Yes this is a business. I doubt anyone is blind to this. The issue here is the dev team and executives are over valuing this game to the extreme. It's like they're stuck in 2011. Thinking somehow this game is worth these price points (last two in particular, this Wolfpack and the bundle price to get a comic material.) It's insane. I have 18 characters, but only 9 are endgame. My main has max artifacts. The rest of my EG toons are at 80 to 120 on thier artifacts. It allows for all of them to run all content no problem, and in some cases even being competitive with other players with max artifacts. So the real question is, where is the value in having max artifacts on alts...or really, any character... Does it increase the content we get....No. Am I struggling to get any content done....No. Do artifacts make the game more entertaining.....NO. So how are they valued at $100 per artifact, and $300 for the minimum of three per alt?!? And let's not forget, we still have to build the artifact to 200, either through time or money, that cost is pretty steep as it is....more than I think they're worth anyhow. I think this company really has to take a look in the mirror, and reexamine their player base, because it doesn't make sense. And, to me, it's even insulting. ESPECIALLY given how little content we get these days and how easy the content is....even elite. I can run elite with level 80 artifacts no problem. Elite plus too, but that also is more about the group than the individual. The value is not equal to price. And I'm not sure about the cost of making this mechanic, but given that it's a one time cost of labor, and there is zero further cost, any price point would pay for the labor over time. These kind of decisions may make money for them in the short term, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, to the point I don't want to support a game and company with this kind of greed. It's 2023, almost 24, and there are far more games worth my money. As it is, I'm counting down the days until GTA6, because that's when I'm hanging up my cape. It's been a good run, but this company doesn't learn, and continues to do the bare minimum while charging us like they're still giving us frequent quality content. At this rate of quality, I don't see this game lasting five more years, so why would I invest this kind of money when the end is coming soon?!? Unless they upgrade to unreal 5, or make a sequel, none of these costs are justified imo.
Glad you know it's a business I can a sure you they're not over priced. Daybreak has to break even to stay afloat to keep the engine running. Like I mentioned before the Wolfpack Tokens it was common consensus to level up 1 artifact cost $200 on average everyone knows this so think of how much you could spend on multiple character. Now, the Wolfpack Token is not a must buy nor is is it for everyone, people with 1 character have no business whatsoever with the Wolfpack Token. Too benefit from the Wolfpack Token you need at least 2 characters the more characters you have the more exponential benefits you receive from the Wolfpack Token. The price of the Wolfpack Token takes into account and consideration the massive loss DCUO projects giving us the Wolfpack Token cos instead of making on average $200 per artifacts per active character's. They'll now make a flat $100 per artifacts per account. When @Mr.W said this I laughed and focused on Christmas. It wasn't the time. He can't seems to understand that Daybreak sacrificed profit of a game that's not that profitable according EG7 showcase, they're loosing money with the current prices of the Wolfpack Token just to satisfy us there customer considering the obvious mentioned above and if you're a business major you'll know a fundamental principle of business is customer satisfaction. That shows there business ethics is intact and not compromised by Larfleeze as some unknowingly seek to mislead others with this misconception. I hope with time everyone accepts our fate and move on to other pressing matters to be discussed in New Year while Daybreaks figures out a way to recover the loss in the revenues stream thus still be able to pay there staff to avoid news by Dimensional Ink of the loss of more key staffing.
Yes they are overpriced from the standpoint of value of artifacts like I laid out. How are they losing money if players like me refuse to spend money on artifacts at all, and especially for alts. All of my arts on my main I leveled up with time, and used tokens I got from subbing every other, to every few months. There's no way I am spending $200+ to level an artifact for my main, let alone artifacts for 8 more alts. Now, if they priced the tokens at $10-$50, I would consider getting one or two for my alts....but at $100, naw. I don't know who they are marketing these to, but it's not me....and I'm a loyal player for going on 13 years now. And again, these Wolfpack tokens don't bypass the initial leveling process. We still need a level 200 artifact to even use these tokens. If the Wolfpack tokens were priced better, it would encourage more players to level artifacts to 200 to be used for alts if they have them.
You come off very bipolar my brother.. I watch you go post to post constantly arguing and changing your mind to only end up joining the side you were originally arguing against to now argue some more lol.. Level 100 troll!
People are throwing fits about this new token - which doesn't affect game balance, is by no means an essential purchase, and is much cheaper than buying one rank 200 artifact on even just one alt, let alone all of them - because many naively thought, that if they kept nagging, the devs would make all artifacts account bound for free. Anyone with at least half a brain knew that this would not happen and predicted that if an option was introduced to share some of the most time-consuming/expensive/desirable commodities in the game between multiple toons - it would carry a hefty price-tag. Now it became obvious to even the most deluded, that DB is never going to let them have 16 or more maxed toons for the price of one, so they're forced to face reality - and that's never easy for geeks cosplaying as super-heroes. Personally, I don't care about the token one way or the other, I'm not going to buy it - just as I don't pay for leveling artifacts - and I'd prefer we still had double art XP as often as we used to, or tradeable Nth Metal caches, but that's a thing of the past now - possibly (at least in part) thanks to all those people asking for account bound artifacts... I see some of them now in this thread, crying and complaining, which makes me laugh. Careful what you wish for, eh? Here's the bottom line - if some people are willing to pay over $200 for a meta artifact, so they can be competitive in the most difficult content ASAP, then spending roughly the same amount in order to have Trans, Strat and Quislet on 15 more toons of different powersets must seem fairly reasonable to them. And those who can't afford that - well, they can still play as they were playing before. Except - perhaps - with less bonus art XP...
It's just funny to me how players in this game have just become comfortable and expect to be ripped off and charged for every feature. Almost like no other games value their customers and try to provide a fun experience. Look at GTA5, almost as old as this game, free content and free features. All available by grinding ingame money. You want it faster, buy a shark card, but non of it is locked behind a real money paywall. Other games can do it too. But not this one, every single thing we ask for as a community gets twisted and turned into a real money purchase. You'd think the loot boxes aka capsules would be enough extra revenue, it is for other MMOs, but not this one, they always want more from us and the price tag keeps going up. It's ridiculous.
It's funny to me how players have been playing this game for years and are still surprised about how it works. *shrug* Play those other games then. If you keep playing this one, despite having been "ripped off" for years - that suggests it must be worth it. Having 3 meta arts instantly on as many toons as you like, at the cost of leveling 4 - that seems like a lower price tag, compared to how much time/money it would take without the Wolfpack. And let's not forget that all content is free to play now, most of it doesn't have loot-locks, and that some other limitations on non-subscribers have been lightened, or removed - like cash cap - so it's pretty much a given that any new feature will aim to bring in money - especially, if that feature eliminates a lot of revenue from leveling arts on multiple alts. Expecting to pay less for unlimited copies of an artifact, than the price of an 8th of ditch-weed is just not realistic. Maybe at some point they will introduce a cheaper single-use version of the token, for those who don't want that many alts, but I doubt this would satisfy many people, especially those who expected sharing artifacts to be free. Which was never going to happen since artifacts are one of the main motivators for people to spend time in the game, or money on it.
Spoken like a true champion. While nth metal caches are a thing of the past I reckon x2 arts is not and will be available in the nearest future cos if they took x2 arts away now it'll look like a cash grab with the Wolfpack Token excitingly forcing people to buy them. I believe the Wolfpack Token is an option? anyone can still level up arts on alts for free if they choose too.
There most likely will be a double art XP week at some point. But they used to occur quite often - we had 4 in 2022, in 2023 we got 2 within 3 months, then nothing (unless you count the one, which happened immediately after the previous one in June, so no one could save up any Nth Metal for it - it only gave people more time to feed their EOGs into other arts). We also used to get double Nth Metal drop weeks on top of that, but they don't seem to be happening anymore. This year's Black Friday sale didn't include Nth Metal, which it did in previous years, and Christmas sale was just 20% off art XP. Now it's been over 6 months since the last double art XP week, and we already know we're not getting another one for at least another 3 weeks. Clearly - the devs are much less generous with art XP now, which makes sense, if they want to make Wolfpack arts look more attractive. So having a double art XP week every few months, or before every episode is a thing of the past.
it's already been said that this type of event is destined to disappear one day or another, or could be!
Did you start playing this game in the last 5 years? You are in every thread arguing with people based on the completely false premise that the level of monetization in this game has always been the way it is. That's just blatantly not true. There have been lots of changes over the years that have significantly increased the cost of playing this game at the highest level, and I'm genuinely curious as to how you can keep insisting otherwise. I was a teenager without a lot of money when this game came out, yet I was able to play at the same level as everyone else because there were little to no financial obstacles. The only advantage those with lots of money had was that they could acquire their gear a bit faster by buying replay badges. That's it. On the other hand, if I were 10 years younger and teenage me discovered this game today, it would be literally impossible for me to play at the same level I did back then. I would either have to accept that I'd be behind for a very long time, or just abandon the game pretty much immediately.
Obviously you don't care about the game enough to understand change is constant. If you listened to EG7 showcase you'll understand the game is not as profitable as it was back then thus there must be compromise to keep the game afloat. If you think Daybreak will keep the game active to run at a loss my friend you don't understand business. Daybreak is not a charity organisation the sooner you realize that the sooner you begging to enjoy the game and everything that comes with DCUO. They are absolutely not greedy.
5 years should be more than enough time for an adult to recognize a pattern and find a different hobby, if they're unhappy with the level of monetization in the game, instead of constantly acting shocked about it and hoping that throwing tantrums will turn back time. No, I'm arguing, that this game was always meant to make money for corporations. And that even in the times before TCs and artifacts, when the game was allegedly all rainbows and sunshine, people were complaining about whatever monetization the game had - Legendary perks, replay badges, purchasable episodes and overpowered new powersets, et cetera. Did those complaints help?
What a weird question.. Why do you care? Buy it or do not buy it.. Because he is willing to wait.. as some will choose to.. pretty smart.
Its more about keeping profit margins than keeping game afloat. Watch the showcase again. DCUO generates most revenue for them, which is funneled into other projects. They need more money for OTHER projects.
