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MMO-Champion
If I wanted to steal players from WoW and released a new MMO, I think what I would do is offer a trial from day 1. The trial would cost a one off fee of say, $5 - you would download the client and gain access to a couple of trial servers. That way the main servers populated by the player base aren't hindered. The trial accounts would be full and have access to all features up to a certain level, say 10. However they would last 7 days. After that point you can either upgrade for full price, or not. You only get one trial per credit card.
That way players thinking 'Hmm what's this new game' can throw $5 at it and see what it's like. Take a punt on it. If they don't like it, they're only $5 worse off. If they like it, they upgrade.
However, I suspect the thinking is that the 'hmm I want to try that' will be so strong that people go out and buy the full version just to try it out.. and the profits are bigger from that carrot on a stick. But they could still bring in some income from $5 trials too.
Just my 2c worth. No real point to this thread other than thinking out loud.
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2011-12-15, 05:01 PM #1Herald of the Titans
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Are new MMO's missing a trick in regards to trials?
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2011-12-15, 05:04 PM #2Herald of the Titans
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The Preorder was $5, so essentially what you suggested.
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2011-12-15, 05:22 PM #3High Overlord
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They don't do trials at launch because then no one would buy the box sets, they would all be free for a month, and everything would be out of whack.
Rift did a trial about 2 or 3 months after launch, and it worked.
Right now, they just want people to buy the box. Then in 2 or 3 months, word of mouth will bring friends in (in theory)
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2011-12-15, 05:35 PM #4Scarab Lord
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I'd rather get the people buying the full game for two or three months, then capitalize on a trial after the initial surge of players. In turn creating a steady flow of new players for potentially for 3 to 6 months.
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2011-12-15, 05:39 PM #5Immortal
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Basically this. Right now it is all about making up the development cost off people not willing to wait a month and who want to get in now now now. Now they are beyond stupid if they do not do a trial and RAF program by the 6 month mark because if they think they can charge 50$ 6 months in then they are just silly.
Originally Posted by Coro
WoW got away with it because their best competition was ummm Aion or WAR. MMO landscape has changed and with some big heavy hitter names going F2P that does not work anymore. I am extremely confident that in a month or so when I go to pick up the TOR digital client it will be 50% off what it currently is.
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2011-12-15, 06:09 PM #6Blademaster
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I am interested in ToR... but I got burned everytime I tried a new MMO.
AoC - Bought the Collector's Edition
Warhammer - Bought the Collector's Edition
I ALMOST bought the ToR Collector's Edition but now I'll just wait till they have a trial before I cough up my cash.
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2011-12-15, 06:28 PM #7Scarab Lord
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WoW waited, what 3-6 months before doing physical free trials (CDs/DVDs given away at game stores), and more than a year before doing digital free trials? Not including the "friend invite" tokens which were in the WoW CEs. The only reason they delayed the digital trials was because they didn't really have the tech to do it properly, though.
So I would be surprised if SWTOR waited too long. Given the extreme prices they're charging, though, I'd be unsurprised if they waited a little longer. Even at launch WoW was what, $40 for the normal set and $70 for the CE? SWTOR is bordering on twice that, and they'll want to milk it.
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2011-12-15, 06:29 PM #8Deleted
they dont need to right now, they want the launch to be big, so they promote and use advertising and hype to sell a lot of hard copies, in a few months when figures drop they will use trials to encourage more players
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2011-12-15, 06:30 PM #9Blademaster
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Free trials at the launch of any MMO would completely demolish the servers if there was any amount of hype.
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2011-12-15, 06:38 PM #10Scarab Lord
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Yeah part of the issue is the MMO choices there which is unfortunate since any new game has the potential to be amazing. Originally Posted by Vassilios
Best thing I can tell you is if you have played Mass Effect or Dragon Age you would really enjoy the questing system of SW:ToR and if you only play it to level to 50 then play it no more you have definitely got your moneys worth out of the standard copy.
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2011-12-15, 06:41 PM #11Mechagnome
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I would probably just try and find a sweet spot for how long trials should last. It would be really tough though. I say that because a month long trial is to long, if you get a hardcore guy/girl they're already level capped and have decided if they're bored or not. Just a few days though is to small for the exact opposite reason (the people that work long hours/have other responsibilities). Then, I would do like RIFT did, start trials a few months in.
---------- Post added 2011-12-15 at 01:46 PM ----------
I think the real "trick" that they are missing is innovation, which is a fairly tough thing to do. The thing they are missing, and probably the most used phrase when a new MMO comes out is "it's a WoW clone" or something along those lines. While WoW did it successfully and really helped to open up the MMO genre to the world, I don't think it will be super easy to steal subs from them (or other games with steadfast fans) without creating something new and exciting that works. So many times new games boast something new and epic, like Aion's flight combat for example, and what tends to happen is that, 1. That is usually one of the only innovative things about the game and/or 2. It doesn't work.
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2011-12-15, 06:48 PM #12Deleted
If you wanted to trial SWTOR why didn't you just play one of the beta weekends. That's how I got to trial the game.
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2011-12-15, 06:49 PM #13Scarab Lord
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The OP doesn't "want to trial SWTOR", read his post again. Originally Posted by ash1ey
He thinks SWTOR would make more money in the long run if it offered free trials from day 1. These are different things.
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2011-12-15, 06:51 PM #14The Insane
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OP, what you're describing is how free2play games work, except that free2play games don't cost money before asking if you want to pay to upgrade. Also, I'll be damned before I pay money for a demo.
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2011-12-15, 06:57 PM #15Dreadlord
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The problem is getting people willing to try who haven't already done so. People can be very stuck in their ways. I was firmly convinced till mid november, TOR was a simple wow-ripoff, a sham etc. That everyone here would come crawling back to WoW etc. (Apologies for that btw). But there is your hard part.
"I'll tell you something, my Tenchi, you know the carnival comes and goes. But if you wait for a while, it'll always come back to you, Tenchi."~Ryoko TENCHIxRYOKO FTW!
"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined. The crystal, the blade, the Jedi. You are one.
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2011-12-15, 07:00 PM #16Scarab Lord
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Trials are not needed at launch once you've saturated all the people that will buy at launch and subbed to the game then it's time for them.
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2011-12-15, 07:03 PM #17I am Murloc!
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In my day, demos were free. ¬_¬
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2011-12-15, 07:14 PM #18Dreadlord
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No, Blizzard got away with it because it's what Blizzard does. They purposely charge full price for *years* after a product is released and very, very slowly lower it akin to taking a penny from Scrooge McDuck. Originally Posted by Puremallace
Hell, just look at Diablo II. Last I checked last week, Diablo II is $29.99 for the standard game and $19.99 for LoD expansion. This is for a game that was released back in June/July of 2000.
Competition has nothing to do with it. Blizzard has always been greedy.
EDIT: Just looked, digitial download is 19.99 + 19.99, but the boxed sales that still exist are 29.99+19.99.
---------- Post added 2011-12-15 at 07:18 PM ----------
49.99 and 79.99. Originally Posted by Eurhetemec
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2011-12-15, 07:23 PM #19Stood in the Fire
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Similar boat.. I bought AoC Collector's and it was a bad move. The game wasn't bad, it just felt kind of empty. It could've been really good. Originally Posted by Vassilios
Diablo 2 was and still is a good game. I don't play it anymore, but if the game still works and still provides value, which it does, there's no reason for them to lower the price when there is still a demand for it. Business is business. Originally Posted by Viertel
Last edited by Barracks00; 2011-12-15 at 07:25 PM.
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2011-12-15, 07:27 PM #20Dreadlord
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They're a business, they'll continue charging what people are willing to pay. It's not a charity organization. Originally Posted by Viertel
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