tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post3244650428813284565..comments2024-03-29T14:47:49.328+00:00Comments on Inventory Full: Putting The "Buy" In Buy-To-Play: Guild Wars, GW2Bhagpusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-53835506165384617752015-01-28T01:44:57.645+00:002015-01-28T01:44:57.645+00:00I'm generally in favor of the payment models t...I'm generally in favor of the payment models that ask for the most money from the most committed, as long as it's in the $10-30 a month range.<br /><br />I haven't paid a dime for LOTRO in ages, I simply don't play it enough. I think it's fair that those who log on for a couple hours a week in GW2 don't need to pay a cent.<br /><br />Bhagpuss is a major outlier for the GW2 model, imo, who doesn't feel any need for extra bag or bank slots, or additional fancy cosmetics or conveniences like the salvage kit or infinite harvesting tools.<br /><br />Still, his entire household has what... 4 or 5 accounts now? So I think it was pretty successful pulling some cash out of him too, right! ;)Jeromaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02206083433625986970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-38131653183910780002015-01-27T23:35:16.636+00:002015-01-27T23:35:16.636+00:00I always thought of LOTRO's zone-by-zone conte...I always thought of LOTRO's zone-by-zone content selling as being more reminiscent of B2P than a traditional F2P model.Carson 63000https://www.blogger.com/profile/10900682924502279486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-88924744981173651632015-01-27T21:41:30.417+00:002015-01-27T21:41:30.417+00:00Well I have no data to go for other than the fact ...Well I have no data to go for other than the fact Anet didn't release an expansion for 2.5 years.<br />So maybe they know something that we don't.<br /><br />Expansions have the "downside" of dispersing content, which will lead to sparser populations and "ghost town" syndromes.<br />Anet has a story of in both GW1 (zaishen quests) & GW2 to try to keep population density.<br /><br />Anet clearly has the resources to do an expansion and gem store content+Living World at the same - they have been doing it for the last 2.5 years.<br /><br />And HoT is only one of the projects Colin Johanson alluded to - there might be an inproved Living World 3, the a chunk of expansion 2 already designed (Factions & Nightfall and Nightfall &Utopia/GWEN developments coexisted) or something else entirely.Luis Sousahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285335572297296899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-46999784563654668042015-01-27T20:43:50.820+00:002015-01-27T20:43:50.820+00:00Glad to see another B2NP fan!
I think a lot of ga...Glad to see another B2NP fan!<br /><br />I think a lot of games that are allegedly F2P are really B2P in the way you describe and like. There aren't very many LOTRO players that neither ever subscribe nor buy any content for example. Personally I've been pretty happy with buying an expansion a year from them.<br /><br />I don't buy a lot of fluff, and charging me for using a few extra database rows (inventory space etc) seems ridiculous bordering on a con to me. But I'm more than happy to pay for new content and new systems that devs have put actual effort into creating. (Of course as long as the value-for-money is reasonable, which with Turbine was getting to be debatable with the last couple expansions.)<br /><br />Seems like a fairly straightforward proposition to me... you do some work of substance, I like what you've done, I pay for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-81614445565722923502015-01-27T20:36:20.513+00:002015-01-27T20:36:20.513+00:00I'd like to see the source too - is it buried ...I'd like to see the source too - is it buried in those famous "financials" somewhere? - Ah you posted that as I was replying! Thanks.<br /><br />Not sure how selling expansions on a timely basis would negatively impact the cash shop sales though. Surely the most likely outcome would be similar or increased cash shop sales (more people actively playing = more potential cash shop customers) plus the expansion box sale revenue on top?<br /><br />Unless you assume customers, having bought a box, would reduce their Gem Shop spend because of that outlay, or that ANet doesn't have the resources to produce an expansion and toys for the Gem Store at the same time, neither of which seems all that likely.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-69433842005106053562015-01-27T20:26:44.238+00:002015-01-27T20:26:44.238+00:00http://global.ncsoft.com/global/ir/earnings.aspxhttp://global.ncsoft.com/global/ir/earnings.aspxLuis Sousahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285335572297296899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-58241857237006573222015-01-27T20:00:07.033+00:002015-01-27T20:00:07.033+00:00Do you mind linking sources to these numbers? I&#...Do you mind linking sources to these numbers? I'm having a bit of trouble finding them through google, especially the GW1 ones, since the search engine always gives me recent stuff.<br /><br />-UrsanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-21012258926142165922015-01-27T19:25:55.915+00:002015-01-27T19:25:55.915+00:00PS: I believe the original plan for GW2 was to rel...PS: I believe the original plan for GW2 was to release expansions at a steady pace.<br />But surprisingly strong cash shop revenue changed the plans, delaying the release of any expansion and creating all this Living Story, that was produced by Anet B (or even C) team.<br /><br />In a earlier post you wonder about the nature of the relationship between Anet and NCSoft.<br />It seems clear that Anet is NCSoft's darling and they pretty much have blank check (successful GW1 & extremely successful GW2) and that will only change if GW2:HoT is a failure.<br /><br />Revenues of $15-25M/quarter is probably enough to play Anet's yearly budget (and if 1 quarter might just not be enough, 2 surely is).<br /><br />If GW2:HoT sells 1-2 million boxes and makes the cash shop revenues stay on $15M+/quarter. Anet is set to have free reign for another couple of years.Luis Sousahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285335572297296899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-91258657176219964622015-01-27T19:11:08.176+00:002015-01-27T19:11:08.176+00:00GW2 cash shop+ whatever number of boxes they still...GW2 cash shop+ whatever number of boxes they still sell have outsold any of the GW1 expansions every single quarter.<br /><br />I'll repeat - every single quarter of GW2 bested the best GW:Factions quarter and the best GW:Nightfall quarter.<br /><br />That is reason enough to be careful about releasing an expansion for GW2 - they can upset the amount of money the cash shop is generating, which as we saw trounces those GW:Factions and GW:Nightfall boxes.<br /><br />GW2 box sales alone in the first 2 quarters of existence (3Q12 & 3Q14) sold as much as GW1 entire life.<br /><br />So you say that you do all the P and no B.<br />But either you are the minority or the minority that buys, buy enough to offset the majority that doesn't.<br />And maybe the non paying players pay for themselves by "encouraging" those that are crazy gem store buyers, buying.<br /><br />Whatever the data Anet possesses (which would be interesting to glimpse but will not happen) this model worked even better than GW1 model.Luis Sousahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14285335572297296899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-88117100327440498142015-01-27T18:03:56.553+00:002015-01-27T18:03:56.553+00:00As someone who read all the Archeage quest text, I...As someone who read all the Archeage quest text, I think I can safely say if you enjoyed those quests, you will really love the ESO ones, even if you're not a huge fan of the ES setting. There are so many memorable characters and moments, and some very "holy s***" moments. I especially love how many times my character has been tricked because people are so shady and they have all these hidden agendas and purposes while sugar coating the things they tell you. It makes the characters and world feel very vibrant and dangerous. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on the game. And I just saw the patch notes for the HUGE 1.6 patch went up, so you'll be starting at a good time. Them adding in the full stealth/criminal/bounty system is going to be a great boon to the game I think.<br /><br />- VamenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-12209013862888098392015-01-27T17:44:54.017+00:002015-01-27T17:44:54.017+00:00Yes, I left out the part about having the disposab...Yes, I left out the part about having the disposable income in the first place. Also in the case of my reckless self-indulgence in buying a game I probably will only dabble with I wasn't spending real money - it was Amazon credit given to me for my birthday and Christmas so I guess technically I didn't even buy it for myself.<br /><br />As for ANet's exact relationship with NCSoft I'd really love to know just exactly how that works.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-24803268539827580792015-01-27T17:38:51.107+00:002015-01-27T17:38:51.107+00:00I think the pure subscription model actually favor...I think the pure subscription model actually favors the player more than the game company, which is why most of them have either abandoned it or at least added cash shops on top. Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-18432809159261129012015-01-27T17:37:20.442+00:002015-01-27T17:37:20.442+00:00Hi and welcome aboard! I had heard a few things ab...Hi and welcome aboard! I had heard a few things about the strength of the questing in TESO and I imagine that's how I'll spend much of whatever time I find to play the game. After three years of not questing in GW2 I find I really like getting stuck into a traditional quest chain. I even enjoyed some of the quests in ArcheAge which I think puts me in a very elite club indeed.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-49294803619527925402015-01-27T16:54:07.549+00:002015-01-27T16:54:07.549+00:00I get that Anet felt that GuildWars, while running...I get that Anet felt that GuildWars, while running with a successful buy to play model, made for a "convoluted" game, I just cannot see "let's fix this by tossing out the successful revenue aspect" as the correct answer. But, as I long suspected, their lords and masters in Seoul showed them the error of their ways.<br /><br />As for buying things, I always tell my wife that I have no problem spending money on things that get used or, in this case, games I will play. I do want to get out of the "buy not to play" habit however. While I could get ESO for $15, I won't be buying it just to have a copy. But with a teenage daughter and college in the not too distant future, saving money has become a bit of a priority. Wilhelm Arcturushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07033496821708933394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-34106128521739992952015-01-27T16:41:25.746+00:002015-01-27T16:41:25.746+00:00I am in full favor and support of what you say, Mr...I am in full favor and support of what you say, Mr. Bhagpuss. I like supporting companies and giving them money for value. This used to be subscriptions - when I played 20 hours a week, 80 hours a month $15 was a bargain. When I play your game 5 hours a month, or zero, it's a "waste". This is just my perspective, some still feel, get, and argue there is value there.<br /><br />I would buy a box that allowed for unlimited play often. I bought TSW for that reason even though I don't play it much. I am interested and *will* play it, but never would have jumped at it with a sub fee. So now they are $20 richer (thanks to steam, or they would have been $40 richer)<br /><br />Of all the payment methods we have there I think it is the most fair and equitable between gamer and company.Iseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09489936780809266112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1510920011443550663.post-66862869373420924082015-01-27T15:33:23.892+00:002015-01-27T15:33:23.892+00:00I've only been reading your blog for a short t...I've only been reading your blog for a short time, having just recently discovered it, so I don't know where you stand really as far as story goes, but if you're big into the lore of a game, pay attention to the quests in ESO. I find it a pretty solid mmo that has problems, but I've always found the questing to be excellent. Not because you do a lot of things that are new to questing, but the stories and some of the decisions you have to make are pretty fantastic. It's rare these days for me to remember any quests or quest characters, but there have been a large number of them in ESO that really stuck with me because they were so well done and had such an excellent storyline.<br />If you can get past just how many long lost artifacts and relics you're going to uncover in your questing, there's some great tales to experience in the game. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02740933292662271696noreply@blogger.com