That's true, but it still is a gamble. It's taking time away from patching up the game further or starting a whole new game. Although, I'll grant you that it is a good PR bit and will hopefully drive sales up again. I've read enough on indie businesses to know that they can not have the same business plan as the AAA publishers. I know that's common sense. An indie can not rely on having a huge money maker in the first few weeks of release. They make their money slowly over time. There was a great interview with Vic Davis that had a whole new business model for indies, but I can't find it anymore. I'll have to go searching through these forums one day to find it again. I've posted it in multiple threads.
Now about 25 dollars being "not cheap". That is not true at all. It falls between the normal price range for quality indies. I made a list a long time ago on the prices of indies. I'm not doing that again. It took me quite a while to hunt them all down, but suffice it to say that 20 - 30 dollars for a quality indie is about norm.
When I say quality I mean games that are not the throw away junk indie games that you can make very easily. Pretty much anything on bigfish. Those are a dime a dozen. The quality indies are Eschalon, Din's curse, Knights of the Chalice, Armageddon Empires etc….
Ok then, I lied, I'll give you a very short list of some great indies off the top of my head no more than this though. It's a pain to track them all down
:
Eschalon II - $24.95
Depth's of Peril - $19.99
Din's Curse - $19.99
Geneforge 4, 5 - $28.00
Avernum 4, 5 - $28.00
Armageddon Empires - $29.95
Solium Infernum - $29.99
Knights of the Chalice - 14.95 pounds or $23.85
I normally disagree with anything that Jeff Vogel has to say about games, but when it comes to his business there is no better source to go to than him. He's been doing this thing and staying alive longer than most independent developers.
Here are a few links on what he has to say on the pricing of independent games. The first two are from last year. The third is the latest one.
Indie Games Should Cost More, part 1
Indie Games Should Cost More, part 2
Indie Games Should Be Too Cheap or Too Expensive
Now I'm not knocking you for thinking they are not cheap. I just find it interesting that a lot of people do say that when in fact the $20 - $30 range is about the norm. Any cheaper and we would get throw away junk food like games.
Edit: I just noticed I'm over the 3,000 mark for posts. WooHoo
Silly, I know, but I have to say something every time I make another 1,000 posts