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Concerns ...
The_Gambles
Member Posts: 25
God... I remember hearing about this game what seems like so long ago. Watching the amazing teaser and being so excited about a horror theme'd mmorpg. I had never even thought of the concept. Then 3 factions, love it. Skill system, love it. Even the concept of clothing only effecting how you look was right up my ally.
Ultimately my few concerns have to do with having a cash shop, what will be in said cash shop, and why it is needed in a sub based mmo right from the get go. I can see how it works with games like GW2 because there is only an initial purchase. I'm not only concerned with this game either but the future of sub based mmo's with cash shops is scary. Kind of like DLC's are now with console games. For a couple reasons I will list.
1. Unfair gain. I use the word "gain" because "advantage" is too narrowed down. To some people, actually many casual players, having the ability to "look" better by tossing out extra bucks is a big turn off. Making things faster for people with lots of change is also a low-blow.
Now neither of those are really advantages but they will most likely be in the game because what else will their be right?. Now I'm not saying it's pay2win, but it can easily be seen as pay2faster. And that's how it always starts, give a little....give a little more. In a free to play game this would be a great way to run a cash shop, but to see it in a sub based game just gives me that "Aren't I already paying for this?" dlc feeling.
2. How much time will be taken from developing, fixing, etc, of the base game to manage the cash shop and create cash shop items. Even if the cash shop becomes popular and many players buy into it, obviously they will devote more time into it. Leaving those who don't use it possibly out of the loop.
At what point will the developers be sitting in the ole' office talking about a great idea for the next patch when employee number 1 suggests they just add it to the cash shop to REALLY make a profit.
3. God forbid the game starts to fail a couple months in. As many many MMO's do. Maybe the numbers start to dwindle, at what point will the developers start to inch in those pay2win items. Those items they KNOW will sell to cover that lost profit, this has happened before. I think it's a very real threat, games don't always make it in this genre. When that time comes it's do or die.
4. Where is that money going? Is it just lining pockets or do they have some kind of system in which they use it primarily to enhance the game, as they already have the subs and box price for profit. Ultimately this is what it all hinges on, if they use the cash shop to enhance the game, to pump out more content faster. Then this is a great idea. If they line pockets, this is a slap in the face to every subscriber they have.
How will we know? Well the future will tell.
Anywho, if you read thanks. Just thought i'd voice some concerns for a game I'm inerested in. Can't all be hype and hate now can we 
.
P.S.: I'm playing the secret war on facebook in hopes of getting into the beta to see for myself! If you'd like I need recruits! http://
Happy Gaming!
Comments
Most of cash shop will just cater for people wanting to look like unique little butterflies (cosmetic items)
other than that, it's not away from my experience if someone wants to fork out 10$ more cash for 10% increase in XP.
why P2P and a cash shop? because exist people who buy...
why B2P can have cash shop and P2P can't?
you can think this way: a lot of players play the game for just 2 months... (from where I took this stat? well, subs almost always get cut in half 2 months after release)
so, playing 2 months.
GW2 = 60$
TSW = 50$ +15$ (second month) = 65$
then you say... blablabla, I can get back to GW2 6 months later if I want to see the new content...
yeah you can, but the new content is going to be like 10$-40$, while if you want to see the new TSW content you only need 15$.
if you plan to play GW2 for more than 2 months, then yes, it is cheaper, enjoy!
but I don't see myself playing GW2 for more than 2 months, Anet wants you to buy the game and buy in the cash shop, while funcom wants you to keep paying and keep buying from the cash shop.
buying the game and playing for a month, then coming back after some time when new content is released and buying it, is exactly what Anet wants you to do.
Also, the items in the TSW cash shop, are bind to the account, so you can't really trade $$ for in-game money (at least not legally).
you are aware GW2 will be adding new content aside from just expansions right? and this new content will be free patches.. either way if TSW turns out to be a great game ill gladly play it along with GW2
I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg
yes, you are right, also TSW is going to add new expansions that need to be bought.
But the thing is: how much content the company think they "need" to add... to make a profit?
To those responding in such a way that remembles
"People shouldn't worry about looking good in the cash shop because the game play is more important"
should reread the OP.
" 1. Unfair gain. I use the word "gain" because "advantage" is too narrowed down. To some people, actually many casual players, having the ability to "look" better by tossing out extra bucks is a big turn off. Making things faster for people with lots of change is also a low-blow. "
It does not matter if YOU don't think it's as important because some people DO think it is and that is where this becomes a problem.
But also, OP needs to change this:
"Even the concept of clothing not effecting how you look was right up my ally."
To this:
"Even the concept of clothing ONLY effecting how you look was right up my ally."
Settings the record straight: Clothing does not have stats and is for looks only.
I think what he/she is trying to say is that he/she thinks that cosmetic items are really important and shouldn't be sold on a cash shop in which case GW2 is the cosmetic unlockers heaven.
That we'll have to see in the future, for now all we can do is speculate based on each company's previous performance.
So far, we know that Anet has added to GW1 for free (that was also B2P and later with a cash shop) Sorrow's Furnace, War of Kryta, Zaishen's quests and arenas and Winds of Change (to bridge the story gap between GW1 and GW2), and paid they've added 2 more campaigns (that can be considered standalone games since you don't need the original game to play them, each added 2 new classes) and one expansion (Eye of the North) and the bonus mission pack (backstory solo missions that fill the story of some major characters). I've gotten this from reading online, though, since I'm a fairly new GW1 player myself, any other additions would be welcome to have the full list. This is from 2005 to 2012 so roughly 7 years.
Age of Conan has released (that I know) for free 2 new explorable areas (one that filled a leveling gap for players around level 50 IIRC, another one for lower level players that came with the expansion) and one or two new dungeons (can't find a precise list online for the time being), and a paid expansion pack that added a new race, areas to play, dungeons and raids, and after going F2P at least a new paid area with its own quests and a new dungeon, that's in about 4 years (2008 to 2012).
So far I'm expecting both companies to follow the same pattern for their respective games.
What can men do against such reckless hate?
I appreciate all the responses. To those saying to just not worry about the cash shop as it is only cosmetic and xp items (for now atleast right?) does that mean that a cash shop with only those things isn't viable enough alone to keep a game afloat?. If it is then why have both right? If GW2 can be a great game with only a cosmetic cash shop and still make lots of money, then why does a game need a sub and a cash shop.
You can look at it two ways, either a cosmetic cash shop is enough or it isn't. If it isn't then GW2 must be bound to fail. I guess the point here is if one game can have the exact same type of cash shop as TSW, but also have no sub. Where is the up side for consumers? What if it was announced tomorrow that GW2 would be pay to play.
I hope you see what I'm getting at here.
And not only that but every game that has a cash shop always witholds things because of said cash shop. Maybe you can get the items in that cash shop in game but they will be harder to get when otherwise if said cash shop wasn't in effect, they would most likely be easier to aquire.
I'm not saying TSW is greedy. By all means if they use this extra cash flow to pump content out FASTER than GW2 then the system works. If not...
Nearly every item I saw on cash shop I got in game without using cash shop. I got 3 keys as drops that opened the locked chests, one of the locked chests gave me another key.
From the chests I managed to get a large variety of the cash shop items.
this will be a good question to ask IF - as you say - GW2 can turn out to be a great game with only a cosmetic cash shop. if it turns out to be a great game that's absolutely sub-free, there will definitely be some reprecussions for the industry.
So far, I don't know of any "Great" MMOs that run on a cosmetic cash shop alone. The best games AAA games on the market - EQ2, WoW, Rift, EVE, LoTRO, AoC, TOR - all require a sub. Those that have switched to a hybrid F2P model (EQ2, LoTRO, AoC) require multiple purchases in order to open up all of the game's content. So in effect, ALL these games require payment for the CONTENT. None of them allow you to pay for "power" (as in better items that can only be purchased through shop), but cosmetics alone aren't keeping the games afloat either.
GW2 is either doing something entirely new or they have new costs have not yet become apparent to the users. The "gems" being mentioned could be one of these, but i'm honestly not sure since i haven't played.
All I can go on is experience. And in my experience, every GOOD mmo i ever played (out of the 30+ i've tried) had a subscription. Cash shops in the subscription games haven't bothered me thus far as they've had virtually no effect on my gameplay experience.
Generally, when someone (i.e. GW2) offers to give me for free something that everyone else is charging for, i jump to suspicions about their motives.
And of course, at the end of the day, it's about how good the game is. If TSW is an amazing MMO, i'm happy to pay $15 or $20 or $30 a month for it. If it sucks, I don't want to play it even if it's free and comes with a freely delivered pizza. That's all that matters.
"Id rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity."
- Raph Koster
Tried: AO,EQ,EQ2,DAoC,SWG,AA,SB,HZ,CoX,PS,GA,TR,IV,GnH,EVE, PP,DnL,WAR,MxO,SWG,FE,VG,AoC,DDO,LoTRO,Rift,TOR,Aion,Tera,TSW,GW2,DCUO,CO,STO
Favourites: AO,SWG,EVE,TR,LoTRO,TSW,EQ2, Firefall
Currently Playing: ESO