The PROBLEM with CHEAP GAMES

It seems like the argument has shifted more towards indies not keeping their heads above the water, and I probably didn't help with my comments about AAA games, but I'll point out that the video is talking about AA games like Nier (you could probably include Hellblade too as well as eurojank games like The Technomancer). Games which are niche but still have relatively high production values.

 

I think there is a lot of truth to this. The great titles are definitely still rising to the top. For example, Player Unknown's Battleground (PUBG) went from a game nobody had heard of to a game everybody knew about relatively quickly. A lot of merely good games have been completely buried under the pile, though. And it is not simply price related, because PUBG sold over 8 million copies at US$30 while a lot of $1-$5 games sold next to nothing. I think it all comes back to the "OMG THAT WAS AMAZING" reactions. Anything short of that level of excitement will cause a marketing failure due to the flooded market.

 

I have even noticed this affecting my own purchasing habits. I looove me some tower defense. I used to just get every td game that came out and play them for a least a while. Even if mediocre. Now, when I get new games, td (or anything for that matter) if it doesn't blow me away in a couple of minutes, I'm done. I know that I can find a more perfect game with a little more looking

 

And at the end of the day - this is what is pushing prices down. Not only can you find that perfect game, but chances are it's half as much as a similar game of a few years ago (although the mobile market is a bit different) 5 years ago or so - a lot of games released at the $35 mark would have been at the $50+ mark.

This stuff has largely already happened, but going forward - it'll be easier and easier to put together better products for less.

I think one reason the mobile market actually has an advantage here is because hardware is still changing lightning fast and top end mobile games today are really different from a couple years ago.

On PC, the indie market is having an impact - but I think that stuff like humble bundle and aggressive steam sale pricing is having a bigger impact on the top end of the market.

 

In mobile it really has no affect on prices, as everything is largely free to play. But there are two interesting side affects in that market from flooding.

First, it really shifts success firmly back into gameplay. A f2p game has to be good game. Players have to be engaged before the start spending. UA only gets installs, not revenue. Which is great.

Second, is which is a big one for me, aggressive monitization strategies can negatively impact retention and therefore revenue. Paywalls, obtrusive ads and heavy interruptive house ads can turn players off from even a good game. They don't have to live with heavy-handed monitzation as there are other equally good games out there that don't. Again, a win for players, and a win for developers.

 

You hit the nail on the head with this. That's what I've noticed out there in my recent research. And it does suck because it means things are going back to the same way as it was before the whole Indie thing became such a... thing. Meaning unless you are able to make gee whiz super duper stuff and / or have a ton of money to spend on marketing you can't even get a foothold to be able to get a start.

I'm sure some people think this is a great thing and way it should be because after all only the really high production truly super duper kind of games should be sold, right? But that sure isn't what the original idea and excitement over Indie titles was about. Otherwise we'd never had Hotline Miami and many other great games.

Still there is hope... just need to focus on making games solely for the purpose of getting attention. I mean make a good solid game still but make it crazy in some major ways so it gets attention.

Of course, once a lot of people are doing this... like everything... it will no longer work. But this probably has enough life left in it to support a few more games.