Comments on: Spotify For Indie Games…? (Part 2 out of N) http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/ I bake games. Indie style. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:09:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Juuso http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141524 Juuso Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:30:30 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141524 Wrote another blog post... and now read your comments. Feels almost like Desura should implement this subscription model :) Wrote another blog post… and now read your comments.

Feels almost like Desura should implement this subscription model :)

]]> By: lonestarr http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141520 lonestarr Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:17:16 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141520 I think the formerly goal of Desura was to ease the mod install/update in AAA games. It's being made by the ModDB team who has a tremendous community. The good news for us is that they don't limit that to mods, so indie games will get their chance to be on-board. Features for developers are listed here: http://www.moddb.com/groups/desura/images/developer-functionality It's very closed to Steam, the only difference I see for now are: - no DRM (it means that each developer should take care of it) - no Steam cloud (not a big deal IMO) Note that I may be wrong here since I don't have access to the beta. Interesting articles about Desura: http://www.diygamer.com/2010/03/desura-steamlike-client-indie-games/ http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2010/02/indepth_will_desura_rival_stea.html http://www.moddb.com/games/overgrowth/news/our-thoughts-on-desura I think the formerly goal of Desura was to ease the mod install/update in AAA games. It’s being made by the ModDB team who has a tremendous community. The good news for us is that they don’t limit that to mods, so indie games will get their chance to be on-board.
Features for developers are listed here:
http://www.moddb.com/groups/desura/images/developer-functionality
It’s very closed to Steam, the only difference I see for now are:
- no DRM (it means that each developer should take care of it)
- no Steam cloud (not a big deal IMO)
Note that I may be wrong here since I don’t have access to the beta.

Interesting articles about Desura:
http://www.diygamer.com/2010/03/desura-steamlike-client-indie-games/
http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2010/02/indepth_will_desura_rival_stea.html
http://www.moddb.com/games/overgrowth/news/our-thoughts-on-desura

]]> By: Mika http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141519 Mika Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:28:03 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141519 I'm sure developers would love it, but getting the customers would be hard, if not impossible. There's tons of indie games, both free and not, and most of them are of a quality no one would pay for. Same would propably be true for this service. You would basically ask customers to subscribe to a service where they get access to some good games and a whole lot of bad ones, when they can get pretty much the same all around the internet for free. I think adds would be the only way to go, but even then I doubt the revenue would cover the costs. An online store for indie games with free demos and easy access for developers would probably fare better. Getting a customer to pay a one time purchase price for a single quality product is infinitely easier than getting them to subscribe to get that same product and a lot of other ones they dont want. The big difference to the music market is this: there's a lot less quality music available for free than there are indie games. The only way to compete against a free product is with a lot higher quality, and I dare say that would not be achieved on a 'spotify-for-games' kind of service. Only the best of the best of indie games a worth a purchase. I’m sure developers would love it, but getting the customers would be hard, if not impossible. There’s tons of indie games, both free and not, and most of them are of a quality no one would pay for. Same would propably be true for this service. You would basically ask customers to subscribe to a service where they get access to some good games and a whole lot of bad ones, when they can get pretty much the same all around the internet for free.

I think adds would be the only way to go, but even then I doubt the revenue would cover the costs. An online store for indie games with free demos and easy access for developers would probably fare better. Getting a customer to pay a one time purchase price for a single quality product is infinitely easier than getting them to subscribe to get that same product and a lot of other ones they dont want.

The big difference to the music market is this: there’s a lot less quality music available for free than there are indie games. The only way to compete against a free product is with a lot higher quality, and I dare say that would not be achieved on a ‘spotify-for-games’ kind of service. Only the best of the best of indie games a worth a purchase.

]]> By: Juuso http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141518 Juuso Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:54:01 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141518 @lone: hmm, how's that different from Steam for example? @Sam: "start out small with only a few indie developers which would make legality less of an issue, and it could just be a portal to your particular indie games. That sounds more plausible to me" Hmm, but how that portal would be different from ... well, other portals? (I guess it's true that there's no indie game portal at the moment, but I think subscription model wouldn't work if there was only a handful of developers). @lone: hmm, how’s that different from Steam for example?

@Sam: “start out small with only a few indie developers which would make legality less of an issue, and it could just be a portal to your particular indie games. That sounds more plausible to me”

Hmm, but how that portal would be different from … well, other portals? (I guess it’s true that there’s no indie game portal at the moment, but I think subscription model wouldn’t work if there was only a handful of developers).

]]> By: lonestarr http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141512 lonestarr Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:08:04 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141512 from their website: "Desura is a community driven digital distribution service for gamers, putting the best games, mods and downloadable content from developers at gamers fingertips, ready to buy and play." from their website: “Desura is a community driven digital distribution service for gamers, putting the best games, mods and downloadable content from developers at gamers fingertips, ready to buy and play.”

]]> By: Sam Sweeney http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141511 Sam Sweeney Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:50:11 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141511 I have a pretty good idea the amount of work that would go towards something like this, it's not very hard but more just a lot of work. My thoughts for something like that would start out small with only a few indie developers which would make legality less of an issue, and it could just be a portal to your particular indie games. That sounds more plausible to me. I like the idea you've put out here though, because you're right it would be good, but it's a lot of work and time before you can get to that stage. I have a pretty good idea the amount of work that would go towards something like this, it’s not very hard but more just a lot of work. My thoughts for something like that would start out small with only a few indie developers which would make legality less of an issue, and it could just be a portal to your particular indie games. That sounds more plausible to me. I like the idea you’ve put out here though, because you’re right it would be good, but it’s a lot of work and time before you can get to that stage.

]]> By: Juuso http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141510 Juuso Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:06:50 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141510 Why? I cannot put my finger on it... but I just love how spotify works. I like how WoW works. Maybe that could work in indie games as well? Steam does not accept many indie games, and when they do, you are looking at 3-5 weeks process to get the game online. (I do love Steam and everything they do). Just thinking out loud. What's Desura? @Sam: yeh, very true. Why? I cannot put my finger on it… but I just love how spotify works. I like how WoW works. Maybe that could work in indie games as well?

Steam does not accept many indie games, and when they do, you are looking at 3-5 weeks process to get the game online.
(I do love Steam and everything they do). Just thinking out loud.

What’s Desura?

@Sam: yeh, very true.

]]> By: lonestarr http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141509 lonestarr Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:46:29 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141509 Why another model since Steam works perfectly? Ok, Steam rejects many indie games (including good ones: puppygames...), that's the problem, but there's already a cool indie competitor on the way: http://www.moddb.com/groups/desura Why another model since Steam works perfectly?
Ok, Steam rejects many indie games (including good ones: puppygames…), that’s the problem, but there’s already a cool indie competitor on the way:
http://www.moddb.com/groups/desura

]]> By: Sam http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141508 Sam Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:34:07 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141508 There will need to be dedicated team of web developers willing to invest time and money into making this happen. I'm not sure how many, but their main focus should be solely on this venture, a crucial component for at least the first 1-2 years. As mentioned, there will be no game development for them as all projects will be placed on hold in favor of this project. A sacrifice but a worthy long term goal. There will need to be dedicated team of web developers willing to invest time and money into making this happen. I’m not sure how many, but their main focus should be solely on this venture, a crucial component for at least the first 1-2 years.

As mentioned, there will be no game development for them as all projects will be placed on hold in favor of this project. A sacrifice but a worthy long term goal.

]]> By: Juuso http://www.gameproducer.net/2010/07/30/spotify-for-indie-games-part-2-out-of-n/comment-page-1/#comment-141507 Juuso Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:49:10 +0000 http://www.gameproducer.net/?p=5004#comment-141507 Good points . And yeh, this definitely would mean stopping everything else (well, of course there's always time for blogging). This is a big thing if wanted to done properly. More thoughts? Good points .

And yeh, this definitely would mean stopping everything else (well, of course there’s always time for blogging). This is a big thing if wanted to done properly.

More thoughts?

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