First they cancel the mod-able version after leading so many modders hanging for years and now they are considering dumping the Dreamcast release altogether.Guest wrote:Roel wrote:It's true, we're not sure. The number of active Dreamcast users keeps declining. Will there be any left by the time the project is done? Who knows?
Also, developing a Dreamcast game is not an economically sound decision. I don't know if we'll even be able to afford another Dreamcast release. Especially since some people seem to think RRRR DX's ridiculously low price point is too high already... :\What you talking about?Roel wrote:It's true, we're not sure. The number of active Dreamcast users keeps declining. Will there be any left by the time the project is done? Who knows?
What numbers declined?
Once SoJ officially abandoned DC in 2007, it was over. I don't think was possible for the user base to decline anymore as all three next generation consoles were out and those who were still holding the DC such as myself as their go to 6th Generation console moved on to the 7th Generation.
Nonetheless RedSpotGames felt that the DC Market wasn't dead and released Last Hope, which they believe made an indie Sales Record with 5500 Units (the last 500 were for the limited edition), Despite poor marketing (as stated by Rene in an interview with RacketBoy). Their next game however bombed but they acknowledged that it was due to the genre and furthermore the game looks and sounds like it should be on the Master System (please disregard my personal opinion, but the sound and graphics are really not for me).
In 2009, HuCast published Dux while units aren't known it sold out pretty fast and a reprint/update is in the works.
The same year NG:Dev.Team, after parting ways with RSG released Pink Bullets which sold in a month or 2 (although they were only a 1000 units).
Also only a few months after R4 came out, the regular edition sold out breaking Last Hope's record, so with that logic the market would be increasing?
* I will discuss the Special Edition in a bit
Why is that? You currently hold an RSG sales record.Also, developing a Dreamcast game is not an economically sound decision. I don't know if we'll even be able to afford another Dreamcast release.
I do think it is high, especially taking into account the fact that the game was being sold for half the price (that is what I remember, I may be wrong here).Especially since some people seem to think RRRR DX's ridiculously low price point is too high already...
Conventionally after games are released their prices go down, not the other way around.
The game I believe was selling for 15 Euro's and is currently selling for 30 Euro's in doing so... you are forcing a potential consumer to buy a game that other consumers bought at half the price. An average player is only interested in the game and not the stickers and sound tack included with the DX edition.
RSG/SenileTeam have made several critical executive decisions that hurt the game sales:
- Release an alternate edition with the same box art
- not releasing both editions at the same time
- remove a cheaper alternate for potential consumers; creating buyer inertia in the process
Max also mentioned in one of our discussions that you have certain clauses in your contract that inhibits RSG from bundling the game with other products. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the context in which he was referring to it cause it was bundled with W&W + Vibrator/Extension Cord.
I think it was when I asked why it hasn't been bundled with Dux or W&W.
That would be another executive disaster, man imagine if a big company did something like that we would all go and throw rotten eggs at them.Roel wrote:I agree!dc wrote:i think you underpriced your game. you should consider charging more.
I don't want to act like an MBA cause I'm not, but I think you should pick up a book on business basics and read the chapter on Product Life Cycles/Pricing Strategies.
When games are released, they have a high price for it because as with most software it is only demand for a short time period and then sales sink, I believe this pricing approach is called Skimming.
Look at NG:Dev.Team and their business model it is fantastic:
- They release an expensive game and skim it
- Once the units sell out they release a remixed low priced edition for everybody else
It is working for them cause they announced 3 games for Dreamcast in DC-Emu's interview with them. One game coming out this year and 2 next year.
(the 2 games for next year doesn't include DUX as that is Hellwig's solo project and not NG:Dev.Team's project.)
To think they started life as releasing free ware games, now it is all about economics.