Suggested By:
sabajtDinos in Space has little to do with either dinosaurs or space. Rather, it is a well-conceived little puzzle game -- conceptually quite simple, but with the ability to pose puzzles that take real cognition to solve.
One or more dino-emitters are located in a square grid; when you press the space bar, they spit out dinos in a particular direction. Each dinosaur must be guided to a same-colored space station, also located in the grid. Your main tools for doing so are arrows, of which you have a limited selection to place in the grid; grey ones affect the path of all dinos, while colored ones affect only dinos of the same color. In some levels, you also have teleporters, which move dinos from one square to another. The number and mix of tools is strictly limited in each level, so that there is typically only one, or a handful, of solutions.
Additional elements are added over time, including asteroids to avoid, "snacks" that may be collected as a bonus, and so on.
It's a clever little game, offered on a "pay what you like" basis, to which no one can object.
Objection
It's a clever little game, offered on a "pay what you like" basis, to which no one can object.
Excuse me, someone certainly can object to that.
If I want to buy a game, I just want to know what price it is. I don't want to have to negotiate with someone I hardly know. If I pay the "suggested price", will he be sneering at me for not being generous? If I pay more than that, will I be a sucker who got scammed out of my money? Why does this have to be a social transaction? Hasn't modern civilization outgrown haggling?
The game is all right, Chu Chu Rocket as a puzzle. I guess I wasn't impressed enough with the demo to actually buy it, though, even if I could.
Review clearly needs a
Review clearly needs a correction - "To which no one can object - in good faith, and without sounding like Andy Rooney."
Praranoia Emptoris
Your argument would be correct if she didn't provide a recommended price. The answer to "will he be sneering at" you for being cheap, is "No, this *is* the amount of money the author wanted." The short answer to "will I be a sucker" is "Yes." The long one is "Please seek counseling for Paranoia Emporis- this isn't (meant to be) a trick, it's a financial transaction."
My personal view as a young, over-educated, liberal male is that 'recommended price model' is the acceptable middle ground between charging wealthy people what the game's worth and being able to do business with deserving people from poorer economies. It's not perfect by any means, but it's better then the model the gaming industry has in place now (which has caused the massive Piracy Vs. DRM kerfuffle of the modern age.)
However, if you favor a brand of capitalism devoid of human contact, show this with your wallet- pay the bitch/sucker (depending on if you're angry or smug) $0.01 for their game so they don't ever think of doing it again.
I think some of these games
I think some of these games could do with a method where someone can log in and after visiting the page X number of times/days, you can download the game (as an option next to paying), and you have adverts on the page. Thus you either get paid in money or in traffic.
I think John's point against no one objecting is worth noting (do we have to have interpersonal drama before we can just get to some fun?). But it's also worth nothing he's engaging in a form of haggling by pointing it out. Were still using the same brain structure we had in the stone age, so no, civilisation hasn't changed things especially.
Interesting discussion
Creator of the game here. Interesting discussion that I didn't expect - I had no idea selling the game as pay-what-you-want would turn people off. Just dropping in to say that I would absolutely not scoff at anyone who payed the minimum price, which is a dollar - I am truly appreciative of any amount :)
Neat Game
Space Dinos reminds me a lot of a great game that came out back in 99 called "Pit Droids". It had very similar dispenser->arrow->receptacle system. The droids that got dispensed could: be one of four colors, have one of four colored hats, be carrying one of four tools. Lots of filtering possibilities. Many levels were on a hex grid with the additional complication that droids could collide and be destroyed. I had so much fun playing that game and from what I've played of space dinos so far it scratches a similar itch.
Pay What You Want
I enjoy the pay what you want model: it's good for people who don't have a lot of money (myself) but who want to play high quality games. I actually think the game programmer is doing you a FAVOR not playing some sort of mind f$** game with you. I'm sure any money he or she gets is appreciated.
"What? This guy only paid two dollars? *sneer*"
"Haha, this guy paid the full asking price (a mere five dollars) for this crap? *sucker*" Frankly, it is a silly debate and just a tad neurotic and paranoid.
Break this down, logically: the programmer put the game up for a "pay what you want" model. Unless they're a psychotic (which I doubt) they aren't playing a mind game. They're not haggling. They're trying to do you, the gamer, a favor.
A programmer putting his game up for a "pay what you want" payment method is anticipating that some people will pay as low as a penny. They also anticipate that people (like myself) will pay the five dollars and that some may pay more.
This type of model should be encouraged not discouraged. This kind of generosity does not exist at the major league programmer level (paid DLC anyone?) as they want every penny they can wrench out of your hands. Somebody willing to practically give away their labor of love should be applauded, not derided.
Phew! As for the game itself, I find it to be a clever little game that is highly addicting. The different colored arrows and warp zones add a strategic complexity to the game. Beating a hard level gives you feeling of accomplishment and the snax add a nice alternative to each level (as you must solve the levels differently to get all the snax).
It's not the hardest game in the world (I've had it a few days and I've nearly unlocked all the levels and picked up about half the snax and I'm not that good at these kind of games) but I think the 41 levels offer enough fun at the (very cheap) price. The level editor frankly seals the deal here: level editors, even if rarely used, give the enterprising user a chance to expand on the basic game.