26 replies to this topic

[vettie]

Basskicker, on 15 January 2015 - 10:03 AM, said:

I look at it like this, at least for the Resistance packages, look at what you get for your money. 12 mechs, 4 of which are practically hero mechs, 60 days of premium time, premium faction based colors, and other stuff but its mostly just fluff. Its a pretty good deal if especially if you are going to buy MC for premium time anyways.

Edit: I will say that when I first seen those gold mechs pop up for sale christmas time of 2013 it kind of irked me a little bit.

Bass here basically states it in a nut shell

The Resistance Pack is 80$ US (for the full pack)
That nets you 12 Mechs, 4 Hero Types included in that.
That alone puts the Price of those mechs at around 6.67$ ea.

I think you get 3 premium paint colours (normally 500 to 1000 MC when not on sell). 300 MC is roughly = 1.50$ US (depending on MC package you buy) so roughly 5$ US per paint, or 15$ US roughly

Then you get 60 days of Premium Time, where 30 days of PT = 2500 MC. so another 20 to 25$ US roughly in PT.

So combine (high end prices)
15 for paint
25 for PT
80 for mechs

120$ US total value roughly for 80$. Decent Deal. not to even mention the cockpit dodads and other things included.

Less than 7$ US is not bad for a Mech. I have never played WoT, but how much is a Tank if you pay real $?

PGI makes their money from just a few things
Selling MC
MC Cost to Exchange XP for GXP
Selling Paint
Selling Mech Bays
Selling Cockpit Dodads
Selling Heros
Selling Champions
Selling Mechs
Selling Mech Packages.

The ONLY things not available to Free Players are Heros and Champions and Extra Mech Bays. (Champs have been awarded in various contests as have Mech Bays).
Paint and dodads are vanity items, but some like them (I do very much, but you may not, and that is fine)
If you enjoy playing the game, mech bays are almost a must (PGIs bread and butter selling item).
Heros are cool but not required, but if you do buy them, you get slightly different weapons slots and CBill earnings boost, Champs are just standard variants with an XP Boost (great for grinding) (save the Extra XP and exchange it for GXP for modules - does cost MC -MC cost cash)

The only thing I think are really out of line are paints, but I generally only buy them on sale or with a package, but that is my opinion.

Again, never played WoT so i dont know the cost of items in that game, overall, MWO prices are not THAT out of line. Use your brain (not you specifically, you as in the general public) and get stuff on sale if you want to spend cash, but you dont really have too spend anything. Most tempting expenditure would be 1.50 for a mech bay so you can keep your mech(s).

Just my opinion

[girl on fire]

I don't think there's any evidence that actually corroborates the idea that Battletech fans tend to have more disposable money than anyone else.

Adulthood =/= disposable money. I mean, maybe it does, if you happen to be single without a family, a mortgage and a decent job. Which probably (and by probably, I mean definitely) describes less than half the world's population.

I also see a lot of conflating of questions about the pricing model and an unwillingness to spend money. Yes, we know, you don't have to spend money. You have a firm grasp of the obvious, congratulations. The repetition of this line as though it's an actual argument is a little annoying and contributes nothing. If all you have to offer is the obtuse "hurrp derrps but you don't have to spend money" don't bother. We know. Everyone knows. Just stop.

ANYWAY,

Prices are way too high. I doubt they'll ever change... But at least they are finally developing a game that may give you something worth playing in those overpriced 0's and 1's arranged to look like robots. I'd probably spend some money now that CW is here (partially) if I could decide what mech I want to stick with.... Which is why I have about a dozen alternate accounts. I can't decide.

I really love the Spider 5k but the constant ups and downs of light mech pilotting makes it seem like a bit of a gamble... Also, while I love the 5k/5k(c) (when it's available as a trial mech) the other variants stink.

Edited by girl on fire, 15 January 2015 - 11:16 AM.

[Brody319]

simple. "Everyone of these mechs is going to be released for free. If you want to play it early then you pay us money. if not you wait and buy it free." Its simply there so people don't have to grind for c-bills and their market seems to be mostly older males who tend to have jobs and money to burn, so for a lot of people who want to play these mechs from their childhood, its simply "I'm working a lot and can't play as much, so I probably won't be able to grind the c-bills needed, so I'll just pay for the mechs and play them when I can". I don't think there is anything inherently sneaky or deceitful about this. Like a company who produces only high end sports cars, sure you won't sell a whole lot, compared to cheaper cars, but since your market is willing to pay for it, you can make a profit. and those who can't afford or refuse to pay for the expensive car can just save up and buy one when its value depreciates. They won't get it when its new and shiny, but its the same car regardless, and they save money doing it that way.

[Burktross]

Mister Blastman, on 15 January 2015 - 10:15 AM, said:

You don't have to pay the extra money. Set a ceiling and stick to it. My ceiling for games is sixty bucks. Leave it at that and wait for an expansion pack with, you know, content like lots of maps, art assets (i.e. stuff that populates maps), robots, weapons, single player, extensive online game modes, etc. (note these are mutually inclusive i.e. an expansion isn't comprised of just one of the above, it contains a minimum of four to five with at a minimum, either 8 - 15 maps -or- the lesser of 8 maps and exceptional game modes)

In other words. Play as much as you want. Pay as much as you want. But you don't have to pay too much if you don't want to.

That doesn't matter if you don't get the bang out of your buck either way.

[Raggedyman]

LordBraxton, on 15 January 2015 - 07:58 AM, said:

I want to give PGI the benefit of the doubt here. Can somebody explain why PGI needs to charge hundreds of dollars for mech expansions to be a successful business? How do other small studios make money off their games when they charge $20-$40, and then release new content in $15 packs a couple times a year? Why are PGI prices 10x the norm? The only other games that do this are WoT\Warthunder. I want to know why these games have to charge these prices to succeed. PGI is the only mech-crack dealer in town, so they don't really have to compete with anyone else's prices.

• Not a main-stream game/highly popular genre (also "the norm" in such a niche game is tricky to define)
  
• The mechs are the main draw in the game, rather than the weapons, so whilst you can't sell that many medium-lasers you can sell the shell they go around in
  
• There is a general trend in games of average spend per player and number of players spending is going down, so it's a valid option to go for bigger sales from the more 'sticky' players than try to get small sales off the passing players
  
• If people are paying the money then PGI will charge it

assumptions (PGI, y u no let me see your accounts!) based on experience in the games industry/knowing people still in it

[Mudhutwarrior]

Pricing model based on a fool and his money are soon parted.

I have bought many things here but no where near what others have spent and still have fun.

[Asrrin]

If you look at the mech packs and compare them to subscription based games you would see the price is actually pretty reasonable. World of Warcraft is a game that has a subscription that is on average $12 a month, plus a minimum of $50 for one or more of the expansion packs. for 4 months plus the expansion you are already nearing $100. For less than that you can purchase the $80 Resistance Wrath Pack, giving you 4 months of premium time and 12 mechs to play with in addition to some other fun goodies. Premium time, especially in 1 month increments, acts a lot like a subscription based model, as it gives you accelerated content, access to private matches, and makes the game feel like less of a grind.

Yeah sure, AAA titles typically cost $60 or less, but they do not normally have dynamic content, and if they do, it must also be purchased at an additional cost. When you compare the amount of time you can spend playing this game if you really like it, compare it to what you would spned on DLC or subscriptions for other games, it actually comes off as being pretty comparable. Plus, if you do not feel like paying for content, you don't have to, as everything short of hero mechs can be gotten for free at some point (even mechbays, during promotions)