See my quote earlier by saying that Blizzard and WoW are the exception, not the rule. I think that bringing WoW and Blizzard into the discussion are simply trying to equivocate this to a mainstream MMO, and how a dozen million players are used to paying a subscription rate. Also, WoW costs $15 a month. Nobody here is even remotely suggesting that Gameloft would propose that sort of subscription number. 1. Blizzard updates minor bug fixes and content patches once a week. 2. Blizzard collects $15.00 + for subscription fees, including paid character name changes, transfers, character changes, class/race changes, authenticator sales, in-game purchases such as mounts and in-game pets, and mobile-armory sales. 3. Gameloft could very easily follow a similar, very successful pattern of forcing players to pay a monthly premium, as well as charging for vanity items in-game but on a much smaller scale. Who on earth would be upset about paying 1-3 dollars a month, for even monthly or bi-monthly updates and content patches/fixes when in retrospect they're paying 15 times that for weekly updates that are usually equivalent to balance fixes, icon updates, small hotfixes and minor ability tweaks. Blizzard usually saves their large content updates for bigger-scale updates, when they're updating entire version numbers, and even then it's not often that Blizzard introduces entirely new content into the game. We don't see entirely new instances, zones and large-scale updates every week. Why, the re-introduction of ZG and ZA has been on the test realms for how long now? (I've not played in about 2 weeks, so I don't know if they're finally in-game yet). 4. Most MMO players could easily see paying a dollar, two or even three a month if in fact they were paying the same for WoW's mobile armory functionality which includes now in-game chat, access to the auction house, and access to their character and game item profiles. 5. I just don't see what the problem with assuming that there is even a remote possibility that Gameloft would see fit to charge even a minor premium for the cost of upkeep on a constantly running MMO game, regardless of the platform. 6. This game could very well be played on an iPad or other tablet screen. Which would make the real-estate on the screen much more accessible to people that want more space than an iPhone/iPod screen. They're in fact not useless at all. While it's useless to assume that Gameloft will achieve the numbers that Blizzard has, it's certainly not crazy to assume that Gameloft could glean even a few ideas from the most successful pay-to-play MMO model the industry has seen to date. Thanks! I sure will, it's been a good Friday so far, and it promises to be an excellent weekend! ^_^ Thanks!
With a considerable amount of iOs gamers being children under supervision with iPods, parents are not going to allow them to pay a monthly subscription to play an iPod game. Realistically and I'm going to be very generous here, 10,000 people would download/purchase/play this game, if that. Easily 8,000 of them will be on iPods/iPhones, making the iPad arguement mute. This is a universal release so Gameloft will be targeting iPod/iPhone first over iPad. Adding subscription fees would scare away easily 3,500 of those people. The end result isn't worth it to Gameloft, even at $2-3 monthly. People like me would DEMAND constant updates for my money, which we see Gameloft is very poor on delivering based on their existing history. While there's no facts to my post, I think the numbers are very realistic.
I'm sorry, I totally disagree with you. First, I somehow doubt that the majority of iOS gamers are children under adult supervision. I come from an entire four decade old generation that are gadget junkies, and before that were video game junkies. While I totally agree that there is a huge market for young people using iDevices for gaming, there is equally a substantial number of people playing video games that are long into their adult lives, and have more than a substantial income to afford video games. That's like assuming the majority of players on Xbox Live are kids, simply because they're really into video games. The industry was built on my generation's shoulders, and we're a very involved generation well into our adult lives. I also find the idea that only 10,000 players would be downloading this game, if that. If you watch trending on the iTunes store, games like Angry Birds have hit numbers into the millions without question. There's no telling if this, just like any other iDevice game, could hit a target demographic of tens of millions of players across the two largest cellular carriers in the US alone. Not considering anyone living anywhere else in the world. The iPhone alone services many countries, some of the largest are Canada, Australia, and various countries in Europe. I'm not saying that it WILL reach such a target audience, but it's entirely possible. As for considering the notion that they're scaring off potential clients with a subscription model, that's preposterous. That's like assuming Apple just released Garage band, with the assumption that everyone was going to buy it, no matter what. I'm sorry, but the software release of the iOS Garage Band has been a huge success, and found excellent reviews, but is still targeted towards an audience that not only knows what Garage Band is, but knows how to use it. Other software is the same, from iMovie to Evernote, every software package has a target demographic, and something tells me Gameloft is going into the MMO world knowing full well that the adolescent demographic that spends their time playing nothing more than the "Idiot Test" and making silly noises on fart apps, or using free-to-text programs is certainly not the demographic they're aiming for. Many many very adult MMO subscribers, across many games, have smartphones. For one to assume that even a small fraction of these people, paying adults to presently popular MMO games would catch wind of this game and be interested is an understatement. I'm sure, even if "wow subscribers" alone were interested, Gameloft would be profiting from their audience. If we're considering a US only audience, of a very very small demographic, then yes I totally buy into your numbers. I'm widening the scope to people, both pre-teen to 40, across several continents, tens of millions of which have active subscriptions to currently popular MMO games, from WoW to F2P games like Maplestory. There's a lot of potential here. That's like saying, only 14 year old girls use Facebook. Yes, 14 year old girls may use Facebook, but so does everyone else. I for one really hope that you're wrong, I would like to finally see a real, full-scale MMO on my iDevice. I hope that the only buyers aren't a few thousand tweens, because I would like this to become something fun, supported and bar-setting. For that to happen, more than a handfull of kids are going to have to want this. I certainly wouldn't hope that this turns into an un-supported title that fades out of existence a month after its launch.
I NEVER said "Majority". I said "A considerable amount of iOs gamers". You're now comparing a $6.99 game (assumably) to a $.99 game. Additionally, a "hardcore" audience vs. a "casual" audience. Very bad comparison. Black Pegasus is a more valid "niche" comparison. Then why hasn't anyone attempted this on iOs yet (with a game)? Interest, sure. Ultimately playing on a tiny iphone/ipod screen vs. a pc monitor is no comparison. They won't be leaving wow for this anytime soon. I'm sure you know this already, but iOs is the "casual" gaming king. People don't buy iPhone/iPod/iPad for "hardcore" gaming. Releasing a game like this won't change that demographic. Saying the pay to play model would scare some people away is very realistic.
All it boils down too is this, and this is literally the only point been trying to make. While there's no way of knowing what is to come, I think people should keep in consideration that it's a very possible reality that Gameloft may make this a subscription modeled game. It's not absolute, I have never even proposed that it's a terribly strong possibility. I'm simply stating an opinion, based on decades of video game playing experience, and at least a decade if not more in the MMO-scape alone, that there may be, a remote chance that this may go subscription. No facts, nothing etched into granite, just a small observation that it's a possibility. I can't see any reason anyone would disagree with that. To do so, must surely mean they would have some inside knowledge of the future of this game, because there's a "remote chance" this game may not even come out. There's a "remote chance" this could be free to play, a "remote chance" this could cost $300 an hour. All I've said, quite literally, is in my honest and very humble opinion, there's a simple and slight chance this might go subscription. And people should be ready for anything. This is the first major attempt at anything like this on a mobile device at this level. I'm just hoping for the best. ^_^
I'll be right there next to you clicking the "BUY NOW" button as fast as I can, regardless of subscription fee or not my friend.
Good to know! What we should really be discussing here, is the chance that there will be multiple servers. Under that suspicion, it would be really awesome if we all teamed up and tried to rally together into one faction on one realm into one guild, supposing there are guilds and all. The TA community is rich with good people. I could see us all working together quite nicely! I for one want to be a healer. I've always loved playing a healer. Then again we have really no idea what the classes even are yet, heh.
Hi all I just wanted to suggest a possible method to sort out this debate. One person said that a high one time payment would reppel customers, and I think this is likely, there are a large number of children/teens using itouch's who do not have alot of money. I think we have already established that hardcore gamers who are serious about this game will pay anyway, wheter thats subription or not. Also, as many people have said time and time again, subscription puts people off aswell. I can understand this, but if you think off how long you play an Rpg for, it's usually a month or two at the most. If say, the game way 2.00 a month, that's only 4.00 you've spent. Although this is true, if this game is engineered correctly, it will never end. I have played WoW, and also spent a cOnsiderable amount of money on Pocket Legends. One thing I noticed is that alot of people will sPend money on trivia. For instance, when Christmas came around, people shelled out mOney for constumes. Maybe, is the game cost say, 4.99, which would not be too much for the younger customers, and gameloft made good use of Easter, Halloween etc, they could keep racking in money while the game was at a fixed price. The extra items would have to be trivia though, because as mentioned earlier, in game purchases would ruin the game. In this way, every one wins, we still get updates, the game is at a fixed price, and gameloft still make a decent amount of money. Please respOnd, I would like to hear all of your opinions
Okay... WOW updates their games regularly. That's the whole difference. IMO i just think it's going to be a regular Gameloft game that they will release for $6.99 and be on with it. And I read the "Apple doesn't allow subscriptions" from AppleInsider not to long ago.
And also take in mind it's an iOS game. I realize the iOS has advanced rapidly in gaming publicity, but most iOS users are looking for simple games like doodle jump and angry birds. I know very few people who would pay more than $7 on an iPhone app... Well because they think it's just an iPhone and they could be playing WOW instead. So all this leads me to say... Veeery few people would want to subscribe to an iPhone game.
Gameloft keeps pushing the boundaries of the iPhone. Kudoos to them. @i3lackdawn If its from gameloft thousands of people will subscribe
If you are reading this gameloft... Listen to the people. We want this to be subscription based. $3 a month with regular updates would be very good. This could be you golden game, and you may never have to make a game again if this is successful and people are constantly paying. Good luck gameloft, and i hope you don't mess this up. This is your last chance to make an amazing game without ruining it for most of us.
Man you guys are just ready to rip on Gameloft eh? They have made so many amazing games for you guys to enjoy, and yet "this is your last chance"? :\ Come on dude, ease up a bit. This game will be awesome, just like all the rest.
A few posts back I provided a link directly to Apple's site that discusses their new subscription model, that gives developers the ability to set up a paid subscription service for their apps. In face, there are already apps using the model, one that comes to mind is the daily for the iPad.
