Kalypso Media to reduce pricing on their games as a result of doing well

Good guy Kalypso!

I only have a handful of their games, but I'm keeping my eye on Spacebase Startopia!

https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/kalypso


Last edited by scaine on 15 June 2021 at 1:42 pm UTC

In a market pushing for 70$/€ per game this is so unusual and uncapitalistic (they can do this only because they're privately owned).

Kudos to them!

Holy shit, this is awesome. I've actually had a lot of respect for Kalypso over the years. I mean they occasionally do release games that I wouldn't be really interested in, but they are one of the better supports of Linux (between them and Paradox and Beamdog, they're continually looking out for us). The Tropico games are hilarious and fun.

For them to be like 'hey, we're doing great, gonna pass our success onto our fans' is something that ALL game companies really should look at and follow. For too long gamers have been charged more and more for games. Hell, with zero day DLC, the publishers have figured out a way to charge hundreds of dollars for a new game.

they can do this only because they're privately owned

the same goes for valve with their Linux-endeavours - the whole stock market system is bad for the companies in the end as long as gamblers and "investors" are that prevalent.

But kudos indeed to calypso!

I tought I was done with Kalypso because of past experience.

Well, guess I'll add it back to my list of companies I can buy from.

To celebrate it, I'm going to find one of their games and buy it. Awesome idea, Kalypso!

Surely this must be a mistake!
Necessities of modern game development demand game be priced at 99.99$! EA told me so!
[/sarcasm]

I tought I was done with Kalypso because of past experience.

Well, guess I'll add it back to my list of companies I can buy from.

I only remember that they didn't release Urban Empires (I think that was the game) for Linux. But reviews for it were not kind...

I tought I was done with Kalypso because of past experience.

Well, guess I'll add it back to my list of companies I can buy from.

I only remember that they didn't release Urban Empires (I think that was the game) for Linux. But reviews for it were not kind...

So they actually spared us this one? ;-)

Surely this must be a mistake!
Necessities of modern game development demand game be priced at 99.99$! EA told me so!
[/sarcasm]

Yes, very true, because it's so expensive to make games now, and they barely make a profit. Really, the Gaming Industry have been very kind——altruistic, almost——to allow us to buy the Basic Buy-2-Pay Experience at the low cost of ~60 USD, with Optional(TM) additional upgrades for the full experience, aka DLC and Season Pass, plus let us support the continued development and server costs via loot boxes Surprise Mechanics(TM) or Fun Presents(TM). Not to mention letting us bypass gindy gameplay elements (in both single- and multiplayer games) by allowing us to purchase TimeSavers(TM), as made famous by Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey.

This is all to say that Kalypso Media must be wrong. It's nearly impossible to turn a profit making video games! There's an entire army of poor, almost destitue, Gaming Industry CEOs ready to back up this laboratory-proven fact of science and life and economics!

(/sarcasm, if that wasn't obvious)

On a serious note, good move by Kalypso. This is a good move, both for PR and to gain goodwill among players, not to mention a great way to stand out in a good way 🥳


Last edited by Appelsin on 16 June 2021 at 8:26 am UTC

Surely this must be a mistake!
Necessities of modern game development demand game be priced at 99.99$! EA told me so!
[/sarcasm]

Yes, very true, because it's so expensive to make games now, and they barely make a profit. Really, the Gaming Industry have been very kind——altruistic, almost——to allow us to buy the Basic Buy-2-Pay Experience at the low cost of ~60 USD, with Optional(TM) additional upgrades for the full experience, aka DLC and Season Pass, plus let us support the continued development and server costs via loot boxes Surprise Mechanics(TM) or Fun Presents(TM). Not to mention letting us bypass gindy gameplay elements (in both single- and multiplayer games) by allowing us to purchase TimeSavers(TM), as made famous by Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey.

This is all to say that Kalypso Media must be wrong. It's nearly impossible to turn a profit making video games! There's an entire army of poor, almost destitue, Gaming Industry CEOs ready to back up this laboratory-proven fact of science and life and economics!

(/sarcasm, if that wasn't obvious)

On a serious note, good move by Kalypso. This is a good move, both for PR and to gain goodwill among players, not to mention a great way to stand out in a good way 🥳

'Season Pass' is such a freaking scam. 'You'll get the first 4 DLC!'. What they never really admit is 1) the DLC is probably mostly already done, and most likely is held back just due to deadlines. 2) if the game isn't successful enough, they'll just drop that and you basically just wasted your money. 3) Too many times the DLC is useless garbage anyhow.

Better to just wait and get their full edition.

most likely is held back just due to deadlines.

Not even close, it can even be ready on day 1 but it help a lot to boost again the interest after a few weeks in the game.

Like preorder exclusive content being FOMO.

Note for my comment about Kalypso past experience, it's more that I really didn't dig Tropico 5 and 6 and Dungeons.

I should try Omerta, I have it, but last time, it was messy (IIRC it was a know graphical bug)

most likely is held back just due to deadlines.

Not even close, it can even be ready on day 1 but it help a lot to boost again the interest after a few weeks in the game.

Like preorder exclusive content being FOMO.

Note for my comment about Kalypso past experience, it's more that I really didn't dig Tropico 5 and 6 and Dungeons.

I should try Omerta, I have it, but last time, it was messy (IIRC it was a know graphical bug)

Yeah, I glossed over the 'DLC available on release day' BS that a few of them have pulled.

Really cool news.

I have one of the Tropico games and Dungeons 3, both of which I really enjoyed including the humor. Spacebase Startopia has been on my wish list ever since I first saw it. I don't have it yet but plan to get it when a new game "fits" into my entertainment time.

EDIT: I just discovered that there was an old game called Startopia that looks like the same thing but, well, way older.


Last edited by 14 on 19 June 2021 at 6:27 am UTC

In a market pushing for 70$/€ per game this is so unusual and uncapitalistic (they can do this only because they're privately owned).

Kudos to them!

Uncapitalistic? If they make more money selling games at the lower price point, would that not make it more capitalistic? It would seem that the behavior of large, publicly-owned multinationals drives people's perception of market activity generally even though small and privately-owned businesses with no incentive or desire to behave that way constitute the vast majority of businesses overall.

In a market pushing for 70$/€ per game this is so unusual and uncapitalistic (they can do this only because they're privately owned).

Kudos to them!

Uncapitalistic? If they make more money selling games at the lower price point, would that not make it more capitalistic? It would seem that the behavior of large, publicly-owned multinationals drives people's perception of market activity generally even though small and privately-owned businesses with no incentive or desire to behave that way constitute the vast majority of businesses overall.

You have a point. The tendency in certain groups to go with prices as high as they think they can get away with based on industry standards, rather than say trying to undersell the competition, to some extent reflects something cultural rather than anything inherent to capitalism overall, much less I think any solid information as to which strategy will maximize income.
Mind you, there's a distinction between "the vast majority of businesses" and "the vast majority of business". Sure, there are lots of little businesses, but it takes a lot of them to stack up to the size of a Walmart. It's not really a warped perception to see big business as the main event.
Large businesses are so dominant in our society that I think an oligopolist or cartel mindset, where everyone takes care not to compete too much on price to keep artificially high profits for everybody, is very common.
But on the other hand, in most businesses fixed costs make price competition a tricky prospect even for small independents. Making money on every transaction isn't good enough. If you have a little independent coffee shop and you try a price war with the other coffee shops, and everyone's prices stabilize to where you make just a little bit on every coffee and snack, good luck making rent. Digital goods like games are a bit unusual in how flexible the plausible price point can be.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 20 June 2021 at 5:28 pm UTC

In a market pushing for 70$/€ per game this is so unusual and uncapitalistic (they can do this only because they're privately owned).

Kudos to them!

Uncapitalistic? If they make more money selling games at the lower price point, would that not make it more capitalistic? It would seem that the behavior of large, publicly-owned multinationals drives people's perception of market activity generally even though small and privately-owned businesses with no incentive or desire to behave that way constitute the vast majority of businesses overall.

You have a point. The tendency in certain groups to go with prices as high as they think they can get away with based on industry standards, rather than say trying to undersell the competition, to some extent reflects something cultural rather than anything inherent to capitalism overall, much less I think any solid information as to which strategy will maximize income.
Mind you, there's a distinction between "the vast majority of businesses" and "the vast majority of business". Sure, there are lots of little businesses, but it takes a lot of them to stack up to the size of a Walmart. It's not really a warped perception to see big business as the main event.
Large businesses are so dominant in our society that I think an oligopolist or cartel mindset, where everyone takes care not to compete too much on price to keep artificially high profits for everybody, is very common.
But on the other hand, in most businesses fixed costs make price competition a tricky prospect even for small independents. Making money on every transaction isn't good enough. If you have a little independent coffee shop and you try a price war with the other coffee shops, and everyone's prices stabilize to where you make just a little bit on every coffee and snack, good luck making rent. Digital goods like games are a bit unusual in how flexible the plausible price point can be.

Yeah, I mean this is where the 'AAA' games come in, where they pay hollywood prices for artists and animators for something, and are still using the same game engines (and in many cases the same textures) and just making new maps / story lines (paying hollywood prices for actors) and basically charging the price of a trilogy of movies, you know a 20 hour movie would probably cost 70 dollars too. So sounds fair in Hollywood's eyes. But when you get far more enjoyment (hour wise) out of a 20 dollar game, it is getting harder to justify the price of 'fluff' pieces with shiny graphics.
My guess is Kalypso is seeing the trend if how successful these indie studios are getting with a 20 dollar game, and betting that if they lower their prices, they will end up raking in even more cash.