GP2X Small Gp2x Games Shop

[nickspoon]

Note that this is merely an idea at the moment, and this thread is to gauge interest.

I was discussing in #gp2xdev the idea of a game shop for small GP2X games. Games would be around £2.50 apiece and would be downloaded directly to SD. The idea of this is to get games developers to produce some top-quality games that could make a little profit in return for the time spent. It also encourages people to spend a long time producing good games that will sell.

I reckon £2.50 or thereabouts per game is best for both developers and consumers, and piracy worries would be at a minimum as it's really not worth the bother.

I have contacted ED who said he'd be happy to host it.

So, I wondered what you all thought of this.

 

[Magnulus]

I'm all for it! Personally, I'd pay 5 if the game seemed worth it, but I think maybe the 2.5 is a good price point as you say because pirating wouldn't be worth it.

 

[ingrin]

I'm all for this! This is actually what I thought the commercial games would be like when I purchased the GP2X.

For example, I would gladly have paid $5 for the 1.0 version of 'free' Vektar. If the improvements are noteworthy enough, I would be willing to to pay $10 for the retail version. I'm just not going to pay $30-$40, sorry...
Now, I realize why they charge this rate, the SD media costs a fair bit, and if they want to be able to prevent piracy, it might be necessary. But that's not my problem.

 

[Wite_Noiz]

Sounds good.

What sort of games are you talking about? Homebrew's that devs want to/can sell?

 

[jbrodack]

I would be all for this as well. this is how commercial gp2x games should be sold. if its good enough people will pay so that the author makes some money yet I can't see many refusing to pay and pirating since its such a low price.

 

[DAXP]

I'd like an online version of sorts, or one in the US. An online one would be simple to do with Paypal, I think..

 

[nickspoon]

What sort of games are you talking about? Homebrew's that devs want to/can sell?

Yep, homebrew games like Beat2X and TileMatch that are professional quality but are missing the time and money needed for full-scale commercialisation.

 

[gaterooze]

This really moves away from the open source nature of the community. One of the big selling points of the GP2X is "free games."

Whenever I find a game or application I use/play a lot, I usually donate at least that amount to the author -- but I prefer to have the freedom to try things out on my own without paying first.

Just my opinion -- I'm not saying devs don't deserve reward (if they desire it), as they most certainly do.

 

[nickspoon]

I was thinking maybe you could download a demo version containing one or two levels and only one mode, for example. Then, if you liked the game, you could download the full version.

You could still release your game for free, if you wanted to.

 

[sparr]

I think it would be cool if you let the authors set their price and you just charge like $.10 (or more, or maybe a percentage) more. So if I want $2 for my game then people pay $2.10, I get $2 and your site gets $.10.

Check out lulu.com for an on-demand physical/digital media publishing company with a similar business model.

 

[Dzz]

This really moves away from the open source nature of the community. One of the big selling points of the GP2X is "free games."

There's some truth to that, but we don't work for GPH.

I think this is an interesting idea worth trying; of course somebody has to set up the web site with e-commerce and download delivery. I know nothing about web stuff so I don't know if this is easy or hard.

I'm pessimistic about how many sales would be generated, but I could be wrong.

 

[Orkie]

I'm pessimistic about how many sales would be generated, but I could be wrong.

That depends on how many decent games are put on it, and how regularly new ones are added.

 

[DavidBeoulve]

*chuckles* Dzz, you're just pessimistic, yo

I still have a draft e-mail offering my career-programming father $1,000 to create a game with me - after selling 34 or 50 games (depending on the price, $30 or $20) I'd have made his salary back - or a deal where we just split the cut.

I have to think that VekTar has sold more than 34 copies, and it was $30.

I'm a big believer in "not going into debt" so I haven't sent the e-mail because that'd leave me & my family no room for unforeseen circumstances. I know my dad could use the money and the community could use another game.

I'm still thinking on it, which is why I write about it here.

 

[Vynx]

I hate to be cynical but, wouldn't a majority of free games we're getting now, just end up in this "shop"? Yes, we'd get more top quality content i'm sure, but we'd also lose a part of the free development community.

It's a good idea, but they'd have to be of real commercial quality, not the kind of games we've seen so far - full length experiences, games you would happily buy in a game store.

What i'd personally like to see is this:

Games remain free, that doesn't change - but mods or expansions could be released at a charge price - you can still enjoy the game, but if you really like it, you can further it's life by downloading new levels, mod packs, expansions, and so on. That would really push devs to create really great games, so the community could come back for more content

 

[sparr]

Look at the segmentation of the PDA software market. I think we would see a variation of that. Thousands of programs ranging from utter shit to awesome games with prices from $.50 to $20, with plateaus at $5 and $10. And hundreds of programs ranging from decent to awesome that are free.

 

[DavidBeoulve]

What i'd personally like to see is this:
Games remain free, that doesn't change - but mods or expansions could be released at a charge price - you can still enjoy the game, but if you really like it, you can further it's life by downloading new levels, mod packs, expansions, and so on. That would really push devs to create really great games, so the community could come back for more content

Games that allow for modifications are key. Lots of people want to do something with their GP2X, and few of us are real programmers.

Naturally, the "free games" ideal doesn't work, hence the PC and console gaming market. It's useful for what we see so far, and I enjoy it as much as the next GP2X owner with four kids to feed! :lol:

 

[Vynx]

What i'd personally like to see is this:
Games remain free, that doesn't change - but mods or expansions could be released at a charge price - you can still enjoy the game, but if you really like it, you can further it's life by downloading new levels, mod packs, expansions, and so on. That would really push devs to create really great games, so the community could come back for more content

Games that allow for modifications are key. Lots of people want to do something with their GP2X, and few of us are real programmers.

Naturally, the "free games" ideal doesn't work, hence the PC and console gaming market. It's useful for what we see so far, and I enjoy it as much as the next GP2X owner with four kids to feed! :lol:

Episodic content is also another way to go forward: Imagine playing an RPG, finishing it, but wanting more - pay a small charge and download a whole new major quest to try and complete

 

[nickspoon]

The idea of the shop is to give developers the option to sell their games if they feel that they want to for a price that they reckon is right. The option is available at this point anyway, it just takes considerable effort to set up an online shop.

 

[Mr.Jabberwocky]

This is not a bad idea - open source does not mean free or that a charge can not be made. It seems that generaly homebrew is considered not worthy of even taking a look at by many. Is that because it is free ? Maybe if they have to pay for it more people will take an interest.
Considering the size of the user base and that 90% are only interested in emu's or think the community owes them free stuff, the amount you are suggesting is hardly compensation for the effort required.
However it is still a good idea. Perhaps the policy could be a 'minimum price' allowing the user to pay more if they wanted. I don't think that price point is going to attract professional devs.

Why did people fall over themselves trying to pay for a chunk of turned plastic that takes minutes to produce yet resent paying a fraction for software that takes weeks to develop ? What is more, not only do they want it for free, they expect the same quality that they see produced by commercial teams who take months or even years over development.

 

[Orkie]

This is not a bad idea - open source does not mean free or that a charge can not be made. It seems that generaly homebrew is considered not worthy of even taking a look at by many. Is that because it is free ? Maybe if they have to pay for it more people will take an interest.
Considering the size of the user base and that 90% are only interested in emu's or think the community owes them free stuff, the amount you are suggesting is hardly compensation for the effort required.
However it is still a good idea. Perhaps the policy could be a 'minimum price' allowing the user to pay more if they wanted. I don't think that price point is going to attract professional devs.

It is widely (and incorrectly) believed that with software, you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for it, it much be rubbish, otherwise they wouldn't give it away would they?

I don't think the point of the idea was to bring professional game developers in, more to give a place for small hobby developers to make a little money off their work without having to invest lots of time and money in an online shop.