Game Maker 8.1 Pricing
The price of upgrading to Game Maker Pro is to increase by 60% on June 1st.
The current Game Maker Pro 8 will be renamed to Game Maker Standard as of version 8.1 and from June will sell for $39.99.
Anyone who has a purchase reference number for Game Maker 8 (including those who received a free upgrade from Game Maker 7) is eligible to receive Game Maker Standard 8.1 at no additional cost.
The change in the naming structure is the biggest indication yet that a more expensive version of the software with additional capabilities will be made available.
The ability to export produced games in HTML5 format is one of the ‘addons’ or extra features that could appear in any more expensive version. Speaking to Sandy earlier this month he stated that the HTML5 product, if released, would be more expensive than the existing Game Maker but “won’t be thousands, it won’t even be hundreds”. He also said that he felt “a higher price in someways helps people value the product”.
This is the first change in the Game Maker pricing structure since the increase by $5 to $25 in February 2009.
Hoping the name change to “standard” suggests an even higher tier “professional” version!
Finally!
I’m happy with this… and eager to see what they’re gonna throw in the “Professional” version.
I’m sure this will certainly help Game Maker to be considered as a much more serious game development tool than it is today.
Glad to get a free upgrade– GM seems expensive now.
I hope they introduce a Basic Pro type version. Sure, a higher price helps people value the product, but many people use Game Maker because it’s the best bang for buck. Also, there are many children aged people who find it hard enough to convince their parents to buy them a $25 program they (may) only use once, but $40 is getting up there.
It’s not going to put me off, but I can see it putting other people off.
Also, Sandy replied to a comment about a new ‘Pro’ edition (http://glog.yoyogames.com/?p=3045#comment-21853), saying ‘keep watching’ and that they will post an ‘interesting video’ related to that in the next couple of days.
I’d say Game Maker is worth the $40.
$40 is not even more than the normal price of a new video game. It’s funny how parents wouldn’t take much convincing to buy their child a video game for $40, but some software that lets you make games? No, $40 is ridiculous; I’m not wasting $40 on that piece of shit.
Just an observation. D:
Agreed. Plus you can get the “Lite” absolutely free of charge which has pretty good functionality.
Heck, $40 is still less than I believe Game Maker is worth.
A little more than I would have expected but still an excellent value, especially if YoYo Games continue in their earnest effort to improve and iterate on the product. The notion that there is an even more capable “Pro” edition of Game Maker on the horizon is exciting.
i just hope that the new pro version will cost less then $369.00
any reason 369?
369??
$333 would mean something to me.
Zargy, the half of 666? :O
Zargy is 666…
And he never talks to me on skype anymore.
$369 would be expensive for the average indie developer.
$191192 would mean something to me.
Please do not focus on the price, instead we should identify the function and capability of the upgraded program.
YoYo started nice, but now…they want more…come on, one day they will compare you with UDK. If you are willing to give FEATURES in GM 8.1. i will pay…You YoYo.
I have 8.0 Pro but I need to update to 8.1 and the only site I found the update on, the link was broken…