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[Roboboy33]

[Aklyon]

This game.
It is going to be hilarious in its buggery.

[Girlinhat]

This game is amazing simply because the front video advertises the bugs.

"Watch as these prisoners grab their food, go to the shower, take off their clothes, and eat.  NAKED!"
"Want to help this guard?  YOU CAN'T!"

Time to find $30...

[Dr. Johbson]

Game looks fantastic and advertising the bugs is both refreshing and funny, but $30 is WAY too steep for an alpha indie title. I've read the PC Gamer interview where they say that if you pay less you're more likely to complain about the bugs but that seems like the complete opposite of what makes sense, surely expecting someone to pay $30 would imply its worth it? I've also heard people say they'll lower the price when the game becomes more finished, but thats even worse! Why would you treat your early customers like that? Buying before the game is done is supposed to be cheaper, not more expensive. Oh well, as they've said, they work closely with the Humble Indie Bundle guys, so I'll pick it up when its finished and on there, if they aren't lowering the price. A finished Prison Architect would be worth $20-$25 to me. For an unfinished alpha indie title, anything over 15 is too steep. I hate asking this, because its always a stupid question, but am I the only one who feels this way? Am I being unreasonable here? Lowering the price as the game is finished seems like a middle finger to the early purchasers, but it staying as it is or perhaps even going higher is also really bad.

Edit- And if they need money really badly, I wish they'd have a few tiers below 30 that maybe just has the music or something.

[Girlinhat]

Well, you're not paying for an alpha game.  You're paying for a finished game, and everything they do before that.  It's not as if you have to re-pay for the full version.

[Scelly9]

I don't believe Introversion counts as indie anymore. Personally, I think that even in this state the game is great, and considering that it's going to improve, I think my money was well spent.

Well, you're not paying for an alpha game.  You're paying for a finished game, and everything they do before that.  It's not as if you have to re-pay for the full version.

This, as well.

[Goron]

but am I the only one who feels this way? Am I being unreasonable here? Lowering the price as the game is finished seems like a middle finger to the early purchasers, but it staying as it is or perhaps even going higher is also really bad.

I just paid $50. I am not just buying a product, I am supporting the development of said product. I feel confident that my money is helping to expedite and/or ensure a better product and/or delay release due to it being a better product and/or ensure it gets released at all.

[Dr. Johbson]

Well, you're not paying for an alpha game.  You're paying for a finished game, and everything they do before that.  It's not as if you have to re-pay for the full version.

Interesting point. I guess I'm just used to the minecraft model being very popular.

On another note, I've never actually played an Introversion game before.

[nenjin]

I don't believe Introversion counts as indie anymore. Personally, I think that even in this state the game is great, and considering that it's going to improve, I think my money was well spent.

I disagree. To me, Introversion is still very indie in the way many of the more recent successes (Minecraft, Terraria, ect...) stopped being long, long ago. I believe this because, even though they've had several successful titles, they've had plenty of down periods too and have even struggled to continuing making games despite their successes. I think there are only a handful of guys working for them, and what they do still has that "garage development" vibe that I'm not getting from a lot of the "indie" stuff that now appears on Steam and Humble Bundles and Kickstarter in droves.

I dunno, I get a sense of humility from Introversion that has persisted despite having made games for over 10 years and actually succeeded at doing so. And the games they make are smart and novel in design and execution, instead of phoning in ideas and content as many people start to do after their 3rd, 4th or 5th title.

[Aklyon]

Introversion has made Darwinia (an interesting thing), Uplink (one of the best hacking games I've seen), DEFCON (good multiplayer tactics game, of the nuke everything variety), and Multiwinia (multiplayer darwinia), Johbson.

[Girlinhat]

I just realized something that strikes me... dunno, I guess I like it.  This game looks like a flash game done by a professional studio.  It's kept much of the simple interface and low-key graphics, but it's expanded to have more depth of play without adding more breadth of buttons to remember.

[Dr. Johbson]

Introversion has made Darwinia (an interesting thing), Uplink (one of the best hacking games I've seen), DEFCON (good multiplayer tactics game, of the nuke everything variety), and Multiwinia (multiplayer darwinia), Johbson.

I know of them, and the games they make, I've just never personally played any of them.

[nenjin]

I just realized something that strikes me... dunno, I guess I like it.  This game looks like a flash game done by a professional studio.  It's kept much of the simple interface and low-key graphics, but it's expanded to have more depth of play without adding more breadth of buttons to remember.

Yeah, it strikes the same cord in me that Binding of Isaac did. I hate games that look and feel of Flash and I had the same initial reaction to both this and BoI...but I quickly came to over look BoI because I realized the simplicity of Flash allowed McMillen to really, really focus on the game play. Now it's one of my favorite games ever. Prison Architect has the same thing going for it.

[Neonivek]

Well, you're not paying for an alpha game.  You're paying for a finished game, and everything they do before that.  It's not as if you have to re-pay for the full version.

Yes but remember free market.

A lot of indie developers offer discounts for jumping on early. In fact quite a few non-indies offer pre-order discounts.

[mikefictiti0us]

Yeah, it strikes the same cord in me that Binding of Isaac did. I hate games that look and feel of Flash and I had the same initial reaction to both this and BoI...but I quickly came to over look BoI because I realized the simplicity of Flash allowed McMillen to really, really focus on the game play. Now it's one of my favorite games ever. Prison Architect has the same thing going for it.

Agreed. I've only completed the first mission thus far but I can see that, with a little work, this is going to be something special. Definitely not regretting the money spent. You also have to admire devs who specifically demonstrate in the promotional video that their game is full of significant (and often hilarious) bugs.