Crashlands is a video game available on Steam, Android and iOS that features true cross-platform play. The game is essentially the same on each platform to the point where I can exit the game on my PC and then immediately start playing from where I left off on my iPad or Android phone.
Crashlands does this by syncing save data to a cloud system it runs, and so far I’ve been impressed by how seamlessly it works. For a single-player action RPG (i.e., you run around killing things and stealing their loot), this sort of cross platform play is unique, as far as I am aware. I play cloud-based games like Hearthstone that let you access the same cards or equipment on different platforms, but nothing where I can quit a game mid-stream and pick off whenever I want on whatever platform I want.
The cross-platform nature of the game has also led to some criticism because of the different pricing structure on PC vs. mobile. Crashlands cost $14.99 on Steam, but only $4.99 on Android and iOS even though there is literally no difference in gameplay other than the different control scheme for mobile vs. PC.
So the Steam discussion forums about the game are starting to see a lot of posts asking why the game costs 3 times as much on PC as it does on mobile if it is the same game on each platform.
Crashlands developers knew this would be a frequently asked question and, so, added it to (surprise!) the game’s FAQ:
Why is there a price difference between the Steam and mobile versions?
Here’s the deal. It’s incredibly simple, and is just how we have to deal with market forces outside of our control. We aren’t a powerful studio that can just take a stand to make a point. We have to follow the market.
With the amount of content and quality that Crashlands has, we think it’s easily worth $15-$20. But we are a totally unknown studio on PC, so we went with the lower price point.
The mobile market has extremely suppressed prices, due to the massive numbers and dominance of free-to-play games. We can’t charge what the game is worth on mobile, because the market doesn’t support that price: people simply won’t buy it. So we looked at the prices for successful games that people will see as being similar to Crashlands. In the vast majority of cases, it’s 4.99. Minecraft gets away with 6.99 (note: 1/3 the price on PC), but Minecraft is a cultural phenomenon that literally has its own market.
And so we set the price to what the market would allow. And yes, that’s 1/3 the price of what the game is worth. And yes, we’re charging what the game is worth on PC.
Crashlands is certainly on the only game with wildly different pricing on Steam compared to mobile. Scribblenauts Unlimited cost $19.99 on Steam but costs only $6.99 on iOS and Android even though it is exactly the same game on all three platforms.
On the one hand, the developers of Crashlands are absolutely correct–the game is definitely worth $15 on Steam.
On the other hand, what does it say about the future of game development on mobile when developers essentially use PC gamers to subsidize low mobile prices? I keep reading how mobile is quickly overtaking consoles as far as total market is concerned, but if that market is nothing more than exploitative free to play games, that could be a Pyrrhic victory of the worst sort.