Re: Business models

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Joel Utting wrote:

> Use micro payments - charge per level, giving away the first few free ;
> small initial download and then small individual level downloads - as
> people pass the levels they have they buy and download the next few
> levels (if they're still hooked).

And if you are cruel, you can make the price go up exponentially as
the levels get closer to the climactic ending!

Bwahahahahahaha!

> Would you rather pay $100 for a 40
> level game, or $4 a level ? Keeps download size low to checkout the
> initial product, and you don't get a bunch of levels you never play
> because the game is crap. Also spreads your spending on a game out over
> time. Also it means you only need to create a few more levels then the
> highest anyone has gone so far !

Yes - but you'd better hope you can produce them faster than people can
solve them.  Many games are quoted as having a 70 to 100 hour 'solution'
time.  Can you develop all the levels of a game in 100 hours?   I didn't
think so!

> And it enables you to easily track use
> of the game for marketing purposes, and whatever else. Also users can
> then determine the direction for future levels through some mailing list
> response - so you build new levels by user demand.

Yes - this idea certainly has merit.
 
> Of course this all focuses on people being willing to buy the thing in
> the first place ; but its still an easier purchase then a full $100
> game, so I think make it cross platform, include network play, and get
> most of the sales from windows. Also give away a level editor and let
> people sell their level sets through your site (taking a commission of
> course).

Hmmm - that may be a harder thing to manage.

> Make the core code GPL and keep updating it over time, so newer
> levels require updated core, and other coders can use the core to add to
> it, or release a new game based on it. There are ways to defeat basic
> piracy, at least in the network play - have the server do checks of
> levels available against the registry of people who have bought levels,
> and don't release the server code ; but I think its a waste of time to
> defeat pirates and cheats so I wouldn't bother.

Yes - I agree.

-- 
Steve Baker   HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net>
              WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
              HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
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