Hi, all!
Do publishers like replayability?
Néstor
Hi, all!
Do publishers like replayability?
Néstor
I would expect it to be a high priority... am I missing something? I thought this an obvious desire.
Publishers want replayability but a specific type of replayability.
They want you to buy a game that you like to play and play until it appears that the options are running out. Then they want you to buy the expansion sets so that the same game concept makes money over time. In the 90s, it was Magic the CCG. More recently, it's games like Ticket To Ride (and its 7 or 8 sequels) and of course this year it would be Dominion and its expansions.
Game publishers are just like movie companies in one respect - if they get a hit, they want to make a sequel because the risk is lower and the potential sales are higher.
They want you to buy a game that you like to play and play until it appears that the options are running out. Then they want you to buy the expansion sets so that the same game concept makes money over time. In the 90s, it was Magic the CCG. More recently, it's games like Ticket To Ride (and its 7 or 8 sequels) and of course this year it would be Dominion and its expansions.
Game publishers are just like movie companies in one respect - if they get a hit, they want to make a sequel because the risk is lower and the potential sales are higher.
Hi, Steve!
I completely agree.
Néstor
"Seems that they received decent marks for design but none of the groups wanted to play either game more than once, which is a red flag, as we depend strongly on repeat play value to help sell our games."
Along that line, replayability is never a bad thing to have, right?
Some games work on expansions once people are hooked, another business models rely on people being introduced to the game through a friend. Peer to peer marketing has made companies such as Loney Labs (Makers of Fluxx) successful, they even have incentives for hosting informational parties. All this is to say a certain type of games change dynamics based on "who" is playing, so a new individual or group of people can enhance re-playability, and get more people introduced and hopefully hooked on the game. Sadly many games do not build this into the mechanics as much as is possible, and as a genre party games take the prize for this, and in my opinion over shoot the mark (games all about sharing, with minimal strategy/ can turn into popularity contests). I will be the first to admit this bias :)
I believe the big toy giants (or is it "giant"?) probably don't place as much emphasis on this, as they rely heavily on license tie-ins to sell their games.
"Hobby" games like Eurogames rely more on open game nights, friends teaching games to friends, and word of mouth. Thus, replayability is very important. And those are really the kinds of games most of us will design--too hard to get your foot in the door at Hasbro (and I mean that quite literally, if you ever go to the Nuremberg Toy Fair!)
Contrary to what some people say, I don't believe anyone ever "holds back" parts of a game for future expansions simply to make money. It's usually to keep the initial base game more accessible and inexpensive to the consumer. I stopped buying expansions because I'd rather play many different games, and am happy that I did not have to shell out $100 for the Dominion base game with all the cards from both expansions. I'm not really interested in them.
Even the game with the most replay value on the planet will eventually put to the side for something new. Make the most replayable game possible for the audience and price point.
One thing is for sure, if you create games consistently that have little replay value. your reputation will hurt your sales.
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If the games are replayable, then the costumers may not need more games. If they are not, they will look for more games.
If I were a shark publisher, I would sell games that burn out fast, so costumers will keep buying new games.
Just thoughts...
Néstor