Price

[frankinho]

This is just my opinion and no disrespect meant but DDSCB as well as other DDS games are IMHO simply to expensive for non-US users. 50USD+ is almost AAA price point and as much as i like DDS CB 50USD is just not worth it. I would even question 40USD for US customers being to expensive compared to similar genre games as well as other genre games that are superior yet far cheaper. Obviously it's up to you as a company to set a price for the products your selling though i think the price point of these games is just to high. Again no disrespect just my opinion. Just comparison OOTP is being sold for 50USD with a 30% pre-order bonus putting it at 35$ yet realistically it on another level as far as scope and quality of a game.

[slybelle1]

The prices from the USA is $39.99, not $50.00. During first access, can also get additional 10% off from that price. Makes purchasing now $35.99. Plus during First Access (which is comparable to OOTP's pre order process), you get a Steam key for free, which for OOTP that requires a completely separate purchase. Seems like fair and reasonable price to me, but everyone has their own price points as to whether worth it for themselves. Just wanted to make sure folks had the correct pricing in case considering their own purchase.

[frankinho]

As a non-US customer and if you're in EUR the price is actually 50$, i guess due to 25% additional tax not 40$. You can check by changing country.
Yes the pre-order price with discounts (DDS 10$ discount and OOTP 30% discount) make it on the same level at 35$. Don't get me wrong i love DDS CB but it's not on the same level as OOTP25 nor in scope nor in quality.

[slybelle1]

As a non-US customer and if you're in EUR the price is actually 50$, i guess due to 25% additional tax not 40$. You can check by changing country.
Yes the pre-order price with discounts (DDS 10$ discount and OOTP 30% discount) make it on the same level at 35$. Don't get me wrong i love DDS CB but it's not on the same level as OOTP25 nor in scope nor in quality.

I understand it might be different costs in other countries, but your original post stated $50USD so just wanted to make sure people knew that wasn't the cost if purchased in the US. Technically DDSCB is "cheaper" during pre order than OOTP, because you get the free Steam key ($35.99 + $0.00), where in OOTP you would need to buy the game twice ($35.00+$35.00), of course that assumes people are interested in having both keys:)

Whether a game is on the same level as another game, totally depends on each person's desire. OOTP doesn't have a basketball game so really can't fully compare. OOTP is a nice game, but also isn't for everyone as the scope and complexity can be too much for some folks. OOTP's company size and customer base is larger than Wolverine as well. OOTP just raised their prices to $49.99 this year and the big 30% discount was to make the transition easier for customers, no idea if every year in the future during pre order that people will continue to get the 30% discount. In prior years the discount was only 10%. So after the pre order period, OOTP will be the more expensive game.

Totally understand prices means different things to different people, ultimately up to each person to decide whether worth it for them.......can also wait for an eventual sale that will come at some point in the future.

[jlemmen43]

In my opinion, I'd rather pay $60 for a game that lasts more than 1 year, and then you just pay for DLC (like new rosters), instead of paying $30-40 for a new version each year. Everything would be scalable, and interchangeable until it didn't work anymore. BUT I understand that Wolverine Studios is a much smaller company than a gaming operation, and it isn't set up in that manner. SO, I like to think of it as I'm willing to buy the new version each year (unless I'm convinced it would be useless to upgrade), and part of that money goes as an investment into the company to grow. It has definitely grown and improved over the past 5 years, so I'm more than happy to support it each year. Without a bunch of us buying and believing in the game, it would have been a miracle for Gary to get it to where it's at now.

On a side note...you can usually score any game in this universe at a later time in the year for like $20. They run sales constantly, and usually you just have to wait until the "new-ness" has ran out and you can score some great bang for the buck.

[NCAAhoops]

Exactly what I was going to mention is they have so great Sales from time to time if your looking for a deal. Also there is not another College basketball game on the market that can match the full Head Coach experience like this one. I've tried dozens that have come and gone and this one is the best.

[Gary Gorski]

I think $40 USD is a very fair price for our games and its nowhere near AAA price points. You know the new EA releases are going to be $60-70 USD so we're not anywhere near their price points. I don't control the prices in other currencies as that is something that both Fastspring and Steam do on their own and often times they differ. Also as mentioned there is a pre-order discount, there are repeat discounts for people who purchase the game directly from us the prior year and opt into our communications so that we can reach them and there is also an even bigger discount available to those who participate in one of our partnered feature leagues. Every May we run a massive one day sale (Wolverine Day) - we do huge Black Friday sales, we do sales around things like the playoffs or drafts or whatever, we participate in all the Steam sale events, we send coupons to people who have opted in to our mailing list at purchase of a game or by trying a demo...

If you don't feel the game is worth it that's totally up to you. I don't know what good it does to try and run us down and say we're not as good as an AAA company or OOTP - all of which are far bigger companies than we are and charge more than we do and our pricing doesn't have anything to do with them anyways. Those games also contain other ways for the company to make a significant amount of money through micro transactions so if you want to experience their entire game you're also going to constantly be paying to do so above the price of the game itself. We charge a fair price for the work we put in and the hours and hours of replay value the game has and like I said if the price today doesn't suit you or is not affordable there is always an opportunity to get the game at a lower price.

Don't forget as well when you're comparing our games to those of AAA studios - do you have a method of talking to a developer of those games? Can you have a conversation with one and suggest things you want or talk to someone when something is not working well in the game? Is that of any value to you? Are you considering that when comparing us to other studios or are you just looking at that we don't have 3D graphics and can't afford licensing and therefore saying we're not as good as those companies?

[ezcar]

This is the only true college basketball game out there. They try to take peoples thoughts and implement them into the game. Ok, if you don't buy. what college basketball sim are you going to buy/play? Well, if you are truely wanting to play a college basketball game. No other company compares because they don't make the product. Unless you go back to fast break college basketball(old and no 2D).
Look, I don't even play the football series. But I buy them to support the company. Why, having fun since the onset of 2006 or so. The game has continued to evolve. My fun has never stopped. I thank Gary and the crew.
There is no reason to try to degrade the company because you don't like the price. Geez, ask the community to donate a license to you. I would have bought you one if you wouldn't have been so rude to the company. Go to EA, OOTP or other forums to see if someone would buy you one, listen to what you would like added to the game. Better yet, ask them to make a college basketball sim. You think that hasn't been done yet?

[frankinho]

I think $40 USD is a very fair price for our games and its nowhere near AAA price points. You know the new EA releases are going to be $60-70 USD so we're not anywhere near their price points. I don't control the prices in other currencies as that is something that both Fastspring and Steam do on their own and often times they differ. Also as mentioned there is a pre-order discount, there are repeat discounts for people who purchase the game directly from us the prior year and opt into our communications so that we can reach them and there is also an even bigger discount available to those who participate in one of our partnered feature leagues. Every May we run a massive one day sale (Wolverine Day) - we do huge Black Friday sales, we do sales around things like the playoffs or drafts or whatever, we participate in all the Steam sale events, we send coupons to people who have opted in to our mailing list at purchase of a game or by trying a demo...

If you don't feel the game is worth it that's totally up to you. I don't know what good it does to try and run us down and say we're not as good as an AAA company or OOTP - all of which are far bigger companies than we are and charge more than we do and our pricing doesn't have anything to do with them anyways. Those games also contain other ways for the company to make a significant amount of money through micro transactions so if you want to experience their entire game you're also going to constantly be paying to do so above the price of the game itself. We charge a fair price for the work we put in and the hours and hours of replay value the game has and like I said if the price today doesn't suit you or is not affordable there is always an opportunity to get the game at a lower price.

Don't forget as well when you're comparing our games to those of AAA studios - do you have a method of talking to a developer of those games? Can you have a conversation with one and suggest things you want or talk to someone when something is not working well in the game? Is that of any value to you? Are you considering that when comparing us to other studios or are you just looking at that we don't have 3D graphics and can't afford licensing and therefore saying we're not as good as those companies?

Thanks for the reply Gary. As i said no disrespect meant and not trying to run you down but questioning the the price range in particular for non-US customers. As a non-US customer 50$ is on AAA level, not just talking about EA but games in general. As i said i like DDS CB but 50$ is way to much. But fair enough to each their own. On your last point plenty of game developers nowadays release games through Early Access and getting feedback and input from users. I never say your company is not as good as other developers, i totally understand you're working with smaller budgets and less developers but realistically speaking the DDS games are objectively not on the same level in scope and complexity as games in 40-50$ price range. Again if you feel i've done you wrong feel free to delete the thread, it wasn't meant as an attack at the company or individuals if you took it as such.

[Gary Gorski]

Thanks for the reply Gary. As i said no disrespect meant and not trying to run you down but questioning the the price range in particular for non-US customers. As a non-US customer 50$ is on AAA level, not just talking about EA but games in general. As i said i like DDS CB but 50$ is way to much. But fair enough to each their own. On your last point plenty of game developers nowadays release games through Early Access and getting feedback and input from users. I never say your company is not as good as other developers, i totally understand you're working with smaller budgets and less developers but realistically speaking the DDS games are objectively not on the same level in scope and complexity as games in 40-50$ price range. Again if you feel i've done you wrong feel free to delete the thread, it wasn't meant as an attack at the company or individuals if you took it as such.

Well again we are not charging $50 USD - the game is 39.99 USD with a discount for pre-ordering that at least brings it down to 35.99 - I can't help what currency changes and VAT does to the price outside of the US. You are free to your opinion as of the price and as of to where we are in scope and complexity. Frankly I would play our franchise mode any day of the week over what the AAA studios offer - we may not have fancy 3D graphics but our games are superior in AI decision making and realistic outcomes and involving player strategy. It's just not how fancy are your graphics that make a game better than another. I am sorry the current price does not meet your budget or your willingness to purchase it but as has been mentioned there will be many opportunities later on for a discounted price over the course of the next 12 months so I hope you can take advantage of one of those opportunities or perhaps the way Steam prices things out of the country will be better for you as well as they do it their own way.

There's really nothing left to be said on this matter so I will be closing the thread.