Comments on: We Are All RMTers

By: nugget

nugget — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:28:22 +0000

Speaking of giving old games more money, I recently purchased Realms of Arkania 1 & 2 on GoG…

…does anyone know if the original publishers see the money in any shape or form? I don’t even know if (?was it a Sirtech series? I know the Wizardry I loved was…) the original publishers are still around.

But yes. I’d like to give money to some old games folks again. Like >.> Dark Queen of Krynn. *hangs head* Really.

By: Stabs

Stabs — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:09:56 +0000

I don’t think people feel that subs are dying.

I think people feel that RMT is becoming universal which is not the same thing.

A game can be sub-based and still run a cash shop (eg EQ2 and WoW and even Eve if you count plexes).

By: Riknas

Riknas — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:42:29 +0000

Oi. Everyone who thinks subscriptions are dead, or RMTs are just a fad? Get out. All I’m saying, you can no more destroy the payment method than you can an idea. Sure, in a totalitarian government I suppose you can kill everyone who supports what you don’t and destroy every archive of their history and….well, if the supposed RMT moguls can pull that off, we have much bigger problems to worry about.

A more tangible example (Though it fits loosely) is a buffet versus a fast food joint, or conventional restaurant. The buffet concept (subscriptions) isn’t dead, in fact its quite popular amongst its patrons, its just a niche in this case. Restaurants, you might buy a meal, or just for what you specifically want.

That’s the worst that can happen. Obscurity moves around, hybrids become more popular, subscriptions decline, or pure RMT takes charge, whatever, but the idea of anything dying completely? Absurd.

By: Julian

Julian — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:17:52 +0000

http://cdn0.knowyourmeme.com/i/1582/original/picard-facepalm.jpg

By: jon

jon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:54:32 +0000

RMT proponents are so amusingly shallow emotionally (hence easily manipulated by game devs). You people deserve to be parted with your money.
The “directs your efforts away from the unemployed” quote illustrates the mindset of RMT proponents quite a bit. Continually frustrated by their own perceived inability to compete with fellow MMO players for virtual status, they champion a form of meta-gaming where money, instead of merit, can buy status within the community.
While they would have people believe their desire for RMT based games is simply about enabling them to enjoy the game in their own unique flowery way. it’s really about finally being able to show up the “unemployed” guy. Ironically the unemployed guy (who never really existed in the first place), bored by MoneyQuest™ goes and plays something where achievement is rewarded, leaving the RMTers high and dry with nobody to show off to.
This RMT fixation indicates self-esteem and confidence issues to me. Take a break from the XP potions and zombie pandas. Use the extra money for a session with a therapist.

Long live fiero.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:49:25 +0000

Frankly there are a lot of games that I would like the opportunity to give the people that made it more money, not less. Old games, games I got for free, casual browser games. If I had a Wii I would have bought Cave Story for the Wii. But I can’t because I don’t.

So I don’t think it’s greedy at all. I’d prefer if I didn’t have to pay tons to transfer between servers on WoW and be able to play with my friends with my main no matter what server I’m on. But I realise it might be impossible to implement something like Guild Wars 1 had for server management for WoW. I just hope MMOs of the future get away from the fixed server model.

By: Longasc

Longasc — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:10:20 +0000

This is the latest trend: experimenting with new marketing ideas and payment options to sell your game even better to the customer.

I hope the focus soon shifts back on making games better, not on optimizing cash flow.

Sure, RMT works if the game suits it – DDO seems to work well with it. But what works for DDO just becomes silly and greedy if you take a look at Champions Online and paying for “respecs” in the shop, or Free Realms now charging money after level 5, or adding RMT on top of subscription-based games.

The WoW shop just opened the doors to even more item mall style RMT in a very innocent way that will soon expand to not so innocent. They are trying to milk the customer to the point they feel cheated and then turn down the milking machine one notch… :>

By: Bonedead

Bonedead — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:32:58 +0000

Everyone has AIDS!
AIDS AIDS AIDS!
AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS!
Everyone has AIDS!

And so this is the end of our story
And everyone is dead from AIDS
It took from me my best friend
My only true pal
My only bright star (he died of AIDS)

Well I’m gonna march on Washington
Lead the fight and charge the brigades
There’s a hero inside of all of us
I’ll make them see everyone has AIDS

My father (AIDS!)
My sister (AIDS!)
My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS AIDS AIDS!)
The gays and the straights
And the white and the spades

Everyone has AIDS!
My grandma and my dog ‘ol blue (AIDS AIDS AIDS)
The pope has got it and so do you (AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS)
C’mon everybody we got quilting to do (AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS)
We gotta break down these baricades, everyone has
AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS! AIDS!

By: Brian 'Psychochild' Green

Brian 'Psychochild' Green — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:25:11 +0000

Meridian 59 doesn’t offer sanctioned RMT. (People used to buy and sell in-game currency and characters between themselves, though, but we didn’t approve of it.) M59 didn’t even charge for any expansions.

Perhaps this is related to the reason why it languishes in obscurity….

By: Hess

Hess — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:49:26 +0000

No sign of RMT in Fallen Earth but as a new kid on the block they’re still nailing down a lot of core content and two large upcoming updates.

I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they roll something out by mid 2010. I’m all for it as long as it’s limited to cosmetics.