How to win me over and make me buy a console just for your game
In contrast to my last post, I’d like to highlight two games and their methods of making me buy (and nearly buy) a console just so I could play that one game.
First up, Pokémon, I bought a DSi XL just so I could revive my Pokémon fantasies of yesteryear. I’ll admit when the game was first splashed all over the media back when the Japanese version went on sale I was unimpressed and not in any mood to rejoin the Pokémon train. But when it came to the UK release something primeval took hold of me, a deep unquenchable desire to relive the hundreds upon hundreds of hours of my childhood playing Pokémon Blue. This urge prompted me to go straight to the nearest place that would sell it the day after release and buy a £150 console for a £30 game that I might not even enjoy.
Only after I’d forked over the cash (or rather waved my magical plastic card thing) did I start to rationalise the purchase to myself, “£180 means 180 hours of playing at £1 an hour, I just need to play more than that and it’s been worth it”. Which actually is a philosophy I use for many things and serves me pretty well. I’m certainly approaching that goal with Pokémon.
The next game to cause a deep perturbation in the pit of my essence was Sword & Sworcery EP. After watching one hell of an amazing trailer and following the associated twitter accounts I became uncontrollably hyped for this incredible game, nay! incredible work of art. However, owning no touchtronic device (iPad and at a later date iPhone) suitable to experience such an audiovisual feast I remain among the unenlightened.
I am deeply saddened by the knowledge that I will only be able to experience this masterpiece by buying a vastly overpriced fruit. One day I will find a way though, one celestial fluke of a day.
VFIG Said,
You really think the ipad is vastly overpriced? Looking at the demand for it, I can’t agree—even at this price Apple is selling them faster than it can make them.
Vander Said,
If the iPad was at a more accessible price point I’ve got to wonder if Apple wouldn’t sell a ton more (assuming production could be made to scale with demand). Nintendo’s decision to make the Wii hardware affordable basically set the Wii up as a household mainstay. I’ve got to wonder if Apple wouldn’t be in the same position had it adopted the same philosophy.
Tim 'YM' Johnson Said,
The killer with the iPad is the additional costs after you buy it, the data plans are what costs.
I just ordered an eee Slate, what I want from my tablet is a mobile PC, I want to be able to do all of the things I can on my desktop so the pressure sensitivity is very important to me, as is the ability to put any program I want on it.
The iPad really isn’t aimed anywhere near me. An oversized smartphone isn’t right for me and to be honest I’m not really sure why it exists when the iPhone exists AND can fit in your pocket.
I don’t actually know anyone with one, I’ve only tinkered for around 45 minutes over the space of several random visits to the apple stores here and I’ll admit that the larger screen makes it better for watching stuff and browsing the internet but my dislike of the iPad boils down to the fact it uses a smartphone OS and if it didn’t use a phone OS I’d probably take it seriously.