Quoted from emo:That sounds to me like you just outlined the reasons for having different versions of the same game. Unless your suggesting making it low cost to keep it affordable and then let others cash in and make mods for it.
I do hear what your saying and heard the same said about Tron but personally think having different versions to fit peoples needs or budgets is the way to go. They do that with cars, cameras and other electronic products all the time.
I understand the idea, I just feel that thinking needs to be done outside the box to make the hobby a mainstream obsession again. And by intentionally making a half-ass game, just to cash-in on a higher priced LE with some EL wire along the ramps (should've been there in the first place) or a shaker, or speaker upgrades is just flat to me. And for the increase, you can't even include LEDs? Or an LCD display?
Everyone likes their machine lit a little differently, or with nonglare glass, or aftermarket toys/mods, or whatever. It's a major part of the hobby, tinkering/customizing/polishing or what have you and people are gonna do it themselves anyway even after the (as of current market standards) B.S. LE package. And people pay the premium because they don't want the half-ass game to start with, or to fully pimp out an uncompleted game.
I just think that it would be better in the long run to include all the stuff that you have planned for a said machine, don't hold out some key elements to "save it for the LE", and maybe then get some convo going with some manufacturing companies and talk about making after market stuff that is officially stern licensed. That way, people get to pick and choose what they want/need or can/can't afford, and customize their stuff from the get -go. No waste on their end as well. Not have to shell out extra money "to not miss any features". Better customer satisfaction/bang for your buck. Market it as a "make your own one of a kind" type of thing, promote goodwill amongst the industry and make it easy to break another company or two or three into the industry. And all at the same time, satisfy both the public and the collector crowds.