Add-on plan (new details)

[David]

We are thinking about the possibility of a new arrangement in releasing the add-on which may look like the following:

phase 1) test as the development goes - interested users may apply for testing the game while it is still under development. Accepted testers will receive updated builds of the game throughout the course of the development.

phase 2) close beta - more users will be accepted for beta-testing the game.

phase 3) open beta - all users will be able to download the add-on for free.

phase 4) When the add-on is fully tested and proven stable, we will release it officially. The price point will be determined based on user feedback from the open-beta.

We are planning to start phase 1 in the coming months if this plan receives enough positive feedback.

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The add-on will run as a separate game from the original Capitalism 2. In other words, you may keep your copy of Capitalism 2 installed on your computer untouched. There will be a separate program folder created for the add-on, which is to be run separately.

The add-on's focus is on experimental gameplay such as marco economy, boom-bust cycle, inflation, land acquisition and real estate development, and potentially commodity trading.

We are inclined to call it "Capitalism Lab" which implies its characteristics and positioning, that is different from Capitalism 2.

Capitalism Lab will focus on Single Player custom games, and its main purpose is to let experienced players experiment with new simulation aspects of the economy and the business world, as described above. It is not meant to be a full-fledged entertainment game product like Capitalism 2, and will not have multiplayer capabilities and campaign scenarios.

Its focus is on single player custom random games, and we don't want to spread development resources thin covering multiplayer capabilities and campaign scenarios. Players who like multiplayer games and campaign scenarios may stay with the original Capitalism 2. The release version of Capitalism Lab will be priced appropriately to reflect the fact that it is not a full-fledged entertainment game product. We will seek feedback from users who have played it for free from open-beta, when it comes to determining the price point of the official release version.

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Any feedback is welcome.

[HansOlav]

This looks like a good plan, I would like to be a beta tester on this.

[Teppo]

A sound plan, and I'd be a beta tester as well...

[Inarius]

I was searching for a mod, I play sometimes to this game which i found very interesting and fun.

I registered here just to say that I would also be ready to play as a beta tester

[Viswan]

Hi,
I am in for beta testing...
Regards

[Otrex]

Good idea on not wasting time on a campaign, but no multiplayer? I think that's one of the major draws of the Capitalism series.

[David]

The idea is to make Capitalism Lab as a separate app from the original Capitalism 2. So that players interested in multiplayer games can still play Capitalism 2.

Any feedback on this is welcome.

[Inarius]

That's ok for me

[Otrex]

David,

I understand the idea, but with no multiplayer, the level of interest for me drops quite a lot. I suspect that it does for a lot of your fan base.

Why not invest the time into making the product multiplayer (i.e. a full-fledged entertainment product) and then charge a fair price for it. Forget a $9 add-on... make it a full product and I'm certain people will be happy to pay $14.95 - $19.95 for it without hesitation.

Capitalism 2 by itself is an excellent product, but with multiplayer there are exploits and techniques which can break the game (tying up resources, for example). Exploring this new product without including multiplayer is a mistake, in my opinion.

[David]

We intend to keep updating Capitalism Lab in the foreseeable future.

But including multiplayer in Capitalism Lab is not financially sustainable. As you know, any products that are not self-sustainable financially will eventually be phased out. So we would rather want to keep Capitalism Lab alive as a single player only game. Players interested in multiplayer games can keep playing Capitalism 2, which can be a solution.