Quote:
Originally Posted by Smed  So this was the big question - would we lose a bunch of people from this, and the answer was no. |
I respect your outlook, but I think it is too narrowly focused. I tried to make it clear in my post that this is something that would have implications long term, not short. I absolutely believe that people see these types of practices, and while some (see: small minority) may embrace them, the majority are going to deplore them. If this effects your popular opinion in the MMO community, long-term you will see red. Will you make up potential lost revenue through these new revenue streams? Maybe. But you will be backing yourself into an nonsustaining niche in my opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smed In any event, we needed to try something. This is about how we steer the future of MMOs and what involvement RMT has in it.
Smed |
Why do you need to try something? Is this about steering the future...or a short term money grab? It's no secret Sony is in bad shape. But I digress...Character transfers, name changes, and other services were a good, legitimate start and I congratulate you for implementing them successfully. However, your argument breaks down as soon as I flash WoW's yearly gross.
There are other ways to increase revenue, and they're called investing in your employees, hiring talented people, and creating GOOD games. The market has been expanded for you, by Blizzard, so why not try to capitalize that by not shoveling out unfinished products such as Vanguard and EQ2, and instead garner subscriptions and mind share through quality...Also, as a quick aside, good luck getting A+ developers if your popular opinion is in the pits. All of this is circular and interrelated...long term...
You can increase revenue however you want, but I would seriously consider as to whether or not your strategy is self-sustaining.
