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Edit: I’ve double checked & I was thinking of “Free” (2009), not “Long Tail” (2006). Thank you Ghaff for pointing that out. “Free” is based on the idea of sell

by mch82 4y ago

Edit: I’ve double checked & I was thinking of “Free” (2009), not “Long Tail” (2006). Thank you Ghaff for pointing that out. “Free” is based on the idea of selling by products or unedited work at lower prices and moving up market. My comment below gives an example of “Free” applied to video games.

ghaff 4y ago
As Anderson also wrote about in Free there are also a lot of "free" business models where you give away the blog posts, ebook, etc. as essentially promotion for something else--like your time as a consultant or even just your status as an employee.
- mch82 4y ago
  Yes, and you’ve made me wonder if I may be mixing up bit of Free and Long Tail. I’ve read and recommend both.
mch82 4y ago
Here’s what a Long Tail business model looks like in video games: Start working on an indie game. Along the way, record Unity tutorials to begin building an audience. Post some texture packs to the Unity asset store, then some level packs, then some rigged and animated characters. Share some footage of test gameplay. Start getting audience feedback and fans. Release plot notes on the web. Maybe turn some of that into books (Infinity Blade) on Kindle & iPad, where the cost to publish is zero. Release the full base game as an open beta, but charge for it. Release the final base game at a low price or as free to play. Charge for DLC (Civ VI, StarLink) or skins (Rocket League, Fortnite), or a single player campaign (Halo). Twitch stream your gameplay. Once your graphics are awesome, make a movie (Final Fantasy).
- pixelbro 4y ago
  Why are none of the examples you mention remotely close to being indie games? Those are clearly not what a Long Tail business model looks like in video games. That Infinity Blade novella was written by Brandon Sanderson.
  - mch82 4y ago
    My goal was to illustrate the arc, from indie bootstrap to AAA success. I don’t recall Chair as a AAA studio in 2010. The development of PUBG, which began as a mod of another game, might be a better example. I did messed up here by mixing concepts from “Free” in with the concepts from “Long Tail”. I went back and re-read the Long Tail article from WIRED and edited my patent comment above to correct that error.

by mch82 4y ago

ghaff 4y ago

As Anderson also wrote about in Free there are also a lot of "free" business models where you give away the blog posts, ebook, etc. as essentially promotion for something else--like your time as a consultant or even just your status as an employee.

mch82 4y ago
Yes, and you’ve made me wonder if I may be mixing up bit of Free and Long Tail. I’ve read and recommend both.

mch82 4y ago

Here’s what a Long Tail business model looks like in video games: Start working on an indie game. Along the way, record Unity tutorials to begin building an audience. Post some texture packs to the Unity asset store, then some level packs, then some rigged and animated characters. Share some footage of test gameplay. Start getting audience feedback and fans. Release plot notes on the web. Maybe turn some of that into books (Infinity Blade) on Kindle & iPad, where the cost to publish is zero. Release the full base game as an open beta, but charge for it. Release the final base game at a low price or as free to play. Charge for DLC (Civ VI, StarLink) or skins (Rocket League, Fortnite), or a single player campaign (Halo). Twitch stream your gameplay. Once your graphics are awesome, make a movie (Final Fantasy).

pixelbro 4y ago
Why are none of the examples you mention remotely close to being indie games? Those are clearly not what a Long Tail business model looks like in video games. That Infinity Blade novella was written by Brandon Sanderson.
- mch82 4y ago
  My goal was to illustrate the arc, from indie bootstrap to AAA success. I don’t recall Chair as a AAA studio in 2010. The development of PUBG, which began as a mod of another game, might be a better example. I did messed up here by mixing concepts from “Free” in with the concepts from “Long Tail”. I went back and re-read the Long Tail article from WIRED and edited my patent comment above to correct that error.