Post by Fischer777 in Dev Update #278 comments

Viewing post in Dev Update #278 comments

I'm not sure where your price point is going to be, nor where you would like it to be, but I think the game is worth $15-20. A price as high as this might make some potential buyers think twice before purchasing, but the ones that do put down their money will surely be happy with the game's quality. The fact that it is also in Early Access will also keep some customers away, as we have all been burned by a game we invested in being abandoned before completion.

I would advise you to think carefully about adjusting you Subscribestar terms, and I say this as one who is NOT one of your patrons. Even a $2 a month patron will send you $24 a year, and changing the terms at this point may alienate some of those folks that have been supporting the game to this point. Or maybe they'll see the logic in your decision and take it in stride, who knows?

Of course, I really have no idea how the economy of adult games work, so you should listen to the advice you get from other (successful) game devs more than you should listen to the words of a fanboy like me... I just want you to prosper enough from this game that you would be inclined to create another. You've made a fine game, one of the best that I've had the pleasure to play; I look forward to more.

The Naughty Captain5 days ago

That's pretty much where my dilemma stands. I initially planned to go for a 9.99 dollars price tag, but I have been told that it was pretty low, especially for a game that, once complete, will be a standalone without any need to buy a "season 2" or whatever. I've been told that 20 dollars would be fair. However, I find it a bit expensive for a game that isn't complete yet. So I'm thinking maybe 15 dollars ? or 14.99?

And I won't really have a choice when it comes to editing the tiers of my Subscribe star. Steam requires that wherever you are selling your game, you do not sell it cheaper than on Steam. I will have to comply. I can only hope that my subscribers will understand.

Fischer7775 days ago

Well, from all I have read, Steam offers your best chance at realizing a lucrative payday from your efforts. I think your game is worth $15 or more and I think the majority of players would feel the same. I'm sure that most of your subscribers would understand making changes to the terms, especially when you explain your reasons. You've always been prompt with updates and dev reports and that generates a lot of goodwill.

If you don't make money from the game, there's little chance for a second (or third or fourth) game, and I believe that most players, especially the type that buys into Subscribestar and early access games, want to see their favorite creators make additional works in the future.

My favorite example is Eternum, which I think is one of the finest adult games around. His previous work was good, but Caribdis truly came into his own with Eternum.

Then there is Mundo Games with Above the Clouds; it's a great game, but after the release of the first season on Steam, he seems to have gone silent, even on his Patreon. Did he see a big payday and lose interest in the second season? Or was he disappointed with the sales and decide that it was not possible to continue the project? I don't know...

Whatever happens, your core fans will support you. You may lose some along the way as you navigate the road ahead, but most will remain true. It's the larger pool of consumers of adult games that you really have to worry about, who will make it a success or failure, and Steam is likely the best way to get your game noticed by that group.

Anyway, I do hope it works out for you, and that you make mad amounts of money in the end. I really want to see a future project!

The Naughty Captain5 days ago

I didn't know about Mundo games. That is kind of sad.

Motivation is very important, and let's be honest, Money can be a very powerful motivation, and make the creation process a lot easier. Especially if it allows you to spend more time creating.

I don't think that steam will bring me millions, but if helps me finish the game it will already be a success.

And if it can help fund another game, that would be great.

Fischer7775 days ago

I've got my fingers crossed!

The Naughty Captain5 days ago

Thank you!

Fischer7774 days ago

Okay, sorry if I am piling on with the replies here.

Recently Parasite Black by Damned Studios posted a message on Steam that they had reached 60k downloads, Now their game is a dark fantasy, and has artwork that is more exaggerated than Summer Scent (reminds me a bit of Simon Beesley, with a dose of Frazetta sprinkled in), so they may attract a slightly different audience, perhaps bigger than Summer Scent can hope to pull in. It's also more graphic in its depictions, providing greater fan service appeal. Their target audience is not the same as yours. But it could still be a useful comparison.

Their price is set at $17.95, discounted to $13.99 during their introduction. (cheaper still if you get it in a bundle with other adult dark fantasy games) If 90% of Parasite Black's downloads were actual purchases, and if they cleared $10 per sale after Steam took their cut, the math looks pretty good to me, but I have no idea of the expenses and time they've sunk into the game.

Summer Scent is not a dark fantasy and features a different, less juvenile style of art than Parasite Black. For better or worse, Summer Scent is probably not going to grab as large an audience, simply because your game is more realistic, and because you're not writing to fulfill that kind of adolescent power fantasy(and I do not mean to speak ill of adolescent power fantasy as a genre; I bought Parasite Black, played it and enjoyed it!). You might sell more than Parasite Black, but let's assume that you set your price at the same point that they did, offered the same discounts, bundled it with similar games from other devs (cross promotion seems to have its benefits after all), and that you sold half of what they sold in your first few weeks.

Would you consider that a success? What if you sold a quarter of their sales? A tenth? I think you need to decide, before your Steam debut, where that line is. Hope for the best result, but be mentally prepared for the worst possible outcome, have a threshold that must be crossed in order to justify your continuing to be an adult game dev.

You can do some things to improve your chances. Develop relationships with other devs, especially those that have put their games on Steam already or are about to. See if you can arrange to be a part of some bundles. Get people that have a following to review your game on Itch and offer to do the same for them if you like their work. Oppaiman.com seems to be popular with many devs, though I don't know how much help they truly give, nor how much that help costs.

I'm not a dev, and have no experience in this business, but it seems like some devs who have a great game fail, while others who have less interesting games succeed. There's a LOT of competition out there, but also a lot of cooperation and support between competing devs. Try to take advantage of that if you can, starting with the devs whose work you most enjoy. And take what I have said with a grain of salt; like I said, I have no experience!

Sorry for being so long-winded. I've seen games that I loved wither away because they couldn't find an audience. I really don't want to see that happen here.

The Naughty Captain4 days ago

There is nothing to be sorry for.

10 dollars on a sale is very ambitious.
I'm in France, and I calculated, that after Steam's cut and various taxes, if I sell the game at 15 dollars, I'll get about 3 dollars per copy.
I doubt I'll sell 60k copy. I'll be lucky if I sell 10k. A more reallistic number will probably be in the 5k territory.
At least it will pay for the next pc chan upgrade.

I don't know what the future holds. I can only hope it won't be another loss. If I did more than a hundred dollars, at least, it would have paid for the steam credit. I guess that's my first objective.

I will explore the bundle solutions. I have a few friends and contacts who could be as interested as I am.
We'll see how it goes.
One thing is for sure however, I don't plan on stopping working on the game if it doesn't make me rich.

itch.io

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