by Karen Hertzberg on Jun 05, 2006
Ice Cold Beer, thanks to Sigil Games Online
By Niborea
Today all across the Ten Ton Hammer network we’re all talking beer….err business. That is we’re all looking at how paying a fee to play an MMO affects the way a person plays. Sure we’d all like to play our favorite MMO’s for free but would giving up those revenues, brought in by those monthly fees, really be good for the ongoing development of the game? And let’s face it, all MMO’s are works in progress, they are never really finished. To be successful the game needs to grow as the player base grows. The dynamics of the environment must change along with them or grow stagnant and stale, which does not attract new players nor keep current ones interested. It’s like going to your favorite bar and finding out that after years of enjoying their crisp cold beers, they’ve neglected to replenish the ice in the ice chest and slowly over time that beer becomes warmer and less enjoyable… unless you’re German, I’m told they like warm beer but probably not stale MMO's. You aren’t likely to continue going to that bar, you’ll be looking for one with a new block of ice in the ice chest. So they need those fees to buy more ice!
For some people the monthly fee seems unnecessary or too high, the company already got their money for the software, why should they pay to play? See these players don’t really like warm beer, they just don’t want to help pay for the extra block of ice, but they will complain loudly if it’s not kept cold. Now, the developers at Sigil Games Online creators of Vanguard, Saga of Heroes has a plan for keeping their beer cold…err for keeping their game fresh. They’ve got specific design teams set up for expansions and also an ice team…err “Live Team” that will be responsible for refreshing and revamping existing areas as the game grows. To me this is well worth the monthly fee, I like my beer very cold after all and I don’t mind paying for it.
Another contention about the monthly fee for some has to do with server stability. Most people bulk when the servers go down and they can’t log on, let’s face it we’re all addicts…or is that just me who twitches at a blank log in screen. Some go so far as to demand a refund or credit of their monthly fee when that happens. They complain loudly and type boldly on the forums with their demands. That’s akin to asking for a refund on your car payment because it ended up in the shop for the day.
The monthly fee for me has no bearing on how I play the game. I don’t feel a need to play every second I can…ok I DO, but that’s for other reasons, which my therapist assures me he can help with, although his fee is way more outrageous. Some people feel that the monthly fee is unfair due to their own time constraints and that those who can play more hours are getting the better deal. Hello…that is like asking the cable company to adjust your monthly payment for the time you are not watching as much T.V. as your neighbor!
While paying a monthly fee does not affect the way I play, it certainly can affect my experience of the game and thus affect my level of enjoyment. By requiring the monthly fee a game can offer extra services that they would not otherwise be able to provide. For instance in Vanguard, Saga of Heroes they will offer several levels of in game customer support besides the ever popular volunteers known as Guides.
CS GMs: Employed Game Masters whose job it is to help customers with problems and questions, (e.g. I got stuck, my items are missing, etc.) Referee GMs: Employed Game Masters whose job it is to adjudicate the rules and intent behind content when there is an altercation, exploit, etc. Event GMs: More like the traditional 'dungeon master', involved with dynamic content, events, promoting role-playing, actors taking over NPCs and interacting with players, etc.These three levels of in game GM’s will affect the overall enjoyment of the game for many people and is a system very worthy of a few extra dollars a month. How many people complain constantly of the level of customer service in their game? Loads… and I don’t blame them, some games just don’t provide for their in game community. There is no one available to help with a problem, there are no organized in-game events, exploitation runs rampant. Those at Sigil know from experience that it takes a good base of support to nurture the community of online players and they look like they have plenty of ice to keep that beer on tap and cold for a good long time.
On the financial aspect of MMO’s as entertainment they really are a bargain when you look at other forms of entertainment people participate in. Your average MMO will cost you approx. $50 for the box content or core game when first released. Some older ones on the market, EverQuest for example, can be had for as little as $19.99 which includes all but the latest expansion. That upfront cost for the core game includes thirty days of free play as well. So let’s say you’re a pretty casual gamer and only play two hours per day…that first month of play would cost you less than two dollars per hour to play. Now the average monthly fee for MMO’s is currently $14.99 a month, so your hourly rate of cost just got lower, much lower. I know you can’t go see a movie for two dollars an hour, and if you have kids a sitter will surely charge you more than two dollars per hour to watch the rug rats.
So try not to grumble when you pay that monthly fee, instead take a look and see what your game might be providing with that revenue…I am confident Sigil will be using it to keep things fresh and cold…ice cold.