As others have already pointed out, LotRO is primarily a PvE game. How can you pay to win in a PvE game? Pay to win what? The other thing I can't understand is how people are defending the out of date P2P model. Turbine has shown the way with the fremium payment model, turning around a failing game like Dungeons and Dragons and in turn, making an already successful game, LotRO into an even more successful one. After five years on the market, not only has LotRO not had to close or merge any servers, they actually had to add more to cope with the increase in player numbers.
More and more games are changing to the freemium model because it has been shown to work. P2P is on its way out and newly released games like SWTOR and up and coming games such as The Secret World will have hard decisions to make in the coming year if they are to have a long term player base.
I'm sure we will see a huge drop in numbers playing SWTOR when the first sub becomes due in a couple of days time and the following months will see a steady decline, At some stage, conversion to some kind of freemium model will become inevitable.
The bottom line is that less and less people will be willing to pay monthly subsriptions in the future, when there will be so many games that won't require them.
You're taking the P2W concept literally. It's not about paying to win - but paying to progress faster than you would otherwise.
In modern MMOs (PvP/PvE) - in the current aftermath of the soon-to-be-dead subscription model - the basic design is to stretch out content to make it last as long as possible.
Most modern MMOs don't have more content than a big singleplayer game. They're just stretching it out by clever design. The design challenge for the MMO developer, is to make the process of progression appear fun, rather than a grind.
This used to work, because the novelty of the genre was powerful - and the CONCEPT of playing with thousands of people in a shared fantasy is - and likely always will be - VERY appealing.
Unfortunately, what happens to people when they discover they can generate a ton of profit with minimal effort, is that they jump on the opportunity. Modern MMOs is a result of that.
Now, the P2W model REPLACES the grindy progression with a slightly faster progression based on how much you pay.
I suppose that would be "ok" - until you stop and use your brain.
You're playing a game you're supposed to be enjoying, and you're supposed to be enjoying the levelling process - AND the discovery of loot and what not.
Guess what. The reason P2W models are so successful - is because people DON'T actually enjoy that process. They PREFER to pay their way to a faster progression - expecting some kind of rainbow at the end of the level cap. But there is no rainbow in modern themepark MMOs. There's just ever more stretching of ever less content.
If that's a good business model - you're either an idiot or a businessman. You most certainly aren't an informed consumer.
It's not P2W - it's P2C. Pay to Cheat... yourself.
The ONLY consumer-friendly business model in the current MMO market - is the B2P model. The Guild Wars model.
They're NOT obligated to keep you playing, and they're NOT obligated to stretch out content and hide the grind. They're ONLY obligated to make it FUN enough that you will come back and buy the expansion after a year.
i am boring to see everyone cry , its a wonderful expansion , with good gameplay , good instances , nice community , nice boss fights , nice gear , nice art work , what more u want?pvp , i like the pvp , i know other game have better pvp than lotro , but thats it , on lotro u can die in 5 sec , its realistic , on other games like wow u fight 45 mins no one die and arena end draw!there is more coming on lotro , if u dont want to play it quit!
its so simple !! WoW have alot of players , but in every forum theu say something bad for this , now for TOR too , for Rift too , for LOTRO too . the point is that HATERS IS EVERYWHERE!!!!! if u dont like a game quit!!!!!
Comments
You're taking the P2W concept literally. It's not about paying to win - but paying to progress faster than you would otherwise.
In modern MMOs (PvP/PvE) - in the current aftermath of the soon-to-be-dead subscription model - the basic design is to stretch out content to make it last as long as possible.
Most modern MMOs don't have more content than a big singleplayer game. They're just stretching it out by clever design. The design challenge for the MMO developer, is to make the process of progression appear fun, rather than a grind.
This used to work, because the novelty of the genre was powerful - and the CONCEPT of playing with thousands of people in a shared fantasy is - and likely always will be - VERY appealing.
Unfortunately, what happens to people when they discover they can generate a ton of profit with minimal effort, is that they jump on the opportunity. Modern MMOs is a result of that.
Now, the P2W model REPLACES the grindy progression with a slightly faster progression based on how much you pay.
I suppose that would be "ok" - until you stop and use your brain.
You're playing a game you're supposed to be enjoying, and you're supposed to be enjoying the levelling process - AND the discovery of loot and what not.
Guess what. The reason P2W models are so successful - is because people DON'T actually enjoy that process. They PREFER to pay their way to a faster progression - expecting some kind of rainbow at the end of the level cap. But there is no rainbow in modern themepark MMOs. There's just ever more stretching of ever less content.
If that's a good business model - you're either an idiot or a businessman. You most certainly aren't an informed consumer.
It's not P2W - it's P2C. Pay to Cheat... yourself.
The ONLY consumer-friendly business model in the current MMO market - is the B2P model. The Guild Wars model.
They're NOT obligated to keep you playing, and they're NOT obligated to stretch out content and hide the grind. They're ONLY obligated to make it FUN enough that you will come back and buy the expansion after a year.
THAT is the consumer's best model.
i am boring to see everyone cry , its a wonderful expansion , with good gameplay , good instances , nice community , nice boss fights , nice gear , nice art work , what more u want?pvp , i like the pvp , i know other game have better pvp than lotro , but thats it , on lotro u can die in 5 sec , its realistic , on other games like wow u fight 45 mins no one die and arena end draw!there is more coming on lotro , if u dont want to play it quit!
its so simple !! WoW have alot of players , but in every forum theu say something bad for this , now for TOR too , for Rift too , for LOTRO too . the point is that HATERS IS EVERYWHERE!!!!! if u dont like a game quit!!!!!