Post by Morreion on Feb 15, 2010 8:05:57 GMT -5
Community Spotlight: Fifteen Bucks (MMORPG.com)
15 bucks has been standard for around a decade, and that is not expensive- the price of a large pizza for a month's entertainment. But other business models are gaining in popularity, and I'd not be so quick to leave a game if I didn't feel I was getting enough usage to justify a recurring 15-dollar charge once a month. Not that I like microtransaction games, but I'll be interested to see how All Points Bulletin does- like Guild Wars, they will charge for boxes and expansions without a subscription fee apparently.
...there is more mmos around, but i can remember at least 13 years of mmos... and the price of subscription have been 15 dollars for years!!!!...
Now go and check the inflation rate since 1997... I dont think it have been stuck...
My point is... with all the inflation and raising costs, the 15 bucks per month is falling short.. way short.. one day there is going to be one developer that will charge a 20 bucks or 25 bucks (24.99) sub per month, and everyone else will follow... but since raising the sub cost will cause too much scandal, they are adding cash shops...
Lets face it people, 15 bucks per month is not enough for what u do with the game services... bandwidth usage, database, and so on...”
Community Spotlight alumnus Goronian responds to Pelu with his own thoughts on the matter:
“Actually, for the longest time, people have been complaining, that 15 bucks/months is overdoing it and that the price needs to be lowered. They've stopped just recently, in the face of inflation. Maybe it's because the true value has caught up with it only recently, and the pricing was "with a reserve"?
Or maybe it's because devs expect much higher numbers, which would cover the expenses.
And in reality, bandwidth and server maintenance doesn't cost THAT much.”
Malcanis adds a short but sweet response:
“MMOs are a hilariously cheap hobby.”
Now go and check the inflation rate since 1997... I dont think it have been stuck...
My point is... with all the inflation and raising costs, the 15 bucks per month is falling short.. way short.. one day there is going to be one developer that will charge a 20 bucks or 25 bucks (24.99) sub per month, and everyone else will follow... but since raising the sub cost will cause too much scandal, they are adding cash shops...
Lets face it people, 15 bucks per month is not enough for what u do with the game services... bandwidth usage, database, and so on...”
Community Spotlight alumnus Goronian responds to Pelu with his own thoughts on the matter:
“Actually, for the longest time, people have been complaining, that 15 bucks/months is overdoing it and that the price needs to be lowered. They've stopped just recently, in the face of inflation. Maybe it's because the true value has caught up with it only recently, and the pricing was "with a reserve"?
Or maybe it's because devs expect much higher numbers, which would cover the expenses.
And in reality, bandwidth and server maintenance doesn't cost THAT much.”
Malcanis adds a short but sweet response:
“MMOs are a hilariously cheap hobby.”
15 bucks has been standard for around a decade, and that is not expensive- the price of a large pizza for a month's entertainment. But other business models are gaining in popularity, and I'd not be so quick to leave a game if I didn't feel I was getting enough usage to justify a recurring 15-dollar charge once a month. Not that I like microtransaction games, but I'll be interested to see how All Points Bulletin does- like Guild Wars, they will charge for boxes and expansions without a subscription fee apparently.
