Cash Shop, P2W, F2P ... etc.

[Bishop81]

Just thought I would post this fairly interesting article on this "phenomenon",

http://gamasutra.com/view/feature/17...etization_.php

Some interesting quotes include,

Nonetheless, social network games are designed to foster a certain amount of "hey, look what I did", to create peer competition. Thus the sale of game objectives will act as a more mild supremacy good unless peer pressure is intense inside a friend network, in which case you get the "SUV effect" boosting sales.

The most important concept in this paper is that it's not just how you sell your product, but what part of your product you sell. A great part of the attraction of virtual worlds is that participants see them as a Grand Meritocracy, as opposed to the real world, which can often seem arbitrary and unfair. As Jane McGonigal points out, there is no unemployment in virtual space. Everyone has opportunities. Absolute care must be taken in the design of your virtual world to maintain this perception -- whether you consider it real or illusion is irrelevant.

Selling the game objectives in your world makes your game unfair and just reminds your customers of the inequities of the world they are trying to escape from. They literally won't buy this. Sell them opportunity, in the form of content, and they will buy up that opportunity with an enthusiasm that will shock you.

also how it can be abused,

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/Ramin...ion_Tricks.php

[Vejjiegirl]

A very good read and it holds a ton of truth.
here is another interesting article http://gameful.org/group/games-for-c...y-to-win-works

And videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwI0u9L4R8U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhz9OXy86a0

[zar]

Please go.

[Vejjiegirl]

Please go.

Maybe you should watch this video instead of the ones above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9A8VJBh_Yc

[ShinigamiZero]

Says the guy that name calls lol. Anyways on topic; very interesting read thanks for the links. I think the only cash shop model I actually like or accept is the one from league of legends. Perhaps that's why they are so successful.

[Teryaani]

Says the guy that name calls lol. Anyways on topic; very interesting read thanks for the links. I think the only cash shop model I actually like or accept is the one from league of legends. Perhaps that's why they are so successful.

They tend to degenerate to one side calling the others sheep or idiots and the other calling the cash shop decriers self-entitled whiners. So yeah, They are toxic.

I like how Blizzard handled it's cash shop (prior to the buy a 90 stuff). It was limited in scope and still offered a few fun bits.

[ShinigamiZero]

Ignore Zar, I see him in every thread related to cash shop saying the same two lines. A mod actually deleted his post on my thread cause it was basically just name calling lol

[Squintina]

Good reads. (also glad this thread actually is just a general discussion and not directly related to..well, you know).

I've actually considered making a game before and I always go back and forth about if I'd have a cash shop, and - most importantly - what would be in it. What would be fair, what would be manipulation, ideal price points, how many items, etc... Things that the both articles covered quite well!

[zar]

Actually, Cash shop threads are the toxin. We are tired of seeing them. They are all the same, they hold no real discussion, and they are mostly composed of separate sides pointlessly bickering at one another. You could at least post in an existing thread instead of spamming this forum with multiple ones. TY have a nice night.

[Squintina]

Actually, Cash shop threads are the toxin. We are tired of seeing them. They are all the same, they hold no real discussion, and they are mostly composed of separate sides pointlessly bickering at one another. You could at least post in an existing thread instead of spamming this forum with multiple ones. TY have a nice night.

Did you even read? The first article talks about various Cash shop models: both "good" and "bad"... The second article is about how human psychology is used with different cash shop strategies. This is not like any of the other threads at all -.-, so it wouldn't belong in an existing thread.