$1,000 Alpha Access

MightyUnclean

I heard that Pathfinder Online had opened alpha for Kickstarter pledgers and those who paid a fee.  I went to the official site, expecting to see some kind of reasonable alpha buy-in.  From what I can tell, alpha access costs **$1,000**!  Is this true?  Are people so desperate for a new game that they will pay this?

flizzer

I've been saying after the 150 ArcheAge "alpha" game companies need to start charging at least $300 and work up from there. Even the cynic in mean didn't expect to start seeing $1,000 alphas.....yet.   Gamers are an impulsive and impatient lot and they will pay, oh they will pay.  

Datawarlock

Originally posted by flizzer
I've been saying after the 150 ArcheAge "alpha" game companies need to start charging at least $300 and work up from there. Even the cynic in mean didn't expect to start seeing $1,000 alphas.....yet.   Gamers are an impulsive and impatient lot and they will pay, oh they will pay.  

Not I. I went back to MUDs almost exclusively. Got tired of having to go online to play single player games that are mostly bad console ports.

Foobarx

I look at it this way, if it weren't for this kickstarter, all these people would be flipping burgers somewhere.  This is there way of keeping their dream alive... if SoE or whoever won't hire them, they'll make their own job and get people like you to pay their salaries.  Worse case scenario is they end up having to find a real job.  Best case scenario, they sell their game to some big name company for millions and laugh all the way to the bank.  You get the dream of a potential game, they get steady employment.  Win win.

Dauntis

The $1,000 is pretty reasonable when you consider it covers the cost of time travel to return to a time when these graphics and animations would be considered good.

 

I think it is sad when the parent company of an IP is not willing to invest in it's own product. Man up Paizo.

Datawarlock

Problem with kickstarters like this is that itcosts you $100+ just to get into an alpha. Thus you've spent a large portion of a paycheck on a dream that might turn out, or might suck/flop.

Cheaper to grab a hit of acid for ~$5... same result lol.

 

P.S.

Don't do drugs >.>

Asm0deus

While I am interested in this game the pricing "scheme" is pushing me to thinking it will be much to costly for me to play this game....

 

Will check back w/e and see what is up then

angerbeaver

Has anyone invested in a kickstarter that took off and has been successful...

 

rojoArcueid

lol @ $1,000 alpha access.

theres no hope for humanity.

Datawarlock

Crap, Kano's following me again =(

lol

bliss14

Eh, the money was burning a hole in my pocket anyway.  Better that they should get it than some mugger.

flizzer

I know it is cool and hip to prefer indie developers and their games. Not me, I prefer the AAA companies and the games they come out with.  I can't recall the last time I saw an indie type game I preferred.  Usually graphically they are subpar and game play usually feels slow/clunky to me.  But if people wish to throw money at indie people, sure, what do I care I suppose.  I'll continue playing the big name titles, however. 

Datawarlock

Originally posted by flizzer
I know it is cool and hip to prefer indie developers and their games. Not me, I prefer the AAA companies and the games they come out with.  I can't recall the last time I saw an indie type game I preferred.  Usually graphically they are subpar and game play usually feels slow/clunky to me.  But if people wish to throw money at indie people, sure, what do I care I suppose.  I'll continue playing the big name titles, however. 

While all your points are true, there's still not a single AAA game that pulls in the amount of profit that Farmville does =(

MightyUnclean

Hey Datawarlock, I sent you a PM about MUDs.

goboygo

Your not buying alpha access only for 1k your paying into the kickstarter in a sense, you just get alpha access as the perk.  Call it 950 dollars to the games development 50 dollars for alpha, that's the only way this thing makes sense, and I'm sure that's exactly the intent of the devs.

Datawarlock

Originally posted by MightyUnclean
Hey Datawarlock, I sent you a PM about MUDs.

=P

goboygo

Originally posted by flizzer
I know it is cool and hip to prefer indie developers and their games. Not me, I prefer the AAA companies and the games they come out with.  I can't recall the last time I saw an indie type game I preferred.  Usually graphically they are subpar and game play usually feels slow/clunky to me.  But if people wish to throw money at indie people, sure, what do I care I suppose.  I'll continue playing the big name titles, however. 

You didn't mention anything about gameplay just graphics and character/combat movement.  People don't play indie games for either of those reasons, they play indie games for the gameplay elements alone.

Crusades

See that's it, pc going into trash can right now. Done with this shit.

Wighty

Originally posted by DMKano

Money is very relative - to some $1000 is a lot.

To some 10,000 is equivlanet to 1c.

I know folks so spend near 20k a month in online game stores (whales).

Its nothing to them, disposable income varies greatly.

 

Thank you!

Most people can't see beyond their piss poor budgets...

 

Some people drive a beat up used car, some drive a $250,000+ car... Both will get you from point A to B, it's just a matter if you want to get there in style or not...

 

Not all gamers are broke college kids.

Asm0deus

Originally posted by goboygo

Originally posted by flizzer
I know it is cool and hip to prefer indie developers and their games. Not me, I prefer the AAA companies and the games they come out with.  I can't recall the last time I saw an indie type game I preferred.  Usually graphically they are subpar and game play usually feels slow/clunky to me.  But if people wish to throw money at indie people, sure, what do I care I suppose.  I'll continue playing the big name titles, however. 

You didn't mention anything about gameplay just graphics and character/combat movement.  People don't play indie games for either of those reasons, they play indie games for the gameplay elements alone.

Watching a stream right now and game play doesn't seem slow at all, I am liking the run speed and movement seems not bad even if graphics look bad.

maskedweasel

Originally posted by angerbeaver

Has anyone invested in a kickstarter that took off and has been successful...

 

When it comes to kickstarter,  launching a product is considered a successful kickstart.  Sustainability for an online game would be considered financial success -- not necessarily being extensively profitable.  Sure in a perfect world developers would hope they could create a game that would inherently allow for growth -- but kickstarter is kind of a smart way to stretch the scope of what they can do without the necessity of being a major hit.

 

For example in 6 months after launch they can ask a wealthy minority for financial assistance for improvements etc.  

 

As far as 1000 for alpha,  its just one perk among many others -- and there were $10k backers too.  The fact that the OP looked into the cost in the first place is an indication that people will pay it if they have the means to.   In fact I believe there were quite a few 1000 dollar backers -- and this is the first complaint thread I've seen.

MightyUnclean

 

Not all gamers are broke college kids.

You're right, there is apparently no shortage players with more money than sense.

adam_nox

People who actually earn their money almost never spend it on this sort of crap, because they understand it's value better than those that just came into it.

rojoArcueid

not too long ago the trend was that ¨f2p¨ was more expensive than subscriptions. Now indies cost hell of a lot more to play than AAA. Yikes!

mmo development is going in all directions except forward.

Wighty

Originally posted by MightyUnclean

 

Not all gamers are broke college kids.

You're right, there is apparently no shortage players with more money than sense.

To DM's point again... Some people have tons of cash to spend on hobbies... Some collect vintage Ferrari's some play games... Why can't you comprehend that for some people spending hundreds or thousands on their hobby is somehow wrong?

 

In Asia this is pretty much the lifestyle... P2W is very acceptable and spending money on games is encouraged as you show off your virtual crap...

 

Not my cup of tea, but I am aware that people have more money than I do and how they chose to spend it has nothing to do with me.

 

there are reasons there are $1000+ pledge tiers for kickstarter... because there are some who can pay it no prob without having to take out a second mortgage.

Mardukk

I thought I was a hardcore MMO idiot. There is another level if more than 50 people throw 1k at an alpha.



I love the amount of contrarians in this thread .