"I could easily see STO going into a hybrid model similar to what Lotro is doing. In that model, subscriptions stay as is - but you allow people to play for free but heavily limit what they can do - which in essence creates a robust way to demo the game and then if you want to keep playing, you either pay for every little thing you are interested in, or you subscribe and don't have to worry about it.
Turbine seems to have some interesting plans and looking at how DDO has turned around, its worth taking note."
This kind of reminds me of when a mass murder is found guilty and sentenced to death and then all of a sudden some fancy lawyer get's it overturned on appeal. Please people let this game die if you have any hope of ever having a good Star Trek mmo, me I don't care I watched Star Trek when nothing else was on which for me wasn't often and soon TOR will be out (I prefer Star Wars to Star Trek) and while I was duped into becoming one of it's victims f2p will not bring me back because I don't trust Cryptic, which would remind me of another analogy like meeting a woman who is the spitting image of J-Lo and after going home with her finding in the medicine cabinet five different medications for four different std's. I'm simply not chancing jumping into bed with them ever again.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
It was interesting to read one of those quotes that basically said Cryptic is depending on the c-store revenue to keep the game afloat. I'm not surprised this is true, but interesting they would admit it. Are they trying to blackmail the fanbots into buying every new scrap of c-store garbage?
"suggestion to completely boycott the c-store is essentially suggesting to players to sabotage the game's development. Therefore, these methods would do a disservice to our fans who are looking forward to more content updates."
Sounds like they are relying on c-store sales to me.
Weird, I thought subscriptions funded the game. I remember Zink saying stuff in the c-store wouldn't exist without the store because the c-store pays the salary of artists making the c-store items, but it looks like that's not the full story. Of course none of these actually say point blank "buy this stuff or else", but even these guys wouldn't be THAT blatant.
It seems odd that an MMO that could "get by" with 50k subs is suddenly pushing the c store so hard lately. Most mmo's I've played in the past with 100-200k subs could keep things going without resorting to rmt. Sure there may have been a pay to move to another server or rename a character charge but nothing like what I've seen lately with STO. It seems like the cash pool they had from the box sales, LTS subs and initial monthly subs that cancelled is starting to get scarce.
If you have a game with 100k subs at $15 a month, and say 25% buy an item for 4 or 5 bucks, you would only end up with an extra 125k. Im not sure how much funding this would do as you'd only be getting an extra 6% a month. The prices on the c store have been trending upwards though.
It seems odd that an MMO that could "get by" with 50k subs is suddenly pushing the c store so hard lately. Most mmo's I've played in the past with 100-200k subs could keep things going without resorting to rmt. Sure there may have been a pay to move to another server or rename a character charge but nothing like what I've seen lately with STO. It seems like the cash pool they had from the box sales, LTS subs and initial monthly subs that cancelled is starting to get scarce.
If you have a game with 100k subs at $15 a month, and say 25% buy an item for 4 or 5 bucks, you would only end up with an extra 125k. Im not sure how much funding this would do as you'd only be getting an extra 6% a month. The prices on the c store have been trending upwards though.
I hope they burned all that box sale and C-store cash on some good parties and blow, because the players certainly didn't get anything out of it.
I dont know why people have an issue with how a business model works.
If they are makeing $100 (simple number for ease of math) by selling the game in stores and charging monthly fees...
They could make $150 by adding a cash shop....
They could make $300 by offering a F2P option.
When a company looks at how they are doing (quarterly/yearly results etc) they look at things that they could be doing better. When there are simple changes (as presented above) that would clearly add to their bottom line, they look into them, and make the business decisions needed to be MORE profitable.
It is not that they can not do business the old way. It is that they can do BETTER the new way. Some people consider this being greedy. However, anyone that works for a living, would call this good business sense.
I dont know why people have an issue with how a business model works.
If they are makeing $100 (simple number for ease of math) by selling the game in stores and charging monthly fees...
They could make $150 by adding a cash shop....
They could make $300 by offering a F2P option.
When a company looks at how they are doing (quarterly/yearly results etc) they look at things that they could be doing better. When there are simple changes (as presented above) that would clearly add to their bottom line, they look into them, and make the business decisions needed to be MORE profitable.
It is not that they can not do business the old way. It is that they can do BETTER the new way. Some people consider this being greedy. However, anyone that works for a living, would call this good business sense.
Your model doesn't account for the need for customers to feel like they got their money's worth for what they are buying.
Honeslty, who gives a flying flip about how well Cryptic is doing? I feel like I got ripped off when I purchased their junk and I'm definitely not alone in that.
Making a product that is priced fairly and that is quality so customers don't feel like they got ripped off is the business model I would *prefer* they had taken from the start, and then we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion.
I dont know why people have an issue with how a business model works.
If they are makeing $100 (simple number for ease of math) by selling the game in stores and charging monthly fees...
They could make $150 by adding a cash shop....
They could make $300 by offering a F2P option.
When a company looks at how they are doing (quarterly/yearly results etc) they look at things that they could be doing better. When there are simple changes (as presented above) that would clearly add to their bottom line, they look into them, and make the business decisions needed to be MORE profitable.
It is not that they can not do business the old way. It is that they can do BETTER the new way. Some people consider this being greedy. However, anyone that works for a living, would call this good business sense.
The flaw in your arguement is that STO isn't doing well either way.
I hope they burned all that box sale and C-store cash on some good parties and blow, because the players certainly didn't get anything out of it.
They got more stuff to buy in the c store! However if you don't argee with paying rmt in addition to a monthly sub, or can't find anything worth buying in the c store, then you got nothing.
I dont know why people have an issue with how a business model works.
If they are makeing $100 (simple number for ease of math) by selling the game in stores and charging monthly fees...
They could make $150 by adding a cash shop....
They could make $300 by offering a F2P option.
When a company looks at how they are doing (quarterly/yearly results etc) they look at things that they could be doing better. When there are simple changes (as presented above) that would clearly add to their bottom line, they look into them, and make the business decisions needed to be MORE profitable.
It is not that they can not do business the old way. It is that they can do BETTER the new way. Some people consider this being greedy. However, anyone that works for a living, would call this good business sense.
How do you make more money, 3x as much, when a game is advertised as Free 2 Play?
Comments
This kind of reminds me of when a mass murder is found guilty and sentenced to death and then all of a sudden some fancy lawyer get's it overturned on appeal. Please people let this game die if you have any hope of ever having a good Star Trek mmo, me I don't care I watched Star Trek when nothing else was on which for me wasn't often and soon TOR will be out (I prefer Star Wars to Star Trek) and while I was duped into becoming one of it's victims f2p will not bring me back because I don't trust Cryptic, which would remind me of another analogy like meeting a woman who is the spitting image of J-Lo and after going home with her finding in the medicine cabinet five different medications for four different std's. I'm simply not chancing jumping into bed with them ever again.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=2843161#post2843161
"suggestion to completely boycott the c-store is essentially suggesting to players to sabotage the game's development. Therefore, these methods would do a disservice to our fans who are looking forward to more content updates."
Sounds like they are relying on c-store sales to me.
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=2831620#post2831620
"the c-store gives us bigger budgets and more manpower to make more stuff faster".
Implies updates won't be forthcoming as quickly unless people buy the stuff.
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?p=2828347#post2828347
"the budget dept says we have to sell these"
Self explanatory.
Weird, I thought subscriptions funded the game. I remember Zink saying stuff in the c-store wouldn't exist without the store because the c-store pays the salary of artists making the c-store items, but it looks like that's not the full story. Of course none of these actually say point blank "buy this stuff or else", but even these guys wouldn't be THAT blatant.
It seems odd that an MMO that could "get by" with 50k subs is suddenly pushing the c store so hard lately. Most mmo's I've played in the past with 100-200k subs could keep things going without resorting to rmt. Sure there may have been a pay to move to another server or rename a character charge but nothing like what I've seen lately with STO. It seems like the cash pool they had from the box sales, LTS subs and initial monthly subs that cancelled is starting to get scarce.
If you have a game with 100k subs at $15 a month, and say 25% buy an item for 4 or 5 bucks, you would only end up with an extra 125k. Im not sure how much funding this would do as you'd only be getting an extra 6% a month. The prices on the c store have been trending upwards though.
I hope they burned all that box sale and C-store cash on some good parties and blow, because the players certainly didn't get anything out of it.
RELAX!@!! BREATHE!!!
I dont know why people have an issue with how a business model works.
If they are makeing $100 (simple number for ease of math) by selling the game in stores and charging monthly fees...
They could make $150 by adding a cash shop....
They could make $300 by offering a F2P option.
When a company looks at how they are doing (quarterly/yearly results etc) they look at things that they could be doing better. When there are simple changes (as presented above) that would clearly add to their bottom line, they look into them, and make the business decisions needed to be MORE profitable.
It is not that they can not do business the old way. It is that they can do BETTER the new way. Some people consider this being greedy. However, anyone that works for a living, would call this good business sense.
Your model doesn't account for the need for customers to feel like they got their money's worth for what they are buying.
Honeslty, who gives a flying flip about how well Cryptic is doing? I feel like I got ripped off when I purchased their junk and I'm definitely not alone in that.
Making a product that is priced fairly and that is quality so customers don't feel like they got ripped off is the business model I would *prefer* they had taken from the start, and then we probably wouldn't even be having this discussion.
RELAX!@!! BREATHE!!!
The flaw in your arguement is that STO isn't doing well either way.
They got more stuff to buy in the c store! However if you don't argee with paying rmt in addition to a monthly sub, or can't find anything worth buying in the c store, then you got nothing.
How do you make more money, 3x as much, when a game is advertised as Free 2 Play?