Comments on: MMO Restaurants

By: Happy Birthday To Me « Tish Tosh Tesh

Happy Birthday To Me « Tish Tosh Tesh — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:31:18 +0000

[...] I know, I know, some would say that WAR is dying and should be taken out back and dumped on the Tabula Rasa heap. Some might [...]

By: Restaurants, Again | Kill Ten Rats

Restaurants, Again | Kill Ten Rats — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:07:33 +0000

[...] there at the start, and all that is left is a show of failure. I knew it was inevitable though, the stink of death had been there for weeks. My only hope is, as always, the next risk-taker doesn’t just [...]

By: Zubon

Zubon — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:22:53 +0000

I am wondering what about this post is attracting all the gay porn spam comments. We have already deleted dozens.

By: yunk

yunk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:37:25 +0000

Yeah I didn’t extend my sub past the first month when it came out. But now that it’s free I have spent money in the DDO store,

However it’s also true the game has vastly improved from when it first came out. I imagine this is a big part of it. If it were still the same game I wouldn’t bother playing even for free.

Would I sub? No, but not because of the game but because I am never going to sub to another game again. After seeing free+store/microtransactions, it is perfect for the time I have and number of games I want to play.

By: yunk

yunk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:46 +0000

it really depends, if you watch Kitchen Nightmares you see Gordon Ramsey has to contend with a lot of restaurant owners who tried that very tactic. His advice invariably is to lower prices and increase quality. (he also advises them to end any gimmicks such as above)

Raising prices doesn’t give the illusion of class unless there is actually something there.

By: openedge1

openedge1 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:57:30 +0000

How is that everyone I ever spoke to thought DDO was not worth a dime for a monthly.

Here it goes free and has some of the largest pops it has ever had yet. Oh, and increases subs 40%???

Don’t under estimate the power of free. I keep telling Funcom that. Yet, Age of Conan is headed for a crash and burn like no ones business…

Free would fix that.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:58:40 +0000

Fair enough. :)

By: Ravious

Ravious — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:04:17 +0000

I agree with the last part whole-heartedly. It’s just that I have kept up with Mythic’s updates, and it just seems like they are constantly tinkering (read: floundering). If, for example, LOTRO or WOW did something like this it would be significantly different. I don’t think you can take this business maneuver out of context.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:59:56 +0000

Why is the subscription rate pegged at $15? Why do AAA MMO games stick with DIKU Skinner mechanics? Why do they charge a box price and a subscription on top of that? Why do they require the end user to download several GB of data before even playing?

Just because something has been done one way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. The market is changing. Not everyone can rely on inertia and habit of existing customers like WoW or EQ.

This “simple, yet brilliant thing” has made money for DDO, W101 and Puzzle Pirates. Assuming it would cost others money isn’t so much an Occam’s answer as an implicit faith that the devs and business suits are omniscient. I simply say they are not, and that their obstinate adherence to old business models is unhealthy.

By: Ravious

Ravious — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:51:30 +0000

Then why don’t all AAA MMOs do this simple, yet brilliant thing? Because it costs more money than it would make them is the only Occam’s answer I can come up with.