@Phlebotomy_Jones the current model they are using works, and will continue to do so for this and many other games. The problem is that after their first quarter numbers they are currently running at a 29% decrease in revenue per month. While there is not way to tell what there budgets were one could imagine that there were wanting/expecting a profit increase. Without doing any research as to why they are losing they are going tward offering players new ways to spend their money not listening or asking the customers (players) why they have stopped spending. The "grab" for money will continue until the start to listen or they pull funding for the game.
When I first read the update, I was thinking it'd be a boost up to 7 star lvl 70 with lvl 7 abilities and gear for like 30-40 usd. But this is not even close to being worth it.
Can't blame the devs if there's people willing to spend 15 bucks on this.
If you start throwing money at a game without knowing it's bacis mechanics, then it's on you.
It's also why Electronic Arts is voted the worst company in America every year. When you pay for something and then find out it was a rip off. You tend to get a bad buisness rating. I sure don't sit and research something every time I spend $20.
@Phlebotomy_Jones the current model they are using works, and will continue to do so for this and many other games. The problem is that after their first quarter numbers they are currently running at a 29% decrease in revenue per month. While there is not way to tell what there budgets were one could imagine that there were wanting/expecting a profit increase. Without doing any research as to why they are losing they are going tward offering players new ways to spend their money not listening or asking the customers (players) why they have stopped spending. The "grab" for money will continue until the start to listen or they pull funding for the game.
In these points we are in agreement. They, like others, are desperate to get more money from that top 10% of paying players.
Although according to that SWRVE report 40% of sales are in the $0-5 range, it's only 16% of revenue.
My view, and it seems we agree here, is that these developers seem to only be interested in enticing larger repeat sales from the top end. To me it seems the whole industry is focused upon getting more from the paying players instead of getting more players to pay.
With stupidly high prices and low in-game value (which is easily perceived by even young players), a decline is obvious.
No one keeps going to that family, round the corner restaurant once they get "a little too proud and pricey."
Apologies, I've gone on again, and really just meant to say that we seem to agree and to apologize if I was smug.
Edit: I'm surprised **** l y is blocked
Edit edit: sounds like stew-ped
Can't blame the devs if there's people willing to spend 15 bucks on this.
If you start throwing money at a game without knowing it's bacis mechanics, then it's on you.
It's also why Electronic Arts is voted the worst company in America every year. When you pay for something and then find out it was a rip off. You tend to get a bad buisness rating. I sure don't sit and research something every time I spend $20.
Time Warner has had that title for cable company's for many years(same can be said about a lot of different companies). They are now the largest cable company in the US. We may not as consumers like it but it works. Bad PR and Cusromer Service works when you offer a product that everyone will continue to come back to.
Horrible execution. This instant upgrade replaces almost no effort in the game...
Even my 8 year old thinks it's a giant rip off.
Following the Lando Fiasco and the rumored upcoming Poe/Phasma promotion, it really feels like the devs put little to no effort or thought into rewarding players but countless hours into finding ways to skim money.
The character of the month hasn't been worthwhile, the crystal subscriptions replaced with a worse offer, the training droid bundles, the event and challenge rewards, ridiculously priced character packs which never return, Aurodium packs...the list just goes on and on…
Although my kid's pretty wise for her age, I just can't believe there are regular players spending money in this game. Oh I know someone always will, and there is lots of evidence that 1% of players support the industry...but why not draw in the casual spenders too?
When the game launched in Dec., the prices and rewards had me pushing the game and even spending.
Haven't spent a dime since the TFA bundle, and there hasn't been a single change since which has encouraged me to.
This isn't one either, I'm actually a little insulted at the pricing.
I thought this game was handling the freemium model better....boy have I been fooled.
I still like the game, but it's going to take a big change of direction to get any more money from me. I know that's a tiny ripple in the ocean...
Sorry didn't mean this to be a rant, but abusive freemium monetization really irritates me and this seems like another step down that road.
Players have the right to spend their money anyway they want to, and the Dervs have the right to try to make money as games are not ran by volunteers. It's your choice if you want to pay or not.
Thanks for clarifying that; I had no idea there was a free enterprise system in which companies sought profit, nor that I had any choice in the matter. Now I can make better informed decisions, which was kinda the point…
My comment was essentially an inditement of the freemium system and the consequent deferment of my participation in this particular iteration.
There's an interesting article about freemium game models here, if you want to better inform yourself too:
From your link.
"Another way to keep keen players coming back would be to reduce the privileges given in purchases so they will need to buy more to play more."
Horrible execution. This instant upgrade replaces almost no effort in the game...
Even my 8 year old thinks it's a giant rip off.
Following the Lando Fiasco and the rumored upcoming Poe/Phasma promotion, it really feels like the devs put little to no effort or thought into rewarding players but countless hours into finding ways to skim money.
The character of the month hasn't been worthwhile, the crystal subscriptions replaced with a worse offer, the training droid bundles, the event and challenge rewards, ridiculously priced character packs which never return, Aurodium packs...the list just goes on and on…
Although my kid's pretty wise for her age, I just can't believe there are regular players spending money in this game. Oh I know someone always will, and there is lots of evidence that 1% of players support the industry...but why not draw in the casual spenders too?
When the game launched in Dec., the prices and rewards had me pushing the game and even spending.
Haven't spent a dime since the TFA bundle, and there hasn't been a single change since which has encouraged me to.
This isn't one either, I'm actually a little insulted at the pricing.
I thought this game was handling the freemium model better....boy have I been fooled.
I still like the game, but it's going to take a big change of direction to get any more money from me. I know that's a tiny ripple in the ocean...
Sorry didn't mean this to be a rant, but abusive freemium monetization really irritates me and this seems like another step down that road.
Players have the right to spend their money anyway they want to, and the Dervs have the right to try to make money as games are not ran by volunteers. It's your choice if you want to pay or not.
Thanks for clarifying that; I had no idea there was a free enterprise system in which companies sought profit, nor that I had any choice in the matter. Now I can make better informed decisions, which was kinda the point…
My comment was essentially an inditement of the freemium system and the consequent deferment of my participation in this particular iteration.
There's an interesting article about freemium game models here, if you want to better inform yourself too:
From your link.
"Another way to keep keen players coming back would be to reduce the privileges given in purchases so they will need to buy more to play more."
Seems to be what CG/EA has decided
I'm no marketer pushing monetization, but to me, in any other industry, that seems like a great way to kill repeat business.
But that strategy with upwards price creep seems to rule the day.
My hope is that the slow downward trend for top spenders reveals this to be true and the gaming industry matures from the "grab it now" model to encourage a wider diversity of spenders, without the easy to spot manipulation of new players.
To be honest though, is anything in this game not a cash grab? Nothing is cheap in this game.
Aurodiums, chromiums, card packs. This is inline with prior pricing.
And if they can keep releasing overpriced content - it means people are buying.
I made a thread earlier telling people to "Beat the cash grab, hold onto your resources till meta change" It was erased within minutes of posting and I was told not to tell people not to spend money.
To be fair though that's the moderators not cg most likely.
I've seen more questionable modding on here than any other forum I've been on. Not saying their all bad, but some of it is really abuse of power.
I'm literally one warning away from a ban. Not that I really care tbh, I'm too stubborn to be censored.
I mean, is telling people to "Beat the cash grab" against forum rules?
That is for the moderator to decide. Which is inherently a flaw in the structuren of this forum.
Rules need to be black and white, not open to the moderators discretion. I've been modded for using **** instead of a swear word.
Yes, because typing stars is a bannable offense.
So have I. It was called "Bypassing the filter"
The irony is that I've also been warned for actually swearing and letting the censor take over because "When someone quotes you they can see what the swearing is".
So uhh? What am I to do? This forum censors the acronym for Darth Sidious and Screenshots.
So we have an over the top censorship that's built in, but we can't use it or not use it? What. Smh
To be honest though, is anything in this game not a cash grab? Nothing is cheap in this game.
Aurodiums, chromiums, card packs. This is inline with prior pricing.
And if they can keep releasing overpriced content - it means people are buying.
I made a thread earlier telling people to "Beat the cash grab, hold onto your resources till meta change" It was erased within minutes of posting and I was told not to tell people not to spend money.
To be fair though that's the moderators not cg most likely.
I've seen more questionable modding on here than any other forum I've been on. Not saying their all bad, but some of it is really abuse of power.
I'm literally one warning away from a ban. Not that I really care tbh, I'm too stubborn to be censored.
I mean, is telling people to "Beat the cash grab" against forum rules?
That is for the moderator to decide. Which is inherently a flaw in the structuren of this forum.
Rules need to be black and white, not open to the moderators discretion. I've been modded for using **** instead of a swear word.
Yes, because typing stars is a bannable offense.
So have I. It was called "Bypassing the filter"
The irony is that I've also been warned for actually swearing and letting the censor take over because "When someone quotes you they can see what the swearing is".
So uhh? What am I to do? This forum censors the acronym for Darth Sidious and Screenshots.
So we have an over the top censorship that's built in, but we can't use it or not use it? What. Smh
Can we not hijack the thread and instead continue complaining about this ridiculously priced "upgrade" system?
I have never been involved in a bring a game to market. But I do question laying the whole cash grab on the developers. Maybe I am thinking of the grouping wrong but in a company the size of EA and CG my thinking is the developers would be the ones coding and fixing or not fixing the bugs and issues not setting the prices for these things.
To be honest though, is anything in this game not a cash grab? Nothing is cheap in this game.
Aurodiums, chromiums, card packs. This is inline with prior pricing.
And if they can keep releasing overpriced content - it means people are buying.
I made a thread earlier telling people to "Beat the cash grab, hold onto your resources till meta change" It was erased within minutes of posting and I was told not to tell people not to spend money.
To be fair though that's the moderators not cg most likely.
I've seen more questionable modding on here than any other forum I've been on. Not saying their all bad, but some of it is really abuse of power.
I'm literally one warning away from a ban. Not that I really care tbh, I'm too stubborn to be censored.
I mean, is telling people to "Beat the cash grab" against forum rules?
That is for the moderator to decide. Which is inherently a flaw in the structuren of this forum.
Rules need to be black and white, not open to the moderators discretion. I've been modded for using **** instead of a swear word.
Yes, because typing stars is a bannable offense.
So have I. It was called "Bypassing the filter"
The irony is that I've also been warned for actually swearing and letting the censor take over because "When someone quotes you they can see what the swearing is".
So uhh? What am I to do? This forum censors the acronym for Darth Sidious and Screenshots.
So we have an over the top censorship that's built in, but we can't use it or not use it? What. Smh
Can we not hijack the thread and instead continue complaining about this ridiculously priced "upgrade" system?
The entire premise of my musings/posts was to lead up to a big conclusion regarding the tie-in to the secular relativity of this new implementation and the connotations it has to my aforementioned complaints.
See;
To be honest though, is anything in this game not a cash grab? Nothing is cheap in this game.
Aurodiums, chromiums, card packs. This is inline with prior pricing.
And if they can keep releasing overpriced content - it means people are buying.
My apologies if it came across as not have any correlation, but it will make sense as soon as I post the remainder of my loathe.
An excerpt from my other musings posted hencewhere;
Guys, this game doesn't have a story mode.
There's no "legacy" here. No great writer and developer who wants to tell a story and have you marvel at its beauty. This is no final fantasy X, this is no the last of us.
The entire premise of this game is to have you hooked on collecting toons and using them. It's basically preying on your love for these genres.
That being said, a year, 5 years from now, will you remember this game? What for? It's beauty of a story? It's marvelous setting in a magical world of fantasy and exploration?
Or will you remember spending $500 on what can be described as gambling?
This game was designed to make money from the ground up. It's very core is designed to earn $$$.
If the team put 1/50th as much of their energy into making new content and fixing bugs as they do nerfing rewards and thinking of new ways to rip off players we'd have a bug free game with loads of content by now
This "deal" is a joke, it takes practically nothing to get a character to lvl 42 G6, theyre just trying to ripoff the newbies like with the master/apprentice pack for yoda LOL
Now, $15 US to take an unlocked character to level 60, level 6 gear...maybe. I'd pay $5 to bypass grinding a purple gear slot. Especially those darn shower drains for RG. Dude needs so many shower drains.
Sorry @EA_Jesse ... I started this as I wanted to know the reality behind the offer. Look what it's become. Kinda embarrassed about some of the reaction here, and I regret its in a thread I started.
Lesson though... Perhaps announce with full details, and ahead of time. Solicit feedback from your community. Communicate.
Otherwise...well...this happens.
I personally believe you have the right to charge whatever you want, however you want. People choose to pay, or not to pay. In this instance, should I have been offered one of the boosts, I'd choose not to pay.
The other lesson I feel I see here, is that you have many members of the community that would have been willing to pay some form of money for a legit higher level toon boost. Many seem to have voiced they'd pay for shard boosts to get from 6-7, and for materials and gear. Again, for higher level toons. I suggest you take that into consideration as well.
Unlocked Ugnaught today, heres how many credits is needed to get to lvl 42 (Around $1.90 in crystals)
All my characters that aren't gear level VI, are because they all need these pieces
MK 1 BAW Armor Mod
MK 1 Czerka Stun Cuffs
MK 2 Chiewab Hypo Syringe
Only reason i don't have these is because every character needs a bunch of these, EVERY CHARACTER!
All the other pieces up to VI, i'm stock up to 100+ pieces. Your spending $10-$11 on gear you can easily farm in less than a day. 173k in credits, is less than a full GW clear too.
Here's an example someone posted on the Reddit:
Anyone who has been around a while knows just how bad a deal that is (probably like $15 in the US). Getting to level 42 costs under 200 2-star training droids and 200k credits, and most of us have more low-level gear than we know what to do with.
Just another way to rip off newbies. Nice priorities on the development there guys.
I'm not sorry @EA_Jesse, please read these posts and see what your customers are wanting/saying.
@Dantefire is correct, there is absolutely nothing's my wrong with adding things and wanting payment, however, the issue is bigger than that. Players don't care to pay money ( I have spent thousands) but they don't want to do it when they feel there is no other reason for it that to spend money. Doing something with this test like changing it to crystals to upgrade the character and make it more like when we max a character we can choose another to upgrade. I realize this is geared tward new players, but that is the biggest problem. Absolutely nothing has been done for the players who are level 70 and have nothing to do daily aside from sim.
Replies
What!? That is almost no credit savings. What 300k? We need what 7M for level1 to 80 4 star to 7 star and gear and skills.
Exactly.
You wanna beat the credit crunch?
Better have a credit card.
I'm literally one warning away from a ban. Not that I really care tbh, I'm too stubborn to be censored.
I mean, is telling people to "Beat the cash grab" against forum rules?
Can't blame the devs if there's people willing to spend 15 bucks on this.
If you start throwing money at a game without knowing it's bacis mechanics, then it's on you.
It's also why Electronic Arts is voted the worst company in America every year. When you pay for something and then find out it was a rip off. You tend to get a bad buisness rating. I sure don't sit and research something every time I spend $20.
Although according to that SWRVE report 40% of sales are in the $0-5 range, it's only 16% of revenue.
My view, and it seems we agree here, is that these developers seem to only be interested in enticing larger repeat sales from the top end. To me it seems the whole industry is focused upon getting more from the paying players instead of getting more players to pay.
With stupidly high prices and low in-game value (which is easily perceived by even young players), a decline is obvious.
No one keeps going to that family, round the corner restaurant once they get "a little too proud and pricey."
Apologies, I've gone on again, and really just meant to say that we seem to agree and to apologize if I was smug.
Edit: I'm surprised **** l y is blocked
Edit edit: sounds like stew-ped
Time Warner has had that title for cable company's for many years(same can be said about a lot of different companies). They are now the largest cable company in the US. We may not as consumers like it but it works. Bad PR and Cusromer Service works when you offer a product that everyone will continue to come back to.
From your link.
"Another way to keep keen players coming back would be to reduce the privileges given in purchases so they will need to buy more to play more."
Seems to be what CG/EA has decided
Preach. I'll probably be warned for this.
So have I. It was called "Bypassing the filter"
But that strategy with upwards price creep seems to rule the day.
My hope is that the slow downward trend for top spenders reveals this to be true and the gaming industry matures from the "grab it now" model to encourage a wider diversity of spenders, without the easy to spot manipulation of new players.
The irony is that I've also been warned for actually swearing and letting the censor take over because "When someone quotes you they can see what the swearing is".
So uhh? What am I to do? This forum censors the acronym for Darth Sidious and Screenshots.
So we have an over the top censorship that's built in, but we can't use it or not use it? What. Smh
Can we not hijack the thread and instead continue complaining about this ridiculously priced "upgrade" system?
The entire premise of my musings/posts was to lead up to a big conclusion regarding the tie-in to the secular relativity of this new implementation and the connotations it has to my aforementioned complaints.
See;
My apologies if it came across as not have any correlation, but it will make sense as soon as I post the remainder of my loathe.
An excerpt from my other musings posted hencewhere;
This "deal" is a joke, it takes practically nothing to get a character to lvl 42 G6, theyre just trying to ripoff the newbies like with the master/apprentice pack for yoda LOL
Sorry @EA_Jesse ... I started this as I wanted to know the reality behind the offer. Look what it's become. Kinda embarrassed about some of the reaction here, and I regret its in a thread I started.
Lesson though... Perhaps announce with full details, and ahead of time. Solicit feedback from your community. Communicate.
Otherwise...well...this happens.
I personally believe you have the right to charge whatever you want, however you want. People choose to pay, or not to pay. In this instance, should I have been offered one of the boosts, I'd choose not to pay.
The other lesson I feel I see here, is that you have many members of the community that would have been willing to pay some form of money for a legit higher level toon boost. Many seem to have voiced they'd pay for shard boosts to get from 6-7, and for materials and gear. Again, for higher level toons. I suggest you take that into consideration as well.
Cheers...
All my characters that aren't gear level VI, are because they all need these pieces
- MK 1 BAW Armor Mod
- MK 1 Czerka Stun Cuffs
- MK 2 Chiewab Hypo Syringe
Only reason i don't have these is because every character needs a bunch of these, EVERY CHARACTER!All the other pieces up to VI, i'm stock up to 100+ pieces. Your spending $10-$11 on gear you can easily farm in less than a day. 173k in credits, is less than a full GW clear too.
Not much of a deal there.
@Dantefire is correct, there is absolutely nothing's my wrong with adding things and wanting payment, however, the issue is bigger than that. Players don't care to pay money ( I have spent thousands) but they don't want to do it when they feel there is no other reason for it that to spend money. Doing something with this test like changing it to crystals to upgrade the character and make it more like when we max a character we can choose another to upgrade. I realize this is geared tward new players, but that is the biggest problem. Absolutely nothing has been done for the players who are level 70 and have nothing to do daily aside from sim.