If it were any other developer I would agree. Frontier is a really great group of developers. Just look at what they have shown off so far! That is what is so great about products in general, if you think something is too much than don’t buy it. I’ve paid $60 for games that were terrible and $10 for games that were great. Pre-purchasing a game is kind of like investing. The developer is gauging interest in a way. The benefit to players is a better game in the end.[praise]
$80? Wow....
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Harbinger
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Just thought I'd point out it's actually $75. Still quite pricey compared to the standard pre-order but it does come with 7-9 months of continuous play time that those who merely pre-order won't get.
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Good things in life are worth their weight in gold, simple as that... [big grin]
Nobody's saying $80 is cheap. And nobody's saying you must buy the early access.
Some value the early access pricing differently, including me. Yes, it was a bunch of money, but it's also not impossible to get.
For some, it means they'll take a couple less beers a few weekends, and in a blink, they've saved up to that early access, which will last you far longer than a couple weekends worth of beer.
For others it means they'll have to skip some other game at the moment to get the early access.
It's merely up to priorities.
Mind you, I believe being part of the early access will give you the opportunity not to play the game before all others, but to largely participate in feedback for the developers. It involves a commitment to report bugs, provide constructive feedback and letting them know what works, what doesn't work, what can be adjusted a tiny bit this way and balanced a tad that way.
There'll always be the 'free riders' who purchase the early access just to get the game before all others, but at a premium, as you are pointing out. They might however be missing out on a lot of interaction with the developers and may have a sub par game at hand than what they imagined, until new patches arrive and the game goes into the gold built state later this year.
Some value the early access pricing differently, including me. Yes, it was a bunch of money, but it's also not impossible to get.
For some, it means they'll take a couple less beers a few weekends, and in a blink, they've saved up to that early access, which will last you far longer than a couple weekends worth of beer.
For others it means they'll have to skip some other game at the moment to get the early access.
It's merely up to priorities.
Mind you, I believe being part of the early access will give you the opportunity not to play the game before all others, but to largely participate in feedback for the developers. It involves a commitment to report bugs, provide constructive feedback and letting them know what works, what doesn't work, what can be adjusted a tiny bit this way and balanced a tad that way.
There'll always be the 'free riders' who purchase the early access just to get the game before all others, but at a premium, as you are pointing out. They might however be missing out on a lot of interaction with the developers and may have a sub par game at hand than what they imagined, until new patches arrive and the game goes into the gold built state later this year.
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Guys !
I really think the overpriced early access just ask a question more important than "Is it worth it ?" (because I think everyone agree that the work of Frontier is outstanding.)
But the real question is "What will be the economic model ?". If they are able to fix the price of the early that high, maybe they are able to make us pay for the game, then make us pay again for any little pieces of the game ?
Knowing that they had no moral problem to do so in Elite: Dangerous, but It's something I can understand because in many games, you can find "only cosmetics" things in the cash shop (which is okay, because it's 100% optional and does not break the gameplay) but here ... the cosmetic aspect is a very very big part of the game ...
And I'm sure that people who paid $80 for the early access, can not imagine that is possible, in some time, they say "Oh, by the way, it was just the price of the game, if you want the content now, you have to buy it ! SURPRISE !"
This is the most important point !
"Is it worth it ?" is not because the real answer is : it depends, but not because of the game itself, but the strategy behind ...
I really think the overpriced early access just ask a question more important than "Is it worth it ?" (because I think everyone agree that the work of Frontier is outstanding.)
But the real question is "What will be the economic model ?". If they are able to fix the price of the early that high, maybe they are able to make us pay for the game, then make us pay again for any little pieces of the game ?
Knowing that they had no moral problem to do so in Elite: Dangerous, but It's something I can understand because in many games, you can find "only cosmetics" things in the cash shop (which is okay, because it's 100% optional and does not break the gameplay) but here ... the cosmetic aspect is a very very big part of the game ...
And I'm sure that people who paid $80 for the early access, can not imagine that is possible, in some time, they say "Oh, by the way, it was just the price of the game, if you want the content now, you have to buy it ! SURPRISE !"
This is the most important point !
"Is it worth it ?" is not because the real answer is : it depends, but not because of the game itself, but the strategy behind ...
As consumers of software, we have to get out of the mindset that we should expect something for nothing. The Planet Coaster pre-order is £20, or around half the retail price of most games at release, and assuming the game turns out to be good, that'll be excellent value for money. We should expect that Frontier support and develop the game for a reasonable amount of time after release, but at the end of the day they have a team of ~100 developers/artists/sound engineers/marketers/QA/support people working on this game, and saying "we're going to keep adding content to this game for free without a viable long-term revenue plan" would be suicidal. So I very well expect that Frontier are planning something similar to Elite: Dangerous with Planet Coaster, but hopefully with a few lessons learnt.
It's this reason why I think that UGC is going to be limited to what the game supports (i.e. blueprints for modular builds). I would hope that over the course of the year they add new rides, scenery, etc. but don't expect to see new features. I would also hope that if there is any store in the game it's limited to theming of rides and scenery. I also think that they'll aim to produce a yearly expansion (like Elite) but I hope unlike Elite they release it as something that's notionally complete rather than being worked on over the year. So, there might be a waterpark expansion, a hotel expansion, etc. and those would bring the long-term income they need to grow as a studio.
As to the price of the Early Bird edition, I can understand the thinking behind it being expensive. We went through the same thing with Elite, and generally there are two mindsets: that you shouldn't have to pay to test; or that you're getting value from being given early access. I fall into the latter camp, I found the Alpha/Beta process of Elite to be more enjoyable than actually playing the game, because I felt involved in the development process. It wasn't about finding bugs for me, but being able to give feedback on the gameplay early and often, and given the high price of entry (it was a *lot* more to get into Elite's Alpha) it limited the feedback to those who had a vested interest in the game, and importantly limited the volume of feedback.
If you fall into the group who don't like to pay to test, or if you're not happy playing something that at times will be a buggy mess, then you're not being forced to pay. You can pre-order and play when the game is released. You'll still be able to watch videos of Early Bird owners playing the game and comment on the forums. I'm very much looking forward to getting stuck in, finding what works (and doesn't) for me and helping the developers produce something that'll be enjoyed by everyone else come release time.
It's this reason why I think that UGC is going to be limited to what the game supports (i.e. blueprints for modular builds). I would hope that over the course of the year they add new rides, scenery, etc. but don't expect to see new features. I would also hope that if there is any store in the game it's limited to theming of rides and scenery. I also think that they'll aim to produce a yearly expansion (like Elite) but I hope unlike Elite they release it as something that's notionally complete rather than being worked on over the year. So, there might be a waterpark expansion, a hotel expansion, etc. and those would bring the long-term income they need to grow as a studio.
As to the price of the Early Bird edition, I can understand the thinking behind it being expensive. We went through the same thing with Elite, and generally there are two mindsets: that you shouldn't have to pay to test; or that you're getting value from being given early access. I fall into the latter camp, I found the Alpha/Beta process of Elite to be more enjoyable than actually playing the game, because I felt involved in the development process. It wasn't about finding bugs for me, but being able to give feedback on the gameplay early and often, and given the high price of entry (it was a *lot* more to get into Elite's Alpha) it limited the feedback to those who had a vested interest in the game, and importantly limited the volume of feedback.
If you fall into the group who don't like to pay to test, or if you're not happy playing something that at times will be a buggy mess, then you're not being forced to pay. You can pre-order and play when the game is released. You'll still be able to watch videos of Early Bird owners playing the game and comment on the forums. I'm very much looking forward to getting stuck in, finding what works (and doesn't) for me and helping the developers produce something that'll be enjoyed by everyone else come release time.
In the UK (s) is a slang term for cigarettes, but I can assure you I am in no way against homosexuals, nor am I a racist. I treat everyone as equal, no matter what gender, nationality, colour or disability a person may be. We are al human beings, each with our own personalities. It was just a misunderstanding on my part.
As I said in my previous post about the cost of this game, I used to spend almost this much on cigarettes, every week, until I gave up 25 years ago. So as far as I am concerned, I am quite happy to spend some of my weekly pension on something I can get more pleasure than wasting it on cigarettes. And like Ola has said, I will be able to not only just play the game, but to participate in feedback, being a sort of tester if you like, which will help to find faults and help the developers to give us a better game on final release.
i see it as a good investemt for a product which is developed by a company who do so much right.
Better invest 80 then 30 in a other game without any communication, news etc. really if this 80 helps frontier doing the best game im glad to can help.
Better invest 80 then 30 in a other game without any communication, news etc. really if this 80 helps frontier doing the best game im glad to can help.
Very well said KiLLu, at least we know that the Dev Team communicates with its members and this is why we respect them. They are not sitting in the background ignoring everyone, as though they know best and that we should and should not have any say in the game. Money well spent if you ask me! That's what I like about Frontier, they are working with the community and building a great game for everyone to enjoy.
My gaming budget is $60 a month, so this $80 ($75 really) takes me out.
Oh I wish. Lol. I'm cheap... I mostly wait until games goes on sale to buy... like steam sales for example.
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Well ...
When I was younger, I had $15/month ("100 Fr" in France, before the Euro) !
I had to save for months to buy a game, and I considered myself rich.
I understand better why everyone are okay with this "DLC/Microtransactions" strategy : It's because they just dont care about money [uhh]
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Nothing I hate more than half finished games, selling other half as day 1 dlc.
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