Money Comparisons in Off Topic

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ID:193407
 
Jan 17 2002, 9:35 pm
(Awakening lives for his game!)

A few years ago I saw a game which, eventually spawned the idea that became Echelon. The only things the games have in common, really, are nice graphics and bumping pieces off the board. Aside from that, they aren't alike at all, if memory serves. Although, there is one big difference between them.

Subscribing to the other game, which had a 30 day trial, only supported 2 players, and had no online capabilities would cost you an entire $20.00.

Subscribing to Echelon would cost you an entire $0.20 or $0.50, it comes with online capabilities and supports up to four players.

Yet, absolutely no one bothers to subscribe to my game! I'm confused because I hear a lot of "this game's great!" comments, yet it's apparently not great enough to be worth 2-5 dimes. So, my question is: is there something about Echelon that warrants not subscribing? Maybe a general lack of BYONDimes? Or is this really just a sign of my impatience?
#1 Jan 17 2002, 9:45 pm
Yet, absolutely no one bothers to subscribe to my game! I'm confused because I hear a lot of "this game's great!" comments, yet it's apparently not great enough to be worth 2-5 dimes. So, my question is: is there something about Echelon that warrants not subscribing? Maybe a general lack of BYONDimes? Or is this really just a sign of my impatience?

Most people are really stingy with BYONDimes because for some reason, many people have reached the conclusion that if it costs anything, it's not worth your time.

That's my main beef with Linuxers. No offense to intelligent Linuxers, of course, but most Linuxers have whatever money they have rammed so far up their arses that it is a really uncomfortable prospect for them to part with anything.

I have Linux too, but I have no qualms about paying for something good (unless, of course, it is out of my price range; $0.50 is not ;-).

I haven't bought Echelon simply because I haven't played it yet -- the only Echelon-related thing I've done is watch the game you saw me in. ;-) )


I normally hoard money and then go on spending sprees until I run down to around $100 or so. Which reminds me that I'm about due for a spending spree sometime soon...
#2 Jan 17 2002, 9:52 pm
In response to Spuzzum (#1)
Spuzzum wrote:
I normally hoard money and then go on spending sprees until I run down to around $100 or so. Which reminds me that I'm about due for a spending spree sometime soon...

Start Here!
#3 Jan 17 2002, 9:52 pm
I just didn't subscribe because it was very late when I played and I had to get to bed immediately afterward. I forgot all about it by morning. :P
#4 Jan 17 2002, 9:55 pm
Awakening wrote:
So, my question is: is there something about Echelon that warrants not subscribing? Maybe a general lack of BYONDimes? Or is this really just a sign of my impatience?

I'd subscribe, but I just don't spend enough time playing games... I did, however, subscribe to TextMUD 2.0 because I've always wanted to be a GM for a D&D-esque game, so I did; also, the 3 dime knockoff of the lifetime price was an extra incentive!
#5 Jan 17 2002, 10:20 pm
In response to Vortezz (#4)
Don't get the impression that I'm complaining because no one is subscribing, well, I kind of am, but mostly I just want to find out if there's anything I'm doing wrong / anything I could be doing to make the weeks I spent on this game worth their effort.
#6 Jan 17 2002, 10:23 pm
In response to Awakening (#5)
Funny thing about making games is; sometimes you can spend a long time working on them, and no one wants to pay to play it, and you can spend 10 minutes working on one, and people will cough out money for that one instead (A good example of this is my Snow Boarder! game.).
#7 Jan 17 2002, 10:23 pm
In response to Vortezz (#4)
That 3-dime knockoff upset my dime bank! I've got a number of dimes that cannot be divided by 5... ghastly! I think I'll need to even it out by donating some. ;-D
#8 Jan 17 2002, 10:31 pm
When I first saw the title Echelon, I thought it might have something to do with a mall in my old location. I used to live in Cherry Hill, NJ. And somewhere around there was the Echelon Mall... I thought it might have been a snowball bash in the parking lots of the Echelon Mall... Eh oh well... Maybe someone will pick up the idea... Or maybe I'll just have to stop newbishly tinkering with VB and learn DM and make some of my game ideas a reality.

-Raven-
#9 Jan 17 2002, 10:32 pm
Awakening wrote:

Yet, absolutely no one bothers to subscribe to my game!

For the record, I just subscribed. I took one look at the beautiful interface and just had to be an "official member". Now, I'm looking forward to playing!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The BYOND economy is in its infancy, and it looks like the labor costs are considerably undervalued at the moment, what with the developers charging under a buck for just about everything out there. This translates to a deflation of sorts, where people begin to think that dimes are worth more than they cost ("20 Dimes for life" is only $2.00, people!) That, coupled with the fact that the amount of dimes in the economy is relatively small, and we have a slow market. But I expect things to pick up as we get the word out about this system and the many great games already available to play.

FYI: your game was, until recently, unlisted in the hub, so the added publicity now may help things a bit.
#10 Jan 17 2002, 10:34 pm
In response to Awakening (#5)
Awakening wrote:
Don't get the impression that I'm complaining because no one is subscribing, well, I kind of am, but mostly I just want to find out if there's anything I'm doing wrong / anything I could be doing to make the weeks I spent on this game worth their effort.

I think it would help if there were some sort of computer-player support, so that first-time users like me could try it out in solo mode before getting embarrassed by the public. However, I have no idea how easy or difficult this task is this particular game.
#11 Jan 17 2002, 10:36 pm
In response to Tom (#9)
I have to start begging my mom for those 400 dimes I want, I still need the blue book, and I have a few things I want to subscribe to.
#12 Jan 17 2002, 10:44 pm
In response to Tom (#10)

I think it would help if there were some sort of computer-player support, so that first-time users like me could try it out in solo mode before getting embarrassed by the public. However, I have no idea how easy or difficult this task is this particular game.

I'd do that, but I don't know the slighest bit about making AI's, so the idea flew out the window. I don't know how to learn either, so that doesn't help.

Any advice on this is welcome though!
#13 Jan 17 2002, 10:49 pm
In response to Tom (#9)
For the record, I just subscribed. I took one look at the beautiful interface and just had to be an "official member". Now, I'm looking forward to playing!

Thanks Tom! Now, if I can just get a dozen more people to subscribe, I can cash out and buy myself that donut I've been craving!
#14 Jan 17 2002, 10:59 pm
What Tom said. My girlfriend was stugenerouspid enough to get me a copy of her credit card in my name, so I'll probably be putting some more dimes into the market soon. As more quality pay games come out onto the hub, more people will get their dime accounts filled to play them.
#15 Jan 18 2002, 11:30 am
First let me just say, the game is gorgeous. I had not seen it until last night late, when I decided to take a peek on Games Live, and couldn't find much of the non-dbz variety.

Very nice work!

I played someone for about 5 minutes, but had to get some sleep. I'd already decided to become a subscriber the next chance I get to get back on the hub. I like to support this kind of nice effort.

You'll be seeing my dimes soon!
#16 Jan 18 2002, 11:41 am
2-5 dimes sounds cheap, sure, but you have to look at the hidden costs. Considering that I loaded it up just to see how it worked and ended up playing for 5 hours, I think subscribing would have a good chance of seriously jeopardizing GPA--and hence my scholarships. Considering I balk at shelling out for new releases that start at $60, I'm sadly not going to be paying for anything that could end up costing me into five digits.

(In other words: I'm lazy.)
#17 Jan 18 2002, 11:52 am
So, my question is: is there something about Echelon that warrants not subscribing?

Hmm, I haven't even seen it yet. I'll check it out this weekend!
#18 Jan 18 2002, 12:11 pm
In response to Leftley (#16)
If it's an consolation, I'm adding new features to what I just started on Gold, challenge mode, that should make games finish up a bit faster.

For me at least, most 2 player games only last about 20 minutes. But then, I usually resort to 'End Game' when my opponent is sufficiently crippled and determined to lose!
#19 Jan 18 2002, 12:32 pm
Awakening wrote:
Subscribing to Echelon would cost you an entire $0.20 or $0.50, it comes with online capabilities and supports up to four players.

Yet, absolutely no one bothers to subscribe to my game! I'm confused because I hear a lot of "this game's great!" comments, yet it's apparently not great enough to be worth 2-5 dimes. So, my question is: is there something about Echelon that warrants not subscribing? Maybe a general lack of BYONDimes? Or is this really just a sign of my impatience?

I think there are a few possibilities:

  • Your game might not have achieved "momentum" yet. It may not be sufficiently well known so far, at least among the people most likely to subscribe.
  • There may indeed be a shortage of BYONDimes in the system.
  • I think people fail to think of BYONDimes by proper monetary proportions and in their minds each dime is worth more than 10 cents. I myself often forget how insignificant a price it is; except what I've paid out to BYONDscape, I've dropped more money in a vending machine in a day than I've actually donated or spent on subscriptions.

    I'd give Echelon a little more time for word-of-mouth to help it along. In the meantime, you might want to write little blurbs in your game and elsewhere explaining what a tiny price 20 or 50 cents really is. If you help put it in proportion, I think people will spend more.

    I intend to set up Incursion with the following scheme:

  • There will be a small dime button on the display that, if clicked, will bring up a Web page asking for a donation. There will be hot links for quick donations, like 1 dime or 5.
  • When a player is eliminated in battle, they'll be encouraged (but not, of course, required) to send their conqueror a dime. And why not, after all? This is just to add a little fun to the game.
  • The eventual winner will be directed to the donation page.
  • There will probably be a subscription system, eventually, in which hosts can adjust or change the colors available (or possibly bring their custom colors into other games), and will gain the ability to save, load, and reuse maps. I plan to ask a small amount (no more than 10 dimes at most) for 6 months.

    Basically my intent is to keep prices small but to encourage people to toss dimes around.

    Lummox JR
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