PeterH Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Hello, do not worry this is not a request for free stuff. Things I realise already: Battlefront isn't a huge company and they do need to make a living, and this is a very niche corner of the gaming market. My impression is that is why Battlefront charges a very large premium price for its games. A small community combined with a game that cannot be found anywhere else leads to big prices. Fair enough. However I think your stats show a fairly solid (if slow) increase in sales, and with a growing community you need to start making some economical changes. I know a fair few folk who would very much benefit from and enjoy the combat mission games but who could not consider spending such a large amount on a game. My proposal is simple, over the next few years Battlefront may want to consider slowly introducing a reduction in prices as I'am pretty sure that without the cost barrier the sales will grow exponentially giving the same funding (if not more) with a larger community. You do wargames better than anyone else, you have a very unique and strong position to capitalise on this. Thoughts? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusto Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I think BFCs games arent unusually expansive. CMBN costs like 50$ IIRC wich is a normal price for a computer game of the simulation genre. We recently had a thead on how old everybody here is and it turned out that the average CMx2 player is male and in his mid 40s. Most people that age can easily afford a game that costs 50$. The cost barrier you are talking about is probably mostly a problem for pocket-money dependent teenagers in my experience (i am 23 now) and that is a group that appearantly isnt playing CM anyways. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iMolestCats Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 The cost barrier you are talking about is probably mostly a problem for pocket-money dependent teenagers in my experience (i am 23 now) and that is a group that appearantly isnt playing CM anyways. .........(cough cough) im 16..... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusto Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Well, the Gaussian Distribution loves everyone . But from a statistical point of view your age group isnt the main target group of Combat Mission (and mine is neither). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Belenko Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I'm sure the BFC company will change their pricing model based on your suggestion. Thanks for looking out for the rest of us. Signed a non-cash deprived non-teenager. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohlenklau Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Bloody 'ell!!! Thanks much PeterH. More money for me ale & lager needs!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburke Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Ya see son, here is the problem with your theory. If Steve and Charles make too much too quickly they might simply retire. No our job is to always dangle the carrot in front of their noses... just a few more releases and maybe you can retire... but never let them reach it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iMolestCats Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Ya see son, here is the problem with your theory. If Steve and Charles make too much too quickly they might simply retire. No our job is to always dangle the carrot in front of their noses... just a few more releases and maybe you can retire... but never let them reach it. Thank god we didn't let redwolf give them "good" business advice. That could've ruined EVERYTHING if we weren't there to stop him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c3k Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I think the game should be priced based on how well you do when you play the demo. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusto Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I think the game should be priced based on how well you do when you play the demo. With that pricing policy BFC would actually have to pay me for playing their games . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iMolestCats Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 They should pay me for every noob i curb stomp in PBEMs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Now your just being mean! I blame the missions you are choosing. My commanding is perfect! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iMolestCats Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 You are just one in a long line of victams!! And plus it beats tthe ego out of ya so you can eventually continue on to greatness!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 I didn't really mean to be arrogant by the way, I'am not suggesting I know more about sales or the Combat Mission series than Battlefront does, I just wanted them to know that there is a feeling out here and there are folks who find the current price the only barrier to purchasing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 ...I just wanted them to know that there is a feeling out here and there are folks who find the current price the only barrier to purchasing. I don't know your friends and I don't want to sound like I am slamming them sight unseen, but whenever I hear something like that I have to wonder if their opinions aren't derived by too much exposure to to mediocre but cheap games that they buy and maybe play for a couple of weeks or a month before they replace them with the next mediocre but cheap game to come down the tube. There are people here who are still playing the earliest versions of CM that they acquired a decade ago and I expect that some of them will be playing the current version a decade from now. That much entertainment at the going price is almost a give away. What they should do is lay off buying a couple of their mediocre but cheap games and save their money towards purchasing CM. You have my permission to tell them that. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFF Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thoughts? Successful business decisions aren't made on feelings. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 ... Michael I try! However I'am willing to bet that a very large proportion of the gaming market has a very similar state of mind to my forementioned cheap buddies. The fact is folk do not want to pay premium prices to access enjoyable media, look at the sudden rise in popularity of the (prepare to rinse out mouth) free to play (blurgheurgh) market. I still feel it may be a smart move to slightly lower the prices combined with a real advertising campaign to increase sales. Successful business decisions aren't made on feelings. As you quoted me asking for "thoughts" rather than "feelings" I have to admit I don't see where you are gonig with that. Thoughts can and hopefully in the case of this thread do include factual knowledge, as well as opinions on the current pricing model. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I try! However I'am willing to bet that a very large proportion of the gaming market has a very similar state of mind to my forementioned cheap buddies. And that very same proportion wouldn't want to pay more for the game because they'd take one look at it, fail to figure out that RTFM is a good thing, and then moan they got ripped off (even at knockdown prices) because the game is unplayable. There's a demo. If someone doesn't think it's worth the price they won't and shouldn't buy it. But I, personally, got the game's purchase price in value from just the demo. If I think about how much I've paid for other games, per hour of entertainment. Everything since then is "just gravy". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baneman Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 ...But I, personally, got the game's purchase price in value from just the demo. If I think about how much I've paid for other games, per hour of entertainment. Everything since then is "just gravy". Cheapskate though I am, this is true. If people can't or wont read the manual, then they wont enjoy this game even if they got it for a tenner. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 You forget Mawr's Law (not to be confused with Moore's Law), ie the next boat must always be larger than the last one. Prices will slowly rise into 3 then 4 figures so us junkies can get our junk and BFC can has their boats. Tis the way of things. -F 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 However I think your stats show a fairly solid (if slow) increase in sales, and with a growing community you need to start making some economical changes. I know a fair few folk who would very much benefit from and enjoy the combat mission games but who could not consider spending such a large amount on a game. There have been some discussion of this in the past you and other have touched on many of the same points - the target audience understands that paying a bit more for a game that we can play for a long time is worth it etc. So, right now we have a cadre of players who buy many or almost all of BFC's titles. There are slowly more people added to this group over time - e.g. yourself. The BFC team makes a decent living and they get to keep making games. Serious war gamers spread the word and more trickle to replace the few that do loose interest. If all goes well the market grows and they make more money. Otherwise they get to keep making these games as long as they want. Here is the summary of what BFC is afraid will happen: They reduce the price to get more players. But the players they attract really aren't war gamers and they don't get it. Bad reviews are spread (witness this review as a archetypical example of what could happen: http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=110779). The game looses reputation because of all the poorly done reviews and they don`t get more customers because the non war gamer market does not buy even at the lower prices. Bad things happen to BFC`s business. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Go play World Of Tanks. A 'free game' that will bankrupt you in no time considering how you are forced to purchase-purchase-purchase simply to advance. You want a cheap version of CM go buy CM:Touch. Five bucks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StkNRdr Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I did this comparison a while ago. The numbers were averages (and thus vary from anyone's personal experience) from web sites, etc. Yachting.................................$200,000 Hot air balloon...........................$25,000 Keeping a horse (1 year).............$15,000 Aircraft lessons...........................$6,000 Glider lessons..............................$4,000 Golf (set and 1 year fees)..............$3,300 Going to Pub (1 year)....................$3,000 Civil War Reenacting.....................$3,000 CM (all modules at full price).............$190 Knitting..........................................$50 It does assume you own a computer and most would run CM. As you can see CM is a relative steal for a hobby. The alternative is that one could knit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 AGEOD sells their games for cheap, 30-35 US dollars. But that does not seem to have resulted in a huge customer base for their products. They were recently acquired by another company. So you can add me to the list of those who question if lower prices would significantly expand the customer base for product that has niche appeal at any price. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Knitting..........................................$50 As you can see CM is a relative steal for a hobby. The alternative is that one could knit. You'd have to be a pretty slow knitter to spend as long as many do playing CM and only spend $50 on yarn... Or maybe you could offset the price of the clothes you didn't have to buy because you made them; then knitting would probably turn you a profit! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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