Microtransaction=only costly if youre too stupid to control your own spending without needing your handheld for you by some corporation telling you how much you should or shouldnt spend.
The reason why DDO going F2P was a success. Is simply because it couldn't get any worse it already was.
The game was practically dead since launch. It was a total failure!
For Turbine it was just a matter of either shutting the game down or change the bussiness model and hope for the best.
They did the latter and fortunately for them it turned out well.
Also, due to the extreme instanced nature of this game. It was fairly easy to turn it into a F2P model and cut off content for the Cash Shop.
LOTRO on the other hand was still doing reasonably well subscription wise. It has a pretty large loyal fanbase.
That's what puzzles me why they suddenly change it bussiness model on this game?!
Also, this game is a lot harder to turn into a good F2P model, as it's a very large, mostly seamless world. Much much harder to gate content for the Cash Shop.
So instead. They seem to be going to sell Virtue / Deeds in the Cash Shop, wich pretty much directly affects your character's power! Very bad!
Seriously tho. I really still have my doubts this was such a good move on Turbine's part and their decision might backfire straight into their faces.
Being a lifetime subscriber myself i think this is a great change..
i think it will bring more players and the microtransaction idea isn't bad because if u subscribe u get points to spend on it and also by doing certain things in game u can earn points.
people saying its a corporate scam to take money from u and get you hooked, doesnt every mmo want to get money out of you?
ive read the Faq and i think the change will hopefully increase lotros population.
Please read through the faq before trolling the forum.
Is this article an opinion piece or a hey lets carry water for turbine because after all this is two in a row that haved failed into f2p or is it an actual turbine paid advertisement?
#5 $9.99 a month too high a hurdle to re/consider a month sub.
#4 F2P must mean free expansions amirite? Oh wait a sec, halfway down the paragrah I'll mention pure speculation.
#3 turbine talks to loyal fans but does not listen, just more talk about listening. Game trends sideways. Does turbine backtrack listen to years of loyal players saying love the game small changes please and I'll be back/ride this train from beta to finish. No throw them under bus and build a bigger net to bottom drag fans of f2p. Turbine has no interest in new game development until the f2p peeps have had a year or two of the existing content and no longer throw nickels.
#2 Lotro is already one of the industry's best market ninja teams. All expansions pre Moria required just ot have a medium sized game. All additions like housing/fishing as generic static as it gets. Lots of promises that its just a framework. But the reality? Hey turbine its been two years when do my pictures actually get a frame? Moria I liked the design really did. To bad it was just the framework to change game direction with grinds from gear/rep/li's. Legenary items lol enough said. Unwilling to get back on rails turbine decides to regurgitate existing content fully monetized. Thats stalling at best admitting failure at worst but for the real fans of this title its 2 mores years of grinding sideways.
#1 Yeehaw another AA game failed and going f2p. This is great news for the gaming industry. It's also real good if your a cheap prick and think games just grow on trees. Naw they dont grow on trees AA games are funded to the tune of tens of millions of dollars so lets hope more of them fail.
So instead. They seem to be going to sell Virtue / Deeds in the Cash Shop, wich pretty much directly affects your character's power! Very bad!
I agree time will tell and some people will be able to have a look in the middle of june.
one clarification. As far as the chart is concerened it's trait and virtue "slots". Not actual traits and virtues that can be purchased.
Though it would be interesting to see if they do something where if one person maxes a trait or virtue they can purchase the same trait and virtue for another character. Or purchase an ability where they each trait and virtue is levelled for all characters.
This is just a thougth, I'm not saying they are going to do this.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Who knows how it will work out? It all depends on how devious Turbine wants to be with the game design for the new content (if they make it hard in order to sell buffs from the cash shop, which is their main source of income in DDO apparently)
Still, #2 was simply wrong. The game had basically no new content added since Moria. In 2 years, you had one mini-expanison that was more like a micro expansion. The "free" updates you could play in one night.
For whatever reason, Turbine pretty much just abandoned LOTRO for the last couple years. There were rumors everyone moved to another game. Maybe not, but they sure weren't making LOTRO content.
I don't like this move, but at least it keeps the game alive for a while for the people who love it. They were really getting hosed by Turbine.
Mr Murphy seems to have plastered a Hobbit smile over his face and is merrily dancing as he runs into the F2P Orc hordes that will trample him under their feet. In the interests of journalistic balance are we now going to have an article which looks at the negative aspects?
Guild Wars 2 is not a ‘free MMO’, if it is would Mr Murphy kindly send me my free copy when it launches.
We had many updates that were ‘free’ and still do; they were the finest content additions I had seen for just your normal P2P monthly fee. So don’t make an issue of the fact we might get free updates, we always did. In the preparation for F2P the quality of those free content updates has gone down, if you had played the game since launch you would know this.
Supposedly we need more people to boost the server populations. I presume we need those on the overloaded servers that Turbine tries to steer new players away from as well? Why on earth do overloaded servers need more players?
Middle Earth just went Disney Land. 10 bucks for a Coke.
DDO going FTP was a good move, since the game was subs dead and it was not really a full blown MMORPG. I am quite convinced it didn't rock the game above the more succesful paid MMo's (as proven by Xfire), but still it was better going FTP than let it die.
---> Lotro is a complete different story. It's a full fledged rather succesful MMORPG and if I read that you now need to PAY to even SEE the quests or have access to more than 2 Gold (read 5G somewhere) ...., this is a horror story.
It will divide its player base by a factor of 10. Going from abusive trial to the sucker who is paying his last savings to see the "real end game". Which of course isn't really there.
I think if they would do this to WOW, it would decimate the revenue and players and at the same have a very small number of nerds paying 1000 dollars yearly to down "the last" boss.
Let's make one thing clear: present day normal players will not recognize Lotro anymore.
I pitty the hardcore fans (even they will pay extra and simply will not find enough players at the highest levels while being confronted with masses of free and non committed newbies ripping the game apart in the first 20 levels).
Money primes gameplay.
MMORPG.COM's 5 reasons to support it is ... in line with the site's politics. This site is responsible for everything the "industry" hyped about in the last 5 years: failure.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
#1 Yeehaw another AA game failed and going f2p. This is great news for the gaming industry. It's also real good if your a cheap prick and think games just grow on trees. Naw they dont grow on trees AA games are funded to the tune of tens of millions of dollars so lets hope more of them fail.
Actually, the game is one of the more popular P2P games in the western market. It wasn't failing. Turbine noticed how well their f2p model was working with DDO and decided to try it on LotRO.
Turbine has created a wonderful success with their DDO f2p model, and being THAT GUY who despises free to play games and considers most of them mmo trash on a horrid level, I have to admit, I am impressed with their ambition and they way they took care of their lifers. I wish them nothing but success with this model, and hope it does well for all the LOTR fans out there. I am extremely curious to see how this goes over.
DDO since going F2P has done little to take care of its VIPs to be honest. The content updates are not aimed at us, the changes to make the game easier are not aimed at us, but the nerfs ahhhhh yes these are aimed at us. If Turbine treats LOTRO lifers and VIPs like it did DDOs might I suggest stock in KY ASAP.
So what your saying is that the content isn't aimed at the people who have the least reason to spend any money? Now that is surprising!
What I am saying is expect to be treated the same if you are a lifer in LOTRO. Turbine is not Powered by its Fans. It is powered by money(which is fine) they just do not admit it.
Long time Vets are just as likely to spend money. The fact that they paid for the game when it cost 50 bucks in the store and paid 15 a month to play are proof that they are willing to spend. The problem is numbers, there are simply less people like me in DDO then there are new players since F2P. If LOTRO goes the same way then expect to be treated the same by Turbine. Content will be aimed at the level people have the most chars so that they are more likely to buy the content. In DDO this has not been high level content.
Everyone should read the posts above. It is exactly what I predicted a few days ago what will happen. And now confirmed by an older DDO player.
The earlier hardcore fans will not get anymore highest content, because the money needs to be taken from the earlier levels (as they are populated massively with new players with the lure of "free" play).
The players will be divided through a dozen different "paying" mechanics. It's like a steeple chase, each money hurdle will cripple the number of players. Until you arrive at the hardcore fan who invested quite a lot in the game and pays the most (in money and life time) to get rewarded the least.
Oh lots of promise, but the fan will be paying a lot to find the holy grail ... only to be confronted with ... no more new end game reaching players (and certainly no longer decently designed end game for groups ). Because simple the MONEY is no longer to be gained at the end game.
But the makers don't care: they'll turn their attention to where the money is: the entry to mid levels.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
We, the paying subbers and lifers who truly enjoy the game and who are committed to buying any and all expansions, are taking our money elsewhere.
the unwashed horde of F2P'ers will enjoy the game
So Turbine are losing the elitist few and gaining us lot, the unwashed masses.
Turbine seem to think this is a good idea. I tend to agree.
Nope they are losing their fans and opinion leaders and supportive people.
They'll gain the attention of the uninterested and those not willing to pay .
Guess three times where this will lead to ?
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
Nope they are losing their fans and opinion leaders and supportive people.
They'll gain the attention of the uninterested and those not willing to pay .
Guess three times where this will lead to ?
Turbine have already proved you wrong that their new FTP customers ARE willing to pay.
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
Besides the "Guess 3 times where this will lead to" is an open question to the state of the game and more importantly its long term playing value for serious fans of the game. Not the money counting.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
Nope they are losing their fans and opinion leaders and supportive people.
They'll gain the attention of the uninterested and those not willing to pay .
Guess three times where this will lead to ?
Turbine have already proved you wrong that their new FTP customers ARE willing to pay.
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
Besides the "Guess 3 times where this will lead to" is an open question to the state of the game and more importantly its long term playing value for serious fans of the game. Not the money counting.
My guild seems fine with the announcement. We are one of the largest guilds on Brandywine and the guild that won the guild competition a few months back. They are not loosing there fans or supportive people. They are loosing the people who think the sky is falling. So, good riddance to them.
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
You honestly believe that Turbine made no significant revenue from DDO?
Come off it.
They already stated that their DDO experience influenced their LOTRO decision. They are Business People, their decisions are influenced by profit.
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
Besides the "Guess 3 times where this will lead to" is an open question to the state of the game and more importantly its long term playing value for serious fans of the game. Not the money counting.
My guild seems fine with the announcement. We are one of the largest guilds on Brandywine and the guild that won the guild competition a few months back. They are not loosing there fans or supportive people. They are loosing the people who think the sky is falling. So, good riddance to them.
I hope you DO realise that you can kiss goodbye to frequent high level end game content updates. And have a look at some posts above this one in which a veteran DDO players described what he saw already.
The focus of Turbine will shift to the lower content players because that's where the money is to be grabbed.
The carrot on a stick will lead to an ever thinned out - end game - player base that will wait in vain to get the last end game content.
Have you even realised what will happen with the older content too?
Up until now AAA developpers had to ensure people kept in their game and so for players having invested sometimes years in a game, that medium and end game content had to be updated, expanded.
Their resources went to keep players in. Now that focus will shift to the beginning : make "free" players "paying" players.
---- > Attention ! I am not even referring to "beginning content", I rather think they will shift to "beginning mechanics": pay to get the questing ring above the heads is one example, pay for deeds is another.
Great future you'll all have.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
I hope you DO realise that you can kiss goodbye to frequent high level end game content updates. And have a look at some posts above this one in which a veteran DDO players described what he saw already.
The focus of Turbine will shift to the lower content players because that's where the money is to be grabbed.
The carrot on a stick will lead to an ever thinned out - end game - player base that will wait in vain to get the last end game content.
Have you even realised what will happen with the older content too?
Up until now AAA developpers had to ensure people kept in their game and so for players having invested sometimes years in a game, that medium and end game content had to be updated, expanded.
Their resources went to keep players in. Now that focus will shift to the beginning : make "free" players "paying" players.
---- > Attention ! I am not even referring to "beginning content", I rather think they will shift to "beginning mechanics": pay to get the questing ring above the heads is one example, pay for deeds is another.
Great future you'll all have.
There are other DDO fans that would say differently, that there are updates to all areas of the game. The thing is....WE DON"T KNOW WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN! Making these prophecies that they will not update the game is foolish. In fact, they are adding a new area when the F2P update goes live (if I read the statement right) I choose to wait and see what happpens, as do most of my friends in game. If things go awry and I feel I'm not getting my monies worth, then I'll leave. It's that easy.
Turbine wants people to subscribe, so I see them adding new content regularly to get subscribers (VIP's) Of course, this too is just a guess. If they don't, there are other games releasing soon I'm interested in.
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
You honestly believe that Turbine made no significant revenue from DDO?
Come off it.
They already stated that their DDO experience influenced their LOTRO decision. They are Business People, their decisions are influenced by profit.
Well ... you are the one stating they made huge sums of money: Fact is ... Turbine didn't add ONE dollar value to the 5 x time more revenu claims.
Smartly played
I even tell you why ...
The "profits" of paid subs based DDO were that low ... they coudn't afford to show the 500% increase. Going from 10K to 50K for example would still be peanuts in total dollars compared to other AAA titles.
As to your argument of business people: you ARE right !
It's only businees people who look at % and they think that if DDO would make a temporary 500% climb, there should be no reason not to presume Lotro would do the same climb.
Problem is ... this MMO "jumping" market has a limit in players to be addressed to. And the 500% jump in players can't be simply translated to much higher subs based games.
And ... the 500% limited in time climb is also typical for ANY new launch MMO. So I don't see much growth in revenue over longer periods of time, while at the same time Lotro as it was ... is pretty much destroyed in its core mechanics.
Destroyed mechanics? Indeed: what about your internal economy if you simply can "buy" stuff with real dollars?
Sad for the fans (even if they "hope" to see new people).
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
I just bet on it. Bought the game, and maybe will get the lifetime as well. I have small chunks of time to play, the idea of being able to play whenever I want without rush, to play a "lively" game with lots of new players, and to have free expansions (if i buy the lifetime that is, so i get lots of points) on top of it is great.
Sure, the game might also fail. Who knows. I feel positive about it because i trust Turbine...
(if only didn't take me 3 days to download the game, i'd be even happier... )
You are right. Turbine are wrong. Turbines decision makers are idiots. They saw 500% and dollar signs flashed into their heads blinding them to reality. LOTRO will close in 6 months. The FTP Business model is one giant hoax.
You are right. Turbine are wrong. Turbines decision makers are idiots. They saw 500% and dollar signs flashed into their heads blinding them to reality. LOTRO will close in 6 months. The FTP Business model is one giant hoax.
What would you do with your backs against the wall and dependant on a new owner with a game like DDO that didn't make anymore profit?
You change the money grabbing formula and hope for the best.
In the meantime you talk shit about how succesful the new money formula worked. Only talking % of course.
I would do that, you would do that, So does Turbine...
The catch ? Let's see if Lotro will hit top 10 in playing time in 2011. If not: reread what I wrote about.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
You are right. Turbine are wrong. Turbines decision makers are idiots. They saw 500% and dollar signs flashed into their heads blinding them to reality. LOTRO will close in 6 months. The FTP Business model is one giant hoax.
If I get $1 yesterday and $5 today, that's also a 500% increase. My issue with the whole 500% is that it was known that DDO was doing pretty bad, so unless getting absolute figures those percentages can be deceiving. The way I see it, Turbine guys are not idiots their model save DDO and probably LotRo. However, make no mistake this is a not a winner choice more than let's accept the weakness and work around it. LotRo will get more revenues not because the model is so great but mainly because it was having problem with subscribers. For a company, it is easier to keep this model, they are not going to get too much money but they will have a decent revenues and probably more stable.
The f2p strategy is to give the idea of high population in the sense of seeing players everywhere, especially in the low level zones then then the VIPs will have people to whom they can show off their extra power. Some new players might decide to go into the VIP if the game attract them a lot, and especially the ability to have easier quality of life but som extra bucks. Nothing wrong with that, but it is certainly a change in the market targetted, which will be the big consumers instead of big players, which makes sense from business' point of view.
Comments
It's not free, it is MICROTRANSACTION.
Microtransaction=marketing scam in attempt to suck you dry of cash after they get you in the games door.
No thanks.
Just say NO to "pay to win" games.
Fixed it for you.
The reason why DDO going F2P was a success. Is simply because it couldn't get any worse it already was.
The game was practically dead since launch. It was a total failure!
For Turbine it was just a matter of either shutting the game down or change the bussiness model and hope for the best.
They did the latter and fortunately for them it turned out well.
Also, due to the extreme instanced nature of this game. It was fairly easy to turn it into a F2P model and cut off content for the Cash Shop.
LOTRO on the other hand was still doing reasonably well subscription wise. It has a pretty large loyal fanbase.
That's what puzzles me why they suddenly change it bussiness model on this game?!
Also, this game is a lot harder to turn into a good F2P model, as it's a very large, mostly seamless world. Much much harder to gate content for the Cash Shop.
So instead. They seem to be going to sell Virtue / Deeds in the Cash Shop, wich pretty much directly affects your character's power! Very bad!
Seriously tho. I really still have my doubts this was such a good move on Turbine's part and their decision might backfire straight into their faces.
But I guess time will tell.
Being a lifetime subscriber myself i think this is a great change..
i think it will bring more players and the microtransaction idea isn't bad because if u subscribe u get points to spend on it and also by doing certain things in game u can earn points.
people saying its a corporate scam to take money from u and get you hooked, doesnt every mmo want to get money out of you?
ive read the Faq and i think the change will hopefully increase lotros population.
Please read through the faq before trolling the forum.
Is this article an opinion piece or a hey lets carry water for turbine because after all this is two in a row that haved failed into f2p or is it an actual turbine paid advertisement?
#5 $9.99 a month too high a hurdle to re/consider a month sub.
#4 F2P must mean free expansions amirite? Oh wait a sec, halfway down the paragrah I'll mention pure speculation.
#3 turbine talks to loyal fans but does not listen, just more talk about listening. Game trends sideways. Does turbine backtrack listen to years of loyal players saying love the game small changes please and I'll be back/ride this train from beta to finish. No throw them under bus and build a bigger net to bottom drag fans of f2p. Turbine has no interest in new game development until the f2p peeps have had a year or two of the existing content and no longer throw nickels.
#2 Lotro is already one of the industry's best market ninja teams. All expansions pre Moria required just ot have a medium sized game. All additions like housing/fishing as generic static as it gets. Lots of promises that its just a framework. But the reality? Hey turbine its been two years when do my pictures actually get a frame? Moria I liked the design really did. To bad it was just the framework to change game direction with grinds from gear/rep/li's. Legenary items lol enough said. Unwilling to get back on rails turbine decides to regurgitate existing content fully monetized. Thats stalling at best admitting failure at worst but for the real fans of this title its 2 mores years of grinding sideways.
#1 Yeehaw another AA game failed and going f2p. This is great news for the gaming industry. It's also real good if your a cheap prick and think games just grow on trees. Naw they dont grow on trees AA games are funded to the tune of tens of millions of dollars so lets hope more of them fail.
I agree time will tell and some people will be able to have a look in the middle of june.
one clarification. As far as the chart is concerened it's trait and virtue "slots". Not actual traits and virtues that can be purchased.
Though it would be interesting to see if they do something where if one person maxes a trait or virtue they can purchase the same trait and virtue for another character. Or purchase an ability where they each trait and virtue is levelled for all characters.
This is just a thougth, I'm not saying they are going to do this.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Who knows how it will work out? It all depends on how devious Turbine wants to be with the game design for the new content (if they make it hard in order to sell buffs from the cash shop, which is their main source of income in DDO apparently)
Still, #2 was simply wrong. The game had basically no new content added since Moria. In 2 years, you had one mini-expanison that was more like a micro expansion. The "free" updates you could play in one night.
For whatever reason, Turbine pretty much just abandoned LOTRO for the last couple years. There were rumors everyone moved to another game. Maybe not, but they sure weren't making LOTRO content.
I don't like this move, but at least it keeps the game alive for a while for the people who love it. They were really getting hosed by Turbine.
R.I.P. City of Heroes and my 17 characters there
Mr Murphy seems to have plastered a Hobbit smile over his face and is merrily dancing as he runs into the F2P Orc hordes that will trample him under their feet. In the interests of journalistic balance are we now going to have an article which looks at the negative aspects?
Guild Wars 2 is not a ‘free MMO’, if it is would Mr Murphy kindly send me my free copy when it launches.
We had many updates that were ‘free’ and still do; they were the finest content additions I had seen for just your normal P2P monthly fee. So don’t make an issue of the fact we might get free updates, we always did. In the preparation for F2P the quality of those free content updates has gone down, if you had played the game since launch you would know this.
Supposedly we need more people to boost the server populations. I presume we need those on the overloaded servers that Turbine tries to steer new players away from as well? Why on earth do overloaded servers need more players?
Middle Earth just went Disney Land. 10 bucks for a Coke.
DDO going FTP was a good move, since the game was subs dead and it was not really a full blown MMORPG. I am quite convinced it didn't rock the game above the more succesful paid MMo's (as proven by Xfire), but still it was better going FTP than let it die.
---> Lotro is a complete different story. It's a full fledged rather succesful MMORPG and if I read that you now need to PAY to even SEE the quests or have access to more than 2 Gold (read 5G somewhere) ...., this is a horror story.
It will divide its player base by a factor of 10. Going from abusive trial to the sucker who is paying his last savings to see the "real end game". Which of course isn't really there.
I think if they would do this to WOW, it would decimate the revenue and players and at the same have a very small number of nerds paying 1000 dollars yearly to down "the last" boss.
Let's make one thing clear: present day normal players will not recognize Lotro anymore.
I pitty the hardcore fans (even they will pay extra and simply will not find enough players at the highest levels while being confronted with masses of free and non committed newbies ripping the game apart in the first 20 levels).
Money primes gameplay.
MMORPG.COM's 5 reasons to support it is ... in line with the site's politics. This site is responsible for everything the "industry" hyped about in the last 5 years: failure.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
Actually, the game is one of the more popular P2P games in the western market. It wasn't failing. Turbine noticed how well their f2p model was working with DDO and decided to try it on LotRO.
Everyone should read the posts above. It is exactly what I predicted a few days ago what will happen. And now confirmed by an older DDO player.
The earlier hardcore fans will not get anymore highest content, because the money needs to be taken from the earlier levels (as they are populated massively with new players with the lure of "free" play).
The players will be divided through a dozen different "paying" mechanics. It's like a steeple chase, each money hurdle will cripple the number of players. Until you arrive at the hardcore fan who invested quite a lot in the game and pays the most (in money and life time) to get rewarded the least.
Oh lots of promise, but the fan will be paying a lot to find the holy grail ... only to be confronted with ... no more new end game reaching players (and certainly no longer decently designed end game for groups ). Because simple the MONEY is no longer to be gained at the end game.
But the makers don't care: they'll turn their attention to where the money is: the entry to mid levels.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
So Turbine are losing the elitist few and gaining us lot, the unwashed masses.
Turbine seem to think this is a good idea. I tend to agree.
Nope they are losing their fans and opinion leaders and supportive people.
They'll gain the attention of the uninterested and those not willing to pay .
Guess three times where this will lead to ?
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
Turbine have already proved you wrong that their new FTP customers ARE willing to pay.
Its sort of free time, only pay for content, quests , zones, dungeons. Thants not free to play, it makes them liars to say that lotro will be F2P
Oh yeah ? Where is their official statement of the DOLLARS they raked in on DDO? A growth of 5 times the players and a growth of 5 times the revenue of an almost subs dead game like DDO is no "proof" at all.
Not one single dollar value was attached to what they claimed. Going from 1 dollar to 5 dollars is also a 500% growth you know.
Besides the "Guess 3 times where this will lead to" is an open question to the state of the game and more importantly its long term playing value for serious fans of the game. Not the money counting.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
My guild seems fine with the announcement. We are one of the largest guilds on Brandywine and the guild that won the guild competition a few months back. They are not loosing there fans or supportive people. They are loosing the people who think the sky is falling. So, good riddance to them.
You honestly believe that Turbine made no significant revenue from DDO?
Come off it.
They already stated that their DDO experience influenced their LOTRO decision. They are Business People, their decisions are influenced by profit.
I hope you DO realise that you can kiss goodbye to frequent high level end game content updates. And have a look at some posts above this one in which a veteran DDO players described what he saw already.
The focus of Turbine will shift to the lower content players because that's where the money is to be grabbed.
The carrot on a stick will lead to an ever thinned out - end game - player base that will wait in vain to get the last end game content.
Have you even realised what will happen with the older content too?
Up until now AAA developpers had to ensure people kept in their game and so for players having invested sometimes years in a game, that medium and end game content had to be updated, expanded.
Their resources went to keep players in. Now that focus will shift to the beginning : make "free" players "paying" players.
---- > Attention ! I am not even referring to "beginning content", I rather think they will shift to "beginning mechanics": pay to get the questing ring above the heads is one example, pay for deeds is another.
Great future you'll all have.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
There are other DDO fans that would say differently, that there are updates to all areas of the game. The thing is....WE DON"T KNOW WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN! Making these prophecies that they will not update the game is foolish. In fact, they are adding a new area when the F2P update goes live (if I read the statement right) I choose to wait and see what happpens, as do most of my friends in game. If things go awry and I feel I'm not getting my monies worth, then I'll leave. It's that easy.
Turbine wants people to subscribe, so I see them adding new content regularly to get subscribers (VIP's) Of course, this too is just a guess. If they don't, there are other games releasing soon I'm interested in.
Well ... you are the one stating they made huge sums of money: Fact is ... Turbine didn't add ONE dollar value to the 5 x time more revenu claims.
Smartly played
I even tell you why ...
The "profits" of paid subs based DDO were that low ... they coudn't afford to show the 500% increase. Going from 10K to 50K for example would still be peanuts in total dollars compared to other AAA titles.
As to your argument of business people: you ARE right !
It's only businees people who look at % and they think that if DDO would make a temporary 500% climb, there should be no reason not to presume Lotro would do the same climb.
Problem is ... this MMO "jumping" market has a limit in players to be addressed to. And the 500% jump in players can't be simply translated to much higher subs based games.
And ... the 500% limited in time climb is also typical for ANY new launch MMO. So I don't see much growth in revenue over longer periods of time, while at the same time Lotro as it was ... is pretty much destroyed in its core mechanics.
Destroyed mechanics? Indeed: what about your internal economy if you simply can "buy" stuff with real dollars?
Sad for the fans (even if they "hope" to see new people).
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
I just bet on it. Bought the game, and maybe will get the lifetime as well. I have small chunks of time to play, the idea of being able to play whenever I want without rush, to play a "lively" game with lots of new players, and to have free expansions (if i buy the lifetime that is, so i get lots of points) on top of it is great.
Sure, the game might also fail. Who knows. I feel positive about it because i trust Turbine...
(if only didn't take me 3 days to download the game, i'd be even happier...
)
You are right. Turbine are wrong. Turbines decision makers are idiots. They saw 500% and dollar signs flashed into their heads blinding them to reality. LOTRO will close in 6 months. The FTP Business model is one giant hoax.
What would you do with your backs against the wall and dependant on a new owner with a game like DDO that didn't make anymore profit?
You change the money grabbing formula and hope for the best.
In the meantime you talk shit about how succesful the new money formula worked. Only talking % of course.
I would do that, you would do that, So does Turbine...
The catch ? Let's see if Lotro will hit top 10 in playing time in 2011. If not: reread what I wrote about.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
If I get $1 yesterday and $5 today, that's also a 500% increase. My issue with the whole 500% is that it was known that DDO was doing pretty bad, so unless getting absolute figures those percentages can be deceiving. The way I see it, Turbine guys are not idiots their model save DDO and probably LotRo. However, make no mistake this is a not a winner choice more than let's accept the weakness and work around it. LotRo will get more revenues not because the model is so great but mainly because it was having problem with subscribers. For a company, it is easier to keep this model, they are not going to get too much money but they will have a decent revenues and probably more stable.
The f2p strategy is to give the idea of high population in the sense of seeing players everywhere, especially in the low level zones then then the VIPs will have people to whom they can show off their extra power. Some new players might decide to go into the VIP if the game attract them a lot, and especially the ability to have easier quality of life but som extra bucks. Nothing wrong with that, but it is certainly a change in the market targetted, which will be the big consumers instead of big players, which makes sense from business' point of view.