Planetary Annihilation - WTF are they thinking?

[SirWinner]

* Rant Start *

Logged into Steam today and was astounded at the $89.99 price tag for a game that is not even ready for PRE-Alpha.

In the good old days, less than 20 years ago, we were able to PLAY TEST demos of games to see if they were quality games or not.

Now-a-days the new (and extremely bad) method is to get people to pre-buy games sight unseen before the game is even proven on your PC.

I write software and know that it takes a while to write quality software. I don't ask my customer's to pay for VAPORWARE... First I deliver a QUALITY product then my customer pays me for the delivered QUALITY product that runs on their computers.

Uber seems to think that we are loaded with loads of money to pre-pay to play their yet unproven game... I'm sure it will be a great game when it is finished... but alas it is NOT worth $90 up front to me.

At least let me play a fracking DEMO before I make up my mind and potentially purchase your game. I have purchased a lot of games of quality because I was addicted to them that would otherwise have been skipped over.

My yearly gaming budget isn't $90 so to ask me to set aside $90 before a game is ready just isn't going to happen.

Unless something changes radically, Uber you will never see a DIME of my money.

Good luck on getting people to pay the $90 up front for a game that might be worth $50 street price when it comes out in stores in America.

I like the Real Time Strategy game genre... Have loads of games in that style that still get played from time to time.

Such as:

* Star Craft 1 and Star Craft 2.
* Total Annihilation with all its' add-on packs.
* Rise of Nations
* Command and Conquer (multiple versions)

Guess that I'll play those games instead of buying yours Uber... Sorry but I think you lost me as a potential customer forever!!!

* Rant End *

[Sergeant Thorne]

Well, apparently they did a ★■◆● job of making you believe it's worth it, because that's what it always boils down to. I'm inclined to agree. Geez!

On the subject of expensive games, I think back on all of my time in Descent, and it sure seems like the title was undervalued. If a new Descent came out, with cutting-edge graphics, and I could expect to get the same multiplier experience, I think $90 would be a bargain (then again there were a lot of other expenses, for a lot of us, in playing Descent). Of course it's all about selling it to the consumer--letting them know what their experience is going to be, and when most top-of-the-line games are going for $50-$60 it would be a hard sell unless you sweetened the deal in some way they have not.

[CDN_Merlin]

I paid $100CAN for Diablo 3 collectors edition and it's worth it. Normal games are about $60. Like ST said, if a new D game came out and we knew for sure it was being made by the same people who would keep the same style of play, then i'd gladly pay $60 for it.

[Duper]

With Crysis 2, BFBC2, and BF3 being so HORRIBLY buggy on release and all at $60 (US). I'll never pre-purchase a game again. These games were never fixed either. They patched them and resolved the easy stuff and finer issues were "resolved" by enlarging the hit box. bah.

Now, if you've been following the shenanigans with the new Xbox and the business model they've been cramming down everyone's throat with no hint of remorse, it's a great time to quit playing games.

Where are my old AD&D books again.....

[Avder]

I picked up my copy of Descent 1 at target in the bargain bin for 5 bucks I think.

No game in history is likely to ever match that kind of value ever again.

[Alter-Fox]

Plenty of games still have demos, and those are the games I buy. If I can't make sure I like something before I pay money for it, on this budget, then that company can, very simply, do without my business. (Unfortunately, those companies usually can do without my business...)

Apologies in advance for all the coming ellipsi.

If one thing makes me... not mad exactly, but maybe sad... it's those consumers of mass-media, and also pretty much anything else, who are so apathetic they don't care what they're spending their own money on. Or, sometimes, what they're devoting their lives to... And incidentally, that's what lets a demonic baroness take over the planet in "Hellfire Prowl", so I guess I've already got those feelings out there...

[Tunnelcat]

I tend to wait for a while before buying a new game. Prices always drop after 6 months. That way, I can see if it's too buggy to deal with or worth it at all before I put down my meager money. Although, the temptation is always there to splurge. Games are like a drug that way.

But I agree with Avder. Descent 1, 2 and 3 are still on my system after all these years and never fail to entertain when I get bored with the new stuff.

However, games aren't the only victim of extreme pricing. Movies are headed into the extreme pricing realm. So will these guys eventually price most people out of the market?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/20 ... rge-lucas/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... llars.html

[Sirius]

Is this one of those things where they're charging extra for early access? I'd have a hard time seeing how they're going to sell it if that's the final price...

[Top Gun]

Is this one of those things where they're charging extra for early access? I'd have a hard time seeing how they're going to sell it if that's the final price...

Yes, I think that's the model that's being used here; this certainly won't wind up being the final retail price of the game. The idea is that the game is essentially still in active development, so paying for this early access is essentially helping fund said development; apparently the pricing was based on their Kickstarter tiers. The people who do pay this much will get access to the most fully-featured version of the final retail release, with all possible add-ons. You can certainly argue whether this model is worth the cost, or even fair at all, but there is some reasoning behind it.

[Sirius]

OK. Reasonable enough, if early access isn't worth that much to people, they won't pay for it.

Or there could be a backlash and it could become a net negative. No need for it, but it happens nonetheless.