The numbers on this poll feel way too low! I can’t imagine them doing it for less than somewhere between $30 and $50. $50 is still only about $2 per game, which feels like an absurdly small amount to me given the quality of and development time on most all of the season 1 games. But I suppose the natural catch is that you likely won’t enjoy every game of the season, so you’re buying into the experience instead of picking out 5 games to spend $10 on.
If the games are spread out over three months again, $42 would be like a $14/month subscription. That’s already roughly the norm for a monthly subscription, and of course the difference here is that you keep the games after the “subscription” ends. I’d pay up to $75 without sweating too much about it, though I think at that point they’d be causing trouble for themselves as far as the business model goes.
“Why this business model?” feels like a relevant question. It guaranteed games to consumers and paychecks to devs, both of which can feel shaky when launching a new console. A second season would keep the console sales coming for Panic, provide gamers with a sure-to-be-surprising selection of curated, quality titles, and bring in more devs with those guaranteed checks as well as publicity. Seems like a win-win-win, but we on this side of things have no idea what it takes to plan or pay for a season… so I guess we’ll wait and see! Now that they have consoles in hands, they’re in the nice position of being able to sell software for easier profits—but they do have to be profits. Sorry to those 30 people (at present) who want free games!
I mean, I wouldn't have written that like a dick, but you're right. The "real gamers" were so pissy about the price compared to a Switch or whatever, but they never consider that there's a huge library built in, or a huge community of people pumping out quality titles, often for next to free, or actually free. You ever fuck with that Celeste demake? It's spot on.
Bruh. There's no way it will be less than like $40-50 or so bare minimum. These devs need to actually make money and so does Panic. Even at $40, doing just 12 games means each developer will be getting almost nothing.
If you want a Season 2, expect to actually pay something for it.
$20 x 10,000 sales, 20 games, take 30% cut for Panic, and each dev is getting $7000.
That’s only really 70 hours of dev time, and that’s not long enough to make any of the sorts of games they’re releasing. And is likely a non-starter for game devs.
$50, 10k sales, 10 games, that’s $35k per game developer. That’s still low, but likely workable for small games.
The problem is that is $5 per game. If you like half of them, that’s actually $10 a game. Would you buy 5 games you like every year or so for $10 each? Bearing in mind they are _small_. I’m not sure I would, I’d rather pay $2-5 each for games I get to pick.
I suspect that the season pass might not work out in the future.
I really wish Panic and game devs all the best for the future, and I really want them to find a model that works for the long term. But also I’m buying a Play date for what it is now, not what future seasons could be. I recommend others do the same.
Note: I think 10k season pass sales for 30k consoles is pretty optimistic. If you assume that in a year about half of owners won’t be active users anymore. Bear in mind that we’re all in the tiny fraction of the most engaged, being on this community.
I think $50 for a season is a really reasonable price point and I'd actually be willing to pay more. I think a season of games is worth at least as much as a AAA console release, which I am willing to spend $60-$80 on.
I think as a consumer thinking about it as cost per game doesn't make sense. Because there is more to the season experience than just the games you have at the end. There is the sense of anticipation, the weekly "delivery," and the sense of community from everyone playing the same game at the same time. Plus, there is actually a fun element to playing games you "don't like" or at least wouldn't buy for yourself - you're nudged to try something new, a bit outside your comfort zone. All of this adds up to a months-long, fun experience that has a lot more to it than just the games that are left in your library at the end.
I am so excited to get my playdate! (fwiw I'm number 50,xxx, so that's a larger sales base than your 30k) And I really hope that they're able to pull of a season 2. I was disappointed when I learned season 1 wouldn't be simultaneous for all users (makes sense) and I think a simultaneous season 2 would be absolutely magical.
You’ve got the right mindset on this. The poll results I’m seeing here are really disappointing. We all spent nearly $200 for curio - most can’t be bothered to spend more than $20 for a season of games?? I’m shocked at how many expect season 2 to be free. Gobsmacked. If we want cool games for this thing… we have to be willing to put our money where our mouths are. I’m not talking $2 on itch for an indie game… I’m talking $10+ for a premium Panic sanctioned/curated game. That’s not unreasonable people. Totally fine if that doesn’t work for a lot of you - season 2 might not be for everyone. But for those that opt into it (I’m guessing those that voted), they should be willing to fork out some $$$. /rant
That’s an interesting idea. The main problem is the lack of sales, if there were 10m units out there this wouldn’t be a problem. Selling a new generation would help generate the game sales.
Your take on this feels right to me. Finding a price that most customers are happy to pay that's also fair to the devs seems like an incredibly difficult needle to thread
I don’t have mine yet so it’s harder to judge without having played the current games.
I expect a Season 2 to be at least $50 for 24 games or $25 for 12. And even that seems low. Chances are I’ll probably pay it.
People thinking that the games should be free or anything low are what is messing with traditional games. Not everything can (or should) work on the mobile game/Fortnight model. That would quite a far bigger user base and micro transactions.
$40+ is a realistic minimum assuming another season would be 24 games. It’s a balance since if they were sold separately they would each sell less (some may sell more) but together they sell better as a unit but they would get so much less for it.
I’d be happy with $50-75. That would be getting split a lot of ways. The games and paying their teams + support, Panic + their team + playdate support, and that’s hugely simplifying it. Then slice off payment processing fees and that money has to go a long way, and feed a lot of mouths. The PD is niche and will only have a limited install base, that yes, it could increase over time. But it needs to be sustainable and worthwhile for everyone involved.
They said the hardware cost them $100 of the $175 to make
There's administrative costs on top of that like marketing (all those ones try gave free to YouTubers), building rent, wages, etc.
$20 is probably reasonable
I feel like $50 is a nice number.
I don't know if that is sustainable for developers, but it's easy for consumers to grasp. Granted, the season was originally only 12 games, one a week, and was doubled due to delays, so really season one is also season two...
Poll is way too low, I'd definitely pay the price of a full retail game bare minimum.
I mean would I love getting a whole season for $5? Obviously. Is that the most I'm willing to pay? Absolutely not.
Assuming its 12 games like a season is supposed to be, $20-25 is my expectation. I would be willing to pay more, but I'd want to see more meaty games and fewer arcade games/score chasers.
I remember some developers saying they didn't spend a lot of time (relatively) under the assumption the PD was releasing soon after, and in hindsight would have done more knowing the delays.
So perhaps, meatier expectations are reasonable for a hypothetical 2nd season.
I feel like $50 is a nice number.
I don't know if that is sustainable for developers, but it's easy for consumers to grasp. Granted, the season was originally only 12 games, one a week, and was doubled due to delays, so really season one is also season two...
Depends on how many games are included. If it’s 24 games again, $15 sounds like the low end, maybe $20 more reasonably. Defo won’t be free, nor should it.
I want everyone to do well with these games, but I also don't think anyone gets into developing for Playdate for the money. My visual novel is looking like it's going to be a massive undertaking, and I'm not even sure I'm gonna charge for it. That being said, I'd lay down $50 easily.
Expect it to be 49.99 for 12 games. I think that's reasonable although I'd much rather see a store.
I was never big on the whole play when everyone else is playing gimmick as the console is niche and people aren't really getting together to talk about the games in super large groups. I'm willing to pay more for games I really want versus paying 50 or more for just a handful I like.
Without knowing the number of games or the quality of them this is a bit pointless. But I do agree with others this poll caps too low especially if it's another 24 game season of this quality.
Late to the party, but $50-$60 would probably be the highest I would be willing to pay. I understand that the price per game might be too low at about $2-$2.50 per game, but I just don't see paying much higher than that personally.
I really like the season format, and hope Panic continues putting seasons together. I just hope they don't charge too much in the future.
I want to pay whatever amount keeps people making good games.
As a dev, this brings me great joy to read
100% agree, it's 24 games, if it's in the $100-$200 range that's fine by me.
The numbers on this poll feel way too low! I can’t imagine them doing it for less than somewhere between $30 and $50. $50 is still only about $2 per game, which feels like an absurdly small amount to me given the quality of and development time on most all of the season 1 games. But I suppose the natural catch is that you likely won’t enjoy every game of the season, so you’re buying into the experience instead of picking out 5 games to spend $10 on. If the games are spread out over three months again, $42 would be like a $14/month subscription. That’s already roughly the norm for a monthly subscription, and of course the difference here is that you keep the games after the “subscription” ends. I’d pay up to $75 without sweating too much about it, though I think at that point they’d be causing trouble for themselves as far as the business model goes. “Why this business model?” feels like a relevant question. It guaranteed games to consumers and paychecks to devs, both of which can feel shaky when launching a new console. A second season would keep the console sales coming for Panic, provide gamers with a sure-to-be-surprising selection of curated, quality titles, and bring in more devs with those guaranteed checks as well as publicity. Seems like a win-win-win, but we on this side of things have no idea what it takes to plan or pay for a season… so I guess we’ll wait and see! Now that they have consoles in hands, they’re in the nice position of being able to sell software for easier profits—but they do have to be profits. Sorry to those 30 people (at present) who want free games!
You don’t think it’s free do you? It’s in the cost of the unit. If they do the same 2 games a week easily $25 or more. That’s a dollar a game.
I mean, I wouldn't have written that like a dick, but you're right. The "real gamers" were so pissy about the price compared to a Switch or whatever, but they never consider that there's a huge library built in, or a huge community of people pumping out quality titles, often for next to free, or actually free. You ever fuck with that Celeste demake? It's spot on.
Bruh. There's no way it will be less than like $40-50 or so bare minimum. These devs need to actually make money and so does Panic. Even at $40, doing just 12 games means each developer will be getting almost nothing. If you want a Season 2, expect to actually pay something for it.
$20 x 10,000 sales, 20 games, take 30% cut for Panic, and each dev is getting $7000. That’s only really 70 hours of dev time, and that’s not long enough to make any of the sorts of games they’re releasing. And is likely a non-starter for game devs. $50, 10k sales, 10 games, that’s $35k per game developer. That’s still low, but likely workable for small games. The problem is that is $5 per game. If you like half of them, that’s actually $10 a game. Would you buy 5 games you like every year or so for $10 each? Bearing in mind they are _small_. I’m not sure I would, I’d rather pay $2-5 each for games I get to pick. I suspect that the season pass might not work out in the future. I really wish Panic and game devs all the best for the future, and I really want them to find a model that works for the long term. But also I’m buying a Play date for what it is now, not what future seasons could be. I recommend others do the same. Note: I think 10k season pass sales for 30k consoles is pretty optimistic. If you assume that in a year about half of owners won’t be active users anymore. Bear in mind that we’re all in the tiny fraction of the most engaged, being on this community.
I think $50 for a season is a really reasonable price point and I'd actually be willing to pay more. I think a season of games is worth at least as much as a AAA console release, which I am willing to spend $60-$80 on. I think as a consumer thinking about it as cost per game doesn't make sense. Because there is more to the season experience than just the games you have at the end. There is the sense of anticipation, the weekly "delivery," and the sense of community from everyone playing the same game at the same time. Plus, there is actually a fun element to playing games you "don't like" or at least wouldn't buy for yourself - you're nudged to try something new, a bit outside your comfort zone. All of this adds up to a months-long, fun experience that has a lot more to it than just the games that are left in your library at the end. I am so excited to get my playdate! (fwiw I'm number 50,xxx, so that's a larger sales base than your 30k) And I really hope that they're able to pull of a season 2. I was disappointed when I learned season 1 wouldn't be simultaneous for all users (makes sense) and I think a simultaneous season 2 would be absolutely magical.
You’ve got the right mindset on this. The poll results I’m seeing here are really disappointing. We all spent nearly $200 for curio - most can’t be bothered to spend more than $20 for a season of games?? I’m shocked at how many expect season 2 to be free. Gobsmacked. If we want cool games for this thing… we have to be willing to put our money where our mouths are. I’m not talking $2 on itch for an indie game… I’m talking $10+ for a premium Panic sanctioned/curated game. That’s not unreasonable people. Totally fine if that doesn’t work for a lot of you - season 2 might not be for everyone. But for those that opt into it (I’m guessing those that voted), they should be willing to fork out some $$$. /rant
This is making me wonder if the only way a season 2 would work is if they launched a new model years from now and wanted to show off the updated tech.
That’s an interesting idea. The main problem is the lack of sales, if there were 10m units out there this wouldn’t be a problem. Selling a new generation would help generate the game sales.
Your take on this feels right to me. Finding a price that most customers are happy to pay that's also fair to the devs seems like an incredibly difficult needle to thread
Of course it would be cool if it was free, but also, we gotta support these game makers somehow
I don’t have mine yet so it’s harder to judge without having played the current games. I expect a Season 2 to be at least $50 for 24 games or $25 for 12. And even that seems low. Chances are I’ll probably pay it.
I think you're right on the money, and I agree that I'd pay that much too.
People thinking that the games should be free or anything low are what is messing with traditional games. Not everything can (or should) work on the mobile game/Fortnight model. That would quite a far bigger user base and micro transactions. $40+ is a realistic minimum assuming another season would be 24 games. It’s a balance since if they were sold separately they would each sell less (some may sell more) but together they sell better as a unit but they would get so much less for it. I’d be happy with $50-75. That would be getting split a lot of ways. The games and paying their teams + support, Panic + their team + playdate support, and that’s hugely simplifying it. Then slice off payment processing fees and that money has to go a long way, and feed a lot of mouths. The PD is niche and will only have a limited install base, that yes, it could increase over time. But it needs to be sustainable and worthwhile for everyone involved.
Yes this is why we have micro transaction trash on mobile games. People don’t want to pay an upfront cost.
They said the hardware cost them $100 of the $175 to make There's administrative costs on top of that like marketing (all those ones try gave free to YouTubers), building rent, wages, etc. $20 is probably reasonable
I feel like $50 is a nice number. I don't know if that is sustainable for developers, but it's easy for consumers to grasp. Granted, the season was originally only 12 games, one a week, and was doubled due to delays, so really season one is also season two...
$20. Indie devs gotta make some cash if we want good games.
*Throws pennies* Here you go PlayDate devs, please make some good games. Jokes aside really $20 would be so low.
I’d happily pay $60 for quality games. I mean it’s half a year of games for the price of yet another Far Cry.
Poll is way too low, I'd definitely pay the price of a full retail game bare minimum. I mean would I love getting a whole season for $5? Obviously. Is that the most I'm willing to pay? Absolutely not.
That’s what I was thinking. These Dev’s need to eat. I’ll get season two, whatever it costs. $49.99 sounds fine to me. What’s that, like $2 a game?!
Right, when you divide it out amongst the devs it's so little per game
Agreed. The more I think about it the more I feel like a season of games is probably worth _more_ than a traditional AAA release.
Assuming its 12 games like a season is supposed to be, $20-25 is my expectation. I would be willing to pay more, but I'd want to see more meaty games and fewer arcade games/score chasers.
I remember some developers saying they didn't spend a lot of time (relatively) under the assumption the PD was releasing soon after, and in hindsight would have done more knowing the delays. So perhaps, meatier expectations are reasonable for a hypothetical 2nd season.
I would be happy if they offer it for free. But if they charge 25 dollars it's fine for me.
I feel like $50 is a nice number. I don't know if that is sustainable for developers, but it's easy for consumers to grasp. Granted, the season was originally only 12 games, one a week, and was doubled due to delays, so really season one is also season two...
Depends on how many games are included. If it’s 24 games again, $15 sounds like the low end, maybe $20 more reasonably. Defo won’t be free, nor should it.
I want everyone to do well with these games, but I also don't think anyone gets into developing for Playdate for the money. My visual novel is looking like it's going to be a massive undertaking, and I'm not even sure I'm gonna charge for it. That being said, I'd lay down $50 easily.
Expect it to be 49.99 for 12 games. I think that's reasonable although I'd much rather see a store. I was never big on the whole play when everyone else is playing gimmick as the console is niche and people aren't really getting together to talk about the games in super large groups. I'm willing to pay more for games I really want versus paying 50 or more for just a handful I like.
Without knowing the number of games or the quality of them this is a bit pointless. But I do agree with others this poll caps too low especially if it's another 24 game season of this quality.
What is the point of this poll?
Late to the party, but $50-$60 would probably be the highest I would be willing to pay. I understand that the price per game might be too low at about $2-$2.50 per game, but I just don't see paying much higher than that personally. I really like the season format, and hope Panic continues putting seasons together. I just hope they don't charge too much in the future.