How to fix the Steam price concerns?

Discussion in 'Backers Lounge (Read-only)' started by Causeless, June 13, 2013.

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How should the pricing for PA alpha be done?

  1. Same as it is now, 90$ for early access

    148 vote(s)
    78.3%
  2. Lower alpha price on Steam, taking away exclusive commanders

    31 vote(s)
    16.4%
  3. Lower alpha price on Ubernet and Steam

    10 vote(s)
    5.3%
  1. Causeless

    Causeless Member

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    Right now, the vast majority of the threads in the Steam discussions for PA are just endless complaints about the high price.

    Although it is the most fair approach, having more money coming in by pushing down the price could help make the game even better, so I ask all the backers: what approach do you think uber should take?

    I'd also point out that anyone who has already bought on Steam would still get the extra commanders in the third option for paying the higher price.
  2. thefreemon

    thefreemon Member

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    In all honestly, most comments on steam seem to come from people who don't know much, or anything even, about the game. Most seem to believe that 90$ is the price of the final version.

    A fitting solution would be to list the game (December release) on the regular price, and sell beta and alpha on the side, like it was DLC. If that's even possible.

    So, final price is X, if you want to the beta pack you pay Y and if you want alpha you pay Z.

    However, I don't see a problem with the current system. No matter the way Uber shows it, there will be complains.
  3. zurginator

    zurginator Member

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    I honestly think they should just pull it. All of this whining is ridiculous.

    People aren't ready for early access, they're a bunch of entitled bitches.
  4. smallcpu

    smallcpu Active Member

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    Just pull it from steam. (I don't like steam anyway. ;) )

    If people can't handle it (and it seems a lot of them can't) just remove the source of the confusion. There's no reason to change the pricing scheme, its perfectly fine.
  5. Tontow

    Tontow Active Member

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    Make a statement appear in ridiculously large red letters on the main page saying that the game in in alpha not yet finished.
  6. lordmd

    lordmd Member

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    I mentioned somehwere in the other thread they should make it like this:

    Alpha at Start: 90$
    Beta at Start x$

    And instead of making 1(ONE) big price jump from 90$ down to Beta price at Beta Start they could lower the price every month a bit until Beta... since technically you can't buy the "Full Alpha" anymore if it already progressed 1 month(or more months).

    I think they are planning something like this. neutrino quoted me and said "ding ding we have a winner".


    Also about the Beta price: I heard it will be 60$ at Steam? Kickstarter it was 40$ only. I think they also could lower this to 40$ with Kickstarter getting still the additional rewards and Steam buyers only the Beta + Full Release access - this would allow to lower the price much faster and much more until Beta Start.


    Like: Kickstarter / PayPal - 90 Alpha / 40 Beta / 20 Full Release + additonal Rewards(and of course the other tiers).

    Buying at Uber Store: 90 / 40 /30-40(edited: this should be same as Steam!) (and other packages like 200) with additional rewards that are less than Kickstarter Rewards(I think there are already differences in some special commanders and stuff like that SMC stuff you can get at 200 edition you got with 90 only if you were backer).

    Steam: 90 / 40 / 30-40(so they still would make money and Kickstarter would have the full game cheaper) with rewards like at the Store if they buy at the beginning Alpha / Beta / Full Release.

    Then: After 1 month(assuming 3 months Beta) lowering it by 1/3 difference 90-40.
    Costing 73,33 then - NOT offering the additional rewards you get at UberStore at Steam anymore (Still offering the 90 at Uber Store with the additional rewards).

    ... then continue until Beta. If it's beta the price at 40$ starting the same - and removing 90$ edition from Uber Store.


    Also offer like 73,33, ... at Uber Store then(without rewards) otherwise everyone would buy at Steam only while it's at these prices.

    Also: Make sure to give additional rewards to Steam buyers! They are more likely to buy then... and this is no harm to Kickstarter backers as long as the rewards are same as the editions you can buy at Uber Store(which are already a bit less than Kickstarter).


    Edit: If we are at something like 73,33 the rewards should be like: Buy at 90 get all rewards buy at 73,33 get the Beta rewards you get if buying at Store(=Steam -> Store and Steam should be same). Of course would not make sense to give no rewards at all... just not getting the full additional Alpha only stuff/90 edition stuff.
  7. crseth

    crseth Member

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    Don't pull it from steam.

    Leave it were it is at. It will work itself out.
  8. smallcpu

    smallcpu Active Member

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    I think this pic is appropriate in here.

    [​IMG]
  9. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    I agree with not pulling it from steam, and maybe changing the page itself from steam to $40 and advertize all at the top of the page that the game for release is $40. Then as the steam page goes down, post that the game is currently having alpha ran for 90, and down the line beta for 60.

    So yeah, practically pull alpha from steam sales. Set it's price for 40 and set it to not sale yet. That way, nobody has any price but 40 to look at, and nothing to buy from steam yet. IF THEY WANT IT, they can follow the link to the bottom of the page, buy alpha from the developer site, have a key converted, and then play on steam.

    Steam is really pissing me off. Wish there was a way to send a fatal electrical current through the internet and into someone's keyboard...

    Like someone said, they are a bunch of entitled kidz, so don't put the offer on steam. Make the people who are actually interested in the alpha offer (instead of interested in complaining about the alpha price) go through the trouble of spending time finding how to join alpha. Apparently, if they don't spend the effort looking for alpha, they want only to complain about it's price.

    Set the price to 40 on steam, set it to not released yet, and torwards the bottom of the steam page, mention alpha is in progress and to check the developer's site for details.
  10. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    Half those people on that list are in-game in MW2. Is... is that supposed to be the joke? Or... were you trying to be threatening?
  11. smallcpu

    smallcpu Active Member

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    Sorry, I guess I spend too much time on reddit.

    Its basically about how finicky the whims of modern gamers are. Basically they said they would boycott Modern Warfare because of an issue (no dedicated servers) and then still bought the game and played it, making their actions show the lies in their words. Its quite a "well-known" picture or meme about steam users in some circles.

    In other words, this thing will blow over and people will still buy the game on release. At least, that's what I'm expecting. :)
  12. theggman

    theggman Member

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    I'll be honest, If I was new to this game and found it for my first time on Steam not having gone through kickstarter I would be upset to. $90 for an alpha version of a game is quite steep, especially on Steam. Lowering the price point on Steam might be a good idea, but perhaps leaving certain features from kickstarter out. I personally would not be offended at all if it was cheaper on Steam. Even if I was bothered, there wouldn't be much I could do about it as Uber already has my money for the game ;)
  13. GreenBag

    GreenBag Active Member

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    I've read that a lot of people on steam think it'll have a campaign.
  14. YourLocalMadSci

    YourLocalMadSci Well-Known Member

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    I don't know about pulling it form steam, but at the least it would probably be sensible for Uber to release a statement on why PA is more expensive than "normal" to get into the alpha. There are sensible reasons for why Uber have done things this way, and it it would be beneficial to put those reasons out instead of that void being filled by the clamour of ignorant fools who are quick to jump on the bandwagon before researching the full situation.
  15. Loegi

    Loegi Member

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    Getting into the Alpha, "playing" the game earlier, and shaping the game is a bigger privilege than the standard, or the beta, so it should cost more.

    On top of that, people who get in now and didn't back during the kickstarter shouldn't get a better deal, just on par at the most.

    Maybe Uber needs a really really big *** banner on top of the Steam page that says it's an Alpha, instead of the big section lined in blue with the big blue banner, just so people would know.
  16. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    viewtopic.php?f=61&t=47801&p=742936#p742936

    This stuff is disgusting. Everyone, go here and post a 10 review so we counterbalance those steam folk. At least, until that rating site takes the reviews down and locks the page at 0 reviews since the product isnt even released yet.
  17. Neumeusis

    Neumeusis Active Member

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    It's Uber's Business Model.

    For me, certainly not the wisest (already talked about that, remember the story of the half backed cake that you pay too much ?), but it's their choice.
    And they do not force anyone to buy...

    The Metacritics result is just a normal reaction of frustrated people (who can't / do not want to pay but want to try the game) or rebels (who find the business model aberrant).

    Personally, any other kind of reaction would have been very surprising...

    By the way : this poll is bad. You can't fix the problem as this is not a problem.
    And the proposed solutions make no sense.
    Last edited: June 13, 2013
  18. KNight

    KNight Post Master General

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    This is pretty much the same thing as the whole "EA Voted worst Company" stuff.

    Mike
  19. cola_colin

    cola_colin Moderator Alumni

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    It would be awesome if steam allowed people to preorder for 60 or 40 dollars to get the beta/release versions. However I doubt steam supports that.
  20. Nelec

    Nelec Member

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    Do you mean supports keys carrying over to beta/retail? Yes, it does support that, one example is Arma 3 which I bought in Alpha For £20 and I get the Beta and Retail when they come out.

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