crowd funding and ps2

wraithverge · 2012-06-03, 09:48 AM

So I know this game will make money just on skins unlockables and xp boosters, however I could just as easily see a crowd funding within the game. IE: New continent, cost: $40,000 with a donate link in the buy stuff page. I'd chip in, does anyone else see this as a viable method of getting new content for the game if necessary?

Stardouser · 2012-06-03, 09:51 AM

Actually, good idea. What about features(of which I shall name no examples) where the only defense against having it in the game is "I wouldn't use it, so waste of developer time and resources"? Be cool if people could buy stuff in the cash shop in the name of such features to fund the hiring of additional personnel to work on that stuff.

onwee · 2012-06-03, 09:51 AM

I don't think it will be as effective because you don't get instant gratification, which is why the F2P model works so well.

Edit: Additionally you don't get to see the product before you invest in it. What happens when 40k is raised for new area and it sucks? Backlash.

wraithverge · 2012-06-03, 09:58 AM

Backlash can happen but that's the risk that every consumer sales product faces. I think the ps2 team knows the risks and have already learned the BFR lesson.

onwee · 2012-06-03, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by wraithverge

Backlash can happen but that's the risk that every consumer sales product faces. I think the ps2 team knows the risks and have already learned the BFR lesson.

Yeah, but the level of accepted risk is much lower with a cash shop than raising money to develop new content that every consumer is satisfied with. With a cash shop individuals can target small specific items that they know they like.

With the amount of people used in crowd funding there is a strong possibility that a small percentage will not be happy with the content no matter what. This percentage would become loud, demand money back, call the game crap...bad publicity.

It's just my opinion but I think doing something like this is a lose-lose.

wraithverge · 2012-06-03, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by onwee

With the amount of people used in crowd funding there is a strong possibility that a small percentage will not be happy with the content no matter what. This percentage would become loud, demand money back, call the game crap...bad publicity.

It's just my opinion but I think doing something like this is a lose-lose.

Valid point, I think that can be mitigated by the clear indication that this is a donation and you are not paying for anything; but you never can tell with large groups of people how it will roll out.

Gandhi · 2012-06-03, 10:25 AM

Could you imagine telling investors and shareholders that you're relying on donations to make your game profitable?

Stardouser · 2012-06-03, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Could you imagine telling investors and shareholders that you're relying on donations to make your game profitable?

I think donate was a poor choice of words by the OP. This would be more like attaching your purchases to a choice of new content possibilities.

For example, if they were considering adding a continent, or a new (insert some other new thing), people could simply attach their cash shop purchases to a particular cause.

capiqu · 2012-06-03, 10:33 AM

Only if they are the original 10 + BI of planetside1 , lol. Yeah I'm a fan of the game so yeah I would be willing to spend on the
game

wraithverge · 2012-06-03, 10:36 AM

hey stakeholders in this project, we have a way to develop new content that can keep our game fresh while reducing the expense for development to almost nothing if not turning development of the game into a profitable branch in itself, and all we are asking of you is to sit back and make money.

I fail to see how this is a hard sell.

And no I don't mean attaching purchases, I mean donation. Optional, side projects that the team already wants to work on that are by no means necessary, ie new continents, new vehicles (NS only, or all three empires at once), nothing faction specific however as that's buying power.

This would allow the development team to stay large if not expand to handle further development at once and rapid pushes for new content etc. The only problem I see is balancing everything with new content coming out so fast.

Although this does bring up a valid idea of attaching each purchase to a RnD requests, but that's an entirely different thread.

Shogun · 2012-06-03, 10:41 AM

maybe with every purchase in the shop you get access to a poll!

the devs could ask in those polls which new feature they should work on first, or if the playerbase would like or dislike something and they would only recieve answers from paying customers.

and you could buy random stuff to donate and vote for your favorite feature.

Immigrant · 2012-06-03, 11:01 AM

I'd actually like to see some sort of WARBONDS in this game! It fits the theme imo very well.

It could work this way. You' would still have skin/customization cash shop, maybe some low-profile in-game advertising as well to back up the whole thing. However I'd ditch the XP boost and instead merge it with Warbonds. If you buy warbonds, you'd get xp boost for next month also people with Warbonds would get new "experimental" weapons and vehicles (from upcoming patches) in development a week or two earlier for tryout (in-game beta testing) than the gen-pop as a reward for supporting the war effort for their Empire. Similar model is working quite well for Tribes, however they should mind to keep these weapons tested and balanced unlike the Tribes where they deliberately release OP weapons to attract for buyers what is frankly quite terrible. Since the system should work retroactively (you buy WB prior to getting or knowing what weapons will be released in the next patch) with WBs this issue should be avoided.

edit: however I don't think the should make stuff like "only 34 560 $ until new continent releases, donate here!". It's only natural that if game is financially successful that new content will be created and released. no need to solicit for donations that way.

Greeniegriz · 2012-06-03, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Shogun

maybe with every purchase in the shop you get access to a poll!

the devs could ask in those polls which new feature they should work on first, or if the playerbase would like or dislike something and they would only recieve answers from paying customers.

and you could buy random stuff to donate and vote for your favorite feature.

Access to a poll is a good idea. They did polls in Everquest (didn't require purchase I think), though i'm not sure how effective they were.

Polls should still be done whether it requires a purchase or not IMO.

War bonds are a clever idea but I would hate for there to be a community backlash if the released content didn't meet outrageous expectations.

Cheers,

GG

Immigrant · 2012-06-03, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Greeniegriz

War bonds are a clever idea but I would hate for there to be a community backlash if the released content didn't meet outrageous expectations.

Well the point is you don't buy WBs for the content itself so I don't see why would there be a backlash - you can't expect to get something specific in advance that should be clear. You buy WBs to support the game, also you get instant XP boost (maybe an extra offline resource income also) too so there would be no reason to complain.

Being able to test the new content before others should be icing on the cake not the sole reason why you buy WBs. Also since devs said they will take into account community voice when making and releasing new content (as they are doing now) I doubt there would really be major backlashes. Also if the content doesn't meet your expectation as a WB buyer you would have an opportunity to make it clear since you'd be the part of in-game beta testing for that patch (you'd get an poll at the end of the test so devs could know what needs to be fixed with new content).

Greeniegriz · 2012-06-03, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Immigrant

Well the point is you don't buy WBs for the content itself so I don't see why would there be a backlash - you can't expect to get something specific in advance that should be clear. You buy WBs to support the game, also you get instant XP boost (maybe an extra offline resource income also) too so there would be no reason to complain.

Being able to test the new content before others should be icing on the cake not the sole reason why you buy WBs. Also since devs said they will take into account community voice when making and releasing new content (as they are doing now) I doubt there would really be major backlashes. Also if the content doesn't meet your expectation as a WB buyer you would have an opportunity to make it clear since you'd be the part of in-game beta testing for that patch (you'd get an poll at the end of the test so devs could know what needs to be fixed with new content).

I see your point.

Access to a the test server would definitely be a nice feature. I'd be against extra resource generation but an XP boost would be fine.

Cheers,

GG