Allods Online announces changes to cash shop pricing

When Allods Online soft-launched on February 16th, it had proven just how much buzz a free-to-play game could generate in a short span of time. Three days later, it proved how quickly a game's reputation could plummet, as the release of the cash shop prices sent most players into a paroxysm of rage. The official statements (and interviews) were seen as amounting to "well, it's our game so pay up," and the crowd was quickly turning around and heading for the hills. So an age-old strategy has been employed: the powers that be are reversing their position

The official announcement doesn't give any details, but it makes it clear that the community outrage has been heard, and the cash shop prices will be revised sometime this week. The structuring has been changed to make "participation in this element of the game" less onerous, and no doubt to try and reverse some of the animosity leveled against Astrum Nival and gPotato in recent days. It remains to be seen whether or not the turnaround will mollify players or if the changes will be too little too late, but it's good to see that the voice of the players has been heard all through Allods Online.

Reader Comments (44)

Lets hope they don't totally tank this well crafted F2P game. Oh wait, its Gpotato. Move along, nothing to see here.

/thread

I just wish they would do something rather than saying they will do something. Actions, not words, at this point is the only saving grace for the game.

When their rep was on the podcast he made it sound like it was going to take a lot longer than this to change prices because, "so many factors had to be accounted for," and, "you can't just lop off a zero." Good to know he was full of shit. I bet they just take off one or several zeros.

You guys should also divulge that gPotato Europe has been doing a survey by their Allods members to try and understand what type of person plays their game:

http://surveys.polldaddy.com/s/A5C911F4D11B1D7E/

It's quite interesting and it made me slightly more hopeful that the game will turn around. However, since this debacle started i stoped playing the game because i don't want to invest hours into a character that i will eventually discard because of mismanagement by the part of the publishers and/or developers. Because right now the pricing policy is just one of the issues with the game. The latest Russian patches are also a problem.

Some folks have just decided to hate this developer (points above).

They responded in less than a WEEK after the shop opened but nobody seems satisfied.

I suggest that the developer give up on the folks who are too blinded by nerdrage.

They should just keep producing one of the best MMOs I've ever seen and eventually they will build a good customer base.

Can we direct all of the folks flipping out towards another game to hate?

Stow it. Devs say shit all the time. Meanwhile every action GPotato-or-who-the-fuck-ever's-running-the-show has taken since this crapstorm started has been in complete contradiction towards their placating tone.

The reason most folks (myself included) are upset is because this is a game they like and they don't want to see it run into the ground through mismanagement and greed.

You fail at understanding why people are upset. People WANT to spend money in this game. The people who WANT to spend money are pissed because the prices are so messed up.

So yeah, lets direct a truckload of potential paying costumers to another game and company.

Also, the devs didn't respond in less than a WEEK.
Because the devs aren't controlling the prices. It's the PUBLISHER who screwed up in the first place.
And they didn't respond in less than a week. The cash shop, with the same outrageous prices is still functioning waiting for people to spend money there.

So yeah, they FINNALY decided to change their policy. Lets see what prices they are going to implement, because with the intensive use of cash shop items that this game requires at later levels the cash shop prices should be at least 5 times smaller.

It's been really nice playing Allods for the past week now that most of the ridiculous trolls have all ragequit.

There are still tons of people playing.. people who actually want to play the game. It's pretty damned pleasant now.

Yes, we all want to see the prices lowered.. Who wouldn't?

Shut the fuck up Wjowski you stupid fuckwit, if you had any idea what the fuck you were talking about, you'd know the devs are pushing for all of these changes.

If this price change is similar to the Fear of Death change after player complaints, I am expecting prices to actually GO UP.

lol that's hilarious, but true. Russian patch is going to be a spine buster.

If it is harder than running a SQL Query to adjust pricing, this game will never go anywhere. Seriously changing the price on an item should be a 60 second affair. Here let me help:

update onlineproducts set game_price = (game_price / 10)

Done.

Changing prices being difficult wasn't referring to a line of code. Obviously he was saying that there are a lot of parties who have stakes in the profitability of the game and their investments and that they need to make sure they are making the right decision for the game now, and for 1 or even 3 years from now.

I think most people care to hate on it for the hell of it because it isn't really a noteworthy game and it's just F2P. So yeah, who cares, probably just the Gpotatoe and that money they'll get. I don't really care to experience "Allods" even though I thought it "worked".

Grats, they cleaned up a mess of their own making. We should be grateful and adoring... why? I'd like to think they've learned their lesson, that they won't do it again, but come on. How dumb do they think we are? Trust squandered takes a long time to regain. Deservedly so. Will check back in half a year.

Yes there is more to it, but the decision should have been immediate and the "code" is easy. So why after a revolt of the paying community would they not just adjust the prices down immediately? If it is a complex answer, every change they get into like this is going to be an issue. Every screw up is going to take longer than necessary to resolve.

Why do so many MMO Devs/Publishers go out of their way to screw their products as much as possible?

Why?

It just doesn't make sense to me.

Tbh, my interest has really fallen now. Of course, if they play it smart, that may change.

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Allods Online announces changes to cash shop pricing

Reader Comments (44)

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:01PM Bhima said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:55PM Vladimyr said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:08PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:11PM AlamoeJones said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:14PM Gaugamela said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:42PM Pingles said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:56PM wjowski said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:02PM AlamoeJones said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:13PM Gaugamela said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 9:05PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 2nd 2010 5:45PM Metatron said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:43PM sandwiches said

Posted: Mar 2nd 2010 1:16AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 7:59PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:19PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:02PM Tizmah said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:02PM Cinnamoon said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 2nd 2010 2:45AM Dread said

Posted: Mar 1st 2010 8:39PM (Unverified) said

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