Bogost’s Guru Meditation
May 15, 2009
Ian Bogost of Persuasive Games has just released his latest game, Guru Mediation on and with the Atari 2600. An iPhone version of the game is also available. The Atari 2600 version is being sold in a limited edition of 10.
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Applied Game Design 
Oh, for a second I thought you meant there would only be 10 for sale on the iPhone. Now that would be a novel idea.
I wonder if and how much you could jack the price up on something like that. In a reasonably secure system I suppose 10 digital copies could be the same as 10 signed art prints or something. Of course “reasonably secure systems” don’t really exist yet. Maybe once we achieve everyday quantum encryption though.
Thanks for the mention Brenda!
Seth, I’ve thought about the idea of limited edition iPhone titles. The most obvious way to do it is through the ad-hoc distribution model rather than the app store. This method enforces a 100-device limit on installs. Not exactly a super-low limited edition, but quite in line with many runs of lithographs or prints or whatnot.
Of course, you’re right that this still doesn’t prevent someone from just listing a second, essentially identical version and making another 100. Nor does it prevent hacks and cracks. But it’s one approach.
Aside from self-promotion or — if you’ll forgive me for suggesting it — self-indulgent “artistic principles”, what is the point of artificially limiting production on digital goods?