Trine on PS3 still cheaper than on PC; developers come out fighting
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If you’re anxiously waiting the release of Frostbyte’s fantasy-physics action puzzler Trine, you no doubt have been keeping an eye out for any information regarding how much the beautiful and challenging platformer is going to set you back.
When news emerged that the PC version of the game would retail for $39.99, many people braced themselves for the worst when it came to the PSN pricing-point. Miraculously, though the original suggested cost from international publisher Noblis has been redressed and down-graded to $29.99 by NA publisher SouthPeak, ShackNews is reporting that the PSN version will still be cheaper, setting you back the princely sum of $20.
Of course, there will be those who will believe this price is still too high. Which leads us on to our next observation.
Gaming can be a pricey hobby these days. With an abundance of titles hitting the shelves on a weekly basis and new content available through the wondrous and impulsive-buying conducive channel of digital distribution, we live in a time where the average gaming consumer is forking out considerably more money on their hobby than the gaming generation of yesteryear.
Can we really complain though? The budgets for today’s games vastly outweigh the amount of money it cost to get a game developed even a mere ten years ago.
But what of the quality of downloadable titles compared to what is available at your local store? Are we being duped or are downloadable titles nothing but retail titles albeit a little shorter? A little smaller in scope perhaps?
Case in point is Trine itself. A fantastic looking title with depth and ingenuity, Frostbyte have come out with all guns blazing after some commenters have bemoaned its seemingly high price.
If you’re one of those people who enjoys a heated debate between people who know what they’re talking about and fervent fans who think they do, we heartily recommend the back-and-forth over at Frostbyte’s forums where this very issue is being crusaded.
Defending the title and its price, Frostbyte developer FB_Lauri explains how the Finnish studio is hardly an “indie” – though they have little problem accepting this designation – and should charge what the game is worth, not what the market thinks the game is worth. Why shouldn’t games that meet all the criteria of retail games in terms of gameplay, production quality, longevity etc., not also enjoy a suitably sizable price?
Why not indeed.
Were you always going to pick up Frostbyte’s intriguing title this month, or has Trine’s $20 cost scared you off the innovative game? Let us know in the comments.
There is this concept that any game on PSN ought to be ‘budget’, something for the spontaneous purchase.
But with things like GT5P and BurnOut: Paradise on the PSN, this is slowly beginning to become less of an issue.
Once the PSP Go is released, this will be even less relevant, as games will be all online. I’m assuming that the PS3 will continue to increasingly adopt this trend of digital distribution in combination with disc-based releases.
Thwe way I see it; best of both worlds. No-one is forcing us to buy these games, and that is why it is more important than ever to research the pricier games and make sure you will be happy with what you get – after all, you can’t trade in a digital distribution title, can you?
[...] new here, you may want to follow us on Twitter too. We hear that's what the cool kids are doing…Trine is an unique game heading to the PSN later this year. With innovative physics-based gameplay, an [...]