General Discussion

If the MMO have a mensual fee I think expansions should be free. Or vice versa, paying expansion but not a mensual fee.

Only your mother's love is for free. All expansions are paid for regardless. Its either as an up front fee or worked into the sub price. At least if offered as a paid expansion you have the choice to say no.

As for it being expensive, well, its your choice, you know where the unsubscribe button is if you can't afford it, use it and perhaps maybe make something of your life and earn a little money so that you are in a position to play games just as much as you want to.

To a degree, certainly, small, crappy expansions like the ones in EQ, SWG, and WoW I would not pay for at all. I would however be willing to pay for expansions that add a more than just a significant amount of content. For instance, the Guild Wars "expansions" I had no issue with, they practically are an entire new game.

I would prefer not to pay for expansions, but I think most people feel this way. The fact is that as long as people are able and willing to pay for an expansion then people will pay for expansions. I have purchased a number of expansions in my gaming history some good some bad, and I will probably continue to do so, even though I don't like it.

Originally posted by Emeraq

It's business, get used to it.

Our ability to choose isn't the focus of my discussion. I'm trying to figure out why some companies don't make us pay for added content, items and upgrades, while some seem to make us pay for stuff that just doesn't even qualify as an expansion.

Yet for some reason, whether it's because mommy is flippin the bill or they inherited a billion dollars from grandpa, we get people that don't care. I'm glad you got a money tree farm and don't have to worry about finances. That doesn't dispute the fact that were paying for stuff for one game thats free on another.

Am I able to afford expansions? Absolutely. Being in the military has it's advantages of financial stability. Does that mean I desire to pay for something when I don't think I should have to, in order to play competitively in a game I already purchased? No, I do not desire to hand over money to companies that already make more then some small countries GNP.

MMO industry is a business and businesses are out to make money. What people don't seem to understand is, if we let them charge what THEY want, it proves to them that we are willing. The moment we stand up against higher prices or increased fees, they tend to wake up. Businesses need customers as much as they need our money. Its time we stop letting businesses run the customer service industry and let the customers get what they pay for.

Originally posted by Rhoklaw

 

Originally posted by Emeraq

It's business, get used to it.

That is such a priceless comment. If people don't like something, we just say, thats how it is, get used to it. Sorry, but as a paying customer for a product, I don't HAVE to get used to anything. As I and a few others have pointed out, we have options in the gaming industry. We can pay gaming companies that don't rape our wallets or we can hand over our money to the ones that do.

 

Our ability to choose isn't the focus of my discussion. I'm trying to figure out why some companies don't make us pay for added content, items and upgrades, while some seem to make us pay for stuff that just doesn't even qualify as an expansion.

Yet for some reason, whether it's because mommy is flippin the bill or they inherited a billion dollars from grandpa, we get people that don't care. I'm glad you got a money tree farm and don't have to worry about finances. That doesn't dispute the fact that were paying for stuff for one game thats free on another.

Am I able to afford expansions? Absolutely. Being in the military has it's advantages of financial stability. Does that mean I desire to pay for something when I don't think I should have to, in order to play competitively in a game I already purchased? No, I do not desire to hand over money to companies that already make more then some small countries GNP.

MMO industry is a business and businesses are out to make money. What people don't seem to understand is, if we let them charge what THEY want, it proves to them that we are willing. The moment we stand up against higher prices or increased fees, they tend to wake up. Businesses need customers as much as they need our money. Its time we stop letting businesses run the customer service industry and let the customers get what they pay for.

1st - if you don't agree with the cost, don't pay.

2nd - I am willing.  I don't think these games are too expensive, far from it actually.  50 cents a day is cheap as hell for the fun Im having.  If it seems too much for you - Lern2income.

Originally posted by Smikis

anyone can count how many expansions does eq2 have.. last time i checked.. was around 2 years ago it was close to 10.. if not more O_o  it wasnt even full expansions.. half of it was just some zones instance.. for which you had to pay .. that clearly trew me away from trying game

while i dont mind expansions such as wow.. there is major update each 2-4 months.. used to be each month for first year.. sadly  it keeps increasing but still

to date, for the last 9 years, Everquest has had 14 expansions

EQ2, for the last 3.5 years, has had 4 expansions 

(I dont count the 3 "adventure packs" that cost around $5.00)

Turbine, of LOTRO, has said they plan on annual expansions

www.massively.com/2008/03/14/more-mines-of-moria-information-revealed/

Annual expansions and quarterly episodic content (Books)

The games you mentioned w/ purchasable expansions ALSO have free content to download.

WoW, for example, has added a good deal of content since BC.

However, in the world of business, where a whole programming team is needed to add extra material, get used to paying for expacs. It's part of the successful business model that keeps quality games coming. Furthermore, you get HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of hours out of an expac for $40. Cheapest entertainment ever. The overall cost of an MMORPG versus it's price makes it the cheapest, high- quality entertainment around.

In other words, cry more.

 [quote]

Yet for some reason, whether it's because mommy is flippin the bill or they inherited a billion dollars from grandpa, we get people that don't care. I'm glad you got a money tree farm and don't have to worry about finances. That doesn't dispute the fact that were paying for stuff for one game thats free on another.

The MMOs you listed are retail games, which means the majority of their business comes from people buying the box from a retail store. Constant expansions(and to a lesser degree repacking like WoW Battle