You misinterpret the quality potential: "100% better" isn't the peak. It's all relative. S42 can be more than 100% better than something else.
For example:
- A normal dildo costs $20.
- Another dildo (metal, not plastic) is 50% more expensive, so it costs $30.
- A third dildo, owned by a famous actress is 250% more expensive than the normal one, so it's $70.
- A TEST branded golden space dildo is 2000% more expensive than the first one, so it costs $420.
This isn't Quality potential, this is Better potential. It could be 300% better than anything that came before, however knowing that the final Ep3 is going to be 600% better they can temper expectations with Ep1 and 2 to make Ep3 a crown jewel instead of an also-ran...
As such, your dildo analogy is flawed, sir.
1) you are using cost as an quantifier as to what is Better
and
2) You are looking at the market and not taking into account that if this is a direct comparison with s42, three of those Dildos are going to be produced by the same manufacturer.
1) Using price as an indicator of Better: Just because something is better it does not mean it is going to be more expensive. Is a Banana more expensive than an apple? Maybe by pennies but neither is going to break the bank and s42 episodes 1, 2 and 3 will presumably all be roughly the same price on release. Using increasing cost of an indication of awesomeness is not parallel with s42 as each game is likely to cost roughly the same, and especially when all of the backers before a certain date get Ep1 for what they have already pledged anyway.
2) Same manufacturer of dildos: In your analogy you stated 4 examples of Dildos but you only stated one manufacturer, for the last one, as TEST. As S42 Ep1, Ep2 and Ep3 will be made and released by the same maker, CIG, they already have a fair idea of what level of Better Ep3 will likely be. This allows them to throttle the amount of Better Ep1 and Ep2 are compared to Ep3. Looking at your own dildo collection as an example, if the Normal $20 dildo is what is already available on the market and the $30 metal, $70 Actress and $420 TEST Space Dildo are all made by TEST, then Test can throttle the amount of better each dildo is over the other and also who they get to endorse the $70 one.
If TEST knows it has an awesome Golden Space Dildo waiting in the lineup, all it would have to do is release the $30 one and it would be the best on the market. Then when the $70 is released, it would be the best on the market, then the $420 would
redefine the market. If TEST released the $420 first, what would be the point of making and releasing the $70 or $30 versions after apart from affordability?
So according to me CIG will likely make Ep1 awesome, Ep2 unbelievable and Ep3 earth shattering, because of the market conditions and economics of Dildos. Why do you have so many, anyway?
