How much we should pay for a decent sim?

[Rosencrantz]

I have been thinking that for a long time now, because somehow I realize we are talking about peanuts. You know, we are ready to invest this 50 bucks. 50 bucks for a sim, from which we want a lot of different things. Playability, stability, realism, graphics...

But, as we now, when prices get up, figures in selling drops. And there will be a point where those two lines meet... That's the point I'm interested in. How much YOU would pay?

------------

So, UBI, if it's about the money... Take my charge and build the sim. I mean SIM. "S-dot-I-dot-M-dot - This is not for idiot!"

FOR ONE THOUSAND (1 000,00) BUCKS.

(I mean it.)

-RC-

[Kapitanleutnant]

£0.22p

Will this be enough?

[tater]

For a proper ww2 fleet boat sim, where the ships and convoys zig-zagged (as they all should)? Where boyancy is actually dealt with properly? A good damage model, etc. Where I sink Yamato and don't see Yamato again? For an ACCURATE campaign like RSRD?

For something that meets my minimum standards (in other words as good as heavily modded SH4) I'd pay quite a lot. Hundreds of dollars, no problem. I'd pay for a subscription with a game that worked its way to that with constant updates, and back and forth with the devs, too. I've paid for ww2ol since 2001 just to support "the dream" as it were. Don't even know what it is a month paid in advance as I do, over $10/month now for 8+ years (didn't pay at the start as a beta tester). Think it is actually more like $15/mo, so I've paid $1440 for WW2OL. 2+ "box games" a year in terms of money.

I'd happily pay the same for a good naval/submarine sim.

[Rosencrantz]

£0.22p

Will this be enough?


I'm sorry, Herr Kaleun, but I think this club is not for you... :DL


-RC-

[Apos]

I can pay 99 PLN, its 1/20 of average salary in my country.

99PLN = 20 euro or 33 dollars

[Sailor Steve]

For a proper ww2 fleet boat sim, where the ships and convoys zig-zagged (as they all should)? Where boyancy is actually dealt with properly? A good damage model, etc. Where I sink Yamato and don't see Yamato again? For an ACCURATE campaign like RSRD?

For something that meets my minimum standards (in other words as good as heavily modded SH4) I'd pay quite a lot. Hundreds of dollars, no problem. I'd pay for a subscription with a game that worked its way to that with constant updates, and back and forth with the devs, too. I've paid for ww2ol since 2001 just to support "the dream" as it were. Don't even know what it is a month paid in advance as I do, over $10/month now for 8+ years (didn't pay at the start as a beta tester). Think it is actually more like $15/mo, so I've paid $1440 for WW2OL. 2+ "box games" a year in terms of money.

I'd happily pay the same for a good naval/submarine sim.
If I had the money? Well, I C&Ped tater's post because he said it best.:rock:

When I have a job I'll pay $50 for a decent game, $100 for a great one, or, as he said, more than that for continuing upgrades and additions.

[Turbografx]

$120 is the most I've ever paid for a sim (Steel Beasts Pro edition). I think if it is detailed and accurate enough, that is a fair price.

[JackAubrey]

$120 is the most I've ever paid for a sim (Steel Beasts Pro edition). I think if it is detailed and accurate enough, that is a fair price.
Me too. And the Copy Protection works just fine. :)

[Rosencrantz]

To tater:

So, you seem to as crazy as I am. Goooood. :rock:


To Apos:

You mean 400 euros per month is average sallary in your country? That's not much, I think. :cry:


To Steve:

If there was this SIM, I lend you the money. Just to get you in.


To Turbo and Jack:

120 sounds good. More than double we likely should pay for the V... :yep:


-RC-

[danurve]

I'd pay retail.

As long as there is no DRM.

[Eightbit]

Assuming its a really awesome game and the stars aligned just right (had food, shelter etc) I still couldn't tell you. It's really limitless what I could justify paying if the game was just that awesome and the company selling it was great.

Honestly I think I put more weight on how the company treats its community (modders, users etc) then the sheer quality of the game. Ok random not too cheap number. $163.23

[karamazovnew]

For a really good naval sim, I'd be willing to pay as much as for a Guitar Hero 4 complete box. That's about 250 euros here. But it would have to be a damn perfect naval sim.

[Uber Gruber]

I would happily pay 4 to 5 times average game price for a well made Sub Sim. That's 200 to 250 euro here. I would also happily pay a subscription fee for quality regular updates.

But I can't envisage any of the current gang of games publishers to take up the gauntlet. Their sole interest is quick profit - it keeps the shareholders content....though not necessarily happy.

I suppose we all have to ask ourselves the question once or twice in life - "Am I here just for the money ?", in UBIs case the answer is a resounding YES! Consequently, working there must be quite un-rewarding on the whole.

Wouldn't it be great if companies aimed for a profit in order to reinvest in the company, the staff, the quality of its products and the employees salary ?

Just get rid of the shareholders, sack or re-program the management and hey presto - a profitable company for its employees, its customers and its community....Simples!

UG

[Obltn Strand]

Easily more than 200 euros.

Free economy puzzels me. If say like 20 000 people preorder a subsim like Aces of the Deep version 2010 for 100 euros (adjust currency to whatever you use), gaming company receives 2 millions. Should be enough to start programming.

[ParaB]

I've paid 125 USD for Steel Beasts Pro PE in the past and consider it money well spent.

[JU_88]

We should pay the avaerage price for video game.
The hardcore crowd who are willing to pay a higher retail price for more detailed sim are in the minority
and it would not compensate for the millions of casual gamers and new comers who will simply view the price tag as extortionate.

If you not a subsim nut already - Why are you going to pay though the nose for a genre you are 'not sure you will enjoy' when you can buy two or three other games for the same price? :doh:

I speak from experience as I was like 'them' once, back in 2005 when I bought SH3 on a 'whim' for £25, now had it been £80+?.....
Lets just I would not even be registered on this forum right now. ;)

[HundertzehnGustav]

for a sim, as in FSX where SYSTEMS are generic and dominating the experience... for a WWII subsim like that i would personally be willing to fork out up to 80 balls. US Subs, Jap Subs, French and German and UK subs.
Each one with its own systems and properties.

for SHV, with
everything i want, (wolfpacks, radio home to get new orders, ...)
subs, (the whole palette, with all components)
campaign, (the whole war!)
no Online thing, (freedooommmmmm)
top notch textures, (they are already good imo)
SYSTEMS for my U-boot (engines, maintenance, repair, training, upgrade...)
modding tools, (campaing/mission designer...)
Devs remaining on the job for another year to support SHV, (they deserve it)
blah:up: blah:up: blah:up:


i would be willing to spend up to 140 Balls.

But, thats just me.
sadly.:wah:

:)

[Mikhayl]

If it's on the level of FSX and the like I'd pay up to 80€. For "just" a good sim, standard price.
If you look at IL-2 and BOBII, they came out at standard price, now available dirt cheap (20$ for BOBII). Not only did they blow any SH game out of the water in terms of "sim" out of the box, but they also had numerous large updates.

http://www.a2asimulations.com/bob/
http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19536&sid=ac79c6f56018177cfb0aabf230f532b4

[Topo65]

I paid DCS: Black Shark $39,99, with all system modeled and working like in R/L. Include Ramp start, flight dynamics, instruments modeling, avionics systems, and weapon systems.

[Jimbuna]

I couldn't put an actual price on it but if it was good enough and the price was reasonable I would pay it.

[tater]

As was said above by ju88, no amount by a tiny sim community equals volume at a much lower price. My dad (who was in publishing) always told me that to make a million bucks the best thing was to sell a million things for a dollar each.

In the case of sims, a better model (assuming the devs actually want to make a sim) is to think in terms of scalability of gameplay. Make a sim engine, then publish it as a GAME to score the highest sales volume. Allow the sim part to be turned on by the user, or even modded in. The bones should be there, however.

A novel model might be to have some of the "sim" type stuff ready to roll as either an add-on, or as a subscriptive service over and above the cheap cost ($50) of the standard game (yes, $50 is cheap).

[Subnuts]

I bought a copy of Silent Hunter: Commander's Edition at Big Lots for $1.99 back in 2006.

Considering the number of features present in that game that won't be in SH5, I think I'll wait for SH5 to end up in the $0.99 bin.

[janh]

Depends on the quality of the product, when I bought the last game of the same kind, whether I think the new one really gives me something simulation-critical that the predecessor didn't (wolf packs...):

- something of the shelf: a SHIII or SHIV of mediocre quality, initially buggy, but good features? $25 initially, $40-50 after proper patching.

- a sequel without new features, though may have completely new graphics engine? (I count graphics only as feature if the previous game is at least 6 years older and shows real differences, say 640x480x16 -> 1024x800x32 AA, lighting etc.). Only 15$, is basically a budget title with slightly polished shine.

- a sequel with new features, but missing major functionality of the previous game (like type II, IX, XX1, 43-45 stuff and campaign, and almost the same graphics). Hard call, but usually I would consider it step back: 15-25$, depending whether I was already happy with the prequel and it is not too old/outdated yet.

- a sequel featuring all previous features, and added new ones (inspired by comments/complaints of previous customers) (say SHV = SHIII with true, flexible, 1939-1945 campaign where major ships don't reappear after being sunk, where BRT influences the outcome, wolf packs, and plenty features (like surface units moddable to be playable)...
Easy call $80.

- If it is then also really hardcore sim, extremely realistic physics engine and features like engine control, a campaign mode where you can also strategically control the U-Boat war between each ToD: $120

- If it has online DRM: 0. Wait for budget title. Meanwhile check Matrix Games new WITP-AE.

[maillemaker]

I paid $39.99 for SHIII from Best Buy years ago. It has given me countless hours of entertainment. Surely a great value.

I could see paying up to $100 for a simulation, but it would have to be GWX quality to go that high.

But then, I'm torn. If I wait long enough until I finally have a PC strong enough to run the sim, I can pick it up for $10. :)

[sav112]

As I’ve said I don’t buy many games, in fact it’s been three or four over the last few years. As long as I love playing it I seriously don’t mind the price. I knew I would play BF2 and enjoy it even with its short comings but I can’t believe that until a fresh install after a corrupt system file I had it on and still playing it a few weeks back. I bought it in 2005.

Thing is most games are more or less betas these days and it’s shocking. We have all this new communication on forums etc and they still get it wrong.

I had a few games on my list for my new top of the line system in April after all I’m still using my Nov 2004 Machine:oops:



BF3:yeah:

SHV:down:

And that New Carrier Command.:|\\

[Rosencrantz]

Ju88 wrote:

The hardcore crowd who are willing to pay a higher retail price for more detailed sim are in the minority


Agreed. That's a problem.



tater wrote:

In the case of sims, a better model (assuming the devs actually want to make a sim) is to think in terms of scalability of gameplay. Make a sim engine, then publish it as a GAME to score the highest sales volume. Allow the sim part to be turned on by the user, or even modded in. The bones should be there, however.



I like the concept.

-RC-

[IanC]

$79.99 Canadian

[magic452]

I've spent $80.00 on SH4 with no regrets, many hours of fun for the cost of a dinner out.

Would be willing to pay $125.00 or a little more on a high quality sim.
Good graphics, good repeatable game play, bug free as possible.

Magic