• To the surprise of no one Wildstar finally goes free-to-play
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[URL="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/05/28/wildstar-free/"]http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/05/28/wildstar-free/[/URL] [QUOTE]When I ask Wildstar’s Chad Moore and Mike Donatelli why on earth NCSOFT would release a subscription-based MMO at a time when most other MMOs had gone free-to-play, their answer is accompanied by one particularly important factoid: Wildstar is also going free-to-play. I found out why NCSOFT are making the switch now, and what happens next.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]As Pip said at launch, the game’s a good time. But the situation has been bad in terms of business. Last year NCSOFT made public just how rough things were for Wildstar: The game had a decline of $25.5 million in revenue to $5 million by the end of the financial year. A heck of a drop.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Wildstar’s subscription model was progressive by comparison: A hybrid, offering a monthly subscription of $14.99 alongside a “play-to-pay” option that uses an in-game item called “C.R.E.D.D.” to gain a month of game time. But as the duo tells me, between Wildstar’s initial development and its eventual launch emerged a major change to game economics. “It’s just a barrier to entry for players now,” says Moore. “Not launching free-to-play shut out, potentially, millions. The window for subscription games is very small now.” Donatelli pipes in to clarify: “It’s gone.” Wildstar is the last in NCsoft’s collection of MMOs to make the transition – It’s the end of an era, a final death knell for subscription models in the West. Like a failing Honda, the old model has seized up. And out of those smoking remains is this: a now-optional subscription model accompanied by what Carbine is calling “a smart, well proven” free-to-play model.[/QUOTE]
[quote]Wildstar’s subscription model was progressive by comparison: A hybrid, offering a monthly subscription of $14.99 alongside a “play-to-pay” option that uses an in-game item called “C.R.E.D.D.” to gain a month of game time.[/quote] To those who don't know what this means: other players can buy extra game time, then sell it on the game market for in-game currency. Other players can buy these with their in-game currency, so that they don't have to spend real money if they play enough. It [I]sounds[/I] nice, but there's a problem: CREDD isn't cheap. You have to spend a large amount of in-game currency to buy it. So the only people who can afford it are those who are already max level and have time to farm for two weeks out of a month. Casual players and new players have to resort to spending real money to continue playing, which they won't always do. There are a lot of free to play alternatives these days. Sure, people who play a lot don't have to spend real money to continue, but at the cost of losing a lot of potential players.
[IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GJ5/11e8286bf3.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GLy/f2842d5732.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GMq/1e8e9edf4c.png[/IMG] Difference between Free players and Signature (paid) players.
[QUOTE=Last or First;47824469]To those who don't know what this means: other players can buy extra game time, then sell it on the game market for in-game currency. Other players can buy these with their in-game currency, so that they don't have to spend real money if they play enough. It [I]sounds[/I] nice, but there's a problem: CREDD isn't cheap. You have to spend a large amount of in-game currency to buy it. So the only people who can afford it are those who are already max level and have time to farm for two weeks out of a month. Casual players and new players have to resort to spending real money to continue playing, which they won't always do. There are a lot of free to play alternatives these days. Sure, people who play a lot don't have to spend real money to continue, but at the cost of losing a lot of potential players.[/QUOTE] Sounds like PLEX in EVE.
Man, I remember being super hyped about this game and then I just forgot about it. I didn't even know it was released.
[QUOTE=MisterMooth;47824527]Man, I remember being super hyped about this game and then I just forgot about it. I didn't even know it was released.[/QUOTE] Tried the trial back when they offered like a month or two free. It wasn't great honestly. Nothing bad but nothing interesting of note.
[QUOTE=draugur;47824610]Tried the trial back when they offered like a month or two free. It wasn't great honestly. Nothing bad but nothing interesting of note.[/QUOTE] I think the combat is pretty interesting to note. Not a tab targeter at all really.
The combat was really fun. It didn't feel at all like your hotkey based MMO'S, just leveling is god awful boring.
The game art looks pretty; sort of reminds me of beyond good and evil
[QUOTE=BackSapper;47824738]The combat was really fun. It didn't feel at all like your hotkey based MMO'S, just leveling is god awful boring.[/QUOTE] See I didn't understand how the leveling was boring. At least for me, by the time I completed a zone I was completely read for the next. Granted I PvP'd throughout the whole process, so that may have helped.
I didn't think the leveling was any more boring than most MMOs. The only reason it killed me was because I was dumb and played way too much of the Beta, so when the game rolled around I had to go through the zones I'd been through half a dozen times before and it made it an even greater drag.
[QUOTE=darth-veger;47824499]-Pics- Difference between Free players and Signature (paid) players.[/QUOTE] You forgot the Loyalty System, it allows every player to unlock some perks. Without that the F2P players would be pretty screwed. [t]http://i.imgur.com/NJt1tJp.png[/t]
[QUOTE=runtime;47824505]Sounds like PLEX in EVE.[/QUOTE] But EVE has alot of options for more passive income. Also, it's very possible to start using plex after 3-4 months and not have to farm 2 weeks out of a month.
Something rubbed me the wrong way about Wildstar since it was first announced. Like they seemed overconfident for sething with a risky business model for n a crowded market that wasn't bringing much new to the table. That, and some of the earliest screenshots looked way to much like the Barrens.
[QUOTE=rider695;47824860]But EVE has alot of options for more passive income. Also, it's very possible to start using plex after 3-4 months and not have to farm 2 weeks out of a month.[/QUOTE] Ye, once you know what's up, you can pretty easily grind out enough money for a PLEX in a few days of dedicated play. You don't even need to have crazy skills or equipment to do it. Join up with a nullsec beginner-friendly corporation, and train a few key skills (I think the most basic skill plan only takes a day or so to train), and they'll put you to work salvaging wreckage from NPC enemies that the more experienced players kill. It ain't terribly exciting, but it's an easy to wake to make loads of money. I pulled my first billion ISK in about a week doing this, and once I trained into a ship capable of killing NPC sites solo, my income doubled or tripled, since I didn't have to wait for other players to do the heavy lifting for me.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;47825126]Ye, once you know what's up, you can pretty easily grind out enough money for a PLEX in a few days of dedicated play. You don't even need to have crazy skills or equipment to do it. Join up with a nullsec beginner-friendly corporation, and train a few key skills (I think the most basic skill plan only takes a day or so to train), and they'll put you to work salvaging wreckage from NPC enemies that the more experienced players kill. It ain't terribly exciting, but it's an easy to wake to make loads of money. I pulled my first billion ISK in about a week doing this, and once I trained into a ship capable of killing NPC sites solo, my income doubled or tripled, since I didn't have to wait for other players to do the heavy lifting for me.[/QUOTE] I went into nullsec after 2 month and was able to fly a VNI with faction drones and ratted a bit, then I built up a stable PI income and used the free month of alt training we got (for christmas I think) for making a station trading alt. Had no problem paying my plex and still had enough for losing occasional battlecruisers in pvp.
I hope wildstar picks up now, it deserves to survive
It's actually a really fun game. I don't play it too much anymore because I work full time and don't really have time for raids, but it's the most fun I've ever had playing an MMORPG.
I'll give it a shot once it goes fully free. If it's not optimized any better than before than I guess i'll just forget it even exists again.
The humor's what caught my attention with this game. Something about it reminded me of Ratchet & Clank, I just wish the Dominion played more on anti-Exile propoganda like the tutorial level. Quests where you had to do stuff like placing eviction notices on simulated Exile shacks as a training exercise were fucking hilarious, but they didn't really show up as much as I wanted. Especially when things take a turn for the serious at around level 40 onward. Also, more MMOs need costume/transmog rules as free as this one. Being able to use whatever you find regardless of armor type or level, etc. It's a shame the dye system in this game is such lazy garbage.
I feel like the mmo genre is slowly dying out. probably because every other mmo tries to copy WoW
was this made by disney
[QUOTE=Evile;47829645]I feel like he mmo genre is slowly dying out. probably because everyone other mmo tries to copy WoW[/QUOTE] It isn't. And I still have my 2 factor authentication thing. I dont even have that phone anymore..oops.
Free to Play with cosmetic micro transactions works. And it work fucking well TF2 brought in $140 Million dollars in 2013. The majority of the big time MMO's (That bring in over $100 Million/year) are Free to Play. [QUOTE=Big Dumb American;47825126]Ye, once you know what's up, you can pretty easily grind out enough money for a PLEX in a few days of dedicated play. You don't even need to have crazy skills or equipment to do it. Join up with a nullsec beginner-friendly corporation, and train a few key skills (I think the most basic skill plan only takes a day or so to train), and they'll put you to work salvaging wreckage from NPC enemies that the more experienced players kill. It ain't terribly exciting, but it's an easy to wake to make loads of money. I pulled my first billion ISK in about a week doing this, and once I trained into a ship capable of killing NPC sites solo, my income doubled or tripled, since I didn't have to wait for other players to do the heavy lifting for me.[/QUOTE] Nothing like fitting a Cormorant with tractor beams and salvagers and just raking the shit in with minimal effort. And if you lose it, so fucking what. Damn things are cheap as dicks
[QUOTE=darth-veger;47824499][IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GJ5/11e8286bf3.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GLy/f2842d5732.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://puu.sh/i3GMq/1e8e9edf4c.png[/IMG] Difference between Free players and Signature (paid) players.[/QUOTE] dev 1: "hey, how should we handle our game going F2P? should we look at games like TF2 and guild wars that rely on players buying cosmetic items? or league of legends?" dev2: "nah son, remember kotor online? do what they did and make everything piss and bad for free players so they'll be FORCED to spend money!!"
[QUOTE=milkandcooki;47829728]dev 1: "hey, how should we handle our game going F2P? should we look at games like TF2 and guild wars that rely on players buying cosmetic items? or league of legends?" dev2: "nah son, remember kotor online? do what they did and make everything piss and bad for free players so they'll be FORCED to spend money!!"[/QUOTE] Haha epic joke dude thats in no way a kneejerk reaction and I'm sure you have actually played "kotor online" before
[QUOTE=Steve Harvey;47829804]Haha epic joke dude thats in no way a kneejerk reaction and I'm sure you have actually played "kotor online" before[/QUOTE] To be fair though I feel like GW2 has made NCsoft a shitton of money. Would have been nice if NCsoft made Carbine do the same.
[QUOTE=milkandcooki;47829728]dev 1: "hey, how should we handle our game going F2P? should we look at games like TF2 and guild wars that rely on players buying cosmetic items? or league of legends?" dev2: "nah son, remember kotor online? do what they did and make everything piss and bad for free players so they'll be FORCED to spend money!!"[/QUOTE] Yes, these totally standard rates on things are as bad as F2P SWTOR, a game that literally won't let you run without paying. The only things that are somewhat restrictive are character slots (which is remedied by buying a copy of the game for like $5) and the circles/guilds (which you can still be a part of).
The system isn't absolute shit but it's still pretty dumb to revert players to the bare minimum after their "Signature" runs out. The XP stuff, cosmetics (faster currency gain rate is in a gray area for me) and all that are ok but limiting access and usage of things like social tools (guilds/circles) for "Free" players is bad. Let players pay a one-time fee to be placed somewhere between Free and Signature and allow them to permanently use social features to their fullest extent and also not have a completely laughable amount of auction house slots, and if they really want to keep their perks and bonuses (faster XP, chance increments for stuff) they'll pay the subscription.
The paid subscription model is dated. They should have known this from the start and either ran with Buy to Play only or Free to Play from the start. I think Guild Wars 2's approach is the best as it mixes a cash shop of a f2p game (though not completely similar) with the B2P model.
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