3 ms·

I know these companies keep posting crazy numbers and make wild pre-sale money, but I do wonder how many people are like myself who: (1) play video games with

I know these companies keep posting crazy numbers and make wild pre-sale money, but I do wonder how many people are like myself who: (1) play video games with friends most weeks (2) buy new games regularly (3) have not purchased a game over 40 CAD since I was in high school, with the average being closer to 20 CAD. My friends and I just don't have the appetite to drop 80 CAD on new releases, and just play other games until the big releases go on sale, which usually happens relatively quickly. I feel like after Cyberpunk and No Man's Sky and Fallout 76 that the "do not buy pre-sales" wisdom is quite well known and regarded. I do wonder if there is some chance that people will increasingly just wait-and-see when it comes to new releases. Although that's probably just wishful thinking. I just know that I'm happy waiting for sales to play a year old game with all the patch fixes.

swatcoder 4y ago
You’re not alone, but there’s a specific experience to participating in the launch buzz of a new AAA game, just like there is with a new blockbuster film. Even if the buzz for the game or film turns sour, or you personally hate it, there’s something to enjoy in being a part of a big cultural event in your community. Each launch/opening is as much about the festival as much as it is about the product. There will always be people willing to pay to attend that festival, and always companies willing to compete for the opportunity to host it.
- komali2 4y ago
  The best recent example of this I have is the Elden Ring release. The first couple months of playing that alongside a global community of people parsing the story and discovering obscenely fleshed out secrets (to entire different maps no less!) was one of my favorite videogame experiences. I totally understand the slow gamer philosophy though, I think it's important that there's people out there doing that. The slow gamer that picks up Elden Ring on sale in 5 years and runs it at 4k60 on equipment half the price of mine will have their own uniquely special experience, not the least because the game will have been changed through patches and the community's understanding of the game will be more fleshed out... And we'll all get to enjoy their excited first time play through posts on the subreddit or wherever, which will be a delight after the game has faded into memory over years.
nmfisher 4y ago
I have 100+ games sitting in my library that were either free, or purchased for less than $20. When you think of all the effort and man-hours that went into making them, and the number of hours of entertainment they'll provide, that pricing is insanely cheap. It's not even that I can't afford to pay more for games - I bought Zelda + Mario Kart at full Nintendo price - but with so many options available for less than $20, does anyone really ever need to? I've been pricing my own (non-game) software product and I can't see any way to make money unless the sticker price is at least $100, or with cosmetic micro-transactions. I would never in a million years build a game atop MTX, but I'm more open to it for other types of software. The games industry is just brutal.

swatcoder 4y ago

You’re not alone, but there’s a specific experience to participating in the launch buzz of a new AAA game, just like there is with a new blockbuster film. Even if the buzz for the game or film turns sour, or you personally hate it, there’s something to enjoy in being a part of a big cultural event in your community. Each launch/opening is as much about the festival as much as it is about the product. There will always be people willing to pay to attend that festival, and always companies willing to compete for the opportunity to host it.

komali2 4y ago
The best recent example of this I have is the Elden Ring release. The first couple months of playing that alongside a global community of people parsing the story and discovering obscenely fleshed out secrets (to entire different maps no less!) was one of my favorite videogame experiences. I totally understand the slow gamer philosophy though, I think it's important that there's people out there doing that. The slow gamer that picks up Elden Ring on sale in 5 years and runs it at 4k60 on equipment half the price of mine will have their own uniquely special experience, not the least because the game will have been changed through patches and the community's understanding of the game will be more fleshed out... And we'll all get to enjoy their excited first time play through posts on the subreddit or wherever, which will be a delight after the game has faded into memory over years.

nmfisher 4y ago

I have 100+ games sitting in my library that were either free, or purchased for less than $20. When you think of all the effort and man-hours that went into making them, and the number of hours of entertainment they'll provide, that pricing is insanely cheap. It's not even that I can't afford to pay more for games - I bought Zelda + Mario Kart at full Nintendo price - but with so many options available for less than $20, does anyone really ever need to? I've been pricing my own (non-game) software product and I can't see any way to make money unless the sticker price is at least $100, or with cosmetic micro-transactions. I would never in a million years build a game atop MTX, but I'm more open to it for other types of software. The games industry is just brutal.