It's my life

[Igor Hardy]

The fact that the Orange Box - a hit game made by huge company - is offered for incredibly attractive prices doesn't mean every one has to sell/buy stuff that delivers equal content per 1$ value. Not to mention that such value depends greatly on what the buyer likes, and also that someone might wish to not only pay for a game, but invest in an indie developer too.

I'm sorry if my message came off that way, I wasn't trying to compare indie developers with the production monster that is Valve, I was merely using the Orange Box as an example to point out to the creator of this game that for less $$$ than what he is charging, someone could buy plenty of games right now with astronomically higher production values than his. So how is he going to justify charging that price? Why would people spend their hard-earned money on something that looks like it was thrown together in Paint in two afternoons over something that has the potential to offer a well-designed and satisfying experience for weeks, even months, to come? Even a supporting investment in him as a developer should be backed up by some sort of evidence of his ability other than the fact that he made it through the AGS tutorial, so to speak.

But I see your point in how I was kinda comparing apples to oranges, so perhaps using Gemini Rue would have been a better choice, since the same rhetoric applies: GR's production values are so much higher than this game, yet Josh only charges half of what It's My Life is priced at. And even if the situation was reversed and GR was $30 and IML $15, GR would still be agreeably priced while this game was still way overpriced.

And that is because GR has something that IML lacks: love for the craft.

For me that is the mark of a worthwhile game, when you can feel the developer really put his heart into it, regardless of whether the genre is up my alley or not, or even if the game is without its flaws or not. That is why in my opinion Josh would have been well within his right to charge more than those 15 dollars for Gemini Rue. Whereas if Msd really loved the medium he would not have charged a dime since he would realize that he is not offering his potential customers value for their money.

So don't get me wrong, I am all for charging for your content - IF you make it worth it for the consumer. But I think we can agree on that point, and I hope Msd realizes it now too. Otherwise he is in this for all the wrong reasons.

I'm also sorry if I came off a bit harsh, because I think we ultimately have similar approach to game value. It's just that those kinds of arguments have become a pet peeve of mine. They seem to suggest there are some underlying rules of fairness and justice when it comes to pricing games. I don't think so.

We live in times when great virtual content can be given out for free or for what you choose to pay for it for a limited period of time as a way of promoting a title. Many indie games designers start with relatively high prices to drop them severely soon later - is this error in initial market judgment, or an intentional tactic to sell for a higher price to most devoted fans first, and make the later price drop feel like a "lucky deal" for the rest? Impossible to tell.

Overall, I must say I rarely believe anymore that a game has its price attached relatively to the value of the work that went into it, or even relatively to market realities at a given period of time. Rather the prices are in constant flux and mostly dictated by marketing strategies, or just attempted marketing tricks.

[Atelier]

Am I the only one to recognise the links with Illuminati mind control and establishment of New World Order?

The game begins in Westfield. A perfect town by all accounts. The town centre has many thriving shops, but the lack of distinguishing trade names suggests they have been set up by the government as standard utility shops for the public. Also notice the lack of traffic on the road. This definitely means a curfew is in effect. So we can rightly assume the author is sowing yet another seed of disillusion in the masses, now through another medium. You've seen it on state TV, in pop-culture, in films, and now it comes to adventure games. Perhaps Westfield epitomises the Illuminati's ideal town - a model town that symbolises the New West? (It is after all Westfield).

And don't let the lack of police presence fool you. Between the "shop" and "takeaway", a wide-angle lens camera and microphone films and records everything that's going on. A maneuverable turret gun designed for crowd suppression is also disguised as a red postbox. It is a perfect town, providing you play by the rules.

The game also has heavy connotations with Illuminati mind control. The title intrigues me. "It's my life!" Or is it? Is it the life I've been forced to lead by the government? How do I know my whole life doesn't ride on the existence of a micro chip in my brain, with the government (ie the player) pulling the strings and controlling my every action? For all we know the relocation from "Spain" could be a cover-up on the government's behalf, and instead we have just returned from ten years of grueling state rehabilitation, where our mind was broken and reconstructed in line with Illuminati ideals.

[straydogstrut]

Lol@Atelier

Genius=D

[Peder 🚀]

Am I the only one to recognise the links with Illuminati mind control and establishment of New World Order?

The game begins in Westfield. A perfect town by all accounts. The town centre has many thriving shops, but the lack of distinguishing trade names suggests they have been set up by the government as standard utility shops for the public. Also notice the lack of traffic on the road. This definitely means a curfew is in effect. So we can rightly assume the author is sowing yet another seed of disillusion in the masses, now through another medium. You've seen it on state TV, in pop-culture, in films, and now it comes to adventure games. Perhaps Westfield epitomises the Illuminati's ideal town - a model town that symbolises the New West? (It is after all Westfield).

And don't let the lack of police presence fool you. Between the "shop" and "takeaway", a wide-angle lens camera and microphone films and records everything that's going on. A maneuverable turret gun designed for crowd suppression is also disguised as a red postbox. It is a perfect town, providing you play by the rules.

The game also has heavy connotations with Illuminati mind control. The title intrigues me. "It's my life!" Or is it? Is it the life I've been forced to lead by the government? How do I know my whole life doesn't ride on the existence of a micro chip in my brain, with the government (ie the player) pulling the strings and controlling my every action? For all we know the relocation from "Spain" could be a cover-up on the government's behalf, and instead we have just returned from ten years of grueling state rehabilitation, where our mind was broken and reconstructed in line with Illuminati ideals.

Now THAT game I would buy!

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

"Sorry, that product is no longer available."

That was a record run for a commercial title...4 days!

[cianty]

Ha ha! Hilarious.

[m0ds]

Hopefully they got smart or even Payloadz realized it was a temple of ballz.

[kconan]

Maybe the market shelf-life of the game, itself a life "simulation", is a some kind of deep philosophical statement on life.

[Atelier]

Was it removed, or was it silenced?

[Dualnames]

Was it removed, or was it silenced?

I demand JUSTICE!!

[Monsieur OUXX]

I find it hilarious that someone would use AGS for a scam. It's like setting up a sportscars scam with an old can of beans, and then go advertise it in a farmers' bar instead of going to a tuning fans gathering.It makes strictly no sense.

[Sslaxx]

I find it hilarious that someone would use AGS for a scam. It's like setting up a sportscars scam with an old can of beans, and then go advertise it in a farmers' bar instead of going to a tuning fans gathering.It makes strictly no sense.

Scams rarely make sense when you think about them.

[SuperDre]

Could someone just remove this topic or at least close it?

[Atelier]

It was doing fine until it was bumped

[straydogstrut]

That's the double-edged sword of the internet: your triumphs and your failures persist long after you post them. It creeps me out to think my imprint will still be on the web long after i'm wormfood. I might schedule a post-mortem Wordpress post just to mess with their heads;-)