SE, if you're that desperate for money...

[Malzian]

What if they released additional maps/areas/dungeons and charged a couple bucks a piece for them, and they dropped the top gear in the game?

Every other MMO does this... *Cough*Expansion packs*Cough*. You don't need to buy them, but if you want to play all the content and get all the top gear, you need to buy them. SE even did this with XI, remember Chains of Promathia? This is widely practiced, accepted and successful. Feel lucky that up until now all of the content updates and expansions we've already gotten have been free.

[OSUBuckeye4]

Every other MMO does this... *Cough*Expansion packs*Cough*. You don't need to buy them, but if you want to play all the content and get all the top gear, you need to buy them. SE even did this with XI, remember Chains of Promathia? This is widely practiced, accepted and successful. Feel lucky that up until now all of the content updates and expansions we've already gotten have been free.

I don't remember Chains of Promathia because I never played XI.

I do hear your point about expansion packs and it's a valid point.


Look, I made my point and probably repeated it a few times by now. I'm not ready to plant my flag and unsubscribe, so unless someone directly asks me a question (unlikely), I'll stop posting in this thread (after my closing remarks below) because I've said all I can say about this without repeating myself over and over.

I'm not spouting doom and gloom. I'm just concerned by this and I figured I'd voice my concern. It's not the $2 or the additional retainer that worry me, it's the fact that SE has decided to go down this path in the first place.

All these "it requires extra server space, so it makes sense" posts are comincal. If this was really about server space, than charge people a one time fee to build the additional space it takes to house the additional retainer. Charging people $2 a month forever for this service doesn't seem like it's in the interest of the player. The game houses millions of lines of data and 2 retainers for every player in the game who unlocks them through simple story progression... adding a single extra retainer shouldn't cost $2 per month forever.

This is a cash grab for SE... and if they are willing to do this, what is the next step if this is successful and they realize they can make money off of charging people for additional services in perpetuity? More FC housing for people who pay more money? Access to different classes/jobs? Access to personal housing? Access to special areas that are pay only?

How much are you willing to pay a month for something you signed on board to pay $12.99 for? Is that SE's ultimate goal/what they are trying to find out? Maybe you have some people who are paying $12.99 and others who are paying $19.99 but who have a 4th retainer, personal house and additional FC house/garden. Maybe if you pay $22.99 per month you can also visit the Golden Saucer casino and get a VIP room there.

Slippery slope. But, maybe I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something) and this is their one and only dip of their toes into this pool. Only time will tell.

[Doo]

This is a cash grab for SE... and if they are willing to do this, what is the next step if this is successful and they realize they can make money off of charging people for additional services in perpetuity? More FC housing for people who pay more money? Access to different classes/jobs? Access to personal housing? Access to special areas that are pay only?

There's a high demand for cash shops/pay for advantages (even though it's artificially created by taking out stuff they would normally put in the game) hence why RMT is out of control. Sad, but the truth. Like when I played Diablo 3 items being sold on rmt ah was going for 250 dollars a piece real money and players were buying it up. When I was playing DCUO and they came out of replay badges to unlock lockout raids for the best gear players were spending over a years worth of sub price for the advantage of being geared.

[snakey77]

There's a high demand for cash shops/pay for advantages (even though it's artificially created by taking out stuff they would normally put in the game) hence why RMT is out of control. Sad, but the truth. Like when I played Diablo 3 items being sold on rmt ah was going for 250 dollars a piece real money and players were buying it up. When I was playing DCUO and they came out of replay badges to unlock lockout raids for the best gear players were spending over a years worth of sub price for the advantage of being geared.

agreed theres a demand for it usually from the kiddies who want all the best stuff so pester the fuck out of there parents to buy the shit for them but like most kids they lose interest in 1 thing when the next thing comes out and roll on the vicious circle but its still a 1 way trip to shits ville for the game... you only need look at a few that have failed hard by going cash shops . take wow they just don't give two shits now its just a cash grab for the next production i think!!! and there bleeding subs badly not just because of there intention to go cash shop but its def going to scare more ppl away