You can barely be bothered with chat because of the rage over the Cash Shop items. Seriously, people who should be enjoying the early days of OB are at each others throats over this lunacy. Okay, you've said it's not a typo, you really meant to price it that way. Wow, is about all I can muster. I was READY AND WAITING to spend money in the cash shop. I support games I'm playing but I have no intention of being gouged just 'cuz. MMO successes are far and few these days. You'd better watch yourself. Bad buzz spreads like wild fire.
I am officially boycotting the Allods Cash Shop, along with other bloggers such as Keen and Brannagar, until someone over at gPotato gains a sense of reason. I am so thankful I hadn't bought any of the game's funny-money in advance. Whew.
Like I said about canceling STO quickly. No more mixed signals. Buying or subscribing - providing any sort of revenue stream to a game or publisher that is not meeting your expectations as a customer, SENDS THE WRONG SIGNAL. Your dollars or lack there of, is your strongest voice.
I'm not going to stop laying Allods, it's free. When I get tired of walking back to NPCs (no mounts and long distances between things) to vendor items because we only get 18 spaces in a bag and the quest required items take up 1/3 of that space, then I'll go find something else to play. Unlike a game such as WOW, in Allods you must purchase rubies to get your talent points. That means you need in game cash. Leaving trash on a mob, in a game where cash comes slowly, will be felt. I'm boggled by how someone or some team decided to price items in this game. Just floored.
Within the first two weeks of ROM I spent $70 for permanent items I felt warranted the value. Many of the items keep giving all the way to maximum level. Besides which, I created something I've always wanted but never could achieve in another game, having my own crafting workshop to share with friends and guild mates. I would have HAPPILY SPENT THE SAME IN ALLODS, if they'd given me items worth the cost. Instead the gave me the finger so I'm giving one back. No soup - err, no CS purchases for you!
Allods, you seriously had my money at hello, until gPotato decided that I'm a stupid American who would pay $20 for 6 extra spaces in my bag. In your dreams my friends. In your dreams.
Thank you for the common sense here. I feel the exact same way. I'll have fun with the game until I won't have fun anymore (just like with every game). If I hit a wall where I need to pay $20 for a few bag slots, I'll move on to something else. Sure, it sucks to have character progress come to a stand still at that point, but I play these games to have fun, not to progress anything. That's what real life is for.
Posted by: Shawn | February 20, 2010 at 08:02 AM
I was in Allods closed beta and only mildly interested in it - until I saw Keens video of his astral ship. But the prices Keen is reporting in the cash shop make Gpotato more akin to a robber than a game developer.
Posted by: Julie Whitefeather | February 20, 2010 at 08:46 AM
I was only mildly interested in the game during closed beta. I thought about going back to the game after I saw keens video of his astral ship. However the prices in the cash shop make Gpotato more akin to a robber than a game developer.
Posted by: Julie Whitefeather | February 20, 2010 at 08:48 AM
I find it interesting that another F2P game, Free Realms, which seemed to have a big problem keeping players for very long, recently changed their business model somewhat:
1. removed all weapons from the cash shop
2. changed the combat so you really don't need pots or food that much and even if you do you can get them in-game or use crafted items (went a bit too far and made it too easy for high levels, but they are apparently working on that)
3. made almost all jobs "free" up to level 5, but then you really need to be a member to play at that point
4. keep putting out lots of pets, just added mounts and lots of optional things such as clothing, boom boxes and so forth, clever housing where you can build stuff, with most housing items bought with in game gold. Non-members get a tiny apartment, members get one free small house and the two extra houses they offer aren't very expensive
5. now give members a discount on cash shop items, as well as pricing new items at fairly reasonable amounts, not to mention making in game gold very plentiful again, even more than it was in beta/release
So they kind of became a Free 2 Try game, with a low cost monthly subscription ($5.00 or $2.50 a month if you stock up on station cash when they have double SC offers, like I did, heh)
Result? The game seems busier than at release, people are buying stuff like crazy (based on what I've seen) and it doesn't feel like you are being gouged left and right. I think they are using FR to experiment and will use it as a model for DC Universe. And if they go with a $5 sub and reasonable cash shop similar to FR they can count on me playing DC Universe too! A complete turn around from how I was just several months ago when it seemed SOE had abandoned FR.
Hmm, Superhero game with housing? Make your own Batcave or evil lair? Sounds like fun to me!
While companies like NCSoft and Cryptic try to rip you off with both a sub and over-priced cash shop, I think the future might (hopefully) see more low cost subscription with reasonable cash shop type games. I expect Allods to crash and burn based on the company running it, quite honestly. I would have bet money they planned on upping the cash shop prices at release, although I was surprised by just how much! But we shall see which method(s) survive in the long run.
Posted by: Yarr | February 20, 2010 at 10:51 AM
I find it interesting that another F2P game, Free Realms, which seemed to have a big problem keeping players for very long, recently changed their business model somewhat:
1. removed all weapons from the cash shop
2. changed the combat so you really don't need pots or food that much and even if you do you can get them in-game or use crafted items (went a bit too far and made it too easy for high levels, but they are apparently working on that)
3. made almost all jobs "free" up to level 5, but then you really need to be a member to play at that point
4. keep putting out lots of pets, just added mounts and lots of optional things such as clothing, boom boxes and so forth, clever housing where you can build stuff, with most housing items bought with in game gold. Non-members get a tiny apartment, members get one free small house and the two extra houses they offer aren't very expensive
5. now give members a discount on cash shop items, as well as pricing new items at fairly reasonable amounts, not to mention making in game gold very plentiful again, even more than it was in beta/release
So they kind of became a Free 2 Try game, with a low cost monthly subscription ($5.00 or $2.50 a month if you stock up on station cash when they have double SC offers, like I did, heh)
Result? The game seems busier than at release, people are buying stuff like crazy (based on what I've seen) and it doesn't feel like you are being gouged left and right. I think they are using FR to experiment and will use it as a model for DC Universe. And if they go with a $5 sub and reasonable cash shop similar to FR they can count on me playing DC Universe too! A complete turn around from how I was just several months ago when it seemed SOE had abandoned FR.
Hmm, Superhero game with housing? Make your own Batcave or evil lair? Sounds like fun to me!
While companies like NCSoft and Cryptic try to rip you off with both a sub and over-priced cash shop, I think the future might (hopefully) see more low cost subscription with reasonable cash shop type games. I expect Allods to crash and burn based on the company running it, quite honestly. I would have bet money they planned on upping the cash shop prices at release, although I was surprised by just how much! But we shall see which method(s) survive in the long run.
Posted by: Yarr | February 20, 2010 at 10:53 AM
I'll still be playing the game (which server are you on, Saylah? I have been meaning to make an Empire Paladin or Psionicist)... but yes, my desire to support the devs with a bit o' cash has been considerably diminished.
It's probably worth noting that I think the devs have done a great job... it's the businesswonks I have nothing but disdain for.
Posted by: Tesh | February 20, 2010 at 11:56 AM
I find it interesting that another F2P game, Free Realms, which seemed to have a big problem keeping players for very long, recently changed their business model somewhat, removing weapons from the cash shop and making combat easier. They added housing with building blocks and most of the house items can be bought with in-game gold. They price items in the cash shop fairly reasonable and now give members a discount on CS items, as well as bonus gold amounts for the mini-games. They just added mounts at decent prices.
Result? The game seems busier than at release, people are buying stuff like crazy (based on what I've seen) and it doesn't feel like you are being gouged left and right. I think they are using FR to experiment and will use it as a model for DC Universe. And if they go with a $5 sub and reasonable cash shop similar to FR they can count on me playing DC Universe too! A complete turn around from how I was just several months ago when it seemed SOE had abandoned FR.
Hmm, Superhero game with housing? Make your own Batcave or evil lair? Sounds like fun to me!
While companies like NCSoft and Cryptic try to rip you off with both a sub and over-priced cash shop, I think the future might (hopefully) see more low cost subscription with reasonable cash shop type games. I expect Allods to crash and burn based on the company running it, quite honestly. I would have bet money they planned on upping the cash shop prices at release, although I was surprised by just how much! But we shall see which method(s) survive in the long run.
Posted by: Yarr | February 20, 2010 at 12:38 PM
Thanks Shawn. I'm pissed because I was so excited and stop playing CB to enjoy the OB and live game. But I will not give them a nickel under the current circumstances which is said, since I had quite a few nickel set aside for Allods.
Posted by: Saylah | February 20, 2010 at 01:32 PM
I have to agree with all the blogs I've been reading about this craziness that is the cash shop on Allods at the moment. I've done the P2P thing. . .and I've done some F2P as well (never spent 70 bucks on a decked out crafting workshop but had no problem buying a perma mount on RoM) but now I'm a little hesitant about allods.
I jumped into the open beta (Xadaganian Stalker on Nezeb. . .go empire!) and have really been enjoying it. . .crowds and all. I've even got some other friends talking about it. . .one who NEVER would try any other F2P game I looked at. Now with the high cash shop prices. . .and the talk of the death penalty and the price of perfumes for end game. . .i wonder if there is a point in continuing. I don't really want to pull my friends over to what seems like a really good game just to have the rug pulled out from us when we get to higher content.
I'll just keep the hope alive that it's still beta and things can change. right? they WILL change, right?
Posted by: DecafJoe | February 22, 2010 at 11:45 AM