Those of us around for a few too many years have already played under such a model. The first wave of online games required that you pay an hourly rate.
It sucked.
MMOs by their nature are meant to be social. Such a system would incentivize people to log in and out as quickly as possible and limit social interaction. You think folks are rude now? HA, try thinking about getting someone to help you in a system where you pay for time...
Agreed. Monthly charges and flat rates have replaced hourly fees, in the US at least, across almost every channel of communication because people didn't like the looming timer of hourly fees... at all.
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
Ya, I'm gonna have to vote in the negative on this one. Call me old fashioned but I prefer the old monthly subscription model. $15/mo really isn't that much money and I can jump on and play as much or as little as I want without having to worry about the cost. It's fifteen bucks. Period.
While I'm not a huge fan of FTP models, I have to say that I'd prefer them to the op suggestion. I can still play as little or as much as I want and use the cash shop to augment the experience if I choose to do so.
I guess most people lack the math ability or something to tell that this still comes to about 15 bucks a month, probably for over 90% of all players, and probably less than 10 bucks a month for 75% of those.
Who is this targetted at? Gamers who want a better experience. I think that money is a problem when it comes to scale, scope, and content of an mmo. Devs need more of it. WoW obviously contradicts this, but I'm assuming such an mmo with this model would be built from the ground up to be a much grander project than a themepark.
Secondly, players who play less than 20 hours a week on average. They cost the least to serve, they get the least, and I think a model that allowed them to pay less would be attractive, without attracting a bunch of freeloader freebie gamers who tend to make communities painful.
There's also a virtue to the flexibility of hourly pay, where you don't want to plop down 15 bucks if you aren't sure if you would even play more than a week. I can't tell you how many times I have been unwilling to commit to a full month subscription, but would have for a week. You could say, well charge by the week, but there's logistical issues to that, and whether or not such a model is viable is just another topic for another time.
Starting a post by insulting "most people" is probably not the best way to try and convince people about your argument. Secondly, your "math" is using figures blatantly plucked out of thin air (90% of players, 75% of those.. etc).
As I and other responders have stated, we have already played under such a system and it has quite a negative impact on gameplay. There is a reason that the industry switched to a monthly subscription model and away from an hourly rate. I do not see what reversing. What I do see is that game companies are looking for increased revenue streams. I see more subscription/cash shops in our future, and those that stay subscrition only will likely see higher rates. I think by the next round of releases we may be looking at $19.99/MO
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
Because people want to play MORE THAN ONE game, and $15 x number of games is too much for people?
That's like saying car prices should drop because I want to drive MORE THAN ONE car! I can afford $30k for one car but if I want a sports car for when I'm alone, an SUV for the family and a pickup truck for work that would be unaffordable!! Damn those car makers need to lower their prices because I need MORE!
$15 is a ridiculously good value for entertainment. Even a harcover book costs more than that and won't give you a month's entertainment. Heck, even a movie ticket is $12.50 and that's 2 hours (not counting drinks and snacks).
Sorry but the fact you want to play more than one game is no reason to de-value a product.
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
Pay-per-hour accounts had the tendency to top the thousand dollar mark (at GEnie's six bucks an hour rate, anyway), get the charges referred to collection agencies, and rarely collected. Lot of hassle, not much income--Little Johnny can get a beating from dad when the bill arrives in the mail, but he can't legally hold a contract.
They also had the tendency to produce games that were designed to waste time--lots of it. These games predated the EQ timesink model, and they were good at it. Put one in the hands of a modern-day company driven by bean-counters, and it would take several hours to walk across the local villiage at snail crawl.
Leaving behind the slippery slopes; pay-per-hour games are pay-to-win, in the most direct possible definition. To get better, you need to play (and pay) more, assuming the game takes any practice at all to master, the winner is the guy with the biggest wallet.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Comments
Agreed. Monthly charges and flat rates have replaced hourly fees, in the US at least, across almost every channel of communication because people didn't like the looming timer of hourly fees... at all.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
While I'm not a huge fan of FTP models, I have to say that I'd prefer them to the op suggestion. I can still play as little or as much as I want and use the cash shop to augment the experience if I choose to do so.
Not the best idea OP.
Starting a post by insulting "most people" is probably not the best way to try and convince people about your argument. Secondly, your "math" is using figures blatantly plucked out of thin air (90% of players, 75% of those.. etc).
As I and other responders have stated, we have already played under such a system and it has quite a negative impact on gameplay. There is a reason that the industry switched to a monthly subscription model and away from an hourly rate. I do not see what reversing. What I do see is that game companies are looking for increased revenue streams. I see more subscription/cash shops in our future, and those that stay subscrition only will likely see higher rates. I think by the next round of releases we may be looking at $19.99/MO
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
Because $15 a month is not good value for people?
Because people want to play MORE THAN ONE game, and $15 x number of games is too much for people?
That's like saying car prices should drop because I want to drive MORE THAN ONE car! I can afford $30k for one car but if I want a sports car for when I'm alone, an SUV for the family and a pickup truck for work that would be unaffordable!! Damn those car makers need to lower their prices because I need MORE!
$15 is a ridiculously good value for entertainment. Even a harcover book costs more than that and won't give you a month's entertainment. Heck, even a movie ticket is $12.50 and that's 2 hours (not counting drinks and snacks).
Sorry but the fact you want to play more than one game is no reason to de-value a product.
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
Pay-per-hour accounts had the tendency to top the thousand dollar mark (at GEnie's six bucks an hour rate, anyway), get the charges referred to collection agencies, and rarely collected. Lot of hassle, not much income--Little Johnny can get a beating from dad when the bill arrives in the mail, but he can't legally hold a contract.
They also had the tendency to produce games that were designed to waste time--lots of it. These games predated the EQ timesink model, and they were good at it. Put one in the hands of a modern-day company driven by bean-counters, and it would take several hours to walk across the local villiage at snail crawl.
Leaving behind the slippery slopes; pay-per-hour games are pay-to-win, in the most direct possible definition. To get better, you need to play (and pay) more, assuming the game takes any practice at all to master, the winner is the guy with the biggest wallet.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.