Op Ed

[Dec 15, 2010, 11:40 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

IndustryGamers - Five Reasons Why World of Warcraft Going Free-to-Play is Inevitable.
The point is that Blizzard has been looking to see how fans react to micro-transactions, and despite some initial consternation on the forums to the idea, there hasn't been a mass exodus, and Blizzard has made a lot of money from these offerings. For the decision makers, it's all about dollars and cents (or sense), and giving a F2P option would open up more players and more revenue streams in addition to their substantial subscription base... and that's why I think F2P in World of Warcraft is inevitable.

Shadowlocked - Could 'Mass Effect' be the first worthwhile videogame adaptation? Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
On paper, it’s a very video-gamey synopsis, but there is so much in Mass Effect that makes you see the potential for a movie adaptation. Characters and dialogue are excellently written, by turns hilarious, moving and in some cases exuding pure 'cool'. If given the budget it needs, Mass Effect has the potential to be the next Star Wars. That might be considered a bold statement, but it’s an assertion that I and many others would stand by wholeheartedly.

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33 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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33.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 16, 2010, 08:19

Beamer

Why would WoW need to go F2P in order to make tons of money off microtransactions? Didn't a whole bunch of people already paying 15 bucks a month happily pony up 25 bucks for prettier horsies not to long ago? They've proven there's a market for microtransactions without going F2P.

Well, the argument would be that the money paid by the old players plus the money paid by the new players drawn due to F2P would be greater than the current money paid by the old players plus the admin costs of all the new players.

I don't see that being true until Blizzard has another game out.
Although it isn't hard to imagine they're already working on the microtransaction pricing strategy for when this happens, or for when something else starts stealing their business, but we've got to be at least 4 years from that, at a bare mininum. It's got so much momentum that stopping it to the point that F2P becomes more profitable is a long, long process.




------------- Music for the discerning: http://www.deathwishinc.com http://www.hydrahead.com http://www.painkillerrecords.com

32.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 16, 2010, 06:11

InBlack

I doubt he would do much worse than George Lucas...

Back on topic:

If it aint broke, dont fix it




I have a nifty blue line!

31.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 16, 2010, 02:42

jdreyer

Great informed commentary at Blues. Great points on the WoW Op Ed.

No one talked about the Mass Effect movie tho. As long as they lined up quality screenwriter, director, and cast, this has a TON of potential. I'd love to see a quality trilogy of ME movies. Even better, I'd love to see it made into a series a la BSG or Band of Brothers. There's plenty of story, intrigue, and action. And hanging with those characters for 10, 20, 30 hours is very appealing. Syfy or HBO, want to pick up the ball and run with it?

Not that it needs to be said, but Uwe Boll need not apply.




Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.

30.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 16, 2010, 01:40

xXBatmanXx

kxmode wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 12:43:
JoeNapalm wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 12:21:
Stanly Manly wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 12:09:
How do these "journalists" even get hired? I mean, what kind of company pays some community college dropout to freebase some meth and then write some random bullshit about a subject they know nothing about?

~~Fox~~ Faux News?

FTFY

What is Olberman's show called again?




In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. / Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. Playing: RL

29.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 16, 2010, 01:37

xXBatmanXx

I think at this point you have everyone playing WoW that is going to - I wouldn't play the game if it was free. I get my social interaction elsewhere, and there are hundreds of better games out there.




In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. / Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder. Playing: RL

28.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 23:46

Prez

I don't understand the article's logic. Why would WoW need to go F2P in order to make tons of money off microtransactions? Didn't a whole bunch of people already paying 15 bucks a month happily pony up 25 bucks for prettier horsies not to long ago? They've proven there's a market for microtransactions without going F2P.




Prez on Soundclick http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=604888

27.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 23:27

Verno

kxmode wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 21:36:
Cutter wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 19:46:
WoW will be F2P in the next 5 years. Turbine has the best model going for F2P so that's what they'll use.

Well Blizzard did copy LOTR's achievement and title system, so maybe they'll copy their F2P model too. But not now while their profitable.

I think if anyone has a claim on achievement systems in games that it's Microsoft.




Playing: Super Mario 3D Land, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Hannibal, Community, Life

26.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 22:46

Ozmodan

Another fruitcake polutes the internet. I will bet Blizzard is laughing all the way to the bank. Shame when any idiot can post nonsense. If these f2p games are so profitable, how come all the decent new games coming out are p2p? f2p is for those titles that are over the hill and give them a nice resurgence.

25.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 22:24

Stanly Manly

kxmode wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 21:36: Cutter wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 19:46: WoW will be F2P in the next 5 years. Turbine has the best model going for F2P so that's what they'll use. Well Blizzard did copy LOTR's achievement and title system, so maybe they'll copy their F2P model too. But not now while their profitable. I don't want whatever you are smoking... seems like bad stuff.

24.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 21:36

Kxmode

Cutter wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 19:46: WoW will be F2P in the next 5 years. Turbine has the best model going for F2P so that's what they'll use. Well Blizzard did copy LOTR's achievement and title system, so maybe they'll copy their F2P model too. But not now while their profitable.

23.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 21:31

space captain

more money = likely business move

seems simple enough




Go forth, and kill!

22.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 19:46

Cutter

WoW will be F2P in the next 5 years. Turbine has the best model going for F2P so that's what they'll use.




"Are you crazy? Is that your problem?" - Jack Burton

21.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 19:15

space captain

Sepharo wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 18:43:
Nah you don't have to... You can just set it up your signature.-Sepharo

doesnt a sig add a nifty blue line?

BUSTED, MOTHERFUCKER!




Go forth, and kill!

20.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 18:43

Sepharo

Rattlehead wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 17:29:
Do you really need to write JN Ifriti Sophist after every fucking comment you post?

Nah you don't have to... You can just set it up your signature.

-Sepharo




[I'm not trolling I'm just] tossing stuff like that in there only to get your panties all bunched up. -TrollinThundr

19.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 18:18

bobbyric

People don't seem to realize the "free" content would likely limit players to something like Level 19. How many characters can you level to 19 until you decide you want some of that epic armor? The "Free to Play" scheme would be mostly a marketing ploy, you already have your trial periods, which make people invest in their characters so they convert to subscriptions, the "free 2 play" scheme wouldn't be all that different, except it wouldn't expire. So if you want to continue playing your level 80+ characters you'd have to keep your pay account. People also seem to forget that Blizzard can make share holders happy by pimping out their old IP's, and new ones, like this hush hush MMO they are working on. This comment was edited on Dec 15, 2010, 18:37.

18.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 17:57

ASJD

LOL WUT. I have created equally wutworthy headlines : Diablo 3 being exclusive to 3DS is inevitable. Super Mario Bros coming to Playstation 4 is inevitable. Kinect being the most popular thing ever is inevitable.

17.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 17:29

Rattlehead

Do you really need to write JN Ifriti Sophist after every fucking comment you post? It's like that idiot Creston who writes his name at the bottom, even though it shows it in the upper right by default.

16.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 16:18

PHJF

If WoW goes F2P it'll be in China alone.




Steam + PSN: PHJF

15.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 15:55

JoeNapalm

Halo wrote on Dec 15, 2010, 15:49: Why not add a gimped micro transaction version as F2P? Then as they get addicted will refinance themselves and go P2P. A free week isn't that exciting when you are the type of person who maybe spends 5 hours a week gaming. First one is always free. "Why not?" If you have your computer/car/finances/love life/burger on the grill/golf game/home run streak/whatever humming along just fine - nay, not just fine...better than anyone else has ever accomplished in the history of mankind - you don't tend to make sweeping changes based upon the principle of "Why not?" No, if you're at the top of your game, you only change things after they pass the "WHY?" test. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...if it's working better than anything anywhere ever has, don't even LOOK at it without good reason. F2P is where MMOs go to avoid the Reaper. Yeah, some (DDO, LotRO) have done well by it - but note that even those games tried to be subscription based, first...because that's where the big WoW money is at. -Jn- Ifriti Sophist

14.

Re: Op Ed

Dec 15, 2010, 15:49

Halo

Why not add a gimped micro transaction version as F2P? Then as they get addicted will refinance themselves and go P2P. A free week isn't that exciting when you are the type of person who maybe spends 5 hours a week gaming. First one is always free.

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