Yea that would be awesome.
Maybe COG can create a Kickstarter that endorses a free package of games. Itāll be a good way to keep the fanbase satisfied until they can find a reliable sponsor.
Free COG games! I wish broā¦I wishā¦ :C
But at the same time Buying the games really support the WONDERFUL authors.
If there was a Kickstarter I donāt really see how the Authors would get any money splitting the money evenly is kinda outta the question.
5 Likes
The games are $2 - $5 and often have free demos at the main website. I donāt think they can get more accessible than this and still provide entertainmentā¦
2 Likes
COG can still release priced games. I was just thinking of a Kickstarter that can cover the costs of making a free game pack for the fans. Not provide a main source of income for staff. I understand how inconsistent and risky that would be.
What would be the point of releasing/buying priced games if you have a free games pack?
1 Like
It will attract more fans and increase the likelihood of people buying games. Just two or three free stories would be enough to peak the publicās interest. In other words, COG can use a few free games to help endorse themselves and grow their fanbase. This is all just speculation though. In my opinion, COG getting a good sponsor would be the best scenario.
Edit: Just realized that the whole āsponsorā thing was a completely different topic for another day lol. Iām just gonna chill because Iām going off topic nowā¦
Well if paying 2-5$ keep CoG alive and the authors continuing to create awesome games Iāll do it. Iām not rich but there are ways for you to be able to buy a game like saving money from your allowance or getting a part time job.
Also be picky donāt just buy every COG being released, you have to set standards or factors in buying a game like(Ratings, Reviews, Friends recommendations ,Genre and themes akin to your liking, the price,the length of the game, replayability, The plot, Romace Options, Gender locked ,etc.)
Doing this takes time, mostly I ask the forum for guidance, there is also a high chance for spoilers so be careful but it is beneficial since you can pinpoint a compatible game for you, instead of buying two games and realizing that you only liked one, therefore the regret of spending is removed.
Choice of Games is still pretty young and is experimenting on ways to sell the games and increase the sales to support that game bundle idea, I think it needs more time to grow and mature so it can gain proper footing, reputation, visibility. The population of the target audience for Interactive fiction is pretty small so itās tough but I have faith on CoG.
4 Likes
I know that much of CoGās audience skews young, but young people have always found plenty of ways to spend (blow?) money on countless other forms of entertainment. Most young adults have access to at least a few bucks to spend on a game/book.
My fear with offering free games is that you start building an expectation that the games should ALWAYS be free to the extent some folks might say, āWell heck you offered The Fun Games pack for free, why are you now charging $4.00 for āCommunity College Heroes Versus Zombie Exodus: Nebraska Bites It!ā?ā
Heck, Iāve had (a few) reviews bitching about CCH not being free when free demos are alllll over the place. The āfree demoā gives you a ātest driveā sort of experience and should prevent a person from making a purchase that doesnāt suit his/her tastes, as @Obsidian discussed above. Plus, Choice of the Dragon is still around as a free title that should be interesting to people trying to figure out if they might like CoGās games.
10 Likes
Yeah,I agree. Nobody expects an engineer to ever work for free, but for some reason people tend to look for ways to pay artists, specifically writers here, as little as possible.
In my experience, one doesnāt simply work hard to create a finished and complete choice script game with the features and experience players want. Itās also a sacrifice. Iāve sacrificed time with family and friends. Iāve used time for it that I could otherwise have used on my career or school. The time I put into a game always comes from somewhere else.
You arenāt only paying for the time spent on that one game (although it is quite a lot). Youāre also paying for the countless years the writer put in developing their skills and abilities before they even started that particular game. Itās not just āhard work.ā Itās a lifelong undertaking, and itās one that already has very few financial rewards.
Please just pay artists. Itās one of those lines of work that people love to consume but at the same time trivialize. The idea of ādo it for free to get your name out thereā is often used to hamper artists from getting the compensation they deserve.
Donāt mean to be overly salty. I just think that, perhaps, you donāt fully grasp just what youāre asking.
17 Likes
Very well said! (20 character limit)
3 Likes
I agree, and furthermore- at least from experience- if you release your first or major game(a) as free, it will increase people expectations for you games to be free, an really does little for the artist in the long run.
1 Like
To be honest, paperback books cost about Ā£7 new. Games can be anything from Ā£5 to Ā£50. Seems like a gamebook for Ā£2ish is a good deal.
4 Likes
This really make me sad when some people ask for games to be free, I know that some donāt have the cash for it still just because the game is purely text based does not mean no amount of effort, work, and dedication came from the creator.
Why not try creating your own game and finish it and then share it for free. Of course it should be done with the same standards CoG requires. Like the length of the game and it should be written in understandable English. Also be prepared for critics who will post positive and negative comments about the game youāve tried so hard to create, whether it affects the author or not it still is an emotional stress for any person.
I think that the writers here at CoG are creating their games as a hobby not really a job for them. Most work alone and some with a partner, not an entire team. They must have some other day jobs or night jobs, heck some could even have families that need their attention and they can only write stuff when they have vacant slot on their busy schedule. They sacrifice their time to be with people they care about so they can write games that we enjoy. It no fair to just simply say it should be free rather try to show some empathy to the authorās hard work.
4 Likes
As someone that started as part of a free project that then tried (and failed) to go to a paid project, I totally agree that the expectations of fans and their disappointments are one of the hardest things to deal with in the gaming world.
At the same time, it is my experience that even when a community member states and/or supports an ignorant/wrong/unrealistic position, we should be careful not to gang up on them or tear into them harshly. People grow and evolve and we should encourage that to the best of our ability.
@boredhypocrite:
Telling someone that they should go script/program or if they donāt like things to make their own is an understandable reaction but it is very hard to repair damage done if defensive reactions (such as perceived ganging up) are too strong. It is one of my strongest regrets - not handling āignorantā or personal attacks by people in the public better. I would not wish any author/programmer/scripter/artist to experience such regrets.
@Zolataya
You have a point. We should be kind, compassionate and open. Somebody possessing a viewpoint I disagree with doesnāt mean anything about them as a person or even that theyāre wrong. it simply means I disagree.
I personally donāt think anyone is being harsh at all here. I am being firm about my position, but only because I see this as indicative of a more widespread problem of people consuming artistic work but not wanting to pay for it. Again, nobody really expects plumbers or engineers to work for free, but thereās something about artistic endeavors that breeds these kinds of misunderstandings.
I simply donāt think people understand fully what it means to ask for games free. As a writer, Iāve faced countless situations where people have had this misunderstanding, and Iāve had to justify my work and even justify my making money off of that work. CoG is one of the few easily accessible places where writers can make anything off of what they do, although itās definitely still not much. This is a very important place for writers.
More generally, there is a tendency in many folks to not want to pay artists. I canāt tell you how many times people have taken advantage of my writing skills as a favor, only to later turn around and trivialize them by telling me Iāll never make money and that writing is a waste of time. No, writing is useful, but people tend to want it for free instead of properly compensating the writer for it. I think itās important to discuss, especially when the āwhy arenāt CoGs free?ā question comes up so much.
EDIT: I just saw what you were responding to. Dāoh!
2 Likes
@LacetheDisgrace - Iām sorry I was less than clear. Iām multi-tasking for month/year end work and obviously, my super-bat-girl powers are not keeping pace with me. I totally agree with you on how people do not understand. I also agree about people desiring free content etc.
I really am not trying to counter-bash anyone or their points, just trying to point out a bit of learned āwisdomā ā¦ again sorry if I offended anyone.
1 Like
@Zolataya If it was my post regarding this
then you must think it harsh, but what I meant here is for anyone to realise how challenging it really is to create a game. To share some empathy with the person who created a game not to be harsh on the
person asking for free games. I work as a graphic artist and when I post some free pictures people donāt like it when I ask for commissions which is bad for me since how am I supposed to pay for my livelihood? Although I donāt appreciate your response to my post you made it seem like Iām a stuck up arse. Thanks for that by the way.
That is what I mean, but I think my understanding in English to explain what I want is limited so I think my post was taken as something hash? Lols.
Time to leave this discussion before I post something very regretful.
3 Likes
Itās cruel to taunt us with the dream collaboration that will never come to pass.
(@JimD?..)
6 Likes
With my current workload, Iām predicting 2025 before I can take on another project.
15 Likes