Support NeoGAF

[Guymelef]

Sorry, I don't pay such amount for a digital game.

 

[Atolm]

I bought Talos for PS4 at launch but it was a retail release. I'm not paying this much for a digital game.

Those 27€ I paid for Soma were more than enough.

 

[toythatkills]

same sadly, I guess it's not terribly surprising since The Talos Principle released at $40 as well but still jarring to see an indie game cost that much

Blow should have pretended that EA were making his game and people would be all like "OMG $40 for a AAA game?! So cheap!!!"

 

[Keyser Soze]

There was a massive uproar over that.

I remember the thread, but I also remember people simply complaining and saying they would not buy. The tone of some in this thread is more "how dare they price it that high"

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I see more complaints about this than there was about this...

Some of you are weird.

what world do you live in that there wasn't a huge uproar about it? Both before, and after when the DLC didn't live up to expectations?

 

[Fhtagn]

Sorry, I don't pay such amount for a digital game.

Then wait for the physical?

(Last I heard, it'll eventually be on retail but they were polishing the game as late as yesterday.)

 

[PolishQ]

Oh, haha. So then what is that track from?

http://music.zoekeating.com/album/into-the-trees

 

[OrbitalBeard]

If it's 80-100 hrs for a completionist run, do we know yet what a regular run is like? Depending on how a game is set up that could be 25-79 hours.

Still, companies charge $60 for a 6 hour experience. So I don't begrudge the developer their price point. Unfortunately, though, with the race-to-the-bottom mentality of indie sales thanks to Steam and the devaluing of indie experience, along with the already niche puzzle genre, I am genuinely concerned for sales (this sounds like a concern troll but I promise it's genuine).

If the game reviews well, it'll be a massive success. Blow's pedigree will help with that. There are fortunately enough gamers out there smart enough to recognize that quality experiences are worth paying more than $20, even if they're digital only.

 

[deejay]

I expected a price of $30 so I'm a bit disappointed. But I will still pre-order it, I've been looking forward to this game for years now and I'm glad it's finally coming

 

[More_Badass]

I think people really need to readjust their definition of indie, It seems a lot of people have a very, I dunno, "2008" view of what indie games are and the reality these days is that indie games hold the torch for what would be considered "A - AA" games these days. Everything I've seen and heard about the Witness suggest it is much larger in scope than your traditional indie games and I'm honestly surprised it isn't a full price release.

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people continuing to paint indie games with such a broad brush.

Pretty much. These are kinds of games priced at $30-$40 from the past year or so

Kerbal Space Program, Divinity Original Sin, The Talos Principle, Wasteland 2, Planetary Annihiliation, Offworld Trading Company, Wreckfest, Warhammer Vermintide, Prison Architect, SOMA, Endless Legend. Satellite Reign, The Age of Decadence, Descent: Underground

 

[RiverKwai]

I'm interested in the game but was going to wait for reviews regardless of what price it came out at.

I was expecting $60, knowing how long it's been in dev and how big the game is. I also expect NMS to be $60. If you just expect everything to be $60, then when it's $40 - you feel like you're getting a great deal

 

[Trojan]

Day 1 for me. I have faith in the potential for this game and that's a way longer play time than I was expecting.

I think they might have better revenue at a $30 price point, but $40 is still reasonable for the amount of content.

I'm interested in the game but was going to wait for reviews regardless of what price it came out at.

I was expecting $60, knowing how long it's been in dev and how big the game is. I also expect NMS to be $60. If you just expect everything to be $60, then when it's $40 - you feel like you're getting a great deal

I definitely expect NMS to be $60.

 

[Guymelef]

Then wait for the physical?

(Last I heard, it'll eventually be on retail but they were polishing the game as late as yesterday.)

I hope it's true, because I wouldn't have any problem paying 40€ for the retail version.

 

[InsaneTiger]

Sorry, I don't pay such amount for a digital game.

Future is gonna suck for you.

 

[LiquidSolid]

Here's hoping Jonathan Blow's one of the few developers who don't follow the usual NZD conversion rate (convert to NZD and then add an extra 15-20% for "reasons"). If he does then I'll just wait for a sale like I did Talos Principle. I've been waiting years for this game, I can wait a little longer if they're going to rip me off.

 

[ElTorro]

That's roughly half of what an AAA game costs here, which is 69€. Sounds fair to me. I guess that, like The Talos Principle, the game will be part of sales pretty quickly for those people who don't want to pay that much.

 

[Kinyou]

I remember Blow pricing Braid at $15 during a time where that was still a bit unusual for arcade games. Afaik did this end up making him more money. The pricing strategy here feels fairly similar, but I'm not sure if this will work this time around.

 

[Piston Hyundai]

Talos had a much bigger budget and more people working on it.

What are you talking about? Croteam games are super low budget (not a knock against them; they put in some serious work). Serious Sam 3 allegedly cost around $500,000 to make, and Talos uses a lot of its engine and assets, so I can't imagine that it cost too much more than that.

The Witness' budget, on the other hand, is in the 3-4 million range.

 

[The Lone Courier]

Eesh I'll wait for a sale.

 

[bananafactory]

When can we drop the indie label and just call all games....games?

 

[Heel]

There definitely is. Blow has been intentionally cagey about what constitutes a "puzzle" in that 667 figure. "667 puzzles" does NOT equal "667 maze panels", for example.

I think there is, but that Gamestop quote was pretty confusing. I updated it with one posted on the last page.

Blow has said he is trying to strike a balance with the game, and avoid the feeling where you get stuck on one puzzle and that gates you from completing the game. I don't think he's said the exact ratio, but it sounds like you can reach the initial ending while bypassing a large share of the puzzles. But the more you complete, the more the game reveals about itself, impacting the ending.

I've been intentionally avoiding media on this game for this exact reasoning.

Hell, just on the basis of the world he's presented and some puzzlin' has me excited, but knowing how long he's spent preparing it, I think we may be in for something truly special here.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I think people really need to readjust their definition of indie, It seems a lot of people have a very, I dunno, "2008" view of what indie games are and the reality these days is that indie games hold the torch for what would be considered "A - AA" games these days. Everything I've seen and heard about the Witness suggest it is much larger in scope than your traditional indie games and I'm honestly surprised it isn't a full price release.

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people continuing to paint indie games with such a broad brush.

When people think "indie" I think they have this image of some guys fucking around in a garage. Oh, the audacity!

Indie just means it's not developed by a big publisher studio. Some of the greatest minds in video games have left the big studios and gone indie. You would think that with all the backlash against AAA studio game design and business models that people would be happy to support a grass-roots movement away from that.

I don't know what people want. Everything for nothing?

 

[Easy_D]

Cool, all signs point to the game being massive anyway

 

[EthanC]

It's always odd to me how when an indie game is priced this high, people are automatically less likely to buy it. I get where it comes from but this game supposedly has as much content as a regular AAA game, if not more.

For some people, myself included, if it's above 20 and you're not giving me the game on physical media, it's a no-go. At least on console where the two services haven't proven themselves to be all that reliable.

 

[darkinstinct]

I believe this is a 30 or 40 hour game? Like, it's really, really long. And I believe a lot longer if you go for 100%.

$40 is gonna' scare off a lot of folks but not me. I can't wait.

Well, Blow said he did a 100 % run in 8 hours. 30 to 40 hours is the standard bloated dev playtime, I'd say the average player can expect to 100 % the game in 20 hours. $40 is what I expected, the game took twice as long as Braid, it was always gonna cost at least twice as much.

 

[EatinOlives]

Someone explain to me how a $40 is "too expensive" for a 20-25 hour game, with ~100 hours for 100%ing it.

It's like some people here convinced themselves the game was gonna be this 5 hour small indie game thing, and despite being shown the contrary they still want the pricing to be for that 5 hour small indie game thing.

 

[toythatkills]

Day 1 for me. I have faith in the potential for this game and that's a way longer play time than I was expecting.

I think they might have better revenue at a $30 price point, but $40 is still reasonable for the amount of content.

Nah, this thread would be exactly the same if the price was $30. Indie Games™ should cost no more than $15 in many peoples' eyes, and even that's a stretch - will wait for a sale, will wait for Plus, etc.

 

[jiggles]

I'll pay it, but it's the wrong price for success. The Talos Principle should have been a case study for this.

 

[JetSetRadio]

9.99 wiiu included or bust.

 

[GeoramA]

People really expected $20? This isn't Braid 2.

 

[00ich]

I hope the game is good. Would be a good thing for indies to conquer a higher price point.

I guess he is well off after Braid, but for indie developers in general there need to be better opportunities to make money. I don't want to have the same feeling of guilt from buying a cheap T-Shirt when I buy a cheap game.

 

[rav]

Sorry, I don't pay such amount for a digital game.

Why not? If you don't mind me asking.

I buy stuff digitally a bunch, and am just curious as to why you wouldn't buy something at a certain price point digitally. I also buy physical too, I haven't figured out when I buy digital or not. I could see if a platform were to fail, that I could lose digital licenses -- but Steam has been very clear they wouldn't let that happen. (DRM wise)

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

So, no disc version?

 

[Xaero Gravity]

I think I'll wait for it to be on Plus. With all due respect to Mr. Blow, I'm not interested enough in his work to pay that much.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

woah woah woah no, yeah I'm waiting for a sale

 

[chadskin]

That's roughly half of what an AAA game costs here, which is 69€. Sounds fair to me. I guess that, like The Talos Principle, the game will be part of sales pretty quickly for those people who don't want to pay that much.

 

[Easy_D]

Well, Blow said he did a 100 % run in 8 hours. 30 to 40 hours is the standard bloated dev playtime, I'd say the average player can expect to 100 % the game in 20 hours. $40 is what I expected, the game took twice as long as Braid, it was always gonna cost at least twice as much.

a 100% run knowing all the puzzle solutions.

Edit: Misunderstood the point of your post. Nevermind

 

[xxracerxx]

What are you talking about? Croteam games are super low budget (not a knock against them; they put in some serious work). Serious Sam 3 allegedly cost around $500,000 to make, and Talos uses a lot of its engine and assets, so I can't imagine that it cost too much more than that.

The Witness' budget, on the other hand, is in the 3-4 million range.

I asked him for proof, but I doubt he has any.

 

[HotHamBoy]

http://music.zoekeating.com/album/into-the-trees

What!? SIX DOLLARS FOR A DIGITAL INDIE ALBUM!? Pfft, pass.

 

[Dominator]

I hope the retail wait is a month or two tops. I really want this damn game.

 

[dc89]

If the game is as long as they say it is I have no problems with this price.

People shell out £40 every year for CoD campaigns (yes some people buy CoD to play the campaign and leave the MP) so I do not consider this a steep price for what it's offering.

 

[More_Badass]

Well, Blow said he did a 100 % run in 8 hours. 30 to 40 hours is the standard bloated dev playtime, I'd say the average player can expect to 100 % the game in 20 hours. $40 is what I expected, the game took twice as long as Braid, it was always gonna cost at least twice as much.

8 hours is easy when you know everything about the game because you've been making it for eight years

 

[TemplaerDude]

Pretty much. These are kinds of games priced at $30-$40 from the past year or so

Kerbal Space Program, Divinity Original Sin, The Talos Principle, Wasteland 2, Planetary Annihiliation, Offworld Trading Company, Wreckfest, Warhammer Vermintide, Prison Architect, SOMA, Endless Legend. Satellite Reign, The Age of Decadence, Descent: Underground

What a fucking top notch list. I've spent more time playing these "bottom tier" indie games than I have AAA games in the past couple years. Just at a cost / value proposition it's amazing how much bang for my buck I've gotten from these indie games.

 

[Guevara]

I'll buy it, but I don't blame anyone for waiting.

 

[- J - D -]

Why not? If you don't mind me asking.

I buy stuff digitally a bunch, and am just curious as to why you wouldn't buy something at a certain price point digitally. I also buy physical too, I haven't figured out when I buy digital or not. I could see if a platform were to fail, that I could lose digital licenses -- but Steam has been very clear they wouldn't let that happen. (DRM wise)

Resale value.

 

[AmethystEnd]

Great price. Can't wait.

 

[PolishQ]

I'll pay it, but it's the wrong price for success. The Talos Principle should have been a case study for this.

Didn't Talos sell pretty well on PC?

So, no disc version?

Coming later.

 

[More_Badass]

I asked him for proof, but I doubt he has any.

Why should he need to prove anything to you? And what's with weird passive-aggressive "I doubt he has any"?

 

[A Link to the Past]

Hmm. $30 would be preferred, but I guess $40 isn't too outrageous.

 

[Ansatz]

It has exploration to find the puzzles as well yes? Is that all?

I've not watched too many videos, I'm mainly going off comments I've heard on podcasts.

Didn't Blow say something like how the puzzles will start of simple but later on you have to pay attention to the environment around the panel in order to get a clue for solving the puzzle. I think he just wanted to hint something without giving away too much, it doesn't seem like the game is just a series of puzzles that get increasingly more complex and maybe a little harder to find, there is something more to it than what we've seen.