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Black Gold: Optimal Time-Based File Save Model Introduced
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Snail Games (China) has released new information about the upcoming revenue model for Black Gold. Called "Optimal Time-Based File Save Model", players are given the opportunity to save their game progress through the use of in-game gold purchased with real world cash.
"We're focusing on giving our players choices when it comes to their gameplay experiences - they decide what premium items to pay for and whether a play session is worth saving," said Shi Hai, Founder and Chairman, Snail Games. "We decided to introduce an innovative monetization model based on player habits and overall gameplay time. Unlike a micro transaction model requiring the player to frequently shop for items, or a subscription-based model where players pay a monthly service, our model allows players to dictate their own gameplay progression."
Read more about the feature on the Black Gold site.
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Comments
Snail Games?? Ah, ok, now I understand... no thanks!!
"players are given the opportunity to save their game progress through the use of in-game gold purchased with real world cash" <- what is this a browser based excell spreadsheet ???
last time i checked.. games didnt have a "save" function when playing an MMO... only single players do so what the fk are they trying to offer here??
is it for saving in a raid dungeon or something? cause thats pretty lame too
To whomever came up with this pay scheme:
hallo ~_~
I can only laugh
wtf is this crap?
Easy, if you don't pay they roll back your character to its state before you started playing that day.
"Credit & “Lucky Draw” System
Save files are purchased from in-game credits (bought from real-life money). Snail Games however, have implemented an interesting “lucky draw” system. There will be two separate buttons: you can buy the save directly, or select “try your luck” to have a chance at reducing the credits required or even obtain loots without any cost! This is a fun little option to maximize player benefits."
Way to piss off your entire future playerbase you greedy idiots
Next you'll have to buy login credits.. "Players can choose whether or not it's worthwhile to login this time!"
Every time I thought I've seen every money grab scheme, someone comes out with a new one.
There's "black gold" out there alright.. it's stupid people.
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Sorcery must persist, the future is the Citadel
"We're focusing on giving our players choices when it comes to their gameplay experiences - they decide what premium items to pay for and whether a play session is worth saving"
So.... if i spend 8 hours progressing my character through content and if i dont pay real money i get roll back to where i was before that 8 hours session?... Mr. Shi Hai, with all due respect, Keep your special brownies out of the game industry.
I may try this just so that I can learn to appreciate the f2p model in SWTOR.
Oh it most certainly is a cash shop game and this model can be VERY misleading,that is why i do not like cash shop,it is a misleading venture that can change at any level throughout the game.
Here are concerns and most likely are probably fact .
Level 1-20 small need to spend,looks harmless,hooks you in.
Level 21-40 gets a little heavier on NEED to spend,this escalates as you get higher and higher.This type of system is really bad,it hooks you in at first,then after you have invested a lot of time and money,you feel compelled to spend even more at higher levels.
lucky Chance??There is no such thing as luck,this will be a %% system,one that may be worse than not using it,most likely the exact same results as full spending.This means 2 players might get lucky spending 50% but the next two spend 150% equals the same for them,but can make the randomness worse for players.
All available in game,well yes but as mentioned,you have to actually buy the good stuff,how in any way what soe ever is this good?Yes EQ2 for example forces you to actually pay to unlock the better stuff as well,so i guess it is similar.I guess comes down to overall cost of using this feature.
If you are a speedy gamer,lots of time to play,a 15 buck sub fee could yield you near end game in 1-2 months.IF you have to pay at every tier to get anywhere,you could end up spending 40/50/60+ in one month.
How realistic is the ability to buy with in game currency?I am going to expect not very reliable,i think MOST people should expect that.
Here is the bottom line,their PR likes to toss out that typical word of "CHOICE" well how about a sub fee that offers EVERYTHING,for those that don't like misleading or a lottery ticket type system?I used the lottery ticket analogy because in this system,NOTHING is predictable,you are gambling with money.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
" Players will be able to select a timeframe: every 1 / 2 / 4 / 6 Hour(s) for automatically saving their progress. Players can also end the auto-save early to save manually whenever they feel the need to loot the items gained so far. Upon creation, save files will last for 24 hours before they disappear."
Okay, NO. That is a blatant psychological trap designed to put pressure on you to spend money at the risk of losing items, a. la. a "Pay it or lose it!" strategy. The lucky roll is only adds onto the pressure since, it is literally saying "Oh? Still deciding on if you want to buy it? Here, let me lower the price for you!". It punishes the free players, and can create a scenario for having those with the largest wallets be the most powerful (and creating a wide gap, at that) in-game.
This is a shining example of a pay-to-win game; better yet, Free-to-play monetization done wrong. And then, how does this benefit the consumer in any real way? Answer: It doesn't.
I like the idea .
I have a job and a lot of money to spend on entertainment . I can pay as I go instead of being tied down to monthly fee on a game I play 6- 10 times a month .
There's always going to be people that like the hook, line and sinker.
And then there will be the fish that don't get eaten.
I'd rather pay 15 a month, than try and deal with an Asian Gaming Market Model. I can't say I'd have the urge to waste that much money. Unless they come up with, say, "You pay 15 bucks a month for Auto-Saving for 30 consecutive 24 hour periods" I'm going to say I don't want to mess with this system. I do hope, though, this stays out of the NA/EU version.
LOL, what a complete loser of an idea!
The marketing exec that came up with this idea needs to be soundly thrashed for destroying any chance this game had.
Seriously? I mean.....SERIOUSLY? Basically what they are saying is that if you want to keep any of the good stuff you loot, you have to pay. At least with a cash shop you can choose to purchase stuff if and when you want to.
Epic Fail. And I mean EPIC. They have just killed their entire game with one blog post.
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