When AAA games launch

[funkboy]

What do shareware developers do when a AAA commercial game in your shareware game's genre launches?

My example: a new Tiger Woods golf game is launching, and I have my KGA Golf game.

Will interest in golf games spike during this time? Should I offer a slight sale on my game's price? Should I at least release an update? This same advice could be applicable to GLGolf, Islands Mini Golf, and others.

I think we can catch potential customers who will balk at the $39.99 pricetag of the Tiger Woods game, but wouldn't be so hesitant to spend about $19.

[MattDiamond]

I'd hold your ground in this case. They just don't seem the same to me, other than "golf". I suspect for example that kids or my wife would enjoy GLGolf more than a hardcore golf game like Tiger. (Not that I've played either, but I think you see my point.)

[Zwilnik]

If it's the only major one in the genre, you should be ok as your product will probably do better with the less hardcore players who want to buy a golf game but don't want to pay £40 for a full commercial one. Uber serious gamers in the genre will probably buy all the games available (up to a certain point).

The biggest problem comes when a genre gets saturated with commercial titles. Then you start seeing the effects of games being discounted and sold in bargain bins. It's difficult to compete with a AAA title at $10-$15 when you're trying to sell a shareware game at $20.

[kodex]

Bit off topic but i was curious how are your sales for those golf game guys? Just wondering how many registered users you are getting a month.

[Jake]

I wouldn't change a thing. Tiger has always been available for the mac. The audience Tiger targets is more hardcore gamers, which won't buy KGA Golf or GL Golf. If your audience is anything like mine (which it has to be) we target casual gamers.

[funkboy]

Right, different audience for sure, but it's mostly about possibly taking advantage of a short term opportunity: increased interest in golf games. I'll see how my normal sales are affected when Tiger is released.

kodex: for golf I now get about 6 users a month. Not very many, my tennis game is more popular, though golf has been more consistently popular.

[Skorche]

Trying to imagine a picture a hard-core gamer playing a Golf game...
:lol:

\/\/007, did you see that 1337 hole in one man!

Seriously though, I don't think you'll have much of a problem unless you are making games in one of the really hardcore generes like FPSs or RTSs.

[funkboy]

I don't think you'll have much of a problem unless you are making games in one of the really hardcore generes like FPSs or RTSs.

Then let's tackle those genres!

Pretend you make a first-person shooter, and Doom 3 is just released (imagine we're in the past...). How can you ensure sales of your game don't taper off?

Is a price drop good? A major update? Lots of advertising on an update / gaming website?

With the world of Windows games possibly being easier to port to Mac in the future (something which I kind of doubt, but it's hypothetical... a whole other topic), we'll have to deal with this very problem more often.

[JustinFic]

Is a price drop good? A major update? Lots of advertising on an update / gaming website?

IMO:

Price drop: Bad idea. It results in a loss in profit, but unlike a possible loss in sales, this guarantees you a loss. Also, existing customers might not appreciate that the price is lower than what they paid and get irate, demanding a refund of the difference.

Advertising: Also bad idea. The AAA boys have much deeper pockets and can out-advertise us indies any day of the week.

Major Update: Much better :) Specifically, address weaknesses in the AAA title. For instance, Doom 3's system requirements are ridiculous, and its multiplayer blows. A smart indie would make sure their FPS could be played by just about anyone, and that the multiplayer kicks all kinds of ass.

[Najdorf]

Start another game? (danlab's phiosophy...)