Starting today and continuing through June 1, a group of indie game makers is cutting prices in select digital distribution markets as part of the “Because We May” campaign.
Ron Carmel, co-founder of 2D Boy (makers of World of Goo), came up with the concept behind the initiative, which is intended to celebrate distributors who allow price flexibility. “We believe that developers should have the freedom to price their games how they like, without interference from the online stores that sell the games,” reads a statement on the event’s homepage. “Why? Because it allows us to promote our games more freely, as we are doing here! We rely on the ability to promote our games for our livelihood and control over pricing is an important tool for this purpose.”
Online stores participating in Because We May include Apple’s Mac and iOS App Stores, Google Play, and Valve Software’s Steam platform. Discounted games include World of Goo, Team Meat’s Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, and Hemisphere Games’ Osmos.
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While the event is billed as a “celebration,” it may also be intended to call out companies like Microsoft (Xbox Live Arcade), Sony (PlayStation Store), and Nintendo (eShop), which retain full control over the prices of the products they sell. Nintendo recently announced that it is rolling out a digital distribution plan this summer that will turn pricing power over to retailers.
More information, including a full list of participating games and distributors, is available at the official website.
