Insanity: Berzerk for the PCE

[Arkhan]

I will purchase a vinyl reissue of Insanity.

vinyl reissue!?

like, a giant 33RPM record?

[termis]

My question is, if the pro CD-R route (same jewel case design, same cd label print, different media) becomes the actual result, is everyone OK with this, and what media would be best to seek out?

Mind you, I'll still buy a copy if it ends up on CD-R, but I would much, much, much rather see it stamped out on real discs.  My Duo refuses to play CD-Rs of any type (two copies of Meteor Blaster DX and I can't play either  ), and I also question the long term viability of CD-Rs; I know good ones are supposed to last beyond the century mark, but they're undeniably more fragile and are perceived as cheap and crappy.  How few were you planning on doing?  A quick surf o' the web turned up a few places that will do runs of as few as 300, though at a price where you're better off doing a full 1000.

Yeah, I feel the same way as necro.

To be honest, I think one of the primary reasons why I never bought Meteor Blaster was the fact that it was on CDR -- now I'm not sure how many feel the way I do, but just so you know. 

Then again, I completely understand how you wouldn't want to dig yourself in a hole.  Say you print a minimum amount, what kind of sales numbers would you need to do to break-even?  Double-digits? Triple-digits?

If it's double digits, I think a pre-order system would be a good low-risk way for you to get started.  I'd be willing to pitch in for that too.
If it's triple digits (especially if it's deep in the hundreds), I'd be pretty damn cautious too!

[Arkhan]

id need to sink about 1000$ in, give or take, to get pressed cds

and then pray they all sell. somewhere between 20.00 and 25.00$ seems reasonable. That way if I sell 50 of em i at least recupe the production cost.

As we've already seen here, some people want to preorder, and that is awesome.  It makes me rest a bit easier knowing a good handful of people are willing to preorder.

I really am trying to find a good pressing place.  If anyone else has any info, thatd be good.

I really dont want to do the ghetto CDR route.

when the time comes (soon!) I will put up a preorder page on surreal softs site.  I will also possibly put a donations page to anyone willing.

I won't take any money at all until I am positive I have found a good pressing establishment.

Also, surreal might have to go thru a name change.  It seems the half defunct, unregistered, dead-linked Surreal (http://www.surreal.com/) renewed themselves.

damn!

[termis]

Offering to do signatures just for the pre-orders will probably give you some initial revenue.  That's low cost (nearly zero) to you, and high "value" to the buyer.  -- Give the people some reason to cough up money for ya! 

[Arkhan]

signatures?

You mean me sign them with a sharpee?

[termis]

Sure -- why not?  (unless the buyer would rather not have it on there, though I can't imagine why not.)

Doesn't really cost you anything, and it might move some people to cough up the cash for the pre-order.  By making it a "limited" item, you're essentially rewarding the people who are paying up front & lowering your risk of having to eat up the production costs.  I think it's a pretty fair way to go about it.

[Arkhan]

I see, I see!

I just didn't really think my pokey little signature would be worth anything other than a laugh, lol.

[termis]

Nah, don't sell yourself short bud -- I can't imagine that there are many who can code a PCE game from scratch and get it down to a final product on a pressed CD.

And if you are going to do the pre-order thing, try to get in touch with other PCE communities out there that do not use English as a primary language.  Perhaps a few of us can help you out in creating a simple message in other languages, and post 'em to different PCE forums in various markets.  I'd definitely try to tap the Japanese market, and a few other Euro markets (French, German, maybe Spanish?).

Anyway, whatever you do, hope the whole thing goes well!

[ParanoiaDragon]

only $20-25?  Personally, I'd go atleast $30, I was figuring the game was gonna be close to 50, but, maybe that's pushing it

[Arkhan]

only $20-25?  Personally, I'd go atleast $30, I was figuring the game was gonna be close to 50, but, maybe that's pushing it

O_O Close to 50!?

Perhaps 29.99 then. 

[RoyVegas]

only $20-25?  Personally, I'd go atleast $30, I was figuring the game was gonna be close to 50, but, maybe that's pushing it

$20-25 sounds a tad low personally.  I'd pay 30 for it and if you were going to do some special limited signed ones I'd go $35-$40.  Thats just me though.

[termis]

Just know that the eager early adopters are the ones who'd have the highest willingness-to-pay.  Get what you can, but don't price yourself out of the price range of the "common Joe turbo player" either.

[Arkhan]

We will see then as soon as I find a good presser for the discs.

It seems 30$ is a good place then.  and preorders to anyone willing to help take care of production fees.

What if I let the buyer decide whether or not they want a signature on it?

I THINK I found two good places that will do a replication of 500 CDs, with 4 panel insert, and tray.  Unless Im mistaken, that means itll be a cover, an inside page 1, an inside page 2, and then a back.  Plus a traycard.

AND shrinkwrap.  That way everyone can unshrink them and revel in the newly opened game smell glory...

The one even lets me pick to have white jewel case trays which makes it even more PCE style.

[Necromancer]

and then pray they all sell. somewhere between 20.00 and 25.00$ seems reasonable. That way if I sell 50 of em i at least recupe the production cost.

I don't think you'll have any trouble selling such a small number of copies, as there's plenty of nutty Turbo fans.  For example, look at the signature edition of Meteor Blaster DX: its 100 copies were sold out in a few weeks, and remember, this was after the original version had already been out for a couple o' months.

If I were in your shoes, I'd sell (via pre-order) 50 or 100 signed and numbered copies for $30, raising enough dough to bankroll the disc pressing.  After all the discs are made, I'd offer 'em at the same price, as charging more for a simple signature is unseemly, bordering on greed.  Just my two cents, of course.

only $20-25?  Personally, I'd go atleast $30, I was figuring the game was gonna be close to 50, but, maybe that's pushing it

If memory serves, Implode, Meteor Blaster DX, and Meteor Blaster DX:SE all sold for $30, so I'd say that's about the right price for the homebrew market. 

[hoobs88]

If memory serves, Implode, Meteor Blaster DX, and Meteor Blaster DX:SE all sold for $30, so I'd say that's about the right price for the homebrew market. 

They might have both originally sold for $30 but Implode has been $20 for quite a while now and currently still is $20. Meteor Blaster can be had for $20 if you purchase it with Implode from their site.
http://mindrec.com/?main=store/index.php