I've preordered the game, and I was delighted to do so....
I could spend time explaining how I played the series when it first came out and loved it, how I have absolutely zero computer skills so couldn't possibly get the origianl BG series to work on my computer, or how I spend more money (than what BG2EE has just cost me) drinking a few pints in the pub on a Sunday afternoon.....
But I won't. Because I realise price is subjective, and other people will have different ideas of value to me.
I suspect and hope that many of the bugs will not be an issue in BG2, simply because it will be running the same engine and BG:EE hence any bug quashing which is done there will automatically be included in BG2:EE.
Anyway £16 for BG2:EE? Bargain - simply if only for the new life which is being brought to the community.
For your analogy to be correct, the second drink would have to be a) sweeter and b) $6.50. Further, you are trying to say that an unknown drink, at $8, is better. I may very well try Project Eternity, but I won't complain that BG2EE costs *almost* that much and is therefore "relatively high".
Edit: I will say, you are more reasonable than the person on youtube who compared BG2EE to a corpse raised by a necromancer. Sheesh.
I was actually comparing BG 2 on GOG with BG2:EE, although I should've been clearer about that.
I'm tempted to just leave this be, but to clarify in my turn, BG2 GOG is the $5 drink, BG2EE is the sweeter $6.50. I threw in the $8 Project Eternity because you mentioned it.
Hell, if you really want to be anal about it, the sweeter drink has less alcohol, and is therefore inferior. Sodas and sweeteners don't cost anything; it's decent alcohol that is expensive. I say this as an avid drinker. Therefore, the analogy wouldn't make sense if the more expensive drink was sweeter because it would mean it is inferior, and I do not think that BG2:EE would be inferior to BG2. As for the numbers, I obviously didn't bother with making the numbers maintain ratio.
Comparing it to other games it seems a bit high to me. $25 feels like a new game price, whereas this isn't a new game. Yes I get that there have been a bunch of enhancements added, but underneath that it's a very old game.
I'm sure I'll buy it when it comes out, and I will easily get $25 of entertainment from it so in that sense it's value for money. But in relation to new games the price feels high - I think $15-20 would seem a better price.
New games typically start anywhere from $40-$60. Even fifteen years ago when Baldur's Gate was first released it cost $40, at least.
Again I'm not trying to convince anyone whether it's worth the sticker price (although it'd be great if everyone preordered seventy copies and also bought me a pony), but I don't want people getting the wrong idea.
I paid about $50-60 total for the original BG2 and TOB, IIRC, so paying half that for a version I can stand to look at on my laptop's gargantuan monitor seems like a deal to me. If they actually deliver on the improved multiplayer this time, so much the better.
I will be pre ordering for the fact that I can preload. I remember day 1 of BG:EE it took a lot of time just to get the last bit of data that isn't preloaded in. Now I have a better internet but I still wouldn't want to wait through the whole thing while the servers are bombarded
I'll be picking up both PC and iPad versions, to me it is worth it to me. People can and are welcome to arrive at a different conclusion, to which my advice is wait for a sale! I really don't think it is any more complicated than that. I remember this go-round when BG:EE was in development, and it is a true then as it is now.
People need to take into account what price point actually means. Its the balance between cost and consumer demand. Between 18 and 25 for BG2EE seems right. Though if I were beamdog I would also offer a bundle for new purchasers.
This topic is more about whether people think an enhanced edition is worth purchasing. I believe it is and ill put my money where my mouth is to support the revamp of one of the best rpgs ever. If you are too cheap to do so that is fine, but don't complain about lack of bg style games when you don't support attempts to revive it.
I have no problem with the 25 dollar cost per say, my problem lies in the fact that as others in this thread have stated, those who pre-order gain no bonus.
I have appreciated what Beamdog and Co. have done so far, but I have no incentive to provide my money to beamdog now as opposed to post-release. Even a $2 off, such as what was given to those who pre-ordered BGEE would be enough to give beamdog my money now, as opposed to minimum 2 months from now.
TL;DR: I'm going to buy it either way, but I'd rather there was some monetary incentive to giving Beamdog my money now as opposed to just waiting 2 months.
New games typically start anywhere from $40-$60. Even fifteen years ago when Baldur's Gate was first released it cost $40, at least.
Again I'm not trying to convince anyone whether it's worth the sticker price (although it'd be great if everyone preordered seventy copies and also bought me a pony), but I don't want people getting the wrong idea.
I think you are right. I remember buying my first BG1 for about 60-70 German Marks (been on a trip to Germany and saw it). Which I believe was about 40-50$ back then. My first bought PC game ever. 25$ for BG2EE with bugfixes, better engine and a lot of new content is a bargain I am willing to pay.
BTW - ponies are expensive and shit around. I want a hedgehog!
BG1 and BG2 were censored in Germany. No splatter on crit-kills, no blood on hits, no bloodstream at the title intro (BG1). BG:EE and BG2:EE are uncensored.
BG1 and BG2 were censored in Germany. No splatter on crit-kills, no blood on hits, no bloodstream at the title intro (BG1). BG:EE and BG2:EE are uncensored.
Huh, I never realised there was a censored version of BG1/BG2. Welcome to 1368DR (or so), in all its bloody glory
Value propositions are difficult. Value to one person is not the same as value to another. They become more difficult when actual price needs come in to play. I've spent $80 on boardgames in the past! Lotta people would consider me nuts for that.
For example, the Eternity comparison is an interesting. $4 more for a brand new game as opposed to an ancient game with some upgrades, many of which could theoretically be modeled by mods. Seems unfair?
Unfortunately, reality rears its ugly head a bit here. BGEE project likely had to pay licensing fees (out the ass it looks like) as well as royalties. This requires cost on the game. Then, of course, they actually did work on the game. Which costs money. They're also continuing to support the game with pretty regular fixes. Which also costs money. And, much as people don't like the idea of it being added cost, they are trying to form a company, which means they need to add on a bit. Oh, and to make it all a bit more awkward, they don't know exactly how much money they're going to get.
Compare against Eternity. No licensing or royalties, which is a significant chunk of change cut. They also Kickstarted the project, meaning they've minimized financial risk as they've got the money "on hand" now and are more or less guaranteed to make more on top of it. They can actually get away with the price point a lot easier.
Does that mean you should bend over and like the new price point if you feel it is unfair? Of course not. But you do need to stop pretending pricing is always such a cut and dry manner.
For your analogy to be correct, the second drink would have to be a) sweeter and b) $6.50. Further, you are trying to say that an unknown drink, at $8, is better. I may very well try Project Eternity, but I won't complain that BG2EE costs *almost* that much and is therefore "relatively high".
Edit: I will say, you are more reasonable than the person on youtube who compared BG2EE to a corpse raised by a necromancer. Sheesh.
I was actually comparing BG 2 on GOG with BG2:EE, although I should've been clearer about that.
I'm tempted to just leave this be, but to clarify in my turn, BG2 GOG is the $5 drink, BG2EE is the sweeter $6.50. I threw in the $8 Project Eternity because you mentioned it.
Hell, if you really want to be anal about it, the sweeter drink has less alcohol, and is therefore inferior. Sodas and sweeteners don't cost anything; it's decent alcohol that is expensive. I say this as an avid drinker. Therefore, the analogy wouldn't make sense if the more expensive drink was sweeter because it would mean it is inferior, and I do not think that BG2:EE would be inferior to BG2. As for the numbers, I obviously didn't bother with making the numbers maintain ratio.
Sweeter as in tastes better. If you prefer, say they picked a better brand of alcohol/wine for the drink in the first place. Or an older vintage. Whichever.
I'm happy to pay it. It's right in the ballpark, I think. (20-30$) Remember, they worked all through the legal issues, and went through hell to bring us BG2:EE. I just hope they are asking *enough* to make a profit after all the legal fees are taken care of.
I *never* take the stance of defending a game development company, but Overhaul has been so friendly and transparent with the issues.
I actually have a different viewpoint than most people. I haven't beaten BG2, so I am actually paying for an enhanced first time play-through of the game. For me, to have all of the convenience of modern upgrades, bugfixes, and enhanced effects, knowing it is applied to what might be the best game ever made...
I'm happy to pay it. It's right in the ballpark, I think. (20-30$) Remember, they worked all through the legal issues, and went through hell to bring us BG2:EE. I just hope they are asking *enough* to make a profit after all the legal fees are taken care of.
I *never* take the stance of defending a game development company, but Overhaul has been so friendly and transparent with the issues.
I actually have a different viewpoint than most people. I haven't beaten BG2, so I am actually paying for an enhanced first time play-through of the game. For me, to have all of the convenience of modern upgrades, bugfixes, and enhanced effects, knowing it is applied to what might be the best game ever made...
I am with the koolaid drinking crowd. They could price it at $50 and I wouldn't hesitate in pre-ordering. BGEE was enough proof of what Overhaul can do, and is still doing.
Count me among the wait-and-see skeptics at this point. BG:EE was fun, and I don't regret shelling out $18 or so on the preorder. But it also has its fair share of issues, and at this point the lack of mod support still makes me wonder if just sticking with my original copies and a suite of mods isn't the better way to go. If the NPC Project came out with BG:EE support tomorrow, those concerns would go away. Until then, though, I've actually paid a premium to exchange new content (the NPCs) for old (the old mods). I'm not sure that was really worth the price.
I'm not a first-time player, and I still have functioning copies of BG2 and ToB, so comparisons to the GOG version or Project Eternity are irrelevant here. My $25 wouldn't be paying for hundreds of hours of content. I already own hundreds of hours of BG2 content. At this point, my $25 would be paying for widescreen support, a minimalist UI, and some promises of new areas and a really high word count. That's promising, but without any kind of preorder bonus, I don't see the point in giving them my money for promises. They're running a business here -- they don't just inherently deserve my money, regardless of the final product -- so, as a consumer, I'm going to wait and see if the product is worth the price they're asking for.
Also, I'd like to say that the "if you can't afford it, you must have personal problems" vitriol in this thread is... silly. That is all.
Why do people feel so entitled on this forum. The majority of us played BG when we were growing up so its safe to assume the majority of us are finished college and working in a job.
Roughly 50 hours of gameplay $25 fee $0.50 for each hour
If you can't justify that hourly cost you must be eating out of trash cans and robbing clothes out of charity bins.
I'd pay double that for Mac support, nevermind all the bug-fixes, widesceen support, add-on content, new NPCs etc
I'm happy to pay it. It's right in the ballpark, I think. (20-30$) Remember, they worked all through the legal issues, and went through hell to bring us BG2:EE. I just hope they are asking *enough* to make a profit after all the legal fees are taken care of.
I *never* take the stance of defending a game development company, but Overhaul has been so friendly and transparent with the issues.
I actually have a different viewpoint than most people. I haven't beaten BG2, so I am actually paying for an enhanced first time play-through of the game. For me, to have all of the convenience of modern upgrades, bugfixes, and enhanced effects, knowing it is applied to what might be the best game ever made...
Yeah, I'm okay with 25 bucks.
~Ascerion
Wow, how far have you ever gotten?
I just started really exploring the sewers, and got destroyed by a small group within the entrance. So I felt like I made a mistake, and re-rolled my main character. (And I HAVE to start all over, evidently, lol.) Had just found Viconia and Jan. So, barely got started, I guess?
Comments
For $25, I expect a virtually bug free game and going by Beamdog/Overhauls track record, I don't see that happening.
I could spend time explaining how I played the series when it first came out and loved it, how I have absolutely zero computer skills so couldn't possibly get the origianl BG series to work on my computer, or how I spend more money (than what BG2EE has just cost me) drinking a few pints in the pub on a Sunday afternoon.....
But I won't. Because I realise price is subjective, and other people will have different ideas of value to me.
But for me, right now, BG2EE was a bargain.
Anyway £16 for BG2:EE? Bargain - simply if only for the new life which is being brought to the community.
I'm sure I'll buy it when it comes out, and I will easily get $25 of entertainment from it so in that sense it's value for money. But in relation to new games the price feels high - I think $15-20 would seem a better price.
New games typically start anywhere from $40-$60. Even fifteen years ago when Baldur's Gate was first released it cost $40, at least.
Again I'm not trying to convince anyone whether it's worth the sticker price (although it'd be great if everyone preordered seventy copies and also bought me a pony), but I don't want people getting the wrong idea.
This topic is more about whether people think an enhanced edition is worth purchasing. I believe it is and ill put my money where my mouth is to support the revamp of one of the best rpgs ever. If you are too cheap to do so that is fine, but don't complain about lack of bg style games when you don't support attempts to revive it.
I have appreciated what Beamdog and Co. have done so far, but I have no incentive to provide my money to beamdog now as opposed to post-release. Even a $2 off, such as what was given to those who pre-ordered BGEE would be enough to give beamdog my money now, as opposed to minimum 2 months from now.
TL;DR: I'm going to buy it either way, but I'd rather there was some monetary incentive to giving Beamdog my money now as opposed to just waiting 2 months.
I remember buying my first BG1 for about 60-70 German Marks (been on a trip to Germany and saw it). Which I believe was about 40-50$ back then. My first bought PC game ever.
25$ for BG2EE with bugfixes, better engine and a lot of new content is a bargain I am willing to pay.
BTW - ponies are expensive and shit around. I want a hedgehog!
For example, the Eternity comparison is an interesting. $4 more for a brand new game as opposed to an ancient game with some upgrades, many of which could theoretically be modeled by mods. Seems unfair?
Unfortunately, reality rears its ugly head a bit here. BGEE project likely had to pay licensing fees (out the ass it looks like) as well as royalties. This requires cost on the game. Then, of course, they actually did work on the game. Which costs money. They're also continuing to support the game with pretty regular fixes. Which also costs money. And, much as people don't like the idea of it being added cost, they are trying to form a company, which means they need to add on a bit. Oh, and to make it all a bit more awkward, they don't know exactly how much money they're going to get.
Compare against Eternity. No licensing or royalties, which is a significant chunk of change cut. They also Kickstarted the project, meaning they've minimized financial risk as they've got the money "on hand" now and are more or less guaranteed to make more on top of it. They can actually get away with the price point a lot easier.
Does that mean you should bend over and like the new price point if you feel it is unfair? Of course not. But you do need to stop pretending pricing is always such a cut and dry manner.
I *never* take the stance of defending a game development company, but Overhaul has been so friendly and transparent with the issues.
I actually have a different viewpoint than most people. I haven't beaten BG2, so I am actually paying for an enhanced first time play-through of the game. For me, to have all of the convenience of modern upgrades, bugfixes, and enhanced effects, knowing it is applied to what might be the best game ever made...
Yeah, I'm okay with 25 bucks.
~Ascerion
Looking forward to November 15th!
I'm not a first-time player, and I still have functioning copies of BG2 and ToB, so comparisons to the GOG version or Project Eternity are irrelevant here. My $25 wouldn't be paying for hundreds of hours of content. I already own hundreds of hours of BG2 content. At this point, my $25 would be paying for widescreen support, a minimalist UI, and some promises of new areas and a really high word count. That's promising, but without any kind of preorder bonus, I don't see the point in giving them my money for promises. They're running a business here -- they don't just inherently deserve my money, regardless of the final product -- so, as a consumer, I'm going to wait and see if the product is worth the price they're asking for.
Also, I'd like to say that the "if you can't afford it, you must have personal problems" vitriol in this thread is... silly. That is all.
Roughly 50 hours of gameplay
$25 fee
$0.50 for each hour
If you can't justify that hourly cost you must be eating out of trash cans and robbing clothes out of charity bins.
I'd pay double that for Mac support, nevermind all the bug-fixes, widesceen support, add-on content, new NPCs etc
~Ascerion