Stardock sticking with Q1 release strategy for next half decade
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 10th 2008 at 11:00AM }
The Q1 release strategy, although not explicit up until now, seems to have worked well for the publisher. Galactic Civilizations II cut out a niche and Sins of a Solar Empire was a bona fide sleeper hit. We know that Gas Powered Games' Demigod is scheduled for February of next year and Stardock's internally developed Elemental is already slated for February of 2010. The publisher has its 2011 game already planned, but isn't announcing it yet.
[Via Evil Avatar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hickeroar @ Nov 10th 2008 11:06AM
I'd love to buy sins of a solar empire, but I'm just not willing to shell out $40 for a game I'm not sure I'll like. The game is WAY past the "time to discount" stage in its lifecycle.
Courtney @ Nov 10th 2008 12:00PM
Umm, it's been out for 9 months and it's been one of the best selling PC 4X games in a very long time. That hardly seems like a recipe calling for a discount. Also, good PC games tend to hold their value for a much longer period than console games.
Oh, and there are these magic things called demos that let one try out a game before buying it. One for Sins has been available since oh...March.
Hickeroar @ Nov 10th 2008 12:03PM
There are plenty of other games that have sold just as well or better, have been out way less time, and have had notable discounts by now.
Heck, spore is already selling for $10 under the initial price and it JUST came out. Sold pretty dang well too.
Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Nov 10th 2008 12:05PM
Well, Spore sucks.
sicsided @ Nov 10th 2008 12:09PM
Where are you seeing it for $40?
The last time I've seen it, it was $30 or even $25. Look around!
Hickeroar @ Nov 10th 2008 12:11PM
sic-
It's $40 at best buy, target, walmart, and gamestop here as of this weekend. I could swear I saw it for $30 about 3 months ago, then I went to get it, and it was $40 everywhere. I don't know if they jacked the price back up on it, or i I just saw wrong.
Courtney @ Nov 10th 2008 12:24PM
I would argue that Spore was more a "flash in the pan" type game due to the amount of hype built around it with the massive ad campaign and the ridiculously successful viral ad campaign known as the Creature Creator.
Sins will have a longer sales and play life than Spore will. I know Spore is in it's kind of own genre, but for fans of 4x games, there are really few or no quality options right now other than Sins.
Also, you can see the difference in attitude between a big publisher and a little one. EA dumped huge marketing resources into Spore because they wanted to make back their investment in the first month while the game was full price, so then they could discount it and get early adoptions spending money on their other new games coming out. Sins has depended on word of mouth and the 4x fan community to spread the word and sales. They don't have to worry about generating 2 millions sales in a week so they can move on to trying and sell their next title.
Einhanderkiller @ Nov 10th 2008 12:37PM
Hickeroar,
http://files.filefront.com/Sins+of+a+Solar+Empire+Demo/;9861753;/fileinfo.html
Paulmichael @ Nov 10th 2008 3:32PM
What is a "4x" game, anyway? I thought Sins was a strategy game.
Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Nov 10th 2008 3:40PM
It's hard to describe it. It's much easier to just give examples.
Star Wars Empire at War and Spore Space Stage were 4X....
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 10th 2008 5:23PM
Sins is 4x? I thought it was an RTS.
Then again, I always thought 4x games had to be turn-based
Einhanderkiller @ Nov 11th 2008 3:06PM
SoaSE takes 4X elements and transfers them into real-time.
bVork @ Nov 10th 2008 11:55AM
Major kudos to Stardock for not contributing to the Q4 oversaturation. Just one more reason to admire them, alongside stuff like the no-DRM policy and the Gamer's Bill of Rights.
Courtney @ Nov 10th 2008 12:02PM
I'm psyched for Demigod, one of the most intriguing games I've seen in a long time.
AwesomeTown @ Nov 10th 2008 12:11PM
Looking forward to both their next games, and I'm guessing 2011 will be Sins2.
j.howlett @ Nov 10th 2008 12:43PM
this game is one reason i'm wishing i could get a new computer.
Tommy @ Nov 11th 2008 12:40PM
What the Heck!(starfox 64)
http://www.squidoo.com/Doughboy
sinai @ Nov 10th 2008 1:40PM
proving once again, that piracy does not break publishers and developers.
go stardock.
Rocktober @ Nov 10th 2008 2:10PM
I'm quite impressed with Stardock's attitude to releasing games, and it's unfortunate that more game companies don't follow. I can't count how many games were pushed for the big holiday release that either got buried under all the others and I never heard about, or if I did know of them..I went for something else instead. Releasing throughout the rest of the year probably would have helped in those situations as I'm the kind of person that never passes a game store without popping in, ready to throw down some cash if a game piques my interest!
Paulmichael @ Nov 10th 2008 3:37PM
These aren't the same guys behind Object Desktop are they? Just wondering haha.