Last week, Microsoft announced that Shadowrun, its multiplayer-only
first-person shooter, had finally gone gold and would arrive in stores
on May 29th. The game, which ships simultaneously for both Xbox 360
and Windows Vista-equipped PCs, is based on the cult classic
pen-and-paper role-playing game, which blended both fantasy and
cyberpunk elements. The timing of its release seemed to us strange,
coming as it does two weeks into the three-week beta trial of Halo 3's
multiplayer--with any self-respecting Xbox 360 fanatic certain to be
spending hours on Halo 3's trio of sample maps, how many people would
be fired up to purchase Shadowrun during its first week on the market?
Second, we wondered how Microsoft could justify charging Xbox 360
gamers $60 for Shadowrun when PC gamers would only have to pay $50 for
precisely the same game? Rather than simply speculate or opine, we
dashed off a few questions to Microsoft Game Studios corporate vice
president Shane Kim. Here's what he emailed back.
By
shipping on May 29th, doesn't Shadowrun risk being overshadowed by the
Halo 3 multiplayer beta during its crucial first week of sales?
We’re
committed to the long-term success of Shadowrun and understand a
title’s fate is not decided based on first week sales. The coinciding
Halo 3 multiplayer beta is actually going to provide some great
opportunities for us to transition some of our hardcore FPS [first-person shooter] gamers over
to Shadowrun when the beta expires in early June. Halo 3 and Shadowrun
will further prove to gamers that Xbox Live and Games for Windows –
Live is the best online gaming service for action titles. Additionally,
another Microsoft Game Studio title, Forza Motorsport 2, will also be
launching on May 29th.
Since
Microsoft is the first-party publisher of Shadowrun, the company
doesn't have to pay itself the customary console royalty on the 360
version of the game. Why, then, do Xbox 360 gamers have to pay $60 for
the same game that PC gamers only have to pay $50? Is this the pricing
strategy that consumers should expect for future 360/PC cross-platform
titles from Microsoft?
The
$59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista price points are our
standard pricing for each platform. This pricing structure is not
uncommon in the multiplayer-only first-person shooter genre, as
numerous titles have seen success at this price point and gaming model.
I think it’s premature to speak to pricing for all future projects, but
as of now this is our pricing structure for our marquee titles like
Shadowrun. Additionally, MGS has the same development costs as other
developers and publishers out there. One advantage other publishers
have that we do not is that they can leverage their marketing and
development costs over all platforms, while we are focused on Windows
and Xbox 360 as a first party publisher.
Sony
has signaled that its multiplayer-only Warhawk will be sold for less
than full price, and as a download. Was that ever considered for
Shadowrun? How confident are you that a multiplayer-only console game
can be successful at retail at full price?
The
comparison of Sony’s Warhawk to Shadowrun isn’t a fair, apple-to-apples
comparison. We don’t even know what Warhawk will really be when it
finally releases, but we do know that Shadowrun is offering an amazing,
innovative gaming experience with groundbreaking connectivity on
multiple platforms, providing a rich cross-platform opportunity for
gaming communities of Xbox 360 and Windows to come together. We think
Shadowrun has tremendous potential and I can see it becoming a long
time favorite with FPS fans and competitive gaming leagues.
