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Would you pay for a Premium MMO experience?
Slapshot1188
Member LegendaryPosts: 16,982
Lot's of people are complaining about the shift to subs for future games. Personally I think the $14.99 price point is too low for a truely premium experience. Am I alone?
By "premium" I mean:
Polished game from day one
Fully developed game world with extensive lore
Regular monthly content updates (sizeable)
Plentiful GM interaction including GM run events in game
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
Comments
At that price, I would like (but highly doubt) free expansions when they come out. If paying $240-300/year is not enough to cover their $60 expansions, I will not support. And there better be an obvious lack of ANY kind of cash shop. Player services (like character transfers and such) are another story.
[EDIT]
Forgot about the "$15 too low" part. I don't think that. I think it is a quality issue, not a pricing issue.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
25$ isn't a lot, but I'd want the content to be worth the price. In this case, it's competing with all sorts of stuff, including SP games and let's just say I highly doubt any MMO company could make a BioShock Infinite every three months.
I believe they are tied together. People spend 40+ hours a week playing games. 160+ hours a month. That's under 10 cents per hour. I don't think it's possible to create enough quality content to keep up with the rate of consumption and stick to a $15 price point. Heck, I don't know if $25 could do it.
Flip side to this might also be to include an option to purchase X hours at a time for people that do not play large amounts of time. So a truely casual player who can only play 10 hours a week might be able to purchase 40 hours gametime for $15 or so.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
"As you read these words, a release is seven days or less away or has just happened within the last seven days those are now the only two states youll find the world of Tyria."...Guild Wars 2
Please do share because I am at a loss for what I could spend less than 10 cents an hour on entertainment. Heck my cable bill is $144 a month and we watch maybe 80-100 hours a month on it.
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
I have NO hesitation paying $25 a month for a premium game experience. Reasons:
1) The entry barrier makes it more likely that only people responsible enough to sustain that amount of discretionary income on a monthly basis will be playing;
2) The devs are getting enough revenue to maintain quality service levels (e.g., GM support, server maintenance, etc.);
3) The devs are getting enough revenue to maintain ongoing development. The better off they are, the better off we are, potentially at least;
4) No need for Pay2Win micro-transactions;
5) I tip well IRL. I would just be happy to see them make a lot of money for doing a great job.
I'm not naïve enough to believe that all of these things would happen magically just because we are paying $25 a month. My support for this price point is based on being satisfied that the game meets expectations as an overall fun experience and in the areas above.
But hell yes, I am always happy to pay for value received.
Men do not stop playing because they grow old. They grow old because they stop playing. -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Nope.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
I pay for all the cable channels and Netflix. I enjoy games more than any of the other premium entertainment and play games more . I spend 150 a month on cable internet and Netflix.
I spend 0-20 bucks every month or two on games. There aren't many that offer an experience any more. Id be willing to dump cable and Netflix and spend it all on gaming. But im not paying for less of the same patterns or cheap lazy design.
You can be simple game and still great. League of legends is good like that. Or dota2. Both of those games are 10xs the enjoyment that current themparks offer. No virtual world gameplay? Then what do you offer besides the same game with inferior game play? Inferior players? pass. In 2 months you'll change the game into something I no longer like? pass.
If I want gratification I go to women or my right hand.
people already pay a lot of money for their entertainment. Gamers are even worse. They just choose to exploit some rather than make a good game. That's what art is all about. Or else games aren't art. I guess that one guy was right and we were wrong.
You know something is messed up when you abandon people that would pay a fair amount for something they love.
These mystical whales who have earned tons of money, without ever learning the value of a dollar, would rather spend thousands a week in a cash shop rather than a tropical island with hookers and servants. If these people exist, and there is enough of them for 1000 f2p games, then why offer a premium experience when people are breaking the bank on games everyone else sees no value in and would avoid whales if they knew they paid for their permit to cheat. Probably LOL at them.
"If the Damned gave you a roadmap, then you'd know just where to go"
Everquest did this with the Stormhammer server. I'd easily pay up to $50 a month for premium experience.
Totally agree.
Hell, I would easily pay $30 /month if the game merited it and had no Ca$h $hop- Period.
My sister will not get a sub game my nephew but drops around $30/moth on a "free to play" garbage game- I seee this all the time. On his birthday she bought him a game card and he blew close to $50 in a DAY on virtual trinkets- Christmas, same thing... Plus a portion of his allowence money goes to "free realms" (he is little-).
Now, she makes him earn his money and the kid isnt a spoiled brat (to clarify) but if you take yearly what she drops in a "free game" its probably far more than $30/month.
Give me a payment and include EVERYTHING (even cosmetic items...) in a good game, with depth - And I would not complain a bit. The problem (as I see it) is that there isnt much right now worth even $10.00/month.
-I broke down and started playing a F2P and I spend $15- $20/month (same as I would on a sub) but I see people dropping HUNDREDS!!! I would think my $15- $20 would be around average but it isnt. There are totally free players (who cannot really progress and are just casuals) and then there are "White Whales" who have more money than common sense- Granted I am happy to have a few in my Faction but....
Lineage 2 (prior to f2p) and EVE Online both offer free expansions at the standard sub price.
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 have yet to see an MMO that deserves such a high sub amount. But if it was such an amazing game that you'd cry tears of joy just by seeing it. I'd easily pay the money. BUT as of thus far, every sub game that has come out in the past few years is just not that great. Even FFXIV isn't worthy of a high sub price.
FFXIV will probably survive on it's title alone being that it is FF and its loyal fans, but overall it's not that much different from past MMOs.
Of course.
As long as all future content is free.
honestly i get all of that already in asherons call and its only 12 bucks a month. every month is a patch with content added they been doing it for 13 years now.
Yes, if they publicly show that every single dollar of our subscription goes towards funding the game via GMs, Customer support, better servers, and content creation with professionals
If they did that and the game was phenomenal I would pay upwards of $50 a month.
Unfortunately for profit companies will never go beyond the minimum, which is understandable.
I could see myself spending money in a F2P if it was something I would play long term. I just rather have everything up front. It's like paying 30-40 bucks to go to big theme park or get nickled and dimed at a carnival for tickets for each and every ride.
Most F2P games are not long term content so I can't really justify paying money for pretty ponies and character slots.
Yes, without hesitation, if it was worth it, for what we have been getting? No.
I am not even set on expansions being free, but if future content was free, that would be a bonus, and if it was the best mmo I ever played, I would be fine with $50/mo with the free expansions.
People will say it is crazy, but hell I spend that much on things I wouldn't enjoy nearly as much or spend 1/10th the time with. My cable/phone/internet/Netflix probably approaches $250 for me and the wife.
P2P doesn't scare me, and f2p doesn't entice me, most stuff I wouldn't even play if they got rid of the cash shop. I have zero interest in jumping around to free games.
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box. ~ Italian proverb
Very short version:
Badly worded, missing choices.
As it is offered, my answer would be "no".
I don't know about your life, but i *do* know that (even though it doesn't feel like that sometimes) the majority of players is falling into the "got a job" and perhaps even "got a family" category..
Detailed answer:
These people certainly do NOT play 40hrs a week.
They spend 40+ hours at their JOB, not in a game.
8 to 10 is more like it, in extreme cases perhaps 20, counting long weekend sessions.
And even that much is leading to family issues because it's taking away from the quality time that's rare enough these days. The price of a sub isn't the deciding factor if it's enough to cover expenses and leave enough for development and margin too, the number of subscribers at a given price for a given product is.
So yes, the subscription price does naturally figure in, but so do other factors.
looking at the sub price is falling too short, the whole package must be looked at.
Now, you have stated a few interesting points about what you define as "premium".
But i was missing in that list the background research of the marketability of the product.
Crafting system? (does it include the crafters)
PvP? what type, how? (which crowd are you serving, can't please all)
Economy?
Stuff like that.
Any package (the game and the service around it as you defined as "premuim" above) has also to compete for, and in most cases share with other activities, the player's time.
A picture i like is comparing a game to going to the movies.
And a game sub, if it's to compete with other activities for my money shouldn't cost more, in absolute numbers, not relatively speaking.
It is easy to say "i would pay more", people do say the same thing about organic food.
But if they are in a supermarket, and given the choice between cheaper conventional and more expensive organic food, most people buy the cheaper one.
Same is true for games - true "stand apart features", that only THIS ONE game has and which would "warrant" a higher price, are seldom to non-existant.
Raise the sub, and other activities will become more attractive.
Even moreso, if you consider that many a player - especially with a family - does include the family/kids (if he wants to keep playing "his" game, he'd better!) and the sub cost is multiplied by 2 or 3.
20EUR/USD isn't much, yes.
25EUR/USD isn't that much more (but still 25% more!).
But even small amounts of money are a lot when the times are hard.
Look at Greece, Portugal - heck look at the US middle-class which is disappearing.
A sub is the first "optional" thing (or second after going to the movies) to save, the choice is easier the higher the sub price is.
So we're at the core of the pricing issue (which is valid for any tradeable product):
A "truly casual" (timewise spoken) player has an online time of perhaps 2-4hours a week, for the above-mentioned reasons.Where is the price at which the sold products make the most money?
As price goes up, demand naturally goes down so overall revenue might be higher at a lower price.
And that's what i think is true with sub prices when comparing 15 to 20 or 25EUR/USD.
And "renting" the game for only a few hours isn't all that popular despite the (entertainment) industry trying to not only nudge but shove customers in that direction.
People really want to go online when they can, without having to consider additional costs, that's why "flatrates" (mobile phones, internet provider) and subscriptions are prefered.
Organic food, people!
A baby sitter costs more for one night, and we all know lots of bad parents think mmos make good baby sitters...so $25 a month isn't going to be a barrier to anyone. If it's good enough to charge $25/month those kids you don't want to see in your game will want to play it.
When has charging more = making more ?
The problem with mmos has never been the cost, it's always been the value.