Out of the following list of items I've seen put up in cash shops, which of the following do you think are most and least acceptable in a free to play MMO?
Content packs/Expansion Packs Acceptable
Races Unacceptable
Classes Unacceptable
Global chat tokens VERY unacceptable
Experience potions Assuming you mean boosters, acceptable to a certain point
Revival items Acceptable, if they can be obtained through gameplay in a reasonable fashionand aren't necessary to complete content
Ability to use higher-tier weapons/armor/spells Unacceptable
Lock box keys Irritating, but acceptable. Should rarely drop from mobs as well
In-game currency Unacceptable with the criteria given
Enchantment items / Ability to enchant equipmentAcceptable if only to increase chances of success, unacceptable if necessary to avoid item degradation / destruction through failure
Name/gender/appearance changes Acceptable
Server changes Acceptable
Instant level-ups (never seen this before, but it surprises me that I haven't) Unacceptable
Character slots Acceptable, provided the default limit isn't too draconian(applies to bag / bank space as well)
In-game housing/Other non-combat elements Acceptable
Again, which of these would you consider most and least acceptable in a free to play MMO? For the sake of some semblance of consistency, let's assume the cost of each of the above isn't a relevant factor (i.e. "Instant level is okay if it's expensive"); we're just evaluating rather or not the ability to buy the above cash-shop items (and conversely the ability to be locked out of those things by not buying) make or break the game for you. Also let's assume you can't earn cash shop money through any sort of in-game means.
Acceptable: Experience potions as long as they're not too overpowered, anything cosmetic, Name/gender/appearance changes.
Middle ground/annoying: Revival items outside PVP, Mounts, Server changes feel these should be free, Content packs/Expansion Packs sort of makes the game not F2P anymore and brings it into the realm of B2p ex. DCU Online, Character slots not too annoyed with this as long as they provide an ample amount to being with can't remember the original FFXIV layout but wasn't it something like $20 for an aditional slot then like $5 or $10 dollars on to your monthly payment that is just insane.
Unacceptable: Pretty much everything else listed that gives an unfair advantage and in regards to buying levels just wait for EA to make an MMO LMAO they seem to be king of microtransactions for games that should not have them.
Out of the following list of items I've seen put up in cash shops, which of the following do you think are most and least acceptable in a free to play MMO?
Content packs/Expansion Packs - Ok
Races - Ok
Classes- Ok
Global chat tokens- Not Ok
Experience potions- Ok only if it affects the amount gained rather than giving you free XP
Revival items - Not Ok
Ability to use higher-tier weapons/armor/spells- Not Ok
Lock box keys - Ok (probably because it's just something I got used to...)
Mounts - Ok
Cosmetic pets- Ok
Cosmetic equipment- Ok
In-game currency - Not Ok
Enchantment items / Ability to enchant equipment - Not Ok
Name/gender/appearance changes - Ok
Server changes - Ok
Instant level-ups (never seen this before, but it surprises me that I haven't) - See Below
Character slots - Ok
In-game housing/Other non-combat elements - See Below
Again, which of these would you consider most and least acceptable in a free to play MMO? For the sake of some semblance of consistency, let's assume the cost of each of the above isn't a relevant factor (i.e. "Instant level is okay if it's expensive"); we're just evaluating rather or not the ability to buy the above cash-shop items (and conversely the ability to be locked out of those things by not buying) make or break the game for you. Also let's assume you can't earn cash shop money through any sort of in-game means.
Well I put most of my opinions up there in red with the exception of Instant level-ups and housing.
Instant level-ups - Most of the game content involves leveling up. If you went from lvl 1 to max level uisng one of these it'd be very difficult to gear up since you'd have no money. Not to mention "End Game" content tends to be lacking in most MMOs so devs would only really be shooting themselves in the foot if they added this. And what about when the level cap increases?
Housing - If there's housing in the game I think everyone should have access to it else potential players might be turned away from the game. Instead I think unique furnature would be ok.
I am most likely to not play a game if I see anybody ride by on a mount or fly by or are using armor they did not earn or some silly pet or some color on their armor that they didn't adventure for. I hope I am not the only one but I for the first time since Tor refuse to just buy an mmo anymore just because it is a new realse,
As much as I think GW2 is a well made game, I think it is the peak of what is worng in mmo's, in my view a course.
I am so tired of f2p even those silly little app's I would play on my phone when I am on the train coming home have gotten into the act of nickle and dime you to death. Any app I see that says it is free I don't even bother to click on. And if I buy a app for a dollar or two and if I play for ten minutes and I get a message to buy some stupid fire ball for just 99cents I delete the program and write down the publisher and never buy form them again.
It's been about a month since I posted on this thread, but wanted to add some info on how marketers/execs look at cash shops. One of the hot new tools being used in games is called PlayRM from Playnomics (http://www.playnomics.com/features/ ).
I've recently been working with a team, building a mobile game, and the head of marketing just dumped a printout of http://www.playnomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Playnomics-Q1-Engagement-Report.pdf , on the lead programmers desk asking how we could leverage the information in our game. So yes marketing and exec teams ask programmers to add in these kinds of tools to optimize the cash shops, promos, or any other revenue generating mechanism based on user spending habits as well as play style. There is a lot of data to be gathered from cash shops and Playnomics is not the only company building SDKs to help companies gather and segment the whales from the minnows, or the minnows from the future dolphins.
Cash shop items of any kind are bad, because it is very easy for the game becomes less about the game and more about maximizing profit and milking players for every possible penny, nickel and dime.
Comments
Gdemami -
Informing people about your thoughts and impressions is not a review, it's a blog.
There you go. Discuss
Acceptable: Experience potions as long as they're not too overpowered, anything cosmetic, Name/gender/appearance changes.
Middle ground/annoying: Revival items outside PVP, Mounts, Server changes feel these should be free, Content packs/Expansion Packs sort of makes the game not F2P anymore and brings it into the realm of B2p ex. DCU Online, Character slots not too annoyed with this as long as they provide an ample amount to being with can't remember the original FFXIV layout but wasn't it something like $20 for an aditional slot then like $5 or $10 dollars on to your monthly payment that is just insane.
Unacceptable: Pretty much everything else listed that gives an unfair advantage and in regards to buying levels just wait for EA to make an MMO LMAO they seem to be king of microtransactions for games that should not have them.
Well I put most of my opinions up there in red with the exception of Instant level-ups and housing.
Instant level-ups - Most of the game content involves leveling up. If you went from lvl 1 to max level uisng one of these it'd be very difficult to gear up since you'd have no money. Not to mention "End Game" content tends to be lacking in most MMOs so devs would only really be shooting themselves in the foot if they added this. And what about when the level cap increases?
Housing - If there's housing in the game I think everyone should have access to it else potential players might be turned away from the game. Instead I think unique furnature would be ok.
I am most likely to not play a game if I see anybody ride by on a mount or fly by or are using armor they did not earn or some silly pet or some color on their armor that they didn't adventure for. I hope I am not the only one but I for the first time since Tor refuse to just buy an mmo anymore just because it is a new realse,
As much as I think GW2 is a well made game, I think it is the peak of what is worng in mmo's, in my view a course.
I am so tired of f2p even those silly little app's I would play on my phone when I am on the train coming home have gotten into the act of nickle and dime you to death. Any app I see that says it is free I don't even bother to click on. And if I buy a app for a dollar or two and if I play for ten minutes and I get a message to buy some stupid fire ball for just 99cents I delete the program and write down the publisher and never buy form them again.
The only things I would accept are:
- Expansions (actual expansions, not mall slices of content such as dungeons)
- Cosmetic items, as long as they don't look "too epic" or "too out of place" compared to items you can actually achieve in-game.
The Weekly Wizardry blog
It's been about a month since I posted on this thread, but wanted to add some info on how marketers/execs look at cash shops. One of the hot new tools being used in games is called PlayRM from Playnomics (http://www.playnomics.com/features/ ).
I've recently been working with a team, building a mobile game, and the head of marketing just dumped a printout of http://www.playnomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Playnomics-Q1-Engagement-Report.pdf , on the lead programmers desk asking how we could leverage the information in our game. So yes marketing and exec teams ask programmers to add in these kinds of tools to optimize the cash shops, promos, or any other revenue generating mechanism based on user spending habits as well as play style. There is a lot of data to be gathered from cash shops and Playnomics is not the only company building SDKs to help companies gather and segment the whales from the minnows, or the minnows from the future dolphins.
Cash shop items of any kind are bad, because it is very easy for the game becomes less about the game and more about maximizing profit and milking players for every possible penny, nickel and dime.