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...That is the Question.

By Lady Sirse



Fighting the crowds at the mall, waiting in lines only to come to the counter
and find out that your long awaited MMO is sold out. Feeling blue because you
are the only guild member without the uber expansion because you live in Europe
or an area that doesn't have a local shopping center a mile down the road? Did
you rejoice when the downloadable expansions were introduced, or did you happily
sign up for it and were stunned frozen in your chair when you saw the download
time?

The gaming community is faced with this decision time and time again, but so
too are the gaming companies. They face a real task trying to get a feel for
the minds of the consumer base that spends millions of dollars each year on
the ever growing MMO market. The way people spend their money has never been
easy to figure out, especially in today's world of internet sales, identity
theft and record breaking personal debt. There are so many things to take into
account when looking at this issue, beginning with how the transaction will
be carried out.

Many people, especially younger ones, have no second thoughts on using credit
or debit cards. They offer an ease of use that is second to none. These consumers
seem to trust in the security of advertised "secured servers". Others
cringe with fear each time they have no other option but to type in their personal
information and send it out over the web of the internet, or choose not to take
the risk that can be involved with an online purchase. Watch any news report
or read the newspapers, and you will see a number of stories about some unsuspecting
consumer whose life is in tatters because of identity theft.

There is also the fact that a fair percentage of the consumer base either refuses
to have one or is unable to obtain a credit card. In a world where inflation
and the cost of living is so far out of joint, personal debt and the rate of
bankruptcy filings are skyrocketing. This type of consumer does not add to the
profits of the online economy, rather they use cash or other non electronic
methods of payment. Though they are limited and often inconvenienced it is possible
for these consumers to still have a voice in the market place. Or do they?

There has been much discussion lately about whether or not MMO makers should
limit themselves to digital delivery only of their games to save the overhead
of packaging and other costs involved in shipping a physical product. My question
is - how can they even consider going to a digital only delivery system? How
would that serve the bottom line? Let's face it that is the deciding factor,
not what is best for the game or any moral policy they claim to hold. Will it
increase or decrease their profits?

When this topic fired up the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes official forum recently,
there were many factors that were brought up that lead me to believe that it
would harm a company's revenue if they went to a digital delivery only system.
Many of the community members commented that even though they had the proper
connections to facilitate a smooth download of a game, they still preferred
to go to a local store to purchase the game CD. Why is this? Reasons stated
ranged from the enjoyment of the extras that commonly come with the packaging
to feeling more secure knowing that they had a back up CD should something happen
to their system.

What is it about cheesy maps, pewter figurines, and commonly unhelpful user's
manuals that draws us in time and time again? Could there be some psychological
aspect to this type of marketing? I think that this is something that has several
layers to it. When you purchase a digital download you know your money is gone
and you have a new game, but it doesn't always feel like you have something
new. There is nothing like the mess of packaging spread over your desk, another
map tacked to your wall, and a new addition to your collection of pewter figurines
on your shelf to be a physical reminder that you have the best new game, or
the latest expansion.

With that in mind, I think it is safe to say that brick and mortar stores will
still be with us for a long time to come when you think about how you are going
to get your copy of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. So get your sleeping bags ready,
pack up the ice chest and join the fun at your local store as soon as we hear
that magical date for the launch of this ground breaking third generation MMO.

Tell us what you think



To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Karen is H.D.i.C. (Head Druid in Charge) at EQHammer. She likes chocolate chip pancakes, warm hugs, gaming so late that it's early, and rooting things and covering them with bees. Don't read her Ten Ton Hammer column every Tuesday. Or the EQHammer one every Thursday, either.

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