Let's start with the obvious:

The actual model for TOR F2P system is miss which hits a summit with making people pay for UI elements like quick slot bars.

Now here's how the model should have been designed:

• Provide all the tools needed to enjoy the content to the player for free.
• Have first steps of the story element free for all the classes.
• Do not restict players on basic choices (Ex: allow players to create only 2 characters but with any of the species for free).
• Set a very low fee for purchaseable item, consumables.
• Do not restrict some items to the random packs only

The main idea driving the system would be hook the players in game with all the bells and whistles and have them pay for convenience items, quests hubs and fluff like pets, new gear skins/meshes. For the PvP, Operations, space missions have them (eventually) unlock them by bracket levels with a one time purchase.

Make sure not to set the pricing too high and here's where the real trick kicks in.

Have the pricing model setting the prices so low that players won't even feel like spending money at all.

While the quests hubs could be in the $5 range all the rest should be under $1

Recommending a piece of gear @ $0.90, no more and  consumables $0.10-$0.15

You want players to feel spoiled. This way you'll get more money by having hundred of thousands people spending happily a few bucks than trying to milk players with the actual fees. Also think about the word of mouth you would get: free advertizing = more customers

For prices set at  $0.10, $0.90 people will hardly hesitate before buying stuff at all, in the end spending much more than with a more obvious rip-off system.

All in all think coke not Ferrari.

D.

The SWTOR freemium FTP option is horrible on purpose.

The FTP option is not horribly restrictive in an attempt to get new players to subscribe, it is to prevent subscribers from taking up the FTP option.

So why bother?

1) EA no longer has to report subscription numbers.

2) Oh look, a subscription game with a cash shop. Since EA can't get new subscribers, they hope to make more mone per subscriber via cash shop purchases; content, consumables, and vanity items. As the game looses more subscribers, the cash shop will seek to generate more revenue by offering "new exciting gear"; and the game will drift further and further into Pay To Win territory untill there is 1 US server and 1 European server with a thousand players on each spending $150 a month to play (what I used to do with Kener toys) Star Wars with each other till the plug gets pulled.

Or maybe something a little less doomsday, but not by much.

F2P = We are desperate for people to play our game.

Originally posted by tiefighter25

The SWTOR freemium FTP option is horrible on purpose.

The FTP option is not horribly restrictive in an attempt to get new players to subscribe, it is to prevent subscribers from taking up the FTP option.

So why bother?

1) EA no longer has to report subscription numbers.

2) Oh look, a subscription game with a cash shop. Since EA can't get new subscribers, they hope to make more mone per subscriber via cash shop purchases; content, consumables, and vanity items. As the game looses more subscribers, the cash shop will seek to generate more revenue by offering "new exciting gear"; and the game will drift further and further into Pay To Win territory untill there is 1 US server and 1 European server with a thousand players on each spending $150 a month to play (what I used to do with Kener toys) Star Wars with each other till the plug gets pulled.

 

Or maybe something a little less doomsday, but not by much.

Also so EA can get out of the LA/Disney clause because of a lack of popularity.

If the game fails then EA gets removed from obligations.  This game is losing money by the day (less than 500k subscribers), and EA wants out.  Make the F2P (Freemium) so abhorrant that many will play, few will pay.  Game goes in the red.

Deal with Lucas is ended.

EA needs a nice paper record of how they tried to make this game successful.  It will all be important in court hearings when they cut the cords on this game.

And look at how they tried.  They did try.  Whether or not everyone else knew it would fail is immaterial.

Side Note:  EA didn't add an extra hotbar because fans wanted it.  They added it because the media got involved, and they wanted to keep a good paper trail of responsiveness.

F2P is the model of the future - and always will be.

get it? get it ?

or better yet...P2P MMOs are on the edge of a cliff. F2P is always one step ahead.

Originally posted by Deewe

Let's start with the obvious:

 

The actual model for TOR F2P system is miss which hits a summit with making people pay for UI elements like quick slot bars.

 

Now here's how the model should have been designed:

• Provide all the tools needed to enjoy the content to the player for free.
• Have first steps of the story element free for all the classes.
• Do not restict players on basic choices (Ex: allow players to create only 2 characters but with any of the species for free).
• Set a very low fee for purchaseable item, consumables.
• Do not restrict some items to the random packs only

 

The main idea driving the system would be hook the players in game with all the bells and whistles and have them pay for convenience items, quests hubs and fluff like pets, new gear skins/meshes. For the PvP, Operations, space missions have them (eventually) unlock them by bracket levels with a one time purchase.

 

Make sure not to set the pricing too high and here's where the real trick kicks in.

Have the pricing model setting the prices so low that players won't even feel like spending money at all.

While the quests hubs could be in the $5 range all the rest should be under $1

Recommending a piece of gear @ $0.90, no more and  consumables $0.10-$0.15

 

You want players to feel spoiled. This way you'll get more money by having hundred of thousands people spending happily a few bucks than trying to milk players with the actual fees. Also think about the word of mouth you would get: free advertizing = more customers

For prices set at  $0.10, $0.90 people will hardly hesitate before buying stuff at all, in the end spending much more than with a more obvious rip-off system.

 

All in all think coke not Ferrari.

 

D.

 

i really dont see anything wrong with it .if they get pvp right than i am even ready to pay 20 dollars a month

Originally posted by lotaparty

i really dont see anything wrong with it .if they get pvp right than i am even ready to pay 20 dollars a month

People are ready to spend 15$ (even more) for a great game.

People werent ready to spend 15$ on SWTOR.

Since nothing changed in SWTOR people will still not spend money on SWTOR.

Them scamming people into buying UI elements will not make more people like and play the game. Quite opposite.

F2P is the worst thing that could ever happen to gaming. Less qualitity, less quantity....but hey, at least its free.

I will gladly pay for any game that deserves it. And SWTor deserved it for the first 4 months. F2P is like an acknowledgement of creating such a bad game, that noone will pay for it.

I had a god laugh when i saw the prices in CC.

Just for comparison:

LOTRO full expansion RoR: 40$ (you could get it this weekend in ingame store for 30$)

RIFT full expansion SL: 40$

SWTOR pack of few daily quests: 27$

ahahahahahahahahahhaah

Anyoe thinks they greately overrate their game?

Originally posted by Karteli

Originally posted by tiefighter25

The SWTOR freemium FTP option is horrible on purpose.

The FTP option is not horribly restrictive in an attempt to get new players to subscribe, it is to prevent subscribers from taking up the FTP option.

So why bother?

1) EA no longer has to report subscription numbers.

2) Oh look, a subscription game with a cash shop. Since EA can't get new subscribers, they hope to make more mone per subscriber via cash shop purchases; content, consumables, and vanity items. As the game looses more subscribers, the cash shop will seek to generate more revenue by offering "new exciting gear"; and the game will drift further and further into Pay To Win territory untill there is 1 US server and 1 European server with a thousand players on each spending $150 a month to play (what I used to do with Kener toys) Star Wars with each other till the plug gets pulled.

 

Or maybe something a little less doomsday, but not by much.

Also so EA can get out of the LA/Disney clause because of a lack of popularity.

 

If the game fails then EA gets removed from obligations.  This game is losing money by the day (less than 500k subscribers), and EA wants out.  Make the F2P (Freemium) so abhorrant that many will play, few will pay.  Game goes in the red.

 

Deal with Lucas is ended.

 

EA needs a nice paper record of how they tried to make this game successful.  It will all be important in court hearings when they cut the cords on this game.

 

And look at how they tried.  They did try.  Whether or not everyone else knew it would fail is immaterial.

 

Side Note:  EA didn't add an extra hotbar because fans wanted it.  They added it because the media got involved, and they wanted to keep a good paper trail of responsiveness.

Exactly what I said before.

To EA this game is already dead!  They want to get rid of it and burry it deep under the ground and try forget it ever happened.

Now, due to contract obligations and clausules they cannot just pull the plug, or they would have done so already last summer.

So, they have to find a way to make people quit and let the game die as fast as possible, so they can end the contract and shut the game down.

This whole F2P model reeks of a scheme like this. EA's attempt to accelerate this game's demise.

Originally posted by lucasdeis
ACTUALLY IT'S NOT TOO BAD, BECAUSE U CCAN BUY ALL THE THINGS (EVEN THE WEEKLY PASS OR ATFICANT UNLOCK.......) ON THE GTN

No probs then, when game goes live today ill just log in and buy everything i want on GTN.

---

Originally posted by lucasdeis
ACTUALLY IT'S NOT TOO BAD, BECAUSE U CCAN BUY ALL THE THINGS (EVEN THE WEEKLY PASS OR ATFICANT UNLOCK.......) ON THE GTN

---

Do they sell case filters?

Originally posted by mikahr

Originally posted by lucasdeis
ACTUALLY IT'S NOT TOO BAD, BECAUSE U CCAN BUY ALL THE THINGS (EVEN THE WEEKLY PASS OR ATFICANT UNLOCK.......) ON THE GTN

No probs then, when game goes live today ill just log in and buy everything i want on GTN.

I believe there is a 3 day cooldown or something when you buy something on the cartel to when you can sell it.

Also, we need more patting of each other on the back on how much you all hate this!

Originally posted by Enigmatus
What does that make games like TF2 (Yes, I know it's not an MMO, but that game seems to be doing just fine)?

That actually makes TF2 a shooter. I dont care for shooters, since they are quite a narrow and dumb type of game imho.

Originally posted by JeroKane

Originally posted by Karteli

Originally posted by tiefighter25

The SWTOR freemium FTP option is horrible on purpose.

The FTP option is not horribly restrictive in an attempt to get new players to subscribe, it is to prevent subscribers from taking up the FTP option.

So why bother?

1) EA no longer has to report subscription numbers.

2) Oh look, a subscription game with a cash shop. Since EA can't get new subscribers, they hope to make more mone per subscriber via cash shop purchases; content, consumables, and vanity items. As the game looses more subscribers, the cash shop will seek to generate more revenue by offering "new exciting gear"; and the game will drift further and further into Pay To Win territory untill there is 1 US server and 1 European server with a thousand players on each spending $150 a month to play (what I used to do with Kener toys) Star Wars with each other till the plug gets pulled.

 

Or maybe something a little less doomsday, but not by much.

Also so EA can get out of the LA/Disney clause because of a lack of popularity.

 

If the game fails then EA gets removed from obligations.  This game is losing money by the day (less than 500k subscribers), and EA wants out.  Make the F2P (Freemium) so abhorrant that many will play, few will pay.  Game goes in the red.

 

Deal with Lucas is ended.

 

EA needs a nice paper record of how they tried to make this game successful.  It will all be important in court hearings when they cut the cords on this game.

 

And look at how they tried.  They did try.  Whether or not everyone else knew it would fail is immaterial.

 

Side Note:  EA didn't add an extra hotbar because fans wanted it.  They added it because the media got involved, and they wanted to keep a good paper trail of responsiveness.

Exactly what I said before.

To EA this game is already dead!  They want to get rid of it and burry it deep under the ground and try forget it ever happened.

Now, due to contract obligations and clausules they cannot just pull the plug, or they would have done so already last summer.

So, they have to find a way to make people quit and let the game die as fast as possible, so they can end the contract and shut the game down.

This whole F2P model reeks of a scheme like this. EA's attempt to accelerate this game's demise.

Sounds crazy that a company would deliberately fail their game, but... the reasoning behind it does seem to have a certain amount of credence, i don't doubt that the game is hurting EA's bottom line, and they do have a history of closing down MMO's that didnt meet financial goals etc, so could this be a backdoor method of dumping the game and getting out of paying LA/Disney penalty fees.. .. maybe..  there is only one thing that is certain though, F2P mode will only drive the paying players away, not that there are that many left these days.

Originally posted by gwei1984

Originally posted by Enigmatus
What does that make games like TF2 (Yes, I know it's not an MMO, but that game seems to be doing just fine)?

That actually makes TF2 a shooter. I dont care for shooters, since they are quite a narrow and dumb type of game imho.

TF2 is a totally free game on steam, you can buy things if you want, mostly cosmetic, but it wouldnt make any difference if you didnt ever buy anything, TF2 also does not use up resources as the servers are usually private/public which can be rented etc from 3rd parties. There is no comparison between TF2 and SW;TOR, TF2 does not have persistent worlds etc, and doesnt require the owning company to maintain server farms of any kind, let alone bandwidth to support a playerbase.