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If all MMO's tomorrow became item shop games would you quit MMOs and why?
chinchilla32
Member Posts: 51
A growing trend is the rapid rise of item shop MMO's, they have sprung up everywhere.
Now if your MMO became an item shop style one. Would you quit, what puts you off item shop style games?
I would play one if I knew that you could only buy items that didn't give an overwhelming advantage: 10% boost to xp or loot I could live with, but 10% stat boost I couldn't.
Comments
My feelings on the matter match this:
http://www.eldergame.com/2009/03/04/dont-throw-out-the-subscription-model/
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
Agreed. That's the only way I would play. I think that most people will agree with this.
There are two kinds of people in this world. People who pick their nose.. and liars.
i wouldnt play single game with item shops.. preorder bonus items are already getting annoying.. and those usually good just for first 10 lvls..
acclaim can go to hell with its game, and with spellborn all together.. way to kill off game.. ( not that i liked it )
If I'm playing for free, I wouldn't care.
not only would I quit, I did quit when the MMO I was playing opened an item shop.
There really isn't one thing about them that I don't like, it is alot of things... The talk of taxation on item shop based games, the legal issues of ownership, the sheer fact that I play games to enter a level playing field and now one artificially sloped to who can pay more, etc...
I just personally feel that when you add items that increase XP by 10%-20% the devlopers are going to base content off the population of people who purchase those, resulting in a very long, dry, and dull leveling experience for anyone else who doesn't.
So the answer to your question is, yes, I would no longer play. When someone can buy with real cash the entire reason you're playing the game (character advancement, gear, etc) it completely kills the economy and immersion in the game, I couldn't get into it.
If it's fluff stuff that doesn't do a thing in-game, I could probably live with that if the game was fun. The moment an item gets introduced that makes so the person with the most money is the best player, then I'd quit. Then again, I don't play MMO's anymore because I can't get into the combat system anymore. I'm tired of auto-attack afk gameplay.
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The most awesomest after school special T-shirt:
Front: UNO Chemistry Club
Back: /\OH --> Bad Decisions
Agreed. That's the only way I would play. I think that most people will agree with this.
I think this can be achieved if items are implemented in such a way that you could buy variants of things you already own, but with a better visual. Potions that increase health, mana, agi, etc would be welcome, especially if they were offered in bulk. I think there are ways to do this where both paying and non paying customers can benefit.
Get rid of the monthly sub and I'll take that 15 bucks and use it for purchasing upgrades to my existing items or bulk potions without hesitation.
Yes i would stop im already on virge of quiting mmo's all together i dont have much hope anymore for mmo's:(
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
Interesting article;
How about a third (there are more im sure) model, pay $50 to play a game for 500 hours (and spend another $50 when that 500 hours expire, note per account not per character!). Hardcore gamers pay more, which they would probably do anyway. Has any MMO tried this?
I dont care about other people buying stuff with real money, since i dont care what equip they wear or what lvl they are. In a PvP game, it could be a problem, but thats not the type of game i prefer.
Interesting article;
How about a third (there are more im sure) model, pay $50 to play a game for 500 hours (and spend another $50 when that 500 hours expire, note per account not per character!). Hardcore gamers pay more, which they would probably do anyway. Has any MMO tried this?
Actually I'm more interested in MMOs that sell content segments... originally I thought a few games were going to do that, but it turned out they didn't.
Like mini-expansions... some cost a dollar, some cost $10, some are instances, some are persistant... some are strictly PvE, some are PvP, some are full loot PvP... depends on the zone and size and state and rules = price.
I think there's a market actually. No Subs, no "item" mall... "Content Mall".
EDIT:
I worked on a MMO where I pitched this idea... the creative director/producer and investor couldn't wrap their head around it even though I had an example (made from cardboard on the table) of how it would work and be effective.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
But you should care, not because of any vanity or to find a sense of self worth, but because of how developers balance games. If the gear that can be 'bought' is better than what can be gotten by playing the game, the game will have to be balanced to this purchased gear, thus making those who do not buy it have a more difficult time to play it.
Yes i'd quit MMO's all together, and start up my own emulator server for w/e game I loved that went zombificated by item shops.
Reasons: Item shops remove fairness to a game, even when it's only fluff like illusions. I remember leaving EQ2 when item shops came in and you could get "lucky" and pay anywhere from $5 to $50 and get a chance to obtain a Kunark Goblin illusion. It may not seem like much, but if someone can get such a kickass illusion and be "unique" from the other 1000 people around him...I should be able to obtain the same item from good old fashion hardwork...NOT paying real money for it.
Item shops, by design, are meant to draw in several times more $$$ than normal monthly payments. However, games like 9dragons whom have some CRAAAZY item shops, and are completely ruined. They have a competitive pvp aspect of the game within 9dragons, unfortunately the rule of thumb is that if you're not paying around $60/mo on item shop items there's no way in HELL you can compete in pvp in that game...it's just a very sad fact
!
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Having a different opinion must mean you're a troll.
Yes I wold quit. I would rather see MMOs move more towards being player skill based, not based on who as spent the most time or money.
I'm fine with item shop as long as it is mostly cosmetic and don't have a major impact on gameplay.
I play item shop now ,i wouldn't stop but i would prefer everybody did guild wars model where you pay for expansions and small map packs.Guild wars has the best free to play model
It depends on what's in the item mall and how much it costs. If it were $15/month to get all the possible advantages from the item mall, and in lieu of $15/month for a subscription, I'd be fine with it. If it were an item mall with nothing but fluff, on top of the normal subscription fee, I'd be fine with it. If it's the "pay to win" business model of the usual "free to play"/item mall game, I'd quit.
Yes I would, if the day comes that all mmo companies get THAT greedy I'll stop playing mmos for good.
Guild Wars kind of does that, though with awfully big content segments. Wizard101 does that, breaking up PvE content into 46 separate segments that you can buy separately--though you do have to play through one to get to the next.
I don't like item shop games. I don't mind some micro transactions kinda like wow curently has, but those are not game defining.
My sig is just as logical as your posts are
I'd quit playing them; even if I have more than enough money to pay for multiple subs I wouldn't touch ANY item shop game ever, It is just another infraction on the RPG aspect of MMORPGS. I want to reap the rewards by the actions my character performs, not 'cheating' them in by using my bank account. Where is the pride and reward in that, why play the game anyway?
You could compare the item shop concept with illegal gold sellers in subbed games. I'd rather grind my way to oblivion for an item than pay a single RL cent for them.
My brand new bloggity blog.
Guild Wars kind of does that, though with awfully big content segments. Wizard101 does that, breaking up PvE content into 46 separate segments that you can buy separately--though you do have to play through one to get to the next.
yeah, I know.
That, on a more open, smaller, scale. Micro-Expansions...
Like GW SHOULD have been.
- CaesarsGhost
Lead Gameplay and Gameworld Designer for a yet unnamed MMO Title.
"When people tell me designing a game is easy, I try to get them to design a board game. Most people don't last 5 minutes, the rest rarely last more then a day. The final few realize it's neither fun nor easy."
It would depend on the item shop and how much it costs.
My impression so far, from most f2p is that after a certain number of levels, buying stuff from the item mall is essential or the game becomes an unbearable grind. Buying the esential stuff regularly is the same as paying a subscription.
If you go really crazy in the item malls you can spend a lot more than on a monthly subscription games. It is so tempting to buy that item which will make you far more powerful so you can progress more quickly. While each little purchase may be small, in a month they can quickly add up to a lot.
Wealthy players have an advantage. However, the wealthy players by paying more are covering more of the game's running expenses, which may make it more affordable for other players.
If its fluff, no biggie. If its any item that gives you an advantage, forget it. Real life is full of people who buy their way out of problems or use money to get them ahead instead of working. When I play a videogame, I'm trying to get away from real life, NOT emulate it;) WHy play a game if you know this player or that player has better armor or a better sword because he decided to use real money to pay for it? Not my thing.