and at least some of those purchasers would have also bought the game at the old price point if they had known about it).

* Not that we'll be privy to sales numbers.

[Gandalf Parker]

Well what does "everybody knows" agree on?
Lower price equals many more players?
Download equals more online questions?
$50 crowd is a different demographic than $5 crowd? by age? by education? working force vs non-working?

Other than "making more money" what are the benefits of the $5 horde, and to who?
The support position is open.

[jBrereton]

As a European student, let me just say that if it wasn't for a very good Let's Play topic on the SomethingAwful site, I would have never considered paying $60 for it, especially with an extra cost to be able to download it for longer than about a week, and another from my bank for using a foreign currency. I don't regret my purchase, but if I had anyone other than myself to support, I wouldn't have bought it at that price.

The last real mainstream coverage I can recall for the game was about five years ago, when it got a relatively positive single page review in PC Gamer UK. The supply of grogs with $60 to spend on a game there's so little information about probably isn't exactly massive, especially when they're getting counterbilked by other devs making things like WORST JULY: SOMME. Manage the whole of the Somme, step by bloody step, shot by shot, 3ft hex by 3ft hex (features distressingly accurate pony damage model)'.

I doubt putting it out there for £25/30E/$40 is going to ruin IW.

As to the impact on the community - presumably if it gets released on Steam or whatever, there'll be forums for it there, so you can either ignore the povo scum/give new players some useful tips/recommend MA Marignon with a straight face, etc. etc.

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

I dont HAVE to be non-insulting anymore but I generally try anyway. Not YOU but others over the years have pushed the money aspect rudely while Illwinter has explained the joy and job satisfaction aspect. The two do not go hand in hand. by some methods, they can even be counter.

As far as this goes, I've always liked the fact that IW was highly resistant to the "if you want to make more money you'll do what I say" approach. Which is why I mentioned that if there were an influx of players that could be motivation simply because you have more people who are enjoying and enthusiastic about the game (even if the increase in players was offset by a reduced price such that IW wasn't actually making more money).

That's pretty much the main potential benefit to me of selling more copies/having more players. Obviously I'm not getting a cut of the revenue so that doesn't matter to me. And even with the MP scene split among several forums there isn't really a problem filling games so I don't care overly much about that. And I'm not a competitive enough player to be much concerned with an increased pool of opponents to test myself against.

But probably more than anything it's just an academic interest in how the game will do with a different pricing/distribution model.

[Gandalf Parker]

It has been offered to Steam, GamersGate, and Desura. So far no responses.
Steam will automatically create a steam forum open to steam users.
GamersGate does not do forums.
Desura might likely become the "official" forum like Illwinters other game but the forum software does not thrill me.

Starting a forum is easy enough on sites like FreeBoards. Ive done so many times. Snag a domain name for $5 a year, use a site like FreeBoards to make a forum. Also for no money there are sites that will let you create a blog, a newletter, a guestbook, a chat room, a shop to sell things for the game. All can easily be grouped under that $5 domain name.
If anyone wants to do that I will gladly help them with it.

Positions still likely to be filled are Servers, and Wiki. Positions becoming available are Support, PR, Advertising, Newsletter Editor. Step on up folks.

[Valerius]

Originally Posted by jBrereton

As a European student, let me just say that if it wasn't for a very good Let's Play topic on the SomethingAwful site, I would have never considered paying $60 for it, especially with an extra cost to be able to download it for longer than about a week, and another from my bank for using a foreign currency. I don't regret my purchase, but if I had anyone other than myself to support, I wouldn't have bought it at that price.

Out of curiosity, did you play the demo as well or were you sold from reading the LP? I will very rarely buy a game over $20 unless I can play a demo (the Dom 2 demo and Bruce Geryk's walkthrough sold me on Dom).

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by Valerius

As far as this goes, I've always liked the fact that IW was highly resistant to the "if you want to make more money you'll do what I say" approach. Which is why I mentioned that if there were an influx of players that could be motivation simply because you have more people who are enjoying and enthusiastic about the game (even if the increase in players was offset by a reduced price such that IW wasn't actually making more money).

That would be great. That would be wonderful. That could totally turn things around for the better. New players who could appreciate the game and ask for things would be fantastic.

As much as I have hoped for it I am afraid Ive been pushed into cynicism on our chances of that. But I would be thrilled to be proven wrong. If some people make an effort perhaps they could lead the way. Create an environment that would foster that.

[jBrereton]

Originally Posted by Valerius

Out of curiosity, did you play the demo as well or were you sold from reading the LP? I will very rarely buy a game over $20 unless I can play a demo (the Dom 2 demo and Bruce Geryk's walkthrough sold me on Dom).

I decided to just risk it for a biscuit. Worked out well.