Yeah i can see it going F2P to at least level 60 but they are pretty slick at marketing. I'm speculating of course as we really don't have a valid source. but it sure looks like they want people to cling around until Titan gets a reveal. You can bet you get special offers if your subbed to wow when Titan lands. it will pull peopel back that bailed and they still will have the top MMO in the world all over again.
Why does it have to be either a marketing ploy OR a move in the direction of F2P?
One issue is the total cost of the game. I was in Target last night and mentioned to my girlfriend how rediculous the start-up cost to play WOW is today. You can get the battlechest (which includes Burning Crusade) for $20. Then the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is an additional $40....in addition to the Cataclysim expansion @ $40.
With that said, given the state WOW is in, it makes sense to give an unlimited trial as to increase the exposure the game is getting. But lets face it.....how much "more" play are you going to get now that you couldn't get out of the 14 day trial?
What this is really about, I think, is the eventual progression to a F2P model....BUT it won't happen until Titan is out and in production (which will be P2P)
I 100% believe that WoW and every other major MMO out there is destined to become F2P, however I don't think it'll happen soon. I believe that the new trend set out by Turbine is to do freemium once your subscribers start to dwindle. As long as WoW makes enough money to support its massive size and blizzard/activisions appitite for money then P2P will remain strong for the game. As soon as F2P offers more rewards then they will abandon P2P regardless of what any player things or says because in the end they are in it for the money and as much as it pains people to see the F2P/Freemium model is ressurecting games that would have died into money making endevors. WoW has the potential to actually make more money than it did as a P2P game. Anyone who is a WoW subscriber to this day should note that no developer/publisher who went Freemium has left their loyal subscribers in the dust. They always give them something free, or even free access to stuff that others have to pay for. I'm a big fan of Freemium because if we didn't have it, LoTRO and DDO among others could be dead and done, and turbine with them.
My thought is that the future is this: Games will launch as P2P but within a year or two if they don't keep a quota of income then they'll convert to Freemium. Every dev out there hopes that their game is the next big subscription game, in the end though they'll often resort to anything just to keep the lights on.
I have the feeling that Blizzard will opt to shut down WoW before they let it go to F2P. When games go to F2P, they usually see less $ - which means lower development budgest - which means lower quality.
u know the game got ruined by the forum activity regarding balance / content .
and blizzard employees were dumb enough to take on the "player" suggestions and u got the game patches up,down,up,down regarding fixes, and basically it got to the point where there was no turning back, so they kept it like a guy on a rope with a bar for balance (circus) + the bad content newly added -out of context- to the normal game universe.
50% of the player base is responsable for the negative influence .
and Blizzard cuz they took note of bad suggestions - they did it for the money and comodity of the comunity - without thinking what will do to the game.
Compare Vanila WoW Universe,gameplay,story, to the latest .
the latest dungeons are not even "china" difficulity, they are just arcade, might aswell play them with a gamepad and a mario -gameplay- dexterity .
and u can feel it in the game, they just wont admit it , they went over the line and can't return the game into a proper balance after the 1st expansion .
I disagree very much.
There very much is a need for balancing in WoW. Look at where they tried to take PvP. Sanctioned matches for real money. You can't take a horribly balanced game like WoW to that stage or it becomes a big joke because of how bad balance is. The problem with Blizzard obtaining balance is how they tried to obtain it. Homogenization and obfuscation of mass numbers. Go back to where they started homogenization. There were offensive, defensive, and support roles. They decided everyone should do equal damage and provide somewhat equal group support/buffs. What did they forget? Defense/control. Defensive classes got equal damage and more utility. Offensive classes got a little utility and what? Homgoenziation in an RPG was also one of the worst things I could think of. In a genre where people try to be different and care about the smallest of things, down to armor coloring and hair styles, why would you try to make that choice they made to suit them not really matter as much? I have no idea either. Obfuscation of numbers. They try to hide imbalances in numbers. It started with arenas by making 2v2 not matter. What's the push now? Rated Battlegrounds. But, even in the largest of encounters, there are small encounters. Pve vs PvP. Look at t11 and t12. PvE encounters favoring certain specs. Encounter design has always been one of the major points that makes PvE and PvP at constant odds. You can't force a class to adhere to changing teirs of encounters and not think of the long term affects. They just did this going into Firelands to some classes, despite GC explicitly saying they don't do that. In the very post he said that, he explained that he would be doing that to some specs. You also can't design a spec to do a certain amount of damage in PvE and think it won't matter in PvP. They have always been looking at the equation from the wrong end.
Blizzard is equally to blame for what their forums have become. They have all the control. All you can do is report, ignore, or rate a post. It's up to Blizzard what happens to that person/account. They don't enforce their own rules about trolling unless it puts THEM in a negative light. But, people are free to furiously troll the posts of other people. They do not use a level hand in their moderation either.
As to the topic of the post, I think they are on the line. Gauging reactions and inching in, just as the OP stated. The problem is, the line. People know what PtP is and they know what FtP is. They like or dislike each for one reason or another. Riding the line and possibly trying to do both at once just makes them look greedy. We already know they are doing well financially. So, that makes it just look more like greed. If they were actually hurting for money, they could raise subs a very small amount and make it up pretty quickly based on the number of subs they have. What if they succeed in having both in one game? Where do they go from there? Premium Services. Hell, maybe they'll even have a surcharge for access to their premium services network. Why not? People pay cell carriers access fees to enable features built in to phones that the carriers disable. They want their cake, they want new plates and forks to eat it with, and they'd like it on a golden table to boot.
I see this as nothing more than a way to get more new people to try the game. In todays market with all the F2P games out there, and more going that route all the time, just makes good sense.
Give any new people a better reason to DL wow and take a look rather than dl some of the other F2P games.
I do not see them going the full F2P route like others though. I am more of the belief that they will go something along the lines of SOE and the station access thingy. Join B-net and buy 1 sub to one game or go the all access way to everything.
We will see once we get more info on their new MMO.
They already had a free trial. The imposed level limit does not get them to the level of play for a lot of other FtP options. It might get them hooked more if they like the game, but social interaction, $, and auction house interaction is still very limited. I know the reasons why they do this. I'm just saying, I don't see it as the huge change everyone else seems to. Must just be me.
I guess I don't like F2P for the same reasonas I never like table top games. It's a bottomless pit of stuff that used to end up on a shelf in a closet and now is virtual stuff that will end up just sitting out of view on a server somewhere. In terms of the game, I'm also concerned that F2P fractures the playerbase. Maybe it brings in more noobs, but what happens at the cap when guild members can't agree on which raid/instance/expansion packs to buy?
Same problem I have with FPS map packs. $15 for 2 remastered MW2 maps and 2 new maps doesn't seem worth it. I could just buy a new game like Limbo or Outland for that. Also, if I don't get the maps and some of my friends do, we have a problem trying to play together.
I like the subscription model. It's easy to understand and value. F2P isn't and it adds one more thing that can cause playerbases and guilds to fracture. That's a big problem.
F2P isn't and it adds one more thing that can cause playerbases and guilds to fracture. That's a big problem.
F2P is for kids and folks who have a ton of money to burn. I know its only my opinion but I like the sub model and if the company builds a good enough game then that model will sustain it for a very long time.
It really depends on how the free to play is implimented . The freemium model such as lotro really offers still has the subscription model built into it . The shop only offers boosts and vanity items and mounts . Most of which can be achieved in the game . I dont like the cash shop model that offers a buy to win system but the two are very different . I would'nt be suprised if free to play was extended beyond the first 20 levels . Its a very wise choice by Blizzard to look at moving towards this system . It has nothing to do with Titan which is an unknown quantity and is also being developed by a company whos credibility is in question in the eyes of a lot of people who enjoy mmos . I love WoWs bgs so I'm more than happy to play the Twink pvp if they offered say the first 60 levels free I may be inclined to resub because I would invest time in the characters I'm playing where as at the moment I just log in for old times sake for a little nostalgia pvp .
F2P isn't and it adds one more thing that can cause playerbases and guilds to fracture. That's a big problem.
F2P is for kids and folks who have a ton of money to burn. I know its only my opinion but I like the sub model and if the company builds a good enough game then that model will sustain it for a very long time.
It really depends on how the free to play is implimented . The freemium model such as lotro really offers still has the subscription model built into it . The shop only offers boosts and vanity items and mounts . Most of which can be achieved in the game . I dont like the cash shop model that offers a buy to win system but the two are very different . I would'nt be suprised if free to play was extended beyond the first 20 levels . Its a very wise choice by Blizzard to look at moving towards this system . It has nothing to do with Titan which is an unknown quantity and is also being developed by a company whos credibility is in question in the eyes of a lot of people who enjoy mmos . I love WoWs bgs so I'm more than happy to play the Twink pvp if they offered say the first 60 levels free I may be inclined to resub because I would invest time in the characters I'm playing where as at the moment I just log in for old times sake for a little nostalgia pvp .
People have already been discussing using these free accounts that go to 20 to make xp locked 19 twinks. While I think it's possible, it would horribly difficult to twink a character with the trial limitations imposed of money cap, no auction house, no trading, and no heirlooms while also using all the twink nerfs on enchants and older twink items. Unless they relaxed those stipulations, no level would be much fun to play for any area of play.
WoW 2011 90% kids who like to talk down to any1 dare asking a question.
asking for help
asking direction in dungeon
asking what to do in a battleground
asking anything = flamed to death, and people wonder why no new players join World of Warcraft
Game has THE most rotten community in the history of all mmo's ever created.
I was there when WoW was born, but i will not be there when wow die, and she shall die slowly consumed by her own hatred for players.
Heh , worst community? Every MMO on the market has a shit on community now a days. So saying that WoW is the worst is pretty much a invalid argument since the genre itself is pretty much crap. And yes almost every MMO listed here, you get flamed for asking questions, not only in WoW. WoW might not outlast the genre , but Blizzard certainly will and by the time WoW dies a new MMO by Blizzard will be topping 50+ million players. So in the end, I'm guessing Blizzard will have the last laugh?
World of warcraft is certainly still looking for options to make the best and most money, like every healthy bussiness should do. I see World of Warcraft making the switch to permanent (LotRo like) free to play bussiness model. World of Warcraft has seen many mmorpgs developments and has always gone with the flow in terms of new bussiness models. Currently, the trend is to make a game F2P with a premium option and a cash shop.
A couple of years ago they started with the cash shop and now they are strarting with F2P. This is a good development in my opinion. At first, I to was to ignorant to see the opertunities that a F2P game had, both content and player base like. In the recent years, world of warcraft has generated such high amounts of game content that switching to the F2P model is a simple mouseclick away (not literally afcourse). But it would be a lot easier for World of Warcraft to go F2P then a game like Mortal online. If world of warcraft does go F2P, games like TOR and other wow-like mmorpgs will experience a major competitor again.
Because, we can all say fairly safe that world of warcraft is losing its alure slowly, and thereby its playerbase.
I discussed with a friend that Bliz should have flat out offered 1-60 as F2P, added a separate open world pvp flag where only level 61+ could not attack them and itemized dungeons at the 60 bracket for prolonged play for F2P with nostalgic raids revisited.
The amount of returning players for this new tier of playing would be huge. Even though the world has changed new and old players alike could enjoy a scaled back comunity for as long as they wanted prior to entering the realm of ego, power ramping and gear grind.
A two tiered community is only beneficial to Wow at this stage as the only tier now is what is ruining the game, bleeding the current playerbase and keeping new and old players away. It also answers the age old mmo issue of old content developed with countless man hours becoming obsolete due to mmo inflation. Answer the question as to how to keep all content relevant at all times and you answer the mmo riddle.
Tons of other games have these "unlimited trials" and nobody talks about them going free to play because they know its not the same thing. Then you have World of Warcraft where everybody makes some big deal out of nothing simply because its #1.
Pretty much this. Free trials exist to pull in more potential players. This is just an evolution to a more successful free trial system based on other MMOs' successful unlimited free trial systems. The free account restrictions are essentially the same as the old free trial restrictions. The only differences I can see are the 10 gold cap (I don't think that existed before) and the ability to roll blood elves and draenei (which will definitely help pull in more customers.)
The only conclusions we can draw from these changes are that:
1) Blizzard obviously feels inclusion of the BC expansion in the original game will A) allure more new customers during the free trial portion of the game, and decrease the number of WoW drop-outs who reach level 60 and don't feel like purchasing the next expansion for a measely 8 levels of cotent, or 10 hours of gameplay, which will ultimately outweigh the future sales of the BC expansion. (Note, the would-be WoW drop-outs may now go on to purchase the Wotlk and Cata expansions.)
2) Blizzard feels the convenience of an unlimited free trial will snare more potential players than the "cliff hanger effect" produced by the expiration of a time or level limited free trial.
F2P isn't and it adds one more thing that can cause playerbases and guilds to fracture. That's a big problem.
F2P is for kids and folks who have a ton of money to burn. I know its only my opinion but I like the sub model and if the company builds a good enough game then that model will sustain it for a very long time.
"Sustaining" isn't the name of the game. Once those involved get some experience (even second hand) of the Sweet Cash Shop Profits that are going on in the eastern markets, they want to see that transfered to the western markets. Look at CCP and EVE on line as an example of that. Most people simply would not believe how profitable the cash shop business model is in the eastern markets. Its FAR beyond that of the typical subscription model. Make no mistake about it, it IS coming to the western markets. Simple self interest on the part of the companies is driving it. Unless there is a massive back lash (not at all likely), thats what the future holds.
"Sustaining" isn't the name of the game. Once those involved get some experience (even second hand) of the Sweet Cash Shop Profits that are going on in the eastern markets, they want to see that transfered to the western markets. Look at CCP and EVE on line as an example of that. Most people simply would not believe how profitable the cash shop business model is in the eastern markets. Its FAR beyond that of the typical subscription model. Make no mistake about it, it IS coming to the western markets. Simple self interest on the part of the companies is driving it. Unless there is a massive back lash (not at all likely), thats what the future holds.
To me it sounds like companies like Blizz and SOE both want to keep the cake and eat it...
They open up a cash shop but keep the monthly fees to maximize the profit.
That in itself drives people away from P2P games.
But the battle about P2P. F2P, freemium and B2P have just started so don't declare a winner just yet.
2 years ago P2P games had no cash shop, F2P games were only from Asia or made with very low budget (like Last Chaos and Rappelz), Freemium wasn't invented and the only B2P game was Guildwars.
The way we pay our MMOs are changing fast but I don't think we seen the whole picture yet. Right now do some of the less popular games change to freemium in hope of earning money, and that worked great for DDO but that doesn't mean it will for every game.
As for Wow I don't see Blizzard giving up on monthly fees as long as it can get away with both them, box sales and an itemshop. Once the number of players drop enough they might change it but not before that.
Heh , worst community? Every MMO on the market has a shit on community now a days. So saying that WoW is the worst is pretty much a invalid argument since the genre itself is pretty much crap. And yes almost every MMO listed here, you get flamed for asking questions, not only in WoW. WoW might not outlast the genre , but Blizzard certainly will and by the time WoW dies a new MMO by Blizzard will be topping 50+ million players. So in the end, I'm guessing Blizzard will have the last laugh?
I wouldn't bet on that. 50 million players is about the entire market including China. there is no chance Blizz can get 100% of the genres players.
In fact I am not sure the next game can beat Wows top numbers either, chances are it wont even get close. Wow have run rather unopposed for a long time, what is Wows hardest copetitor? Probably Guildwars that is a low budget CORPG.
Starting from scratch isn't easy and Titan will not only compete against all the new games on the market, it will also compete with Wow itself.
This is obviously a way of testing the waters before they are pushed off the subscription market by the next generation of MMo's that are all free to play. Even the MMOrpg Titan "Guild Wars II" has been announced several times as buy to play with micro transactions as is ncsoft's overall business model. So I imagine instead of tanking their game they will want to try and hold on to some of the more die hard fans by switching to a free to play model. That or be wiped out by GWII's massive hype that so far has been delivered on several times over without even releasing the game...
It would seem that with Titan approaching I agree that if Subs switched to Titan then a F2P option would keep WoW alive, perhaps game cards could buy levels, access to channels & auction houses etc. permanently once an initial payment is made with additional game cards unlocking further levels,perhaps in increments of 20 levels. People would still have to buy expansions with serial numbers to access that content but once the game cards or credit card purchases have unlocked the levels then obviously the player can venture into the expansion zones without getting splatted too easily via aggro.
"As expected, the haters have been quick to state - some rather boorishly, as if such behavior somehow makes their point of view stronger or more valid - that it's nothing more than a different form of a free trial. I basically agree. However, I also believe the question above is far more important, and that in this regard, the jury is still out."
-sigh-
What was that saying? A Tiger can't change its stripes?
Still insulting people who disagree with you, I see. And here I thought you'd finally grown beyond resorting to such insecure and childish tactics and learned to accept that dissenting opinions are every bit as valid as yours. At the least, I expect more from a regular columnist on a major online publication. I guess there's always the exception.
Either way, consider me corrected.
In any case...
Your fanboy enthusiasm for F2P is coloring your perspective, yet again, Richard.
There's no indication that this is a move toward F2P. All the hoopla about it from folks like yourself, and other pro-F2P folk, is wishful thinking at best. At worst, it's deliberate opportunistic spin to try and get people thinking in that direction. You're still planting seeds in people's minds to help F2P shake off that darn stigma it so deservingly carries with it.
If this was any other MMO, there wouldn't be nearly the amount of attention from the F2P crowd as WoW is getting. But then, WoW is still the 800 lb. gorilla and I'm sure it's nothing short of a wet dream to be able to figuratively parade through the streets that the mighty WoW gone F2P.
Of course, it would be happening as the game enters the Winter of its life-cycle and things gear up for Blizzard's next big title, 'Titan'... But I'm sure you wouldn't pay that niggling little fact any heed, would you.
I'm also betting you'd ignore the fact that, for years, even as F2P MMOs popped up all around it, more folks hopped on the bandwagon and other notable P2P titles switched to a hybrid model (also in the wake of declining popularity), still allowing subs as an option (such was their confidence in a wholesale change to F2P only), that WoW remained a 100% subscription-based game. Nah... that annoying little fact wouldn't help your agenda either, would it, Richard? Best to just ignore it. Right?
Know when you'll be able to say WoW is taking clear steps toward changing to F2P with any confidence or credibility? When Blizzard officially and specifically announces they're taking steps toward going F2P. When it comes from the proverbial horse's mouth. Not a moment sooner.
Blizzard isn't even the first to make such a change. Warhammer Online has had their 'Endless Trial' going for how long now? Have they moved to F2P because of it? Nope. Still a sub-based game.
This free trial to level 20 is just that, a free trial to level 20. As I've said to you before regarding F2P... It is what it is.
Getting to level 20 in WoW is cake these days. They throw xp at you so quickly and in such generous amounts at those levels, it's actually harder to not level quickly... unless you stand around doing nothing for extended periods of time between xp-gaining activities.
In my last go around with the game - without using a "refer a friend" bonus or anything - I was level 13 or 14 before I even left Teldrassil. It took me maybe four hours, playing very casually.
Anyway... Sorry to interrupt your dream-like reverie there, Richard. Actually... no I'm not. Folks like you need to be kept in check and have the light of reality shined in your eyes once in a while.
'course, probably wont' matter. You've likely already long-since dismissed me as nothing but "a hater" who's "in denial" of the brilliance of F2P. Right?
"If you just step away for a sec you will clearly see all the pot holes in the road, and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
Comments
This has absolutely nothing to do with F2P, even if the author loves it more than anything.
It's an extended trial. That's all there's to it.
It's ridicilous to even think WoW would "inch" towards F2P even if they'd lose 5 million subs right now.
Yeah i can see it going F2P to at least level 60 but they are pretty slick at marketing. I'm speculating of course as we really don't have a valid source. but it sure looks like they want people to cling around until Titan gets a reveal. You can bet you get special offers if your subbed to wow when Titan lands. it will pull peopel back that bailed and they still will have the top MMO in the world all over again.
Why does it have to be either a marketing ploy OR a move in the direction of F2P?
One issue is the total cost of the game. I was in Target last night and mentioned to my girlfriend how rediculous the start-up cost to play WOW is today. You can get the battlechest (which includes Burning Crusade) for $20. Then the Wrath of the Lich King expansion is an additional $40....in addition to the Cataclysim expansion @ $40.
With that said, given the state WOW is in, it makes sense to give an unlimited trial as to increase the exposure the game is getting. But lets face it.....how much "more" play are you going to get now that you couldn't get out of the 14 day trial?
What this is really about, I think, is the eventual progression to a F2P model....BUT it won't happen until Titan is out and in production (which will be P2P)
I 100% believe that WoW and every other major MMO out there is destined to become F2P, however I don't think it'll happen soon. I believe that the new trend set out by Turbine is to do freemium once your subscribers start to dwindle. As long as WoW makes enough money to support its massive size and blizzard/activisions appitite for money then P2P will remain strong for the game. As soon as F2P offers more rewards then they will abandon P2P regardless of what any player things or says because in the end they are in it for the money and as much as it pains people to see the F2P/Freemium model is ressurecting games that would have died into money making endevors. WoW has the potential to actually make more money than it did as a P2P game. Anyone who is a WoW subscriber to this day should note that no developer/publisher who went Freemium has left their loyal subscribers in the dust. They always give them something free, or even free access to stuff that others have to pay for. I'm a big fan of Freemium because if we didn't have it, LoTRO and DDO among others could be dead and done, and turbine with them.
My thought is that the future is this: Games will launch as P2P but within a year or two if they don't keep a quota of income then they'll convert to Freemium. Every dev out there hopes that their game is the next big subscription game, in the end though they'll often resort to anything just to keep the lights on.
It's just a marketing move...
WoW isn't going to be F2P
I have the feeling that Blizzard will opt to shut down WoW before they let it go to F2P. When games go to F2P, they usually see less $ - which means lower development budgest - which means lower quality.
I disagree very much.
There very much is a need for balancing in WoW. Look at where they tried to take PvP. Sanctioned matches for real money. You can't take a horribly balanced game like WoW to that stage or it becomes a big joke because of how bad balance is. The problem with Blizzard obtaining balance is how they tried to obtain it. Homogenization and obfuscation of mass numbers. Go back to where they started homogenization. There were offensive, defensive, and support roles. They decided everyone should do equal damage and provide somewhat equal group support/buffs. What did they forget? Defense/control. Defensive classes got equal damage and more utility. Offensive classes got a little utility and what? Homgoenziation in an RPG was also one of the worst things I could think of. In a genre where people try to be different and care about the smallest of things, down to armor coloring and hair styles, why would you try to make that choice they made to suit them not really matter as much? I have no idea either. Obfuscation of numbers. They try to hide imbalances in numbers. It started with arenas by making 2v2 not matter. What's the push now? Rated Battlegrounds. But, even in the largest of encounters, there are small encounters. Pve vs PvP. Look at t11 and t12. PvE encounters favoring certain specs. Encounter design has always been one of the major points that makes PvE and PvP at constant odds. You can't force a class to adhere to changing teirs of encounters and not think of the long term affects. They just did this going into Firelands to some classes, despite GC explicitly saying they don't do that. In the very post he said that, he explained that he would be doing that to some specs. You also can't design a spec to do a certain amount of damage in PvE and think it won't matter in PvP. They have always been looking at the equation from the wrong end.
Blizzard is equally to blame for what their forums have become. They have all the control. All you can do is report, ignore, or rate a post. It's up to Blizzard what happens to that person/account. They don't enforce their own rules about trolling unless it puts THEM in a negative light. But, people are free to furiously troll the posts of other people. They do not use a level hand in their moderation either.
As to the topic of the post, I think they are on the line. Gauging reactions and inching in, just as the OP stated. The problem is, the line. People know what PtP is and they know what FtP is. They like or dislike each for one reason or another. Riding the line and possibly trying to do both at once just makes them look greedy. We already know they are doing well financially. So, that makes it just look more like greed. If they were actually hurting for money, they could raise subs a very small amount and make it up pretty quickly based on the number of subs they have. What if they succeed in having both in one game? Where do they go from there? Premium Services. Hell, maybe they'll even have a surcharge for access to their premium services network. Why not? People pay cell carriers access fees to enable features built in to phones that the carriers disable. They want their cake, they want new plates and forks to eat it with, and they'd like it on a golden table to boot.
They already had a free trial. The imposed level limit does not get them to the level of play for a lot of other FtP options. It might get them hooked more if they like the game, but social interaction, $, and auction house interaction is still very limited. I know the reasons why they do this. I'm just saying, I don't see it as the huge change everyone else seems to. Must just be me.
I guess I don't like F2P for the same reasonas I never like table top games. It's a bottomless pit of stuff that used to end up on a shelf in a closet and now is virtual stuff that will end up just sitting out of view on a server somewhere. In terms of the game, I'm also concerned that F2P fractures the playerbase. Maybe it brings in more noobs, but what happens at the cap when guild members can't agree on which raid/instance/expansion packs to buy?
Same problem I have with FPS map packs. $15 for 2 remastered MW2 maps and 2 new maps doesn't seem worth it. I could just buy a new game like Limbo or Outland for that. Also, if I don't get the maps and some of my friends do, we have a problem trying to play together.
I like the subscription model. It's easy to understand and value. F2P isn't and it adds one more thing that can cause playerbases and guilds to fracture. That's a big problem.
If you don't worry about it, it's not a problem.
Pretty sure they love the MILLIONS of dollars they make every day.
Maybe in 20 years when it finally dies (hey, EQ is still around) they might.. but this is business and they still have a ton of subscribers.
It really depends on how the free to play is implimented . The freemium model such as lotro really offers still has the subscription model built into it . The shop only offers boosts and vanity items and mounts . Most of which can be achieved in the game . I dont like the cash shop model that offers a buy to win system but the two are very different . I would'nt be suprised if free to play was extended beyond the first 20 levels . Its a very wise choice by Blizzard to look at moving towards this system . It has nothing to do with Titan which is an unknown quantity and is also being developed by a company whos credibility is in question in the eyes of a lot of people who enjoy mmos . I love WoWs bgs so I'm more than happy to play the Twink pvp if they offered say the first 60 levels free I may be inclined to resub because I would invest time in the characters I'm playing where as at the moment I just log in for old times sake for a little nostalgia pvp .
People have already been discussing using these free accounts that go to 20 to make xp locked 19 twinks. While I think it's possible, it would horribly difficult to twink a character with the trial limitations imposed of money cap, no auction house, no trading, and no heirlooms while also using all the twink nerfs on enchants and older twink items. Unless they relaxed those stipulations, no level would be much fun to play for any area of play.
Heh , worst community? Every MMO on the market has a shit on community now a days. So saying that WoW is the worst is pretty much a invalid argument since the genre itself is pretty much crap. And yes almost every MMO listed here, you get flamed for asking questions, not only in WoW. WoW might not outlast the genre , but Blizzard certainly will and by the time WoW dies a new MMO by Blizzard will be topping 50+ million players. So in the end, I'm guessing Blizzard will have the last laugh?
World of warcraft is certainly still looking for options to make the best and most money, like every healthy bussiness should do. I see World of Warcraft making the switch to permanent (LotRo like) free to play bussiness model. World of Warcraft has seen many mmorpgs developments and has always gone with the flow in terms of new bussiness models. Currently, the trend is to make a game F2P with a premium option and a cash shop.
A couple of years ago they started with the cash shop and now they are strarting with F2P. This is a good development in my opinion. At first, I to was to ignorant to see the opertunities that a F2P game had, both content and player base like. In the recent years, world of warcraft has generated such high amounts of game content that switching to the F2P model is a simple mouseclick away (not literally afcourse). But it would be a lot easier for World of Warcraft to go F2P then a game like Mortal online. If world of warcraft does go F2P, games like TOR and other wow-like mmorpgs will experience a major competitor again.
Because, we can all say fairly safe that world of warcraft is losing its alure slowly, and thereby its playerbase.
I discussed with a friend that Bliz should have flat out offered 1-60 as F2P, added a separate open world pvp flag where only level 61+ could not attack them and itemized dungeons at the 60 bracket for prolonged play for F2P with nostalgic raids revisited.
The amount of returning players for this new tier of playing would be huge. Even though the world has changed new and old players alike could enjoy a scaled back comunity for as long as they wanted prior to entering the realm of ego, power ramping and gear grind.
A two tiered community is only beneficial to Wow at this stage as the only tier now is what is ruining the game, bleeding the current playerbase and keeping new and old players away. It also answers the age old mmo issue of old content developed with countless man hours becoming obsolete due to mmo inflation. Answer the question as to how to keep all content relevant at all times and you answer the mmo riddle.
You stay sassy!
Pretty much this. Free trials exist to pull in more potential players. This is just an evolution to a more successful free trial system based on other MMOs' successful unlimited free trial systems. The free account restrictions are essentially the same as the old free trial restrictions. The only differences I can see are the 10 gold cap (I don't think that existed before) and the ability to roll blood elves and draenei (which will definitely help pull in more customers.)
The only conclusions we can draw from these changes are that:
1) Blizzard obviously feels inclusion of the BC expansion in the original game will A) allure more new customers during the free trial portion of the game, and
decrease the number of WoW drop-outs who reach level 60 and don't feel like purchasing the next expansion for a measely 8 levels of cotent, or 10 hours of gameplay, which will ultimately outweigh the future sales of the BC expansion. (Note, the would-be WoW drop-outs may now go on to purchase the Wotlk and Cata expansions.)
2) Blizzard feels the convenience of an unlimited free trial will snare more potential players than the "cliff hanger effect" produced by the expiration of a time or level limited free trial.
Anything else is speculation.
"Sustaining" isn't the name of the game. Once those involved get some experience (even second hand) of the Sweet Cash Shop Profits that are going on in the eastern markets, they want to see that transfered to the western markets. Look at CCP and EVE on line as an example of that. Most people simply would not believe how profitable the cash shop business model is in the eastern markets. Its FAR beyond that of the typical subscription model. Make no mistake about it, it IS coming to the western markets. Simple self interest on the part of the companies is driving it. Unless there is a massive back lash (not at all likely), thats what the future holds.
WoW shoulderpads are so funny lol.
To me it sounds like companies like Blizz and SOE both want to keep the cake and eat it...
They open up a cash shop but keep the monthly fees to maximize the profit.
That in itself drives people away from P2P games.
But the battle about P2P. F2P, freemium and B2P have just started so don't declare a winner just yet.
2 years ago P2P games had no cash shop, F2P games were only from Asia or made with very low budget (like Last Chaos and Rappelz), Freemium wasn't invented and the only B2P game was Guildwars.
The way we pay our MMOs are changing fast but I don't think we seen the whole picture yet. Right now do some of the less popular games change to freemium in hope of earning money, and that worked great for DDO but that doesn't mean it will for every game.
As for Wow I don't see Blizzard giving up on monthly fees as long as it can get away with both them, box sales and an itemshop. Once the number of players drop enough they might change it but not before that.
I wouldn't bet on that. 50 million players is about the entire market including China. there is no chance Blizz can get 100% of the genres players.
In fact I am not sure the next game can beat Wows top numbers either, chances are it wont even get close. Wow have run rather unopposed for a long time, what is Wows hardest copetitor? Probably Guildwars that is a low budget CORPG.
Starting from scratch isn't easy and Titan will not only compete against all the new games on the market, it will also compete with Wow itself.
Is that you, Zorndorf?
This is obviously a way of testing the waters before they are pushed off the subscription market by the next generation of MMo's that are all free to play. Even the MMOrpg Titan "Guild Wars II" has been announced several times as buy to play with micro transactions as is ncsoft's overall business model. So I imagine instead of tanking their game they will want to try and hold on to some of the more die hard fans by switching to a free to play model. That or be wiped out by GWII's massive hype that so far has been delivered on several times over without even releasing the game...
I expected this to happen sometime around when their new MMO comes out, moreless to not have them competing aggainst eachother directly.
Maybe them "inching" towards fullblown F2P is a sign of the progress on codename Titan?
must get my tinfoil hat now.
It would seem that with Titan approaching I agree that if Subs switched to Titan then a F2P option would keep WoW alive, perhaps game cards could buy levels, access to channels & auction houses etc. permanently once an initial payment is made with additional game cards unlocking further levels,perhaps in increments of 20 levels. People would still have to buy expansions with serial numbers to access that content but once the game cards or credit card purchases have unlocked the levels then obviously the player can venture into the expansion zones without getting splatted too easily via aggro.
"As expected, the haters have been quick to state - some rather boorishly, as if such behavior somehow makes their point of view stronger or more valid - that it's nothing more than a different form of a free trial. I basically agree. However, I also believe the question above is far more important, and that in this regard, the jury is still out."
-sigh-
What was that saying? A Tiger can't change its stripes?
Still insulting people who disagree with you, I see. And here I thought you'd finally grown beyond resorting to such insecure and childish tactics and learned to accept that dissenting opinions are every bit as valid as yours. At the least, I expect more from a regular columnist on a major online publication. I guess there's always the exception.
Either way, consider me corrected.
In any case...
Your fanboy enthusiasm for F2P is coloring your perspective, yet again, Richard.
There's no indication that this is a move toward F2P. All the hoopla about it from folks like yourself, and other pro-F2P folk, is wishful thinking at best. At worst, it's deliberate opportunistic spin to try and get people thinking in that direction. You're still planting seeds in people's minds to help F2P shake off that darn stigma it so deservingly carries with it.
If this was any other MMO, there wouldn't be nearly the amount of attention from the F2P crowd as WoW is getting. But then, WoW is still the 800 lb. gorilla and I'm sure it's nothing short of a wet dream to be able to figuratively parade through the streets that the mighty WoW gone F2P.
Of course, it would be happening as the game enters the Winter of its life-cycle and things gear up for Blizzard's next big title, 'Titan'... But I'm sure you wouldn't pay that niggling little fact any heed, would you.
I'm also betting you'd ignore the fact that, for years, even as F2P MMOs popped up all around it, more folks hopped on the bandwagon and other notable P2P titles switched to a hybrid model (also in the wake of declining popularity), still allowing subs as an option (such was their confidence in a wholesale change to F2P only), that WoW remained a 100% subscription-based game. Nah... that annoying little fact wouldn't help your agenda either, would it, Richard? Best to just ignore it. Right?
Know when you'll be able to say WoW is taking clear steps toward changing to F2P with any confidence or credibility? When Blizzard officially and specifically announces they're taking steps toward going F2P. When it comes from the proverbial horse's mouth. Not a moment sooner.
Blizzard isn't even the first to make such a change. Warhammer Online has had their 'Endless Trial' going for how long now? Have they moved to F2P because of it? Nope. Still a sub-based game.
This free trial to level 20 is just that, a free trial to level 20. As I've said to you before regarding F2P... It is what it is.
Getting to level 20 in WoW is cake these days. They throw xp at you so quickly and in such generous amounts at those levels, it's actually harder to not level quickly... unless you stand around doing nothing for extended periods of time between xp-gaining activities.
In my last go around with the game - without using a "refer a friend" bonus or anything - I was level 13 or 14 before I even left Teldrassil. It took me maybe four hours, playing very casually.
Anyway... Sorry to interrupt your dream-like reverie there, Richard. Actually... no I'm not. Folks like you need to be kept in check and have the light of reality shined in your eyes once in a while.
'course, probably wont' matter. You've likely already long-since dismissed me as nothing but "a hater" who's "in denial" of the brilliance of F2P. Right?
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
people go to lvl 20, people like game, people buy game.
wow wont be free till end game soon
https://ashesofcreation.com/r/Y4U3PQCASUPJ5SED