B2P games should always reduce in price when an expansion comes out, that is the expectation. You shouldn't expect a B2P game to drop much within its first year or even first couple of years. GW1 came out in 2005 I think, it just seems longer than WoW because it looks so awful :P.
Apparently my gaming memories between Diablo 2 and WoW are faulty. :P I was so sure I would have bet money it came out before WoW. I remember considering it at one point and since I was playing WoW by February '05 I would not have considered it at all (I was hardcore WoW addicted).
That's just really weird. Even my bf confirms the April '05 date. WTF was I looking at then, the game in beta?
did you play uo, no way could you have found that unpleasant! or actually around 2002 was when it went shit
Last edited by draykorinee; 2013-08-27 at 04:10 PM.
Yes. To all of this.
All of this is the case with B2P games and the specific B2P games mentioned. GW1 and 2 have dropped in base price + frequently sold below base. As well as The Secret World. Including non-MMO B2P games, price reductions off of MSRP are frequent.
Price drops are common for B2P games.
I remember my first time in the GW1 beta, you started in Lion's Arch. After doing...something...probably a mission, I ended up in, I think, the Divinity Coast outpost, not sure what was going on, and relatively lost. I ended up porting back to LA, then running around outside killing undead (sound familiar? )...I also remember what I thought was a great system, skill charms, which allowed you to temporarily (necklaces) or permanently (rings) learn an ability, and they could be crafted by players that had (permanently) learned the skill.
It hasn't been adding CURRENT content though. Each expansion is basically just an eyeblink of content after the fact that you need to push through to reach the real game.
That said though, WoW costs $100 retail (20base+ 40 cata + 40 mists), plus a sub fee after a month, so not sure we should compare prices there...
They have done sales and such, but as with most companies I think price reductions are based on sales slowing down (or expected to), not just some arbitrary timeframe thereafter.Regarding the price to buy, in my opinion (so I am not saying "this is a fact" :-) MMOs should drop their prices to buy the game earlier than other games because they have and depend on other sources of income post-launch (subs/shops). I understand that the first sales help with recouping some of the development costs, if not more, but a year on it's the subs/store that keep bringing the money in. Having such a high entry barrier is detrimental for a potential new-comer, especially with so many cheaper and good alternatives. That's my 2 cents on the subject anyway.
Most console games drop in price is based as much on the used market, IMO.
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I never did get Factions, and it's amusing that it's still $30 in their ingame store.