Matt Brobmerg interview on free-to-play

[Soluss]

It doesn't necessarily make sense to us since we're probably somewhat more rational about our purchases, but there's a huge new market of gamers out there who won't pay for subscriptions but will spend huge amounts in cash shops. Farmville is one of the most popular games in the world and people spend stupid amounts of money in their cash shop. League of Legends subsists entirely on their cash shop. A game in the same genre, MMOs, called GW2 just released within the last week that intends to make lots of money off the cash shop, all the while not having a subscription.

 

Does their daily spending practice in video games make sense to me? No, so I can understand why you find the survey answers hard to believe. That doesn't change that these extreme impulse buyers are the new generation of gamers, the Facebook generation of gamers as it were.

 

There were initially 1.7 million people that subscribed. There were 1.4 million people that subscribed multiple months. This is enough proof to show that people are willing to subscribe, if the game is worth it.

[Lord_of_Mu]

There were initially 1.7 million people that subscribed. There were 1.4 million people that subscribed multiple months. This is enough proof to show that people are willing to subscribe, if the game is worth it.

 

And we have a winner!

[MbaxterBeau]

He didn't promise an update once a month.

 

Well, Star Wars: The Old Republic is already out so I wont plug the gameplay because I am sure everyone already knows what that is. For 2012 we really want players to, going back to the subscription model, feel like they're getting their money's worth. So the scope of our game updates in 2012 is going to be unimaginable. You're going to see so many changes and additions to the Star Wars Universe, it's going to be impressive. We have our Update 1.2 coming in the next week and then after that it's going to continue to roll out month after month. It's exciting.

 

There's the text. Standard PR answer. The word "it" is a vague pronoun to use there, but nowhere is it explicitly stated that Bioware would be releasing new content every month. In fact, the word "continue" implies that his words simply refer to patches being rolled out at the current rate.

 

Yep we got patches with no content rolled out that had bugs so then we sometimes had a second patch every week to fix the bugs caused by the patch without content but as Ohlen said "it's exciting". I mean who wouldn't want to pay for that?

[Iliac]

The problem I have with this whole move to F2P is that they are misinterpreting what the people that are canceling are saying. EA/Bioware is stating that the exit surveys are showing that the players are partially canceling due to the monthly fee. EA/Bioware is interpreting this as the monthly fee being too high. This is not the problem. It is the lack of updates that we are receiving for the amount that we are paying. If they actually had the ability to push the updates out then the monthly fee would not be a problem.

[Groncho]

I hope they charge my monthly suscription the same way they "roll" the monthly updates

I might be wrong

[FourTwent]

The problem I have with this whole move to F2P is that they are misinterpreting what the people that are canceling are saying. EA/Bioware is stating that the exit surveys are showing that the players are partially canceling due to the monthly fee. EA/Bioware is interpreting this as the monthly fee being too high. This is not the problem. It is the lack of updates that we are receiving for the amount that we are paying. If they actually had the ability to push the updates out then the monthly fee would not be a problem.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

quoting to get this post more exposure. This is really whats going on. at first no one was going to pay a monthly sub for no end game content.

 

then more people quit because they weren't getting the content updates as promised and that wasn't worth the monthly sub

 

 

I hope they charge my monthly suscription the same way they "roll" the monthly updates

I might be wrong

 

 

xD zing!

Edited September 1, 2012 by FourTwent

[randalthorr]

The problem I have with this whole move to F2P is that they are misinterpreting what the people that are canceling are saying. EA/Bioware is stating that the exit surveys are showing that the players are partially canceling due to the monthly fee. EA/Bioware is interpreting this as the monthly fee being too high. This is not the problem. It is the lack of updates that we are receiving for the amount that we are paying. If they actually had the ability to push the updates out then the monthly fee would not be a problem.

 

 

They know this. Bioware of before would never have said absolute BS like that to players. Now that it is Eaware, we get cart fulls of the most vile stinking BS such as their stated reasons for f2p.

[Styxx]

He didn't promise an update once a month.

 

He actually did. Well, not a signed paper and made official with an official stamp of approval, but he DID say it.

http://www.darthhater.com/articles/swtor-news/20063-star-wars-the-old-republic-patch-1-2-starts-to?page=5

 

Well, Star Wars: The Old Republic is already out, so I won't plug the gameplay because I am sure everyone already knows what that is. For 2012 we really want players to, going back to the subscription model, feel like they're getting their money's worth. So the scope of our game updates in 2012 is going to be unimaginable. You're going to see so many changes and additions to the Star Wars Universe. It's going to be impressive. We have our Update 1.2 coming in the next week and then after that it's going to continue to roll out month after month. It's exciting.

[Styxx]

The problem I have with this whole move to F2P is that they are misinterpreting what the people that are canceling are saying. EA/Bioware is stating that the exit surveys are showing that the players are partially canceling due to the monthly fee. EA/Bioware is interpreting this as the monthly fee being too high. This is not the problem. It is the lack of updates that we are receiving for the amount that we are paying. If they actually had the ability to push the updates out then the monthly fee would not be a problem.

 

I think the answer is simpler and more cynical: It is the best excuse they can come up with to move to F2P, having failed twice: first, to get share of WOW`s market, then secondly, to keep players. Lacking a cancel poll, I bet they would have simply said it as Mr. Bromberg ("We looked at where the market opportunity was, and it seemed clear to us that a game as big and broad as Star Wars was well suited for the free-to-play model.")

[Fornix]

YOU!!!!

 

Lemme ask...are you happy the game is going F2P, or are you happy with the game?! It sounds more to me like you're simply happy with the game. That's not what he's saying...he's saying subscribers are happy about the game going F2P...not with the game.

 

I for one am happy with the game, and am happy to see it's going to a B2P / F2P model as I believe and have believed for years that such a freemium model is the way to go in MMO gaming.

 

However, it's the hardcore P2P support group which has kept hammering on developers not to do so, whilst they were in reality just a very, very vocal minority. That group has now shown that however they are vocal, they're definitely not loyal to a product. And hence BioWare has no reason left not to make the swap and embrace the freemium model.

 

To be put very bluntly, it's time for the P2P only whiners to crawl off into a deep dark pit and never come out of it anymore. Times and business models are changing. The freemium model is what's going to allow us to have access to not just 1 or 2 endgame raids but to 20 or 30 endgame raids by our picking. It's what's going to allow us to place little chunks of our wealth into aspects of games we deem worthy.

 

We're no longer writing monthly blank checks to MMO developers. No, we can actually let our money speak for us. If we are happy with a certain aspect of a game, such as creating alts, we can show that by placing down extra money for additional character slots. If we are happy with raiding, we can choose to unlock that additional raid. And as long as we're overall happy? We can choose simply to pay that monthly fee and get the majority of access included.

 

Meanwhile we can still raid in MMO A, B, C, D and E during every night of the week if we'd choose to do so, with one-time unlocking fees rather than paying 75 bucks on subscriptions for games of which 90% of the content you aren't interested in, nor playing.

 

 

To put it short, yes I'm happy with the game now and f2p move, and looked forward to the day since prior to launch already. It's a good move by the reps at EA, which makes much more sense than another P2P title in an already not just saturated, but shrinking subscriber market.

[Kubernetic]

Will you feel the same if they decided to go next year?

 

Yes, I will, if the expected audience and press coverage is to be about the same.

 

And from what I understand, Celebration expos only come every two years. So there won't be another one until 2014.

[Kubernetic]

Have you seen the thread "Unsubscribers please tell us a few things"? None of those posts say "I left because I cant afford 15 bucks"

 

Its called common sense.

 

Perfect example. More than a million people cancelled their subscriptions, and you show me a thread that has 370 posts in it.

 

That's called a 0.00037% sample size, and is obviously not scientific, since those using the forums are usually more of the expert users of the game.

 

Their questionnaire on cancellation, on the other hand, is applied to everyone who cancels. I'm betting they got a lot more than 370 responses on that questionnaire. And they say that 40% of those had concerns about the subscription fee.

 

I'll believe their 40% number more easily until some one shows me some serious data to the contrary.

[Blackardin]

We did a lot of research and found that people who gave it a try but left found the subscription to be the biggest barrier.

 

There were three scientist with a frog. They cut off one leg and said "jump". The frog jumped. They cut off two, the frog jumped. They cut off all four and said "jump", the frog did not jump. They concluded that a frog with no legs cannot hear.

 

 

Look. I'm as big a fan of this game as anyone, but this is just blind. The complaints from people were not centered around subscription cost, but subscription cost vs. value received. Now personally, I disagree with that as I understand that the "polish" that many want right out of the box comes with time in any MMORPG.

 

That being said, if they can't see that sub costs are a peripheral issue and not at all a main concern then they are simply kidding themselves or pointing at a facade in a board meeting so as to have something other then (its the game) to tell their unreasonable, demanding boss when he insists on solutions rather then wanting to listen to what the problems are first. Everyone else, fearing for their jobs, gets roped right into it and off we go. I've seen this very thing happen at management meetings.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Blackardin

[FourTwent]

Everyone else, fearing for their jobs, gets roped right into it and off we go.

 

This is what's going on. Everyone's just nodding and agreeing. Nothing more

 

The sad thing is that some of these developers are previously from WAR as well. With two massive failures under their belts, it's gonna be really hard for them to find another job. . .or at least get paid a decent salary because of it

Edited September 1, 2012 by FourTwent

[jarjarloves]

YOU!!!!

 

Lemme ask...are you happy the game is going F2P, or are you happy with the game?! It sounds more to me like you're simply happy with the game. That's not what he's saying...he's saying subscribers are happy about the game going F2P...not with the game.

no you are missreading what he said in the interview he says

 

So our subscribers are going to be advantaged in this world, and from the feedback we've got from our subscribers they seem to be happy with it.

 

if you actually read it he is saying that SUBSCRIBERS are going to have an ADVANTAGE over NON SUBSCRIBERS and the SUBSCRIBERS ARE HAPPY WITH THAT

 

Basic reading comprehension skills help

[jarjarloves]

We seem happy?! Who's giving them this feedback? It's one of you reading this because he specifically says subscribers.

 

And Matt...1 thing every 6 weeks is most certainly NOT "very frequent".

 

Thank you for the link...but Matt sounds clueless from what I read.

 

can you name a single MMO that has content released faster then 6 weeks?

 

It took WoW what 10 months since the last content patch? Their average is 5-6 months.

 

Rift averages 2-3 months between content patches.

[Skoobie]

can you name a single MMO that has content released faster then 6 weeks?

 

It took WoW what 10 months since the last content patch? Their average is 5-6 months.

 

Rift averages 2-3 months between content patches.

 

DDO had content updates on a monthly basis when the game launched.

 

Grant it, that only lasted 5 or 6 months.

 

Bioware hasn't delivered on the 6 weeks talk yet, either. And we haven't seen what these updates will consist of. IMO, it's a bit premature to compare the upcoming SWTOR updates with other games.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Skoobie

[Gruug]

The problem I have with this whole move to F2P is that they are misinterpreting what the people that are canceling are saying. EA/Bioware is stating that the exit surveys are showing that the players are partially canceling due to the monthly fee. EA/Bioware is interpreting this as the monthly fee being too high. This is not the problem. It is the lack of updates that we are receiving for the amount that we are paying. If they actually had the ability to push the updates out then the monthly fee would not be a problem.

 

So-called "f2p" is not here....yet. So, those cancellng can not YET blame the so-called f2p as the reason they are leaving. I do think that move towards so-called f2p is what we are seeing now. They are holding off updates so that when they do launch so-called f2p it looks like a great deal was spawned because of it...when in fact it was just the delayed stuff. It has already been stated that "updates" will be coming about every 6 weeks. I take that to mean that the $15 sub will pay for 4 weeks of that update and the rest applied to pay for the freeloaders...you know, the ones that get to play the game for "free".

 

Just as a side note, I just read that Pargon Studios is being shutdown along with City of Heroes MMO. Wasn't that a converted to so-called "f2p" model some time ago? I thought so-called "f2p" was the savior of MMO's. How can any MMO fail if it is so-called "f2p"? Point is, it still can because contrary to popular belief they still need money to run the game and "money" and "free" just do not mix.

[Vandicus]

 

Just as a side note, I just read that Pargon Studios is being shutdown along with City of Heroes MMO. Wasn't that a converted to so-called "f2p" model some time ago? I thought so-called "f2p" was the savior of MMO's. How can any MMO fail if it is so-called "f2p"? Point is, it still can because contrary to popular belief they still need money to run the game and "money" and "free" just do not mix.

 

No Free 2 Play MMO is ever free. In fact they usually cost more than subscription MMOs. A business model will not necessarily save an insufficiently popular MMO and one that has been so completely broken as CoH. Some MMOs, DDO and LOTRO, do well with it, some like STO who took the P2win model of F2p are not so well off, but they're hanging on.

[Neoforcer]

YOU!!!!

 

Lemme ask...are you happy the game is going F2P, or are you happy with the game?! It sounds more to me like you're simply happy with the game. That's not what he's saying...he's saying subscribers are happy about the game going F2P...not with the game.

 

I am happy with both f2p and the game i must be the weird one. Because having more people playing even if there free player is a good thing to get more people playing.

[NinjaApacHe]

I love the confidence he exudes, second page :

 

Ahahahah, true. It seems he does not even know what the hell is he doing here!!!!!

[jarjarloves]

DDO had content updates on a monthly basis when the game launched.

 

Grant it, that only lasted 5 or 6 months.

 

Bioware hasn't delivered on the 6 weeks talk yet, either. And we haven't seen what these updates will consist of. IMO, it's a bit premature to compare the upcoming SWTOR updates with other games.

 

yeah DDO did when it launched but those where small updates it would be like adding a new 4 man heroic every month.

 

They told us though the updates every 6 weeks wouldn't happen till it goes F2P.

[Folky]

Like many people have said that fact that they attribute such an enormous loss of players to their subscription mode shows they don't know what they're talking about. You lose players not because of your pricing model but because players are no longer having fun in your game and don't see a reason to keep subscribing.

[jarjarloves]

Like many people have said that fact that they attribute such an enormous loss of players to their subscription mode shows they don't know what they're talking about. You lose players not because of your pricing model but because players are no longer having fun in your game and don't see a reason to keep subscribing.

 

they are not saying they lost people because of the subscription model they said that the people who left said they would come back if there was no subscription

 

see the difference.

[Skoobie]

they are not saying they lost people because of the subscription model they said that the people who left said they would come back if there was no subscription

 

see the difference.

 

They said both:

 

"The message from players exiting the game is clear, 40% say they were turned off by the monthly subscription and many indicate they would come back if we offered a free-to-play model."