MMO Gamers

     I was reading a study about Pricing Models and Motivation for MMO Play by Miho Nojima from the Faculty of Economics at Seikei University, Tokyo.  This study notes the shift in Japanese MMOs from the monthly subscription pricing model to the free-to-play model.  In 2005, 30 MMOs used subscription fees compared to 19 which used the free-to-play model.  In 2006 20 MMOs used the subscription model compared to 53 on free-to-play.

     The author concluded that “…monthly fee model …. will boost the profitability of the game that had made a good beginning, however, will not lead to an improvement for the game that failed to attract enough users….”.  With the free-to-play models he says “…..has an opportunity to make high payment amounts…”.

     The free-to-play MMOs always seem to be of decidedly poorer quality than the bigger budget subscription models so I tend to stay away from them.  Once bitten twice shy.  But other than visual appearance, what other factors might dissuade me from buying an MMO?

• Primarily - poor previews or reviews.  But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Of course, that could be offset by the cost.  Offering of a free trial for instance, or picking the game up in a bargain bin.
• Secondly – system requirements.  Fortunately I am in a position where I am able to play pretty much all the latest games.  But what about 2009’s new releases?  If the game runs poorly on my system then it’s unlikely I’ll buy it.  But again, that might be offset by the cost.
• Lastly – price.  If I’m unsure about a game because it’s received bad reviews, or I’ll have to set it to the lowest graphics settings in order play it, then I’ll be reluctant to pay top dollar for it.

     Currently games hit our shelves for roughly around $50USD.  They’re in big shiny boxes, complete with glossy manuals, maps of the world, and include 30 days of play.  Perhaps instead we could have a simple little sleeve like the World of Warcraft trial version sitting on store counters.  They won’t have any glossy manuals, only online manuals, and instead of costing $50, they’ll only cost $10.  And rather than the 30 days of included play they can only have 10 days, just enough to get you through a couple of weekends to decide if it’s worth subscribing.

     Stores would be able to stock more copies due to the low cost and low space requirements.  Instead of having 10 copies of the game displayed they can have a box of a hundred on the counter.  Publishers can move more products, attract more players, and hopefully they’ll have a good enough game that more people will resubscribe.