Do I have insider secrets? No, unfortunately I don't, but I do have a creative imagination. Maybe I am reading to much into it, but I sense it is a beta test of what is to come in the future of gaming. So what is this great F2P model that is coming to MMORPG's?
It is rather simple to figure out, and I am not sure why no one has put two and two together yet. Every gaming blogger the last few days has been either happy, or ranting about the new Diablo 3 real life money auction house. I never really played any of the Diablos because I was to involved with EQ at the time, or some other MMORPG.
I am actually putting a whole new twist on the Diablo 3 announcement. I see it as a beta test for a new F2P model. How am I theorycrafting this crazy idea? Let's just assume once Blizzard releases their new MMORPG in a few years that they will convert World of Warcraft to free to play.
Normally free to play games have cash shops to buy novelty items, potions, storage, and so on. It usually gets players pretty fired up to have to buy stuff just to have more backpack space, or potions to compete against others.
So now let's take the Diablo 3 announcement, and implement it into World of Warcraft. How would it be done? I think it could be done in a similar manner, but with a twist. Everyone knows how the auction house currently works. You put something up, and you pay a small deposit to place it on the auction house.
What if Blizzard, or any new F2P MMORPG ditched the cash shop concept completely, and went strictly to this new concept? Basically instead of using in game gold for the auction house deposits it would cost real life money. I am not saying a huge amount, but maybe a nickel, or a dime a transaction. Yup, they could nickel and dime you to death.
You could also have it so it only charges a real money transaction fee if you buy something off the auction house. I think either way players wouldn't think of it as a huge money sink, but of course over a month it would probably add up.
So you really want to still play the game for free? That is easy. You just have to do player to player trading which in turn could strengthen the game community. It would be a win-win for any game company.
Would you be more willing to play a F2P MMORPG model like this, or do you like the current way most gaming companies do it?
It is rather simple to figure out, and I am not sure why no one has put two and two together yet. Every gaming blogger the last few days has been either happy, or ranting about the new Diablo 3 real life money auction house. I never really played any of the Diablos because I was to involved with EQ at the time, or some other MMORPG.
I am actually putting a whole new twist on the Diablo 3 announcement. I see it as a beta test for a new F2P model. How am I theorycrafting this crazy idea? Let's just assume once Blizzard releases their new MMORPG in a few years that they will convert World of Warcraft to free to play.
Normally free to play games have cash shops to buy novelty items, potions, storage, and so on. It usually gets players pretty fired up to have to buy stuff just to have more backpack space, or potions to compete against others.
So now let's take the Diablo 3 announcement, and implement it into World of Warcraft. How would it be done? I think it could be done in a similar manner, but with a twist. Everyone knows how the auction house currently works. You put something up, and you pay a small deposit to place it on the auction house.
What if Blizzard, or any new F2P MMORPG ditched the cash shop concept completely, and went strictly to this new concept? Basically instead of using in game gold for the auction house deposits it would cost real life money. I am not saying a huge amount, but maybe a nickel, or a dime a transaction. Yup, they could nickel and dime you to death.
You could also have it so it only charges a real money transaction fee if you buy something off the auction house. I think either way players wouldn't think of it as a huge money sink, but of course over a month it would probably add up.
So you really want to still play the game for free? That is easy. You just have to do player to player trading which in turn could strengthen the game community. It would be a win-win for any game company.
Would you be more willing to play a F2P MMORPG model like this, or do you like the current way most gaming companies do it?
