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Microtransactions coming to Turbine games?
Ginaz
Member RarePosts: 2,574
"We've seen a steady growth in the arena of microtransactions over the last several years, with more and more Western companies noticing the lucrative practices Eastern MMO companies have; offering item malls to their players. After all, you really can't ignore the growth of companies like Nexon who are raking in more and more money each year with their free-to-play microtransaction model games. Recently, we've seen Sony Online Entertainment testing the waters in EverQuest and EverQuest II by including a small number of items available for players in their pilot in-game item malls, with promises to add more in the future.
Now, it appears that we're starting 2009 with another Western company heading in the direction of adding microtransactions to their in-game landscape. Turbine, despite recent job cuts, has added several job postings in other departments. The one that caught our eye, however, was a recent posting for a "microtransaction/e-commerce manager" who will be in charge of "delivering and maximizing the revenue derived from Turbine's micro-transaction-based in-game store." They've kicked around the idea of adding microtransactions in interviews before, but this posting seems to support a definitive move in that direction.
Will we see item malls popping up in Turbine's games in 2009? What kinds of things are they seeking to add, we wonder. Will they be purely cosmetic items, like non-stat vanity clothing or allowing players to pay a monthly fee to keep their in-game housing? Or will this be more towards the Eastern model where you can get powerful armor and weapons from item malls? What this means for the future of Turbine's games Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and Asheron's Call is pretty much anyone's guess at this point. In any event, it's certainly going to be interesting to see how the shifts going on with companies like Turbine and SOE will impact the overall Western MMO industry."
www.massively.com/2009/01/01/turbine-hiring-for-microtransaction-manager/#continued
Is a man not entitled to the herp of his derp?
Remember, I live in a world where juggalos and yugioh players are real things.
Comments
I would think opening up AC for free with microtransactions wouldn't be too bad, or even DDO, and cosmetic items to LOTRO for your house/clothes wouldnt be bad. Tbh, doesnt sound like a bad idea.
Currently restarting World of Warcraft
And so it begins, i'll play MMO's as long as i enjoy them but i won't use the RMT ever.
Looks like the Old school MMO players aren't the sought after group anymore.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
I wouldnt mind this so much but i do wish that companies with multi games like SOE would offer a package between games like ac,D&D, and Lotro... that could be packaged instead of 15 bucks amonth say 25 or so or how bout AO and AoC together for like 20 bucks, then they could rake in more cash and we could benefit so we dont get tired of one game per say... just an idea for those other companies
Every transaction that processes US Domestic customers through a credit card costs a percentage fee for the company performing the transaction, with a set minimum (usually $.25 or so).
This poses a major problem for the microtransaction model, as the profit margin is sliced much too thin or the prices must be too high to be attractive to the buyer. Asian markets don't deal with this issue since they have an entirely different system for payments that don't go through this kind of transaction penny-saving.
When you see a news release from Visa/Mastercard that they're investigating a model that doesn't charge this kind of minimum transactional fee then you can expect a major change in the way microtransactional business is done. Not just in MMOGs, but everywhere. Expect to see a credit-card strip everywhere...soda machines, bubble gum, you name it.
or your hand, or your forehead even.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"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
To me Turbine is the best overall MMORPG developer out there. So I am a bit sadden by the fact they may be going this route. I would expect this from Milk-it-for-all-its-worth Blizzard but not Turbine.
Well then again if the additional revenue would usher in a new Asheron's Call MMORPG I'm all for it!
I'm fine with games that a free to play, with micro-transactions, but if my $15 a month isn't enough for you, I'm sorry. I WILL NEVER PLAY ANY GAME WITH BOTH SUBSCRIPTION AND ITEM MALL. One or the other, pick it and stick with it. I will gladly play either of them, so long as the Item mall items don't make people with a million buck to waste supieror to those with no money to spend. This is one way Nexon did it right. The Majority of their items in the item mall are for cosmetic appeal. I spent more money on 'looking cool' than I ever did on making my character stronger. If everyone follows the ways of SOE, I fear it will be the death of MMOs. I'm not sure, but it's quite obvious there's a large part of the MMO playerbase that will have nothing at all to do with SOE. Turbine following the ways of SOE is alarming to me. I loved SWG and EQ, but I just wish SOE would just die already.
Quoted 3 times over! ><
I still think merging the 2 business models is a very bad idea. Though if it becomes acceptable by the majority it won't surprise me, most just follow the flow nowadays making up any excuse imaginable.
(,,,)=^__^=(,,,)
and the end of mmos is in sight. damn you soe!
or your hand, or your forehead even.
heh i thought the exact same thing
Most likely, ya rmt will make its way to every mmo in the west. How it is implemented will determine, at least, my subscriptions. Cosmetic items, silly stuff... sure no harm no foul. If they go the asian model where the best items in game are gotten either through killing the same mob 10000+ times or going and buying it through their cash shop, well, they can kiss my white backside.
Looks like mmo gaming might be dying off, for me, for a couple years
Oh well, guess its time to get a tan again lol.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/7300033012
It all depends on what they offer. If they offer leveling aids, like SOE, it pretty much will doom their games.
But on the other hand, they could pretty much do anything with AC if they made it free to play.
I dont see how adding XP pots is a problem, so richer people cant level faster? It doesnt unbalance the game, unless they raise how much xp per level, or lower xp per monster or per quest so its nearly a "must have" to level. Just adding it and messing with nothing else wouldnt kill a game.
Currently restarting World of Warcraft
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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After having played Atlantica Online and Runes of Magic that are core-free, other than cosmetic and slight experience pots or teleportation scrolls, etc. from a micro-transaction system, I've come to the realization that having a free-content business model with micro-transactions that dont include high-stat gear and weapons are very acceptable.
I'll take a well-designed and content rich game that is in-development like Runes of Magic any day where there's an active development team, accessible customer service, player-driven economy and conflict, a wide array of skills and professions, housing, story-line, quests, community, etc. and take the core content for free while I get accustom to the game and develop an appreciation for it, over EQ or WoW or WAR or AoC where Im not getting anything more other than having to pay up front for a $50 box and $15/month.
microtransactions are pretty much gonna be hot in the years to come as more and more companies switch to that method. As long as the items offered doesn't break gameplay too badly people are gonna accept it.
I was thinking about getting into LotRO a few minutes ago, but now that I see this I'm not so sure. I refuse to play a game that has both a cash shop and a subscription fee. It's either one or the other - not both. "Maximizing revenue" is a way of avoiding the word "greed," which is exactly what this is.
I have no problem with item shops as long as it doesn't affect game play.
-Almerel
Hello my old friend.
www.cytiva.com/turbin/ext/DetailTurbine.asp
"The E-Commerce Manager will be responsible for delivering and maximizing the revenue derived from Turbine’s micro-transaction-based in-game store."
/puke
Quoted 3 times over! ><
I still think merging the 2 business models is a very bad idea. Though if it becomes acceptable by the majority it won't surprise me, most just follow the flow nowadays making up any excuse imaginable.
Well ill never play a game that have item shops free+itemshops or subscription+item shop.
If this trend continuing ill prolly wont play mmo's anymore in future.
Games played:AC1-Darktide'99-2000-AC2-Darktide/dawnsong2003-2005,Lineage2-2005-2006 and now Darkfall-2009.....
In between WoW few months AoC few months and some f2p also all very short few weeks.
Originally I loathe the idea of cash shop games but I must admit I have spent $1000+ for a certain number of F2P game... chances are if the game is good (not some boring asian grinder crap) and the cash shop are decent (meaning not ridiculously over expensive like some F2P mmo I know) then chances are I would play it.
I've played a few games with item shops, and typically the items are cosmetic. As long as that's the case, I see no issue what so ever.
The only difference between RMT and 'the before' is that the studio is reaping the benefits instead of eBay and the like.
Ico
Oh, cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.
The only thing that stays the same is that everything changes.
We must learn to adapt or move on. I personally do not like the idea of Microtransactions but if I want to play the game then I will have to adapt my play styles to deal.
Just my two cents.
These companies already make more than enough profit from MMOs. It just pisses the hell out of me to see the dark side of capitalism corrupting such an enjoyable entertainment venue. This is one customer that will not stick around once they switch over to RMT. With RMT, these companies will be making much more money than they deserve and they won't even put any more effort into improving content.
I spend more time than I should playing MMOs, guess this could be considered a cure.
With PvE raiding, it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fawning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression, anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privilege. - Neanderthal
Uhm, Actually the asian model is having the best items not avaible in the item store at all and only sell things such as boosters, extra storage and mounts in item stores.