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Wizard101: How to correctly implement an item mall /moved
Lord_Marshal
Member Posts: 58
Let me preface by saying I detest cash shops. I'm old school, I want to pay my 15 bucks a month and be done. But it seems micro transactions in one form or another are becoming the future of gaming. Whether its DLC's on console ( can you say horse armor) or SOE and their RMT madness (which has carried over into Free realms) Its not just for asian grinders anymore.
I would just like to say to developers if you must implement a cash system at least follow Wizard101's example. What makes wizards cash shop acceptable and functional is how optional it is. Everything* you can buy with crowns you can also acquire through gameplay. Theres two types of crown vendors, regular crown ( cash currency) items and special holiday vendors. Regular crown items can be bought for exhorbiant amounts of regular in game gold and holiday items can be farmed from bosses ( giving you something to do). Sure all item mall stuff is "optional" but everyone wants the best looking gear with the best stats, saying you dont have to buy it is one thing, but letting you acquire it without using the cash system, just by putting in some extra effort is what makes it work so well.
Wizard also has an interesting hybrid subscription model where you can buy chunks of the game for a set price instead of paying a monthly feel, almost like playing guild wars but buying chunks at a time instead of all upfront. It could still use some work in my opinon as there isnt much incentive to be a regular subscriber and considering the existance of a cash shop the monthly fee should probably be lower. But its still light years ahead of anything SOE has done or the horrible gambling boxes of Atlantica Online and all the temporary boosts they sell ike auto looting.
Comments
I agree the cash shop in Wizard101 is non intrusive. They are definitely doing something right considering they have just hit the 2 million registered users mark.
I played it for a month before i realized what was missing for me. The loot/drops were sub par to the gear you could buy in the shop or the cash shop which is the same gear. If you are going to add loot to a game atleast have loot items that surpasses what you can go and buy for your gold. Once i hit the magical level where i could go buy the best gear i really had no incentive to go and fight mobs. For me loot is one of the most important aspect of a MMO of this type
They've since heavily nerfed the crown gear. Unfortunately, what they did was to make it so that the old gear can no longer be obtained, so the old level 35 crown hat and robe are still the best gear in the game in their slots for two classes, and can no longer be obtained by any means (whether by crowns or otherwise) by newer players.
The subscription fee is the reason why Wizard101 doesn't need to get carried away with an item mall. They don't have the problem that nearly all of the players will pay zilch and desperately need to try to grab revenue, the way that a conventional "free to lose"/item mall game does.
I'm glad this little game is putting in a cash shop thats actually not a scam.
But I have to be honest, grown men posting indepth reviews or just actually taking this game seriously as a childrens game rubs me the wrong way.
I personally feel these childrens MMOs need to be removed from the site considering the majority of this sites community is far older then the target playerbase this game goes for.
It's like being ok with older men enjoying a tea party session with a bunch of four year old girls.
Its freaking wierd and just gives me the willies.
Playing: EvE, Ryzom
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol pervs
To quote a good ol Oingo Boingo song
I love little girls they make me feel so good
I love little girls they make me feel so bad
When theyre around they make me feel
Like Im the only guy in town
I love little girls they make me feel so good
They dont care if Im a one way mirror
Theyre not frightened by my cold exterior
They dont ask me questions
They dont want to scold me
They dont look for answers
They just want to hold me
Isnt this fun
Isnt this what lifes all about
Isnt this a dream come true
Isnt this a nightmare too
They dont care about my inclinations
Theyre not frightened by my revelations
Uh oh take a second take
Uh oh its a mistake
Uh oh Im in trouble
Uh oh the little girl was just to little
Too little, too little, too little
Isnt this what lifes all about
Isnt this a dream come true
Isnt this a nightmare too . . .
And I dont care what people say
And I dont care what people think
And I dont care how we look walking down the street
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol perves
I know it sounds bad dude, but as a father of four I have a different view on adults playing the same game as my children.
With how messed up the world is today how can you not think its odd that adults on this site are so excited over these kids games and it's ....... community?
Playing: EvE, Ryzom
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol perves
I know it sounds bad dude, but as a father of four I have a different view on adults playing the same game as my children.
With how messed up the world is today how can you not think its odd that adults on this site are so excited over these kids games and it's ....... community?
Well the good part about Wizard101 though is their chat filter. They didn't just make a database 20.000 filtered words like other games do. Instead they went the opposite direction and made a database of 8.000 allowed words. To take it even further they have filtered out words if used in certain sentences ..as an example you can say 'pants' but if you try and say 'in my pants' it will be filtered out. I have to say it's fairly effective which is why i have no quarrels of letting my own son play.
As a parent you really only have 2 responsible options here. Either not let them play online at all or sit down and try the game yourself to see the risks for yourself. Experiment and use the parent controls which all these kid games offer. This should give you a well informed decision if it's responsible to let your kid play.
As such i see nothing creepy personally about parents playing these games with their kids. Online games are the new board games
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol perves
I know it sounds bad dude, but as a father of four I have a different view on adults playing the same game as my children.
With how messed up the world is today how can you not think its odd that adults on this site are so excited over these kids games and it's ....... community?
I quite agree and I have to check on my daughter every now and then to make sure she isn't being bothered by players that really shouldn't be bothering her at the age of 7.
My daughter has enjoyed Wizard 101 and what it had to offer and is now playing Freerealms as it is alot bigger and more open.
As for Item malls, my daughter has no opinion on that as she has no preconceived notions of epic loot or loot in general, she plays the game becuase it's fun, the other stuff will ofc come but not for a good few years yet.
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol perves
I know it sounds bad dude, but as a father of four I have a different view on adults playing the same game as my children.
With how messed up the world is today how can you not think its odd that adults on this site are so excited over these kids games and it's ....... community?
Sorry but thats very narrow minded. There are a great many adults that enjoy cartoons and other "kid" stuff. Most JRPG's have kids as the main characters and anime style graphics.
I personally dont actually like "kiddie" stuff. If I could make my wizard older I would. I play W101 because its the best turn based MMORPG I know of. It has a great combat system and runs flawlessly on my crappy laptop. It combines Magic the gathering with Harry Potter, whats not to like?
Yeah, close minded and judgmental to the max. I've played this game here and there to take a break from different real deal mmo's and it's definitely fun.
And anyway, didn't you see Con Air?
einexile the meek
Vacuos, Winterlong, Vaciante, Eicosapenta
Atlantean, Tyranny, Malton
While this addresses one of the problems, it still doesn't address the core of the cash shop argument regarding an equal and level playing field. So long as you can buy equipment/skills/buffs/etc it still becomes "he who has the most money wins". The Wizard 101 system only works if you only offer cosmetic items that can be found in-game as well, and that never happens.
Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.
EAT ME MMORPG.com!
Please demonstrate items in the cash shop today that offer significant benefits that can't be found or purchased as in game loot. The original cash shop items were extermely powerful, but have since been removed and nerfed.
~Ripper
Wait a second, you think that the other games like Darklands appeal to "Adults"?
I've played Freerealms and I've played this game and I am 39 and I like them, for different reasons I am sure then a 4 year old would.
If a 4 y/o can play this game well, I'd be really impressed.
But but... 4 year old girls is the whole attraction towards those games. Don't take that away from us ol perves
I know it sounds bad dude, but as a father of four I have a different view on adults playing the same game as my children.
With how messed up the world is today how can you not think its odd that adults on this site are so excited over these kids games and it's ....... community?
You have your thoughts directed in the wrong way. If a pervert wants to seek out children, they will not go to an adult website to find them. They will go where children go.
Needless to say, if an inexperienced child can find an online game on the internet, so can an experienced adult. Removing "childrens games" from this website will not deter pedophiles from seeking out a hub where children learn about new games.