That is a problem : a game's biggest obstacle is actually the gamers. With some gamers advocating on f2p games, one have to wonder who will be paying for the game if the game is truly, 100% free, since everyone expect to have the same entitlement. So, in some way, f2p with cash shop still wins...
Games do not have to be 100% truly free. I will take 90% free for most players. And of course, in that case, the whales will be paying.
If there's nothing to buy and nothing to show for your donation, I don't think the whales will be buying anything.
That is a problem : a game's biggest obstacle is actually the gamers. With some gamers advocating on f2p games, one have to wonder who will be paying for the game if the game is truly, 100% free, since everyone expect to have the same entitlement. So, in some way, f2p with cash shop still wins...
Games do not have to be 100% truly free. I will take 90% free for most players. And of course, in that case, the whales will be paying.
If there's nothing to buy and nothing to show for your donation, I don't think the whales will be buying anything.
Oh, i am not supporting the donation scheme. I am just saying games can be free for the most part for most people .. like in many of the current F2P games.
Organizations which run on donation as the main source of income but provide their services for free otherwise:
Wikipedia
Public Broadcasting
Charities
Volunteer Organizations
Churches
Organizations which run on subscription fees, providing their service because you pay into it:
City Government
State Government
Federal Government
Government backed organizations
Unions
Can it be done in gaming, to be donation only? Yes. And it doesn't have to be a private server, nor does it have to be the best game in the world. It simply has to be stated that there is an operating budget that needs to be met, and players in the game need to somehow be informed. If the budget is way out of proportion to the population of the service, or if the service is not worth donating to, the service dies.
I rarely pay anything to a game, but eventually when I enjoyed Path of Exile so much, I spent $20. I even reluctantly (after not reading the $1 donation text) donated $10 to Gloria Victus, but was quite disappointed, so I don't think I will ever again donate before I get a taste of the game first.
Donation only has been the theme of talks of game building with friends. Why not make it a hobby you love, make a great game, and simply have donations be the icing on the cake.
Developers publish amount of money: such and such sum of ca$h is required to operate game and we have to pay them by [insert date].
Players donate out of good will. No vip/premium status, no clothing, no privileges.
If donations are enough, game continues.
If donations are not enough, game ceases.
Kickstarters proved one-time crowd funding of millions $ is possible. Maybe next step is continuing crowd-funding.
Games are not wiki. Wiki is useful for the foreseeable future. Games are entertainment that gets old fast and are replaced by newer games.
Wiki has little competition. Games have a lot of competition. I highly doubt this kind of scheme can sustain a game, unless we are talking about very very low budget.
Who can turn done getting their dream game? Take Star Citizen for example, players combined have raised over $34 Million to see their dream space sim developed! I would certainly donate, as long as I kept having fun and content kept getting released, I'd don't each month how much I'd be willing to pay for such content.
Originally posted by Nyghthowler If you HAVE to donate to keep the game going or it will shut down then it isn't truly FREE to play.
It isn't that the game would shut down. Wikipedia won't shut down if they don't hit their ungodly budget. It just might have to let some people go, or delay their expansion, or delay some proposed projects.
For a game, not hitting their budget means they won't be able to expand as quickly as they might like. Unfortunately, it also means the game isn't the DREAM GAME we are all talking about. If even I would throw $20 at Path of Exile, then a dream game is likely to get at least that from me, and potentially on a more regular basis.
There's a huge problem in finding the right balance.
I only want to play hardcore PvP games now, gaming gets you there eventually. I know there are some die hard PvE players, but eventually the mob grind isn't enough. So what happens when you get to the hardcore PvP mode? Your dream game involves making someone have a bad time - killing them. Pitting skill vs. skill and showing your enemy he sucks. So there is a lot of negativity in hardcore PvP that is contrary to happy-fun-time donation worthy gaming.
Some day there will be a balance. I can conceive this balance already... it is so simple but so foreign to most thinking about games.
So yeah, don't HAVE to donate or else you can't play, but rather if the budget is not met, you know your game might suffer in the long run. The 3-5% that actually donate anyway will be enough to keep the game afloat if the game is good enough, in which case that 3-5% might be 30-50% and the game will thrive.
If you make a great free to play game. Let me try it for 3 months!!! After that . SELL ME MY CHARACTER slot. If i want more characters .I will buy them. I will buy expansions as well. But if some rich ass spends $200 real money on a sword. IM OUT...I will pay a monthly fee if the game is worth it. But I wont do it right now. Tried ESO and wildstar, cant seem to get it to catch on. I think thats the problem. Everquest sucked me in years ago, But it did not happen over night. But when it did. It was amazing. And too was eq2. Up until they started with the micro transactions/ free to play players. Your group just killed a named mob. only 2 of the group can loot due to the only being able to have 100 gold and cant get armor or anything over average . END of eq2 and STWTOR as well. walked away from maxed out character. No fun if its not an even playing ground. Oh I dont care if you buy a fancy horse. But if your faster or better and paid real cash ....IM OUT...
if everyone loved a game, and everyone was playing said game, then it would have plenty of support from some of the player base. You don't need the entire player base pay for a game to be successful. donations probably isn't the best business model though. Subscriptions and cash shops works so your buying stuff to improve your game play experience. Its a reasonable model and NeverWinter is using this model. Although you can play for free, you get something when you spend real money for the game. Alot of games have limited free to play, where you don't have access to the entire game unless you pay for it.
========================== The game is dead not, this game is good we make it and Romania Tv give it 5 goat heads, this is good rating for game.
Comments
If there's nothing to buy and nothing to show for your donation, I don't think the whales will be buying anything.
Played: UO, EQ, WoW, DDO, SWG, AO, CoH, EvE, TR, AoC, GW, GA, Aion, Allods, lots more
Relatively Recently (Re)Played: HL2 (all), Halo (PC, all), Batman:AA; AC, ME, BS, DA, FO3, DS, Doom (all), LFD1&2, KOTOR, Portal 1&2, Blink, Elder Scrolls (all), lots more
Now Playing: None
Hope: None
Oh, i am not supporting the donation scheme. I am just saying games can be free for the most part for most people .. like in many of the current F2P games.
Organizations which run on donation as the main source of income but provide their services for free otherwise:
Wikipedia
Public Broadcasting
Charities
Volunteer Organizations
Churches
Organizations which run on subscription fees, providing their service because you pay into it:
City Government
State Government
Federal Government
Government backed organizations
Unions
Can it be done in gaming, to be donation only? Yes. And it doesn't have to be a private server, nor does it have to be the best game in the world. It simply has to be stated that there is an operating budget that needs to be met, and players in the game need to somehow be informed. If the budget is way out of proportion to the population of the service, or if the service is not worth donating to, the service dies.
I rarely pay anything to a game, but eventually when I enjoyed Path of Exile so much, I spent $20. I even reluctantly (after not reading the $1 donation text) donated $10 to Gloria Victus, but was quite disappointed, so I don't think I will ever again donate before I get a taste of the game first.
Donation only has been the theme of talks of game building with friends. Why not make it a hobby you love, make a great game, and simply have donations be the icing on the cake.
I could see such game working as Wiki.
Developers publish amount of money: such and such sum of ca$h is required to operate game and we have to pay them by [insert date].
Players donate out of good will. No vip/premium status, no clothing, no privileges.
If donations are enough, game continues.
If donations are not enough, game ceases.
Kickstarters proved one-time crowd funding of millions $ is possible. Maybe next step is continuing crowd-funding.
http://www.mmoblogg.wordpress.com
Games are not wiki. Wiki is useful for the foreseeable future. Games are entertainment that gets old fast and are replaced by newer games.
Wiki has little competition. Games have a lot of competition. I highly doubt this kind of scheme can sustain a game, unless we are talking about very very low budget.
I'm getting the feeling that my elaborate post wasn't replied to or mentioned because people won't take the time to read it.
Very disappointing.
It isn't that the game would shut down. Wikipedia won't shut down if they don't hit their ungodly budget. It just might have to let some people go, or delay their expansion, or delay some proposed projects.
For a game, not hitting their budget means they won't be able to expand as quickly as they might like. Unfortunately, it also means the game isn't the DREAM GAME we are all talking about. If even I would throw $20 at Path of Exile, then a dream game is likely to get at least that from me, and potentially on a more regular basis.
There's a huge problem in finding the right balance.
I only want to play hardcore PvP games now, gaming gets you there eventually. I know there are some die hard PvE players, but eventually the mob grind isn't enough. So what happens when you get to the hardcore PvP mode? Your dream game involves making someone have a bad time - killing them. Pitting skill vs. skill and showing your enemy he sucks. So there is a lot of negativity in hardcore PvP that is contrary to happy-fun-time donation worthy gaming.
Some day there will be a balance. I can conceive this balance already... it is so simple but so foreign to most thinking about games.
So yeah, don't HAVE to donate or else you can't play, but rather if the budget is not met, you know your game might suffer in the long run. The 3-5% that actually donate anyway will be enough to keep the game afloat if the game is good enough, in which case that 3-5% might be 30-50% and the game will thrive.
==========================
The game is dead not, this game is good we make it and Romania Tv give it 5 goat heads, this is good rating for game.