tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post505576182846898726..comments2023-06-19T10:45:56.724-04:00Comments on Player Versus Developer: You Are What You SellGreen Armadillohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15564045048380177626noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-3743944205874992722012-03-18T08:29:20.934-04:002012-03-18T08:29:20.934-04:00Xax: Good catch, I edited in "that affects ga...Xax: Good catch, I edited in "that affects gameplay" to account for the minipets and mounts - Rift and SWTOR both have their collector's editions with similar.Green Armadillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15564045048380177626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-35245535025699229322012-03-18T02:45:00.879-04:002012-03-18T02:45:00.879-04:00> WoW, Rift and SWTOR primarily - that are stic...> WoW, Rift and SWTOR primarily - that are sticking to the model of selling game time and nothing else.<br /><br />If by WoW, Rift, and SWTOR, you mean Rift and SWTOR. WoW has had a cash shop for a long time now, and that's not even counting the mobile/browser apps.Xaxziminrax IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04653730368168764013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-80975281603500478882012-03-17T10:17:20.653-04:002012-03-17T10:17:20.653-04:00I don't disagree with the sentiment, but that&...I don't disagree with the sentiment, but that's not the point I was trying to get at. Just over six months ago, this team's position at Fan Faire was that we were getting four game updates in 2012 and no increase to the level cap for the foreseeable future due to various concerns about the consequences to mechanics. The business model may not be the sole reason for reversal on both of these points, but it doesn't hurt that they get paid for going in the direction they're going. <br /><br />(Based on how they rolled out the second half of the quests in Eastern Wastes, my guess is that this patch will be accompanied by a solo quest series with at least one complete replacement of all gear, as with past level cap increase - or, in DOV's case, non-increases. At one point, after all, there was a plan in which this was the content portion of the paid expansion from last November. I further assume that there will be one or more full gear sets of gear in the new repeatable content. However, as you say, the total amount that a non-subscriber can expect to spend on gear unlocks is definitely less than a monthly fee, provided the player is willing to live with the plat cap.)Green Armadillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15564045048380177626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826986957606858027.post-15255738187027933902012-03-16T07:09:11.177-04:002012-03-16T07:09:11.177-04:00I think EQ2's F2P model is insanely generous. ...I think EQ2's F2P model is insanely generous. If you aren't buying cosmetic fluff from the SC Store then you can play the entire game even at the highest levels for a fraction of the subscription cost.<br /><br />Just sticking to the issue you mention of the two-level increase to 92 it should cost a max-level silver player much less than a month's sub (although if you have a level 90 character that does Heroic or Raid content it's highly likely you'll have decided you like the game enough to subscribe anyway). <br /><br />But let's say you haven't. There are 21 equipment slots. Unlockers cost 30 SC each so that's 630 SC to unlock a new item for every slot. The exchange rate is $10 per 1000SC. Even in the unlikely event that the two-level increase is so generous that every single piece of gear you have becomes outmoded and in need of replacement right away, you can do it for two-thirds of the price of a single month's subscription. After that it will last you until the level cap goes up again, most likely in a year's time at the least, other than for the odd upgrade you get along the way, which will cost you 30 cents per.<br /><br />That's assuming you paid full price for your SC and didn't buy it in one of the fairly frequent double or even triple SC sales. I'm sitting on a nest-egg of SC I bought at triple rates, meaning that I could replace my entire paperdoll of equipment for just over $2.00. I could have all four slots of my silver account filled with Level 90s and fully re-gear the lot of them for less than a month's subscription. <br /><br />I could go on at enormous length but I'll refrain. I think it's a great payment model. It certainly beats the pay-or-don't-play one it replaced, that's for sure.Bhagpusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499162165023939880noreply@blogger.com