$80? Wow....

[xyphic]

See, this is where I have a huge problem with Alpha's and Beta's being re-branded as "Early Access/As long as you pay a little extra". Finding bugs and giving feedback has never been a luxury in the gaming industry, people have been paid to do in the past, until recently when Beta's and Alpha's have been used a tool to get people onboard early, at no cost of the developer, yet still benefiting from even more bugs found because higher user base and also as a free adverting tool when people start talking about the game, videos etc.

But for it to be 'free advertising' the software they release has to be of a particular standard otherwise they'll get negative publicity when it's a buggy mess. Just look at how RCTW's beta was received. Frontier do have a QA department and will make sure that the most obvious bugs are caught before they release in March. The biggest thing that stood out to me when Frontier released Elite: Dangerous into alpha was how polished it was. The amount of functionality was limited, but as they added it that level of polish didn't drop.

Lately companies have been charging extra money, for people to help fix and advertise their products. PC have said on Twitter that there will be no No Disclosure agreements too, so basically free reign for people to advertise the game as much as possible.

But this is a *good thing*. People have been crying out for a revitalisation of the 'coaster park genre and the only way that can happen is if someone throws money at it. This is a £10m development project from a company who aren't backed by a rich publisher. The big publishers don't see value in these games. Atari are rolling the dice on one of their last big IPs and really aren't putting all that much money into it.

If Frontier overrun their release date, they're the ones who lose. Get it too badly wrong and there'll be no game at all. These extra perks (the Coaster Head Club, VIP passes, Early Bird) are all ways of derisking the project by encouraging an early revenue stream. Or would you prefer it if companies did all their development completely closed, but where half the games didn't make it to market due to going bankrupt?

So think about it, you're paying for the game @ £19.99, plus £30 (which over double the price for the game), so you can do their job and test it, give feedback and advertise it.

I'm fine with that. So, seemingly, are a lot of other people. They aren't being forced to buy the Early Bird edition, they're buying it because they're excited about the game and want to be part of its development arc. Nobody can sulk that they weren't chosen to be part of a closed testing group.

I'm sorry, but they should be slammed for this, any other company would. Stop letting companies do this, because then it becomes the norm and it's not right.

Who gets to say it isn't right? It's not you, unilaterally. Just because development methods and sales tactics are changing doesn't mean that they can't be accepted or acceptable. It used to be the case that games companies would advertise their games using assets and imagery that wasn't part of the game and nobody batted an eyelid. Now we find that unacceptable, and Frontier have been called on it themselves with some of Elite's trailers. Everyone slammed Telltale Games when they introduced episodic gaming and season passes, but over time it's become less contentious as other developers pick up and run with the idea. Frontier have tried to capitalise on that change (again with Elite) but have found the community generally unwilling to accept it.

Times are changing, people are changing, games development is changing. There'll be some successes and some failures. Frontier have obviously worked out that this model is successful for them and continue to push it. Whether it'll be something that gets picked up across the board, I don't know. But it remains: if you don't like it, don't buy it. The demand for the model will drive its success.

 

[Nolfy]

I also wished Early Bird was cheaper, but i am going to buy it because i waited a long time for a new great theme park game.

I've said it before (hopefully Brett reads it sometime wink wink), but i wish they give Early Birds a nice discount on any future expansions or just call it future purchases in the Frontier Shop.

They could also make the base game price more expensive. This price bothers me a little. Maybe it is cheaper, because we get expansions quickly after release with a price that brings total price more to a 50 or 60 Euro price point?
We know that there will be expansions or maybe seasons like in Elite Dangerous. David Braben and someone from the Dev's said they will keep expanding and building upon this game, which is a great thing. Another thing is that we will have online features and they always come with server costs. These costs also need to be covered years after the final release.

I do like the seasons they have with Elite Dangerous, but...... the pricing for their fans and longer players are not priced accurately in my opinion (upgrading). I have 3 friends who didn't buy the Horizons expansion. This is btw not just from a price point, but also because you pay for content that will be coming out in the next year.

In Elite Dangerous you would also get more awesome little things when you backed or got the game before release. For example buying ships 10% off. I can't think of things like this in Planet Coaster, but it is nice to have something after the games final release.

Oh and we don't really even know what Early Bird will be, what we can do and when the final game comes out this year. As long as all buyers know they are not buying a full game experience it should be ok.

One last thing.... Please don't bring small DLC packages to Planet Coaster like Spooky DLC or Tropical adventure DLC. I am so happy that we don't have different packages for this game and that is a good sign.

 

[Bax2blade]

I also wished Early Bird was cheaper, but i am going to buy it because i waited a long time for a new great theme park game.

I've said it before (hopefully Brett reads it sometime wink wink), but i wish they give Early Birds a nice discount on any future expansions or just call it future purchases in the Frontier Shop.

They could also make the base game price more expensive. This price bothers me a little. Maybe it is cheaper, because we get expansions quickly after release with a price that brings total price more to a 50 or 60 Euro price point?
We know that there will be expansions or maybe seasons like in Elite Dangerous. David Braben and someone from the Dev's said they will keep expanding and building upon this game, which is a great thing. Another thing is that we will have online features and they always come with server costs. These costs also need to be covered years after the final release.

I do like the seasons they have with Elite Dangerous, but...... the pricing for their fans and longer players are not priced accurately in my opinion (upgrading). I have 3 friends who didn't buy the Horizons expansion. This is btw not just from a price point, but also because you pay for content that will be coming out in the next year.

In Elite Dangerous you would also get more awesome little things when you backed or got the game before release. For example buying ships 10% off. I can't think of things like this in Planet Coaster, but it is nice to have something after the games final release.

Oh and we don't really even know what Early Bird will be, what we can do and when the final game comes out this year. As long as all buyers know they are not buying a full game experience it should be ok.

One last thing.... Please don't bring small DLC packages to Planet Coaster like Spooky DLC or Tropical adventure DLC. I am so happy that we don't have different packages for this game and that is a good sign.

As long as it's free.

 

[Angelis1]

Pay for it if you want to. Don't pay for it if you don't want to...

Simple

Angelis, I understand you have paid for early access? Yet you bang on about it daily. Maybe you should request a refund before access starts?

#justsaying

... Or ... Maybe I just can be a big (if not one of the biggest) fan of a game, also a big fan of a company, and keep my objectivity and my critical sense ?
You know, like a real fan who reacts with his brain and not only with his emotions ... Should I remind you that the game is still under development ? This is the perfect time to react and give feedback.

Anyway, I dont know what you have against me, but I'm REALLY tired of your unceasing personal attacks without any form of reflection ... That's several times now.
So please, stop ! If you reproach me for something in particular, come see me in PM.
Thanks for your understanding.

 

[PSPfreaky]

It's still a choice. If the Early Bird was €79,99... As a fan I wouldn't buy it. I understand stuk71 with that.

 

[Diabo44]

It's still a choice. If the Early Bird was €79,99... As a fan I wouldn't buy it.

Same here! [cool]

 

[Ki-Natas]

It's still a choice. If the Early Bird was €79,99... As a fan I wouldn't buy it. I understand stuk71 with that.

Nope, i must..![tongue]

I waited over 10 years, i cannot wait any longer.

Please freeze me! [squeeeeee]

 

[Zerobyte]

Nope, i must..![tongue]

I waited over 10 years, i cannot wait any longer.

[haha]


Please freeze me! [squeeeeee]

Ok Your wish is my command [video=youtube;bYfG2FwkVkM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfG2FwkVkM[/video] [haha][haha]

 

[Empo]

Nope, i must..![tongue]

I waited over 10 years, i cannot wait any longer.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAAA4/R5t2KTh167E/w360-h270-no/cartman.gif


Please freeze me! [squeeeeee]

LOL I can hear cartmans voice! So true!
Cewm Ewn. Cewm EEEEWN!!!

 

[Abletudu]

^ Exactly, and with no actual requirements stated you might pay for something that you can not run without any hope of gettingt a refund!

 

[psbaddie]

I remember waiting months and years to save up for a single game i wanted. If you want it you will get it. If you don't you wont. would you honestly prefer there be no early access simply because you cant afford it? If that hurts your feelers then I'm sorry but thats how life works.

now that im grown i give myself 2k a year for games and movies and music and seeing what this team is doing makes me willing to sink it into developing our dreams.

 

[Bax2blade]

I remember waiting months and years to save up for a single game i wanted. If you want it you will get it. If you don't you wont. would you honestly prefer there be no early access simply because you cant afford it? If that hurts your feelers then I'm sorry but thats how life works.

now that im grown i give myself 2k a year for games and movies and music and seeing what this team is doing makes me willing to sink it into developing our dreams.

It really depends, early access can get abused (gamers buy, developers stops working on game) and it's been proven on steam, not saying Frontier will do this to us, but just saying.

 

[xnode]

if the cost was actually the end cost, I might agree, but again it's a choice and if that choice is out of your price range or you personally don't believe it is worth the value then move on. This whole thread has been more of a moan fest about paying for the game to play early then anything else. Don't like it move on , seriously. You are forced to do nothing, yet many complain as they are being forced.

Again this whole thread is just silly, Elite Dangerous had a similar thread and the price never changed to get in on the game early. This is frontier's way of a kickstarter and I am all for it. If you believe in the title and want to support it, you can do so in many ways. A big way is donating a good sum and being able to mess with the game early as a thanks.

What comes of that is just like all games with access early, good or bad it will be talked about and more so with no official NDA , which others argue is a selling tool. So ok , it's a selling tool, it's a fund raiser, it's anything but what the description says. In the end non of it matters, it's a video game you can get early if you wish, if not move on. Nothing will change from now till the end so save your fingers all the typing.

Guess I am just as bad writing this whole thing, but it just gets in my crawl sometimes how me me me many people are , there is nothing hidden here but your own mind finding reasons other then the exact reason it cost more. Theory it up I guess, but in the end nothing will change. Take it or leave it, I personally took it and I think it's worth every cent to help them achieve this hefty goal and others obviously do too, so if I and others are willing to pay this price, why should it change?


edit: thnx Kerrash, cleaning up my post a bit, it did get a bit verbal , sorry about that.

 

[GeoCaverDan]

I guess I look at it this way, a day at Disneyland goes like this $20 for parking (that's if it's a car) $105 just for Disneyland for the day (doesn't include California Adventure) then you will spend close to $50 in food and drink. To add to insult the boats in Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, Disney Railroad and Fantasmic are all closed this year and if you go in the next few weeks the Jungle Cruise, Autopia and Indiana Jones will ALSO be closed. So lets put this into perspective $175 a person for a day at Disneyland (with many of it's rides closed) or $80 for an amusement game that you can play whenever you want for as long as you want. When you think of it that way Disneyland seems like a bit of a letdown, hmmm sound familiar?

 

[xnode]

LoL GeoCaverDan,

That's some good analogy you got going there. But yea, in the end if people are willing to pay thou does it really matter? The great thing about the UK , USA economy structure is you are not forced to pay anything for something you don't want. It's a choice and if the market will bare it that price will remain what it is, if not the company will change, as they don't have a choice if they want to stay in business. If anything , I think more people are bothered by the fact that there are a good amount of people that were willing to pay the early access price. In the end thou you are right, what can seem like a bad deal in other respects can be seen as a deal, it's all in the perception of it.

 

[Wobbly]

If this was EA, charging 60% on top of SimCity 2013, for early access/alpha/beta. I kid you not, people here would been kicking off. I don't see the difference here, except desperation to play a genre that died off for the last 10 years.

I'm really surprised that people are allowing this, they wouldn't if it was some other IP. Just saying.

 

[Bax2blade]

I guess I look at it this way, a day at Disneyland goes like this $20 for parking (that's if it's a car) $105 just for Disneyland for the day (doesn't include California Adventure) then you will spend close to $50 in food and drink. To add to insult the boats in Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, Disney Railroad and Fantasmic are all closed this year and if you go in the next few weeks the Jungle Cruise, Autopia and Indiana Jones will ALSO be closed. So lets put this into perspective $175 a person for a day at Disneyland (with many of it's rides closed) or $80 for an amusement game that you can play whenever you want for as long as you want. When you think of it that way Disneyland seems like a bit of a letdown, hmmm sound familiar?

Disneyland is like apple, it's just way too expensive.

 

[xnode]

If this was EA, charging 60% on top of SimCity 2013, for early access/alpha/beta. I kid you not, people here would been kicking off a storm. I don't see the difference here, except desperation to play a genre that died off for the last 10 years.

I'm really surprised that people are allowing this, they wouldn't if it was some other IP. Just saying.

If allowing you mean by purchasing sure, I don't see a problem with the early access price. As their is a price on launch that is more then reasonable. If your looking for free handouts, sure that might be a problem then for someone that expects it for free. If you think the price is too high then maybe the game/genre isn't for you (or gaming in general) the fact is, they are a business we are customers, the market will bare what it bares, if you are shocked about a sticker price then just walk on by and move on as most consumers do. But don't expect people that make a descent living to live at your level of consumerism, I am not saying I am rich but I live comfortable and worked hard to get here, what I do with my money is no concern to individuals as yourself, but then you are making an over-all statement that people are willing to pay the price because it is a nitch genre.

You want sticker shock, look at the latest star wars released video game by EA, there is a prime example of a high sticker price.
Even if that title went down to 20 bucks I still wouldn't get it, the dlc is just crazy, that is thou a personal opinion and how I the consumer value that particular game and what it offers.

To that end I never go to their forums and complain, I just don't go there period. For what is offered, I don't find value, however I do find value here so here I am with my early access ordered and ready to go! As far as the star wars game is concerned, I said my peice by not buying it or following it.

EA knows they priced the whole thing to dam high, even sales numbers show it, however many people did buy it and still play it. Did EA make a profit? I am sure they did, did they see the sales numbers go where they thought an IP like that would go? I highly doubt it.

EA and other large corporations are not some mysterious entity, they are human beings just like you , with thousands of employees that do things like many of us do each day. You can always trust they know what is going on, what they do about it is the thing many of us debate. But in the end again, if the market will bare it , someone will push it. That star wars game was a prime example, people paid that crazy price even knowing the dlc's would be the same if not larger price.

Did that stop what occurred? No, will it having baring on future release, sure... gaming while considered a hobby is now becoming a more expensive one. That's why indi games are becoming a smash hit as of late, but again the market will bare what it bares. Where there is demand in the market, someone will make it, someone will abuse it, someone will make a killing at it. Free enterprise is an amazing thing and has been the backbone of the most successful civilizations to date. You might not agree with it and you can attempt to change peoples minds about it, but in the end the numbers speak more then words when it comes to business, that is the way it is and will not change.

 

[stuk71]

^ great post Guardious

 

[psbaddie]

If this was EA, charging 60% on top of SimCity 2013, for early access/alpha/beta. I kid you not, people here would been kicking off a storm. I don't see the difference here, except desperation to play a genre that died off for the last 10 years.

I'm really surprised that people are allowing this, they wouldn't if it was some other IP. Just saying.

that is a classic strawman argument.

I've said it before and ill say it again. If you are not interested pass it by. IT IS NOT MANDATORY. other people who are interested in getting the early access for the price listed will do so.

do you complain when people send their mail next day shipping too? if your friend buys a new car do you complain to the dealer to stop selling cars because you cant afford it? i cant comprehend why having an option of doing something is a bad thing.