The Humble Monthly Bundle just released the list of games for those who had subscribed prior to knowing. And to be fair and honest, for $12, it's still undervalued. Bundle of Bundles The games in the monthly bundle include: Saints Row IV, Besiege, Valkyria Chronicles, Towerfall: Ascension, Lethal League, Legend of Grimrock 2 and Sanctuary RPG. At face value the games do offer value when it comes to content. As I own Besiege, I can tell that for what it's worth it is really impressive and fun. However, on the flip-side, for those who have owned some of these games will find it lacking and for good reason. The Humble Monthly Bundle for the most part was a blindfold for subscribers, and the only way to find out what games were inside the upcoming bundle were through hints found on Humble Bundle’s Twitter. Many had thoughts that the games were such of Shovel Knight but alas it wasn't. I did a post a month ago regarding why this approach for subscribers and would-be buyers was either risky or disappointing. At this point, majority of those find themselves refunding the bundle. And to be fair, the games are great albeit those who have owned them wanted something more. Even Humble Bundle claimed that the games curated were not part of a bundle previously, which wasn't true as Saints Row IV had been in the Jumbo Bundle before. While I do get that the subscription is a safe way to guarantee 4 or 5 games to those who paid the $12, it's still a great amount to purchase with the added fact that some games might have either been bought before. It's tough to do this, considering some of the games are decently old. I feel that had Humble Bundle decided to include much newer games, there would be more incentive to retain the subscribers who had bought the first month’s games and might even garner more purchases. At this point, for those expecting a good first month leading up to the next bundle, find trouble for excuses to purchase the next month considering what is revealed doesn't really interest them. I don't blame the refunds that have been occurring for the subscriptions. Maybe the company had seen this coming considering that for buyers, it's a lose-lose situation all-around. They pay a high price for not knowing the quality and value of the games, and at the same time were made a promise that Humble Bundle couldn't necessarily keep with the games not being bundled before. Those who had at least one of the games in the Monthly Bundle made it a guarantee that they wouldn't necessarily get their money back in a way. Where does the company go from here? It's hard to see. At this point those who have boarded the ship might have already jumped overboard and swam away before they reach their next destination. I believe that maybe showing a few games or reducing the price might help to boost subscription numbers, but after what they'd got it's rather unlikely. The Humble Monthly Bundle is a mixed bag, while for those who own none of the games might find it great. It's a great way to be surprised but there's even a greater chance to be disappointed all the same. Maybe this approach isn't a bold move but rather a weak one. The buyers have spoken, it's your move now Humble Bundle. Seems that Saints Row IV Game of the Century edition was on sale on the Humble Store, which begs the question: why not have that in the bundle instead of the base game? It seems that it's quite clear that they want the buyers to also purchase the upgrade which would cost them another fee. C'mon Humble Bundle, don't do such antics.
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AuthorBenny Ong: Just your regular guy who likes soccer more than most people, and also a little downtime is pretty nice. Archives
November 2015
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