Free-To-Play

mulisha · 2012-03-13, 11:55 PM

Anyone else kind of feel like this is jepoardizing the longevity of this game? I don't like the idea of micro-transaction games, nor have really any micro-transaction games done very well and stayed atop besides Eve.

Just want opinions, dont get me wrong, im jacked its free. But I feel its going to hurt the game and you will eventually be able to buy everything with real cash just starting out at BR 1.

Bags · 2012-03-14, 12:01 AM

League of Legends is booming.

Highwind · 2012-03-14, 12:29 AM

"Lord of the Rings Online's revenue tripled since going F2P"

"DC Universe Online revenue up 700% after free-to-play switch"

According to a pair of 'tweets' by Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley, EverQuest II has shown impressive growth since going free to play in early December.

" We are seeing some amazing growth in EQ2. 40% increase in daily logins since going f2p. 300% increase in new players.
And 200% increase in Item sales. Plus we have added a lot of new subs. All during the time that some really good competition hit the market. "

The developers, and sometimes more importantly the SOE Executives, have seen the future of MMO-X gaming and it isn't subscription no matter how you slice it.

It took a long string of failed MMO-X games trying to run subscriptions competing against games like WoW before people began to realize that you can't beat WoW. The only thing that will kill WoW, is WoW itself, it is the Rome of videogames. Like Rome it is already starting to fall apart from within, bleeding subscribers at record rates. If the king of all subscription games is slipping and dozens have failed to match its success why would PS2 limited itself to subscription in the face of the proven modern success of F2P and F2P-after box copy games?

MooK · 2012-03-14, 12:09 AM

TF2 is also booming.

The best way to deliver micro transactions to a game, is to keep it fairly distant from gameplay. Allow it to be accessible, but don't force it down people's throats.

NCLynx · 2012-03-14, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by mulisha

But I feel its going to hurt the game and you will eventually be able to buy everything with real cash just starting out at BR 1.

That BR1 is gunna be crazy decked out in 100% aesthetic gear then. I realize you're saying they'll eventually start selling actual power down the road, but TBH I doubt that. If they keep up with updates it just creates more possible things in game that they can sell extra aesthetics for in the cash shop.

Subscription games are a dying breed.

CutterJohn · 2012-03-14, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by mulisha

But I feel its going to hurt the game and you will eventually be able to buy everything with real cash just starting out at BR 1.

That would be awesome. I loathe level grinds and would absolutely love to be able to bypass it so I can just play however I wish, and not have to deal with the game, almost begrudgingly, handing out content in order to string me along for longer.

Really kills me that people don't want power to be sold, but are somehow ok with it being handed out piecemeal by an always too damned slow leveling system. Power doesn't belong in an fps, period, but if it is, what difference does it make to anyone else whether someone bought it or spent a year grinding for it?

Zulthus · 2012-03-14, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

That would be awesome. I loathe level grinds and would absolutely love to be able to bypass it so I can just play however I wish, and not have to deal with the game, almost begrudgingly, handing out content in order to string me along for longer.

Move along, this is not the game you're looking for.

Shanesan · 2012-03-14, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

That would be awesome. I loathe level grinds and would absolutely love to be able to bypass it so I can just play however I wish, and not have to deal with the game, almost begrudgingly, handing out content in order to string me along for longer.

Really kills me that people don't want power to be sold, but are somehow ok with it being handed out piecemeal by an always too damned slow leveling system. Power doesn't belong in an fps, period, but if it is, what difference does it make to anyone else whether someone bought it or spent a year grinding for it?

Power is not being sold or being handed out piecemeal. As they said, people who have been playing 5 minutes as opposed to 5 years will not really have any significant disadvantages - only a loss of options. You can still shoot and kill people easily with your initial loadout. The person with the jump will have the advantage.

If you're looking to pay to win, this isn't the game for you. If you're looking to pay to gain levels faster and thusly unlock stuff quicker, this MAY be the game for you.

NCLynx · 2012-03-14, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by Shanesan

Power is not being sold or being handed out piecemeal. As they said, people who have been playing 5 minutes as opposed to 5 years will not really have any significant disadvantages - only a loss of options. You can still shoot and kill people easily with your initial loadout. The person with the jump will have the advantage.

If you're looking to pay to win, this isn't the game for you. If you're looking to pay to gain levels faster and thusly unlock stuff quicker, this MAY be the game for you.

I feel like TF2 is the best example for that (could be wrong) but for the way weapons are handled at least. All the default guns on all classes in TF2 are damn good, there will always be the occasional other gun that gets its OP run but that changes.

Just like how a specific sidegrade in PS2 might totally just destroy anything else and be OP as hell, it's likely to change. The default weapons will always be damn good.

Death2All · 2012-03-14, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by Shanesan

The person with the jump will have the advantage.

Ew, I hope not. I hope the game doesn't denerate into a mindless twitch shooter where the person with the best connection or whoever gets the jump first wins. That's lame.

I know that was a just tiny point used to enforce your argument, but still

Furber · 2012-03-14, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by DeeTwoEh

I hope the game doesn't denerate into a mindless twitch shooter where the person with the best connection or whoever gets the jump first wins. That's lame.

/agree, I don't mind it being quicker paced than Planetside1, I saw that coming. But when a game is pretty much 'who ever sees the other person first wins 100%', that's not very fun.

CutterJohn · 2012-03-14, 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by Shanesan

Power is not being sold or being handed out piecemeal. As they said, people who have been playing 5 minutes as opposed to 5 years will not really have any significant disadvantages - only a loss of options. You can still shoot and kill people easily with your initial loadout. The person with the jump will have the advantage.

If you're looking to pay to win, this isn't the game for you. If you're looking to pay to gain levels faster and thusly unlock stuff quicker, this MAY be the game for you.

You say the max level character doesn't have any significant advantage, only more options. Then you say it would be buying power to buy all those things. Which is it? Either its buying power or it isn't. And if it isn't, if they are all just sidegrades, then what would be wrong with me buying them rather than unlocking them?

And I'm looking for an mmofps, so this is the game for me. Otherwise i wouldn't have been hanging around here for the last year and a half. I'd just greatly prefer having all the toys at once rather than having them handed out to me piecemeal. I do not like having RPG systems shoehorned into FPS games, because I feel they should be about personal skill and preferences, rather than character skill and development. I realize this opinion puts me a decade out of date with FPSs. I guess I'm just old fashioned.

Shanesan · 2012-03-14, 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

You say the max level character doesn't have any significant advantage, only more options. Then you say it would be buying power to buy all those things. Which is it? Either its buying power or it isn't. And if it isn't, if they are all just sidegrades, then what would be wrong with me buying them rather than unlocking them?

Notice I never actually said it was "buying power". I said that you could invest in getting ranks faster with XP boosters and thusly get the OPTIONS faster. Side grades do not equal power. Side grades equal customizability to cater to your specific play style.

CutterJohn · 2012-03-14, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by Shanesan

Notice I never actually said it was "buying power". I said that you could invest in getting ranks faster with XP boosters and thusly get the OPTIONS faster. Side grades do not equal power. Side grades equal customizability to cater to your specific play style.

K. Then can I spend more money and get them instantly?

Tehroth · 2012-03-15, 01:45 PM

I dislike items shops, but I can live with just aesthetics as long as they don't start selling weaponry and buy to win items.