Pattern Ghost Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Cryptic finally made a substantial comment on the issue: Update 7/22: Bill Roper interview on TTH. Haven't read it yet, it went up today: http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/71536 http://forums.champions-online.com/showthread.php?t=23349 Inserting quote: I know everyone has questions about microtransactions – what are they, how much are they, etc. I’m sorry we didn’t post something earlier; we’re really heads down in development right now. We’re going to release a WHOLE lot of information in the very near future about not just about microtransactions, but pricing in general. That said, here’s some basic principles about microtransactions to at least answer some of your concerns: 1) Microtransactions enable us to have a larger development team 2) Microtransactions are mostly aesthetic (costume pieces, pets, etc.) 3) If a microtransaction does have any sort of in game effect, then it can be also be earned in game. I promise we'll read this thread, note any questions, and answer them more in depth soon. Heck, I'll try to answer the easy ones today/tomorrow/this week. Update: The new State of the Game has more on them: http://www.champions-online.com/node/92892 The Skinny on Micro-transactions Champions Online will support micro-transactions, but contrary to the concerns of some people, the game is not ‘based’ on them. There are the basic tenets for our micro-transactions: * The vast majority are aesthetic items, such as costume pieces, action figures, emblems, etc. * A very few are account-level management tools, such as being able to rename a character * Micro-transactions should never limit your ability to enjoy the game or reach the level cap * Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play Also, it’s important to note that the overwhelming majority of micro-transactions are account-wide. This means if you buy a costume piece or an action figure, every character on your account gets it. Finally, many of the pre-order programs that we’re finalizing now have cryptic points associated with them. This is a way for us to allow our players to choose their own pre-order reward(s) which falls into our whole customization concept for Champions Online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revenant Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up IF it reduces the monthly cost somewhat I can see this as a good idea. I'm really worried about MMOs that cost $15 under this current world economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up A big turn off for me - they said mostly cosmetic, and I would be find with that... but if there are any, and I mean any, in game effects that can be purchased with microtransactions you immediately have the "guy with the deep pockets gets the more powerful X" - one of the reasons I stopped playing CCGs and related games. I have never played MMOs, and I don't generally like to play online with people, so I have been on the fence about CO. This news pushes me further to the "nope" side of the fence. I will wait and see however - It all depends on how it works on the 360 - my computer doesn't have the minimum specs to run it on PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I'm in wait and see mode as well. Kind of dampens my enthusiasm a bit, but if it means a lower monthly, then I could get on board with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragdoll Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I'm in wait and see mode as well. Kind of dampens my enthusiasm a bit' date=' but if it means a lower monthly, then I could get on board with that.[/quote'] I'll be surprised if mtransactions lead to a cheaper monthly rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up A big turn off for me - they said mostly cosmetic, and I would be find with that... but if there are any, and I mean any, in game effects that can be purchased with microtransactions you immediately have the "guy with the deep pockets gets the more powerful X" - one of the reasons I stopped playing CCGs and related games. I have never played MMOs, and I don't generally like to play online with people, so I have been on the fence about CO. This news pushes me further to the "nope" side of the fence. I will wait and see however - It all depends on how it works on the 360 - my computer doesn't have the minimum specs to run it on PC. My guess is that very few if any of the microtransactions will be more than cosmetic bits, such as some costumes and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajackson Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I'll be surprised if mtransactions lead to a cheaper monthly rate. It's hard to say 'cheaper' when you don't have a baseline. In the end, a game needs to produce a certain level of profits to be worth putting new resources into. Thus, if a game produces extra revenues from microtransactions, it doesn't need to as much money from subscriptions to be successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I'll be surprised if mtransactions lead to a cheaper monthly rate. I'm not betting on it either. More wishful thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up It's hard to say 'cheaper' when you don't have a baseline. In the end' date=' a game needs to produce a certain level of profits to be worth putting new resources into. Thus, if a game produces extra revenues from microtransactions, it doesn't need to as much money from subscriptions to be successful.[/quote'] I think in this context -- at least the way I was using the word -- "cheaper" means "cheaper than games without microtransactions systems" or "cheaper than the industry standard." In other words: Less than the usual 15 bucks a month base price most MMOs charge. For example, Free Realms is a Sony game that's free to download and play, but you get more content if you subscribe for five bucks a month, and you can use Station "Bucks" (not sure what they're called) to buy more stuff with microtransactions. (And to be clear, this is very much not the model Cryptic is going for. Just an example.) Anyway, until they release pricing info, that's all speculative. I'm sure if there's any impact on the monthly fee, it'll be dependent on projected sales from the store, which will be partly dependent on how extensive said store is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zane_Marlowe Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up For those worried about non-cosmetic microtransactions, remember that they said the items would be something you could earn in-game too. So it's not that the guy with deeper pockets gets something you won't, it's just that he'll get it sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Wow look at the paranoia here. Look, Cryptic is just doing the same thing they did in City of Heroes. They have been doing microtransactions there for Costume piece updates. A few of them have included a minor buff item, but nothing that is so powerful that "everyone" must have it. Other items included a Character Rename Service, Extra Character slots, and Server Transfers. I doubt that you will see Cryptic selling special ubar powers or special lootz or even game currency. In City of Heroes they used the money they recieved from the Costume upgrade packs to pay for more Free costume pieces and for rewrites of old zones that were not used often by the current server population. Also it allowed them to develop the costume change emotes (animations that triggered when you changed costumes). That is a technology that first appeared in the Magic Costume upgrade pack, but was recently rolled out to the rest of the community (with new non magical emotes). I understand it also helped fund he new upgrade that will allow power colors and other power customization. So this is a good thing. BTW all of the packs were $10 each so they aren't every expensive. They even allowed folk to purchase stuff that was only available in their special "Collectors editions" of the game. tasha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Wow look at the paranoia here. I don't see any paranoia. In fact, the post you quoted has the same reassuring tone as yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I don't see any paranoia. In fact' date=' the post you quoted has the same reassuring tone as yours.[/quote'] I should have quoted someone else. tasha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted July 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Well, there's a lot less paranoia over here than on the CO boards. I'm getting mostly a "wait and see" vibe here, as opposed to the frothing at the mouth going on over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Well' date=' there's a lot less paranoia over here than on the CO boards. I'm getting mostly a "wait and see" vibe here, as opposed to the frothing at the mouth going on over there. [/quote'] That's one reason that I don't post over there anymore. That and a sense of not mattering Tasha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Mmmmm, froth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragdoll Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up *froths at the mouth and makes hasty statements based on little or no evidence* I kid! I kid! XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethosos Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up If you need to see a game with microtransactions in place, try Puzzle Pirates' Dubaloon Oceans. You don't need to pay to play, but accessing some of the content requires Dubaloons, which is a secondary form of currency on those oceans. (They're the ones with green color names.) It doesn't restrict you to playing, really, but eventually you'll want that brig, which requires buying a Badge with the dubaloons. It's a different way of using transactions, but it's a viable method of generating currency at your own rate of progression. (The Suscriber Oceans--blue names--are still worth playing, as the orignal Midnight is still quite lively.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up If you need to see a game with microtransactions in place, try Puzzle Pirates' Dubaloon Oceans. You don't need to pay to play, but accessing some of the content requires Dubaloons, which is a secondary form of currency on those oceans. (They're the ones with green color names.) It doesn't restrict you to playing, really, but eventually you'll want that brig, which requires buying a Badge with the dubaloons. It's a different way of using transactions, but it's a viable method of generating currency at your own rate of progression. (The Suscriber Oceans--blue names--are still worth playing, as the orignal Midnight is still quite lively.) My point is that different games use Microtransactions differently. Cryptic's history is that of using them to add Costumes and other "fluff" to the game that they couldn't otherwise afford to fund the development of. In Free to play games Microtransactions are the revenue stream that keeps the servers open so they tend to sell cool stuff that you could play without, but make the game far easier if you do buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted August 1, 2009 Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up I don’t get why some people freak out about microtranactions. I mean, even games without them have people over in Asia farming in game resources and selling them for real money online. I don’t think things actually released by the company are going to be any worse than that is in many games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up True - illegal microtransactions already destroy game balance in many MMOs, it doesn't really make much difference if the official source does or does not sell balance destroying objects. This particular setting is even less PK than most so it shouldn't be too big an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up And again, "balance destroying objects" aren't even going to be sold unless Cryptic is blatantly lying, or you see things with minimal game effect, that can be earned in game as well, as being "balance destroying". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Checkmate Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Re: Microtransaction (Cryptic Bucks) Info Up Honestly Microtransactions don't bother me a bit. It's not that I'm rich and can afford anything, it's that I just don't care. I don't care if someone else buys an uber-destory-the-planet-with-one-shot power for $10. It doesn't effect my game at all. I don't PvP because I'm horrible at it, and I'm horrible at it because I just don't care. I don't go searching for the 1337 loot in MMO's I just do the things I think are fun, and if I get something cool along the way yay me! I just don't care how other people spend their time in game. I don't care if they level faster because they spent more money, or have better gear. As long as their aren't harassing anyone or directly effecting someone else's ability to enjoy the game, meh so what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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