Comments on: Micro-transactions vs. subscriptions in MMOs: A debate that practically lead to a fistfight

By: AshStampede

AshStampede — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:42:33 +0000

I think micro is best, I can enjoy play a mmo like albatross18 months apart simply by the fact i am not being charged for it or bound to play. I have bought items in that game but would have been the equivalant of one month subscription on WOW but I have play albatross far longer. that panel also raised some good points mainly about piracy and second hand game market. I think what would be best is a guild wars love child, buy the item at retail or digital distrubution and then players choice how far the rabbit hole goes. If they want to buy that wand of uberness or play the game till something rare drops.

By: AshStampede

AshStampede — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:42:00 +0000

By: TacoBeaver

TacoBeaver — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:30:39 +0000

I play all nexon games, my folks dont let me buy NX and Im still alive, maybe when I go to US ill buy a NX card. Its less than neccesary to make a MT

By: TacoBeaver

TacoBeaver — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:30:00 +0000

I play all nexon games, my folks dont let me buy NX and Im still alive, maybe when I go to US ill buy a NX card. Its less than neccesary to make a MT

By: Irrelevant

Irrelevant — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:39:09 +0000

Microtransactions are only good if they are: A. about the same as paying a monthly subscription or B. Cheaper than paying a monthly subscription.
They way I see it being done (with xbox live) is that this is simply a way to nickle and dime gamers to death, I think a future of micropayments will be the kiss of death of free modding (why pay for that +30 awesome sword of righteousness when I get it for free?)
It is good for paying for optional things that are not really needed in the main game or for things that one would be able to get anyway, however, if I am paying a subscribtion for a game I had better not end up having to pay extra for some exclusive item that I cant get through other means.

By: Irrelevant

Irrelevant — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:39:00 +0000

By: JeremyR

JeremyR — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:36:34 +0000

While clearly WoW is the most dominant MMORPG, I think the next two biggest MMORPGs are microtransaction – Maple Story (as mentioned) and Runescape.

I think new MMORPGs almost need to be free to play in order to compete with WoW. Because really, what can they offer that WoW can’t? Maybe a different genre, but all in all, most non-Wow MMORPGs get maybe half a million subscribers at most. (I should note, Mr. Emmett’s MMORPG, or former MMORPG, has only 125,000 subscribers or so.)

That said, micro-transaction MMORPGs can actually end up costing you more. Even those that don’t necessarily require you to buy stuff to advance in the game, it can be awfully tempting to buy goodies for your characters. I play Sword of the New World (aka the US version of Granado Espada) and I just dropped $10 just to buy one of my characters a new outfit.

Still, I Like them better because there’s not any time pressure to play. Like if you play $15 a month, you feel like you are losing money when you aren’t play the game.

By: JeremyR

JeremyR — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:36:00 +0000

While clearly WoW is the most dominant MMORPG, I think the next two biggest MMORPGs are microtransaction – Maple Story (as mentioned) and Runescape.

Still, I Like them better because there’s not any time pressure to play. Like if you play $15 a month, you feel like you are losing money when you aren’t play the game.

By: Hello Hello

Hello Hello — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:54:09 +0000

I honestly prefer Micro-Transactions. If I spent $100 on items a year, I’d still be paying less than the poor sap who is subscribing to World of Warcraft every month.

By: Hello Hello

Hello Hello — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:54:00 +0000

I honestly prefer Micro-Transactions. If I spent $100 on items a year, I’d still be paying less than the poor sap who is subscribing to World of Warcraft every month.

By: Darrien

Darrien — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:54:11 +0000

Truth be told, I can’t ever see me playing a free game and paying for an item in it, so myself would always gravitate to a subscription based service.

However, Emmert’s reaction is enough to make me seriously regret that, because a philosophy like “it’s not WoW so it doesn’t matter” is simply inane, and I’m rather shocked that he ever became a CCO with that kind of attitude. It’s personally insulting to me even more so since I don’t like WoW in the first place.

At this point, I’m seriously hoping he faces at least some kind of reprimand, because that’s not the kind of publicity one wants to present for one’s company (“My product sells so it is right and perfect”)…

By: Darrien

Darrien — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:54:00 +0000

Truth be told, I can’t ever see me playing a free game and paying for an item in it, so myself would always gravitate to a subscription based service.

By: TacoBeaver

TacoBeaver — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:18:29 +0000

micro transaction is better LIVE WITH IT, btw WoW will fall on mabinogis shadow soon… MUAHAHA, VIVA NEXON

By: TacoBeaver

TacoBeaver — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:18:00 +0000

micro transaction is better LIVE WITH IT, btw WoW will fall on mabinogis shadow soon… MUAHAHA, VIVA NEXON