ahh yes, but we are forgetting one thing here. I am sorry to the devs out there, but most games we have, are no! where, near, main stream. it's just a fact. so yes, we pay about what sighted people do. but the replay ability of a game they buy, tends to be miles higher. how ever, as has already been stated, the audio game creators, are making games for a limited market. I think this is why audio games on iPhone have taken off, partly because it's not just us that play them. so the market is larger. so a 5 dollar purchase for their games, may seem like a relatively low amount to us, but the amount of purchases they get, makes that price quite effective.
now, as for an example given earlier, lets take tank commander. you say this is nearly main stream? I say, not even close. I mean, just 7 or 8 levels? most tank games you get out there, even for free! have like, thousands of levels. let alone the fact that the games are fairly graphically intense, they have huge replay ability, because of random map creation, random things happening, and so on. so in stead of having level 1 being one map, and you know it all the time, you might start the game, and yes, you'd be on level 1, but the map would be different every time. small things like that, make things far more interesting, and replayable. having the same map over and over, makes it way too easy for people to know exactly how to get through that level. makes it more interesting if there is some kind of randomness to it. sure, make it so that you start on the south side, and you have to make it to the north side somewhere to level up, ... but other then that, the map in between is random, and you really don't know what you will be coming up against. so in stead of full speed ahead, you'd have to be more careful, and investigate the area you are working through. so on and so forth. there are many reasons why things like tank commander and other such games, are not replayable past a certain point. and of course, the other options for game devs, is to bring out a game at a nice low price, and yes, you'd be able to play it, and it's a full game in and of itself, but perhaps they could sell packs that add functions to it, or adds new weapons / enemies, and so on. and perhaps each pack would only cost maybe 5 bucks. lets say the game also costs 5 bucks. if those packs add new functions, I'd be buying the packs. now lets say I have had tank commander for a year. well? so what. I've already beat it, and it's useless to me. now lets say that David came out with a pack, an add-on, that would add another 50 levels. or new weapons to my tank. new enemies I have to fight, random effects happening to my tank to bring me to a standstill while I repair it, ... so on. that would drastically increase the replay ability of the game. right now, tank commander is useless to me, as I have completed it. and, mind you, it took me all of 3 days to complete. so, was the price really worth it? not really. but that's what we have to deal with at the moment. and it really doesn't have to be that way. even if we don't quite work the same way as mainstream, games shouldn't have just a few levels, and that's it. specially when the price is up over 30 bucks. even TDV isn't outside my complaints. yes, it has a cool mission mode. and don't get me wrong, they've done a fantastic job on it. but, ... it's a single mission. once I've completed it, that will be it. that function will be of less use to me. now, of course, they are working on the online side of things, and that offers far greater possibilities. and I think this will be the saving grace for TDV. the online side. because, and I'm not joking here, sighted players have been playing with, and against, their friends online, for over 15! years! lol. it's time we caught up. playing against a computer is one thing. it's mostly predictable. but playing against a human, is far more interesting, and replayable. I'm not saying that the devs out there aren't doing a good job with what they are making. I'm simply saying, it's time to bring these games up with the times, and at least provide online play. that solves a lot of the problems when it comes to predictable maps, and computer players. and truthfully, online play is what I look for. not how many times can I shoot x, y, z, computer player. that's, frankly, boring. However, as Thomas has said, the biggest problem, is to make a really good game, costs money. and most blind people will not pay such prices for a game. and I'm afraid it has less to do with whether or not they can afford it, it has more to do with, do they want to. I'd guess that most players, could afford one or two games of such prices, if they saved up for it. but they simply refuse to, and want the prices to be lower, expecting devs to get along with a very low income from the game that they have spent a huge amount of time on. and to those who say they really can't, well, I'm sorry. but, sighted players have to save up for a game too, you know. so get over it, and save up, and pay a normal price for a good game. we aren't the only ones that have low funds. yet sighted gamers manage to save up and buy one or two games as well. and to those who really can not afford it, I'm sorry. and I know how it feels. however, sighted people, if they can't afford a game, ... guess what? ... they don't buy it. they don't expect the game makers to say, oh, I'm sorry, here, I'll lower the cost just for you. no, the game makers simply can't. it costs to much to make the games. they can't afford to lower it. Hope this all made some kind of sense. lol. it's just that I've seen it way too often, and I'm guessing people like Thomas have seen the hole I can't afford that, thing come up again and again. as I have said. I am more then willing to throw a bit of money into a good game. but unfortunately, I think I'm one of the few. Dallas On 01/01/2014, dark <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Tom. > > While I agree mainstream console or pc games are much more expensive, at the > > same time audio games are actually about average for indi developed stuff at > > least on pc. > > Look at the smugglers games for 25 usd as an example, and for simpler arcade > > titles the price is far less, especialy for games without complex graphics > or sound. > > I don't myself find audio game prices unreasonable, but equally as with lots > > of things I don't think mainstream comparisons to games that are sold in > shops with tax and markup are reasonable either. > > Beware the grue! > > Dark. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Thomas Ward" <[email protected]> > To: "Gamers Discussion list" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2014 1:20 AM > Subject: Re: [Audyssey] MindCraft for the blind. > > >> Hi Shaun: >> >> Well, you might be willing to pay $200 for a good game, but I am >> certainly not willing to spend that on a game. Any audio game >> regardless of the replay value. I suspect many other audio gamers >> would not either. >> >> However, as to the issue of cost you are right that many audio games >> are $30or less. However, that is actually much cheaper than a lot of >> mainstream games sell for. Just recently I was looking for some new >> games for my son's Wii U, and a lot of them were up around $40 or >> more. So we should consider ourselves lucky that Shades of Doom, Tank >> Commander, and Time of Conflict which are almost mainstream quality >> aren't as expensive as your average PC or console game. >> >> Cheers! >> >> On 12/31/13, Shaun Everiss <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Well there are exchane rates and the like to. >>> I'd pay 200 for a game if I knew it would be good quality. >>> Most games are 30 or so bucks unless its a pack. >>> There have been a few acceptions ofcause. >>> entombed and tdv being really large games actually are worth a lot >>> more but even so. >>> In the shops prices do drop as games get older, etc. >>> I am not going to suggest we should drop our prices, but to be honest >>> blind games really have not bar a few had really good replay value. >>> Even shades of doom for me after I played it several times I only do >>> every so often. >>> And for a lot of games you get used to how things will be. >>> Even in the games I am helping with even with the real sound engine >>> that is used you do know where things are. >>> Stuff like entombed or tdv well there is a lot of random things to. >> >> --- >> Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] >> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >> [email protected]. >> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >> http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. >> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >> list, >> please send E-mail to [email protected]. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > [email protected]. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to [email protected]. > --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
