Comments on: Casual Games Biz Article http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/ Phil Steinmeyer's rumblings on the game biz, programming, and life Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:02:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Eric Heimburg http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-22066 Eric Heimburg Tue, 05 Dec 2006 21:41:02 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-22066 One of PopCap's engineers mentioned on their developer forums that the $700k figure comes almost entirely from salaries. They developed the game for 2.5 years, including a year of "floundering around with the design", was his phrase, I believe. This included artist salaries; only some sound effects were purchased from outside of PopCap. Given that it's salaries for a lengthy development cycle, $700k is not really that outlandish. It still remains to be seen whether they'll be able to recoup that, but I'm guessing so. Reviews have been very favorable, and I've actually bought a copy. On a side note, I think they have a bit of a presentation problem because their game actually gets a good bit more interesting and fun in the later levels, when more mechanics are introduced. By that time, though, the 1 hour time limit has elapsed... I initially decided the game was too easy, until I heard from friends that it got much more difficult and strategic later on. If I hadn't had word of mouth, I wouldn't have purchased the game. One of PopCap’s engineers mentioned on their developer forums that the $700k figure comes almost entirely from salaries. They developed the game for 2.5 years, including a year of “floundering around with the design”, was his phrase, I believe. This included artist salaries; only some sound effects were purchased from outside of PopCap.

Given that it’s salaries for a lengthy development cycle, $700k is not really that outlandish. It still remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to recoup that, but I’m guessing so. Reviews have been very favorable, and I’ve actually bought a copy.

On a side note, I think they have a bit of a presentation problem because their game actually gets a good bit more interesting and fun in the later levels, when more mechanics are introduced. By that time, though, the 1 hour time limit has elapsed… I initially decided the game was too easy, until I heard from friends that it got much more difficult and strategic later on. If I hadn’t had word of mouth, I wouldn’t have purchased the game.

]]> By: Paulo Garcia http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21259 Paulo Garcia Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:14:39 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21259 About the cost of the project, I just read from PopCap´s developer forum that this value (700k) is all a translation of the 2.5 years of work into a dollar cost. Maybe it´s nice to say how much money you spent in a project to show the commitment to the "causual" audience. The $30 price appears to be a "launch price" to increase the initial revenues. There are always people that will pay to get as soon as possible the new game. Maybe after some time the price will be dropped to $19. About the cost of the project, I just read from PopCap´s developer forum that this value (700k) is all a translation of the 2.5 years of work into a dollar cost.

Maybe it´s nice to say how much money you spent in a project to show the commitment to the “causual” audience.

The $30 price appears to be a “launch price” to increase the initial revenues. There are always people that will pay to get as soon as possible the new game. Maybe after some time the price will be dropped to $19.

]]> By: David L. http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21241 David L. Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:45:25 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21241 I was fun, I used my 60 minutes up immediately. But I think the price is a little high. I was fun, I used my 60 minutes up immediately. But I think the price is a little high.

]]> By: StGabe http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21142 StGabe Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:58:09 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21142 I also thought it didn't look like it was worth $700k. It is a polished up Dungeon Scrolls. It IS a good solid game but it's not clear to me where all that money went. I suspect a lot of it was just that they didn't do their development cycle too efficiently (i.e. worked on it for a while and comitted to art or somesuch before completely redesigning and changing it). I also thought it didn’t look like it was worth $700k. It is a polished up Dungeon Scrolls. It IS a good solid game but it’s not clear to me where all that money went. I suspect a lot of it was just that they didn’t do their development cycle too efficiently (i.e. worked on it for a while and comitted to art or somesuch before completely redesigning and changing it).

]]> By: Steve http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21045 Steve Wed, 29 Nov 2006 02:37:22 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/142/casual-games-biz-article/#comment-21045 Well, as of this afternoon, Bookworm Adventures is out. Does it look like it cost $700K to make? I don't think the average player will notice, but some of the character animations are very nicely done, albeit in a subtle way. I suppose that's where a lot of the money went. But to tell the truth, if I hadn't been told how much it cost and how long it took to make, I wouldn't have guessed that it was the most expensive casual game ever made. It has its nice points, but some of the graphics looked kind of "soft." Also, it's kind of hard to tell how much depth the game has based on what I've played so far. Overall it's one of the better-made casual games I've seen, but if not for the hype of its cost and development time, I don't think I'd be paying much attention to it. I don't mean that in a bad way... while this game is nice, a game like Zuma had me playing for hours when I first got it. This one doesn't have that same fun factor, at least for me. YMMV. ;) Well, as of this afternoon, Bookworm Adventures is out. Does it look like it cost $700K to make? I don’t think the average player will notice, but some of the character animations are very nicely done, albeit in a subtle way. I suppose that’s where a lot of the money went. But to tell the truth, if I hadn’t been told how much it cost and how long it took to make, I wouldn’t have guessed that it was the most expensive casual game ever made. It has its nice points, but some of the graphics looked kind of “soft.” Also, it’s kind of hard to tell how much depth the game has based on what I’ve played so far.

Overall it’s one of the better-made casual games I’ve seen, but if not for the hype of its cost and development time, I don’t think I’d be paying much attention to it. I don’t mean that in a bad way… while this game is nice, a game like Zuma had me playing for hours when I first got it. This one doesn’t have that same fun factor, at least for me. YMMV. ;)

]]>