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How I think Smed should have handled RMT
Kurush
Member Posts: 1,303
His model is honestly a failure. He talks about learning from the Koreans, but he has learned nothing. There is only one way to handle a hybrid P2P and cash model, in my opinion. If you want to know what it is, take a look at Ragnarok Online. You might hate the game, but I think their model is spot on. Here's what it boils down to:
1. You have P2P servers. In this case, they would operate exactly as EQ2 did before this shop.
2. You have F2P servers supported by a cash shop with some perks missing that the P2P servers get. The goal with the F2P-cash shop servers is to both monetize those players who don't want to sub, and to encourage those on the fence to adopt the subscription model.
On the F2P server, XP and drop rates should be left alone, as I think this is overly punitive and only discourages subscription. However, you do need something which the P2P servers have that the F2P servers lack: nothing gamebreaking, but something that makes things a little less convenient. For instance, RO has two ways to get around rapidly. Walking, even using the faster methods, is a huge timesink. To move rapidly (instantly), you can either get teleported by a NPC (limited number of destinations), take a ship (sometimes very expensive), or you can get a player spell which transports you places (the class with this spell can only have a set number of destinations at once). In the P2P version, NPC and player teleports are cheap. In the F2P version, they're about 250% normal cost. That's not gamebreaking, but there are a number of conveniences like this that are much more expensive in the F2P version.
Honestly, I could never get into EQ2. I really liked some parts of it, but I tend to play shooters, strategy games, and action games, and my primary activity in MMORPG's is PvP. The weak PvP systems of EQ2 and the combat animations (which I consider to be really bad, frankly) drove me away. However, if it were F2P, without a completely unbalancing cash shop, I probably would play it as a secondary game. I might even use the cash shop eventually. Their costs for a player like me woulnd't be high because I probably would only play very little, so even a few purchases would mean a profit for them.
Could you live with this? P2P servers that are as they were before the cash shop, alongside F2P servers supported by a cash shop, with some limitations to encourage subscription.
Comments
You can NOT compare games based off of the Korean market to games that HAVE to adapt to the NA market,they are miles apart from being the same,therefore you cannot use ANY comparisons.
Anyhow apart from that,you mention XP,well i am not sure if you have played any F2P games,but they draw you in first,then the XP gain is a joke,it is like running in quicksand.
Not only that but Eq2 is a game developed NOT to be F2P but to be a P2P game.Ragnarok like 99% of Korean games is DESIGNED to be a F2P game.If it is a secret to anyone,the reason why it works over there is because there is MILLIONS of gamers that can ONLY play for free.This makes all their games look FULL/BUSY witch just like WOW here is a MAIN attraction to Paying players.
Over here you would be drawing form ,hmm my guess is about MAYBE 3 million freebie gamers,so if you start infecting NA with a bunch of F2P games it will NOT work.This marketing strategy has to move along slowly and is VERY difficult to figure out and manage,so i would not get too tied up into weather or not it fails or is a success.I doubt ANY of the NA developers have an answer to make it work at this point in time.
The ONLY reason SOE is moving forward is becuase they are ALWAYS the leader in gaming,who else would you expect to take the risk ?I cannot think of anyone,the rest wait and follow SOE's leads.I saw conferences where MOST of the developers in NA ,ARE looking at F2P options ,so the fact they are not moving on it as SOE is ,proves they are afraid and waiting to learn from SOE as usual.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Actually, Ragnarok Online was a P2P-only game for the longest time. It was in no way, shape, or form designed to be F2P. It was quite successful as a P2P game at launch, maintaining a fairly healthy amount of subscribers. That was years ago, though. As it got older, though, the developers decided they needed an additional revenue stream. Does that sound familiar at all? That's why RO opened F2P servers with a cash shop.
And millions of gamers who can only play for free, huh? Actually, the reason Korea's market has so many cash shop games is because people there are just more people comfortable with it. Do you think they're too backwards to handle it? Korea has nearly universal broadband penetration as well as a far bigger market in raw dollar value in terms of online gaming. The market there has far more payment options, and people have learned to live with them. It's not because they're not a bunch of savages living in huts.
Actually, I'm too tired to correct the rest of this post. I'd expect this kind of utter futility trying to pose a question to the SWG or Darkfall boards, but I guess the EQ2 ones have fallen to that standard in the meantime. Peace.
Tell me, why would it matter how YOU think it should work? It doesn't work that way and its not going to change whether anyone likes it or not, because YOU aren't in charge. Continuing to moan about it is only going to make you more upset because you're dwelling on it.