Austin, Texas, April 16, 2008 – NCsoft® Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, unveiled today the details of a new micro-transaction system called NCcoin™. This system will allow customers to use real-world money to purchase in-game items and upgrades.
NCcoin, debuting in the action-packed game Exteel™, was designed so that each dollar spent (US$1) equates to 100 NCcoin, which can be used to acquire in-game items and for upgrade purchases. NCcoin is part of NCsoft’s continuing efforts to offer a variety of business models while giving customers easier access to NCsoft games.
“NCsoft’s goal is to bring more and more people into the online gaming market, and part of achieving that goal is to continue to diversify how customers can pay and play,” said Chris Chung, NCsoft North America’s president. “This system will offer our customers much greater flexibility and convenience in paying for content. Micro-transactions are a growing part of the online gaming industry and NCcoin will allow us to support micro-transaction based games efficiently, allowing developers and players to quickly enjoy the benefits of those systems. We will soon be rolling out more contents that leverage the flexibility of NCcoin.”
In addition to Exteel, NCcoin is expected to be incorporated globally into many of NCsoft’s existing and upcoming games.
NCoin is currently available in 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 denominations for $1, $5, $10 and $20 amounts, respectively. For more information about NCcoin go to: http://www.plaync.com/us/nccoin/.
Quotes from Chris Chung, President of NCsoft-North America, regarding NCcoin:
ON IMPLEMENTATION
“With the release of Exteel and NCcoin micro-transaction system, we at NCsoft North America are taking this opportunity to really focus on improving our game infrastructure, service and overall customer experience.”
“NCsoft has grown its game catalogue to the point where we are now not just offering individual products, but a service. NCcoin will serve as an important part of making NCsoft’s service easier to use by our customers and more efficient for NCsoft to add new content.”
ON WHICH GAMES FIT NCCOIN
“NCcoin will not be retrofitted in games that have business models that do not work with a micro-transaction system. We will, however, work to have NCcoin incorporated in as many of our games as possible, and what role NCcoin will play with our future console offerings have yet to be determined. NCcoin does fit perfect for some of the free-to-play and download games we are developing, and gives players choice on how they want to play these games.”
ON SAFE USAGE
“We have built redundant systems to help make NCcoin as safe and secure to use as possible. We are fully aware that any time a new system is put in place that there will be those who will try to cause problems. The good news is that we have been using NCcoin in Exteel and it has proven to be quite secure.”
ON REVENUE
“We don’t really know how much NCcoin will generate, but we do know that this sort of system has been successfully proven overseas. We also know that NCcoin has been well received by players in Exteel and is generating revenue for the game that has put it on firm footing. NCcoin will be a valuable source of development funds for our free games, and will help support the creation of new content.”
ON NCSOFT BUSINESS MODELS
“NCcoin is just one of many elements that make up the variety of business models NCsoft has to offer. We have grown to the point where if you are a MMOG player and you like the traditional subscription-based game, we have those. If you are an MMOG player seeking a free to play and download game with microtransactions, we have that. If you just want to pay for software and have lifetime play, we have that too. The bottom line for NCsoft is that we want to be able to offer a variety of business models to meet the needs of the different customers out there. NCcoin is another way to make it easier for customers to access the kind of game they want to play.”
Ncsoft has many styles of payment, dungeon runners users something similar afaik, GW uses B2P, but Aion, as L2 will be P2P in korea, we can expect the same here.
Please people, analysis before panic.
Originally posted by Samuraisword
NCcoin does fit perfect for some of the free-to-play and download games we are developing, and gives players choice on how they want to play these games.
oh i see. well ofc AION is not in that group, any game that wants to achieve sucess (as like 1 million paying costumers). Must not ever fall into that category.
Mostly because of the way the gameplay is completely bashed.. why?
well F2P games bring alot of retards into the game (noticed that P2P also has those). However if u go into a F2P game and start seeing "BR??" "AZN??" u will kinda understand what im talking about :P ..
As for the NcCoin system itself, it might be useful in F2P games which aren't good enough to have a good player base on monthly fees.
GIving the option of a player becoming quite more powerful than other via RL money is like allowing players to use hacks to gain advantage in a Game. i dont mind paying 10-20 euros for a monthly fee of a nice online game, but i would never play a game, in which me or another person could gain superiority from others, just because the daddy is rich or "insert category here".
Need a commitment from the developers one way or the other. I won't bother with a MMOG that might one day allow RMT.
As el president says "NCcoin will not be retrofitted in games that have business models that do not work with a micro-transaction system" then you don't need to have worries about Aion , GW2 or L3
Aion will BE P2P and with NO cash option.
Reporter: What's behind Blizzard success, and how do you make your gamers happy? Blizzard Boss: Making gamers happy is not my concern, making money.. yes!
It's somewhat disturbing that the Aion representative that reads and posts on this forum has neglected to comment on this topic. You would think they would be eager to confirm that NcCoin will never be used with Aion if that were the case. Leads me to think they don't want to commit and leave the door open.
It's somewhat disturbing that the Aion representative that reads and posts on this forum has neglected to comment on this topic. You would think they would be eager to confirm that NcCoin will never be used with Aion if that were the case. Leads me to think they don't want to commit and leave the door open. With PvE raiding it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fauning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privelege. - Neanderthal
Anything Ayase can say now might be used against NCsoft later and he is aware of that, an economic model, which probably will depend also on NC Austin and even Korea, not only on Brighton, isn't something you can go and ask to your job mate.
That being said, I would also love to hear about this just to confirm what I think, that every AAA title from NCsoft uses p2p system exclusively, and that NCCoin will be used for games with a minor audience, such as exteel, dundeon runners and whatever they plan for the future in the low budget terms.
I can't confirm if it will be micro free in the future, but I will strongly doubt it since every NCSOFT publication and development that has a monthly fee never had an item mall or NCCoin just Exteel- and that is free to play.
Comments
Before i make an argument, can u tell me more specificly what is NcCoin?
Austin, Texas, April 16, 2008 – NCsoft® Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, unveiled today the details of a new micro-transaction system called NCcoin™. This system will allow customers to use real-world money to purchase in-game items and upgrades.
NCcoin, debuting in the action-packed game Exteel™, was designed so that each dollar spent (US$1) equates to 100 NCcoin, which can be used to acquire in-game items and for upgrade purchases. NCcoin is part of NCsoft’s continuing efforts to offer a variety of business models while giving customers easier access to NCsoft games.
“NCsoft’s goal is to bring more and more people into the online gaming market, and part of achieving that goal is to continue to diversify how customers can pay and play,” said Chris Chung, NCsoft North America’s president. “This system will offer our customers much greater flexibility and convenience in paying for content. Micro-transactions are a growing part of the online gaming industry and NCcoin will allow us to support micro-transaction based games efficiently, allowing developers and players to quickly enjoy the benefits of those systems. We will soon be rolling out more contents that leverage the flexibility of NCcoin.”
In addition to Exteel, NCcoin is expected to be incorporated globally into many of NCsoft’s existing and upcoming games.
NCoin is currently available in 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 denominations for $1, $5, $10 and $20 amounts, respectively. For more information about NCcoin go to: http://www.plaync.com/us/nccoin/.
Quotes from Chris Chung, President of NCsoft-North America, regarding NCcoin:
ON IMPLEMENTATION
“With the release of Exteel and NCcoin micro-transaction system, we at NCsoft North America are taking this opportunity to really focus on improving our game infrastructure, service and overall customer experience.”
“NCsoft has grown its game catalogue to the point where we are now not just offering individual products, but a service. NCcoin will serve as an important part of making NCsoft’s service easier to use by our customers and more efficient for NCsoft to add new content.”
ON WHICH GAMES FIT NCCOIN
“NCcoin will not be retrofitted in games that have business models that do not work with a micro-transaction system. We will, however, work to have NCcoin incorporated in as many of our games as possible, and what role NCcoin will play with our future console offerings have yet to be determined. NCcoin does fit perfect for some of the free-to-play and download games we are developing, and gives players choice on how they want to play these games.”
ON SAFE USAGE
“We have built redundant systems to help make NCcoin as safe and secure to use as possible. We are fully aware that any time a new system is put in place that there will be those who will try to cause problems. The good news is that we have been using NCcoin in Exteel and it has proven to be quite secure.”
ON REVENUE
“We don’t really know how much NCcoin will generate, but we do know that this sort of system has been successfully proven overseas. We also know that NCcoin has been well received by players in Exteel and is generating revenue for the game that has put it on firm footing. NCcoin will be a valuable source of development funds for our free games, and will help support the creation of new content.”
ON NCSOFT BUSINESS MODELS
“NCcoin is just one of many elements that make up the variety of business models NCsoft has to offer. We have grown to the point where if you are a MMOG player and you like the traditional subscription-based game, we have those. If you are an MMOG player seeking a free to play and download game with microtransactions, we have that. If you just want to pay for software and have lifetime play, we have that too. The bottom line for NCsoft is that we want to be able to offer a variety of business models to meet the needs of the different customers out there. NCcoin is another way to make it easier for customers to access the kind of game they want to play.”
Ncsoft has many styles of payment, dungeon runners users something similar afaik, GW uses B2P, but Aion, as L2 will be P2P in korea, we can expect the same here.
Please people, analysis before panic.
Aion isn't in that group.
oh i see. well ofc AION is not in that group, any game that wants to achieve sucess (as like 1 million paying costumers). Must not ever fall into that category.
Mostly because of the way the gameplay is completely bashed.. why?
well F2P games bring alot of retards into the game (noticed that P2P also has those). However if u go into a F2P game and start seeing "BR??" "AZN??" u will kinda understand what im talking about :P ..
As for the NcCoin system itself, it might be useful in F2P games which aren't good enough to have a good player base on monthly fees.
GIving the option of a player becoming quite more powerful than other via RL money is like allowing players to use hacks to gain advantage in a Game. i dont mind paying 10-20 euros for a monthly fee of a nice online game, but i would never play a game, in which me or another person could gain superiority from others, just because the daddy is rich or "insert category here".
my2cents.
As el president says "NCcoin will not be retrofitted in games that have business models that do not work with a micro-transaction system" then you don't need to have worries about Aion , GW2 or L3
Aion will BE P2P and with NO cash option.
Reporter: What's behind Blizzard success, and how do you make your gamers happy?
Blizzard Boss: Making gamers happy is not my concern, making money.. yes!
I can only pray they dont touch what might just be one of the greatest MMO's ever made.
I play all ghame
It's somewhat disturbing that the Aion representative that reads and posts on this forum has neglected to comment on this topic. You would think they would be eager to confirm that NcCoin will never be used with Aion if that were the case. Leads me to think they don't want to commit and leave the door open.
Indeed i agree with you.
Anything Ayase can say now might be used against NCsoft later and he is aware of that, an economic model, which probably will depend also on NC Austin and even Korea, not only on Brighton, isn't something you can go and ask to your job mate.
That being said, I would also love to hear about this just to confirm what I think, that every AAA title from NCsoft uses p2p system exclusively, and that NCCoin will be used for games with a minor audience, such as exteel, dundeon runners and whatever they plan for the future in the low budget terms.
I am not willing to risk investing time into playing Aion if no one from NCsoft is willing to guarantee that Aion will remain microtransaction free.
I can't confirm if it will be micro free in the future, but I will strongly doubt it since every NCSOFT publication and development that has a monthly fee never had an item mall or NCCoin just Exteel- and that is free to play.