In the previous post I had discussed why you should price your game higher. But this time I will be discussing about how 99 cents games build a loyal fan base on Steam even without the paid marketing.
This might contradict my previous post but consider this as a secondary outcome. There are several reasons why the $0.99 games sell more copies on Steam. When you have zero marketing budget giving away your game at a lower price makes much more sense. Here is why!
- $0.99 price point with a launch discount lowers the barrier to entry. People are more likely to buy the game if the quality of the game is good enough. This price point also falls under "Impulse purchase" category where customer don't even think twice before buying the product.
- The price point gives the customers a sense of value for the money they are spending.
- As your game continues to sell, the algorithm on Steam recommends your game even more to the relevant customers. If they convert into buyers at a greater rate your game will get favored by the algorithm more.
Now, I will discuss the consequences of using $0.99 price point for your games.
As a developer myself, I had success with this price point in the past. So, I know it works.
Advantages:
1. You get more user base faster since the barrier to entry is low.
2. The people have low expectation. You get good reviews given that your game is fun. It will sell more copies if the quality of your game is good. Mediocre quality games will also be benefited by this.
3. You get a lot of feedback and customer support which will give you an idea of what to improve in your game.
4. Give you more visibility and sales.
5. Less refunds as per my experience.
Disadvantages:
1. The people will question the quality of your game and will avoid who expects to play so called high quality games. However, there are a lot of customers who buy cheap games for collection and achievements. Your game might also cater to that section of audience on Steam along with those who genuinely want to buy your game.
2. Your long tail may not be as good as you think. The only exception is if you can get over 10 reviews on Steam. It will help convert more players.
That's all. Don't think too much about it. If you think you have zero marketing budget you can price it lower and go higher later when your game gets more traction and content.
Your focus should be to get at least 10 reviews as soon as possible. It might take years but it is worth it! No, DON'T use review buying service to get reviews unethically. You will get banned for review manipulation.
