On The Ball: So Indie It Hurts

[fleshBasedProcessor]

I don't know if it was this article convinced me to or if it was just the straw and the camel's back that pushed me over the edge, but I decided to buy VVVVVV after reading it. I kept on seeing press about it but I had decided not to buy because $15 seemed to much when I could get other games for less or even free.

I love really, really hard 2d platformers, as long as they have a forgiving checkpoint system. I've lost countless hours between I wanna be the guy, N, moneyseize, and Spelunky. I've been really craving a new one recently to. I'm still don't know if VVVVVV is worth $15, I never had to pay any money for the examples I just listed, but I like supporting indie games and the soundtrack is AMAZING. Even if I decide it wasn't worth the money, there isn't a chance in hell I'm not going to end up enjoying the game.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Indie devs have a much harder time, as they have original ideas that people may or may not want or even understand.
In order to garner such demand, they have to make the demand.
And trust me, making people want something is getting harder and harder these days.

Why do you think the big fatcats spend so much cash on hype machines! XD (and good reviews in some cases...)

Pricing an indie game is exceptionally difficult. If its low, it might be seen as bad quality or under-developed, and people will likely pass over it, but if its over a certain amount, (say 10 pounds-ish), then people will start to question its qualities and capabilities.

Lets not forget opportunity cost. What else could they spend that 10 pounds on? A couple of old xbox/ps2 games?, some older, but much cheaper indie games already established as good by the gaming scene?, A kebab and a couple of drinks?

Lower quality graphics can be forgiven for good artistic style, (a la Braid, and Plants versus zombies), a great soundtrack (Braid again!), or an overall experience that is unique and engaging, (Braid, once again is a good example of this!).
Look at the best selling indie games and compare them. They have a fair amount more in common than what us "individual" gamers might have percieved them before individually.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

If the game was something that was a sure fire guaranteed seller that could move 200 thousand downloads and be very profitable if it was priced at $5 then don't you think that a big publisher would be already be making it?

If a publisher pushed for a development, it would almost certainly not be $5. Profit only comes after the initial production costs have been met, then that gets cut between the development and publishing (not to mention distributor if it uses one.)

Not to mention, if it was a SUREFIRE hit then they would definitely jack up the price because they know saps would be willing to pay it anyway. It would be easy to point at Modern Warfare 2 here, but then you also need to take into account the exorbitant development cost.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

If the game was something that was a sure fire guaranteed seller that could move 200 thousand downloads and be very profitable if it was priced at $5 then don't you think that a big publisher would be already be making it?

If a publisher pushed for a development, it would almost certainly not be $5. Profit only comes after the initial production costs have been met, then that gets cut between the development and publishing (not to mention distributor if it uses one.)

Not to mention, if it was a SUREFIRE hit then they would definitely jack up the price because they know saps would be willing to pay it anyway. It would be easy to point at Modern Warfare 2 here, but then you also need to take into account the exorbitant development cost.

I had a long ranty reply written out but I scrapped it.

Long story short, Indies also have cost and would also like to be able afford some of life's luxuries like video games. Some might be financially independent and are making games without worrying about making their money back, as that is a benefit of being independent, but not all of them are and we shouldn't expect them to be if we want them to stick around.