18 replies to this topic

[Dant]

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Warning: Don't put too much hope into this
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Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft has largely cornered the massively multiplayer online role-playing market since its launch in November 2004, boasting a current paid subscriber base of some 11.5 million. However, a number of other MMORPGs have been able to carve out a spot by employing a free-to-play, microstransaction supported business model, including Dungeons & Dragons Online, The Lord of the Rings Online, and a wide variety of Asian titles.

Microtransactions could be WOW's future.

So would Blizzard consider a free-to-play model for its already massively successful MMORPG? Maybe, according to WOW lead designer Tom Chilton. As part of an interview with PC Gamer magazine, the veteran game designer noted that having players pay for a $15 monthly pass might not always be the best option in terms of monetizing WOW. However, Chilton also said that the trend toward the free-to-play model isn't necessarily a reaction to WOW.

"I feel like they're doing that to compete with other games that are on a similar subscriber level to what they were at," he said. "I imagine that when one of them went free to play it cannibalized some of the other subscribers. I can definitely imagine that being the case with World of Warcraft. If another game comes along and blows us away it may not make sense for us to have a subscription fee. Or even further down the line, when we have another MMO out."

Though WOW remains a subscription-based game, Blizzard has already implemented a number of microtransaction features into WOW. In addition to in-game services ranging from server transfers for in-game characters to name and faction changes, the studio also sells in-game items such as the $25 Celestial Steed and $10 Lil' XT pet. Blizzard also offers gamers remote access to manage WOW's in-game auction house from a Web browser or mobile phone for an extra $3 a month.



Source: http://www.gamespot.com/

[Dant]

Personally, i want all time and money that i had spend for this games back now...

[Phil]

I don't think that's going to happen. Blizzard is sitting on a mountain of cash because of WoW; they would need to lose players in absolutely massive amounts to free MMORPGs before they will make WoW free...

[Gfire]

Well, if we could just convince 10 million people to stop paying, they would probably make it free...

More realistically, I would certainly play if they made it free. Or, if they make a future MMO free, I will play that. Not sure if that would be WoW2 or maybe a Diablo MMO. They did say no plans for a Starcraft MMO at this time. Or they could start an entirely new franchise.

Alternatively, maybe a while after the release of a new MMO they will make WoW free.

[Dant]

One thing that's certain, it'll be free...probably someday in the(not near) future, when other gaming developer company push hard and making MMO that can match WoW, though Blizzard may make it free...they might put some trick into it and force people to paid again.

[Allathar]

Never in a million years... 11.5 million people monthly paying $15 to keep on playing, that's hundreds of millions of dollars a year. I seriously doubt that microtransactions can gain that much. So, unless the game loses a lot of players to free MMOs or if noone playes it anymore in a few years due to WoW2 or Diablo Online, I don't see it happening.

[Gfire]

Over two billion a year.

[Master Windu]

Never in a million years... 11.5 million people monthly paying $15 to keep on playing, that's hundreds of millions of dollars a year. I seriously doubt that microtransactions can gain that much. So, unless the game loses a lot of players to free MMOs or if noone playes it anymore in a few years due to WoW2 or Diablo Online, I don't see it happening.

Actually, I'm willing to bet that they'd gain more from a microtransaction system than they would with flat monthly payments. I don't know if WoW has lifetime subs, 3 month discount subs, etc, like LOTRO does, but there's a significant loss of money when you factor those in.

Free-to-play does not mean free access to the entire game. You'd get some of it free, then perhaps 5$ for a new zone (zones that monthly subscribers get free) or 2$ for a certain item. How about 25$ for an x-pack? 25$ for a transfer? 20$ for a name change? 10$ for the rest of the zones that monthly subs get for free but you didn't get. It adds up. Plus, people are very willing to shell out 2$ and 3$ for immediate gratification, they don't realize that all the charges build up very quickly.

[Phil]

Yeah, but don't forget that those $15/month are fixed. I bet the people leaving and joining the game are about even so that makes it a guaranteed $2 billion every year. The micro-transaction system would need to gain them considerably more that they would cut this stream.

I wonder how many casual WoW players would actually be satisfied with how much the free version would offer. Not everyone wants to cash in extra to unlock more stuff, I bet a lot would simply enjoy a good game, which it then still would be, for free. Also, how many people are playing WoW while it's billed to mommy's or daddy's credit card every month? You'd lose a lot of teenagers who can't just pay as much as they want every month (then again, I don't know WoW's payment system so I might be totally wrong here).

[Dant]

And there's people quit WoW every week due to several reason, some cannot afford to paid anymore, and some people might get bored or after all they just want to play good MMO but they're prefer free stuff so LOTRO and many of free MMO are their solution.

Number of player are uncertain, it's up and down for everyweek, and if other MMO gaming developer company push hard in marketing, at least they can lure many people to play their games instead of WoW.

And by this new, it isn't mean fully 100% to play, Blizzard use some itemmalls system and might finally force people to paid again though cheaper.

Still i woudn't agree less about "million years..." or "over two billion" Blizzard can dig alot of money from WoW...and they won't destroy their gold mine.

[Allathar]

It's a also a huge gamble for Blizzard. A guaranteed hundreds of millions of dollars a year, or a system that may or more probably may not provide more? I know which one I'd pick if I was in charge. There's also the tiny fact that Blizzard would have to redesign how the game works, with 'free' people getting less content etc.

[Gfire]

I don't think it would require a lot of redesign. It's already like that with the expansions. But... It would still be quite a lot of work.

BTW, are any of you in Cataclysm beta or heard much about how it is? I hear it's pretty much the same as wotlk.

[Dant]

If i were you i woudn't expect huge change, since Cataclysm are just another expansion, but have some good beta video from youtube, will post it in another topic soon.

[Nertea]

Blizzard games tend to advance incrementally if at all, so yeah, I wouldn't expect anything but more of the same.

As to the topic, well... would you forefit a continuous, predictable revenue scheme for something that is significantly more random and more heavily influenced by individual customer preference? Free to play does nothing except attract more customers, and with a game that already dominates the MMO market and doesn't look like it'll be dethroned anytime soon, customer attraction is really no longer required. It's the competitors that have to mess with complex payment schemes in order to promote their product over arguably the most accessible and polished MMO out there. I mean, I have a strong dislike for the game, but even I can see that .

Edited by Nertea, 04 July 2010 - 03:35 AM.

[Gfire]

Indeed...

[Dant]

Coudn't say that better myself...

But for the most of all...duh, i'm just doing my job posting new, I am not a person behind this

Edited by Dant, 04 July 2010 - 09:31 AM.

[Digz]

Turbine are doing this for LotRO and to be honest they have set up a system where they have different levels, for example you download the game online for free and play free but the free players have limits. Those limits are rather ridiculous and people will have to pay to remove certain barriers for example the gold limits, which they will make revenue from as a 1-2g limit is stupid in LotrO because mostly everything will cost at least 1g minimum.

Where as if you buy the CD, you will still be able to play for free but with increased limits, I think its 5g for the gold limit, but of course people will have other barriers that they will have to pay for e.g. character slot limits and of course the 5g limit.

Then of course you have the still pay per month option where everything is unlocked, for LotrO I don't think many will follow this option, but for WoW I still think a lot of people will do this option due to the players attitude towards WoW itself. If WoW follows this type of procedure then they will still make considerable revenue, even if it may be on an ad hoc basis from around 5% of the community that will play the game for free, and still get a steady stream from those that buy the CD's.

[Gfire]

If the free play is limited enough, I doubt many people paying would downgrade. It would be more likely just to bring in a lot more people, who will hopefully upgrade. Of course, it does cost them money to have players that aren't paying them, but I doubt those players would play a whole lot if they weren't going to upgrade. All depending on how limited the free version would be, of course.

[Digz]

Exactly, a gold limit would be crucial and force people to update, even if it was a one time payment of £10 to remove the gold cap, even if its to another more higher cap, they could still earn money that way. Not forgetting a character limit, so you can only have up to 2 character slots on your server, and you have to pay £8 to get a new one, that's basically the subscription fee for the month.