What $15.00 a month *should* get you

[Ironcleaver]

Love how everyone has these rose colored glasses about previous games. Since when did EQ1 have a "steady stream of new content"? They once went a year without adding anything new. GMs that came to you and knew your "plight"? Maybe they knew your problem but they were not able to help with it.

 

I had a few dealings with GMs in EQ1 and always had a positive experiance with them. A few lost bodies, a few glitches where all my gear dissapeared off the character i was playing, while playing... good times and always corrected. A lot of poeple treat GMs like jerks, so why should they help someone thats treating them that way? :-/

 

And for the Content comment..... Sonys model is to release a expantion once a year.. they tried it a few times every six months but went back to about once a year... Far better then WoWs once every few years... heh..

 

EQ1:

The Ruins of Kunark (April 2000)

The Scars of Velious (December 2000)

The Shadows of Luclin (December 2001)

The Planes of Power (October 2002)

The Legacy of Ykesha (February 2003)

Lost Dungeons of Norrath (September 2003)

Gates of Discord (February 2004)

Omens of War (September 2004)

Dragons of Norrath (February 2005)

Depths of Darkhollow (September 2005)

Prophecy of Ro (February 2006)

The Serpent's Spine (September 2006)

The Buried Sea (February 2007)

Secrets of Faydwer (November 2007)

Seeds of Destruction (October 2008)

Underfoot (December 2009)

House of Thule (October 2010)

Veil of Alaris (November 2011)

 

WoW:

The Burning Crusade (first expansion)

Wrath of the Lich King (second expansion)

Cataclysm (third expansion)

Mists of Pandaria (fourth expansion)

 

EQ2:

The Bloodline Chronicles - March 2005 (Adventure Pack)

The Splitpaw Saga - June 2005 (Adventure Pack)

Desert of Flames - September 2005

Kingdom of Sky - February 2006

The Fallen Dynasty - June 2006 (Adventure Pack)

Echoes of Faydwer - November 2006

Rise of Kunark - November 2007

The Shadow Odyssey - November 2008

Sentinel's Fate - February 2010

Destiny of Velious - February 2011

Age of Discovery - December 2011

 

Blizzard Slacks... hehe..

 

[edit: added Eq2 to have a direct compare for WoW since they came out at the same time]

Edited May 24, 2012 by Ironcleaver

[Cherly]

So I'm blind because I'm not raging over the many issues this game has? I'm well aware of the many problems in game whether it's population, bugs and class imbalance. However, I still enjoy this game and I'll be here for a while patiently waiting on fixes as I play. If the game is a muck, I do not see why you are still around. It's easy to just unsubscribe and return at your leisure.

 

cost of box + sub did not equal the amount of "fun" found in the game, he has the right to be pissy as you have the right to say "Box+sub<fun found"

[Skidrowbro]

I recall my arcade days of playing Wonder Boy or Smash TV and spending way more than $15 in one day. $15 a month to play, not a problem but I have a job as well.

[Durasturan]

These days? SOE was the company (iirc) to bump it to $15 with Star Wars Galaxies launch ... in 2003. As the price of everything else seems to have gone up over the last 9 years I find it fairly incredible that MMOs haven't crept up another few dollars/mo.

 

TBH, I don't know which pricing model will win in the long term. Perhaps some studio will come along with the right type of microtransaction revenue stream that the majority will find agreeable. But, that certainly isn't this moment in time. I applaud companies like ArenaNet, even though I have zero interest in GW2, for working to deliver a polished game as some form of F2P (few if any are truly free as there will be something to generate an ongoing revenue stream OR little internal resources dedicated to ongoing development post launch.)

 

And I've seen your argument come up in pretty much every MMO I've played.

Consider WoW when it had only 10million subs. For the purposes of this example we'll assume everyone is paying the same $15/mo though via multi-month game cards the price is a buck or two lower I think and I've heard that some foreign countries (particularly some Asian ones) where the pricing structure works differently.

 

So 10m subs x $15 = $150m/mo

Now, let's say you cut that by $5 so you're charging $10/mo

10m subs x $10 = $100m/mo ... pretty simply math ... cut the monthly fee by 1/3 and your revenue goes down 1/3.

NOW, to make up that $50m loss in revenue you need to guarantee ...

$50m/$10 = 5m subs.

In other words they would have to gain half again as many as they have now.

 

Now then, Blizzard would likely have a harder sell with that logic than BioWare at the moment. For Blizzard to jump to 15m subs they would need to eclipse their highest sub levels ever (which would also be an industry record.) Likely hard to get execs to gamble on that happening.

 

With TOR, if you went by their 1.3m number they bandied about to the shareholders recently, it would mean they'd have to bump up to sustaining 1.925 just to break even on your proposal. With the plethora of problems people have complained about, I don't see how anyone would honestly think lowering the monthly sub by $5 is going to suddenly bring them back in droves. Perhaps once the glaring issues for many folks have been resolved that might be something to consider as part of the marketing shtick to get folks to come back and give it a try but, I honestly doubt you'll see it or if so, anytime soon.

 

I know you mention the fact that Asian countries etc pay at a different rate, but your subscription revenue numbers are WAY off according to Blizzard's most recent financials. Over a 3 month period the entire company earned $298mil from subs, server transfers, and other paid services the company offers, so that's well below $100mil/mo for subs. WoW does not make anywhere near $150mil a month in subs.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Durasturan

[Driveinns]

They didn't make a game for entertainment purposes so that players can have fun? Then maybe, just maybe they are in the wrong business? Because that's exactly what you're supposed to do with making video games, ensure your players have fun. If they aren't, your customers aren't entitled, you're not doing your damn job right. And saying that we should just give then money hand over fist because they made a sub par product and give us the Privelage of playing it, Is being entitled as a company. You are beholden to your consumers and fans. The Video game Industry is literally the only industry that can get away with calling it's life's blood entitled. and is a symptom of the entitlement of corporations all over the place acting like we owe them our money just because they're a corporation.

 

Look at the state of this game and tell me I'm wrong, I Dare you

 

You're wrong. This is a great game. Just because you don't like it, does not mean others will share YOUR view of it. I love it and I will keep playing it for as long as I like. End of.

 

This is just a big whinge thread where a bunch of people who are upset by their own insignificant 'issues' or problems, that they try to sway others about how bad everything is. Well to be honest, people that enjoy it are PLAYING it, not lurking on here having a sook about stuff that they are addressing and working on, as they COMMUNICATED just recently.

 

I really feel most of the time when I read these base-less, fact-less threads that most are just upset with the fact that their small and particular problem hasn't been fixed or addressed overnight. It's an MMO, they take time to implement things, as my example I show you Wow. They have been doing it for a long time, and the issues being spouted would take them as long, if not longer to address.

 

/Thread.

[theskurGe]

For a monthly MMO subscription, I expect an MMOG. A game with other players in it, many other players. Some would even call the amount of other players Massive.

 

This game currently doesn't deliver that.

 

I can live withouthte LFG Tool and other modern MMO features, they can always be added in later.

Content can be created.

 

But there's no point playing an MMORPG that has no other players.

Edited May 24, 2012 by theskurGe

[Apocalypsezero]

The monthly fee is for access to game servers, and even then not 24/7.

[Galbatorrix]

For a monthly MMO subscription, I expect an MMOG. A game with other players in it, many other players. Some would even call the amount of other players Massive.

 

MY SERVER currently doesn't deliver that.

 

I can live withouthte LFG Tool and other modern MMO features, they can always be added in later.

Content can be created.

 

But there's no point playing an MMORPG that has no other players.

 

 

Fixed that for you. The game itself, if you play on a good server, has tons of players running around.

[Auliga]

$15 /month is pretty cheap entertainment for 1 month, considering the time spent in game.

[Galbatorrix]

$15 /month is pretty cheap entertainment for 1 month, considering the time spent in game.

 

 

Heck and even if the people on this board never log in any more at all, they definitely get their $.50 a day's worth posting their.... opinions..... on the board.

 

 

Without that $.50 a day, they could never bash the game here again!

Edited May 24, 2012 by Galbatorrix

[Kthx]

$15 /month is pretty cheap entertainment for 1 month, considering the time spent in game.

 

I would gladly pay $25. The only concern is that my wife also has an account, which would mean $50/month from the household budget.

[DarthOvertone]

During my lunch break, I simply want to be able to do one or two WZs on my Pub main. Not asking much, but with only an average of 8-10 peeps in Fleet and 40 players logged Pub, this is not happening. I don't know how long the queues are now because after waiting 15+ minutes, I log off and don't wait anymore.

 

This wasn't an impossibility during EGA. This also wasn't difficult to pull off pre-1.2. Since 1.2, however, it's become increasingly more difficult, and currently cannot be done.

 

$15 is a pittance to me and I don't really care about the money. I just want to be able to play the game the way I enjoy playing it. If I unsub, it won't be because this game costs $15. It will be because I need to send a message to BW/EA, and only $$$ talks to them.

Edited May 24, 2012 by DarthOvertone

[Galbatorrix]

During my lunch break, I simply want to be able to do one or two WZs on my Pub main. Not asking much, but with only an average of 8-10 peeps in Fleet and 40 players logged Pub, this is not happening. I don't know how long the queues are now because after waiting 15+ minutes, I log off and don't wait anymore.

 

This wasn't an impossibility during EGA. This also wasn't difficult to pull off pre-1.2. Since 1.2, however, it's become increasingly more difficult, and currently cannot be done.

 

$15 is a pittance to me and I don't really care about the money. I just want to be able to play the game the way I enjoy playing it. If I unsub, it won't be because this game costs $15. It will be because I need to send a message to BW/EA, and only $$$ talks to them.

 

 

No offense to you personally, but I just don't get posts like this. You obviously enjoy the game. You wouldn't be spending your lunch break trying to play it if you didn't. You also enjoy PVP. Well, I realize rerolling seems daunting, but The Fatman is a PVP server, they get 200+ on fleet and you could play the game exactly how you want to play it. Yes, you'd have to build up a new character from scratch, but you would also be having way more fun than you're currently having with your main.

[ThiborF]

I know you mention the fact that Asian countries etc pay at a different rate, but your subscription revenue numbers are WAY off according to Blizzard's most recent financials. Over a 3 month period the entire company earned $298mil from subs, server transfers, and other paid services the company offers, so that's well below $100mil/mo for subs. WoW does not make anywhere near $150mil a month in subs.

 

I never said they did. I did say ...

" For the purposes of this example we'll assume everyone is paying the same $15/mo though ..."

and then went on to explain of at least two cases where people were not paying $15/mo.

 

In other words for the purposes of easy math to highlight a point, I made a generalization and stated as much as I was doing so.

 

The point being if you cut your individual sub cost/mo to the end user by one third, regardless of what they're currently paying (ie. if they were only paying $6/mo in mainland China and you cut it to $4), you would still need to guarantee gaining half again as many subs at that price point to bring in the same amount of revenue as before.

 

And that's regardless if it's WoW with however many millions of subs they have now, TOR with it's stated to the shareholders 1.3m or EVE's 250k (or whatever number they're boasting now.) Cutting end user charge by 1/3 = needing to gain half again as many end users to just equal the same revenue. And most won't make that gamble to end up with just the same.

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

$15 should get me a game I enjoy playing. That is why I continue to subscribe!

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

For a monthly MMO subscription, I expect an MMOG. A game with other players in it, many other players. Some would even call the amount of other players Massive.

 

This game currently doesn't deliver that.

 

I can live withouthte LFG Tool and other modern MMO features, they can always be added in later.

Content can be created.

 

But there's no point playing an MMORPG that has no other players.

The game DOES deliver that, the problem is that your server DOES NOT...

 

If, like me, you played on a populated server then you would find that your issues would go away.

[DevonDs]

The game is a muck if you cant see that, well lets just say your not seeing things clearly.

 

OR as is so often the case, seeing things differently.....I enjoy this game, that doesn't mean I am wrong or don't see things clearly....it means we disagree about something that is very subjective....and your lack of ability to see that people can like things you don't is in my opinion an example of you not seeing things clearly, but seeing them from a perspective where only agreeing with you is correct.

[Kalfear]

$15.00/month should get you a complete package imo!

 

Access to game

 

Timely fixes and content updates (smaller ones, not full on expansion types)

 

Access to the company where you can voice your opinions and expect them (if community supported or just plain sense) delivered to the developers for appraisal

 

FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE 24/7/365 (that web and 1-800 phone and with enough staff that its not a 30 minute + wait)

 

PRIVATE Server message boards (we still do not have this btw)

 

Enough staff to enforce naming rules on RP servers (this also not in place)

 

And mostly just transparency from the developer so you know whats in the pipe line, whats the long term agendas and goals, what their vision is of the future for the game. (Honestly I dont mind waiting for some stuff, I just want to know its in the plans and a ball park of its importance in the grand scheme of things)

 

Case in point, my account is cancelled, ive filled out the exit poll and feedback (as its the only feedback I currently think even gets looked at by the devs), my account will not reup when its time runs out! But all they got to do is give me a ball park figure for when Paazaak, Swoop racing, cantina pit fighting will be added to game, and ill reup if I like the answer. Thats all it would take.

 

But so far EAoware wants to hold the info in private and not fill us in on content I truely feel is iconic to KotOR/TOR and should have been in before launch.

 

Im not reupping unless some transparency is added to the equation because I simply do not trust EAoware anymore to do what I feel is important in a timely fashion or priority! Others will have their own lists and thats for them to decide. This is my "straw that broke the back", this is my "line in sand".

 

EAoware needs to be transparent to their stock holders but think their customers dont deserve the same level of respect and proffessionalism. I disagree!

 

PS: Im not talk hard target dates either! Im talk very wide (lets say 3 month windows) ballparks on the items.

TRANSPARENCY!

[FearghalC]

I think if we give BW enough time they will pull it together. The game hasn't even been out for a year yet ,other MMOs took years to get to a good standard and everyone is just used to having such a high standard because of the other games that have been developed for years.

 

Give BW a chance to fix it... this game could easily beat other MMOs hands down if BW have enough time.

 

We need more communication, the developers should be on the forums talking to us about what we want instead of keeping everything a big secret... which then turns out to be something huge! (which nobody wants).

 

We need patience and communication!

[Nyoro]

"What $15.00 a month *should* get you"

 

A shiny new car, a gorgeous blonde and a game that you enjoy. Alas it doesn't, the dollar doesn't go as far these days.

[Gungan]

The game DOES deliver that, the problem is that your server DOES NOT...

 

If, like me, you played on a populated server then you would find that your issues would go away.

 

Technically, the game does not deliver that because getting more than about 100 people in one zone spawns a new instance.

[patchew]

for 15 euro per month, i would expect a bit of a laugh, not too serious gameplay and some more giggles. thats what i get here, hence subbing.

[Asturias]

While we all go down with the ship here, I would like to ask what peeps here think their $15.00 should get them in an MMO (with regard to service/design etc).

 

I remember the first "Monthly fee" I paid was to Verant Interactive for Everquest. What did I get for my cash? well a full time GM staff, live events, someone I could talk to "in-game" who understood my plight directly (not some call center). I also got a continuous stream of content, that while I still paid extra for, was top notch in both design and implementation (which leads me to believe that my $$$ was being reinvested into the game and not profit).

Second game I paid monthly for was WoW up until WOTLK. Again, my money seemed to go to maintaining servers and a full time staff of GM's who understood and played the game.

I don't get the feeling GM's are playing SWTOR which is why it is in such bad shape atm, and I think this is all a result of early launch, budget, etc.

 

You want my $15.00 back, you gotta provide something more than "ideas" I pay for "maintenance" and "staff" not for EA to line its pockets and get richer. Seriously, if someone that was getting paid to play this game by BW, they would of sounded the alarm back in September 2011.

 

You sir are smoking crack on the spin factor wheel. Sony/Verant sucked and it took forever for EQ to release its first content patch/expansion/update. People played that game because it was one of the first and only MMO out at the time. You couldn't level in that game beyond 20 with out having a solid guild and friends to play. There where no BGs, live events, GMs and the world PvP sucked because you could only fight players that were 8 levels below or above you. I know because I played on Tallon Zek server one of the only three PvP server they had.

 

So don't come here trying to compare the two because TOR blows EQ out of the water by a long shot as well as the majority of the Genre/MMOs out today.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Asturias

[GalacticKegger]

for 15 euro per month, i would expect a bit of a laugh, not too serious gameplay and some more giggles. thats what i get here, hence subbing.

On the other end are folks who want a free laptop to play on, a tropical beachfront hamlet to play from, a wireless T1 to play through, and every feature they've ever liked from every other MMO they've ever played ... plus everything they ever wanted that those other MMOs don't provide. And they want it yesterday. Edited May 25, 2012 by GalacticKegger

[Mistress_Ivi]

I expect servers that work. Tickets can take 2 days+ to be answered for all I care. I have alts, I can wait.

 

I expect any server, that is running 24/7, to be playable at all times.

 

I play on the PTS, I'm not even getting $1.50 worth of gameplay back as it stands.