Black Prophecy gets publisher, decides on pricing

While normally I wouldn't touch a F2P as I feel they are just there to rake in as much cash as they can, I can't wait to see how this turns out. I have been looking forward to it for a while and it doesn't really bother me its F2P.

Great, they announce they go the free to play route right after i signed up in their site. Now i'm going to scratch this game of my list.

@Arkadis

"If you were prepared to pay $15 dollars a month to play (and ended up liking it), then spending $15 dollars a month in the cash shop if you want leaves you no worse off. In fact it is better because you don't have to pay a sub for the game when you don't anticipate having a lot of play time that month or want a break for a while."

the problem with f2p games is that you will never fully experience the game as it should be played if you don't spend money in them. And quite honestly i can't see why the hell this is the only viable model to the monthly subscription model.

IMO the developers should introduce the model that works in Asia as well that is you pay for time based sessions. If you play an hour you pay an hour, if you play two hours you pay those two hours and so on. Much more flexible than monthly subscriptions but were you aren't ripped of your money in a cash shop.
the only reason i see for this not to work is dumb people saying that this only works because "people play in cyber cafes".

Also f2p have way worse support, choices between servers, combat against exploits and hacks and listen way less to the players than subscription based games because subscription based games actually have to introduce wanted changes in their games to keep people playing while f2p's can hide in the "hey it's free!" argument and sometimes take a long time to fix issues.

You know, I don't think all $15 a month sub games are going to be awful because some of them are. F2P may have a large share of bad games/expensive item shops, but until I see the game, I'm not going to pre-judge it. Especially since I can try it, well, for free.

If they keep the shop to ship skin/models and similar stuff, which doesn't effect gameplay. I do think they can make money that way.

In SWG, I know players who have bought many packs of trading game cards to try and get loot cards (in game) items which are purely cosmetic. Even a ship, the V-wing, is only available by getting a very rare TGC, and has the same stats as an crafted A-wing. Yet, a number of players have spent money trying to get it. Of course, since its a random/slotmachine model of a cash shop, I consider it to be the most evil of cash shops (and its SOE, dun dun dun). They'd much rather just have shelled out a fixed price for these items.

JGE and BP are two games I've been hoping to fill my need for space zapzap. JGE is a bit too neon colored for me, so hopefully BP turns out good.

I wait with baited breath for more info on this. To me free to play 9 times out of 10 means its crap.

In this case I hope im wrong.

Damn, was actually kinda interested in this game...

And for a second, I was hoping it was like Guildwars F2P, not F2P.

Why why WHY do they come with this F2P business model CRAP!!!!

To all the F2P proponents out there:

While I don't speak for all anti-F2P players out there, I'm sure I speak for some. The single greatest reason I prefer P2P is that I KNOW what I'm getting for $15, and, more importantly, I know that no one else anywhere in the game is getting anything more than me. I KNOW that no matter where I look, anyone I find has just as many opportunities as I do and vice versa.

In a F2P game, things are NOT fair. I do not enjoy playing a game where I know that the size of a player's wallet can influence their game time thus indirectly affecting MY game time. Yes, people who spend tons of money in F2P's do affect my enjoyment of the game. I play MMO's to play with and/or against other players, and if they are at an advantage or disadvantage due to our differing RL budgets, I do not have fun.

With P2P I have access to EVERYTHING, whenever, however

The game mechanics are not messed up

I know how much is coming out of my bank account each month

Everything is achieved through time or skill, not through how deep my pockets are

F2P may be the only way to compete now with the established MMO biggies (such as Eve, WoW). Although in the long run it may not be the best income model, trying to get your foot in the door - it may be the only viable way.

I wonder if F2P will spread to the single computer game market as well - considering how more and more players are digitally downloading and a single player game could be easily subscribed to via the Internet?

Gamigo, eh? Really?

Ok, I hereby predict that this will be the next Dark & Light/Spellborn/Allods of the MMO world!

Seriously, some of these studios just need to get together and create something similar to the Indie Fund, but for MMO devs.
Because relying on companies such as Gamigo, Gala-Net (gPotato), Aeria, Acclaim, etc, to publish your games is like playing Russian Roulette... with a full chamber.

I'm rather surprised more MMOs don't at least consider offering a sub/MT alternative, as DDO does, allowing players to EITHER pay a sub fee for the entire game OR pay piecemeal for it using MTs.

Perhaps that's too complicated to configure, but it seems like it would be the most profitable way for MMO developers to go -- especially if they are new to the MMO scene and are trying to build up a player base.

My comments above were not directed at any specific poster (and in retrospect appeared a bit incendiary) but rather at those whom I see repeatedly posting on forums with great indignation at the thought of paying for a game via micro transactions as if it should somehow be simply free to play period.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I believe the micro transaction model (like free trials) will become the norm with new games because of the inability for enough of the potential gaming population to sustain multiple gaming subscriptions. $15 dollars a month for WoW? No problem. $30 for WoW and say EVE? Maybe. $45 dollars for WoW/EVE/XYZ? Not likely.

I am in full agreement with the previous posters in that they key to a successful micro transaction model is balance as opposed to price gouging. A successful system should be setting prices that balance equivalent time grind, item necessity, and game play , but also arrive at an average expected cost per user that prices the game correctly relative to other titles on the market. The fact the historically F2P developers have not done so is not a reflection of the model but their implementation of it (I am looking at you Allods...)

To my thinking it either requires a model where you expect to make a few dollars here and there on optional vanity items (i.e. WoW virtual pets) but make it up in volume, or one where it relies on more game impacting items at an expected monthly investment of $5+ from a significant number of players. In the latter case if the competitive player is essentially required to pay $15 dollars + a month to be competitive, they will be soon staring at a ghost town.

I was so looking forward to this game, but now it's F2P no way.
I go back to my 7 days Darkfall trial and keep all hopes for Earthrise.

Wallet vs Skill is what these arguments usually come down to.

Only, what skill are you talking about? Most MMOs have there "combat mechanics" or "game system" created on a whim. There is no balance from the start because new moves are added because they "sound cool" or "look cool" without having any kind of SYSTEM in place.

1-5% of the players in any MMO may have figured out which 2-4 buttons to spam in which order on their own but most probably went to a website and read "Spam these moves in this order FTW!" Since so many get their "skills" this way and so few people play with any kind of unorthodox style (read: not FoTM build/2-4 move spam) the only "strategy" is knowing the 99% of the time when you see class X they will be spamming these moves in this order so spam these moves yourself! Then the fight breaks down to who has better gear or stats neither of which are any indication of skill.

Free to play games have a bad rap because there is tons of garbage software using the model.

Let's not forget that not every Pay to Play game is a shining example of game design.

Hell, some regular price, no monthly fee games are among the worst I've ever played.

Many people were excited about this game before this announcement and are all of a sudden writing it off because of the announcement. Hey, if it is F2P then I can ...play it for free and THEN decide. Otherwise nothing constructive can come of what I say.

"Nickel and Dime" is also a phrase used by people who have no idea what it means. That or they just think they are entitled to everything because they are so awesome how dare we consider otherwise?!

If you buy something the choice to pay the price asked is yours. The game is free. The game, no matter how poorly designed or no matter how much the developers want to exploit the use of their "cash shop" is NOT forcing you to buy anything. They are not HIDING the cost from you and they are not billing you for the item along with 25 different "fees".

Even if the developers decide to charge $1000.00 for something... you are aware of the price and the true value of the item is for you to decide.

That being said... I truly doubt this game will "nickel and dime" anyone, but I'll have to wait and see like everyone else.

Fail i wont touch the game now.. F2p = cash shops = fail.

I will only ever play P2P games.

Due to all the negative feedback from Allods, I highly recommend this company provide clear and concise communication on their pricing model BEFORE the game is launched. For example, will it take the approach of macrotransactions where a few high priced items help fund the game or will it go the microtransaction approach where many inexpensive items will fund it (similar to an iTunes approach). It's pretty much apparent that most subscription based MMO customers will not pay a cent if the model is macrotransaction based (expensive items).

a example of a good "F2P" game system: Face of Makind