Microtransactions and monthly fee MMORPG's

I know that monthly fees are required to maintain the servers for MMORPG games and some games have microtransactions and some monthly fees. But now, Blizzard is gonna do both, by adding the re-customization feature in the game. This new feature will allow you to change your character's look and even gender but at the price of $15. Certainly, this is optional and it doesn't bother many people since they just don't care about their looks but there are others who do. And as soon as Blizzard sees how much extra income this feature gives them, they will start making more microtransactions that at some point can become essential for a better success in the game.

There are a lot of other MMORPG's that use this way to make money. You level up to a certain point and from there on, you basically have to pay for some items just to get forward in the game. Sure, it's "optional" but there are already features that are payed through microtransactions that give major advantages to be more successful.

So, in near future, you might see WoW becoming the most expensive MMORPG to date. You pay for WoW+2 expansion packs (you seriously need those)+monthly fees+microtransactions.

I'll put my flameshield on just in case since there may be a lot of WoW fanboys on these forums. Oh, and I beg of you not leave comments like "You're just poor", because I am a poor college student but wealthy enough to play an MMORPG with monthly fees.

I know that monthly fees are required to maintain the servers for MMORPG games and some games have microtransactions and some monthly fees. But now, Blizzard is gonna do both, by adding the barbershop feature in the game. This new feature will allow you to change your character's look and even gender but at the price of $15. Certainly, this is optional and it doesn't bother many people since they just don't care about their looks but there are others who do. And as soon as Blizzard sees how much extra income this feature gives them, they will start making more microtransactions that at some point can become essential for a better success in the game.

There are a lot of other MMORPG's that use this way to make money. You level up to a certain point and from there on, you basically have to pay for some items just to get forward in the game. Sure, it's "optional" but there are already features that are payed through microtransactions that give major advantages to be more successful.

So, in near future, you might see WoW becoming the most expensive MMORPG to date. You pay for WoW+2 expansion packs (you seriously need those)+monthly fees+microtransactions.

I'll put my flameshield on just in case since there may be a lot of WoW fanboys on these forums. Oh, and I beg of you not leave comments like "You're just poor", because I am a poor college student but wealthy enough to play an MMORPG with monthly fees.

Supafly1

Actually the barbershop feature has been in for over a month now and it only costs in-game gold to use. And you can't change your gender with it.

i predict in the near future it will cost $1 for each step ur character takes. $2 for attacking. Bak at the blizzard head quarters the devs r prob thinking. fuk it, lets just cash in. All these addicts and fanboys will do anything for this game, hell..there have even been deaths due to this game".

Sorry, I misread it for barbershop, I'll call it re-customization. I'll edit my post.Supafly1

Thanks. Please provide the link to this as Blizzard has denied it ever since this rumor came out months ago. The only additional charge they've ever had (and stated they ever will) is if you want to move a character from one server to another. And IF a company allows it, they've all charged for that service.

That's how a lot of the free to play MMO's operate. It's certainly a good way to grab a little extra money for a game that already charges a monthly fee.

That's how a lot of the free to play MMO's operate. It's certainly a good way to grab a little extra money for a game that already charges a monthly fee.

zero3one

Yeah the free MMO's supplement income through pay to use items and quests, and of course, advertising (Anarchy Online).

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml

It's the first news on their page.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml

It's the first news on their page.

Supafly1

Very interesting indeed. Unfortunately it's not a monthly fee or a mandatory expense. You only pay it if you want to make the changes that most other MMO's will not allow at all. So it really doesn't support your argument that WoW will be more expensive because of it. I, for one, will never use the service,and therefor will never incur the expense.

I played WOW when I was in School, when I started working, I don't have time to play it, it's kindda wasting money if I pay monthly fee for online games.

Now I only play free MMOs, I would rather to spend money on items.

It would be a huge mistake from Blizzard. It's a known fact that all F2P MMOs with micro-transactions are imbalanced.RK-Mara

I know that monthly fees are required to maintain the servers for MMORPG games and some games have microtransactions and some monthly fees. But now, Blizzard is gonna do both, by adding the re-customization feature in the game. This new feature will allow you to change your character's look and even gender but at the price of $15. Certainly, this is optional and it doesn't bother many people since they just don't care about their looks but there are others who do. And as soon as Blizzard sees how much extra income this feature gives them, they will start making more microtransactions that at some point can become essential for a better success in the game.

There are a lot of other MMORPG's that use this way to make money. You level up to a certain point and from there on, you basically have to pay for some items just to get forward in the game. Sure, it's "optional" but there are already features that are payed through microtransactions that give major advantages to be more successful.

So, in near future, you might see WoW becoming the most expensive MMORPG to date. You pay for WoW+2 expansion packs (you seriously need those)+monthly fees+microtransactions.

I'll put my flameshield on just in case since there may be a lot of WoW fanboys on these forums. Oh, and I beg of you not leave comments like "You're just poor", because I am a poor college student but wealthy enough to play an MMORPG with monthly fees.

Supafly1

Thats kind of an interesting leap to say that a company like Blizzard that has exhibited good business decisions would jump from having a nice feature which takes human effort so they charge for it to a full blown micro-transaction system. Rob Pardo has said time and time again that there will be no way to discern between a rich and poor player in WoW and that their economic situations outside of the game will not come into effect in their game.

Besides... If Blizzard were to have features like Sex Changing, Name Changing, and Server Changing for free it would happen way too often and there would be chaos. Having 15 dollars acts as a nice deterrent to this kind of activity..

[QUOTE="RK-Mara"]It would be a huge mistake from Blizzard. It's a known fact that all F2P MMOs with micro-transactions are imbalanced.Supafly1

The re-customization feature recently added to WoW has been requested by the players for quite sometime...Blizzard is just listening to their fanbase...They are charging for this so people aren't inclined to change their 'toons every five minutes...(which is why character/server swaps aren't free).

But I truly believe that, since the Company is making so much money now (12 million times $14.99 a month), I don't see them changing their monthly fee to this "microtransactions" thing that has got you all in a-tither...(if it ain't broke...don't fix it...)

What you really should be concerned about is this: http://kotaku.com/5106091/star-wars-old-republic-mmo-to-be-microtransaction+based

The Star Wars fanboys are the ones who better start getting their Bunsen burners a-going..

If fact, if you think about it, this topic ties right into GameSpot's own lead story today (12/12) about EA's plummeting fortunes...who happens to be the publisher of said future The Old Republic MMO...

I just hate WoW and its fee. Guild Wars FTW! :-).

-Orakk