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Lineage 2 as free 2 play model
I believe this game could make it as free to play with item malls/gold shops. the community at large is already used to an inflated economy and unbalanced game play do to ebayers. This would infuse this title and NCsoft could reap the benefits in lieu of the fold farmers.
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I doubt about 100k subscriptions is worse than an item mall. Maybe when there subscribers go significantly down (I mean serverly, even Lineage 1 in US version is pay 2 play).
~Greatness~
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All canceled. Waiting on Warhammer Online : Age of Reckoning.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the "in-game shop" model. Having everything available to everyone for the same flat fee per month, with player persistence and skill being the key factor in how well they play is a perfectly good setup in my opinion.
If they did something like they're trying in Anarchy Online where there's a player-shop but you can only buy things that are aesthetic, and have no direct influence on your character, then I'd still think it's corny, but not terrible.
If it's where you can buy superior weapons or armor, etc, it then turns the game into "he with the most money to spend wins", and that's nothing but bad.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
I see a possible multi-game pass in the future of NCSoft billing but I doubt this game would ever be a F2P no matter how you slice it. They have talked about that and now that they own CoX, it may happen.
NCSoft has some strong genre crossovers now. They have their SciFi, TR, which is actually pretty good now, City of X which they just bought, Lineage 2 and soon Aion. Throw in a sprinkle of Dungeon Runners and ExSteel and you have a much higher quality mix then SOE could ever hope for.
/agree
I have this funny sorta personal joke that SOE wants to be NC when they grow up. It must chafe on their nerves that NC has so many successful titles under its umbrella, and doesn't run them into the ground... meanwhile SOE keeps picking up the dead weight. I think EQ2 is the only MMO of theirs that has players actually talking about it improving. They *might* be able to turn Vanguard around completely; maybe give it a proper relaunch.
I know NC had AutoAssault announce its shut-down date... but that's one out of how many titles?
On that note, I wouldn't be surprised to see SOE going to a player-shop type system before NC does. SOE was the first to openly embrace RMT with the Station Exchange. If it means more $$$ for them in the long run, they're all over it... whatever the cost in money or players.
Either way, I don't see it happening in L2 (though there is a degree of hopeful thinking in there).
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
I doubt SOE would do it anytime soon since they're counter productive and do everything backwards
I think a F2P model would help with the numbers, but I'm afraid the game may already be FUBAR'd
Keep in mind that world wide Lineage II has 17 million subscribers. I don't think it would be fair if it was F2p in North America and Europe but not in Korea.
If they made Lineage II F2P worldwide it may be just to much of an economic gamble. With a subscription based game you have a much better idea of the average cash flow per month where as an Item shop it can greatley differ from month to month. For instance, where I work I have a salary income, I know exactly what my paycheck will be every 2 weeks therefore I can plan ahead. My friend is a waitress and one month she can make a bundle of money and the following month her income can drop almost in half, thus becomes hard to make future financal decision when it differs so greatly each month.