KnapNok's Creative Director Lau Korsgaard has been speaking to us about the forthcoming Wii U eShop party title Spin the Bottle, and has revealed that the studio is taking a unique approach to pricing.
The game will launch with a low price point, which then rises as more content is added over time. However, if you buy early, you get that content for free when it becomes available.
Korsgaard told us:
We are planning to use something different than other eShop games. We will release cheap-ish but increase the price of the game as we develop more content. If you buy early you will get all future updates for free. Our plan is to release two more updates in 2013 - each time raising the price a bit.
We want reward the early adopters of the Wii U while still being able to earn money on the long run.
Korsgaard also told us that the release should be early in July, but wasn't able to give a solid date at present.
What do you think of this strategy? Let us know by posting a comment.
Comments 30
I'm not mad at that. Enticing folks to get the game early on so that they don't have to pay a higher price WHEN you become more popular. I'll bite!
Me too.
This really is outside the box thinking in game design, I like it!
Huh, so is this like the WiiU eShop version of selling the alpha or beta of a game then? I don't mean this in an accusatory way, or anything like that, just thinking out loud.
@9th_Sage I don't think so. To me, it sounds like the main game engine is complete, but they want to add activities later, increasing the price as they are implemented. So, essentially what we have here is DLC done right, and I think I'll support them for it!
Very like Minecraft before it was super popular, it was real cheap and early buyers got all future updates but as the updates came the game got more expensive to newcommers
I'm very interested in this title, and I'll probably be an early adopter
While that's nice for early supporters i don't think i'd buy the game for much more later.
That trailer reminds me of this:
I think it's great and it convinces me to buy it day one.
Clever! This will attract early support while continuing to be a profitable endeavor.
Count me in.
I like the idea and I'm glad that Nintendo is being so flexible with its developers. That video, on the other hand, does not make a very convincing argument for this game.
Awesome plan, but upon watching that trailer ... what IS going on?
@DerpSandwich I suggest you look up someone actually playing this game. It's quite hilarious watching someone else play this XD
This strategy sounds risky. It is common for title sales to reduce over time. Increasing the price will simply put off late adopters even more, essentially bricking sales once the increases start. Instead, the game will be purchased by the naturally early adopters, as well as late adopters, but at a reduced price. Good luck with the business decision. I probably won't be an early adopter, but would consider it if it went on sale within one year, and most definitely not if it is more expensive. Sorry.
This is cool, but not that innovative, per se.
He's following the Minecraft model.
I'm probably going to pick up this game just because how creative it is.... I think my wife might actually enjoy this game.
Not really interested, this game looks weird as heck!
I still have yet to figure out the point of this game and what actual gameplay involves.
Kinda like Minecraft, which we can see could be a great model for successful downloadables.
@OptometristLime Isn't weird sometimes a good thing?
Sounds good. Cant say I'm interested in the game though...
This party looks like it's organized by the King of All Cosmos...
I'm intrigued, and I like party games very much, but maybe actually SHOWING the games in the trailer would have been more... enlightening? Useful? That kind of thing.
I clicked through because I couldn't believe there was a spin the bottle game coming to eShop... after that trailer I'm even more confused.
yes please
hmm, I don't even care what it's about, it's too weird to pass on! If the price is right, which seems likely, I'll bite.
Interesting idea. If the starting price is low enough, I might buy.
In a marketplace with less eyes like the Wii U eShop I would expect to see this a lot. Rather than picking a low price point and sticking with it this makes sense as a way to drive those all-important early sales. I was planning on getting it anyway, but a reward for early adopters makes it a day-one purchase for sure!
that trailer scares me...
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