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The "Hard Sell" routine...
SpottyGekko
Member EpicPosts: 6,916
If I recall correctly, the original justification for the high-priced "Alpha Access" was to naturally limit the amount of "testers" to only 1 server. Given that the Alpha accounts were limited and restricted to 1 server, it was a strong incentive to get it quickly before there were none left...
However, as it turned out, the 1 server wasn't big enough, so they decided to double the amount of "limited access" accounts... 
Now, the Closed Beta "events" have started, where the lesser players (non-Archeum Founders) get to taste the game briefly for a few days before being locked-out for an unknown length of time. Nobody knows how long it will be until the next Beta Event. In fact, nobody even knows when the launch will happen. It could be months before the game is launched.
But wait ! Any non-Archeum Founder can still upgrade to the highest tier and gain access to the 24/7 game play on the Alpha server ! Whut ? AA is now doing Alpha and Closed Beta testing simultaneously, it seems... 
Comments
And yeah,they intend to make money off of this game, weird isn't it?
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"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Is this the $150 bucks we're talking about here for a supposedly unfinished unreleased game? That is sort of weird yes. Most games are $50 unless you're drinking the cool aid. It may be legal but it's certainly extremely shady. Just the way I want all my MMO games to start out. "I like them a little on the trashy side."
At least they put together some sort of clunky explanation before stealing your money...
If only street robbers could do the same, people would feel much better when mugged!
While i agree that this is shady business tactics i keep wondering:
Who forces you to buy an unfinished game.
You will even loose all your progress on release day. The perks you get for being a founder are laughable (like allways).
I didn't buy into this either and i wont. I will play on release day and see if it is worth my money.
If there are enough people willing to throw 150 bucks at them to play an unfinished game: More power to them.
That ferrari has to be paid by some fool after all. Just make sure you aren't one of them.
It's neither Alpha nor Beta, the actual game was released in Korea ages ago.
AA in the western market is in "localization-mode", but I think Trion has 3 people on the AA localization team, and 27 on the Marketing team...
They've been working on the localization for 6 months (?), yet there's a surprisingly large amount of untranslated content in the game, and in some very obvious places. It's almost like they're leaving it in that state so that it's "obvious" that they're still busy working on the game (in case anyone questions the "beta" tag).
Don't misunderstanf me, I love the game and bought Alpha access. I'm just laughing at the shenanigans, which appear to be amazingly successful (2 servers packed to the brim with $150 players).
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For those of you who may not know but your 150 gets you about 120 bucks worth or stuff. SO in essence, you're spending 30 bucks to play alpha. If your going to hate the game thats fine but at least be informed.
its really not in alpha or beta its just a clever long release with a soul crushing wipe at the end haha not hating just puttin it out there$150 is piss all to me. When you live in Australia you're used to getting jobbed on every single expenditure.
Going to the movies with 3 friends, $100 bucks please.
Want Thai take out for two, that'll be $80 mister.
How is that oxygen, does it taste good, just scan your credit card when you're finished breathing.
So I guess I'm psychologically trained, when I see "$150" that looks like $20 to the rest of the western world. Which is still a lot if you live in some places. So it's all about perspective.
It just costs too much damn money to be a person, I don't see the point in worrying about such things.
The bottom line is that no one is forcing anyone to spend the money on any amount of access. People who wanted to spend the cash did so, simple as that.
I have a few friends who have spent various amount of dollars for various amounts of access and all of them seem pretty happy with their purchase. Personally, I am waiting for full release and deciding to spend cash if I feel like supporting the game.
I dunno about that. Tthe 75 dollars worth of labor pots will build me a house in the first 24 hours and give me 10 K worth of crafting xp
they can keep the other shit though
I miss DAoC
I can't name a single MMORPG that I didn't buy before it was finished and released. WOW, GW2, SWTOR, TSW, ESO, the list goes on and on.
All these games were sold unfinished and unreleased and many MMORPGs sold for $75, $100, or a similar $150 price for a special edition of the game you could buy long before release.
Archeage is just another in a long line of MMORPGs doing nearly the same thing as those before it. Their main crime was not labeling it properly as a collector's edition.
So many of you guys are victims of Trion's marketing. You're looking at a product that Trion has put a different label on and thinking the product is different because of that label. its just a collector's edition for a pay to play game like every other MMORPG.
Shame it doesn't give you basic algebra skills:
75/2=37.5*12=450 hours or around 20 days to use all those potions. That's using what I know, how long would it take to actually get the materials? At half the regen let's assume 75 USD worth of pots...you get 37.5*1000=37500/2000=18.5 days, 20*4000/2000=40 so a free player will spend nearly 3 times the time you would need to using pots to get there.
This is not taking into account using in-game gold to buy patron by the free player in which case it would be 2x. As a casual player I have no problem with this as I am here to have fun and a challenge is not unfun to me...surprising thing to see in the entitled cesspool that has become the MMO community of late, I know.
That would be a strange day to start being it is a Monday.
Anyway, if the people who spent the $150 are happy about doing that then fine, it was their choice as it is everyone else's choice on if they wish to spend money on the game or not. You are not being forced to do so, regardless of what is given in the founders pack or what is in the cash shop. It is still your choice on spending the money or not.
And so the game will launch with a big huge reception of.................
/yawn (been there done that)
But Trion will be happy since they already made their money.
That's fine. People can spend their money how they want. The more that support shady business models, like this, are hurting the industry overall though. They are giving the green light for future developers, to release unfinished products. This is why i dislike Kickstarters and Crowdfunding. Throwing money at developers isn't a guarantee of a stable, or finished product. Calling it Alpha or Beta is no longer an excuse.
Everyone should watch this video on the "early access excuse", before claiming the game will be changed on release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ8I00Dknl0
early access is the new release man and its perfect because everyone out there is an armchair developer who thinks their opinion matters so paying that 150 is nothing compared to the ego boost they get
I like how a lot of people seem to think that the company is always pulling the wool over somebody's eyes when they release packs like this. It's more or less the MMO version of a collectors edition, especially a F2P mmo such as this one. Where most P2P mmos will provide you with a few bonuses like a cool armor skin, or perhaps a mount it's not a big deal to spend anywhere from 80-100 dollars on that. Alpha access to me, is worth it. Because despite all of the beta weekend events and closed beta events the Alpha servers stay up and I can continue to play all the way until launch day/early access.
When GW2 came out I spent over 400 dollars on that game's cash shop in the first six months. Gaming is my hobby and I enjoy it a lot. I've also blown entire paychecks on D&D books, miniatures, maps and board games. Don't even get me started on Warhammer... Hot damn. The fact of the matter is, Trion/XL Games are offering packs that will appeal to different folks. If you want alpha access and all the bonus content/items that it comes with me... Go for it, you're probably going to save yourself some cash. If I didn't buy the pack I'd probably end up dropping 100 dollars in the first month on the currency alone. They also offer cheaper packages for those who want to at least get a peek at the game in beta or have a chance at early access. It's a good deal for those who can afford it or who want to spend the money to buy those packs. Those who aren't interested in the game, or those who don't want to buy the packs can play the game for themselves when it's fully released. It's a F2P title. Nobody is forcing you to stay.
what do you think, the game was damn expensive, they had to buy it from Xlgames for a lot. Even Xlgames payed alot for the cry engine.
Thing is the game did not get released b4 yet because no releaser wanted to buy it that expensive. Trion wants to go the sure way with the alpha package, and make as much income as they can.
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