Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of monetizing third-party utilities?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-idea-of-monetizing-third-party/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-idea-of-monetizing-third-party/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-like-the-idea-of-monetizing-third-party/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Between licensing issues and the general way of the internet, we've gotten used to the idea that MMO services outside of the company don't cost anything. World of Warcraft players might rely on Wowhead's database services, but that's free to anyone who knows where to look. But with the recent EVE Online move to allow third parties to make money on applications and services, there are some interesting questions to be asked about the way things work now.

On the one hand, charging money for services means that it's possible for good services and databases to go professional, helping to ensure a higher level of quality. On the other hand, no one likes paying money for something that used to be free, and the idea that said free services may not always be free is a bitter pill to swallow. So what do you think? Are you happy with the idea that independent developers can make money off of a game, or does the EVE Online change fill you with apprehension?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of monetizing third-party utilities? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesschargingeve-onlinefeesmoentizingmoneyopinionpaymenttdgthe-daily-grindthird-party-developmentThu, 16 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Third-party development acquiring monetization options from EVE Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/third-party-development-acquiring-monetization-options-from-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/third-party-development-acquiring-monetization-options-from-eve/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/15/third-party-development-acquiring-monetization-options-from-eve/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you're running a service in EVE Online at the moment, you're running it for free. If you're developing an application for the game, you're doing it for free. This isn't unusual, really -- pretty much any fan-developed application or service is done free of charge. But that's soon to change for fans of CCP's cutthroat game, as a new developer blog outlines upcoming changes that will allow developers to charge for services, applications, and website access.

For a $99 license fee, developers and service providers will be able to sign up and start charging money for their products while having full access to the EVE Online API. The entry itself goes into more details on the restrictions of the program and what it will mean for non-commercial sites (which will not be required to pay any sort of fee). It's an interesting move, one that means that the game will be able to develop a more robust real-world economy to complement the in-game activities.

MassivelyThird-party development acquiring monetization options from EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applicationsbusinessbusiness-modelsbusiness-practicesccpccp-gameseveeve-onlinefeesmmo-industrymonetizingpaymentservicessoftware-developmentthird-party-developmentwebsitesWed, 15 Jun 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The catch point of the free-to-play model]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/the-catch-point-of-the-free-to-play-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/the-catch-point-of-the-free-to-play-model/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/06/the-catch-point-of-the-free-to-play-model/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


With the successful transition of Dungeons and Dragons Online to the free-to-play model, there's a lot of talk about why other games don't move over to the same model, with Warhammer Online frequently being cited as a game that would enjoy a great benefit from the switch. It would bring in more players, certainly, but there's more to the business than just bringing in new blood. The Ancient Gaming Noob makes an excellent point in a recent entry regarding the inescapable paradox of any game offering a free-to-play model -- that razor-edge split between giving the game away for free and making it entirely unreasonable to play it for free.

The obvious idea is that more people will try the game if they don't think they have to commit, and if they feel they can keep playing without having to pay money they're more likely to stick with it. However, every player that isn't paying money is essentially a cost - and as the entry points out, your paying playerbase will frequently be a small percentage of your overall subscribers. The entry uses Battlefield Heroes as an example of a game where the equillibrium needed to shift to make it profitable, which is causing serious rumbling in the gaming community, but the example can apply for any free-to-play game. As the model becomes more and more popular, it's important to remember that it's not a certain hit -- and can turn what could have been a moderately-successful subscription game into a failed game if done wrong.

MassivelyThe catch point of the free-to-play model originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academicbattlefield-heroesbusiness-modelsddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfeesfree-to-playopinionpaymentsubscriptionthe-ancient-gaming-noobwarwarhammer-onlineSun, 06 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/ccp-staff-offered-the-option-of-being-paid-foreign-currency-duri/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/ccp-staff-offered-the-option-of-being-paid-foreign-currency-duri/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/10/ccp-staff-offered-the-option-of-being-paid-foreign-currency-duri/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

During our troubled economic times, one sometimes forgets that currency is in a constant state of fluctuation. When times get really harsh, the value of the currency can wildly go back and forth between numbers, creating a sense of unease as people don't know what their currency is worth.

CCP Games, however, took up a new approach to paying their employees when the Icelandic Krona was volatile earlier this year -- paying their employees in foreign currency.

Employees were offered the option to accept paychecks in foreign currency, if they so wished, to provide employees with a stable income from a stable currency rather than receiving checks with the Krona. The move was easy on CCP's part, as the company is located in China, Iceland, and the United States and makes most of their revenue in foreign currency anyway.

Continue reading CCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis

MassivelyCCP staff offered the option of being paid foreign currency during economic crisis originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-gameschinacurrencyeconomic-crisiseconomyeveeve-onlineicelandpaymentunited-stateswhite-wolfMon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Now how much would you pay?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/the-daily-grind-now-how-much-would-you-pay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/the-daily-grind-now-how-much-would-you-pay/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/29/the-daily-grind-now-how-much-would-you-pay/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For many, the cost of a game -- the initial purchase plus the monthly fee -- is simply assessed once, then never considered again. You have to pay something, after all, and you don't really have a choice if you want the content. Obviously, this doesn't take into account free-to-play games, but some people believe that you get what you pay for.

But there is also the consideration of value over time -- was it worth that fifteen dollars for the month if you didn't enjoy the gameplay? If not, then why not? What would be worth that fee? Is it fair to say that sometimes you have to absorb the cost of a game you disliked to find out for yourself that it wasn't worth playing? Are there any games that you're happy to pay for, knowing you're helping ensure the maintenance and further development of the title?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Now how much would you pay? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>moneymonthly-feepaymenttdgthe-daily-grindTue, 29 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST