The consequences of 2.1 for BioWare/EA: my predictions

[SW_display_name]

There is a lot of indignation and frustration on the forums right now about the way 2.1 has been handled. I predict all these angry customers will translate to the following repercussions for BioWare / EA:

• Subscriptions will continue to increase
  
• F2P / Preferred accounts will continue to increase
  
• Subscribers will buy and spend more Cartel Coins than ever
  
• F2P / Preferred will buy and spend more Cartel Coins than ever
  
• Subscribers will forget they were ever promised "free" anything in 2.1 and spend Coins liberally on all those features, because they don't want to wait
  
• SWTOR will lose approximately 100 accounts to angry subscribers making a "stand" ; 75 will return within 1 patch cycle
  
• BioWare / EA will make an enormous amount of profit just from purchases during 2.1's release day and will see neon-green positive numbers relative to development time from here out
  

 

In response to these repercussions, BioWare / EA will allay customer concerns by:

• Producing more Cartel-only content in significantly larger quantities than ever before relative to "free" content
  
• Continuing to make lots of money through these decisions
  
• Give themselves a Christmas bonus and buy a personal company jetliner to take periodic vacations to the Bahamas, where scantily-clad men and women in Imperial Dancer Outfits will cover them in oil made of liquified Cartel Coins
  

 

As much as I would like to day-dream that this is a bad idea and they'll regret it, the reality is: they won't. This is a new, successful business model. Subscriptions are not.

 

And the era of game developers being a group of 5 friends out to simply make something fun, and happy if they turn enough profit to pay their salaries / investors / development costs — long dead. Gaming is primarily the domain of dedicated corporations now, and it's not simply about being "fun", it's about making as much money as possible. Like most corporate products.

 

Perhaps it's wiser to simply be realistic about this, accept it's not going to change, and understand that BioWare has a planned "Poodoo-Storm Preparation Day" before updates like this where they tell the Community Team to basically grab an iced rum with little umbrella and enjoy the fireworks until people get tired of yelling, log in, and buy their Cathar unlock and Legacy name change.

[Draekos]

And the era of game developers being a group of 5 friends out to simply make something fun, and happy if they turn enough profit to pay their salaries / investors / development costs — long dead. Gaming is primarily the domain of dedicated corporations now, and it's not simply about being "fun", it's about making as much money as possible. Like most corporate products.

 

With the big publishers this is the nature of the business. Take a look at the movie industry, they follow the same model. That said you might want to check out Kickstarter and support some of those groups of friends trying to make games in today's environment.

[Andryah]

That said you might want to check out Kickstarter and support some of those groups of friends trying to make games in today's environment.

 

Kickstarter.. where good ideas go to die and players get fleeced of real dollars on the promise of special perks in an MMO that will never see the light of day.

 

it would be nice if it was not true.. but when you see people like Mark Jacobs using Kickstarter to launch DAoC2 you begin to doubt the model.

 

/2-cents

Edited May 15, 2013 by Andryah

[annabethchase]

All of that is true. The only huge caveat is content to actually spend time in game is also necessary. This content patch here was fun for today but you also have to be creating stuff to do in game that we'll keep logging in for.

 

It's about time for patch 2.2 minigames, not to mention more FP's, WZ's and OP's.

[Draekos]

Kickstarter.. where good ideas go to die and players get fleeced of real dollars on the promise of special perks in an MMO that will never see the light of day.

 

it would be nice if it was not true.. but when you see people like Mark Jacobs using Kickstarter to launch DAoC2 you begin to doubt the model.

 

/2-cents

 

Every industry has good and bad. I wouldnt touch Mark Jacobs Kickstarter, but Torment, Wasteland 2, and Project Eternity look great. Star Citizen is another that wouldnt see the light of day under the current Publishers. Only time will tell, but I dont feel like I wasted my money(small donations really).

[ZahirS]

As long as there is 1 idiot paying 80 dollars for CC, or people spending CC without requesting quality, this is what happens.

 

I will unsub if the next patch has "any new content" you have to pay with CC.

 

Cartel Market is a rippoff

[CosmicKat]

Kickstarter.. where good ideas go to die and players get fleeced of real dollars on the promise of special perks in an MMO that will never see the light of day.

 

it would be nice if it was not true.. but when you see people like Mark Jacobs using Kickstarter to launch DAoC2 you begin to doubt the model.

 

/2-cents

 

Gosh. An anti-independent post from Capt. Corporate. What a shock.

[Arkerus]

With the big publishers this is the nature of the business. Take a look at the movie industry, they follow the same model. That said you might want to check out Kickstarter and support some of those groups of friends trying to make games in today's environment.

 

I love kick starter as much as the next guy but its not some magical virgin womb where perfect games are born unto the world, blessed be their soul.

Edited May 15, 2013 by Arkerus

[Draekos]

I love kick starter as much as the next guy but its not some magical virgin womb where perfect games are born unto the world, blessed be their soul.

 

Nope, but its another angle for bringing out games which I am happy to support. I miss quite a few types of games that the big publishers wont touch and support people trying to bring them back.

[Rantank]

While your predictions may indeed turn out to be correct in the short term, I think things will be very different in the long term. People don't forget things like this and will continue to take part in it only in the absence of something else. The way EA are treating us here, engenders no loyalty whatsoever. That makes their entire player base, both subs and F2P, very likely to up and leave at the first sign of something shiny somewhere else.

 

EA know this, so they will be milking this Cartel Coin stuff for as much as they can and then be quite happy to move the model to something new, and let this game fold. That is the problem I see with their attitude towards us with this move. Its the attitude of short term profits over long term goals, and thats something that works out very well for the big players, but not so much for us.

[Sziroten]

You can't beat the broad customer base which doesn't seem to have any problems with buying random dye kits... any reasonable complain is killed by "ourselves" and proves Gary "the CM owns you" Butler right in every decision he makes. You just can't argue against stupidity of people, this update is like dropping into a warzone with 7 never before played and undergeared pvp people.

[Kubernetic]

There is a lot of indignation and frustration on the forums right now about the way 2.1 has been handled. I predict all these angry customers will translate to the following repercussions for BioWare / EA:

• Subscriptions will continue to increase
  
• F2P / Preferred accounts will continue to increase
  
• Subscribers will buy and spend more Cartel Coins than ever
  
• F2P / Preferred will buy and spend more Cartel Coins than ever
  
• Subscribers will forget they were ever promised "free" anything in 2.1 and spend Coins liberally on all those features, because they don't want to wait
  
• SWTOR will lose approximately 100 accounts to angry subscribers making a "stand" ; 75 will return within 1 patch cycle
  
• BioWare / EA will make an enormous amount of profit just from purchases during 2.1's release day and will see neon-green positive numbers relative to development time from here out
  

 

In response to these repercussions, BioWare / EA will allay customer concerns by:

• Producing more Cartel-only content in significantly larger quantities than ever before relative to "free" content
  
• Continuing to make lots of money through these decisions
  
• Give themselves a Christmas bonus and buy a personal company jetliner to take periodic vacations to the Bahamas, where scantily-clad men and women in Imperial Dancer Outfits will cover them in oil made of liquified Cartel Coins
  

 

As much as I would like to day-dream that this is a bad idea and they'll regret it, the reality is: they won't. This is a new, successful business model. Subscriptions are not.

 

And the era of game developers being a group of 5 friends out to simply make something fun, and happy if they turn enough profit to pay their salaries / investors / development costs — long dead. Gaming is primarily the domain of dedicated corporations now, and it's not simply about being "fun", it's about making as much money as possible. Like most corporate products.

 

Perhaps it's wiser to simply be realistic about this, accept it's not going to change, and understand that BioWare has a planned "Poodoo-Storm Preparation Day" before updates like this where they tell the Community Team to basically grab an iced rum with little umbrella and enjoy the fireworks until people get tired of yelling, log in, and buy their Cathar unlock and Legacy name change.

 

I'll be one of the 25 standing proud. I wish them well in their "new, successful business model."

 

I honestly have more fun going back and replaying GTA4 or even reading the forums for a new game that won't even LAUNCH for another year or two than I do being in this game at the moment.

 

It had such promise... such potential. I remember how awesome it felt to be playing it back during the Thanksgiving beta days, and when I finally got access during Early Access in December 2011.

 

Now it just feels like a twisted joke.

 

I'm almost shocked that I didn't have to pay Cartel Coins to access the subscription cancellation page.

[turjake]

I'll be one of the 25 standing proud. I wish them well in their "new, successful business model."

 

I honestly have more fun going back and replaying GTA4 or even reading the forums for a new game that won't even LAUNCH for another year or two than I do being in this game at the moment.

 

It had such promise... such potential. I remember how awesome it felt to be playing it back during the Thanksgiving beta days, and when I finally got access during Early Access in December 2011.

 

Now it just feels like a twisted joke.

 

I'm almost shocked that I didn't have to pay Cartel Coins to access the subscription cancellation page.

 

Are you guys using some kind of template when you complain about this game?

 

Anyway if I were that bitter, I would have left long ago.

[Kubernetic]

Are you guys using some kind of template when you complain about this game?

 

Anyway if I were that bitter, I would have left long ago.

 

I no longer get any enjoyment out of logging into the game. I logged in today just to check the patch out, and realized there was really nothing left for me.

 

Forgive me while I use the remainder of the $15 I paid for this month to play the forums instead.

 

For giggles, no, I type these out manually every time. At 140 words per minute, it's a great return on investment.

 

I have 6 days left. You may govern yourself accordingly.

[Shingara]

What i see bioware doing at the min is pushing and pushing to see how far they can push, then they will go tada look at 2.2 a new raid. well no to little to late.

[Mirura]

...... Edited February 12, 2018 by Mirura

[Paitryn]

1) You don't NEED to dye your armor. You've managed in the game without it this far. I'm just not going to buy the dye packs, I'll grab the ones I really want from GTN eventually because I don't need to have everything right now.

2) You don't NEED to recustomize your character constantly. Dropping 40CC on a new hairstyle when you get bored of your current looks isn't going to bankrupt you. I bought all of the patch stuff I got yesterday with subscription-complementary CC and didn't feel gouged at all. Optional fluff content.

3) Want the Cathar but don't want to pay CC? Wait for someone to put the unlock on GTN.

 

The update was a boon to all of my social circle on TOR, we've been clamoring for these features and I don't mind compensating devs for their work - especially since it all goes out of my complementary coins with no extra cost.

 

Learn to save your allowance if that's what you're crying about.

 

I dont have an issue with the cost so much as what I'm paying to get. If i want to spin the wheel for goodies, I'll buy lottery tickets.

 

they still came up massively short on the deal imo, as I can't truly customize my gear in the colors I want unless they just happen to put them into a combo in the way i would want them that just hasn't appeared on the GTN yet. most color combos are so hideous that it made me turn up my nose at the thought of buying any dye packs at all.

 

I would gladly pay to get the dye color I want vs having to wait until someone else (or my lucky self) has to roll the dice to get it. if it even exists.

 

Had they made a primary and secondary slot then combo's would be a special 2 color grab in the pack, I woulda bought some. but sadly no, Ill just wait.

 

You are right. I DONT need it. So i wont buy it the way its packaged to me at this point in time

[AshlaBoga]

[*]Give themselves a Christmas bonus and buy a personal company jetliner to take periodic vacations to the Bahamas, where scantily-clad men and women in Imperial Dancer Outfits will cover them in oil made of liquified Cartel Coins

 

You just described the average day in the life of my Gunslinger:cool:

[SW_display_name]

While your predictions may indeed turn out to be correct in the short term, I think things will be very different in the long term. People don't forget things like this and will continue to take part in it only in the absence of something else. The way EA are treating us here, engenders no loyalty whatsoever. That makes their entire player base, both subs and F2P, very likely to up and leave at the first sign of something shiny somewhere else.

 

EA know this, so they will be milking this Cartel Coin stuff for as much as they can and then be quite happy to move the model to something new, and let this game fold. That is the problem I see with their attitude towards us with this move. Its the attitude of short term profits over long term goals, and thats something that works out very well for the big players, but not so much for us.

This is true. I accept their mercenary attitude at face-value with a genuine grin at their brazen honesty. But I also don't feel like a beloved player: I am simply a customer, and truly nothing more. That's fair, I can accept that.

 

However, it doesn't engender a sense of loyalty. You are absolutely correct: the second a new MMO that's more appealing to me than SWTOR appears, I'll simply dump this and move on because I have no sense of loyalty built up. I'm being milked hard. I'm OK with that, but if someone offers a better deal, I'll be gone without a thought.

 

"Sorry, it's just business" cuts both ways.

 

~~~

 

OK, great. But now, here's the problem: for all that heart-wrenching emotional outpour about how gaming makes me "feel", does it actually matter? Do companies really make that much more money off "loyal" customers who "love" them? Or do they watch those exact same customers go: "Sorry, found something more appealing" and drop them like a rock — even if they lavish their players with love and generosity?

 

I'm guessing the ultimate answer is: "Yes". People are too fickle. So BioWare / EA is probably doing the smart thing: accept human nature at face value, and get the jump on players, outmanoeuvering them for as much as possible before they naturally get bored and move on either way.

 

~~~

 

TL;DR: BioWare gains much more from raiding wallets than trying to inspire "friendship" or "loyalty" in a gaming community that generally only appreciates or enforces these concepts as a one-way street.

[Feztonio]

I think you're right on with all of your predictions. EA knows this as well. Kinda sucks really but all it means is I'll be stepping away from MMO's and doing other things with my entertainment money. no worries, enjoy the cash shop and having your subscription money each month used to develop content which you can be charged addional money on the cartel market for

[Aries_cz]

And the era of game developers being a group of 5 friends out to simply make something fun, and happy if they turn enough profit to pay their salaries / investors / development costs — long dead. Gaming is primarily the domain of dedicated corporations now, and it's not simply about being "fun", it's about making as much money as possible. Like most corporate products.

Yeah... that era ended over a decade ago...

[Turshek]

While I agree with with the OP on most points, there's, as another poster said, the short term and long term POV.

 

Short term for me is I continue to sub and play SWTOR, I still have fun and things to do but I'm also able to see huge flaws in the game, bad project management and greed.

 

So while there's no immediate consequence for them, they lost me at long term. I know, I'm just one player but I was a fan of BW since I bought Baldur's Gate 15 years ago, I liked their games until I saw more and more things I had problems with, from game design to game quality, through PR, lies, ...

 

And thus, I didn't bought Mass Effect 3 and won' t buy Dragon Age 3. They lost me because they changed and not for the better. I understand companies have to make money, I have no problem with that but they have to pay attention not to pressure their customers too much and to deliver enough for the price. They made many big mistakes of many different kinds with ME2, DA2, TOR and ME3 so that's it for me, no more BW games...

[WookieIsshe]

I no longer get any enjoyment out of logging into the game. I logged in today just to check the patch out, and realized there was really nothing left for me.

 

Forgive me while I use the remainder of the $15 I paid for this month to play the forums instead.

 

For giggles, no, I type these out manually every time. At 140 words per minute, it's a great return on investment.

 

I have 6 days left. You may govern yourself accordingly.

 

So.. what your saying is we won't see you in a couple weeks when 2.2 drops and you feel the need to nerd rage again, is that what your saying?

[macumba]

While I agree with with the OP on most points, there's, as another poster said, the short term and long term POV.

 

Short term for me is I continue to sub and play SWTOR, I still have fun and things to do but I'm also able to see huge flaws in the game, bad project management and greed.

 

So while there's no immediate consequence for them, they lost me at long term. I know, I'm just one player but I was a fan of BW since I bought Baldur's Gate 15 years ago, I liked their games until I saw more and more things I had problems with, from game design to game quality, through PR, lies, ...

 

And thus, I didn't bought Mass Effect 3 and won' t buy Dragon Age 3. They lost me because they changed and not for the better. I understand companies have to make money, I have no problem with that but they have to pay attention not to pressure their customers too much and to deliver enough for the price. They made many big mistakes of many different kinds with ME2, DA2, TOR and ME3 so that's it for me, no more BW games...

 

we seem much alike.

If mythic hadn't allowed buffbots in daoc I would have subscribed to warhammer, which I didn't.

I also wont touch DA3 or dead space3 and the day I unsub, will be day of the last dollar EA will ever see of me.

 

I'm only on the fence because the race option isn't included in the subscription or in the money we paid for the expansion.

 

lets imagine swtor had been the success it was planned to be and f2p never happened. we would not be having this discussion.

am I the one who needs to come up for the incompetence that the success did not happen ? no. I am the one who pays 15 bucks and gets 15 bananas in one case but now only gets 14 bananas for the same amount of money because the supplier has some problems that are not my concern nor my fault.

Edited May 17, 2013 by macumba

[Aries_cz]

So while there's no immediate consequence for them, they lost me at long term. I know, I'm just one player but I was a fan of BW since I bought Baldur's Gate 15 years ago, I liked their games until I saw more and more things I had problems with, from game design to game quality, through PR, lies, ...

 

And thus, I didn't bought Mass Effect 3 and won' t buy Dragon Age 3. They lost me because they changed and not for the better. I understand companies have to make money, I have no problem with that but they have to pay attention not to pressure their customers too much and to deliver enough for the price. They made many big mistakes of many different kinds with ME2, DA2, TOR and ME3 so that's it for me, no more BW games...

 

Both ME2 and ME3 delivered vastly improved gameplay and 30+ hours of content straight out of the box. ME3 fraked up in the last 15 minutes, but should that make the remaining 29+ hours bad?

As for DA2, I actually like the story and gameplay much more than in DAO. I did not like the recycled locations and cheap looking textures, but the story felt much more personal. However, for DA3, BW seems to be listening very closely to what fans want.

TOR also brought many hours of excellent fun. I never felt the need to buy more Cartel Coins (I only bought extra coins two times), I have cool looking gear assembled from pieces available for missions and non-CM reputation, I feel no need to play as a cat, and I am usually very careful about my character creation so i do not need to change the face every week

 

As for lies, Cathar were announced to be CM-exclusive long time ago. And I have yet to see a content (but I guess that comes down to what each person considers a content, I imagine it as something I can play, not how I look) that I have to pay Cartel Coins for. Paying for expansion packs seems normal to me, you always paid for expansion packs. And yes, RotHC is an expansion (10+ hours of playable content classifies as expansion pack, IMO)