Comments on: Customers Care: The Radiohead Strategy that Worked with 2D Boy http://vagrantbard.com/2009/10/21/customers-care-the-radiohead-strategy-that-worked-with-2d-boy/ Narrative, Games & Art Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:08:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: O Relaxamento do DRM « Vagrant Bard http://vagrantbard.com/2009/10/21/customers-care-the-radiohead-strategy-that-worked-with-2d-boy/#comment-235 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:54:01 +0000 http://vagrantbard.com/?p=906#comment-235 [...] Evidência de que isso tudo não está resolvido é flagrante: Você ainda precisa autenticar o jogo online quando rodá-lo pela primeira vez em uma máquina. Se você comprou via Steam, isso até é aceitável porque a plataforma em si já é um DRM (embora mais amigável) e todos os jogos são distribuídos digitalmente; mas e o usuário que comprou uma cópia física na loja? A troco de uma inconveniência e um suposto controle sobre o consumidor, a distribuidora perde a oportunidade de cativá-lo e realmente merecer seu dinheiro e fidelidade. [...]

]]> By: Arthur Protasio http://vagrantbard.com/2009/10/21/customers-care-the-radiohead-strategy-that-worked-with-2d-boy/#comment-129 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:46:01 +0000 http://vagrantbard.com/?p=906#comment-129 As I said “Regardless of being an experiment, this has definitely been a very important step for business models in the game industry.”

It is true that acquiring products for free, legitimately or not, tends to be a more desirable path for the customer. However, my intention here is to show that the best strategies are those that treat customers favorably and by doing so convince those who wouldn’t buy the games (or would acquire it via illegal means) to do so.

There is no point in blindly punishing a gamer into following your rules and ways. In the end, he’ll opt to not pay for your product (and usually still acquire it). CD Projekt, The Withcher’s developer, allowed original buyers of the game to have their versions updated to the “Enhanced Edition” that was later released on shelves. The developers knew it would be pointless to force their previous customers to buy the same game again. Instead, they showed their respect (and good sense) in order to gain their loyalty and a community. Sales were still high, nonetheless, and though many might have illegally downloaded the game (as with other games), there were others who initially resisted and eventually realized the benefits.

No path is definite and flawless, but be certain that an unsatisfied customer won’t be a returning customer. Meanwhile, a well treated player might be a future customer.

]]> By: Bruno Baere http://vagrantbard.com/2009/10/21/customers-care-the-radiohead-strategy-that-worked-with-2d-boy/#comment-128 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:43:46 +0000 http://vagrantbard.com/?p=906#comment-128 Unfortunately not every player is a consumer. After buying Assassin’s Creed on Steam for US$5.00, I told a fried and he said “You payed for it? Why did’nt you just download it?”. “Because I had already done that and I wanted to have the original as I can afford 5 dollars, even though I can’t have a physical copy of it”, was my answer.

I think that lowering prices or letting customers pay what they want is a good strategy, maybe not the right one for every product, but as the graphs says, it’s working for Radiohead and Goo. Only this strategy will not be enough: gamers must become customers, this “why pay if you can get for free” mentality is hard to fight against.

Exclusive content for registered players can be a way to overcome this mentality, but it may also come with DRM-like solutions (as having to be connected to get access to the content), which are undesired.

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