Construct 2 subscription license?

First; I don't know if this is the correct forum for this topic. If not, I apologize

• This is just an idea; heavily inspired by the great success Adobe and Microsoft have had with subscription licensing their products. EPIC have done the same with their Unreal Engine 4, which can be acquired for only 19 $/month (and 5% of your earnings for whatever you end up making with the engine). Especially EPICs plan is SO attractive; whereas before, only AAA-titles could afford a license; now - everybody can afford it.

It's not that € 100 is a high price for Construct 2 personal license; but imagine for a moment we were talking maybe 5-10 euros per month for the personal license, and 20-30 euros per month, for the business.

User benefits:

• A much smaller front-up payment.

Scirra benefits:

• Much larger income, and more of a feeling of actually getting paid for new updates
• Better tracking with usage patterns etc.

There's so much potential for making several extremely good and tailored business plans for Scirra; but maybe the entire idea of a subscription goes against their business ideals...?

Or is this just nuts...? What say you...?

I'm personally against this sort of idea, because in my country our internet is not the most stable. I'm against any cloud-based services unless I have absolutely no choice, even to the point of buying a game I already have if it's offered DRM-free at a later date. I also like paying one upfront cost for software rather than licensing; I'd rather pay $400 for a business license up front and get the payment over with, than $10 per month. But these are all just personal opinions, I'm sure it could maybe open up more revenue, but I don't think Scirra are entirely about trying to get every dollar they can. They're already extremely successful, becoming profitable on their first release day alone, .

As a customer I hate subscriptions. Subscriptions are also tricky for 1. existing users. 2. short term licence holders that publish a game - does it mean they are not allowed to profit from their game when their subscription ends?

This won't sit well with many, many users.

Sure it all those who can't afford it upfront will be happy, but it isn't a viable option for scirra.

Unreal Engine 4 is a new product.

Unity has a buy or rent option (and the rent option is very steep)

Introducing a rent option would hurt scirra's business, not aid it. And we all should want scirra to be profitable to sustain future developments.

What they could do, and it could be a possibility, is buy license, but in installments (3 equal payments over 3 months). 3 months, not 6 or 12 or 24 as that would bring about headaches and not be profitable option for scirra.

The average buyer is a hobbyist. And won't continue with payments. People never follow through. All have good intentions, but are experts at never finishing anything.

It is important that scirra is profitable if we want it to be a toolset we can use into the future.

inquiesco >

Typically, a subscription license will not require cloud-based pings EVERY time the software loads. Only once per week or so (this can be varied as needed).

IndieKiwi >>

The same would apply to "can I profil from my graphics I made in Photoshop CC if I cancel my subscription?". The answer is yes, but you'll have a heck of a time to edit your work without the subscription...

DUTOIT >>>

UE4 is indeed very new, and the business plan is a leap of faith for EPIC. But their plan has merit; I think it'll prove to generate much larger income than the traditional business plan of UE3.

UNITY's rental plan is a joke, known throughout gaming communities to be so. There's absolutely no benefit to renting over buying with the ridicilous high price for renting.

But Adobe and Microsoft have both had huge successes with their plans; Adobe with their entire collection of software, and Microsoft with their Office 365 and OneDrive.

Why should such a business plan fail for SCIRRA (except if they execute it as clumsily as Unity Technologies have done)...?

DUTOIT >>>

UE4 is indeed very new, and the business plan is a leap of faith for EPIC. But their plan has merit; I think it'll prove to generate much larger income than the traditional business plan of UE3.

UNITY's rental plan is a joke, known throughout gaming communities to be so. There's absolutely no benefit to renting over buying with the ridicilous high price for renting.

But Adobe and Microsoft have both had huge successes with their plans; Adobe with their entire collection of software, and Microsoft with their Office 365 and OneDrive.

Why should such a business plan fail for SCIRRA (except if they execute it as clumsily as Unity Technologies have done)...?

What is stopping you from cancelling your subscription?

Adobe/microsoft software is used daily, it is part of modern life and business. So people continue with their subscriptions.

hobbyist game developers think it will be cool to make a game, and life gets the better of them, and they cancel their subscription after 1st month (because its hard, takes time - etc).

UE4 is a 'steal'. You can subscribe for 1 month and cancel. You can then develop your game free of charge. The subscription gives you access to latest version. Subscribe and cancel / rinse and repeat when you want latest version.

Unity understands that people don't stick around, that is why there rental plan is the way it is - good business! not a joke. Which is why they have longevity.

[quote:169i77nq]

hobbyist game developers think it will be cool to make a game, and life gets the better of them, and they cancel their subscription after 1st month (because its hard, takes time - etc).

But they will surely choose the free version anyway, and already there, find out the limits of their available time and skills. They will not throw € 100 for a personal license anyway. And noone says it should be possible to cancel after 1 month; typically, you're bound to the subscription for ½ - 1 year.

[quote:169i77nq]

Unity understands that people don't stick around, that is why there rental plan is the way it is - good business! not a joke. Which is why they have longevity.

Well, in my view, it's not a good business if people don't buy it at all, and instead opt for the one time fee. If noone buys in on the subscription, then there's no reason for having it, and all maintenance costs for this business plan turns to expenses without any profit to counter balance.

But they will surely choose the free version anyway, and already there, find out the limits of their available time and skills. They will not throw € 100 for a personal license anyway. And noone says it should be possible to cancel after 1 month; typically, you're bound to the subscription for ½ - 1 year.

Chargebacks, and all other nasties are used. Impossible to tie anyone into a subscription without following legal action which costs $$. Not a viable option for a small business.

[quote:62yl1s8u]

Well, in my view, it's not a good business if people don't buy it at all, and instead opt for the one time fee. If noone buys in on the subscription, then there's no reason for having it, and all maintenance costs for this business plan turns to expenses without any profit to counter balance.

Its very good business, and geared towards business. I'd rather pay $75 a month than pay $1500 once off, and write it off as buseness exenses. Remember, unity is for businesses or indies, not for hobbyists. Hobbyists always moan about the price, businesses, indies rationalize it against what the tool does for them.

One of the big rules of business. Don't sell to everyone, sell to the right someone.

It takes 2 years to turn a profit in most businesses, that is if you aren't bootstrapping it. And the bills still roll in. Expenses are part of the game, and the counter balance isn't unity's issue, they got their own expenses to pay.

Look, if someone can't afford C2, then they are lying to themselves. Saving goes a long way. And C2 is cheap in comparison to the other expenses you WILL incur in the business of making games etc.

Anyways, I doubt scirra are going to change their policy. It wouldn't be a good decision.

EDIT

I'm not against subscription, I'm actually for it. Just not on the software itself.

Now if they had made a small subscritpion for say

Multiplayer...

Android export...

iOS Exporter... etc

and be open that this will cover 3 or 4 more developers to build/maintain/expand those extensions (I use the word extensions) as a line will be drawn, and what is considered software updates/feature enhancements vs extensions.

But this would be acceptable, a small subscription model for premium extensions.

I have the same view as — I prefer a one time fee rather than monthly subscriptions. I love your explanation of buying for business and as a hobbyist. Business spend big money and work on the project full time. Most hobbyist hold a full time job, or is still studying, and we can't guarantee when we will have the time to work on our games. Haha how many of us promised ourselves that we would complete a certain game mechanic by a certain time frame, only to have it still unfinished long after because of work, family and other important reasons as well.

The user base needs to grow, you can't do that with a subscription. Then the profit for the end user varies wildly.

The only subscription licence I know of for C2 is the education license, so I would guess they already though about this and have chosen not to do that with the lambda user, for reasons that concerns them.