One of the most critical decisions indie developers have to make when releasing their game concerns the price tag they put on it. Setting the price to low not only means a missed chance on higher revenues, but might also diminish the perceived value of the game. On the other hand, setting the price too high will most likely deter potential customers from buying the game at all as well as increase the risk of negative reviews.

How should indie developers approach the task of pricing their game? What strategies have proven successful for indies and what should be considered regarding discounting and participarting in sales events? In this edition of our series “XP Boost” on May 5 three games industry experts shared their experience, gave valuable insights and hands-on tips to guide game developers to finding their game’s perfect price tag.

What did we learn?

• Do your research right (don't go mental though), start early in the development process to find a price for your game, and don't set the price too low because you will make most of your money out of discount sales.
• Think about your target audience: Who will want to buy your game? Some will pay more some will pay less (casual gamers versus hardcore gamers or niche gamers).
• Make scenarios for your sales numbers (high, mid, low, anticipate what would be the least price to charge so you won't go bankrupt).
• Keep the cost of making your game in mind but don't exaggerate (no one will buy an indie game for 150 Dollars (yet)).

Thanks so much to our panel speakers. Jan, Kyle and Sebastian!

About Gamecity XP Boost:

The games industry is ever changing, inspiring new trends and opportunities. That means there is always room for learning something new and our XP Boost series is the perfect place to widen your horizons. In this event series we want to cover all sorts of topics and trends that spark the interests of indie devs, no matter how long they have been in the industry.

Past events can be re-watched here: https://www.gamecity-hamburg.de/events/#XP_Boost