4 ms·
When Jason Rohrer says something, it's invariably couched in zero-sum sacrificial thinking. The principle is embedded deep in his games, as well as his lifestyl
by chipsy 13y ago
When Jason Rohrer says something, it's invariably couched in zero-sum sacrificial thinking. The principle is embedded deep in his games, as well as his lifestyle, and by inverting that viewpoint it's easy to find flaws in his arguments.
With respect to this idea, it models the game as a magical artifact of worship that grows more valuable simply by being older, and then reasons backwards to "this rewards the true fans." But most of the internal models used by players involve the game being some mix of disposable content(interactive stories and scenarios to experience), a pastime or hobby, or a piece of fashion - something friends are also playing. And in the majority of those instances, obsolescence can be assumed; mass piracy of our oldest video games is taken for granted.
Price can rise if the game is continually developed. Minecraft is exceptional in that it's always the same product with large, relatively frequent updates, but the same effect is much more often seen across defined sequels: The first in a breakout hit series might be a low-budget game, and then after a sequel or two it warrants a bigger budget and a $60 price.
- stonemetal 13y agoit models the game as a magical artifact of worship that grows more valuable simply by being older, Sounds rather similar to funding a startup. Those who get in earlier in the cycle take on more risk but usually get to invest at a lower price. If you got in on Minecraft during the beta you had no idea if it would actually make it to release. Every time the price went up it was closer to release and less of a risk. Sounds like his game follows a similar path, no one wants to play an MMO with 2 other users. Rewarding those who take a risk of being an early adopter\community builder doesn't sound like a bad idea.
- fat0wl 13y agoyea the upwards pricing model has this strange assumption that indie games will get a cult following, whereas in reality there are not a ton that have much replay value. i consider Fez to be one of the better indie games I've encountered. it cost a few bucks, probly wouldnt have bought it if it were more. after playing for a while i thought it was aesthetically pleasing but after realizing the task of the game & how id have to decipher these things it kindof seemed like the conclusion was already mentally within reach & playing it out would be sortof laborious. the reason high price tags fit high-budget games is they make the missions nuanced enough that even if the game is a flop there is enough variation to keep you entertained, as a lot of manpower went into the features of the engine i like the concept of indie games but i'm too skeptical to get one with a high price tag only to find that its focused around 1-2 core tasks and therefore barely worth the value whereas full-featured studio games have probably already dropped to the same price or below. prices are relative, its a competitive market i'm all for ingenuity & creativity but any realist will note that lots of indie games are lacking in this as well