Indie development sim Game Dev Tycoon gives pirates a taste of their own torrenting

[AeternusDoleo]

I've not seen a single game since Sins of a Solar Empire that has replay value enough to warrant the price companies are asking for it. And they have shot themselves in the foot by no longer releasing demo versions so people can get a taste of what is what (a few select titles being the exclusion here). I think that's one of the reasons piracy is such a problem - companies focus on quantity, regurgitating the same concept in different skins/settings over and over, and expect the consumer to pay through the nose for each title as if it was original. Recent example: Bioshock Infinite. Same gameplay as Bioshock 1 and 2 (and to an extent, the predecessor System Shock). Regurgitating the same "shoot grunt, brawl with heavies, few act bosses" theme common in nearly all shooters. Interface dumbed down so consoles with only a few buttons can handle the game too. Playthrough time: Roughly 12 hours.
Replay value: 0. Game cost: 60 euros for the basic version. So you're paying 5 euros per hour of gaming fun for a game that's going on the "done" probably not long after the first run. Seem a bit much to anyone?
Price determination by supply and demand is skewed in the gaming business. There is more supply then demand, but the prices are being kept artificially high. As a result, the demand is being filled by criminal means (piracy). This will not stop, although I am seeing slow changes now that crowdfunding is becoming more popular - giving talented developers the chance to break away from the big gaming studios. Like Chris Roberts is doing.

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Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.

Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.