Episode Releases VS Full Releases
by Steve D · in General Discussion · 06/05/2007 (6:07 pm) · 4 replies
I was wondering what everyone's opinion is from an Indie and business point of view of releasing a game in in episodes instead of the entire product all at once?
I'm thinking there could be some serious advantages to releasing a game in pieces. Take for example a game that has about 100 hours of play and you try to sell for $25. If you released that in 4 episodes of about 25 hours of play each at $15 per episode you would more than double money.
It might also be good for future tweaking, get feedback from the first episode on what the players liked and didn't like and incorporate that in future releases and so on. Being able to release an episode faster might also keep more people interested in your game.
I know episode releases won't work for all games but it would for a decent number, so what does everyone think?
I'm thinking there could be some serious advantages to releasing a game in pieces. Take for example a game that has about 100 hours of play and you try to sell for $25. If you released that in 4 episodes of about 25 hours of play each at $15 per episode you would more than double money.
It might also be good for future tweaking, get feedback from the first episode on what the players liked and didn't like and incorporate that in future releases and so on. Being able to release an episode faster might also keep more people interested in your game.
I know episode releases won't work for all games but it would for a decent number, so what does everyone think?
#2
Let us not forget SIN, which is an example of how episodic releases can backfire horribly. Granted, they were bought out and the focus of the studio changed, but it backfired nonetheless.
In the end it's all about timely releases close together with enough content and gameplay at a price that will be profitable for you and at the same time be justifiable for the consumer.
06/06/2007 (5:57 am)
Personally, I'm not that found of the episodic game trend. When I buy a game I want the whole thing right then and there. The only ones to come close so far in getting episodic games right is Telltale with Sam and Max. That had a release schedule that would be close enough together to satisfy me. Now, Valve could right a paper on how not to do episodic gaming. An episode a year is not episodic.Let us not forget SIN, which is an example of how episodic releases can backfire horribly. Granted, they were bought out and the focus of the studio changed, but it backfired nonetheless.
In the end it's all about timely releases close together with enough content and gameplay at a price that will be profitable for you and at the same time be justifiable for the consumer.
#4
06/06/2007 (6:57 am)
SIN got delayed indefinitely. MumboJumbo bought out Ritual and made the changed the studio's focus to casual games to match the focus of MumboJumbo. They've said that they may revisit SIN and traditional games somewhere down the line, but it's not their primary focus anymore. 
Torque Owner Shiraz
On the topic of feedback, release a demo or beta. Get that feedback and put it into the final.