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In a polar opposite of the recent PopCap talk, Teut Weidemann, lead designer of Settlers Online for Ubisoft's Blue Byte studio, says that the key to free-to-play success is to exploit human weakness. Essentially, find those areas in which players can be monetized, and go after that aggressively.
See the entire article at the link below.
I found this to be very interesting.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/2...knesses.php%5D
lol, hilarious read if nothing else. The only thing that's about right in that article is sitting in the same train...and then they derail it to hell haha
Weidemann...I guess I finally have a name for the "brain" that does not have an idea about TSO and does not logic too.
Interesting. Certainly we can argue degrees of success, but TSO just celebrated 4 years in operation. That doesn't happen without sufficient player monetization. I've been here a goodly while, and spent more $ this year than all prior years combined, I suspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceruhe
Oddly enough, the seven sins approach isn't a motivator for me, but I've only been here 6 months. I am not competitive enough to pay to advance, not terribly impatient, and while I do envy some things I see, it's more of a motivator to hang around long enough and not a hurry-and-buy-it incentive. I have spent the $1.99 in the one triple sale (April or May?) and that's it. I have thought about doing it again if here is a triple, but it isn't a must do for me. Sure I'd like to get my MMA, but not enough to cough up much money. There are too many really free to play games available to occupy me while I wait for my next TSO move, and this supposed to be a stress relief for me, not a stress inciter. Spending money for online gaming isn't in the cards for me. The only thing that might motivate me to spend is boredom, and that is a fine line for a company to walk, because if I am too bored, I find something else.
The best way to monetize this game would be to sell an offline/online version with an extra perk that would permit advances made in the off-line version to be uploaded to the web version (and the web version to be played offline) for a fee. Now THAT might interest me.
Does anyone really take advantage of any of the instant functions? There might be value to it if the gem cost matched the resource and time cost, but I'm not spending 10k gems to upgrade a building except maybe by accident. But I have gone after a bunch of things that make me click/build/wait less, though not so aggressively that I'm one of those people who after 6 months say there's nothing left to do.
I have used them by accident. :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Gwalben
I am curious if once they add stealing whether or not we can then trade scam too.
interesting article, he's telling the truth with out all the bull that usually covers it up.
no happy to take my time and enjoy the company and the game, in that order too.
Only when I'm on the test server... I use them quite liberally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gwalben
I see it as a more or less really in regards to gameplay. Given.
Pay to Play is to say once is did to do, other than saying win cause why not just sell that without play??
If you have to play to find what to buy then what is there to win to do so by then?? Which is still fine but money is money and what can make it is to say still is. Yes??
Gameplay still though on the hand probably has tons to say sell since it's there still without it, least if say used though still say correctly, and as such to ask is what not to sale?? (Rather negative/sarcastic or not of course-Given everything should be anything, sorry)
Still with gameplay, what is instant?? Probably verys by cost, if cheaper then spent, but of gameplay?? Instant seems not to win really but for instance. Of instance is without cost?? Perhaps it has instance to say so. Instance with cost?? Perhaps it has instance to say so. Who Knows??
If you buy now why say still out paying later?? It being paid for till then, without now, wouldn't be paid for for later ?? (Gameplay). Against Hype and Impulse say without of, there probably isn't much really for sack a/of varying instances(') but maybe into a thousand or so combinations of such to happen?? With or without "double-happenings" and the "like".
Instant otherwise would be kinda hard to say sale probably as the only sale, probably both ways, one way or another.
Gameplay in itself, have what isn't there despite say why of pay but of why of pay??. Say further multi or single player makes more sense probably than not but how much to the point of as progress versus achievement??