Do you think in-game items are too expensive?

kickarykee

Topic title says it all...
There are some limited items available for Lord of the Rings Online from time to time (like cool mounts...) but they are hell expensive.
A horse for example costs 2500 points, which are like a 20 Euros... I mean 20 Euros for a stupid mount? That's like 1,5 months of gametime for any other online game that's not free to play.

Don't you think that's way too much?
Not that I think we could really change something about that but I still wonder who'd actually spend that much money for something purely cosmetic...
It's something different when you're VIP and get the points anyway, but to actually pay for it, don't know... I wouldn't.
For stats etc., yes, but not for "useless" things like mounts, yet they seem to be even more expensive than the "important" stuff...

Venom

Its crazy money to be paying for a costume skin but if people pay it companies will keep charging that amount.

Kiith

People complained about the first few items in the Warcraft store....and than bought them anyway. Can't remember the figures, but they made a huge amount of money from the Celestial Steed.

Nody

kickarykee wrote: »

Topic title says it all...
There are some limited items available for Lord of the Rings Online from time to time (like cool mounts...) but they are hell expensive.
A horse for example costs 2500 points, which are like a 20 Euros... I mean 20 Euros for a stupid mount? That's like 1,5 months of gametime for any other online game that's not free to play.

Don't you think that's way too much?
Not that I think we could really change something about that but I still wonder who'd actually spend that much money for something purely cosmetic...
It's something different when you're VIP and get the points anyway, but to actually pay for it, don't know... I wouldn't.
For stats etc., yes, but not for "useless" things like mounts, yet they seem to be even more expensive than the "important" stuff...

Depends on the game but 20 EUR I'd fork out in a heart beat if it is intersting enough.

Now lets take World of Tanks as example (as that's my current game). Free to play with a 10 EUR a month fee (roughly) if you want to be premium status for a month (50% more exp & money for the duration). As premium you'll usually make a profit up to around tank tier T8/T9 (top tier is 10), around T5/T7 with out (some non premium claim it works up to T9 if they are good but for your average user it is not). Ok, so far so good right?

Now here is when things kick in, to be able to afford to not only drive your tanks (repair bill, ammo) but also buy the next tank up you need money. This increases rapidly as you go higher (i.e. T7 costs around 1.1 mil, T8 costs around 2.2 Mil, T9 3.5 Mil and T10 6 Mil). You now have an option, you can grind in your best cash tank making around 30k a game in profit (all tanks have a 0.75 multiplier for cash) OR you can buy a premium tank for around 30 EUR and get 50k profit per game (premium tanks have a 1.25 multiplier).

This now becomes a question, do you want to keep grinding for two days rather then one to buy that new tank or do you want to fork out 30 EUR (one time cost) and always have a premium tank for money grinding?

Personally I paid the 30 EUR and never been so happy about the spend for it afterwards. For me it is only part of the cost of the game, same way a DLC or premium version of a game (to get ingame items) is as saves me time (time is my main limiting factor, not money, for playing games). Now if I could play 10h a day but money was tight then I'd most likely go the other way.

So to answer your question, seeing how people paid 150 EUR for the premium version of SWTOR and what not I can't really see how 20 EUR for a ingame item (which is what most permium versions of games come down to in the end) is seen as odd or to much.

Kirby

It depends.

Will buying this enhance my experience? If it will, I'll consider it.

However anything that can be gotten or grinded in game I generally won't pay for. I grinded a long time for my thunderfury in vanilla wow and the time spent getting it made it more special. If I had "bought" it, I wouldn't have felt the same attachment to it. The same applies to my first flying drake.

If you have to work hard for something, I find you generally appreciate it more.

kickarykee

Nody wrote: »

Depends on the game but 20 EUR I'd fork out in a heart beat if it is intersting enough.

Now lets take World of Tanks as example (as that's my current game). Free to play with a 10 EUR a month fee (roughly) if you want to be premium status for a month (50% more exp & money for the duration). As premium you'll usually make a profit up to around tank tier T8/T9 (top tier is 10), around T5/T7 with out (some non premium claim it works up to T9 if they are good but for your average user it is not). Ok, so far so good right?

Now here is when things kick in, to be able to afford to not only drive your tanks (repair bill, ammo) but also buy the next tank up you need money. This increases rapidly as you go higher (i.e. T7 costs around 1.1 mil, T8 costs around 2.2 Mil, T9 3.5 Mil and T10 6 Mil). You now have an option, you can grind in your best cash tank making around 30k a game in profit (all tanks have a 0.75 multiplier for cash) OR you can buy a premium tank for around 30 EUR and get 50k profit per game (premium tanks have a 1.25 multiplier).

This now becomes a question, do you want to keep grinding for two days rather then one to buy that new tank or do you want to fork out 30 EUR (one time cost) and always have a premium tank for money grinding?

Personally I paid the 30 EUR and never been so happy about the spend for it afterwards. For me it is only part of the cost of the game, same way a DLC or premium version of a game (to get ingame items) is as saves me time (time is my main limiting factor, not money, for playing games). Now if I could play 10h a day but money was tight then I'd most likely go the other way.

So to answer your question, seeing how people paid 150 EUR for the premium version of SWTOR and what not I can't really see how 20 EUR for a ingame item (which is what most permium versions of games come down to in the end) is seen as odd or to much.

Yeah, but your example is one of an item that actually does give you better stats for the game or in this case lets you earn more money - the mounts are no better than the ones you get for free ingame, they just look different. There's no other effect to them.
As I said, I would and also already did spend a 20 Euro paysafecard on LoTRO do improve my character as in improving his stats but those cosmetic items are way overpriced and that's a real pity cause if they were cheaper I guess more people would get them and the result would be the same for Turbine...

ThunderApple

Everything is getting more and more expensive in the real life. So are the games.
My position is very simple. If I want/need/like something in a free-to-play game, I'm going to buy it whatever it takes. I can't really tell if the horse is worth 20 Euro because I don't play the Lotr online but I would pay even more if I knew I needed it badly.

ShadowHearth

I remember that car in NFS online... 100eu trolololol.

If they want to buy, then let them.

I will just wait for Diablo 3 AH to hot the fan. It will be awesome... Stuff in AH not in gold, but I'm eu+vat...

kickarykee

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I remember that car in NFS online... 100eu trolololol.

X-|
If I was a parent and caught my child spending 100 Euros on a virtual car in a game, even if it was his or her pocket money, I'd freak and personally I'd never spend that much money on one item.
I would not even pay that for one game unless it was a superultraspecial edition including real stuff like art books or a soundtrack or figurines or lots of game time for free etc.
Insane...

ThunderApple

100 Euros for a virtual car?! You must be kidding me!
I don't think I'd go for that. Really, people, isn't it a way too much?

ShadowHearth

here it is:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/330105/need-for-speed-world-has-100-dlc-car/

100 dollar dlc car


eve online monacle 70 bucks

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/06/22/eve-online-now-sells-70-monocles/

kickarykee

Now tell me that doesn't go to rip off kids who don't know any better ...
There should be price limits for stuff like this if you ask me...

ThunderApple

kickarykee wrote: »

Now tell me that doesn't go to rip off kids who don't know any better ...
There should be price limits for stuff like this if you ask me...

I totally agree! I can imagine my parents reaction if I'd tried to buy something like that back when I was a kid.

D

I've been playing Tf2 since the Orange box release and love it, never spent any cash on it though after the initial purchase.

I have never bought any DLC. Probably cause I'm old and in my day we wore an onion on our belt, which was the style at the time, and most popular games had user created content whether it was maps or mods (CS, natural selection, TF1.5)

So the idea of paying for stuff that I can get for free doesn't sit well with me.

Hoever that actually changed with Eve online. they introduced game time cards (GTCs) that you could sell for in game cash. While I was unemployed I played a lot and made lots of isk (eve gold) and then sold it for GTCs so I could play with out any out goings. The I got a job and was really busy so I have bought GTC I think 4 times now and sold them for isk when I was too busy to grind and just wanted some cash.

I think that is a great idea and more games should have it.

Certain people are of the mindset that they just won't spend cash and other don't blink an eye at it.
Games companies should use this. If a person who plays a lot can exchange game tokens for in game cash then the company gets that extra income from people who would otherwise not contribute financially from people who are time limited and financially well off.

Edit: Also the whole no dedicated servers and DLC seems to have really stymied the user created content. *shakes fist*

ThunderApple

What is Eve online?
What is the difference between game time cards and game cards? I only know game cards.

diamondsny

No. If you don't like them don't buy them