Pricing policy

[epaminondas]

I've just received an email from Nobilis informing me of a new arrangement with AGEOD and telling me that I can purchase the download version of AGEOD's American Civil War for 14.99 Euros. And the 1.07 version at that!

Since I paid 33.00 Euros for the 1.02 version six weeks ago I'd really appreciate some clarification here. I love the game and I recognise that there might be a premium to be paid for being the first kid on the block - but more than double the price?!

[Queeg]

The email I received offers Great Invasions (ver. 1.07) for 14.99 euros. Are you sure you read your email correctly?

[pasternakski]

Well, in any event, you will soon be able to get BoA from Amazon.com for 15 bucks American...

I think maybe we've got to understand - and accept - that products have a "shelf life" during which they sell at full retail, and, after the initial consumer interest has peaked, they get marked down in order to clear out inventory. Electronic products are notoriously short-lived in this regard.

I bought this game immediately on it becoming available and have no regrets.

[Korrigan]

Are you sure you read your email correctly?

No, he did not. He is talking about the Great Invasions news...

Epaminondas,

For your information, AACW current version is 1.03 and we are beta testing 1.04. Price is still the same. Check the forum for more info;

Given the Gaming Industry passed abuses, I could understand your anger. However, it's a pity that faced with such a weird looking news you assumed the AGEod team was trying to screw you and post about it rather than read twice the message before.

I guess some kind of apologies would be welcome here.

Korrigan


NB: Amazon is not selling BoA at 15$. They are advertising it but actually they don't have any BoA boxes in stock right now. No ETA.
My advice, if you want a bargain price, is to buy from Chris Dean at NWS. Much better service for the Wargaming community http://www.nws-online.net
(And if you want to support our games, buy from us!)

[mikee64]

And if you want to support our games, buy from us.

I like AACW so much I am buying a copy for a friend! (Actually its more to show support for your support, but you get the point. )

Which leads to a question I haven't seen recently - how are sales? Are you guys pleased, happy, neither, or not saying yet? Because we all really want you to be happy!

[Korrigan]

Thank you for your concern, much appreciated!

I'll make an official announcement next week but, to make it short, the BoA investors got their money back x2. For AACW, after two monthes of on-line sell, all financial costs are paid. This may sound idylic, but be sure the situation for Turn-Based, 2D, Strategy games is quite tough. We're not exactly what the guys for the retail distribution want... but thanks to your support we can try to convince them that there is a public for such games.

As you may know, we've already found enough private investors and members of the AGEod community ready to invest in the development of Vainglory of Nations + Birth of America 2 and we'll be announcing very soon another secret project... so stay tuned

Best regards,

Korrigan

[mike1962]

Korrigan, that is good news, well deserved, Ageod is the best, bar none.
You should all get a big bonus and a vacation somewhere nice. Uh.. just
make sure Pocus takes his laptop and give him lots of coffee.

[Pocus]

bah, my laptop is experiencing a NDE every day in the end of my 7-years child playing Rise of Nation, I'm coding on a powerful Intel Celeron 3.3 ghz. What a beast

[pasternakski]

For AACW, after two monthes of on-line sell, all financial costs are paid. Korrigan

Shoot. I want you guys to get rich on this stuff. Without you, we got nobody.

[Pocus]

This must be my nature, but I'm less optimistic than Korrigan. It is like I have this Damocles sword above my head every day.

[epaminondas]

I guess some kind of apologies would be welcome here.

Korrigan

Your absolutely right. And I do apologise absolutely.

In my defence, such of it as there is, I will say that my post wasn't a rant and that I didn't assume that the AGEOD team was trying to screw me. That's why I asked for clarification rather than screaming for a refund. But none of it would have been necessary if I'd taken the trouble to read the mail more thoroughly. So, again, I do apologise most sincerely.

I think I'm going to be very quiet now.

[Korrigan]

Thanks Epaminondas!

[Lascar]

It is great to hear that all of your costs for developing ACW have already been met. Your success is well deserved not only because of great products but also for your exceptional customer friendly relations and support.

It seems that Pocus has been working non-stop since BoA doing new game development and updates. Doesn't he ever rest or take a well deserved vacation? It would be terrible to burn out one your most valuable assets.

Lascar

[Franciscus]

I suppose that all costs paid even after a boxed version is ready to sell is good, but I maybe wrong (after all, nowadays it seems to be difficult to find good games on the shops, due to all the console garbage filling shelf space and the derivative and short lived PC games - with the exception of WoW of course... . And maybe the main public for a game such as AACW is not to be found in such shops...)

But what about this : ?

As you may know, we've already found enough private investors and members of the AGEod community ready to invest in the development of Vainglory of Nations + Birth of America 2 and we'll be announcing very soon another secret project... so stay tuned

Best regards,

Korrigan

I would like to say that I (and maybe others in the forums) may be interested in investing in AGEod projects. How could this be possible, if I may ask ?

[PhilThib]

Contact us directly by PM and we shall revert to you asap on the way to do so. Thanks

[pasternakski]

...and if you have a few extra bucks floating around loose, I can hook you up with some sweet deals ... I can't reveal the nature of the investments, but just let me say that I have a small interest in the bicycle seat industry.

[Korrigan]

According to the French Business Law, a French company can not call for investments directly to the public (it's the bankers privilege).

What happens is that we have set up personnal relationships with some members of the AGEod community, and some of them are what we call "Business angels".

The other case is when someone takes contact directly and spontaneously with us and say (for example): "I love your games. I'm sure a game about the English Civil War/Ancient world will be awesome with the BoA engine, and I'm ready to risk some money and invest some time with you guys to get this game produced".

To develop such a game does not ask for very much money (engine is ready and just needs few tweaks, the most important part goes to artworks (maps, Units, User interface). However, TIME (for gameplay and historical datas work) is the main concern. We don't begin to develop a game till we don't have a BETA team of guys ready to help us with the Maps and Orders of Battle stuffs.

That's the most I can say to answer your question.

Best regards,

Korrigan

[Korrigan]

Don't misunderstand me when I stated that all costs are paid. This does mean that all invesments are paid. In the AGEod business plans, some peope bring their money, but some bring also their time. They work partly for "free", and they will get paid only if the game is successfull (benefits are given in priority to those who brought money).

I'm not going to give you a lecture on the French Business Law (Phil Thib coud do better than me) but that's the spirit of it. This is also one of the reason why members of the AGEod team are so keen to give you excellent games.

(Philippe: Edit me if I am not clear enough)

[PhilThib]

This is clear enough. In fact, most "extra" projects will require our sub-contracting external partners, especially for graphical artworks, but also database feeding. So for this we need in almost equal amount money and time.

For example, doing an English Civil War game would require 12,000 euros for the graphics and other outsourcing and probably 3-4 months of almost full time OOB, DB and scenario research...

[Franciscus]

[color="RoyalBlue"](SNIP)[/color]

[color="Red"]No flame allowed[/color]