[Megathread] Wildstar - Now F2P

[Gray_Matter]

Ok, good clarification. I totally misinterpreted you. However, either way it goes they are still trying to find ways to make you pay and keep playing. Whether they create an armor set you pay for or they add it behind a rep, it's no different. We'd be naive to think differently. The end result is simply what you pay for.

In sub only games, you cannot even log in to look at your character until you pay up. In B2P or F2P with a cash shop, you can always log on and any items you paid for in the past are always available to be enjoyed. It's a difference of paying for access and paying for extras. I prefer to pay for extras. Paying for access doesn't guarantee you anything. At least with the other payment models you can choose where your money goes.

I agree that paying for extras is better. I just feel that if the developer can release paid for expansions then that encourages them to develop content to release as part of that expansion to make it worthwhile for people to buy it. When you are getting the content for free, something has to pay the bills.

[Lane]

Reason why I hate cash shops is that best looking armors in games are ALWAYS there.

This.

when I say 'monetized', I don't mean that you have to pay for anything. I mean the outfits, etc that are released with the patches. The gem store items that pretty much accompany every content release.

The LS updates felt like commercials for the gem store to me.

[Kelimbror]

The LS updates felt like commercials for the gem store to me.

Probably the most inane thing I've ever read regarding a cash shop in my entire life.

[Lane]

Probably the most inane thing I've ever read regarding a cash shop in my entire life.

Whatever. Never said anyone had to agree with me, it's just the perception I had of GW2. I've never made any secret about how horrible I've always thought the LS is. Most of the S1 updates were little more than achievement grinds in conjunction with new gem store releases.

[Stevecow]

Popped in to hear some recent news about Wildstar and got nothing but GW2 information. Will check back next week!

[Deleted]

Popped in to hear some recent news about Wildstar and got nothing but GW2 information. Will check back next week!

Yes they have thrashed the thread....

If you want to go and cry about some other game I suggest you go to that forum and do it!

- - - Updated - - -

New lore update Chua http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/st...-the-chua.html

- - - Updated - - -

http://wildstaronline.wikia.com/wiki..._Week:_Mikedot First housing crib of the week 2015

[Nosdrone]

Popped in to hear some recent news about Wildstar and got nothing but GW2 information.

There's no news to report about WildStar. Been quiet on that front for quite some time.

Drop 4 is coming soon. Here's the rundown:
http://www.readycheck.org/en/forum/w...ontent-drop-4/

[Deleted]

http://gameonmag.com/portfolio/wilds...azine-issue-4/ out now

[Tekkommo]

There's no news to report about WildStar. Been quiet on that front for quite some time.

Drop 4 is coming soon. Here's the rundown:
http://www.readycheck.org/en/forum/w...ontent-drop-4/

Thanks for the link, it does look like a lot, but most of it is pretty uninteresting sadly.

Main thing thing that worries me, under Veteran Shiphands.

"The most common complain about WildStar seems to be the lack of casual friendly and non-hardcore content."

I don't think they know what that really means, no doubt they will see casual friendly as easy rewarding content. Casual friendly should mean easily accessible with easy and challenging content, with only the challenging content giving good rewards. Don't know if any of the old people are still around who defended WS to the death, but yes you can have challenging content that is casual friendly.

[Nosdrone]

The future of WildStar is even more dire than I think any of us anticipated: KDB Daewoo Securities Forecast of 4 bn Won ($3.6 million US) for each quarter of 2015:
http://www.kdbdw.com/bbs/download/19...hmentId=192028
http://i.imgur.com/Tu3G4R2.png

They've been within 10% on their predictions of the last two quarters, so if this is true... things will have to drastically change at Carbine. $3.6 million a quarter is nothing.

We have 35 days until NCSoft publishes their report for 4Q14. Can only hope for the players sake that it's higher than the 8 bn Won prediction. If not, expect some drastic announcements. Total relaunch or B2P/F2P.

[Tackhisis]

Drop 4 is coming soon. Here's the rundown:

Hell, I like that:
"Will the 40 still be available?—No, it will not." They've been told in beta 40-man raids are unfeasible.
"You can now save your IP-Address for 7 days." They were told about in the first month. Fanboys were trolling people unchecked.

I am glad they finally decided to be sane, but they have about 80000 subs left and it was 6 month overdue.

[Theiea]

The future of WildStar is even more dire than I think any of us anticipated: KDB Daewoo Securities Forecast of 4 bn Won ($3.6 million US) for each quarter of 2015:
http://www.kdbdw.com/bbs/download/19...hmentId=192028
http://i.imgur.com/Tu3G4R2.png

They've been within 10% on their predictions of the last two quarters, so if this is true... things will have to drastically change at Carbine. $3.6 million a quarter is nothing.

We have 35 days until NCSoft publishes their report for 4Q14. Can only hope for the players sake that it's higher than the 8 bn Won prediction. If not, expect some drastic announcements. Total relaunch or B2P/F2P.

If they are accurate, thats pretty dire.

3.6M USD per quarter
920,000 per month.

At 15 bucks per sub, that a tick over 61,000 subs. And its probably lower since that also accounts for box sales (Credd too?). Hard to develop and maintain an MMO on less than a million per month. Doubt that would even cover salaries for the entire staff at Carbine.

[Edge-]

Hard to develop and maintain an MMO on less than a million per month.

Depending on the game, no it's not. There are a number of smaller, more niche MMO's with small teams that do just fine with that much or even less.

That's not saying a company as large as Carbine (hundreds of employees) with a game as expensive as WildStar (tens, if not hundreds of millions in development costs) would sustain itself at current levels with that money, but you don't need tens/hundreds of million a year to run a MMO. If those numbers are remotely accurate, then either NCsoft is going to be dumping a lot of money in Carbine (running deep in the red) to try to turn things around, or Carbine is going to have a lot more layoffs : /

Hopefully it's the former and they can get things sorted with the game growing/thriving.

[Gray_Matter]

3.6M USD per quarter
920,000 per month.

Your calculations are slightly out, there are 3 months in a quarter and not 4.

[Nosdrone]

With the fixed math:
Per month = $1.228 Million USD
$15 or $20 (C.R.E.D.D.) subscriptions = 81,873 to 61,405 subscribers

Not counting box purchases.

And that's if they meet KDB's expectations -- WS came in lower than projected in Q314. The Q4 numbers will be very telling.

Really have to wonder what's cooking behind the scenes at Carbine right now.

[Gray_Matter]

The future of WildStar is even more dire than I think any of us anticipated: KDB Daewoo Securities Forecast of 4 bn Won ($3.6 million US) for each quarter of 2015:
http://www.kdbdw.com/bbs/download/19...hmentId=192028
http://i.imgur.com/Tu3G4R2.png

They've been within 10% on their predictions of the last two quarters, so if this is true... things will have to drastically change at Carbine. $3.6 million a quarter is nothing.

I was going to say that it's not so bad but after doing the sums, it's not looking good at all. 80k subs per month. $1.2 million per month in revenue. That's far too low for a 200 man business. The figures have probably been rounded up too so it's more than likely worse than that.

Don't worry though, there is plenty of space in the market for a hardcore game tailored for hardcore players

[DeadmanWalking]

I had guildies who bought 12 months worth of cred in the first month of wildstar who quit playing and would still count as a sub.

[Edge-]

I had guildies who bought 12 months worth of cred in the first month of wildstar who quit playing and would still count as a sub.

Well, someone paid for the active time on their accounts : P

[zito]

Well, someone paid for the active time on their accounts : P

Yup unless carbine releases it themselves, it is impossible to determine the amount of subs they have when one subscriber could buy 5 months and sell it.

[Gray_Matter]

Yup unless carbine releases it themselves, it is impossible to determine the amount of subs they have when one subscriber could buy 5 months and sell it.

I have said this before. I am almost certain that Carbine would be using GAAP and only recognizing CREDD as revenue when it's used. That is common in large corporations.