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A dream come true 100% f2p game! But...
zwei2
Member Posts: 361
Suppose a game company creates a dream come true 100% f2p MMORPG for all mmo gamers. Users do not need to pay anything to play it. It targets just about everyone: the hardcore, the casual, the sandbox, the themepark, and it is a smashing hit. You name it, the game has it. (Yeah, I know, if such a game really exist, Mars will terraform into another Earth. Oh wait...) There is one condition...
To maintain the game's upkeep fees, like server and manpower salary, and the upkeep is linear to the number of gamers, the gamers must DONATE to the game, and expect nothing personal in return. No suitable donation, game will stop maintainance. No flow of money, and the whole game ceases operation. So, will you donate your hard-earned money generously, knowing you will NOT get any special treatment (perhaps a payment receipt), but get to continue to play your dream game (as well as everyone else's game) forever and ever?
Edit : No in game store, no VIP subscription, no nonsense of any payment, just pure f2p. As for the donation, it can be any amount, from $0.01 to a million dollars, as long as you are willing to pay, and understand that there will be gamers playing at your expense.
More edit : Please TRY to assume legal games and servers, which are first hand created and maintained by the game companies themselves
More more edit : This donation differs from subscription, in such that sub has a fixed rate, and maybe discounted rate for bundles, but it is clearly stated that a gamer must pay a sub to play the game, else account is disabled. In a donation scenario, company will not force the gamer to pay anything, while the gamer gets to enjoy everything. Underlying though, is such that if no one wishes to donate "on behalf" of that gamer, the game will just stop functioning. And of course, this is just an imaginary MMORPG, so please don't get too uptight about all the rules and regulations. This is just a light-hearted thread.
Anyway, I will be frank, and my answer is NO! lol... So far, there are no AAA game companies stupid enough to create such a new "innovation".
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
Comments
Oh, that means it has been done before? Interesting...
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
Well.. I used to be really into private servers and back then if you had fun you donated for the upkeep, and it worked, in fact people made quite some money that way. It was until later that they started offering gear and even levels in return for a donation and made even more money. I think this is what made the big companies to start their ''innovative'' F2P games.
I will punch you in the mouth if I get banned for bringing up private servers. lol
I also want to mention that money isnt the issue.
People are so cheap these days because the games are crap. But when they find the game they love these same people will become very generous.
Damn, it just sounds too good to be true. Guess what happens when humans become greedy...
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
I made some changes... unfortunately, only legit games are considered here, the games which can be advertised legally.
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
I know you edited your post about private servers, but I think that would be the only model that would work for donations. My old fps clan had a quake 3 server for years back in the day, which ran off of clan dollars, plus random donations from people who liked the server. Unless you find some sort of altruistic company who doesn't care about making money, a donation game will never happen.
Although, you are talking about some sort of Eden for gaming. If a game were perfect for everyone, I'm sure enough would donate to keep it going. Aint neva goan hapin doh!
Maybe an indie company can try to kickstart one... those indie companies that are "passionate" about making games for gamers. Perhaps it will be true, as per you say, if the game is perfect for a least the target demographic gamers, they will donate to keep it going...
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
That dream is possible , but the solution isn't a game , but tools to mod / created games.
if people like that tool , they will donate.
Of course since the "games" people create are all mods of same game (tools lol) then wasn't they are a same game ? lol
I do donate. To a few different charitable organizations in my community. Ones that help the homeless or other less fortunate individuals.
When it comes to MMOs or any other consumable, I side with purchasing. Make a product that I want or need I will buy it.
Charity is for charity.
But can this really be considered a "donation", as the way you describe it, there's practically an obligation to pay. Sounds more like a sub.
But to answer your question, I would say it depends on what type of game, meaning its genre (whether fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, etc), it's lore, and how the features are implented. Just because this hypothetical game includes everything I want, doesn't mean it's given to me in the way I want it. And even if I was, I don't like feeling "forced" to do something, so maybe not (though I am not against p2p games).
@OP
So gamers must DONATE to play the game? Well thats not free at all infact that is a pure sub based game.
back 10 years ago thats how MMOs worked none of this shitty cash shop stuff.. you bascallly paid a monthly sub and got everything
nah .. there are plenty of f2p games. I don't need to donate to play a game. Plus, if it is any good, it can charge good money, or get whales to pony up.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
With the exception of the "buying cool things" isn't this how a f2p currently works?
1000 people spend 100$ a month on the latest fashion pieces or lockboxes
several others spend anywhere from 15-99$
This lets those who spend less than a "sub" (15$ a month) to continue to play
The only difference is the expectation of getting stuff.
--> http://www.swtor.com/r/nBndbs <--
Several Unlocks and a few days game time to make the F2P considerably easier
"Donate out of Goodwill?" No.
"Donate because I enjoy the game?" Yes.
Is this a month by month accounting? If someone pays 1 million dollars one month, and nobody pays the next month, is it gone?
Also, as an aside, no such game could ever exist. Sandbox is opposite of Themepark. Open World PvP is opposite of PvE only. A lot of features are mutually exclusive, so being everything to everyone is a fallacy.
Unless, you are speaking of a game like that Disney one where you can play in multiple worlds and settings.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
This ideal "game" has already been conceived but not created. It's called, "The Matrix." In that sense you'd pay with bio-electric generation in exchange for the right to "play."
Moving on to a more plausible answer to your question. I believe that if the game was made available to everyone across the globe and was truly free. All while the game was operating under a non-profit banner. You could then accept "donations" from players which would then be tax deductible since it was made to a non-profit company to continue offering their free services. In exchange for these donations you would get out of game incentives such as clothing, decorations, toys, ect. On top of being able to use it as a tax write-off. This way, you encourage people to donate large sums of money for tax write-offs that successful business owners and rich folk look for in order to balance their taxes. And also encourage those looking to get their hands on exclusive merchandise not attainable anywhere else that has to do with the game with smaller donations. Then have each donation amount from month to month roll over for up to twelve months. That allows those with less money to accrue value towards getting one of those incentives. You could then go a step farther and offer those who donate large sums of money to have special events in-game for everyone to enjoy and dedicate it in that persons name. Such as a world boss event (with no loot gained, just a fun event), in-game marriage ceremony for those gamer couples, or perhaps creating NPC versions of the main character that donated the money to live on in the game world. In this way, you'd have incentives for donating both large and small sums of money all while not giving bonuses, items, or stats to unbalance things.
Problem is though, someone would need to invest a LOT of money into the labor, hardware, software, and business location in order to get this to launch. Then turn around and not ask or expect anything in return other than a really huge tax write-off each year while in development. I suppose if a billionaire with a passion for video games ever felt like it then this could happen....
The main point is really finding a game thats enjoyable to play.
Thats already hard enough for me.
Basically, I need a 100 or a 1000 games until somebody comes along and gives us a Vanguard.
And about a 100% free game - well that will be possible once we have that famous Star Trek future society without money.
But our rich people, and our bankers, will NOT like losing all their special priviledges.
If it was 'perfect' Yes I would donate... but even IF it was the best game every made, chances are donations made would be far below what is needed to keep the game running. People are far less likely to donate a lot compared to being offered things to "Buy" for sums of money. A large portion of the player base wouldn't pay at all, and the small bits that do donate likely won't donate anything remotely close to the amount a game would make if it had a cash shop, even a much more fair one.
Human beings are greedy, and they would just take advantage of the game being the way it was and just wouldn't be pressed to spend a lot to support a game like that.
I fail to see the "innovation"
It's technically not really free to play if the owners stop maintaining it when not enough people donate. It's the same as asking for a subscription in the first place.
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All you did in your post was replace subscription with donation. I understand that in your "innovation" a minority would carry a majority of free loaders but in the end it's no different than saying: "If we don't have 500k subscribers we have to shut down the game".
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If you don't pay you don't play.
Ah, another possible way to actively get fans to volunteer to help in the game. That will help in cost saving, as well as create a better community (ideally). Better yet if they also donate some money lol
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
That is a problem : a game's biggest obstacle is actually the gamers. With some gamers advocating on f2p games, one have to wonder who will be paying for the game if the game is truly, 100% free, since everyone expect to have the same entitlement. So, in some way, f2p with cash shop still wins...
And yes, I generally agree with your second paragraph -_- though in this thread there are proofs that some gamers will genuinely support their dream f2p game if necessary
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
Games do not have to be 100% truly free. I will take 90% free for most players. And of course, in that case, the whales will be paying.