After skimming the boards occasionally last year, I was motivated to give some free market research now I'm back at the computer. With me as the subject. At least, that's my excuse for inflicting my opinions on the community!
So, an open letter to the team.
The business model where we pay you up front and you give us access to each working build of the game as it becomes available works really, really well. So well that it's amazing others haven't copied it.
When I pay out cash to buy a game I go through stages in enjoying it:
(1) Anticipation - looking forward to playing the game. If a game stays at this stage too long, the feeling sours and I lose interest. For me, this only kicks in if a goodly amount of info about the new game is in the public domain, which is a good argument for keeping a game under wraps until you've worked your schedule out;
(2) Novelty - having something new to do. This is why I will generally play a new game in preference to an old game I enjoy (possibly enjoy more);
(3) Admiration - marvelling at its technical achievements. This includes being impressed by new graphics or a clever UI; and
(4) Engagement - actually getting to grips with how the game plays and playing it for its full content be that gameplay, story, mood or what-have-you. This is what normally draws me back to a game (cf. Civ4, which I've never de-installed full stop).
Normally when a game is released, the only reason to come back to it is (4). Of course, before a game's been fully tested and balanced (4) won't necessarily apply which is one reason why it would be risky to release a build too early. But with this model I get (1), (2) and (3) periodically renewed as more info about future plans comes out and is gradually incorporated or tweaked. This is, incidentally, the same reason as why I'm always lured back to a game when a new mod comes out or a significant patch is deployed.
I pay cash. You provide fun in return. Working out that what you're selling me is a constant flow of fun for my free time (instead of a one-off product) and adjusting the standard model accordingly was inspired. You get your cash-flow up front by opening closed betas to pre-orderers, and we get our fun. The prospect of extra sales when you go out of beta and start selling to the general public keeps your team from feeling that all your upside is front-loaded, to be followed by a long, hard slog. Properly win-win, and superb customer relations.
I love buying things from a company that deserves to succeed, and at least as of now, I guess I'll keep coming back with each new release.
Happy New Year 2008!
...now, about that beta of Not-Master-Of-Magic
