84 replies to this topic

[mcoot]

Either way, keep things clean people. I don't want any OS wars here.

Good luck with that... sounds like a difficult ask for the GMC.

Anyway.... to the actual topic at hand:

I completely agree that GM4Mac is overpriced at $40. It's been neglected even since before it was released, and it's had very few updates since then.

I don't use GM4Mac, but I sincerely hope that Yoyo do some kind of stop-gap update for it.

Otherwise all those Mac users will have to wait until The Great Cross-Platform Unification of GM9.

[chance]

...and unable to read the latest PC GM8.1 source files, the market may punish it"

I don't see why this matters, why would you buy GM for PC and Mac at the same time? You don't need both.

Being able to read PC GM8.1 files would allow Mac users to participate more fully in the GMC forum, and to work with other PC GM users.

That was my point, but perhaps I wasn't clear.

[Nocturne]

While I understand the annoyance and indignation of Mac users, I have to agree with what others before have said... The current GM4 for Mac is pretty unique and as such the price still seems reasonable. If it wasn't being compared to the pc version, then I'm sure that noone would complain... in fact I'm sure that people would be applauding the audacity of Yoyo games for bringing something like this onto the mac market at such a low price!

I should also add that when a product is specialised and only appeals to a small target audience, this usually means that it is more expensive as the profits are less compared to the outlay/work, so with that in mind, maybe the Mac users should count themselves lucky that it's not more than $39.99 as their userbase is obviously smaller and yet want to be treated the same as the Windows user base! That would require far more resources, time and money so maybe GM4 for Mac should retail at a higher price?

[chance]

...maybe the Mac users should count themselves lucky that it's not more than $39.99 as their userbase is obviously smaller and yet want to be treated the same as the Windows user base! That would require far more resources, time and money so maybe GM4 for Mac should retail at a higher price?

That argument holds some weight, but it would make more sense if GM4Mac was equivalent to PC GM8.1 feature wise, but cost more. YYG could argue (correctly) that providing the same specialized product to a smaller audience just costs more.

Unfortunately, YYG's current strategy of providing an out-of-date, incompatible product (for the same price) gives the impression they aren't serious about embracing Mac users as part of the GM userbase.

[Codifier]

If nothing else, the same functionality for a higher price would seem to be better than less for the same. While a higher price would be easier to justify, you'd get people saying Mac users were being penalised for their format. If it has to be one or the other until there's a decent userbase, which would be better?

[NakedPaulToast]

...maybe the Mac users should count themselves lucky that it's not more than $39.99 as their userbase is obviously smaller and yet want to be treated the same as the Windows user base! That would require far more resources, time and money so maybe GM4 for Mac should retail at a higher price?

That argument holds some weight, but it would make more sense if GM4Mac was equivalent to PC GM8.1 feature wise, but cost more. YYG could argue (correctly) that providing the same specialized product to a smaller audience just costs more.

Unfortunately, YYG's current strategy of providing an out-of-date, incompatible product (for the same price) gives the impression they aren't serious about embracing Mac users as part of the GM userbase.

It also doesn't address the lack of commitmant to the Mac platform.

Although I think the hypothetical isn't a valid argument, had GM8/8.1 not exist, that still doesn't address the the problems within the Mac platform. It is still slow, buggy and not being updated.

As it stands, Mac users, especially those woth both platforms are completely aware of the differences in platforms, they see the commitmant to the Windows platform, the active development. They are completely aware they simply aren't getting the same value.

[Codifier]

So if, to use hypothetical again, it was the same product in every feasible way as GM8.1, with the same development and visible progress as the Windows version, would a slightly higher price be acceptable at least until they've built the userbase a bit?

[Takagi]

I don't see why this matters, why would you buy GM for PC and Mac at the same time? You don't need both.

Well, some of us might be interested in releasing Mac and Windows versions of our games, so I can see some indie developers buying both Windows and Mac GM for this very reason.

So if, to use hypothetical again, it was the same product in every feasible way as GM8.1, with the same development and visible progress as the Windows version, would a slightly higher price be acceptable at least until they've built the userbase a bit?

I would say yes, but as it stands right now, there is a significant gap between the Windows and Mac versions.

[chance]

So if, to use hypothetical again, it was the same product in every feasible way as GM8.1, with the same development and visible progress as the Windows version, would a slightly higher price be acceptable at least until they've built the userbase a bit?

I think it'd be justified (temporarily) from a business perspective, so YYG could recoup some investment cost for completing the port.

But as you said, it's hypothetical. Judging from their recent blogs, YoYo's focus seems to be on GM Studio, HTML5 capability, their online store, site upgrades, etc.

.

Edited by chance, 14 June 2011 - 04:07 PM.

[Codifier]

By the time they get GM Studio out, the Mac userbase will hopefully have grown a bit. They seem to be talking as if GM8.1's planned to be the main Windows version for a while. Perhaps they could use the opportunity to get the Mac version up to standard, and then work on them both together?

Edited by Codifier, 14 June 2011 - 04:20 PM.

[fawful]

maybe yoyo thought nobody would find out...

[Desert Dog]

I think the price is a small price to pay for a platform port. I do think that simply raising the price without any significant updates isn't very nice, though, but hey, business is business.

I wouldn't mind a double buy thing, though. e.g. If you buy GM8.1 license, you also get a GM4mac license.

Or.

Buy GM8.1 license, you can buy GM4mac license at a discount. (and vice versa)

[ugriffin]

Something nice would be to offer the Mac users a free upgrade to GM9? So as to say "we know this was a bit bad, but we're making things up for you guys! Here ya go!"

Of course, that's implying GM4Mac is the bad product NPT advertises, it's really not. It has its faults, like the Windows version, but it's grown to be an excellent product with a few bugs that need to be addressed.

The runner speed itself isn't bad. The main inefficiency lies in the particle system, and that ought to be fixed soon, since it was reported as a bug.

Edited by ugriffin, 15 June 2011 - 02:21 AM.
grammar... :P

[xDanielx]

IIRC, I paid $15 for GM 5, and before that it was donations only. Just thought I'd put that out there.

[daman123125]

IIRC, I paid $15 for GM 5, and before that it was donations only. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Wow, I guess GM5 or around that is like the bridge from an underground project to a commercial product.

[benetonmovie]

Yup, GM5 was the first paid version of GM. I remember back in the day... (Proud GM user since v1.2)

[NakedPaulToast]

Of course, that's implying GM4Mac is the bad product NPT advertises, it's really not. It has its faults, like the Windows version, but it's grown to be an excellent product with a few bugs that need to be addressed.

I'm not denying that hyperbole was used, as it often is to drive home a point.

But my original post clearly was comparative between GM4Mac and GM8.1, and because of the differences, should not share the same price point.

Never did I advertise or imply that GM4Mac is a bad product.

You misrepresented my position a whole lot more than I misrepresented GM4Mac and YYGs support.

And BTW, YYGs move to 8.1 only uploads, is yet another bullet point to add to the list demonstrating their lack of support for GM4Mac.

[Takagi]

Were GM4Mac executables (or whatever the equivalent was) compatible with InstantPlay on Mac systems on the YYG site or not? Just curious, as that could be another item in NPT's list.

[Dark Matter]

Were GM4Mac executables (or whatever the equivalent was) compatible with InstantPlay on Mac systems on the YYG site or not? Just curious, as that could be another item in NPT's list.

InstantPlay doesn't work on Macs, full stop. (Well, on the actual Mac OS, that is.)

[NakedPaulToast]

if they ported their Delphi code to FPC (which wouldn't be *that* hard) then GM4Mac would be as good as GM4Win, as FPC code *should* work exactly the same on Mac as on Windows.

That's what they did.

They used the Lazerus IDE, which uses the Free Pascal Compiler.