39 replies to this topic

[TexAce]

Kelb, on 06 January 2013 - 08:33 AM, said:

Try thinking about what you are suggesting before you post it. Or do you just want this game to go away so you can go back to WOW?

I never played WoW. I don't even know at whom this is directed to. WoW uses a monthly subscription fee, which is a totally different business model. I want the game to last very long and this is a much better business strategy than the one currently available. I'm betting user adoptance is falling for MWO and if they don't act, you won't have a game to play in about a year max.

Bguk, on 06 January 2013 - 08:27 AM, said:

I'd rather they just go with a monthly sub as the f2p model ****** people off when they can't get certain items for free. Granted, some people will still be pissed off but at least the perception of the f2p model will be taken away.

Yeah and a lot of people will be gone, too. This is not WoW, where the adoptance rate was astromonical, it won't ever be for MWO, that's why it can't work.

IV Amen, on 06 January 2013 - 08:31 AM, said:

What the heck? MC is the real money currency in game. Why should they give us real money for playing? I wouldn't give money away to any one of you.

They don't give us 'real money' if they give us MCs. It doesnt mean anything for them. It's not like they are transferring money from their account to yours its just a made up value on a made up currency, which they can alter how they like.
It's about how to keep customers and make them feel cared of.

Edited by TexAss, 06 January 2013 - 08:43 AM.

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

Bguk, on 06 January 2013 - 08:27 AM, said:

I'd rather they just go with a monthly sub as the f2p model ****** people off when they can't get certain items for free. Granted, some people will still be pissed off but at least the perception of the f2p model will be taken away.

Never liked the F2P-model. That is why I didn't want to be a founder. I would however pay monthly sub or have bought the game in advance if it would have been buy to play. That said, I don't have anything against people buying hero mechs, it's not for me though even if they are superior in any way.

[Bguk]

TexAss, on 06 January 2013 - 08:36 AM, said:

Yeah and a lot of people will be gone, too. This is not WoW, where the adoptance rate was astromonical, it won't ever be for MWO, that's why it can't work.

And some may come. F2P is a viable model but so is monthly. It's just that f2p is currently the flavor of the month in terms of models. Not all games need robe WoW numbers to succeed.

[Bagheera]

I'm not sure all the ideas in the OP are solid, but there is a definite "Here's your free taste!" sales approach that PGI is missing out on in a big way. Special event (boosted rewards) weekends are something else that might help them out as well. Sort of funny to have passed through a big holiday with tons of folks on vacations at home, but no "doubleXP weekend" like so many games.

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

I think you fail to see that this game is not released yet. Just to remind you all - we're in an open beta.

[TexAce]

IV Amen, on 06 January 2013 - 09:04 AM, said:

I think you fail to see that this game is not released yet. Just to remind you all - we're in an open beta.

Sorry that doesnt mean squat. This game could be in beta the next whole year, even until its demise. The term here is 'rolling release'. The game is already open to the public, advertisements are everywhere in the internet.
There won't be a special "we are now officially released and finished" day, where everybody will celebrate and thousands or millions of players will suddenly come. You have to attract them now and keep them.

[Bagheera]

IV Amen, on 06 January 2013 - 09:04 AM, said:

I think you fail to see that this game is not released yet. Just to remind you all - we're in an open beta.

At this stage, that's just semantics. They're taking money, that's a "release" no matter what their marketing department insists on calling it.

[Jonathan Paine]

So how is this making PGI money?

[Scandinavian Jawbreaker]

TexAss, on 06 January 2013 - 09:17 AM, said:

Sorry that doesnt mean squat.

Your OP doesn't mean squat because they don't have features you demand MC's for yet.

Bagheera, on 06 January 2013 - 09:18 AM, said:

At this stage, that's just semantics. They're taking money, that's a "release" no matter what their marketing department insists on calling it.

Don't know the proper translation, but where I live we have a saying "Ones not stupid to ask a price, stupid is the one who pays the price". You're paying for a beta. The Founders Program was for support, but after that it's a dime spent on an open beta. This changes only one thing - stats and inventory won't be reset when it is officially released.

[Ozric]

Most successful F2P games have some way of earning the real money currency in game, however slow that may be. There is certainly a danger that a real-money-only tier of equipment can give a game a bad reputation and the F2P market is volatile to say the least. MWO is not an MMO, and the pricing model does have to be reflect that.

The obvious way for it to work in this game is a simple GXP->MC slider, so you can balance the MC exchanged from the already slow GXP rate. And in the name of fairness it's useful to have a weekly/monthly cap on how much MC you can earn. This also has the nice side effect of making it easy to see how much a month of gameplay is worth in MC terms. A mechbay a month seems a little stingy (at maximum grind), but a mechbay a week may seem too generous. Either way, it's easy to control from the devs point of view, and it has been widely proved (by science) that happy gamers (bribed gamers) are more inclined to drop real money on the games that make them happy.

But right now we are still in beta so it's all up in the air anyway. The long term business model will not be clear until the live release, and even then I'm sure they put off any in-game MC generation for as long as possible. Given the whaleish nature of the community it could be some time before they feel enough pressure from the greater gaming world to not want to be labeled P2P.

It should also be remembered that it's a very fine line to tread, and games have broken themselves by the misuse of both models. Keep giving feedback, but don't try to push them in to a corner. I don't really know what the most efficient business model is for MWO, but I do know that I want it be sustainable in the long run.

[TexAce]

Jonathan Paine, on 06 January 2013 - 09:42 AM, said:

So how is this making PGI money?

TL;DR I guess, huh? Read the damn post. It's business economy 101. The percentage of paying players keeps the same, so you have to grow the overall base of players, which raises your income. It's a simple carrot trick, which makes the player base grow since rewards for playing are higher.

[soarra]

TexAss, on 06 January 2013 - 09:17 AM, said:

Sorry that doesnt mean squat. This game could be in beta the next whole year, even until its demise. The term here is 'rolling release'. The game is already open to the public, advertisements are everywhere in the internet. There won't be a special "we are now officially released and finished" day, where everybody will celebrate and thousands or millions of players will suddenly come. You have to attract them now and keep them.

Free MC = less money for PGI = BAD.
MC is their main money maker for this game giving it away for free would not be a good idea.
If they had an achievement system and if rewarded a tiny amount for each one that would be fine.
But for killign and logging on NO

[Jonathan Paine]

C bills buys you everything but hero mechs, paint, cockpit decorations and mech bays. Why would I pay anything ever if I can grind for it for free? I agree that the game needs special events to draw and maintain its player base, but your suggestion is giving away the only product that makes them money.

[PoLaR]

I agree that MC shouldn't be as expensive as It Is, and a system of accumulating small amounts would be beneficial to the community. At the same time, I understand why everything Is so expensive. I've always wondered why my local movie theater's concession stands are so over-priced.. a bottle of water Is like $6 when I can go drink out of the tap for free. But I found out that the only income the theater makes is from the income, and all the ticket sales are sent away. So, giving a little can always go a long way- Supporting small companies Is a GOOD thing, especially If It Is something you believe In and want to see grow and evolve.

[soarra]

IronEagle, on 06 January 2013 - 10:06 AM, said:

In a couple of weeks you have to pay the players anyway to play deathmatch on the same maps again and again

can i has your stuff

[Corvus Antaka]

I would tend to think "first win of the day" cbills might be a good idea.

[KuruptU4Fun]

Bagheera, on 06 January 2013 - 08:58 AM, said:

I'm not sure all the ideas in the OP are solid, but there is a definite "Here's your free taste!" sales approach that PGI is missing out on in a big way. Special event (boosted rewards) weekends are something else that might help them out as well. Sort of funny to have passed through a big holiday with tons of folks on vacations at home, but no "doubleXP weekend" like so many games.

First that's what the "Cadet" intro is for in part, to get you hooked into the idea of building money to buy a mech. Second the 24 hours of premium time is to get you interested by seeing the boosts given by an extra 50% of C-Bills and XP. Therefore getting you open to the idea of spending real money on the game. Stop thinking that this game should give you everything it has to offer by grinding and grinding. PGI HAS TO MAKE MONEY IN ORDER TO CONTINUE. They are not doing anything different that the F2P model has done by any other game developer in the US to date. Realistically the only thing they should consider doing in order to slate your thirst is to let you grind GXP for you to use in obtaining additional mech slots. This isn't a gameshow where you show up in the hopes you get picked to win prizes and money for guessing the price of a product or what vowel you need to pick in order to solve a puzzle.

[Joseph Mallan]

IV Amen, on 06 January 2013 - 08:31 AM, said:

What the heck? MC is the real money currency in game. Why should they give us real money for playing? I wouldn't give money away to any one of you.

Car companies do it all the time. $500-$1500 "cash back" when you purchase a new car. Do you ever get handed that money? No. The dealership just gives up a small amount of profit to make the sale. Giving players who are spending money a little back will encourage spending more(good business 101). How many of us bought MC when the 20% bonus was active? Me I couldn't justify the big purchase but getting the extra on my usual $15 purchase was nice.

[Syncline]

Good thing this game isn't "pay to win." That would be pretty lame.

PS: I'm not being sarcastic. This game is not a "pay to win" kind of game.