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Kotaku: Developers Cash In By Selling Their Switch Games For Pennies
- Thread starter Damaniel
- Start date
I hate the developers have to resort to this "tactic" for an actually great game that's worth full price and more.
I place a lot of the blame on Nintendo as here we are 2.5 years after launch and there has been nearly squat done by Nintendo to add features to the store. If they want full throated 3rd party support, which they are now getting in spades by indies, they have an obligation to fix the complete clusterfuck that is the current Eshop.
Better discoverability for games, a recommended section based on your library or play time, a rotating featured section where great non-new games can get exposure. Better sorting and filtering options. A simple Star rating system to help separate the good from the bad or god forbid the option to add a comment with a review. The list goes on and on and at this point I wonder wtf Nintendo even wants for the future of the store.
Shop/UI issues don't end there! We have no folders 2.5 years later. I own around 500 games and it's simply embarrassing that in 2019 I have a library I can sort a couple ways and...that's it! You can't even move things around IN your giant list to help with the no folder thing! The game list is so overwhelming that I DREAD going through it to find something I'm in the mood to play. No cart?! Seriously add a cart Nintendo. A music theme for the store and homepage?!! This one to me is especially egregious due to how little damn work it would take to enable this feature. The Wii/Wiiu shop experiences were enhanced for me due to the music alone. Themes...enough said.
basically, the store and UI we have now are barely acceptable for a launch system . A base to work from and continually add to, to make both the user experience better and to help devs get their game noticed on your platform to help sales.
Nintendo has a LONG way to go and I honestly don't expect we will get most of what I have put here. This is a bad look and can only have negative consequences for both users and developers.
I place a lot of the blame on Nintendo as here we are 2.5 years after launch and there has been nearly squat done by Nintendo to add features to the store. If they want full throated 3rd party support, which they are now getting in spades by indies, they have an obligation to fix the complete clusterfuck that is the current Eshop.
Better discoverability for games, a recommended section based on your library or play time, a rotating featured section where great non-new games can get exposure. Better sorting and filtering options. A simple Star rating system to help separate the good from the bad or god forbid the option to add a comment with a review. The list goes on and on and at this point I wonder wtf Nintendo even wants for the future of the store.
Shop/UI issues don't end there! We have no folders 2.5 years later. I own around 500 games and it's simply embarrassing that in 2019 I have a library I can sort a couple ways and...that's it! You can't even move things around IN your giant list to help with the no folder thing! The game list is so overwhelming that I DREAD going through it to find something I'm in the mood to play. No cart?! Seriously add a cart Nintendo. A music theme for the store and homepage?!! This one to me is especially egregious due to how little damn work it would take to enable this feature. The Wii/Wiiu shop experiences were enhanced for me due to the music alone. Themes...enough said.
basically, the store and UI we have now are barely acceptable for a launch system . A base to work from and continually add to, to make both the user experience better and to help devs get their game noticed on your platform to help sales.
Nintendo has a LONG way to go and I honestly don't expect we will get most of what I have put here. This is a bad look and can only have negative consequences for both users and developers.
I basically look at new releases and sales. I'm guessing developers know the latter quite well, which is why the glut of titles in that section is what it is, and it's a mess. I don't even know how it's organized (seems random, or maybe it's by sale start/end date), and AFAIK, I can't sort it by bestselling or any other criteria. So I just scroll looking for things I might be interested in, but the problem is, if I haven't heard of the game, can't see any user ratings, etc., it's just a random thumbnail and game title. % discount doesn't even get my attention anymore.
The only other thing I can do is peruse threads here (which are also overwhelming), chance upon a thread that highlights a game I've never heard of that might appeal to me, or go to a Nintendo-focused website and look/sort through reviews.
It's the same with many other storefronts though. They might have better search/sorting features, but it's an issue of sheer volume of titles and frequency of release. There's just no way to keep up with everything on all the various platforms. I don't count EGS since they're still in the honeymoon phase like the eShop was in year one, and GOG is pretty good since they have a more specific older-school niche/target audience.
The only other thing I can do is peruse threads here (which are also overwhelming), chance upon a thread that highlights a game I've never heard of that might appeal to me, or go to a Nintendo-focused website and look/sort through reviews.
It's the same with many other storefronts though. They might have better search/sorting features, but it's an issue of sheer volume of titles and frequency of release. There's just no way to keep up with everything on all the various platforms. I don't count EGS since they're still in the honeymoon phase like the eShop was in year one, and GOG is pretty good since they have a more specific older-school niche/target audience.
Genres are huge categories and really show the need for subgenres or tags.
Sounds like switch is doin a worse job with a smaller library.
The Switch eShop looks like something Nintendo threw together in an afternoon right before the Switch launched and Nintendo has barely done anything to update it.
Indie devs complain about Valve but at least they keep working on improving discoverability. Unless you're big enough to be in a Nintendo Direct (which 99% of eshop games aren't) Nintendo is doing absolutely nothing for visiblity for games on the eShop. It's sad that developers have to put their game on sale for any sort of visiblity on the eShop outside of the launch window.
Indie devs complain about Valve but at least they keep working on improving discoverability. Unless you're big enough to be in a Nintendo Direct (which 99% of eshop games aren't) Nintendo is doing absolutely nothing for visiblity for games on the eShop. It's sad that developers have to put their game on sale for any sort of visiblity on the eShop outside of the launch window.
I do wonder what the bar to be featured in a Nintendo Indie Direct is
This thread is about indie devs though. Seriously, did you read the OP at all?? It's like you're too stubborn to admit you didn't so keep doubling down
Honestly the ps4 store is the worst I've seen. I couldn't find anything beyond 5 games before having to hit sub-sub menus or straight up type search.
Gold rush phenomenon.
You could have said the same thing about the App Store, Steam, etc.
It's astounding at how much garbage is front and centre on the eshop. I'm sure it exists on the PS Store and Xbox Store, but their much better laid out and that crap rarely bubbles to the surface unless you search for it.
It is if your game is good and has some decent marketing, like basically since forever
Some of these are excellent ideas, but others like the bolded (which would probably be most applicable to this) kind of go back to the main issue of how you determine what a "great" game is when people haven't played it nor reviewed it (assuming there was a review system in place). Is it just pulling random games that aren't played as much? Is there a person or persons going through, cross referencing reviews, and manually curating the list?
I don't know, it obviously could improve but i don't think it's that bad tbh. The news section is constantly announcing new releases, sales, and featuring games based on genre. I just got a feature promoting indie games, for example. The search feature is also the best that there's been in a Nintendo system, and I like that you can click on the developer's name to check their other games on Switch.
The market is a little oversaturated, that's just the reality. These days there are great tools that allow developers to make great games and put them on any platform on the market. It gets harder to compete yes, but getting in the market at all in the first place wasn't this accessible even a couple of years ago.
The market is a little oversaturated, that's just the reality. These days there are great tools that allow developers to make great games and put them on any platform on the market. It gets harder to compete yes, but getting in the market at all in the first place wasn't this accessible even a couple of years ago.
Seems whichever publisher you go with each store is a bit of a mess. I can say something bad about each platforms store.
Honestly whenever I see any of these indie games on sale for like 20 cents on best sellers it's kind of a red flag. I don't even spend my coins on it. It feels like buying a mobile game (and sometimes quite literally is).
I also wonder if Nintendo intends for the News section to actually be what's used for discovery any the shop to be a simple as possible.
If you've been looking at updates the News section has actually gotten more then the eShop and it regularly shows off new sales, deals, curated lists, spotlights and now even has its own search
If you've been looking at updates the News section has actually gotten more then the eShop and it regularly shows off new sales, deals, curated lists, spotlights and now even has its own search
The eShop isn't perfect but as with every other time this topic comes up I feel the need to point out that a lot of curation people want is already done through the News app. It does genre features, multplayer features, demo features, direct news of bigger games arriving, gives you news directly on games you have purchased.
Yep, instead Sony pushes PSN garbage directly on their PlayStation youtube channel.
Yep, instead Sony pushes PSN garbage directly on their PlayStation youtube channel.
So, like every storefront? Except Switch was hailed as the saviour of indie games for its first year
This isn't nearly as bad as the lack of Nintendo eShop classic tunes on the thing.
40% kidding.
It definitely sucks. Nintendo 'should' have enough data to be able to do a 'just for you' list or showcase a different genre of topic every week. The DO this sometimes with the news feed though, it should be said.
I normally wish list anything interesting and wait for a sale. I didn't used to, but I've got enough games as is, so I'm not in a rush to buy more anyways.
40% kidding.
It definitely sucks. Nintendo 'should' have enough data to be able to do a 'just for you' list or showcase a different genre of topic every week. The DO this sometimes with the news feed though, it should be said.
I normally wish list anything interesting and wait for a sale. I didn't used to, but I've got enough games as is, so I'm not in a rush to buy more anyways.
Yeah, 100s of new games are coming out every month these days thanks to the modern indie movement. There's simply no way on any store to give great exposure to every title.
The way I find out about small games are either threads here or articles elsewhere. These days unless you have a marketing budget, you need to hope for good word of mouth to take off imo.
Yeah, I mentioned that a little earlier. I honestly think they intend that to be used for discovery and that the lean nature of the eShop is not entirely an oversight (still wish genres are sections and not just search filters).
Maybe they need to figure out a way to link to News from within the eShop in the same way News posts can open the eShop. I suspect most people ignore it
Unless you heavily curate you're online store or set some kind of weekly limit on the number of new games being added there is no solution to the problem
Its dog eat dog, you either need to be extremely good, well marketed, cheap or lucky or a combination of all of those to find success
Its dog eat dog, you either need to be extremely good, well marketed, cheap or lucky or a combination of all of those to find success
So was the PS4 and the 360 before that. When there isn't as much competition from other indies and the big first party in the first few years it's a lot easier for games to stand out and even succeed. A few years later when there are a dozen of games per specific niche genre many that are going on sale and the first party is full of heavy hitters it's not nearly so easy to be noticed, let alone generate big sales.
yeah I dont have that answer. There definitely are a lot of more basic things needed (like a star rating system) in place in order to facilitate things that are more complex.
So I don't know that we will ever get that far at least on Switch seeing how little has been accomplished so far. Unless Nintendo gets a fire lit under their asses and buckles down to start really trying to improve these things and soon, most of it will never come to pass. which is sad for pretty much all involved.
I love my Switch. I buy lots of games and I go through the trouble of looking up reviews for things constantly as well as looking for performance details, but I'm sure a lot of people do not do this nor should any of us have to. I put in the work that Nintendo forces me to if I want to find the good games on their store, but it really shouldn't be this way and a huge ass ball has been/is being dropped by Ninty. If they reap repercussions for this down the line like getting less indie games on future systems (like the bad old days before Switch), they deserve it. And that sucks because they have a really good thing going right now and I feel they aren't holding up theirs end of the bargain. They want it all and get it (indie support), then put minimal effort in on their end to evolve and upgrade the store and UI to help devs and consumers. This is not how you treat the people who are putting you where you are. The more we talk about it the more irked I get. I'd love to know the reason things are in the state they are today, 2.5 years on. I want them to tell me why we have no folders and why the store is an agonizing hell of a mess. Do they think it's actually good? Do they just not care because they are making cash hand over fist in spite of their neglect?
I'll stop now. What a mess!
You won't fix that will more pages, devs will just game it by trying to get the top spot for the different categories
The only solution is to have random featured games listed as your landing page so games get somewhat more equal exposure and put less emphasis on the top selling charts
The only solution is to have random featured games listed as your landing page so games get somewhat more equal exposure and put less emphasis on the top selling charts
I remember early on when the eShop was a ghost town - what a change it's been, though unfortunately as everyone has mentioned, discoverability hasn't kept up at all. It's a mess, and I can't use the eShop to find anything new. I love Nintendo - but they should (but won't) take a cue from Apple's App Store, to curate more and make things more discoverable.
Out of interest I just turned my Switch on and scanned the news app and on the lock screen/top of news it had Free Demos:
Then on the news app itself it has a FPS push, an Adventure push(though it's more action adventure) and specific pushes for The Sinking City, Amnesia, Blasphemous and Creature in the Well:
You can count on Era to point out some of the highlights, though! I'd typically have the same inclination, but wound up getting some games I'd never have considered at/around that pricepoint - FutureGrind, Superbeat Xonic, Miles and Kilo, Ninjin: Clash of Carrots, and Mutant Mudds Collection. Haven't played the latter two yet, but I've more than gotten my money's worth from the first three.
Out of interest I just turned my Switch on and scanned the news app and on the lock screen/top of news it had Free Demos:
Then on the news app itself it has a FPS push, an Adventure push(though it's more action adventure) and specific pushes for The Sinking City, Amnesia, Blasphemous and Creature in the Well:
The thing is most people don't seem to even open the News app. They need it to be linked to within the eShop
Yep, the news app is fantastic. Nintendo is showcasing a wide variety of titles and they're doing it much better than their console competitors.Out of interest I just turned my Switch on and scanned the news app and on the lock screen/top of news it had Free Demos:
Then on the news app itself it has a FPS push, an Adventure push(though it's more action adventure) and specific pushes for The Sinking City, Amnesia, Blasphemous and Creature in the Well:
I love the news app and check it regularly. My main issue is I have to add new channels I'm interested in to see updates on particular series. At least it tells me when there's a new channel.
I think it's difficult when there are just so many games released weekly with the vast majority of them looking very low quality. A rating system similar to the wii u for only people who have played for over an hour would be beneficial with a section for top rated games and a discovery section others have mentioned as well.
I've noticed It's actually a smart way to get full price sales for your game. After selling the game at a 90% off price, the game skyrockets atop the eshop best sellers, and then the game goes back to full price. I assume devs bank on having some people buy the game at full price once it climbs atop the best seller chart. I saw that happen recently with that rhythm game that starts with an X.
It auto-subscribes you to the channel for any games you're played but I think if you haven't played in a while or liked a news post related to it it stops sending you related news after a while.
Funny enough, my bf and I figured this out just yesterday randomly surfing through the e-shop. Castle of hearts is using the same strategy.
I mean, I don't really see how this is relevant. Their YouTube channel isn't the vehicle by which users make purchases. Certainly not great, but it's in Nintendo's best interest to make sure that their actual storefront isn't a complete shit show.
I wonder about this tactic. Like if we put our Switch game on sale at $1, I'd be making like $0.25 per copy sold after everyone else gets their cut (partner, publisher, Nintendo). Would have to sell several tens of thousands of copies to make it worthwhile and I'm not sure that something as niche as a retro-style turn-based JRPG would sell that much even if heavily discounted.
Seems like for the most part, this is just a hail mary pass trying to eke out a final payday out of a game that no longer sells.
Seems like for the most part, this is just a hail mary pass trying to eke out a final payday out of a game that no longer sells.
I remember there being a thread about indies undercutting their prices like this on the eShop last year and most people laughed at it.
I assume deals like the one CSH received some weeks ago are better than sell for pennies if the interest of the game is still there, right?