50 replies to this topic

[Jetfire]

2 Dollar for light mechs
4 Dollars for medium
6 Dollars for heavy
8 dollars for assault
1 dollar for mechbays
50 cents for a basic color unlock
75 cents for a color unlock
1 dollar for a premium color unlock
1 dollar for basic camo pattern per chassis
3 dollars for a premium camo set (Like Phranken) per chassis

Make the Hero Mechs a 50% premium and pre-sell the mechs a week early as they have been doing for MC.

You have to balance impulse buying with keeping content buyers bringing in enough money. They are competing not only with other video games but with hobbies. Many of the founders have cash to spend that is much more than we would pay in things like LoL due to our love for the IP of Battletech and Mechwarrior. Pricing cannot go too low, but for the moment they are likely relying on 50% sales to generate steady income.

[Sug]

John Branon, on 28 September 2013 - 06:27 AM, said:

The pricing at the moment shows a baffling lack of understanding of basic economics, and many people in this thread share this lack of understanding.

With the pricing OP suggested, the developers would make MORE money than now.
If 5 out of 100 players buy a $15 mech, they have $75.
If 50 out of 100 players buy a $3 mech, they have $150

Lamborghini sold about 2,100 cars last year, about $400,000 each so $840,000,000 in revenue.

BUT if they charged $10 a car than I bet everyone in america would buy one.

That's $3,130,000,000!!!!! They're freaking idiots not to lower their prices.

[mike29tw]

Sug, on 28 September 2013 - 05:16 PM, said:

Lamborghini sold about 2,100 cars last year, about $400,000 each so $840,000,000 in revenue.

BUT if they charged $10 a car than I bet everyone in america would buy one.

That's $3,130,000,000!!!!! They're freaking idiots not to lower their prices.

The problem is they are not capable of producing that large number of Lamborghini in the first place. Digital content, on the other hand, has no such issue.

Invalid analogy.

[Sug]

mike29tw, on 28 September 2013 - 11:19 PM, said:

Invalid analogy.

It was more about ridiculing the other post than being valid.

[DeadlyNerd]

Whoever voted that PGI wouldn't have enough money to develop the game, I hope you're being sarcastic.
If not, I pity you for your gullible view on how world works and suggest you take a look at Korean f2p MMORPGs.
Actually take a look at ANY f2p game.

[The Boz]

DeadlyNerd, on 29 September 2013 - 06:09 AM, said:

...suggest you take a look at Korean f2p MMORPGs.

Korean grindfests? Really?

[Edwin Kain]

Without the exact details of PGI'S current earnings, none of can truly know how well the game is doing in terms of profits. We could try to judge by delays and releases thus far, but by the same token none of know exactly what is going on behind the scenes of the development either. Could be monetary difficulties, could be program environment related difficulties, maybe a combination, or none of those things, who knows. But there is a valid point to be had here. With a happy medium between current prices and those suggested in this thread. There could be an increase of consumer interest in dropping money down for the games content. It is much easier for anyone including those without much disposable income to spare, to justify buying things in between $2-$20 then $20-$100. In short making the Items both affordable an more appealing will likely result in more frequent purchases from a larger amount of consumers. Either way it will still be good for the game in general whether its struggling to keep afloat profit wise or if it just resulted in a bloat of income, to bloat out more features. Any way you look at it more money is better. For them and hopeful for us.

[John Branon]

IceLom, on 28 September 2013 - 01:33 PM, said:

You are assuming allot....

It's an example, illustrating an economic principle. I assume as much as or even less than anybody who claims the developers would not make enough money after a price cut.

[John Branon]

Sug, on 28 September 2013 - 11:37 PM, said:

It was more about ridiculing the other post than being valid.

I'm glad we cleared that up.

[DeadlyNerd]

The Boz, on 29 September 2013 - 06:15 AM, said:

Korean grindfests? Really?

And this isn't a grindfest? Are you actually playing MWO or wandered off from Hawken?

[Skiddywinks]

If hero 'Mechs were $10, I'd have at least one of each weight, and then any I simply wanted. As it is, I have spent no real money on this game. I think OP's ideas were too cheap, but as they stand they are way too expensive.

[The Boz]

DeadlyNerd, on 29 September 2013 - 12:28 PM, said:

And this isn't a grindfest? Are you actually playing MWO or wandered off from Hawken?

Have you actually played Korean grindfests, or are you just talking about things you've heard?

[CtrlAltWheee]

WarHippy, on 27 September 2013 - 07:31 AM, said:

Your prices are way too low.
If I was to do the pricing I would do something like the following.

Light and Medium Mechs are $8
Heavy and Assualt are $12

Light or Medium 3 pack of same chassis $20
Example 3 Raven mechs no mix and match.

Heavy and Assault 3 Pack of same chassis $30
Example 3 Highlander mechs no mix and match

Light and Medium Hero Mechs $15
Heavy and Assault Hero Mechs $20

This! This is brilliant. Thank you

[Fitzbattleaxe]

The problem with F2P is that it's only good for the developers, and for people who don't want to spend any money. For people who are willing to spend anything at all, it's horribly overpriced. $50 in MWO buys you a couple of hero mechs, whereas not so long ago, that same $50 would have been able to buy you a complete Mechwarrior game with a full single player campaign, free multiplayer, and no content that would take more than a week to unlock if you played consistently. I really, sincerely hope this revenue model doesn't become the norm.

[DeadlyNerd]

The Boz, on 29 September 2013 - 01:23 PM, said:

Have you actually played Korean grindfests, or are you just talking about things you've heard?

Have you played Cabal? Or are you only talking about things you've heard?

Btw, your reply doesn't make sense because my point is that MWO is grindfest just like Korean MMORPG's. You're trying to make those RPGs sound like less of a grindfest than they are?

[The Boz]

No, I'm trying to explain how Korean grindfests are much, much more grindy than this game.

[Carcearion]

The current pricing on Mechs is frankly way too high. I would personally very much like to buy my self a Cataphract 3D. When I looked at the cost and then flipped over to buy my self some MC and saw that the thing will cost be about 18$ I could not justify the purchase. First of all that’s 18 bucks, I would not spend 18 bucks on any single piece of digital content, Not for a character, or a weapon, or a quest, or level or anything It is just too much. Second Its not even the Mech I want yet, i'm still going to need to grind to equip it how I want. Third even after all that I could end up not liking the Mech after playing with it. I might just decide that my good old Dragon N1 is a better go and have basicly thrown away 18 bucks.

I can speak for two other friends of mine that wanted to buy a Mech, saw the cost, and said forget it. I know we are just three players but if you had been willing to give us some bang for our buck you would have already had three sales. Even at OP's pricing that’s 18$ Dollars you got from us right there as opposed to 0$, and that would just be out first round of purchases. As it stands none of is feel like we would be getting any value for our money.

I'd take a tip from the barrage of players on the forum saying they want to give you their money but need you to deflate your prices. Other companies like Riot for example (which some one else on here noted) make plenty of money with much lower prices buy simply selling more at less.

[aniviron]

While I like the idea of lower prices, OP's sound a bit low for non-camo/paint items. That kind of pricing works okay for games like TF2 where they have tons and tons of content just exploding out of their pores and orifices in a big gooey ropes, but MWO doesn't really have all that much to sell right now.

That said, I have never spent any money on anything but mech bays, and am hesitant to even spend money on those because of how ungodly expensive everything is. Most hero mechs cost more than an entire game on Steam, assuming you're waiting for one of the 50 sales that go on every year. I mean, the more expensive hero mechs cost more than most multiplayer AAA titles go for brand new on Steam, without a sale.

It does seem to be working for PGI, which is great; it's just a bit sad that I can't afford to really support a game I like.

[PharmEcis]

The bottom line is the pricing is NOT going to go down as long as there are suckers like me and many others who are buying the latest mechs for the requested MC price. The BH is a $30 mech when you buy your MC at the highest amount for the most MC / dollar, more when you buy smaller chunks of MC. That mech was released today and in every game I played tonight there was at least 4 or 5 BH's per match. Do you realize how much MC got spent today?

Why would PGI lower their income when we are willingly paying for what they offer now at their requested pricing?

Currently they have a monopoly on the BT universe when it comes to getting your MW fix. Supply and demand. They can and will do what they want. The only way to change it is to not pay. Good luck getting people like me to stop paying. I have disposable income.

[DeadEye COTP]

PharmEcis, on 01 October 2013 - 08:48 PM, said:

Good luck getting people like me to stop paying. I have disposable income.

Anyone wondering why the prices don't change - it's because of people like this who have lost their idea of value in money. There is no such thing as 'disposable' income. That is a term coined to make people feel better about their terrible spending habits. Yes, I have "disposable" income too. Enough that I have spent thousands a month on RCE games and the like.

However, when it comes to spending any money here I simply won't. I don't give in to thieves cornering a market hoping to suck whatever last pennies they can from the starved gamers. I would feel better donating the money (which I do very often) than giving it to a shady company like this. I actually just donated 40$ to a game some friends of mine are developing, I get nothing for it except their gratitude. I wouldn't spend a penny here, because they don't even deserve that.

I'll add something constructive though:

Look at how a game like Smite operates. It's quite easy to unlock a new god, less than 50 games. All are available for free if they are worked for (except the brand new ones are held for a few weeks). If you do choose to buy their "God Pack" which includes all upcoming and current gods, is something like 29.95 or 39.95 I can't remember. The point is no matter which it is, it's still a damn good value. Now take into account they will pay you back for any of the free currency you spent on gods when you make this purchase, they are almost begging you to spend your money. That is a deal.

The same amount of money here gets you 1 hero mech. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they don't need to sell things at that price point to keep the game alive. It's pure greed.

Edited by DeadEye COTP, 01 October 2013 - 09:15 PM.