On a more positive note, launching AI with a traditional niche publisher like Shrapnel instead of a mainstream digital service may end up being the right move over the long haul. In addition to the general coolness of getting a box and printed documentation to go along with his game, Mr. Saunders is now officially "published," a status that tends to open many doors for new developers.
His other project, XenoBloom, has garnered enough interest from Steam users to achieve Greenlit status. This plants a proverbial flag for him on that map as well. It will be interesting to see if XenoBloom generates interest in AI, as many Steam gamers are likely to investigate new indie devs that produce interesting games.
As far as Shrapnel's price point: I'll just say that I'm still working at the company responsible for the production of the physical documentation for Dominions 3. I have in front of me the very first 292-page spiral bound manual that rolled off our production line. I know it was the very first because I assembled it myself, with my own two hands. I had read the manual cover-to-cover before the game even came out.
As someone who has been doing this work for over a decade now, I can promise you that small run digital print production is NOT cheap. The big publishers who still deal in on-shelf product employ offset printers and mass produce to keep production costs down. A small publisher like Shrapnel with a relatively limited customer base does not have that luxury.
So while I understand the necessity of pricing on that level, I'm still disappointed that there isn't a more economical and purely digital option for people who just don't want the boxed product.
And the DRM. Grumble grumble.
