How about allowing different technology levels for products?

[whynot]

As the game is right now, for any given product, you have a single technology level. And there is only one identifiable brand rating for any item that your corporation sells.

Why can't a company sell a range of computers? High end, middle end, low end at varying price points to capture more of the market than they otherwise would?

[Purifier]

Im afraid this wont fit in the gamemechanics. IRL lower end pc's dont mean lower quality, they just have simpler (and thus cheaper) components (500GB hdd vs 1TB, Quadcore 2.5Ghz vs Quadcore 3.4Ghz, 4GB RAM vs 8GB etc)
Since the components in the game (CPU, Elec. Comp.) dont have different stats as in my sample above, the overall rating system in turn cant see the difference in those parts other then the quality.

[whynot]

Im afraid this wont fit in the gamemechanics. IRL lower end pc's dont mean lower quality, they just have simpler (and thus cheaper) components (500GB hdd vs 1TB, Quadcore 2.5Ghz vs Quadcore 3.4Ghz, 4GB RAM vs 8GB etc)
Since the components in the game (CPU, Elec. Comp.) dont have different stats as in my sample above, the overall rating system in turn cant see the difference in those parts other then the quality.

I think it can be differentiated on quality since none of the products have stats and are just abstracted to quality as perceived by some consumer. Quality itself is a function of the quality of ingredients/components and technology.

[Purifier]

True, but what im trying to say is that the game customers always prefer to buy higher quality items, so unless your branding on the lower quality is higher they wont sell....

[whynot]

True, but what im trying to say is that the game customers always prefer to buy higher quality items, so unless your branding on the lower quality is higher they wont sell....

If there's sufficiently high sensitivity to price and the lower quality is cheaper, they can capture some segment. Just like an AI product might do.

[mwyeoh]

If you think about it, high-end/mid-range/low-end are really separate markets and the products are different.
With the game as it is currently, the only way to do this is if when on release it is moddable, then 3 different PC types, 3 different laptop types, etc can be added

[Morgan]

I think it's a realistic idea, and a good one... Perhaps also, if you add the ability to sell different "brands" of stuff. In the real world, the same bottling plant makes Nestle water, Ozarka, Arrowhead, and many others.

In the current game, you could buy cheaper materials and produce a cheaper, lower quality product, but it would still be sold under your same brand, damaging it.

I agree that being able to sell low and mid range brands would enhance the game, but I think you'd have to increase the market complexity a lot to do it.