Description: The Ndemic Creations developer James Vaughn is not confident about their decision to release After Inc. for $2. Read on to learn more why he pushed through with this pricing strategy despite his doubts.
Plague Inc.'s Less Bleak and More Affordable Sequel
Concerned About Mobile Game Market Being Saturated With F2P Games
Ndemic Creations just released After Inc. on November 28, 2024, with a budget-friendly price of $2. However, the developer James Vaughn is not quite confident of this bold pricing decision according to his interview with Game File on the same date. The game is the sequel to the highly popular game Plague Inc., as humans left their bunkers after decades of Necroa Virus ravaging the world.
Although After Inc.'s premise appears more optimistic than its predecessors, Plague Inc. and Rebel Inc., James Vaughn expressed doubts about its $2 price tag. His concerns stem from the mobile game market being saturated with free-to-play titles packed with microtransactions. Nevertheless, he and his team decided to proceed, basing their confidence on the proven success of their previous games.
"The only reason we can even consider releasing a premium game is because we have our existing juggernauts of Plague Inc. and Rebel Inc. which will help players find our games - and also show that there is still an appetite for intelligent, sophisticated strategy games on mobile. If we didn't have Plague Inc. to help - I think any game, no matter how good it is, would really struggle to get noticed."
Ndemic Creations also promised that all purchased content would be available to players without additional payments. On After Inc.’s App Store page, the developer mentioned that there are no "consumable microtransactions." They also added, "Expansion Packs are buy once, play forever," guaranteeing player progression without additional cost.
Currently, After Inc. is at the 5th spot, closely behind Plague Inc. and Stardew Valley, in the App Store’s Top Paid Games category. The game also enjoys a 4.77 out of 5 rating on Google Play. Meanwhile, an early access version called After Inc. Revival is also set to release on Steam in 2025, bringing Ndemic Creations’ latest game to PC players.
What is After Inc.?
After Inc. is a "mini" 4X grand strategy game mixed with simulation, where players must rebuild human society from the ground up after the events of Plague Inc.. Scattered with the remnants of modern human civilization, they must create multiple settlements across the United Kingdom in a post-apocalyptic world with a lush and vibrant environment.
In this game, ruins provide important crafting and building materials like wood and scrap metals for expanding, creating, and maintaining settlements. There are multiple buildings to jumpstart the revival of human civilization like farms and lumberyards. Providing essential services is also important for keeping the citizens happy and well-nourished. To top it all off, players can choose from five leaders (ten on Steam), with different abilities, to lead these settlements.
However, a threat is looming over the horizon. Zombies are roaming the world, and players must clear them to ensure the safe collection of resources and possible expansion of settlements. But with enough resources and manpower, players can turn the tide against these and reclaim the world for themselves. Vaughn assured players, "Nothing that can’t be solved with some nails stuck in a cricket bat!"
Sources:
A wildly popular pandemic video game gets a surprise sequel
After Inc: Revival Steam Page
After Inc App Store Page
After Inc Google Play Page
