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How to make money with a ftp MMO
Lord.Bachus
Member RarePosts: 9,686
i think the introduction of patron status to rift, pretty much proves that the only viable way to make money with MMO´s are subscriptions. All FTP that are doing okay or better make their most money from subscriptions and now rift is setting a step in that direction too...
Playing games for free is an illusion... For me FtP is in most cases just an extended trial..
And game withouth subscription like GW2 are struggling financially, and trying to find new ways to make money.
I think where FtP wors great for a MoBa, AAA+ quallity MMO are just way to expensive to make money withouth subscriptions.
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Comments
first of you need a really good game.. you want to attract loads of players that are willing to invest lots of time and money into it
once you got a big enough playerbase you cant just settle for pushing things through cash shops you still need to keep them wanting to play the game so you'll have to push out content.. the more time they spend playing the more likely they are to invest real cash on it (wich alot of game apparently have'nt figured out)
I had fun once, it was terrible.
what i ask myself is, why does f2p work on mobas (LoL for example), but not on mmos?
why not just take the EXACT same system, and sell only visual stuff?
the main prob other f2p games (than mobas) have is plain and simple, they don't sell gfx, they sell win chances.
you wanna go f2p? then make a REAL full game f2p and sell us cosmetics, if done right, it works. riot and co have proven this by now i think.
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
I don't have hard numbers but I think when the first games went f2p, like Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online, I think they made money. f2p was a novelty back then and people weren't used to the cash shop scams. Now people are used to f2p, they've seen large credit card bills, games come and go, and are reluctant to pay.
What about ads in game? Only the f2p see the ads, the subscribers don't.
http://gnomophobia.com
Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even our troubles.buy wow gold
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
That's not my experience. I have played a lot of video games free, sub, or some mixture of the two and with only a few exceptions costumes and vanity items are the most active items in the cash shop. If a company is releasing new costumes every week for a game in the cash shop you can be sure it's because those kinds of items are selling and worth the effort to develop and publish.
It may be this case, especially if the costumes are really attractive, and seasonal. But seemingly companies are getting lazy lately. Most of the fashion stuff are recolored or copy-and-paste.
LoL now goes beyond just costumes and skins, with additional graphics, voiceovers, and even animation. I like to use Forecast Janna as an example, being released as a legendary skin, costing $20-$30 (depending on region), It is not just her weapon turning into an umbrella. She has new voiceovers, jokes, and even her ultimate has a different animation. Most interesting is her Forecast personality is totally different from the original Janna, which may be the biggest selling point. Perhaps Riot knows legendary skins sell, so are willing to pay top dollar to R&D an attractive skin, yet does not offer any form of advantage against gamers with no game skins.
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
I'm a gamer who turned DEV , I seen both sides, once you have done this, you will understand more. People think because they are gamers they know the business side to things, well, you don't. I thought so as well, until I worked in the field. People need to understand they do not know...
Moba and MMO's are like apple and oranges, things that work in MOBA's does not work in MMO's. The issue today is people, everyone likes different things and gamers think each person believes it should be done a way to there liking.. People are selfish, greedy and anti social this is the problem with MMO's not the DEVS. If you don't believe me go in the field... I did not to see what the problems were before, I see them now....
Also some gamers want it all for free, and do not want to pay for even good games. I hear about people torrent a game all the time, they are ruining the industry and ripping people off... Great job with that, how would you like it if people ripped off your hard work!!!.. This is what is ruining games, people who want it all there way and for nothing!!
I have studied this when I got my BA in Game Production, and I see this is what people are acting like,not all but more then you think. Look at this forum, I read all the time, if the game goes free I will play!!! Really the company can survive by making a game for free?? I would love any company to do totally free..
FTP is not free , it actually costs more than a sub, that is what I find funny when I see people throwing a fit over a sub base game!!
MMO's are always going to make less money than MOBA's and similar games, it's the difference in genre.
LoL leaves even WoW, the number one subscription model MMORPG in the dust when it comes to profits.
Just like FPS games and games like GTA will completely crush regular RPGs in terms of sales time and time again. Just compare Skyrim's sales to GTA 5's and Battlefield for example.
MMORPG's require time investment, and a sufficiently high nerd factor - whereas the other games appeal to a far broader audience.
It has nothing to do with what payment model they use. Well, a little - I'd like to see a MOBA try a subscription model. I don't think the results would be pretty.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
Funcom tried it a few years ago, as did Paragon Studios. Apparently it was more trouble than it was worth for the tiny profits it brought. Of course I imagine MMO's weren't as mainstream back then as they are now. Who knows maybe some company could actually pull it off these days if they plan it well.
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
Long term I agree. Subscription works best not for the fact that it is steady income, but the fact often sub games don't push advantages in cash shop. Those dedicated can play the game without being nickle and dimed every step of the way leaving much of it to cosmetics to buy, often times the game giving credits towards those things so those who sub can purchase those eventually anyways.
Its more about not having unfair advantages and giving those dedicated an option to play without gouging every step of the way. The games trying to nickle and dime will find likely higher inital profits, but those profits always seem to drop down quickly as time goes on.
3D video gaming IS visual,that si what you are selling ,otherwise you are selling a MUD.
Having played and seen Wiz 101 they are the perfect example as to why cash shops are horrible.SOE also falls into this category,they are spending ALL their efforts on the cash shop and almost nothing on the game after it releases.
I want a developer to be working on content AL lthe time,looking for ways to improve the game and it's assets.I don't want any hidden costs or to bu ya house then see a better one on the marketplace 2 weeks later.
The ONLY reason the cash shop exists is because there are not enough players to go around in the subscription base to feed the thousands of games out there.So this gimmick of f2p started in hopes of steering some of that subscription crowd their way.
Now after thew f2p market has been abused and flooded the new gimmick is fancy marketing and game terms,one of the newest being "too much tv" utilizing the term "SEASONS".Oh look we have seasons and this and that,when in reality you have nothing new but are trying to market your product in a different way.
IMO if you can't do this genre justice,stay out of it and make something more in line with your budget,the market is already flooded with tons of crap.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
You can not compare an AAA MMO. With a MOBA...
- creating a MOBA only costs a faction of creating an AAA MMO.
- MMOs are about character development, MOBAs are about fixed characters... The best and best looking stuff in an MMO should be ingame stuff... Otherwise it makes character progression useless..
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
With appearance slots you get the best of both worlds as a developer. You can have your in game progression gear and your vanity cash shop gear at the same time.
Not that it started out that way. I remember when adding appearance slots to the game was a cure to clown suit syndrome. Now a days it's nothing but a marketing ploy to increase cash shop sales.
Those games are not struggling, but the natural life cycle of microtransaction games. By design they cannabalize their player base until nothing is left. Then, the developers start the cycle all over again with another game.
I am curious to hear what your solution is than.
but to address you later parts.
people are willing to support a game that's F2P because they feel a level of control over giving their money. Not all games are worth 15$ a month, yet still charge that. I am not paying 15$ a month for a game that's more like 3$ a month in quality. But with a sub, it's like a Strip Club. We as consumers have the illusion that we control things with our bills more and the stripes dances to our dollar, but we end up tricking off more money than on the avg girl.
Philosophy of MMO Game Design
Perhaps devs could come up with horizontal progression in the MMO, then sell horizontal options.
Off the top of my head, this could be in the form of:
1. New abilities with their own special effects that off no additional power, just more flavor.
2. Derive a large part of your combat power from pets, and allow additional version of pets.
Regardless, like LoL, horizontal progression sells well without upsetting the player base. I see no reason other MMOs can do the same.
-WL
Werewolf Online(R) - Lead Developer
Yep, POE does it as well, and so do a couple of other games.
Selling alternate animations (and alternate summons for the games that have them) would be really neat. Though I suspect it takes a lot more work for an MMO than it does for a MOBA.
Maybe the games don't handle it well when they have to load all the highly customized stuff for several hundred players that are in the same area instead of just 10 relatively simple characters that are duking it out on a static map. =/
My SWTOR referral link for those wanting to give the game a try. (Newbies get a welcome package while returning players get a few account upgrades to help with their preferred status.)
https://www.ashesofcreation.com/ref/Callaron/
...source?
I don't think there are any way for MMORPG become F2P without P2W because of the natural of MMORPG.
F2P without P2W only work in multiplayer online games ,
It's all relative. A "real" F2P will only sells vanity items, which unfortunately, will not keep a game alive. Unless the devs really go to the point of designing fashions like real clothings in vogue, which means carefully designing every single pixel that new fashion has, which means more money spend on R&D on fashion and 3D design.
Indeed, a MOBA cannot be compared to MMO, but this is what makes MOBA easily wins in the F2P area due to crucial monetization method that can work in MOBAs but not work in MMOs. Things can be easily design in a fixed charcter, like animation, voiceover etc. It would be interesting to see a MMO implementing such a feature in a regular basis...
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.
Wate wat?
The problem is common gamers do not see the problems, and they have no interest to see ever. The money is theirs. and they have the rights to spend as they want. It is up to devs and companies to translate the gamers to monetize, into feasible ways of earnings.
The possibility of the universe collapsing into a singularity is higher than the birth of a perfect MMORPG.