Don Bradman Cricket 14 General Discussion

[IceAgeComing]

Remember when people were saying "piracy is a problem across the world!"? There probably are a fair few pirated versions from the UK and Australia, but they are way, way diluted by the sheer amount of piracy from India. I knew that it'd affect game sales; but I didn't think that it would put India below 10% of legal PC game sales...

 

[Chief]

To be fair, we don't know that it affected sales. We just know there's a lot of scumbags out there.

 

[BigAntStudios]

To be fair, we don't know that it affected sales. We just know there's a lot of scumbags out there.

Every time I turn the sprinklers on I get 20 sales within two hours in India.

Crashes, controller disconnects, etc.. don't have the same effect

 

[chak]

ok i tell u one story, we r group of 4 friends , one of my friend and me bought the original game and remaining two downloaded the pirated version , everyday i convincing them to buy original game n say see my game have no bugs n all. now one is ready to buy this game and other still thinking about it.

 

[aditya123]

I know some of you are interested in this:

Australia 30.6%
United Kingdom 28.3%
India 9.7%
South Africa 7.0%
United States 6.5%
New Zealand 4.9%
Russian Federation 3.5%
Canada 2.3%
United Arab Emirates 0.9%
Germany 0.7%
other 5.6%

The Australian version, like the Indian version, is based on a conversion of the US$ price. Australians are effectively getting the game $20 per unit off the retail price in an effort for us to hopefully get better sales in India. It hasn't worked. If we were to drop the price further in India as an inducement, the price would also drop in Australia - that does not make commercial sense as the numbers in India will not compensate for the money not made in Australia (and elsewhere).

Are those for PC,console or overall numbers? I would be also interested to see the console figures for the same assuming piracy is less of in issue there.

 

[F1RacerDan]

I really wanted to start my own thread but couldn't seem to do that.???

Anyway it's about the defensive shot (L2 or RT) I seen a lot of people complaining about how the defensive shot stood the ball dead and that you can't really knock the ball into the gaps, by pure mistake I did a safety shot on the offside but lightly pressed the trigger and it plays somewhat of a little push shot!! Safe to say this has helped improve my batting tenfold. You can really knock the ball around

Just thought I would share this in case people did not know.

 

[dale0404]

Just had a lovely conversation with someone who pirated the game. I have sent Ross the screenshot but without the link being blanked out.

Please excuse the swearing...

 

[BigAntStudios]

Are those for PC,console or overall numbers? I would be also interested to see the console figures for the same assuming piracy is less of in issue there.

These are PC percentages only.

It's hard to make a case for PC game releases with these sorts of figures. You can see why a lot of Console games never come to PC.

 

[Alberts]

I know some of you are interested in this:

Australia 30.6%
United Kingdom 28.3%
India 9.7%
South Africa 7.0%
United States 6.5%
New Zealand 4.9%
Russian Federation 3.5%
Canada 2.3%
United Arab Emirates 0.9%
Germany 0.7%
other 5.6%

The Australian version, like the Indian version, is based on a conversion of the US$ price. Australians are effectively getting the game $20 per unit off the retail price in an effort for us to hopefully get better sales in India. It hasn't worked. If we were to drop the price further in India as an inducement, the price would also drop in Australia - that does not make commercial sense as the numbers in India will not compensate for the money not made in Australia (and elsewhere).

How are the overall sales looking for the PC version? Not as in numbers, but compared to expectations?

Are you getting sales spikes in India each time they get a "surprise"?

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These are PC percentages only.

It's hard to make a case for PC game releases with these sorts of figures. You can see why a lot of Console games never come to PC.

Not really, the issue becomes one about how many of the pirates would have every bought the game in the first place. Particularly in developing markets the research has demonstrated the potential for piracy to have a positive effect on sales, with the piracy basically acting as a demonstration of the wares, and pressures from issues with the piracy leading to increased sales. That is, many people who never would have otherwise bought it, having gotten a feel for it, at such a time that piracy is not as much of an option (i.e. a business that is "going legit", the software no longer can perform as pirated, etc.) many will actually buy the product legally. This is essentially an effect of the set of people who would buy the game and the set of people who pirated it being nearly separate.

To be completely honest I have a suspicion that sales figures in India will actually end up being fairly positive a version or two from now should you find an effective way to prevent pirates access to the academy and mods (and do other things) be found.

Another thing that could be beneficial is that if there are that many people who are willing to play a buggy, twitchy, pirated shadow of a version, you could look into the viability of making a DBC 14 "Lite", which has no access to the academy, mods, and has locked very basic team and match type (and conditions) settings, then see if any advertisers would pay to have their adds put into the game (basically the same way people make money off free mobile phone games). If there's such a number of the pirates, you could kill two birds with one stone by giving them basically what they have no, but without the bugs, actual support from the company, a chance to make a bit of money off them and of course the drive (more features and such) to buy the proper game. It would also be a tutorial on how to use steam (if you could get such a "Lite" version on steam) on how to buy the game properly.

 

[BigAntStudios]

How are the overall sales looking for the PC version? Not as in numbers, but compared to expectations?

Are you getting sales spikes in India each time they get a "surprise"?

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Not really, the issue becomes one about how many of the pirates would have every bought the game in the first place. Particularly in developing markets the research has demonstrated the potential for piracy to have a positive effect on sales, with the piracy basically acting as a demonstration of the wares, and pressures from issues with the piracy leading to increased sales. That is, many people who never would have otherwise bought it, having gotten a feel for it, at such a time that piracy is not as much of an option (i.e. a business that is "going legit", the software no longer can perform as pirated, etc.) many will actually buy the product legally. This is essentially an effect of the set of people who would buy the game and the set of people who pirated it being nearly separate.

To be completely honest I have a suspicion that sales figures in India will actually end up being fairly positive a version or two from now should you find an effective way to prevent pirates access to the academy and mods (and do other things) be found.

Another thing that could be beneficial is that if there are that many people who are willing to play a buggy, twitchy, pirated shadow of a version, you could look into the viability of making a DBC 14 "Lite", which has no access to the academy, mods, and has locked very basic team and match type (and conditions) settings, then see if any advertisers would pay to have their adds put into the game (basically the same way people make money off free mobile phone games). If there's such a number of the pirates, you could kill two birds with one stone by giving them basically what they have no, but without the bugs, actual support from the company, a chance to make a bit of money off them and of course the drive (more features and such) to buy the proper game. It would also be a tutorial on how to use steam (if you could get such a "Lite" version on steam) on how to buy the game properly.

I disagree - strongly - there is no doubt whatsoever that there are some that would have purchased it on a Console if they knew the PC version was not going to be available to them. The only thing that is driving interested parties in India to purchase is when I intermittently throw bugs at them.

Simply put PC versions eat Console sales. I can see why there is often 6 months between Console and PC release for even big titles.

Unless the numbers turn around PC version will make a large loss in it's own right, let alone it's effect on the Console sales.

We will support our PC release of course as we gave our word that we would.

 

[dale0404]

Ross,

Does this mean in the future if you decide to release another cricket game that you wont release it on PC?

Or is it too early to decide?

 

[Alberts]

I disagree - strongly - there is no doubt whatsoever that there are some that would have purchased it on a Console if they knew the PC version was not going to be available to them. The only thing that is driving interested parties in India to purchase is when I intermittently throw bugs at them.

Simply put PC versions eat Console sales. I can see why there is often 6 months between Console and PC release for even big titles.

Unless the numbers turn around PC version will make a large loss in it's own right, let alone it's effect on the Console sales.

We will support our PC release of course as we gave our word that we would.

Seems an odd line to take.

By having the PC version released two months after the consoles, by definition they ate into PC sales. For example I never, and I mean never, would have bought my console version if not for the PC version having a delay. For the record I will never buy another version on the PS3 or Xbox 360 either. There are many people who would have bought the console version who would have intended to buy the PC version, but who unlike me, didn't then go on and buy the PC version once it was out as unlike me, they probably control their gaming spend a bit better.

What evidence do you have for an effect on console sales by the way? How do you intend did you remove the variable of people waiting for the PC release giving in from such data?

There seems to be an unreasonable number of assumptions in general in such statements. Especially as piracy on the Xbox 360 and PS3 aren't nonexistent, just harder to see (as a modded console will run the games as they usually would to my knowledge), and if piracy in India is the issue for you, consider that India isn't exactly known for it's clean record on the consoles either.

I'm guessing the plan on the table now is to can future versions on the PC. Just how bad is it looking on the PC?

Just as a side note from before though, would an extended demo, with ads, actually be a possibility? Surely if the issue is that there is this huge market you want to tap, it's better to milk them for some money, rather than none.

 

[Rowdoss]

When it comes to how pirated games affect sales and such i think im going to have to go with the 30 year industry veteran

 

[dale0404]

Well, number 2 today:

 

[Alberts]

When it comes to how pirated games affect sales and such i think im going to have to go with the 30 year industry veteran

Than the recent research?

If he were Gabe Newell I could understand that, but Gabe Newell has the opposite opinion on piracy.

I hate the pirates with a passion, but I'm not convinced that piracy is the problem.