Quality and timely content takes money.
Modern games need to have multiple streams of revenue to stay fresh and viable.
That being said, I will state I am 100% happy with a cash shop as long as these guidelines are followed.
Aesthetic Only Please
Ok so now given what you can not have, what is left.
Cash Shop Ideas
Other ideas that are just ideas.
Some of the most compelling motivators in EQ were for purely cosmetic items.....simply because they looked so cool.
Once we could buy ornaments all that went away, so I have very mixed feelings about it.
I would prefer no cash shop at all, ever. I would rather pay a big subscription price.
If they are aesthetic, how about the ability to add scars, and perhaps even age your character over time, maybe with a level requirement with these purchases?
I am going to have to agree that I hate the cash shop option. I am not sure why all of the features mentioned above could not just be in the game for subscribers. I am not sure where this motivation to have cash shops comes from but perhaps if I understood that it might all make a little more sense. It seems to me from what I have read and heard that the guys here at VR are more intersted in making a game they will enjoy playing then they are trying to make the most popular game that would make the most money. I would easily pay the additional subscription fee to avoid it.
My opinion: No cash shop.
Want to sell physical items? Shirts? Posters or Wall Scrolls? Mouse Pads? Mugs? Etc? Absolutely, I'll buy that stuff all day long.
Cash Shops are one of the things that have ruined the MMORPG genre, and continue to do so, as devs are finding more and more ways to integrate them.
Old-school MMOs did not require cash shops. They got by on building a loyal player base, and providing quality long-term content that kept people wanting to play, and pay (a sub) for months or even years. That's what the MMO should be built on. Not cash shop items, aesthetic or otherwise.
For myself, there are few things that would make me walk away from a MMORPG designed around old-school concepts/gameplay. I would walk away the minute I saw the announcement.
If it's in the game, it should be earned in the game, by playing the game.
Wolfsong said:My opinion: No cash shop.
Want to sell physical items? Shirts? Posters or Wall Scrolls? Mouse Pads? Mugs? Etc? Absolutely, I'll buy that stuff all day long.
Cash Shops are one of the things that have ruined the MMORPG genre, and continue to do so, as devs are finding more and more ways to integrate them.
Old-school MMOs did not require cash shops. They got by on building a loyal player base, and providing quality long-term content that kept people wanting to play, and pay (a sub) for months or even years. That's what the MMO should be built on. Not cash shop items, aesthetic or otherwise.
For myself, there are few things that would make me walk away from a MMORPG designed around old-school concepts/gameplay. I would walk away the minute I saw the announcement.
If it's in the game, it should be earned in the game, by playing the game.
Motion is seconded, resolution is adopted. Meeting adjourned.
I know Kilsin kinda contradicted this yesterday and left the door open for the possibility of cash shop in some sense but: FAQ relating to cash shops
Pantheon will not be ‘freemium’ or have ‘cash shops’ -- building your character and advancing in-game will be based on time invested and tactics used, not on how much money the player has in real life.
Now, if it comes down to the survivabilty of the game vs whether or not there is a cash shop then I could live with a cash shop with limited number of fluff items but I wouldn't use it. Personally, I agree with most of y'all. I don't like them, don't think it's necessary and would prefer to pay more. Maybe I'm in the minority but I kinda doubt it.
I never paid any attention to shops in the games I've played that have had them, so in my eyes it's players choice to buy something or make use of the store.
I think it's more a Developers choice in this area as I've never really been interested in pay to win type of games anyhow. The games themselves never interested me.
When I choose to play a game or not, it's always come down to the game and if it's a good time or not. Whether or not there was a store didn't make my decision for me.
If the store adds to the game and doesn't break my immersion, then I really don't even notice, so in contrast if it breaks the illusion and effects the game play, then it's no fun and I don't play.
That's where my vote comes
zewtastic said:Quality and timely content takes money.
Modern games need to have multiple streams of revenue to stay fresh and viable.
False. Server costs today, after adjusting for inflation, are actually cheaper than they were in 1999. Meaning that if we simply adjust the cost of a subscription for inflation, a company would see a larger % profit per subscriber. Since 1999 we've seen about 43% inflation, meaning a $15 fee then would equate to roughly $21 today. I seriously doubt anyone here would be bothered by a $20 - $25 per month fee. Though $25 would probably be pressing the envelope on acceptable for the population at large.
zewtastic said:Those days are gone. We live in the age of FTP cash grabs by games that generate revenue by selling P2W schemes based on gambling and grinding.
And this affects Pantheon in what way? The games that dry up are the cheaply made/maintained FTP cash grabs (emphasis on the cash grab), not the solid, well built and maintained games with subscriptions (and also sometimes superflous cash shops). Last time I checked both EVE Online and WoW were doing fine; and while both of these games have a cash shop, I'd hardly call it a cash grab.
zewtastic said:Just saying, if a decision comes of cash shop vs. a game sunsets due to low revenue, which do you choose. Not enough people will want to pay a "premium" fee? $30, $40, $50 per month?
Sunset. It might sound harsh, but it is better to die as a hero than become a villian.
I hate most cash shops but if the devs ever change their mind I think Elder Scrolls Online has the best answer. The store has mostly fluff items, with some account boosts but nothing I consider unfair and as a bonus you can pay a sub to have access to all DLC without having to pay the purchase price AND you get a monthly stipend of game store cash.