Jonathan Blow reports staggering first-week sales for his epic new game The Witness. (credit: Sam Machkovech)
As app and game sellers have transitioned into a post-Big Box retailer's world, where download-only shops like the App Store, Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live reign supreme, they've had to contend with a race to the pricing bottom. The storefronts may be selling billions in software, but while they've made new room for upstart developers, they've also created expectations for flash sales, free-to-play offers, and subscription-fueled game giveaways.
Famed indie game maker Jonathan Blow made a substantial profit by selling his 2008 breakout Braid for $15, but his long-awaited follow-up, The Witness, launched at a much higher price last week: $40. On Tuesday, Blow took to his official blog to announce that a higher price point had done nothing to dampen its launch's sales, confirming over $5 million in first-week revenue.
"This is a good chunk more revenue in one week than Braid made in its entire first year," Blow wrote in the announcement, and he added other sales clarifications, including the fact that high launch sales haven't quite covered the costs of development. (During a Witness launch-day Twitch Q&A, Blow estimated a total development cost of $6 million. "Why isn't this [game] $15?" he told viewers. "This game is giant. It's got tons of stuff in it.")
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