ANOTHER price hike?

[Faile2008]

ok, I bought nearly all games until now, but this I can't support anymore.
just a few months ago you raised prices to 10 bucks, the games are still bascially 2 hours though, so it's just a higher price for the same length of entertainment.
Now you raise it again by 50% ?! Really, 15 Bucks ?
And somehow I am quite convinced that the game is still around 2 hours of playtime.

Sorry Artifex, I used to buy your games day one, cut that back a bit when you raised prices to 10 bucks, but now, with such a big raise so shortly after the last raise (which already was 25%) I just have to stop.

Maybe during sales when the games are 4 bucks or lower, maybe.

[sp3lfanaaT]

BigFish Games is doing this for most of its games for many years: 12.99 to 14.99 euros
they (BigFishGames) only sell CE versions , the standard games could be at 9.99 cause all the 'extra' you get from BigFishgames has nothing to do with the main game, thats why i usually buy BFG games retail online ( cd/dvd ) and usually cheaper then 12.99 or 14.99.

I have almost if not all, older Artifex games on retail cd/dvd (drm free)
they are priced around 11.99 or 12.99 but often at a buy 3 pay 2 so thats a very good online retail deal.
Today i will only buy my favorites on cd/dvd ( drm free) , should these get DRM of some kind i will stop buying the retails: i just dont like DRM.....

DRM is okay if the game is 10 cents to max 1.99 euros but full priced games and forced to use clients ? (which if need to update will first updates and install and restart the client BEFORE you can finally start to play

As for BFG games: too expensive and loaded with drm i decided to stop buying these games yesterday: i already have to many BFG games and have to start the client to play them : i love to buy install and play...... thats 3 steps (plus i love setups and no autoinstalls)
thats why GOG rules: DRM free, setups and if you want you can have a nice optional client to manage your games : steamhappy:

Anyway i love to support the smaller game companies ( Bigfish is NOT a small company)
but i am no millioniar so someday my max i can spend on any game will be reached ....

[sp3lfanaaT]

I was thinking and basically the 14.99 prices of a game is not that bad, if all publishers would increase the games allot they would do me a favor: if i see a nice game at a nice price i have to buy it.... BUT if the price becomes too high ( 14.99) i can no longer afford

[stardazzled]

Originally posted by sp3lfanaaT:

i already have to many BFG games and have to start the client to play them

The file that usually starts the game for BFG contains a shortcut to the actual starting file plus a shortcut to the client. So you can savely only use the real .exe (you can either look for the install directory or follow the yellow brick road i.e. the shortcut until you get to the real file) and forget the f* client. So you'll basically only need the client for buying and installing. I actually love their games but I really and absolutely hate the client.

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Concerning the price:

Price Change Statement[www.artifexmundi.com]

I am totally okay with that.

[NS Plover]

a pretty big price hike too. I see the prices in Canadian and this is almost 60% more than previous artifex mundi games. What justifies that big a price hike - is the game twice the length of the usual ones?

Anyway, I've got a number of things on my wishlist that will get purchased before this at that price.

[Takohashi]

Originally posted by stardazzled:

I actually love their games but I really and absolutely hate the client.

As for me, I hate BFG, because BFG games in Steam are:
1. no localizations (only English);
2. no support for macOS;
3. no cards;
4. no achievements.

Games from Artifex have it all So I always buy them on the day of release

[Captain Picard]

Steam also has the highest price, even with the biggest discount. I gonna skip this one too.

[R37ROG4M3R]

First game i don´t buy it. its a way to expensive and no hidden object is more worth than 5 euros!

[NS Plover]

What I don't get is why the PC version is so much more expensive than the same game on Android in the Google Play store...

[sp3lfanaaT]

Originally posted by stardazzled:

Originally posted by sp3lfanaaT:

i already have to many BFG games and have to start the client to play them

The file that usually starts the game for BFG contains a shortcut to the actual starting file plus a shortcut to the client. So you can savely only use the real .exe (you can either look for the install directory or follow the yellow brick road i.e. the shortcut until you get to the real file) and forget the f* client. So you'll basically only need the client for buying and installing. I actually love their games but I really and absolutely hate the client.

---

Concerning the price:

Price Change Statement[www.artifexmundi.com]

I am totally okay with that.

Thanks for the reply and i am aware of the hidden file, i knew it the minute i tried the first demo at BFG , i been using pc since dos, and started with win95 all the way to win7
i always check all my content, always chck all folders and i like to see what files are installed, many files in the older games were packed files, resource files which could be opened and extracted and edited and put back into the graphics resource files.
I was refering to the BFG that always need steam, any BF game regardless of the developer, thats released by BFG will always need the client, and the client updates a lot, when i want to play a game i want to dive into the game after i started it, and wish not to wait until the client is finally ready after veryfing,updating and restarting, which is a waste of time, time that should be spend gaming , not waiting :
1)buy game, 2)install game then 3)run/play game , just 3 simple steps, no client needed is the motto.



Even in the c64 period i was aware of certain things like hardware cardridges that were sold to enhance the c64 experience ...
Lateron same things for AMIGA.
Anyway thats why i absolutely do not like clients that act like a drm / restriction, the good thing is many older games are kinda drm free that is once installed they run without client needed to run , and these games are the ones i buy.
Thats why GOG is my main source of DRM games all the 'retail' games i like i buy there,

Steam for casualgames like HOG and time management like Alawar develops, i own all Rescue Team games, some Hercules games and many others, also own the Moai games, and last but not least i have >500 games on about 250 retail cd/dvd (DRM free).

English language only for BFG? if you can either read Dutch or French you might be able to order some casual games online (cd/dvd), some BFG are released by DENDA usually in Dutch and many times in French aswell on same cd/dvd, but i have no problem with English only games .

[sp3lfanaaT]

Originally posted by NS Plover:

What I don't get is why the PC version is so much more expensive than the same game on Android in the Google Play store...

Google for it and you will get lots of results and discussions on several forums about the difference in price.
Maybe the publisher will reply with a story aswell to explain the difference, most logical answer might be that android (mobiles) games can have lower price because the sell by the 'gazillions' lets say you want to earn 1 million usd or euro to be able to continue in business and make a small profit , and you are able to sell > 1 million copies on mobile if you ask 1 to 3 euros / usd you be good, chances are small pc will have the same revenue

googled:

Revenue is the amount of money that a company actually receives during a specific period, including discounts and deductions for returned merchandise. It is the "top line" or "gross income" figure from which costs are subtracted to determine net income.

So this might be the reason, many people on the internet also asked why a differnce between a retail game and digital exist and retail sometimes or most of the time can be a little cheaper then digital ( digital only requires digital storage lots of storage (servers) and bandwith BUT
physical (retail cd/dvd) require much more: expensive advertising, lots of physical storage needed ( storage houses) the retail can be damaged by fire , water, moist etc etc etc
for digital you only require 1 copy, put it online and you can have it downloaded gazillions of times, no need to stock up like on retail (cd/dvd).

Anyway a digital copy is much smaller can be stored on a disk/server and if needed be locked in a fire water proof safe, so digitally is always possible to sell cheaper no matter what stories they might come up to tell otherwise.

So digital could be sold at very low prices and still make a profit.... retail (physcial) cannot
think of all the media cd/dvd to be used and produced, and they can damage, and you need 1.000.000 copies if you need to provide 1.000.000 buys.
Digital rules and should be very cheap.

[sp3lfanaaT]

BUT .......... eventhough the prices went up the games they make are still good, very good, its just sad they become to expensive in case one should not be able to get it at release at 8.99
anything can happen: your isp might be down during that time the 40% off lasts and then 14.99 will be the list price, with retail you know that if cd/dvd are 4 bucks instead of 14.99 that anyone and everyone will rush to buy it so you can send a relative or friend to get if for you.

[Rodren]

I understand the price increase, but in ALL Artifex Mundi Games (or at least the new ones from this year and perhaps last year) have 9 translations...but NEVER in Spanish.
In my case i dont have any problem because i understand english and anothers, but i am starting think that Artifex hates spanish languaje or have some problem with it.
Perhaps with the new price can put another translation....or perhaps not.
You are losing a big number of people that want your games but cant play because dont understand english (and, no, learn english not is a good solution).

Thank you for your games, but think more in another people and markets.

[R37ROG4M3R]

Really, who pay 14.99 € for a 2-3 hrs hidden object game ? must be dumb to do that or people with to much money but the most ppls don´t do this. so i don´t support artifex mundi anymore, the support from them is terrible, i have 2 games i cannot end it because they forget something i can reach the end. written support and never get an answer, im glad they are not the only ones making HOG games!

[sp3lfanaaT]

Originally posted by Revolverfuss:

Really, who pay 14.99 € for a 2-3 hrs hidden object game ? must be dumb to do that or people with to much money but the most ppls don´t do this. so i don´t support artifex mundi anymore, the support from them is terrible, i have 2 games i cannot end it because they forget something i can reach the end. written support and never get an answer, im glad they are not the only ones making HOG games!

14.99 is to high i really really like the games but 14.99 is just too much
The good thing is some of the games are released on retail in Dutch and most of the time in French aswell by DENDA, the retail versions are often 9.99 or 14.99 piece, or something in between.

If you are willing to wait till more new games arrive the (older) games tend to lower in price: 9.99 and lots of times they have buy 3 games get cheapest free so thats why i have so many retail games: DRM free, on cd/dvd + lots of extra euros OFF the total price: 9.99 x 3= 29.97 minus 9.99 so you pay for 2 games

14.99 and 19.99 can give you sometimes AAA games like age of empires...
anyway i like casual games a lot and buy thrm a lot and spend a lot but 14.99 =

Bigfishgames: i only buy them at 50% off or more cause: you must run steam to play the games

For me buy game install game and play game is most important : 3 steps only and no clients needed

For drm loaded games ( includes steam or clients to run a game) : 10 cent to 1.99 euros/dollar would be a good price.
DRM free is worth more money but 14.99 is too much.

[timestamp!]

Originally posted by sp3lfanaaT:

DRM free is worth more money

Worthless and impossible to manage even if you have 50 games, unless your goal is to buy very few games and keep playing them forever.