Factorio Forums

«Half the world» lives on an income of $230/month or less.
There's international pricing — for instance Factorio is currently on sale on Steam at prices going from $45.40 (Switzerland) to $7.22 (Ukraine) — but, a few specific countries aside, I doubt that Wube can afford to find a «fair» price for countries far from Czechia (and it might be out of their hands for third-party sellers like Steam/GoG anyway ?)

Typically people outside of the rich countries get media for much cheaper or even free via piracy anyway. (Which doesn't mean companies selling legal media aren't able to thrive at all !)

(And Factorio is certainly NOT more expensive than Baldur's Gate 1, and while base game + expansion is more expensive than BG3, at least you have more opportunity to try the first «half» before you commit to the second.)

Similarly, for 'DLC' : pretty sure Wube doesn't call Space Age anywhere a 'DLC', but there's only so much pressure they can put on third party sellers like Steam/GoG to change their software.

BlueTemplar wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 12:35 pm And Factorio is certainly NOT more expensive than Baldur's Gate 1

not sure what you mean here; I guess you mean the original price? not even sure what that was. BG1:EE is ~$26 CAD (even less on GoG) on sale for ~$8 CAD. that includes the original expansion and two new expansions.

BG3 is regular $80 CAD on sale for $64 CAD

Factorio with expansion is $90 CAD (and will apparently never be less than that)

Yeah, I don't know why I added the BG1 bit myself... (because of that CDPR article ??) I blame lack of coffee

MisterDoctor wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 3:17 am
(Additionally, it doesn't sound like they are using their philosophy of "we must make it worth the price" with SA. They are going to work on it a bit more and then drop it, from the last FFF. Not iterate on it for a long time like they did with the base game.)

They’ve been iterating on it for 4 years already with a team more than twice the size of what they had for most of 1.0’s development, and if they didn’t think it was worth the price, they wouldn’t have released it. And I’m sure they’ll be iterating on it further for at least a year or two.

Xorimuth wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2024 12:17 am They’ve been iterating on it for 4 years already with a team more than twice the size of what they had for most of 1.0’s development, and if they didn’t think it was worth the price, they wouldn’t have released it. And I’m sure they’ll be iterating on it further for at least a year or two.

I guess it's because of early access. the base game was in EA forever, so I actually played it while it was developed, and they made logical decisions about the gameplay over time. but I suppose 1.0 was not really like that, and now 2.0 is not either. 2.0 is apparently stuck mostly the way it is with no adjustment. it's a much different experience than 0.x to 1.0.

I at least would like to hear them discuss what they think of the state of the game, but the last FFF was very disappointing in that regard. they are basically done with the game. all we can hope for is whatever 2.1 will bring. but I don't expect much.

MisterDoctor wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2024 1:41 am 2.0 is apparently stuck mostly the way it is with no adjustment. it's a much different experience than 0.x to 1.0.

I at least would like to hear them discuss what they think of the state of the game, but the last FFF was very disappointing in that regard. they are basically done with the game. all we can hope for is whatever 2.1 will bring. but I don't expect much.

2.0 has just come out, and they've been very actively fixing bugs. You need patience.
Also you can't expect a bunch of people to spend their whole lives and business on one thing, especially if their not selling new stuff for it.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 2:39 am I will say how few hours needed at minimum wage to earn the amount this game cost is a pointless metric without knowing expenses. Especially when half the planet is going through a rental price crisis. Even when I was earning minimum wage; when you work dreary jobs or shift work; you do count those hours. With a library of some ~280 games, even the cheaper ones add up, and this is not cheap.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 2:39 am As others pointed out I felt confident making this post due to game like Dwarf Fortress, a game I willingly bought multiple steam copies for despite it being free due to the sheer amount of work that went it to it and the product quality.

Buddy. You have 300 games on steam. If we estimate conservatively at $10 each, that's still 3000 dollars spent on video games. How many of those do you think were worth buying, now that you've played them all? You... have played all of the games in your library... haven't you? There aren't any games that you bought and just... didn't play, right?

You also bought a free game multiple times. When speaking of nebulous things like value and price, the question must necessarily always be up to the individual, which is fine as far as it goes. But the flip side to that, means that the individual is responsible for their own financial situation. Did you know that there are many professional sports players from the NFL and NBA who have been paid hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of their careers, who have spent almost all of it, and have next to nothing now? Do you think Factorio's price would be disappointing to them? Or would you feel as if it was their fault for letting millions of dollars slip through their hands?

Wealth is largely determined not by how much you make, but by how much you keep, and since you've admitted to buying 300 games on steam, along with multiple copies of an otherwise free game, I have a feeling that you have spent much more than you have kept over the course of your life. I think you would do well to keep things in perspective, be thankful for what you have - and if you feel as though things are too expensive - look to the rest of your spending and seriously consider what is worth your money and ultimately, your time.

NineNine wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 8:01 am

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 2:39 am I mentioned in a Factorio group I’m in, my surprise at the price when it was first announced. Only for one of them to gleefully and emphatically announce “and it never goes on sale too”. That and so many of the reviews being sure to point how much value you and get and how fair the price is. Very unpleasant and fanboy like vibe.

I own a few physical stores. If somebody walked through one of my stores and kept telling our staff that things cost too much, we would ask them to please leave and not return.

That's a neat scenario you invented however, it is unrelated to mine. This would be more akin to another customer saying it to the complaining customer instead, in a rude fashion. Unless I can come into your store and start being rude to your customers and telling to leave if they don't like something? No? Didn't think so. Perhaps online sales and brick mortar sales are different to one another? I also wouldn't complain in a physical store if things were overpriced. I'd simply walk out or leave a negative review (e.g. a restaurant) to warn your future customers that your goods/service are not worth the price (i.e the Factorio discord group I referred to). Which I can do by comparing it to other stores that provide similar goods and/or services, crazy concept, I know. Though, I must question your ability to run "a few physical stores" with that sort of reasoning and customer service instinct.

sneeder wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:26 pm
I have a feeling that you have spent much more than you have kept over the course of your life. I think you would do well to keep things in perspective, be thankful for what you have - and if you feel as though things are too expensive - look to the rest of your spending and seriously consider what is worth your money and ultimately, your time.
--
Wealth is largely determined not by how much you make, but by how much you keep, and since you've admitted to buying 300 games on steam, along with multiple copies of an otherwise free game, I have a feeling that you have spent much more than you have kept over the course of your life. I think you would do well to keep things in perspective, be thankful for what you have - and if you feel as though things are too expensive - look to the rest of your spending and seriously consider what is worth your money and ultimately, your time.

Buddy, I am literally engaging in the behaviour you're attempting to patronise me for. Game didn't seem like good value, so I've kept the money instead of buying it. Furthermore, $3000 on games over the length of time I've been playing game is nothing. This also includes bundles, a handful of free to play and so forth. So spare me your poorly constructed, sanctimonious lecture. I have virtually no other non-bill expenses, I don't drink any more, don't watch TV (or subscription streaming) and am relatively boring in general. A social smoker in my country would spend more on cigarettes in one year than I would the lifetime of my game library. I am perfectly capable of deciding whether a game is worth it's asking price. I'm straight out of being in a low paying job to having to save for a house to catch up because houses where I live go for $600k to buy a shitty block that makes a cardboard box look gaudy. Though what I do actually admit is a good portion of these purchases were when I was younger and less financially responsible. If it were back then, I would have bought SA with money that could have been saved or gone to groceries/bills.

This is the behaviour I was referring too. Fanboys who presume to lecture and belittle you about finances because you have the not uncommon opinion that SA's price isn't good value. I accept that this is a subjective opinion but Jesus some of you people need to touch grass. Now that I have a decent paying job it has only made me more confident in this assessment as before I was self-conscious that it was derived from low income.

BlueTemplar wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 12:35 pm Typically people outside of the rich countries get media for much cheaper or even free via piracy anyway. (Which doesn't mean companies selling legal media aren't able to thrive at all !)

The BG vs SA pricing remark was already addressed so I'll leave it as is. I had considered sailing seas due to the no sales policy at the time but I can't really do that to smaller dev teams. EA and the likes, if they ever made a game worth buying again sure, but not teams like this. Pre-emptive no thanks to any EA fans here may feel compelled to dispense their financial "wisdom" due to that last sentence.

MisterDoctor wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2024 3:17 am But a problem with that is that price/cost is not the same for everyone. Price/cost are to some degree subjective. So... there IS no ultimate/objective "now it's worth it" point. The game will remain "not worth it" for many people.

Basically, by never reducing price, you are removing some potential buyers from the buyer pool. Wube will never have their money, and they will never have Wube's game. It's lose/lose. So... it seems wrong to me in that sense.

Yeah this has largely been my view/point so I appreciate someone actually understanding. Especially the lose/lose part. Too bad a lot of people here missed that tripping over themselves to lecture or make themselves feel better. I've also seen a decent amount of complaints about game design choices that I don't disagree with, so most of my initial desire for Space Age has largely waned. Again, maybe I'll get it one day, if I'm ever stuck for a game to play but I have less time to play these days and a small backlog still to get through so who knows. Base game and mods has more than enough to scratch the itch when I do get the urge for some Factorio.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:18 pm That's a neat scenario you invented however, it is unrelated to mine.

It seem to me exactly what's happening. You didn't bought the game because you said it was too expensive for you and been asking, several time for the game to be cheaper.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:18 pm I also wouldn't complain in a physical store if things were overpriced. I'd simply walk out or leave a negative review (e.g. a restaurant) to warn your future customers that your goods/service are not worth the price (i.e the Factorio discord group I referred to).

You left a review saying the price is too expensive for the game without having played the games and you dare to pretend being able to compare to other game how much it is worth for the work that was put into it. But to me, it seem logical to conclude you can only be ignorant of what the game has to offer since you said you haven't played it. Thus your review is to me even less meaningfull than review from players with 1 or 2 hours in the game when it comes to tell wether or not the game is worth the price.

mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:45 pm Crookedvulture wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 2:18 am
That's a neat scenario you invented however, it is unrelated to mine.

It seem to me exactly what's happening. You didn't bought the game because you said it was too expensive for you and been asking, several time for the game to be cheaper.

Then you need to work on your reading comprehension, drastically so. Keep reading the sentences after what you quoted where I explain it. I have also never once asked for it to be cheaper.

You left a review saying the price is too expensive for the game without having played the games and you dare to pretend being able to compare to other game how much it is worth for the work that was put into it.

I hate to inform you that this is a forum, not a review site. I am here because I have played Factorio and am discussing Space Age, an expansion to Factorio. Do keep up. I am merely expressing my opinion on SA's pricing, not reviewing it nor telling other people that they should also not buy it or have the same values as me.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:01 pm Then you need to work of your reading comprehension, drastically so. Keep reading the sentences after what you quoted where I explain it. I have also never once asked for it to be cheaper.

This is my understanding of your many words, like a TL DR imo. You haven't played the game and thus i consider you are not equipped to tell if the price is worth or not.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:01 pm I hate to inform you that this is a forum, not a review site. I am here because I have played Factorio and am discussing Space Age, an expansion to Factorio. Do keep up. I am merely expressing my opinion on SA's price, not reviewing it nor telling other people that they should also not buy it or have the same values as me.

As you say on a forum people can share opinions, mine is that you are asking for the game to be cheaper.

mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:09 pm This is my understanding of your many words, like a TL DR imo. You haven't played the game and thus i consider you are not equipped to tell if the price is worth or not.

Then it is an inaccurate summary of what you clearly did not read properly.

As you say on a forum people can share opinions, mine is that you are asking for the game to be cheaper.

That would make sense, were I an inanimate object unable to tell you that I categorically have not asked once for it to be cheaper. I have stated I don't think it is worth it's full price and disagree with the stated reasoning behind the no sale policy. So now that I've cleared that up for you, you're aware your "opinion" is objectively incorrect. Glad I could help.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:15 pm Then it is an inaccurate summary of what you clearly did not read properly.

That would make sense, were I an inanimate object unable to tell you that I categorically have not asked once for it to be cheaper. I have stated I don't think it is worth it's full price and disagree with the stated reasoning behind the no sale policy. So now that I've cleared that up for you, you're aware your "opinion" is objectively incorrect. Glad I could help.

I understand you don't feel like your words are meaning the same thing for you that write them and for random people that may read them like me, i was myself trying to help adress the gap because in your first post your clearly stated that you expected people to disagree and you seemed to be only proposing a very narrow range of explanation for their reaction so i wanted to express mine.

mmmPI wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:20 pm I understand you don't feel like your words are meaning the same thing for you that write them and for random people that may read them like me, i was myself trying to help adress the gap because in your first post your clearly stated that you expected people to disagree and you seemed to be only propose a very narrow range of explanation for their reaction so i wanted to express mine.

Yet your replies fit that narrow range and several other users have engaged in similar, although more coherent, disagreement. So my expectation appears to have been well founded. The title of the post is "$50 DLC and no sale is disappointing". Not "Space should be $X" or "Space Age should have sales!". At the risk of being rude, though you've called me ignorant and put words in my mouth, it is not worth my time continuing to argue with someone doing their level best to appear illiterate. Have a good one.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 5:26 pm Yet your replies fit that narrow range and several other users have engaged in similar, although more coherent, disagreement. So my expectation appears to have been well founded. The title of the post is "$50 DLC and no sale is disappointing". Not "Space should be $X" or "Space Age should have sales!". At the risk of being rude, though you've called me ignorant and put words in my mouth, it is not worth my time continuing to argue with someone doing their level best to appear illiterate. Have a good one.

Thank you for illustrating that my words aren't always understood as i thought they would be.

I haven't delved again into how sales are advertisement techniques designed to take advantage of customers by instillating a feeling of emergency induced by the short window of opportunity to make a "cheap" purchase leading to irrationnal purchases because I thought this was comon knowledge. It's not really worth adressing it i thought. You clearly seem to be only seeing sales as temporary cheaper price, hence my TL DR that you want sales for cheaper game for yourself, not because you want Wube to use commercial practices that are targetting vulnerable individuals.

I was just saying that you are not convincing me with your comparaison with other games since you said you haven't bought space age yet, it is bound to make a one leg comparaison to know if it's worth or not. ( unlike as you said the people who tested the game ). This is not one of the narrow reason you mentionned in your initial post, hence why i wanted to express it.

Not sure, though, factorio's expansion is priced to match its content and wube sticks to a no sale policy to keep things fair for early buyers.

Appreciate the input but both of those have been covered in the thread already.

A whole lot of non-sensical arguments there, what's the point of sales if not making the game cheaper ?

How can you at the same time complain about the lack of sales while claiming you are not asking for a cheaper game ?

Shulmeister wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:44 am A whole lot of non-sensical arguments there, what's the point of sales if not making the game cheaper ?

How can you at the same time complain about the lack of sales while claiming you are not asking for a cheaper game ?

It is not my responsibility to reiterate what’s already been covered and explained in the thread. If people don’t understand how being disappointed with a games price point in conjunction with no sale (and the justification for no sales) != asking for a lower game price, then that’s a them problem. Potentially also a problem with their respective education systems.

Crookedvulture wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:49 am It is not my responsibility to reiterate what’s already been covered and explained in the thread. If people don’t understand how being disappointed with a games price point in conjunction with no sale (and the justification for no sales) != asking for a lower game price, then that’s a them problem. Potentially also a problem with their respective education systems.

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