Kansas Discussion Thread

[flight50]

As for the dlc releasing, another option would be to release states separately but at the same time each for $11.99, so the people who don't want this or that state don't pay extra.

To be honest, I think a lot of you are seeing bundles as one sided. You all only see it a forced buying. I'll try to explain this again as I've done a few times the past few months in other threads. The term bundle does not mean must buy together. Bundle means you can buy together and get a discount for it. The Northwest bundle, the the Southwest bundle, the Texas-sized bundle..........you can buy all that stuff separately if you want.......but why? Kansas and Nebraska is no different if they finish fairly close to the same time.
I'll use the same example I been using in reference to the Texas team splitting up.

Team A is doing Kansas
Team B is doing Nebraska

If both teams come from the Texas team, they can both work simultaneously side by side. Both states will could easily be fairly equal in development because both are fairly equal in size and in terms of what needs to be mapped. Bundle does not mean you must buy both in a pack. Bundle means you can buy both in a pack because they finish pretty much at the same time. If both can be bought at $11.99.........you can get a bundle price of $17.99. It makes zero sense to buy both separately at $11.99 if you want both. That is $22.98. That is not logical. Bundling its the option you can choose, its not forced if both maps are developed simultaneously and finished simultaneously.

If one needs 1 extra month, the other team could help. Its not good marketing to release 1 dlc one month and turn around and release another 30 days later. That's stressful on everyone. Its not the same as releasing an ATS map dlc one month and turn around and release an ETS2 map. If the same game, SCS might as well release both simultaneously and allow both to come as a bundle buy if people choose to. If not, buy just one and keep it pushing. You all keep twisting the term bundle and keep making it sound like you must buy both together. That is not what bundle means.

You all are getting bundled and combined mixed up. If 4-5 states come together in one dlc for the Northeast, that is a combined map dlc, not a bundle. There's a difference when the plan is to combine multiple smaller states vs a bundle.

[angrybirdseller]

Since, steam has so many sales of 50% off or 70% map DLC wait certain times already get big discounts. Can build bundle cheaply already with steam sales.

Will be easier to rebuild the base map with funding to do so with higher price point at $12 for each state vs $18 for bundle. It's $18 multi-state vs $24 retail with steam sales price be lowered $10 or $8 in couple years for both.

It's decision scs CEO would make, and players will complain no matter price they charge.

I can't see scs taking $3 hit on each Nebraska and Kansas as multi-state bundle to sell at $18.00 instead of $12.00 for each.

Also, think scs should look at selling out of production semi-trucks in ATS and trailers as well so your not dependent on one revenue stream.

My bet is east of Mississippi River before scs software will sell two states or more at $17.99

I can tell you scs not going sell at loss, but enough to keep reinvesting into the platform.

ETS2 different market with different price point sensitivity as Americans and Canadians won't go broke paying extra couple dollars.

[flight50]

It's actually 4.99 difference, not 3. But 4.99 still is not a lot of money. They already took a hit on Texas. It's worth more 17.99. If the want to sell more ATS dlc's and get more ETS2 players, they can't continue selling solo states at 11.99 only. Eventually they have to either drop prices for solo states or start bundling simultaneously releases. Iowa by itself, Arkansas by itself, Indiana.....? There are state that can pull off solo and there are some that can't.

[angrybirdseller]

Production cost to create Nebraska and Kansas can bring price to $17.99 for multi-state state pack.

If cost 10%-15% less to produce Kansas than Utah same with Nebraska there potiental to sell it grouped together at 17.99.

Think 50-50 chance at 17.99 for multi-state pack at this
point.

11.99x2=23.98 vs 17.99 it's 25% difference, but it cost 10%-15% less to produce each state. All depends in sales numbers would justify selling it at lower cost.

There is precedence for 11.99 price point as benchmark since 2017.

They could sell at 11.99 till further east without losing many buyers as large percentage of buyers get map DLC with steam sales anyways.

Always be people complaining about the cost scs can't do anything anyways at certain point.

[flight50]

Your right. My math was off. Its 23.98, not 22.98. The problem with continuing with 11.99 states well into the East is exactly what you just said.............people complaining bout cost. It will get worse after Texas. People will realize how much Texas came with and how much space they got at the same price of ETS2 maps........but more content. Once they start comparing the West, to the Central and the Eastern states, they'll start asking for larger map packs is my guess. That is when price becomes an issue. To combat that, SCS need to do equal size or close to equal size map release like that of the West.

People already don't respect the amount of content that Texas came with. They don't see that and its size. I don't think more compact states of the East and the Midwest will get people looking at amount of content either. People seem to be stuck looking at the overall size and comparing that. This state is as large as that one type stuff. Its really the amount of work in each state, the density. But not everyone is looking at that.

[oldmanclippy]

@flight50 See I just don't think that kind of bundling is likely to happen. Why test and market both states separately when you could sell them together? Who is gonna buy Nebraska but not Kansas, North Dakota but not South Dakota, Tennessee but not Kentucky, etc? I just don't see what the point is.

What I know is they can't have 47 listings on the Steam page for just states alone. No matter how good the bundle deals are they can't look like Paradox on steroids. Better to show people directly that South and North Dakota come together in one DLC than "well you could buy them separately or you could buy them together at a discount". It will look ridiculous.

[flight50]

You really can't assume people buy all maps though. The logical scenario is not always a guarantee. You can only control what you buy, not others.

But I never said people won't buy this or that. I am saying if people buy, they want the best deal. Explain why the current bundles exist? They sell. People want deals, that's the point. Looking ridiculous is your opinion though. At the end of the day, what does it matter if this are individual dlc's or can be bought as bundles? Its the options that people will look for, not astethics of a site to buy dlc's.

[oldmanclippy]

It's extra burden on test because you have to do integration testing for 2 DLCs instead of 1, and you have to worry about ensuring that two steam pages get clicked and wishlisted and heard about instead of one, and you have more bloat on the Steam page which does turn people off (again look at Paradox). Marketing 2 DLCs for simultaneous release is surely a massive juggling act compared to just 1.

Sure it's doable, but I just don't see the benefits for SCS nor the player doing it that way.

[VTXcnME]

@flight50 I don't think the confusion is around bundling vs combining.... I think it has to do with whether 1 team is working on 1 state or if 1 team is working on 2 states.

If Team A is working on Kansas and Team B is working on Nebraska, those states will sell at their allotted price of $11.99 each. Each team has to be paid their services right? Selling them in tandem for $17.99 combined vs $11.99 each cuts into their bottom line. Now they are essentially making $8 on each state. A $3.99 price cut. That does not make financial sense for SCS to do that.

Once we get further east and the states get smaller: If Team C is working on Arkansas and Louisiana, then that DLC would come as a combined DLC pack and be $11.99 (in theory).

I don't see SCS cutting off their revenue stream short on the remaining big squares. They'll be enough times they are marginal on finances on smaller DLC's going east.

Half the problem with this forum is folks get bogged down in trivial technical definitions of things vs looking at what the message *ACTUALLY* says. Combined DLC or Bundled DLC..... read the message thru, I can't see SCS cutting off $4 PER STATE for the next 5 states. Literally the worst business decision SCS could make. They'd be putting the same amount of work into the similar sized DLC's we are getting now (obvious exceptions Texas and Montana) and accepting a third less for it. No sense for them to do that.

[oldmanclippy]

There can be two informal subteams in one team. We don't know enough about how SCS works to say for sure. Especially since each state has its differences, it would make sense to keep mappers to just one state during development of a given DLC, at least while the states are still big enough to allow that.