Take a stand, Frictional

[Irontech]

I applaud Frictional for what they have done on such a slim budget, however...

How about a compromise to bridge the gap between a physical-deliver world and the download world?

Download/Gift Cards would provide a physical representation of the product, thus giving people something to gift-wrap or collect. Such an item could easily be marketed through outlets such as Amazon. Perhaps I'm being naïve, but I would think that there is very little overhead in the gift-card processing market and it would get Frictional the continued and improved exposure they deserve.

I, for instance, am planning to buy a copy of Amnesia as a gift for my wife for Christmas, and am dreading the awkwardness of wrapping up a homemade representation of a product. I'm from a generation shortly before the "Millennials" and I despise the impersonal feeling of giving a virtual item as a gift. The biggest difference between me and the average consumer like me is that I will give in to such a situation easier than some. If I had something like a retail download card, I'd be much more comfortable with either wrapping it (maybe I'd even wrap it up with a copy of her favorite horror movie) or putting it in a Christmas card.

Also, frankly, if I hadn't originally bought Penumbra (then Black Plague) at a retail store, I would not have ever stumbled across Amnesia (I became enough of a fan of Frictional that I kept checking to see if they were releasing a new game). Just imagine how many people never saw Penumbra/Black Plague and don't know anything about Frictional.

I love the work Frictional does and really want to see their great gaming work get the recognition it deserves, but I'm afraid they'll fade away like so many American Alternative music bands did in the 80's and 90's because of lack of cost-effective retail channels. Let's all make sure that doesn't happen!

In the meantime, I'm going to wait a few weeks to make my purchase, just until I can come up with my own way to package it.