Comments on: Top 10 Free To Play Growth Killers http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/ The Business and Design of Free-To-Play Games Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:33:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: metin2 http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-1236 metin2 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:33:45 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-1236 That’s a wrong assumption. European carriers charge on similar margins. The reason SMS is popular in Europe is cultural: kids there texts each other a lot more than in the US That’s a wrong assumption. European carriers charge on similar margins. The reason SMS is popular in Europe is cultural: kids there texts each other a lot more than in the US

]]> By: Thomas B http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Thomas B Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:46:07 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-163 9 - "SMS would surely be nearly as popular a payment method here as it is in Europe if our carrier surcharges weren’t in the range of 50% a transaction." That's a wrong assumption. European carriers charge on similar margins. The reason SMS is popular in Europe is cultural: kids there texts each other a lot more than in the US. (and it comes from normal texts pricing at the time but that's another topic) 9 – “SMS would surely be nearly as popular a payment method here as it is in Europe if our carrier surcharges weren’t in the range of 50% a transaction.”

That’s a wrong assumption. European carriers charge on similar margins. The reason SMS is popular in Europe is cultural: kids there texts each other a lot more than in the US. (and it comes from normal texts pricing at the time but that’s another topic)

]]> By: The Subscription-based Pricing Model is Broken (by Jeff Freeman) http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-173 The Subscription-based Pricing Model is Broken (by Jeff Freeman) Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:36:34 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-173 [...] I had no issues with those statement until he wrote: Obviously, given the 11 million customer behemoth, this is a fairly obvious point. Blizzard makes money hand over fist. And rather more importantly, as Ben Zeigler points out in a well-written piece, NCsoft makes money hand over fist - and more last year from City of Heroes than Guild Wars. It’s a point well taken - both products are fairly old in Internet years, and Guild Wars has several orders of magnitude more people playing; yet City of Heroes makes more money, mainly because everyone is paying. (And also that NCsoft is still struggling with trying to monetize Guild Wars players over the long term - a struggle with any free-to-play game.) [...] [...] I had no issues with those statement until he wrote: Obviously, given the 11 million customer behemoth, this is a fairly obvious point. Blizzard makes money hand over fist. And rather more importantly, as Ben Zeigler points out in a well-written piece, NCsoft makes money hand over fist – and more last year from City of Heroes than Guild Wars. It’s a point well taken – both products are fairly old in Internet years, and Guild Wars has several orders of magnitude more people playing; yet City of Heroes makes more money, mainly because everyone is paying. (And also that NCsoft is still struggling with trying to monetize Guild Wars players over the long term – a struggle with any free-to-play game.) [...]

]]> By: Broken Business Models (Or Not) « Broken Toys http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Broken Business Models (Or Not) « Broken Toys Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:24:37 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-172 [...] Obviously, given the 11 million customer behemoth, this is a fairly obvious point. Blizzard makes money hand over fist. And rather more importantly, as Ben Zeigler points out in a well-written piece, NCsoft makes money hand over fist - and more last year from City of Heroes than Guild Wars. It’s a point well taken - both products are fairly old in Internet years, and Guild Wars has several orders of magnitude more people playing; yet City of Heroes makes more money, mainly because everyone is paying. (And also that NCsoft is still struggling with trying to monetize Guild Wars players over the long term - a struggle with any free-to-play game.) [...] [...] Obviously, given the 11 million customer behemoth, this is a fairly obvious point. Blizzard makes money hand over fist. And rather more importantly, as Ben Zeigler points out in a well-written piece, NCsoft makes money hand over fist – and more last year from City of Heroes than Guild Wars. It’s a point well taken – both products are fairly old in Internet years, and Guild Wars has several orders of magnitude more people playing; yet City of Heroes makes more money, mainly because everyone is paying. (And also that NCsoft is still struggling with trying to monetize Guild Wars players over the long term – a struggle with any free-to-play game.) [...]

]]> By: www.freetoplay.biz is looking for writers « Vancouver Game Design http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-171 www.freetoplay.biz is looking for writers « Vancouver Game Design Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:07:38 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-171 [...] review some our most popular posts (here, here and here) to get an idea of what we’re looking for before [...] [...] review some our most popular posts (here, here and here) to get an idea of what we’re looking for before [...]

]]> By: FreeToPlay.biz Seeks Contributing Writer « Free To Play http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-170 FreeToPlay.biz Seeks Contributing Writer « Free To Play Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:39:16 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-170 [...] review some our most popular posts (here, here and here) to get an idea of what we’re looking for before [...] [...] review some our most popular posts (here, here and here) to get an idea of what we’re looking for before [...]

]]> By: Kent Byers http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Kent Byers Tue, 20 May 2008 19:31:29 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-169 I know that there is a huge market for Free to Play MMO's, ever hear of a company Gpotatoe, they use a universal income between all their games where players can purchase "Gpotatoes", and use these potatoes to buy special weapons/items or just cloth designs to customize their character. I've found majority of players I've played with in these games are from Asian/South American or Europen countries. I know 80% majority spend at least 100 USD a year on their character buying upgrades. Where I've known some to spend up to and around 1000 USD upgrading all their characters getting all new fashionable items. I've known usually game play is bit lacking, but players are addicted to have all the new purchasable items that came out every week. I think I've played all their games and they have quite a large community I was surprised about. http://www.gpotato.com/?m=games I know that there is a huge market for Free to Play MMO’s, ever hear of a company Gpotatoe, they use a universal income between all their games where players can purchase “Gpotatoes”, and use these potatoes to buy special weapons/items or just cloth designs to customize their character.

I’ve found majority of players I’ve played with in these games are from Asian/South American or Europen countries. I know 80% majority spend at least 100 USD a year on their character buying upgrades. Where I’ve known some to spend up to and around 1000 USD upgrading all their characters getting all new fashionable items. I’ve known usually game play is bit lacking, but players are addicted to have all the new purchasable items that came out every week.

I think I’ve played all their games and they have quite a large community I was surprised about.

http://www.gpotato.com/?m=games

]]> By: Mack http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Mack Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:41:36 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-168 Here is a post I found poking around on some forums the other day... I've been trying to get some of my friends who used to play the older GunBounds back into the game here, and frankly, it's been unpleasant at best and terrible at worst. Most of them haven't wanted to do it after trying for a bit, and do you know why? The site is incredibly user-unfriendly. It's basically the opposite of what Gunbound was before, which was: 1. 1. Download game 2. Register account 3. Play Now, it's 1. 1. Download game 2. Register ijji account 3. Download more stuff 4. Download even more stuff if you're using Firefox 5. Have to go onto the ijji site because the Revolution icon is just for show 6. Maybe log on if it doesn't make you download more stuff 7. Play Most of my friends who used to play simply don't want to anymore, and making people go through the site is obnoxious, and I can't imagine it does that much (other than getting ijji more pagehits and thus more revenue).... http://forums.ijji.com/showthread.php?t=153862 Here is a post I found poking around on some forums the other day…

I’ve been trying to get some of my friends who used to play the older GunBounds back into the game here, and frankly, it’s been unpleasant at best and terrible at worst. Most of them haven’t wanted to do it after trying for a bit, and do you know why?

The site is incredibly user-unfriendly.

It’s basically the opposite of what Gunbound was before, which was:

1. 1. Download game
2. Register account
3. Play

Now, it’s

1. 1. Download game
2. Register ijji account
3. Download more stuff
4. Download even more stuff if you’re using Firefox
5. Have to go onto the ijji site because the Revolution icon is just for show
6. Maybe log on if it doesn’t make you download more stuff
7. Play

Most of my friends who used to play simply don’t want to anymore, and making people go through the site is obnoxious, and I can’t imagine it does that much (other than getting ijji more pagehits and thus more revenue)….

http://forums.ijji.com/showthread.php?t=153862

]]> By: Adrian Crook http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Adrian Crook Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:33:46 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-167 Do you have a link to what games you're talking about? Because Big Fish is a Trial-To-Purchase downloadable, traditional casual game dev/pub, if I'm not mistaken. Traditional Trial-To-Purchase casual games do skew older, you're right: typically 25-40 y/o females. But they're not free to play. I am totally prepared to be wrong though - perhaps Big Fish have started doing truly F2P titles. Do you have a link to what games you’re talking about? Because Big Fish is a Trial-To-Purchase downloadable, traditional casual game dev/pub, if I’m not mistaken. Traditional Trial-To-Purchase casual games do skew older, you’re right: typically 25-40 y/o females. But they’re not free to play.

I am totally prepared to be wrong though – perhaps Big Fish have started doing truly F2P titles.

]]> By: ventureblogalist http://freetoplay.biz/2008/02/01/top-10-free-to-play-growth-killers/comment-page-1/#comment-166 ventureblogalist Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:19:37 +0000 http://freetoplay.biz/?p=67#comment-166 great post. isn't that last point wrong? The current offering of free to play games caters nearly exclusively to the under-25 set. I heard bigfish had a older set mostly on their site and consider them a good representative of the casual free to play..? (granted some % of their users pay $) great post. isn’t that last point wrong?

The current offering of free to play games caters nearly exclusively to the under-25 set.

I heard bigfish had a older set mostly on their site and consider them a good representative of the casual free to play..? (granted some % of their users pay $)

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