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[HBogard]

It seems that Microsoft really dislikes the idea of giving away free stuff like Valve does on Steam.

The Left 4 Dead series’ DLC “The Sacrifice” was released on PC today, free of charge. And to celebrate, Valve slashed 66% off the price of both games, which means that you can get them both for $10… or each for $6.79. The DLC on Xbox Live will set you back 560 Microsoft points ($7). So you can get THE WHOLE GAME AND ITS DLC for cheaper than what you pay for just the DLC on Xbox live...

Read more here: http://techspotlight.net/news/this-is-why-gabe-newell-called-xbox-live-a-train-wreck-left-4-dead-pc-version-now-super-cheap

Do you think that Microsoft is holding developers back by not allowing them to increase customers via releasing free content for their games? Must they make a cut off an arbitrary profit from every piece of content delivered digitally?

[Matt Thorson]

The phrase "arbitrary profit" is odd.

I think it sucks for players in cases like these, but it might also be annoying for developers who want to charge for extra content if the norm became to give it out for free?

Either way, MS wants to get paid for publishing new content. That doesn't sound unreasonable to me. They're the ones hosting it, advertising it, etc on their service.

[Evan Balster]

There isn't much cost associated with distributing DLC.  Though, I suppose it pushes all those delicious money-makers further down the list.

[bateleur]

I think it sucks for players in cases like these, but it might also be annoying for developers who want to charge for extra content if the norm became to give it out for free?

Isn't this just a fancy way of saying that competition is annoying?

[Pineapple]

Valve is awesome. Instead of pushing stuff down the customers' throats with annoying and completely unwanted ads, they let their prices and quality games do the talking.

[moi]

It seems that Microsoft really dislikes the idea of giving away free stuff like Valve does on Steam.

The Left 4 Dead series’ DLC “The Sacrifice” was released on PC today, free of charge. And to celebrate, Valve slashed 66% off the price of both games, which means that you can get them both for $10… or each for $6.79. The DLC on Xbox Live will set you back 560 Microsoft points ($7). So you can get THE WHOLE GAME AND ITS DLC for cheaper than what you pay for just the DLC on Xbox live...

Read more here: http://techspotlight.net/news/this-is-why-gabe-newell-called-xbox-live-a-train-wreck-left-4-dead-pc-version-now-super-cheap

Do you think that Microsoft is holding developers back by not allowing them to increase customers via releasing free content for their games? Must they make a cut off an arbitrary profit from every piece of content delivered digitally?

IMHO Steam is "holding devellopers back" with their constant sales more than MSoft.

[BrianSlipBit]

IMHO Steam is "holding developers back" with their constant sales more than MSoft.

You think? I thought Jon Blow said at some point in the past year that they made an insane amount of money over a 2 or 3 day weekend sale that Steam did.  i.e. it really boosted sales for the 2 or 3 days.

I think what's truly holding developers back is the never ending race to the pricing bottom on things like XBLIG, and the various mobile markets (Apple/Android).

If you've truly got something good, I suppose (hope?) people will pay a fair price for it.  Although, there have been no shortage of blog posts over the past year detailing piracy numbers.  However, apps/games (sometimes even good ones) consistently being priced at $.99 or even free, I think definitely hurts the ability of the broader market (developers) to be able to sustain themselves.

[brog]

I think what's truly holding developers back is the never ending race to the pricing bottom on things like XBLIG, and the various mobile markets (Apple/Android).

So Steam get away with driving prices down with their sales, but MS and Apple don't?  Seems like a double standard to me.

I really have no idea how much things "should" cost.  It's cool if people can make a living from their games if the games are good; I guess a fair price would be whatever allows them to do this, and that depends on number of customers for the type of game etc.  Valuations are hard.  But I know I wouldn't bother buying a 99p game - something of such little value probably isn't worth my time playing, especially with the fantastic stuff people are giving away for free.

[weasello]

To answer the original question:

There's not a lot of cross-market comparison going on. A few angry gamers will notice pricing differences, but they are a vast (albeit, vocal) minority.

Just take a look at World of Goo, my favorite example: When the game first launched it was $20 on their website. It was $15 on Steam. it was $9 on BigFishGames.

Do you have people lining up to say "THIS IS WHY STEAM IS A TRAINWRECK" and "OMG DEVS TRYING TO RIP US OFF"? No. Because BigFishGames customers don't have steam installed, and steam users don't ever go to BigFishGames. They are two completely different markets.

Likewise, 90% of XBLA purchasers won't even know what Steam is.

[rogerlevy]

i just purchased it.  you can't beat 7 bucks.  however though i don't do XBLA i really think it's a good idea to price differently according to market.  physical products don't cost the same everywhere in the world, why do digital ones have to?

[starsrift]

Valve is awesome. Instead of pushing stuff down the customers' throats with annoying and completely unwanted ads, they let their prices and quality games do the talking.

I remember seeing the huge splash screen in Steam for new Killing Floor(L4D competitor) DLC this last week, right after they released their Sacrifice DLC.

That's just huge amounts of awesomeness as a digital publisher right there.

[Makai]

I think this here (http://mommysbest.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-downloads-is-broken-delaying.html) sums up pretty well why XBLIG is broken... Don't know about XBLA being broken though.

[BrianSlipBit]

I think this here (http://mommysbest.blogspot.com/2010/10/top-downloads-is-broken-delaying.html) sums up pretty well why XBLIG is broken... Don't know about XBLA being broken though.

I agree that it sucks when the Top Downloads list is broken. But let's be honest, it's pretty small potatoes.  Even more so when you consider that MS doesn't even have to offer the XBLIG channel to begin with.  So it's broken--wait until they fix it.  What other choice is there?  I'm not so sure that ranting about it like that post does, necessarily paints XBLIG devs in a good light.

[DeadPixel]

Because after they fix it your chance at the top lists, and consequently your largest chance of upfront sales and forming a decent tail, is obliterated.  The response from MS is always in the vein of 'sorry 'bout your luck.'

If it only happened once, then sure, it happens.  But, no, it's becoming quite repetitive.  Frustrations are understood, and honestly far more muted than I could imagine them being.

It frustrates ME and I don't even have a game released on the service.

[Matt Thorson]

I think it sucks for players in cases like these, but it might also be annoying for developers who want to charge for extra content if the norm became to give it out for free?

Isn't this just a fancy way of saying that competition is annoying?

In some cases yeah, but I don't think it's right to say "all DLC should be free", even though that seems to be the way gamer (and indie dev) attitudes are shifting.

I agree that lots of paid DLC is just devs milking/ripping off players, but I think it's also possible to have paid DLC that's worth it too, and it'd be a shame if that business model died and all its valid game possibilities with it.

[r.kachowski]

Even more so when you consider that MS doesn't even have to offer the XBLIG channel to begin with.  So it's broken--wait until they fix it.  What other choice is there?  I'm not so sure that ranting about it like that post does, necessarily paints XBLIG devs in a good light.

This attitude annoys me so much. The reason xblig sucks so much is because Microsoft do so little to maintain or promote it. Your response to people doing nothing, is to do nothing yourself. Well that's great, yeah they don't have to provide that service, but they do - and it is a paid service.

[BrianSlipBit]

This attitude annoys me so much. The reason xblig sucks so much is because Microsoft do so little to maintain or promote it. Your response to people doing nothing, is to do nothing yourself. Well that's great, yeah they don't have to provide that service, but they do - and it is a paid service.

Responses like this are entertaining because there's always this implied sense of entitlement.  "XBLIG sucks!--MS owes us and needs to make it better!"  Look, it's more than obvious when it comes to the 360 that retail and XBLA are what they truly care about.   

It's not my job (or anyone's job for that matter) to try and make XBLIG a better platform.  Remember the choice of target platform is exactly that--a choice.  Apple has their issues, Android has their issues, and the list goes on and on and on...  So to sit around and bitch about it after the fact, is truly some weak sauce.

And by the way, what makes you so sure that the reason XBLIG sucks so bad isn't because it's tainted by piece of shit massage apps, geometry wars rip-offs, zombie rehashes, etc?

[eva]

they do promote it
they (major nelson?) often has top 5 picks or whatever on the dashboard

and i like the xblig, theres some kool gams there

[r.kachowski]

Responses like this are entertaining because there's always this implied sense of entitlement.  "XBLIG sucks!--MS owes us and needs to make it better!"  Look, it's more than obvious when it comes to the 360 that retail and XBLA are what they truly care about.

Posts like this are entertaining, because there's this obvious ignorance of the subject matter and a willingness to make irrelevant comparisons. XBLIG is a paid service - any entitlement a developer may feel towards the provider stems from the fact that they have paid for it. Your point seems to be "Microsoft doesn't owe you anything! Keep paying and shut up about any problems!!"

So to sit around and bitch about it after the fact, is truly some weak sauce.

as opposed to pre-empting the service provided, and commenting on it beforehand? 

The issue the explosionade devs were having was with an inconsistent and broken feature, yet you seem to say that bringing attention to this issue puts developers down as a whole. Are they somehow being ungrateful because their main chance to make a profit with their game would have been lost due to Microsoft's ineptitude?

Look at the shit on the app store - are you seriously claiming that because xblig has to put up with some shitty content, that the entire service is doomed to fail? There is much more crap there than on Microsoft's service yet users can find popular and interesting content without having to wade through an ocean of ms paint + kootenay nightmares.

No, that's not the only problem, but it's clear that a large part of it is the sheer apathy towards the developers and community.

[moi]

BTW I think Ii heard that XBLA had the same Database problems that XBLIG had.