11 replies to this topic

[Saint Atlas and the Commando Elf]

As of today, I own 28 Mechs (including 5 Heroes and an unwanted Centurion Champion that I can't sell...), bought 7 colors and 2 Camos. And I am sure that many of you have a lot more. Point is, I don't need more and I don't want more. I have specialized Mechs for every in game challenge this game has to offer.

What I do want is that this game continues to exist and evolve.

Simple truth: PGI is run on cash. If we give them cash, there is a good chance that they will continue to develop MWO. (Although there is no guarantee. Transverse anybody?)

The only way to generate revenue out of MWO in the current state is by selling Mechs, premium time, skins, colors and so on. All of this has been around since the start. My assumption is that the revenue coming from these sources is already declining since at least 6 months. I see the increasing marketing efforts like “sweet deals for MCs” and such as an indication for this.

Even more new Mechs won't help this. Like I said above, I have enough of them. And I assume that there are at least some people who think the same. I know that some guys like to collect stuff just for the sake of it, but I don't think that there are enough of you to keep the company running.

So, here's my question:
What are new and promising ways to generate revenue out of MWO?

Small example: I do remember all that pay2win-whining from long ago. But honestly, if for example consumables were only available for MCs, would that be such a pain?

Disclaimer: I don't want to be all white knighting here. I just believe that PGI is maybe not the smartest company of them all and that maybe they would welcome some input on this matter. This community on the other hand has shown that it cares a lot about BT (and to a lesser extend about MWO) so that there might be some useful outcome.

Edited by Sthtopokeon, 04 March 2015 - 06:00 AM.

[Karl Streiger]

They could make some permanent "deals" for their whales.
For example - payed 250$ get - 3% more c-bill income/xp...what ever....

Me for my part would not buy a cockpit item - all i got are "free" cockpit items.
problem is - they doesn't look good enough to pay money for, at least they look like they don't be a part of the cockpit - not to mention complete stupid items like - steins, coffee cups, ice cream...

maybe even have some "unique" (and i really talk about unique items) that have some meaning
(Marauder poster, Sternacht pistol, Vibroknife, Swords at the celling, stained blood on the monitors.... destroyed monitors, changeable pilot skin)

Edited by Karl Streiger, 04 March 2015 - 06:13 AM.

[sycocys]

You could buy me the clan packs so I can switch sides. XD

[Saint Atlas and the Commando Elf]

Karl Streiger, on 04 March 2015 - 06:10 AM, said:

They could make some permanent "deals" for their whales.
For example - payed 250$ get - 3% more c-bill income/xp...what ever....

"c-bill booster" as it was called in another topic. Yes, why not. Should be rather easy to implement.

I also saw a topic where it was suggested to add alternatives for Bitchin' Betty (http://mwomercs.com/...it-voice-packs/)
I like that.

sycocys, on 04 March 2015 - 07:11 AM, said:

You could buy me the clan packs so I can switch sides. XD

No, I can't. I am broke as ****. But don't tell anybody, you hear me?

[Varent]

I really don't feel this should even be a question. The answers are easy and vast.

Allow for custom Decals to apply to a mech. Can apply them over any flat or curved surface of the mech. They already do this in many other games. ($10-20) (Approval would be needed through PGI. Apply for decal while submitting image, allow for a decent amount of time 1-2 weeks while someone previews it. As long as they determine there is no lewd content your good to go. I could imagine many players wanting to buy these for their whole friends group to be more uniform and unique.

Allow for custom warhorns. Same thing as above. submit a custom sound clip in proper format. ($10-20) As long as its nothing lewd it goes in.

Add in specialty effects for mechs or emoticon actions that you can install and use while in game. ($10-20) Atlas glowing eyes is a perfect example of this. Or perhaps (just for humors sake) have an emote you can install on the crab to make it do the crab walk. Could be as simple as just making a mech do a salute, a wave, or a taunt.

Those are just... easy money, literally. No major content changes needed. Small things that people would go nuts over and buy like crazy.

Obviously there are other ways for them to make money, but those would be the easiest and least costly and time consuming for them.

[destroika]

I'd buy the ability to change the champion status on the cicada chassis to the 3M variant.

Purchase a "rig" as in "jury rigging" to equip an ECM on a mech that doesn't come with that ability. This could take up a mech module slot, or more, or something else for balance. Lower armor value, higher heat gen, longer weapon cooldowns, longer targeting time, easier for you to be targeted... just 1 thing or combination as an example.

Purchase ability to swap hardpoints such as the Atlas DDC, I'd change those 3 missile slots in the torso for 1 or 2 energy/ballistics slots.

You know how there's a low c-bill cost consumable for small effect, higher c-bill cost for medium effect and an MC version for highest effect? - Revamp that - only 1 item of that type, premium effect only, can purchase for much higher c-bill cost or MC alternately. Instead of 40k, it would be 200k c-bills. Only used on special occasions instead of every bloody match and make the ability to use it more accurate so when you mean to hit your key on the enemy who's just standing there with his head barely visible, but he drops down the instant you hit the key, and then your arty strike is set off 2km out of bounds... How's about that minimap? It needs a lot of work already, imagine using that to place arty strikes? Or use it on the tactical map like in CoD, air strikes, cobra placement, other kill streak bonuses.

On that note, let's make the whole cockpit modular instead of static. Give the pilot the ability to move monitors and decor around, interact with monitor display info and minimap info. As far back as Wing Commander, made in 1990, Origin Games let the player interact with the monitors in the cockpit to display useful info. Now this opens up options for things to buy.

Edited by destroika, 04 March 2015 - 03:28 PM.

[TheArisen]

I like Varent's idea, people also wanted the ability to make their unit emblems. If we could put those on our mechs, that'd be pretty cool. This could include factions too.

[Ljusdahl]

Standing cockpit item: Picture frame. Submit an image for approval to be displayed in the frame. PGI would only need 1-2 seconds to discern whether it's breaking the rules or not.

[Twilight Fenrir]

As you can see by the yellow thing beneath my name... I've been around a while... Was in closed beta when there were only 4 mechs. But I fade in and out of the game for months at a time. It just gets boring :/ Making the game a bit less monotinous, giving an incentive to play, will make that premium time more enjoyable, and more worth while.

There needs to be more variety... The mechs, weapon systems and such are all coming along nicely... (need long toms still though ) We could use more maps pretty desperately still, but what I'd really like to see is a few different game modes. Even if they aren't 'realistic'. Let us have something silly to do when we need a break from 'kill everyone' (90%+ of the resource types still end in destroying instead of capping)

Mw4 had capture the flag. King of the Hill, and Team King of the Hill.... The one where BOTH teams had a dropship(s) to protect, and destroy. These game modes kind of need respawns to work, but with CW, the mechanics are in place for that. They weren't the most popular game modes, but they were always fun to run a few times when you were burnt out on regular combat...

How about a convoy escort?

Give users some control over the matches... Let us pick which map we want to play on, let us choose weather conditions...

OR, give us LESS control in pug matches. You used frozen City to demonstrate semi-dynamic weather conditions... Implement those fully! Make it be foggy to varying degrees, make it rain, or do things we don't see on earth, like magnetic storms that screw with radar and such... Day, and night.. Completely random. Making fewer and fewer matches nearly identical. And not just alight coametic effects, follow through with these logically And ccompletely.

If it's pouring rain, get a heat efficiency bump, but reduce weapon range (lasers difuse through raindrops,bullets slow down, or have their directionality minutely effected) . Lightning screwing with radar/hud. Heavy snow slowing you down a few percent...

High, and low gravity maps. Affecting Jump jets, fall damage, ballistic ranges, movement speed. Extreme high grav affecting heat production...

Edited by Twilight Fenrir, 05 March 2015 - 11:04 AM.

[Ryoken]

Allow us to put camo patterns on Founders, Hero, Phoenix, Invasion, Loyalty and Invasion mechs!

As I got little time I do enjoy and play mostly in my 30% C-Bill mechs. Yet for me as a customer willing to spend money on this game, I can not make use of camo patterns on like 90% of the mechs I play.

So if PGI finally would enable me to put camo on my premium mechs I could throw money at them...

[Bhael Fire]

I'd pay money to be able to paint my own camo pattern per chassis.

[Naduk]

i think one of the best things they could do is sell custom geometry for standard mechs
one slot per mech (somewhat like a cockpit item)
but gives you a slight change to your mech

things like
alternate heads (like the atlas concepts we saw)
horns, spikes, fins and other spikey type accessory's
alternate shields for those that have them (like the centurions arm)
small flags or banners to show loyalty to a house/clan/unit ect
other misc items like hands, feet, shoulder pads, nose cones ect

other things like reusable consumables
pay one higher MC cost (1000mc?) to get 1 arty strike (example) that never needs to be refilled
so to put them on lots of mechs would cost alot , but your fav's could get outfitted nicely