Re: Addressing Some Concerns About USA Games
@Lord_raven: at the risk of damaging the points I made above, do consider the possibility that some games are actually, genuinely constrained by market circumstances. For example, some games are better suited to a touchscreen, or some touchscreen platforms may "be more equal than others". These may well be factors out of control of the game developer.
And the dynamics of our market, in general, are different. Many games for iOS were not in fact designed specifically for us, but the cost for many great accessible games was nevertheless lowered equivalently to mainstream expectations by small-time developers who were aiming to capture a mainstream market and could afford to sell high quality product in more units. Is it so unreasonable to imagine that the creators of those games simply didn't think it worthwhile to target the other platforms, but that we have benefited by their being accessible?
But again, and having said that, every effort should be made to be cross-platform, no matter what the leading platform happens to be. This is now critically strategic, and it's not like we're the first to do it--what do you think Unity is for?
As to audio game innovation: I do understand that the costs make many developers appear mercenary. Relative to other small-time developers, we pay more and get less, even though considerable work and often good content goes into the games that we play. I personally think modding should always be allowed, and that wherever possible an appropriate license should be negotiated for content that allows for this. Still, even to the smallest of small devs, we are minnows. Example: with a budget of $1000, it takes 34 purchases to break even with the high, high price of just $30. Add more budget or subtract cost, to taste. It takes a lot more resources and manpower to achieve anything like mainstream acceptance and pricing, and we have to accept that. This is why mainstream developments are so cr
itically important, and why mobile may bear yet more gaming fruit. In the meantime, it should suffice to do the numbers and estimate the approximate value of a game, and determine whether or not we're getting fleeced. Personally I think we devs should do it for love or on the sidelines for low cost, because that's all that's left unless you want to pay over the odds. And, indeed, recent developments seem to indicate that that's not a bad strategy, if you can afford it.
URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171682#p171682
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