It was well worth $20 to me, so you'll get no argument out of me.
For those that think $20 is a bit steep, rationalize it this way: you're paying ($20 - X) for the game itself, and you're paying X as a subsidy to Gabe, Tycho, and Hothead games to (a) not go bankrupt from their multi-million dollar project, and (b) as an appreciation of their past and future hard work on the series.
If you don't like paying for X, or even ($20 + X), well, can we assume that you'll just not buy future episodes and will shut the hell up about it?
This stupid "Oh but when you put it all together, it's more expensive than a game I buy on the shelves" idea uses some really twisted logic. If the game is fun, and each episode is value for money, having four episodes suddenly makes it not value for money?
No. The argument is that each episode is not worth $20. The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Incorrect. The person I was replying to had enjoyed and had no problem with the episode for $20. He had a problem if the entire season was longer than 3 episodes, because he directly matched a full season to being the equivalent of a 'full' boxed game. Therefore if the game was more than 3 episodes, it was more expensive than a boxed game and thus not value for money.
And I have a mortgage, pay all my own bills, including recreational things like gym, badminton, and I do not have a problem with $20. Blanket bullshit like I am fabulously wealthy or that I have no responsibilities is stupid, demeaning and shows you really have no argument to stand on other than you have a personal opinion that you feel should be shared by everyone because you have difficulties justifying the game as value for money.
Value for money is not just determined by quality and play length. It is a decision made by each person, and I can understand some people don't see it as value for money, but I do not understand why they feel that they need to belittle those who did and are willing to pay $20 per episode because of the enjoyment received.
The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
In this thread, and bunch of people brag about how they have no real life responsibilities and/or are amazingly wealthy. In the meanwhile, for we mere normal humans, the game is more expensive than most games with similar quality and play length.
If you take Any Random Game You Enjoyed, it was less expensive than the Rain Slick series will be, and likely had more replayability and depth.
This stupid "Oh but when you put it all together, it's more expensive than a game I buy on the shelves" idea uses some really twisted logic. If the game is fun, and each episode is value for money, having four episodes suddenly makes it not value for money?
No. The argument is that each episode is not worth $20. The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
No replayability? Well, you've shot yourself right there. I'm on my third playthrough - I guess that makes you a bit of a mucking foron, then, eh?
Really, at this point, if it's such a bloody financial burden I think it's time we reference itsnotforyou.gif. You don't get to place an arbitrary value on gameplay. If you don't find it a solid value - that's fine. I hate to be the one to break this sad, shocking news, but... it appears that there are enough people who disagree with you to make this venture work. Them's the breaks chief. Better luck next time.
In this thread, and bunch of people brag about how they have no real life responsibilities and/or are amazingly wealthy. In the meanwhile, for we mere normal humans, the game is more expensive than most games with similar quality and play length.
If you take Any Random Game You Enjoyed, it was less expensive than the Rain Slick series will be, and likely had more replayability and depth.
This stupid "Oh but when you put it all together, it's more expensive than a game I buy on the shelves" idea uses some really twisted logic. If the game is fun, and each episode is value for money, having four episodes suddenly makes it not value for money?
No. The argument is that each episode is not worth $20. The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
No replayability? Well, you've shot yourself right there. I'm on my third playthrough - I guess that makes you a bit of a mucking foron, then, eh?
Really, at this point, if it's such a bloody financial burden I think it's time we reference itsnotforyou.gif. You don't get to place an arbitrary value on gameplay. If you don't find it a solid value - that's fine. I hate to be the one to break this sad, shocking news, but... it appears that there are enough people who disagree with you to make this venture work. Them's the breaks chief. Better luck next time.
Its exactly the same game every time - The only thing you can do differently is some conversation options which end in the same result. If you think thats replayablity, then you're a 'mucking foron'.
I think the main issue here is simply that people are used to paying a certain amount for things. People are used to the fact that it's $60 for a boxed game, regardless of quality. People are used to paying 1200 points at most for an XBLA game, which is a fairly low price point.
I paid $20 for Peggle. Around £10. I have got more enjoyment out of Precipice and I paid around the same. Both, I would say, are definitely worth it, and if the next three are the same I will be paying the same amount. Partly because I think it's worth it and partly because I want to support Mike and Jerry.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Its exactly the same game every time - The only thing you can do differently is some conversation options which end in the same result. If you think thats replayablity, then you're a 'mucking foron'.
A game's replayable if you can play it again and still have fun. That happens with Rainslick. Hell, it happens with Halo, and you can't make any different decisions in that.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
$20 is definitely the max price I'd pay for PA episodes, and I would like more content or a lower price, but it's not a dealbreaker if they keep it at $20.
I'm with Kag on this.
For all the laughs (or smirks) I got wih this title, as well as the various fun battles (the combat system is great) I think a $20 price tag is very reasonable.
A lot of folk don't enjoy Penny Arcade enough that they would agree, but fuck them.
In this thread, and bunch of people brag about how they have no real life responsibilities and/or are amazingly wealthy. In the meanwhile, for we mere normal humans, the game is more expensive than most games with similar quality and play length.
If you take Any Random Game You Enjoyed, it was less expensive than the Rain Slick series will be, and likely had more replayability and depth.
This stupid "Oh but when you put it all together, it's more expensive than a game I buy on the shelves" idea uses some really twisted logic. If the game is fun, and each episode is value for money, having four episodes suddenly makes it not value for money?
No. The argument is that each episode is not worth $20. The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
No replayability? Well, you've shot yourself right there. I'm on my third playthrough - I guess that makes you a bit of a mucking foron, then, eh?
Really, at this point, if it's such a bloody financial burden I think it's time we reference itsnotforyou.gif. You don't get to place an arbitrary value on gameplay. If you don't find it a solid value - that's fine. I hate to be the one to break this sad, shocking news, but... it appears that there are enough people who disagree with you to make this venture work. Them's the breaks chief. Better luck next time.
Its exactly the same game every time - The only thing you can do differently is some conversation options which end in the same result. If you think thats replayablity, then you're a 'mucking foron'.
Ah yes, no one would ever play the game twice to:
Play a no healing items run
Play a speed run
Try to score all of the achievements.
No one. Ever. Clearly you have bested me here friend.
I have not read this entire thread, as it is six pages
and I don't have the time at the moment, however I wanted
to weigh in on the price point issue. It costs you between $10-$15
to go see a movie on a friday night, and with snacks that can jump to
$20-$25, for just yourself. That's at the most 3 hours of entertainment.
I think that charging $20 for a game that has 8 hours of play tims is perfectly
reasonable, if the game is of decent quality. I just bought the game today so
I can't say whether it's worth the price point, but if you are measuring in hours
alone, it is easily justifiable. Look at the price of PA books, Birds are Weird costs
around $13, well worth it, but it takes you far less than 8 hours to read. It's the joy
of being able to revisit the strips of old that leads you to spending the money.
That's the thing with a video game, regardless of replay value, you are spending $20
and then you have it, it's yours, you can play it as often as you like. And if you can
get 8 hours out of it, then it's well worth it, especially if it is of good quality (and so far otRSPoP
seems to be of great quality)
I think the $20 price point was right on the money so to speak.
If I was deciding how much it was going to cost here would be my process:
- I don't think this is going to be an impulse buy (the "see a trailer make a purchase" buy)
- I don't think a great percentage of people are going to be on-the-fence about PA and try the demo and fall in love
- I do think fans of PA will likely buy the game
- I don't think a price like $10 is going to create sell-through so you may as well charge what you think the game is WORTH as the creator.
In other words... this isn't a $1 taco to sell to fans of food... it's a $2 taco to sell to taco fans who really like a quality reliable taco.
I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't have paid for the game if it was $25 or $30. Just because I don't have that much money, and I stop being able to justify the purchase. But for $20 I was very happy to. At that price I know I'm not getting ripped off. I also don't want them to sell it for less than that because they'd be cheating themselves and, come on, anything less than $20 for a game is pretty much giving it away.
I don't buy the idea that the prices of each episode in an episodic series should add up to no more than the price of an average game. It's not the same thing at all. I don't see how anyone can think it is.
Tycho, at one point, said that anything under/around $20 is practically free. This is fairly true of most things. It is true here. Continuing to argue this point is futile.
The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
Actually, its not four games.
Hrrrmm, actually it is four games. Each one can be played and enjoyed independantly of each other or you can play them all together and get the whole story.
Do you consider the six Star Wars films to be one movie? They are labeled Episode I thru VI. Seems like the same thing to me.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
I'm comparing gameplay length. Obviously.
If you want to compare the length and cost of each Half Life episode (which include multiplayer) to Rain Slick Episode 1, that would be a great way to prove my point. Thanks.
As for the people arguing with me about replayability, don't be ignorant. Of course you *can* replay it, and you can even enjoy it. Replayability in terms of gaming means that the game provides incentives for players to play through again. This means more than just doing the exact same thing a second time.
Do you people really struggle this much with basic English, or just when being fanboys? If you read a review that says a game offers little replayability, do you throw your keyboard and disgust and scream that you in fact played it 4 times?
I am huge Penny Arcade fan, have been for a decade, and loved the game. Somehow all this didn't make me go retarded.
If you want to compare the length and cost of each Half Life episode (which include multiplayer) to Rain Slick Episode 1, that would be a great way to prove my point. Thanks.
Just because a game takes longer to beat than another game doesn't mean it is a better game or a better value. Portal takes less time to beat than the PA game yet it costs the same amount. It doesn't mean that I think PA is better just cause it is longer. The nice thing about the episode format is if you don't like the game or think it's not worth the money you don't have to buy the games that come out after the first one.
Well, I'll just jump right in here to my initial purpose: adding my drop in the PA love bucket. I bought the game (and believe me, I am POOR). Not to scold anyone else for their opinion. I enjoyed the product, loved the art and the world, and considered my personal desire for/value of the game to be higher than the price tag.
Do you consider the six Star Wars films to be one movie? They are labeled Episode I thru VI. Seems like the same thing to me.
Perfectly said.
The PA episodes may be shorter than some games, but that doesn't make them little chunks of a whole game.
I understand what you're saying about replayability, yutt, and I agree. However, if you honestly think each episode isn't its own game, then perhaps you have gone retarded.
Just because a game takes longer to beat than another game doesn't mean it is a better game or a better value. Portal takes less time to beat than the PA game yet it costs the same amount.
I definitely spent more time on my first play-through of Portal than of Rainslick Ep 1 and even then there is about a half game worth of bonus levels for Portal. Also, in the gameplay department Portal beats Rainslick hands down, so replaying Portal is arguably more enjoyable than Rainslick.
Note that I'm not slamming Rainslick Ep 1; I really enjoyed it, but not because of the gameplay (which is well executed but fairly unoriginal and straightforward), but because of the excellent dialogue and mood. In the gameplay department, Portal is a clear winner.
It doesn't mean that I think PA is better just cause it is longer.
PA isn't better and it isn't longer. But I do think that Portal offered an exceptionally high amount of value-for-money, so we can't really expect all games to live up to that.
The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
The combining of them is just to show that a ~30 hour game with no replayability would cost $80. It's really not hard to understand.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
Actually, its not four games.
Hrrrmm, actually it is four games.
Nope.
So, if they planned on releasing a total of one hundred episodes that totaled 500 hours of gameplay, you would still consider it to be one game then?
I can't believe this fucking thread is still going on.
I think the value for this thread is apparent, as there are 4 pages, and all reasonably priced.
The upside, mind you, is that each page stands alone. I mean, you could read page 2 and it would be right at home as its own thread.
It took me as long to read page three as it did to beat Portal, so I think you're bang on in relation to the value proposition. I mean, the thread - as a whole - was a bit more expensive, but you have to look at the pages individually to really appreciate it.
But it's only one thread as a whole! When I add the time it took to read each page together it's more than the average time I take to read a thread on GameFAQs.
Willeth on
@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Considering the amount of time you can spend going for all of the achievements (without reading GameFAQs because Gamespot is evil anyway), 20 dollars seems about right to me. I figure I've got about 4 hours into the game and haven't finished it yet. Hell, I paid 50 dollars for Devil May Cry back in the day and blew through it in 7 hours.
I have to say, I'm fed up with the whole concept of paying games by the hour. It's idiotic. You don't rate your movies or books by its length, and I don't see why games are held up to some artifical length standard.
I mean, I have lost count of the times I've played through Monkey Island by now. It's not better because I've spent more time with it, I've spent more time with it because it's better. Look at Enchanted Arms vs. Mass Effect, for instance. EA could be twice as long as ME, for all I know. I don't care, because I haven't played through it. ME, however, has seen two playthroughs by now. NOT because I want to try other options (alright, not ONLY for that), but because I have fun playing it. Same reason I've watched Raiders of the Lost Ark a million times. The ending never changes, but it's still fun.
There are games out there not worth their price tags, but I can't think of a single one I've dismissed as too expensive for being too short if it was a good game. Not one.
For the record, I much prefer 4 good hours than 4 good hours and 2 so-so ones. I'm a busy man, I don't like my time being wasted with inane fetch quests just to keep the 10-bucks-an-hour crowd happy.
I have to say, I'm fed up with the whole concept of paying games by the hour. It's idiotic. You don't rate your movies or books by its length, and I don't see why games are held up to some artifical length standard.
I mean, I have lost count of the times I've played through Monkey Island by now. It's not better because I've spent more time with it, I've spent more time with it because it's better. Look at Enchanted Arms vs. Mass Effect, for instance. EA could be twice as long as ME, for all I know. I don't care, because I haven't played through it. ME, however, has seen two playthroughs by now. NOT because I want to try other options (alright, not ONLY for that), but because I have fun playing it. Same reason I've watched Raiders of the Lost Ark a million times. The ending never changes, but it's still fun.
There are games out there not worth their price tags, but I can't think of a single one I've dismissed as too expensive for being too short if it was a good game. Not one.
For the record, I much prefer 4 good hours than 4 good hours and 2 so-so ones. I'm a busy man, I don't like my time being wasted with inane fetch quests just to keep the 10-bucks-an-hour crowd happy.
I agree completely, value is in quality and the Penny Arcade game is fantastic! For $20 I got some of the best laughs and point and click adventure gaming I've had in ages. I can't wait for the sequel!
Posts
For those that think $20 is a bit steep, rationalize it this way: you're paying ($20 - X) for the game itself, and you're paying X as a subsidy to Gabe, Tycho, and Hothead games to (a) not go bankrupt from their multi-million dollar project, and (b) as an appreciation of their past and future hard work on the series.
If you don't like paying for X, or even ($20 + X), well, can we assume that you'll just not buy future episodes and will shut the hell up about it?
Incorrect. The person I was replying to had enjoyed and had no problem with the episode for $20. He had a problem if the entire season was longer than 3 episodes, because he directly matched a full season to being the equivalent of a 'full' boxed game. Therefore if the game was more than 3 episodes, it was more expensive than a boxed game and thus not value for money.
And I have a mortgage, pay all my own bills, including recreational things like gym, badminton, and I do not have a problem with $20. Blanket bullshit like I am fabulously wealthy or that I have no responsibilities is stupid, demeaning and shows you really have no argument to stand on other than you have a personal opinion that you feel should be shared by everyone because you have difficulties justifying the game as value for money.
Value for money is not just determined by quality and play length. It is a decision made by each person, and I can understand some people don't see it as value for money, but I do not understand why they feel that they need to belittle those who did and are willing to pay $20 per episode because of the enjoyment received.
You seem to fail on the concept of episodic content.
Actually, it is four games for $80. Would you consider Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two all as being one singular game?
Actually, its not four games.
No replayability? Well, you've shot yourself right there. I'm on my third playthrough - I guess that makes you a bit of a mucking foron, then, eh?
Really, at this point, if it's such a bloody financial burden I think it's time we reference itsnotforyou.gif. You don't get to place an arbitrary value on gameplay. If you don't find it a solid value - that's fine. I hate to be the one to break this sad, shocking news, but... it appears that there are enough people who disagree with you to make this venture work. Them's the breaks chief. Better luck next time.
Its exactly the same game every time - The only thing you can do differently is some conversation options which end in the same result. If you think thats replayablity, then you're a 'mucking foron'.
I paid $20 for Peggle. Around £10. I have got more enjoyment out of Precipice and I paid around the same. Both, I would say, are definitely worth it, and if the next three are the same I will be paying the same amount. Partly because I think it's worth it and partly because I want to support Mike and Jerry.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
A game's replayable if you can play it again and still have fun. That happens with Rainslick. Hell, it happens with Halo, and you can't make any different decisions in that.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
I'm with Kag on this.
For all the laughs (or smirks) I got wih this title, as well as the various fun battles (the combat system is great) I think a $20 price tag is very reasonable.
A lot of folk don't enjoy Penny Arcade enough that they would agree, but fuck them.
Ah yes, no one would ever play the game twice to:
Play a no healing items run
Play a speed run
Try to score all of the achievements.
No one. Ever. Clearly you have bested me here friend.
I have not read this entire thread, as it is six pages
and I don't have the time at the moment, however I wanted
to weigh in on the price point issue. It costs you between $10-$15
to go see a movie on a friday night, and with snacks that can jump to
$20-$25, for just yourself. That's at the most 3 hours of entertainment.
I think that charging $20 for a game that has 8 hours of play tims is perfectly
reasonable, if the game is of decent quality. I just bought the game today so
I can't say whether it's worth the price point, but if you are measuring in hours
alone, it is easily justifiable. Look at the price of PA books, Birds are Weird costs
around $13, well worth it, but it takes you far less than 8 hours to read. It's the joy
of being able to revisit the strips of old that leads you to spending the money.
That's the thing with a video game, regardless of replay value, you are spending $20
and then you have it, it's yours, you can play it as often as you like. And if you can
get 8 hours out of it, then it's well worth it, especially if it is of good quality (and so far otRSPoP
seems to be of great quality)
If I was deciding how much it was going to cost here would be my process:
- I don't think this is going to be an impulse buy (the "see a trailer make a purchase" buy)
- I don't think a great percentage of people are going to be on-the-fence about PA and try the demo and fall in love
- I do think fans of PA will likely buy the game
- I don't think a price like $10 is going to create sell-through so you may as well charge what you think the game is WORTH as the creator.
In other words... this isn't a $1 taco to sell to fans of food... it's a $2 taco to sell to taco fans who really like a quality reliable taco.
I don't buy the idea that the prices of each episode in an episodic series should add up to no more than the price of an average game. It's not the same thing at all. I don't see how anyone can think it is.
Get a job, hippies.
Hrrrmm, actually it is four games. Each one can be played and enjoyed independantly of each other or you can play them all together and get the whole story.
Do you consider the six Star Wars films to be one movie? They are labeled Episode I thru VI. Seems like the same thing to me.
If you want to compare the length and cost of each Half Life episode (which include multiplayer) to Rain Slick Episode 1, that would be a great way to prove my point. Thanks.
As for the people arguing with me about replayability, don't be ignorant. Of course you *can* replay it, and you can even enjoy it. Replayability in terms of gaming means that the game provides incentives for players to play through again. This means more than just doing the exact same thing a second time.
Do you people really struggle this much with basic English, or just when being fanboys? If you read a review that says a game offers little replayability, do you throw your keyboard and disgust and scream that you in fact played it 4 times?
I am huge Penny Arcade fan, have been for a decade, and loved the game. Somehow all this didn't make me go retarded.
Just because a game takes longer to beat than another game doesn't mean it is a better game or a better value. Portal takes less time to beat than the PA game yet it costs the same amount. It doesn't mean that I think PA is better just cause it is longer. The nice thing about the episode format is if you don't like the game or think it's not worth the money you don't have to buy the games that come out after the first one.
Perfectly said.
The PA episodes may be shorter than some games, but that doesn't make them little chunks of a whole game.
I understand what you're saying about replayability, yutt, and I agree. However, if you honestly think each episode isn't its own game, then perhaps you have gone retarded.
Note that I'm not slamming Rainslick Ep 1; I really enjoyed it, but not because of the gameplay (which is well executed but fairly unoriginal and straightforward), but because of the excellent dialogue and mood. In the gameplay department, Portal is a clear winner.
PA isn't better and it isn't longer. But I do think that Portal offered an exceptionally high amount of value-for-money, so we can't really expect all games to live up to that.
Have we really reached this level of inanity?
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
yes.
if you don't like it's value, then don't buy it.
btw a lapdance (topless only) costs 20$ and lasts 3-4 minutes, PAA lasted me WAAAAAAAAAAAAY longer
Nope.
So, if they planned on releasing a total of one hundred episodes that totaled 500 hours of gameplay, you would still consider it to be one game then?
I think the value for this thread is apparent, as there are 4 pages, and all reasonably priced.
I got 6 pages out of it.
The upside, mind you, is that each page stands alone. I mean, you could read page 2 and it would be right at home as its own thread.
It took me as long to read page three as it did to beat Portal, so I think you're bang on in relation to the value proposition. I mean, the thread - as a whole - was a bit more expensive, but you have to look at the pages individually to really appreciate it.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
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Don't watch these if you want to enjoy portal and haven't played yet.
I have to say, I'm fed up with the whole concept of paying games by the hour. It's idiotic. You don't rate your movies or books by its length, and I don't see why games are held up to some artifical length standard.
I mean, I have lost count of the times I've played through Monkey Island by now. It's not better because I've spent more time with it, I've spent more time with it because it's better. Look at Enchanted Arms vs. Mass Effect, for instance. EA could be twice as long as ME, for all I know. I don't care, because I haven't played through it. ME, however, has seen two playthroughs by now. NOT because I want to try other options (alright, not ONLY for that), but because I have fun playing it. Same reason I've watched Raiders of the Lost Ark a million times. The ending never changes, but it's still fun.
There are games out there not worth their price tags, but I can't think of a single one I've dismissed as too expensive for being too short if it was a good game. Not one.
For the record, I much prefer 4 good hours than 4 good hours and 2 so-so ones. I'm a busy man, I don't like my time being wasted with inane fetch quests just to keep the 10-bucks-an-hour crowd happy.
I agree completely, value is in quality and the Penny Arcade game is fantastic! For $20 I got some of the best laughs and point and click adventure gaming I've had in ages. I can't wait for the sequel!
Mystery
Ask for your money back.