3 replies to this topic

[Onimusha shin]

Looking at the game Mechwarrior Online as it is, I find that despite its many imperfections, it’s quite a solid game for us veteran Battletech fans as it is. Let us give credit where it’s due and congratulate the developers PGI where they have succeeded, in creating a thinking-man’s shooter, balanced game state with only a few junk mechs hardly anyone brings.

I do think that in order to push the envelope and create the truly thinking first-person shooter, more can be done to further appeal to the free-to-play base from Steam launch. Get ready for a Wall of Text!

PRICING

Veteran players have consistently argued for lowered pricing for the newbies (who will not have the hardcore fanaticism towards Battletech), packs wise, it’s probably fair to say that after any discounts, new players should be looking at no more than $5-8 per cbill boosted mech and $3-5 per regular variant. This means two things:

• PGI should offer MCs at sales at further discounted rates (fairly unlikely but who knows).
  
• Steam Newbie packs should not cost more than $25-40 per pack for 4 cbill-boosted chassis. Whether to match them with additional fluff like mechbays, MCs, camo, cbill bundles, is up to PGI. A barebones option would be good regardless. Some have pointed out that existing players would take advantage of the reduced pricing and scoop these up for themselves. Isn’t that a good thing? More revenue for PGI, which is what many have advocated in the past. True MICRO-transactions make people more inclined to pay out of their wallet. It could also come with a restriction like, players with more than 24hrs total play time on the game will be entitled to only 2-3 copies of the Newbie pack. This allows for a personal purchase and for gifting purposes.
  
• Mech pack pricing should be also available in MC equivalent to increase the attractiveness of buying MC packs. PGI needs to focus of viability of MC bundle sales, in conjunction with frequent sales, to make players think of loading up their account with MCs like they would with prepaid telco cards.
  
• General reduced pricing across the board for all in game items. Yes, it’s unthinkable for PGI. They need to change their thinking from the IGP days though. Truly micro-transations help them. Whales would continue to buy the big mech packs, which should stay at their current pricing levels for the early-access premium (doesn’t sit well with me either but the designers worked their asses off to create them so first dibs should be given to whales who can afford and support the game & developers). But in-game transactions could jump two to three fold.
  
  • I would buy mechbays more regularly whenever I’m close to running out, instead of grinding for events/CW.
    
  • Hero mechs, especially assaults would not be blanched at if they weren’t so crazy expensive, even after 50% discounts.
    
  • Camo patterns would be changed more frequently if cost of MCs went down or if MC price for the camo went down.
    
  • Premium time sold at discounts would be more palatable even if they ran on while you were logged out.

That’s all I can think of for the pricing aspect of MWO to appeal to the new players. If there are any comments or feedback, I’d like to heard them. Can’t address all of them but I may discuss about them in a follow-up post.



P.S. TBH, this was supposed to be posted pre-Steam launch (I know I know, snail's pace and RL, lol). All the above is pointless if PGI can show themselves numbers that post-Steam launch, their revenue went up by more than 100% on a per active player basis.

But if that didn't happen, maybe they might want to reconsider their pricing again.

Edited by Onimusha shin, 24 January 2016 - 07:43 PM.

[Jables McBarty]

Absolutely cosmetics should be cheaper. It's the only thing I've spent money on in Dota 2, and the thing I've spent the least on in MWO. Why would I spend 250-750MC for a doll that isn't real and just takes up screen space? If it's filler for a MAD or IIC pack, then fine, but MC? Price them at 25MC and I'll buy ten. Price one at 250MC and I'll buy none.

And I really don't get the point of the 750MC "permanent" camo specs. I can just get the same one-shot three times for 225MC--theoretically at least. In reality I've mostly gotten them when they are on sale, and only on my absolute favorite 'mechs.

Mechbay pricing: Mostly fine. It comes to something like $1.50/bay, which is the only real micro-transaction in the game atm.

Hero 'Mech (and all 'Mech for MC) pricing: Not sure. I've bought a single non-hero for MCs and felt guilty that I didn't grind it with Cbills. No remorse for my MAD, my HGN-IIC and my Steam pack though.... But I see the MC price as a moderate disincentive for Hero mechs, to keep them from flooding. So as a money-making scheme, yes pricing them lower would get me to buy more.

Steam Packs: Absolutely bring the price down on these. I bought my Heavy Pack because it sounded reasonable on sale. But off sale it wasn't worth it, and the Medium pack comes to $40 instead. I bought my friend a Wave 3 Shadowcat pack instead and got him 6 'mechs and two content packs. Less Premium Time sure but still a better deal imo.

In general I'll only buy MC when I need bays, then maybe keep 200 around in case I want to buy some camo specs (one-shots as above). So yea, reducing prices and increasing bundles will make me spend more microtransactions.

[Naglinator]

Considering MWO is WAAYYY cheaper then Warthunder or World of tanks/Ships and in those games you must pay for ammo AND repairs hence it's hard to build in game currency, why on Terra would PGI lower the prices here? They only have what, a 20K player base to pay their builds?

[Bud Crue]

Only thing I would like to see lower "prices" on is the c-bill cost of modules. As to the rest, I am indifferent. I can't speak to what new players or Non-BT/Non-MW fans would be willing to pay as opposed to the rest of us. As for me, I love the game and am willing to give PGI real cash to get mech packs, etc. I don't feel that the current price structure is out of line.

Would I like it to be cheaper? I suppose, but I am sure they have done the cost benefit analysis of the current pricing and that is likely where it will stay (absent inflation etc.).