Smed sez, come in for free and then pay out the ass for anything remotely decent

[OcellotJenkins]

I've been playing PP sporadiclly for 4 monthes.  If I had a subscription, it'd have cost $40.  But I have payed only $20 and still have enough left over for another couple months.  What I like is I can come and go as I please, there is no pressure to "get my money's worth" like with a subscribtion.

<insert joke about pee pees and porn site subscriptions here>

[Yegolev]

Apparently the latest online gaming fad in Asia are "relationship" games where you pay real money to buy items to furnish your virtual apartment with which you then show off to other players (presumably of the opposite sex). Think The Sims Online except everything you buy in game you pay for with real money (which for some people is how they played TSO...). I saw a report on this while I was on vacation in China this past week and a half. According to the report the original game started in Taiwan and it and various copycats are now sweeping through China in a big way.

I am not sure that this is a fad.  The only difference in this and what has been happening for a long time with The Sims and The Sims 2 is the online component.  Natural progression; when you can show off your junk, it becomes more appealing to a set of people.  Currently you can subscribe to services that deliver Sims assets for something like $3 per month; you can also buy assets a la carte for (relatively) small change.  The reason this isn't more established is because TSO was a horrible piece of shit.

[HaemishM]

I like micropayments because it removes one of the barriers to consumer spending. It's great marketing. I'd love being able to pay small amounts $1-$2 to download an episode of a TV show I missed, or a novel or comic book.

This is a good idea, but would you love to pay for the first 30 minutes of a show and have to pay for the rest? Or chapters of a book? Or pages of the comic book? I could easily see stupid ideas like that getting implemented.

I think it would depend on the medium and how often the product is produced.

Of course, with the things you mentioned, they would have some sort of DRM associated with them, I would bet. And that is another whole can of worms...

I honestly think DRM is a huge fucking waste of research time and money. The people who will not pay for your product aren't going to pay if you force them to. They just aren't customers, they are leeches. The people who will pay mainly for the convenience of not having to go out and find the shit in the scummiest areas of the Internet will likely always outnumber the people who want it for free.

The only problem with that statement is that sometimes, it isn't enough money for the people who produce or distribute that content. See greed, see the music industry, etc.

[jpark]

I don't get it - but I am not sure I share the opinions of others here.

I am not price sensitive for the most part in paying for a game I believe I will/do enjoy.

Comparable:  Monthly Cable Fee.

That's the price I would be willing to pay monthly for a good game - when you consider that many of us spend at least as much time playing these games as we would television (if you watch it at all).  A good MMORPG = Cable Monthly Access Fee for me.

Purchasable game elements of interest to me:

1.  Races.  Shadowbane had this of sorts with unlockable races - I liked that idea.  Not for all races - but a few esoteric ones that are on the cool side this is something I would "buy".

2.  Adventure Packs.  EQ2 looks like it has experimented with this - paralleling the DnD idea of modules - I like the idea - but have not tried it.

3.  Special servers.  Special servers with rule sets or events that might require more DM support.

Things I will not pay for:  levels and items.  If you're paying for those, the game admits it is broken.

[Venkman]

I don't really have a problem with RMT, except when it's not black market. The problem I find is when it goes legit. Company makes a game built purely on the foundation of addictive acquisition, tweaks the experience to be winnable by a relative few, then acts all altruistic by allowing those poor everyone-else players the unique opportunity to buy their way through the advancement? No freaking way.

However, adding new content in which to game, as in, gaming in the same system just in a new place? Yea, micropayments for the win. Also, new races and other new unique component gimmickry, all the way.

[Velorath]

However, adding new content in which to game, as in, gaming in the same system just in a new place? Yea, micropayments for the win. Also, new races and other new unique component gimmickry, all the way.

Isn't that pretty much just a typical expansion then?

[Alkiera]

However, adding new content in which to game, as in, gaming in the same system just in a new place? Yea, micropayments for the win. Also, new races and other new unique component gimmickry, all the way.

Isn't that pretty much just a typical expansion then?

Yes, except EQ2's model is that they release new 'adventure packs' that have much less content than a typical expansion, typically a single large dungeon or series of small/medium instances.  They have an associated set of new spells and items, that are typically most useful inside that dungeon, and not terribly useful outside it.  They deliver it via download, for $5-8.  Semi frequently.  As an example of new spells, I believe the pack that had tons of vampires in it added a few vampire-specific spells and special attacks.  The idea being that not everyone will want every adventure pack, as they are pretty tightly themed.

An expansion, on the other hand, is more to put the box back on the shelf, and add major new content to the game.  It also gives new content to those tied to dialup who just can't download the largish datafiles for the adventure packs.  It needs to appeal to a large percentage of your playerbase, in order to get the large percentage of sales needed to make good money on the sale after all the overhead of the packaging and retailing, etc.

Alkiera

[Sky]

Ya know, it really bums me out EQ2 was so focused on the group adventuring, though I can completely understand why. I liked the game, but I solo too much. I can never bust the 20th level hump (I hate the commandlands!) to get to what they promise as 'new solo adventures', because they always seem to be in zones I've never heard of.

I should reinstall and try to get my 18th "SK" over the hump while my All-Access is active. I cancelled the All-Access, though, it's up to $28/mo now. That's a new game a month!

[jpark]

Ya know, it really bums me out EQ2 was so focused on the group adventuring, though I can completely understand why. I liked the game, but I solo too much. I can never bust the 20th level hump (I hate the commandlands!) to get to what they promise as 'new solo adventures', because they always seem to be in zones I've never heard of.

I should reinstall and try to get my 18th "SK" over the hump while my All-Access is active. I cancelled the All-Access, though, it's up to $28/mo now. That's a new game a month!

If you had trouble pychologically with bereft artistic domain of the commonlands - the subsequent zone - the Burning steppes will offer no relief.

[El Gallo]

You could probably buy enough gold to buy enough collection quest items to insta-level to 20 for $20 bucks or fewer on playerauctions.  Then you can solo level in Harclaves until you puke (or hit level 50, but you'll probably do that first thing long before).   

[Sky]

Nah. Just the memories of how EQ2 shits on solo players is enough to keep me away. I didn't mind the Commonlands, it was more that I was basically stuck there for 20 levels without a break. And of course all the content that looked remotely non-generic was group-only. The way they linked encounters and artificially buffed mobs insures I'll never even bother returning.

[Venkman]

However, adding new content in which to game, as in, gaming in the same system just in a new place? Yea, micropayments for the win. Also, new races and other new unique component gimmickry, all the way.

Isn't that pretty much just a typical expansion then?

Alkiera answered it. There's Boxed expansions and digital downloads. The latter has a lot less overhead, plus an installed base of consumers. The former is more of a wing-and-a-prayer thing, hoping to expand the game through traditional channels of high overhead-dom.

[MahrinSkel]

Micropayments are all well and good, but the American gamer community is a long series of veterans creating sociopathic conditions for newbs.

Here, fixed that for you.

--Dave