Back in December we all had imminent heart attacks brought on by EA's announcement that SW:TOR would not be subcription based, instead favoring a micro-transaction model. Since that time there has been quite the substantial uproar from the community and we have since gotten word from EA's CEO John Riccitiello that; "No statements have been made about the Star Wars business model." This is good news for guys like myself whom as you know am an avid gamer and mmofanatic. We highly prefer subcription based models. Anyways, rummaging through the net I ran upon an article published by BBC News on micro-transactions over the weekend, focusing on everything from the large amount of money the system can generate to the concern that greed may overshadow gameplay if these payments for in-game items are given too much priority. According to the article, a survey at the GamesBeat conference in San Francisco found that 66% of those polled "were excited about this growing trend" in free-to-play games. Dean Takahashi, the organizer of Gamesbeat, said micro-transactions are popular in the far east, Korea and China, and now the big test is whether North American gamers will fully embrace the system. Takahashi predicts micro-payments could become a multi-billion dollar business. I however think & believe that RMT will be the end of the western mmo market. On the other hand, some people in the industry are concerned micro-payments could affect gameplay. "You need to remember that at the end of the day, we are there to provide fun gaming experiences for people. Not something where they are constantly badgered to pay up for something," said Neil Young, the founder of NGmoco that makes games exclusively for Apple's app store. So, to you fellow ExGS guildies I ask you what your thoughts on micro-transactions are? Are they the future of payment in MMOs, a nuisance that can affect gameplay, or something else entirely? You can read the full article for more information, including revenue numbers for various companies. Leugim
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5 comments:
Subscription based is the way to go. Paying monthly doesen't require the gamer to put in specific time like buying items that only last a week. Your free to play until your subscription runs out.
I don't plan on buying a "special" lightsaber for $15.00. Not going to happen.
Agreed. I'm not going to pay for extra items. That's just being greedy on the company's part...
Even if the micro-transactions are just for aesthetic items, I'd still prefer a subscription based business model.
This is the first time I’ve heard of MRT, as a business minded person, It’s a great model, fat cash and with high volume. They are going after the “cost” strategy in business. Low cost product with a board market is the key here. This is where a RMT system makes since.
Where as, long planned out, high value, uniqueness of MMOs products, like WoW, SWTOR, WAR, EVE, Etc., will go after the differentiation strategy in the market; narrow focused and unique product. This is where the flat $$ amount each month makes sense. Doesn’t mean thay don’t want lots of subscribers, but they get most of their ROI when gamers buy the software.
I think as long as developers make MMOs that are unique and different, then their products will be “worth” more in a consumer’s eye and from the rest of the market. The MMO gamer has nothing to worry about. Once you see MMOs that are cookie cutting, wanting higher volumes and a loud cry from “pay as you play” gamers, and having gamers who are willing to pay for virtual real life shit (this part is beyond to me). Be afraid.
That’s my 2 cents.
~ Babaghanush
Not likely to make it big on a mainstream MMO, in my opinion.
The "problem" is see is with gamers in the 13 to 18 year old bracket. A pay as you go system will be extremely clumsy for that group, with no independent financial means. Parents are likely to sign a blank check...at least not once they see their first bill.
For this reason, I don't see a Star Wars MMO, which undoubtedly will target all age groups, young and old, using a micro-transaction system.
Goano
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