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15$ a month sub model is so old school!
MMOExposed
Member RarePosts: 7,387
but 5$ a month sub model is the thing of the future.
Developers still get a constant sub, but not as intimidating as 15 dollar sub model is.
And with growing number of MMORPG game list, consumers would be better off being able to sub to multiple MMOs rather than commit to a single 15$ a month AAA MMO.
By lowering it down to 5$ a month, consumers can squeeze 3 AAA MMOs out of a single month with that same traditional 15$ a month.
With more MMORPG on the game list, more will be played at a time for the avg MMO consumer in theory. (and even more for those that already comfortable with coughing over 60+$ a month to play multiple MMOs)
keep in mind this is about sub model alternative then doing the risky F2P and B2P models.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
Comments
The payment wall would still exist at $5 and you would likely not grow your base by enough to make it worth it.
Even worse, of the people that would normally pay a sub, many would avoid it due to the perception that it is priced so low because it is not of the quality of a $15 MMO.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
thats not really the point.
Example:
if the total number of MMO on the market was ==1.
And the sub fee was 15$ a month.
Well paying 15$ a month grants you access to 100% of all MMO.
Now if we keep the same sub fee cost, but increase the number of total MMO on the market to 5.
Playing 15$ a month only grants me access to 20% of all MMO.
Increase the total number of MMO again to 10.
And 15$ a month only gets me access to 10% of all MMO.
As we go on, the total number of MMO keep going up, but the price still remains the same. So at some point, most of the MMO will fall off the list, as we can see this more often today with so much MMO inflation.
The prices have to drop, or place a halt on the number of total MMO on the market. One has to give out for the other. Which would you rather have?
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
I really like the way you think. You bring some truly unique perspectives to things.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Does not make sense. Your not taking quality into account.
I already posted same idea like 2 years ago, when I looked at past success of runescape.
May be WoW can use 15$ sub as they have premium quality service to offer; other games concern, I would more see 5-8$ (scale to month/year payment) as beneficial, at least devs would be sure about income (not like item shop surprise).
I still don't know why they never tried to use cheap sub system instate of premium service and such.
To all who called OP cheap etc, think that people not have only game to pay / not all gamers live in "rich" country, so with low sub you can add clients base from like all over the world, which can be nice for players as they could meet mates living far from their home.
I would make open servers and try to do my best for provide decent support and development to this game.
Also I'm not against of Item Shop for cosmetic items.
try before buy, even if it's a game to avoid bad surprises.
Worst surprises for me: Aion, GW2
AO has a $5 sub plan, are you playing that game?
IMO,I can afford $15, so it's not an issue for me personally. IMO, If I couldn't afford $15 per month, I wouldn't be playing and looking for a job. IMO
Paying a sub does not mean that it is a higher quality game. Want proof, Vanguard SoH.
http://www.gamebreaker.tv/video-game-shows/game-changing-cyber-punk-mmo/
21min in answers your question.
I did battle with ignorance today, and ignorance won.
To exercise power costs effort and demands courage. That is why so many fail to assert rights to which they are perfectly entitled - because a right is a kind of power but they are too lazy or too cowardly to exercise it. The virtues which cloak these faults are called patience and forbearance.
Lifetime subs don't "end up" going F2P unless the devs are imbiciles. Lifetime subs are created to front load the revenue before going F2P. No one but a complete idiot would create a lifetime sub for an MMO because three years in you've just given up not only a massive chunk of revenue, but a massive chunk from the group most likely to still be paying.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
i wish companies would get rid of the set in stone $15 and actually price a sub to the quality of their product.
For instance DDO. DDO's sub/VIP is the standard $15. However the quality of the game is so sub par compared to other MMOs in every catagory (The games saving grace is the IP, without the D&D IP then that game would have been shut down long ago I would wager). Chargin $15 is a coplete rip off even considering the whole monthly TP stuff. I say a rip off because look at the trickle of content compared to other MMOs, bugs galore and new bugs whenever they fix something, long unfulfilled promises, postponement on features on a regular basis, ect ect ect.
Charging $15 is a rip off when you consider all those factors. People are doing the exact same crap they were doing a year ago as is content. Yes there is the FR stuff but that is very little, by far and wide players are rehashing old content over and over again. Now if they charged $5-$8 then I've be fine with that but keeping a $15 sub price for a highly subpar game in comparison to other P2P MMOs is unsat.
In short developers/producers should curtail their sub pricing as it fits their game. With the numberous good quality F2P/B2P MMOs coming out and the ones already in existance MMOs like DDO will be left in the dust.
This^
These games that coming out recently are not even worth $5 a month. Start making good games again and people will pay their $15 sub.
That is nowhere near realistic. Unless you honestly think publishers (not to mention fanboys) are releasing products knowingly subpar. Yes, cashgrabs happen, but in general the devs who released Swtor for example think they have done a great job. You can take pretty much any marketing class and they will tell you, the hardest conversion point is 0-.01. If they can get you to spend a pennie, then likely you will spend a dollar. Setting a $5 price point generally makes you less money than setting a $15 dollar one, and for those cases its not, its why f2p and cash shops are so lucrative. Look at how well sparkle ponies sell in wow for example.
I did battle with ignorance today, and ignorance won.
To exercise power costs effort and demands courage. That is why so many fail to assert rights to which they are perfectly entitled - because a right is a kind of power but they are too lazy or too cowardly to exercise it. The virtues which cloak these faults are called patience and forbearance.
Let me guess, you think games like borecraft are worth the 15? Hardly(opinion). If you want facts, people are more inclined to a lower fee so that they can play more than one game. Imagine, if mmo's were that 5, you could play 3 and most likely not be bored. You'd have a better variety and more mmo's would have the player base they wanted/needed to make that game as great as it could be.
A lot of games offer quality at less then 5 dollars. If you think that untrue, I suggest you look further into more games(mmo's).
It's a noble idea... shame people already do it.
In a lot of "freemium" free to play models they'll have an item's shop and then you'll pay for some sort of premium service. A lot of them use passes in which you have to pay a weekly fee to do content. The fee is usually so small that people just don't care, something around the lines of $1.50 a week.
The reason this works is because the amount is so small and inconsequential that no one would think about it.
A World of Warcraft type-model with a $5/month subscription fee would not work because the number of people they would need playing the game to make large revenues would be 3x than of the guy who has a $15/month subscription fee.
Blizzard (and other sub based MMO studios) have a subscription fee plan in which buying in bulk gives you a discount. The proof that lowering a subscritpion fee will encourage spending can be found here.... barely anyone will pay for a full year of WoW.
In fact they were only able to prevent a massive drop in subscribers by offering people who subbed a full year of WoW a free copy of Diablo 3.
The incentive for free stuff will be larger than the incentive for savings unfortunately.
Website: http://www.thegameguru.me / YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/users/thetroublmaker
Aging graphics huh? They are still better than quite a few "top" mmo's. As far as your claim to be "able" to play without a network access; whenever I Iost "any" type of connection, wether server side or on mine, the game crashed and closed. This was even in it's beta days. Yes, I have played on and off since that time. Bugs have been fixed and I still enjoy the game. To each their own.