Expansions, cost to return

Discussion in 'General Gameplay Discussion' started by Avianna, Jan 26, 2013.

  1. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    So I guess if you where a palyer in WOW and quit 2 expansions ago you would not go back there either, costs a couple of bucks less then eq2 to go back when you are missing 2 upgrades and you pay 15.00 a month for the subscription.
  2. mouser Well-Known Member

    I agree. It's sort of the "curse" of MMO's - even if everything is great, you have to keep changing things (or rotating players). If you want the same players to stay long term, you have to keep giving them a new game to play, even though it's the "same" game with the same title.

    I think EQ2 has done a decent job with that. Not perfect, but nothing ever is. I went back to WoW and was totally blown away (in a bad way) by the lack of talent trees now. To me that was one of the games best features - being able to tweak your class to the way you play. Yeah, you could make some sucky builds, but they put in a talent reset option for that.

    Now it's EQ2 that has the better character customization - and they're starting to go that way with crafting too. with the Prestige tradeskills. Even the regular tradeskill AA's are something (although getting them all in a lump and your choice really being: what one skill do I leave out? leaves something to be desired)

    If the cost to come back is too high do something else. Hell, I had a blast playing the Ville's for a few months when I couldn't sub to anything. I think I even bought some Cityville cash during a sweet promo they gave me once. This is a game - if you don't like it / can't afford it / don't wan't it or some combo of the three, there are hundreds more out there to choose from.

    In fact, there are even things you can do with your family that *gasp* don't involve you all sitting in front of a computer screen (if you're an 'adult' family all moved out and this is a way to get together and stay in touch, I totally dig that).

    Bottom line: vote with your wallet - if you don't like the price, don't pay it.
    Find something else you enjoy more - you'll probably be happier in the long run anyway.
    Spindle likes this.
  3. Avianna Well-Known Member

    Point is that the expansions are not the money makers and SOE is constantly whining What can we do to entice players to come back. Well, there it is in a nutshell give away all the expansion content including AoD and CoE and with a one year sub. just watch how many one year subs you get SOE. and with each one of those subs comes SC purchases. My point is not to whine about which does or does not cost more or to feed the trolls over the details, but rather to open the eyes of SOE and show there is a better way out there.
  4. SteelPiston Active Member

    Think of EQ2 as a FREE pepperoni pizza. If you want any extra toppings, you'll have to pay for them.
    Finora, Kalderon and Estred like this.
  5. Salty21db Active Member

    I love setting back and reading these types of posts personally and they are posted all the time on every game in every genre.

    I'm an extremely stingy person (on the verge of Jewish, I'm just missing the cool beard) and I personally am confused by these even.

    Since when is $40-$80 once a year or so a lot of money? Most Americans spend more than that in fast food, beer, cigarettes, etc. Fact of the matter is if you take issue spending even a one time payment of $100 and then $15 a month thereafter, you should probably look at your problems in life over concerning yourself with how you're going to play a video game. Just saying...
  6. Malleria Well-Known Member

    If you think SOE doesn't aim to turn a profit on expansion sales you're out of your mind. Of course expansions are money makers.
  7. Toran Member

    $80 bucks is allot to the people you want to pull in and that is the early adult (20's), low income people, teens and preteens that has to beg their parents for cash.. Hook any one of these and you have a steady stream of cash coming in. Granted it isn't a lot of cash from one but it is if you hook 100's. I don't think they should give their expansion away but I do think they should include the entire game in each one.
  8. Salty21db Active Member

    Those two statements together amuse me.

    And free to play doesn't do that? Come on get real. This thread is a joke and should be locked lol. Feedback is one thing but begging is another.

    *Edit* And for the last time it's $40 to come back to the game, you don't HAVE to buy AoD to see all content.
    Kalderon likes this.
  9. Kalderon Well-Known Member

    Yep, but there seams to be enough peeps out there that try to count things right.... 1 3 2 6 4 7 5 ^^ somehow :)
    Sometimes, you need to take some bucks in hand to have fun.... i bet no one thinks about 80 bucks if a nice girl is line ;)
  10. Valkysas Member

    Look other mmorpgs are newer have 10000x more ppl have a much better engine for pc's made in the last 5 years! have developers who no how to make stuff that works -dungeon finder- and no how to keep it working and dont spend $ on stupid stuff - soe mote-

    now the max cost for one of them games + every single expansion + free game time = 69$
    -Wow 69$ will get you every expansion + full game + 10mil ppl to play with and a engine that works well
    - rift 49$ ^ same minus the 10mil but still way more than eq2 will ever have again



    So some one taking a 2 year brake from games do to real life stuff can spend 80-100$ coming back to a almost dead game or spend a bit more than half of that for a game that is not dead and has allot more ppl playing and prob will run 100x better


    all the ppl in here saying there no need for a all in one pack are just delusional
  11. Kalderon Well-Known Member

    Maybe, those games counted are so great, that some peeps do look out for eq2, hence it´s so old and boring.... didn´t get that tbh.
    Only a game has more players, a better engine... doesn´t made a great game out of it... or does it? (Everyones own taste, that´s matters).
  12. Avianna Well-Known Member

    I feel like I am dealing with juveniles here, I am the OP I am the guy that gave away half my land, 80, 100, 200, 500, 5,000 bucks is nothing to me. However, the point that I continually bring this thread back to is this, in order to get the number of people up in game, playing, telling their friends, spending SC, buying subs, they should give away the expansions. But only if you commit to a years sub, that is a 365 day commitment and with it should come ALL the content. Is that too hard of a concept for a troll brain to understand? I know it works I have done it. You can be the fancy burger joint that sells hamburgers for $10 and get some customers, or you can be McDonald's that sells a burger for $0.99 and have a ton of customers, that come back for fries and a drink and an ice cream cone and... and... and.... At the end of the year who turned the better profit???
  13. Kalderon Well-Known Member

    And this should could payoff the cost of servers and maintain and development?
    It´s not like that mcdonals had made a huge invention to attract new customers (some sort of tweaks, yes got me).
    Well i do understand what you´re trying to say, not that huge of problem, but it will not pay of to keep the game up.... and the investors happy (after all, the man behind all of it).
    Call it beginner package, restarter platium package or whatever.... do rebat to long term players.... as i wrote somewhere else.... i need CoE, i dont need the other expacts that "comes" with it, but i HAVE to pay full ;)
    There are plenty options for SoE to be taken, doubt there will be taken some near.
  14. Wingrider01 Well-Known Member

    TANSTAAFL - you get what you pay for, McDonalds menu and "food" - and the term is used very loosely show it - would rather pay 10 bucks for a decent meal that I know is a higher quality and better

    Curoius - to who did you give half you land to or is that just a metaphor to attempt to prove your point? Sorry don;t believe in the dole method of doing business, subscriptions pay for the multirtude of server farms and the supporting costs, expansions sales help pay for developers and QA, business 101. You can play the game perfectly well with just what is given to you on the dole with a FTP senario, if you want hard core with raiding, then pony up the cost to support what you want. You get the KIA for free, you want a Shelby Cobra 600HP - then pay for it

    Lest we not forget for those that go with a re-occurring monthly subscription you get paid back monthly
  15. crazyeyes321 Active Member

    Why do we get another of these threads every other day?

    Would making the expansion all in one or even free increase potential numbers? Yes. Is more numbers always the best option? No. If the game costs too much for what you consider its value to be, dont buy it and move on, or be content with the access you currently enjoy.

    I don't even make much money myself as a full time student with a wife and kid, living off post-911 benefits and student loans, but am able to swing the cost of the expansions and subscription by sacrificing a cup of starbucks or one trip to McDonalds a week or two.

    Maybe Im just old school and don't feel Im entitled to things just because I breathe.
    Kalderon likes this.
  16. Kalderon Well-Known Member

    And pay les then 15 bucks, if you take a long term sub.
  17. Estred Well-Known Member

    Year long Subscription(365 days): $119.88 billed Every 12 months
    Monthly Cost: $9.99

    So yeah, buy in bulk and you save money the return costs over time is $90 and upfront is $199.88. By what others are suggesting how many people would return and then leave the second it expires just like they did with the Winback program? Problem with Winback was that some people apparently thought that the Gold features they used would remain unlocked and that they would get a free month upon subbing at the end. Bottom line is Sony will charge what people will pay. They may offer promotions at their own discretion.

    Imo a 3 day (1 weekend) sale of $70 that included AoD, CoE and 1 month subscription. Previously I had suggestion $65 but given what you are getting, a $95 value, saving $20 is good and Sony would regain most of that in 1 month should that player even sub 1 measly month. Perhaps then the chance for new players would be worth the sale price. That however is the Marketing departments call not the Everquest 2 Devs. You are asking the overheads to look at this not the devs themselves.
    Kalderon likes this.
  18. Finora Well-Known Member

    If you are a brand new WOW player, to fully upgrade your account from the basic freebie trial costs $79.98 ( just checked my account freebie trial account). I guess they give Wrath of the Lich King for free now because it's exactly the same amount to upgrade my actual formerly paid WOW account that had not actually purchased WOTLK but now has access to it.

    Rift is relatively cheap at $49.99 but they are a newer game with only the one expansion & have been trying to give me the game for free since right after beta.

    It would be $69.99 for me to return with all expansions to LOTRO (bought the first expansion) and as far as I've seen with LOTRO I'd probably have to buy some quest packs too to access some things as a free player or cough up the sub. For a new player it would be $79.98.

    This is something ALL of them do. Good or bad. SOE in the past had been the better of all of them since they used to give all the former expansions for free with the most recent, with AOD (which I do think should be reduced) they changed that up. But what they are doing really isn't any different at all than the others. And unlike WOW you can play with out a sub & unlike LOTRO if you play free you don't have to buy an load of quest packs to have access to the questlines.
  19. GnomesAreForEating Member

    It's pretty clear that SOE is erring on the side of "minimal investment, minimal ROI." By keeping entry costs high, they reduce not just the likelihood of attracting new players but the 'need' to continue developing both ends of the game instead of what they currently do--spending the lion's share of dev time on expansions geared to developing end game content.

    This is the phase in the lifecycle of a game where the developer isn't particularly interested (actions speak more loudly than words) the continued life of this component of the franchise. EQ2 will never be what EQ was (and currently still is); the need is to keep just enough players un-pissed off that when EQNext comes around, the bulk of the EQ2ers will jump ship to it and leave Norrath 2 to RIP.

    Large companies don't run business the way many 'normal' people run business. It is not enough to simply post a profit, the siren call of increasing profit at any cost comes into play. This is why Cracker Jack surprises suck @$$ compared to the prizes 20 years ago (open one and see for yourself.) It explains why "half gallons" of ice cream went from 64 oz to 58 oz to 54 oz and now are a quart and a half (48 oz) in some cases.

    It explains why, regardless of whether Joe Company B can continue to post profits by leaving its manufacturing plants stateside, it will choose transplant costs of X millions of USD to move operations to a place where the cost of labor is (at least for now) cheaper--it will post more profits by doing so, and result in shareholders who are happier (the primary of which are the people who run the company itself.)

    The stupid among us may still believe the universal truth of the maxim "greed is good," however clear it has become, over time and with impossible-to-ignore evidence that faced with the following maxim, the first fails every time:

    Too much of a good thing is still too much.

    GAFE
  20. Finora Well-Known Member

    Oh and I forgot the whole unless you are already at 90 from playing with SF you can come back to the game for no cost at all. WoW certainly doesn't allow that. And while you can do that with LOTRO, you have to pay for quests as you go along.

    If you are new to Eq2 you can start playing for the grand fee of...nothing. All the way to 90 if you want to deal with the item/spell/chat restrictions for nothing at all (though I'd suggest at least springing $5 for the silver account). You can access all the content through SF including all quests, the only thing you'd need to pay for is equipment upgrades if you really wanted to equip some of the legendary/fabled items that drop (though mastercrafted is more than adequate for most of that content). Last I saw WOW only allows up to level 20 (doable in a day) before you have to sub and Rift to level 30 (I haven't played enough to get past 20something so I don't know how fast you can get to 30) with item and coin restrictions you can't remove without a sub.

    Vanguard does F2P better than EQ2 imo, but they were also the last of the SOE games to go F2P and due to lack of population had special needs hehe. They also have no expansions.

    I will reiterate that I think AOD should have been discounted now, but it really isn't required for the game, just a convience like xp potions & stuff of that sort. The features it gives are nice imo but you can play just fine without them though if you do high end raiding you might miss the reforging. Everything else is basically unneeded.