Why do MMO companies punish loyal subscribers?

[Edge-]

So what you are saying is, WoW sub numbers would have looked even worse without this program.

Absolutely. WoW's subscriber drop this quarter has little to do with the "I'm being punished" mentality that this thread is discussing, and much more to do with the games age, the number of quality competitors, and the amount of time it's been since the last content update.

Initiatives like the annual pass and the new SoR have definitely helped stem additional losses, which is exactly why they are going for a second round with a new pet. The SoR program actually rewards current players as well as they get bonuses if they successfully bring back, so it's not as if it's just beneficial for returning players.

[Deleted]

What benefits exactly? It's not exactly taxing to play the damn game, especially in its early, buggier, less-content plenty state.

We're not losing anything just because new players are offered something.
We've been playing for a over a month - they haven't. We got something they don't. They get something we don't.

I do not understand this childish feeling of total entitlement, that what someone else gets, we should also get.

[Deleted]

We're not losing anything just because new players are offered something.
We've been playing for a over a month - they haven't. We got something they don't. They get something we don't.

I do not understand this childish feeling of total entitlement, that what someone else gets, we should also get.

Is "Entitlement" the Word of the Year 2012 or something? Every passive-aggressive post about business has it tossed around.

No, something isn't being lost but the people who are liable to subscribe longer term don't get something that is otherwise unattainable unless you... stop giving the company money for at least a month. They're getting the same game, plus extra. I might not even have touched the game as much as that new player might so that argument doesn't make sense.

[Deleted]

Is "Entitlement" the Word of the Year 2012 or something? Every passive-aggressive post about business has it tossed around.

No, something isn't being lost but the people who are liable to subscribe longer term don't get something that is otherwise unattainable unless you... stop giving the company money for at least a month. They're getting the same game, plus extra. I might not even have touched the game as much as that new player might so that argument doesn't make sense.

So?
You lost nothing. Therefore, your ONLY complaint is that someone got something you didn't get.
You are not being punished by the company, but your greed is punishing yourself.

[StationaryHawk]

It's assumed that players who are currently playing do not require the benefits given to a returning player. A returning player is assumed to be behind, and therefore given a little push/incentive to get them back on track.

[Magzilla]

Necro but MMO loyalty gets you nothing but a sore ass. They aren't your friend. You should be letting these game companies know you'll walk when they fuck up. Getting complacent is just asking to be taken advantage of.


You're fine, it's not over a month old just yet. -sj

[Hraklea]

The question you're looking for is "why do players keep their loyalty after they get screw by companies?".

[Deleted]

Gas/utility and phone companies do the same thing here.

[unholytestament]

I have always liked the idea of veteran rewards. It would be nice if a game tossed in something extra for loyalty. It doesn't have to be something super amazing, like the "free mount every 6 months subbed" that I saw mentioned earlier, but maybe just something like a token for a free server transer/character recustomization/race change/faction/change, etc.

I much prefer the idea of giving out tokens for your account though, so you can save them for when you really want them, as opposed to just bombarding your in-game mail box on a character you might not want or need the bonus on.

[Flaks]

MMO companies are in the business of "cycling" through playerbases. WoW can never go back to a tbc style because wotlk and cataclysm catered to a different breed of player. Ones that don't like sticking around and simply play and leave. This serves as the greatest short term monetary benefit. The older MMO model (tbc and before, what everquest used to have etc.) catered to a playerbase that stuck around for a very very VERY long time (loyal customers you can say).

The modern MMO actively discourages loyalty.

[Edge-]

MMO companies are in the business of "cycling" through playerbases. WoW can never go back to a tbc style because wotlk and cataclysm catered to a different breed of player. Ones that don't like sticking around and simply play and leave. This serves as the greatest short term monetary benefit. The older MMO model (tbc and before, what everquest used to have etc.) catered to a playerbase that stuck around for a very very VERY long time (loyal customers you can say).

The modern MMO actively discourages loyalty.

EQ2 and Rift are two examples of games that provide rewards for players who have been subscribed for various amounts of times. There are some other games that do this as well, but it's not popular because WoW has "shown" that it's not necessary as a tool to improve player retention.

[ScottsdaleHokie]

It's greedy, but it also doesn't make sense to give the finger to the people still giving you money.

"Hey Bob, if we cosy up to the guys already feeding us cash they'll be even more likely to stick around".

So instead of crying about it, quit for a few months.