PWI MARKETING (memo to Marketing Dept.)

odin
odin Posts: 56 Arc User
edited September 2008 in General Discussion
This thread is not for cry-babying about the PWI prices, linking to petitions, or making personal "if" and "then" declarations.

This thread is for discussing the cause and effect of the PWI prices and suggestions for solutions.

"Official" replies, and their content, will be indicators of how serious PWI patrons, are taken.

I'll start, by quoting my post regarding PWI pricing. I'll add my suggestions, after I fully review the cash shop prices.
odin wrote: »
A person that has not played this fun game, with a character that has been built to level 90+, may not have the insight of knowing how much pleasure is available from this mmorpg.

It is true that to get the most fun from Perfect World, one must be able to enjoy cash shop items.

Some items are exclusive to the cash shop. Depending on the price, players, with limited incomes, may be deprived of those items altogether.

Other items, available in the cash shop, have an "in game" alternative. A player, that spends their time getting the "in game' alternative, uses their game time differently than a player that buys the cash shop items.

Some of the cash shop items, exclusive to the cash shop, put players that don't buy and use them, at a significant disavantage, in a game that has PKing in its design.

The end result is players that buy cash shop items, have power over, the ones that don't buy cash shop items, in addition to leveling faster, looking better, and having more fun.

Since "winning" the game, "Perfect World", is defined by owning and keeping territories, the faction, with players, that have the most money to spend on mmorpgs, wins.

I believe there is a marketing stradegy, for Perfect World, that practically removes the disproportionate advantage of money, per your pricing structure.

I hope you figure it out before this server solidifies a reputation of being unrealistically priced.

FYI If I played on this server my typical way, each character, I built, would cost me approximately $150.00 to set it up and $100.00 per month to play.
Is this post appropriate?

Later
Post edited by odin on

Comments

  • ren
    ren Posts: 662 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    odin wrote: »
    This thread is not for cry-babying about the PWI prices, linking to petitions, or making personal "if" and "then" declarations.

    It's hardly crying. A "free" mmo should not go from costing $15-30 a month (lol twice the cost of WoW or AoC even at PW-MY prices) like PW-MY to $45-90 a month like PWI.

    The game is supposed to be "free", not "pay to compete/enjoy/level" etc.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Official PWI irc: (mirc command, opens in a new window and won't interfere with any servers you're already on) /server -m irc.deltaanime.net -j #pwint
  • odin
    odin Posts: 56 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Solution please.
    Is this post appropriate?

    Later
  • ghostwise
    ghostwise Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Lower the cost of zen?
  • tinkus
    tinkus Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    odin wrote: »
    Solution please.

    Make Hierograms available for purchase at NPC vendors in-game for a reasonable price. That'd go a long way, I think.
  • odin
    odin Posts: 56 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Keep the $1.00 for 1 gold conversion. This makes it easy for us understand how much we are spending for cash shop items. (Adjusting the cash shop prices accomplishes a "fix").
    Is this post appropriate?

    Later
  • ulfrun
    ulfrun Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    odin wrote: »
    Keep the $1.00 for 1 gold conversion. This makes it easy for us understand how much we are spending for cash shop items. (Adjusting the cash shop prices accomplishes a "fix").

    you took the words right out of my mouth with that one
  • maximusgod
    maximusgod Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    OMG, $100 per month to play. How is this competitive is that with other MMO games? This is 4 times more other games. I am a pricing analyst for a very large corporation and you never price your products that high over your competitors. Especially when you are trying to attract new players.

    Pricing Solution = market research. How does an appraiser determine a price for a house? By using market data. Over and over market data is a proven method of determining prices. Using market data should has the most weight in determining a reasonable price.

    I'm not sure how much market research you guys did but it seems like it is way off and you probably already have lost many of your customers (or mmorpg players). Being a new game, starting a price like this is certinly not a wise idea. If I was pricing in your company, I would say, to begin with an introductory price to blow your competitors out of the water. This also gets new players comfortable with the idea of buying zen. Having a temporary sale is a great way to start this. Not the other way around. The idea is to attract new players not push them away with a high prices. Price should start low and increase incrementally when you have more players. I would say to start price as half as MY version to start pulling customers.
  • snowmantis
    snowmantis Posts: 6 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    maximusgod wrote: »
    The idea is to attract new players not push them away with a high prices. Price should start low and increase incrementally when you have more players. I would say to start price as half as MY version to start pulling customers.

    I agree. There is usually very competitive base pricing set (for new shops) and once established, the prices are raised in small increments with "sales" to appear that some things are off setting the higher pricing and/or used as price leaders for those that just might go and look at some non-sale item and buy it.

    Solution: It is still early and in Open Beta, Perhaps they are testing the market for a new pricing structure as opposed to the PWI-MY based version. New players that have not been exposed to the other pricing may be willing to buy from the cash shops. Time will tell.
  • odin
    odin Posts: 56 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    See a pricing discussion here.
    Is this post appropriate?

    Later
  • koma
    koma Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    You know what Odin, what you are saying, and what everyone else is saying is VERY true. When I began to play this game in CB, and 50 gold a.k.a 50 dollars went down the drain in about 2 days, I was like WHOA! Then the "staff" at pw international said they were going to lower the prices, I thought to myself... It had better be a dramatic decrease. It turns out that the decrease was so minimal that instead of paying 18 dollars for VITAL equipment on the first day of OB, i would in turn pay 16!!!! Wow, what a change. Astounding even. What can I buy with two dollars? You cannot even buy a bigmac with two dollars. Anyways, what I am getting at, is the fact that having prices this high in the item mall makes me feel like im at disneyland, where the fries which at carls jr would cost me about $1.39, now cost me $4.50. Anyways, the "staff" at PW International need to rethink this so called, "dramatic decrease in Item Mall pricing" and refund the money back (To the amount you change items' prices to if you do change it.) to those of us who did contribute to your hair raising scheme of basically ripping us off. Thank You
    Zachary, Sacramento, CA
  • aurie
    aurie Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Yes, very well thought out and much needed post Odin. I myself am a college student and enjoy playing games, and i like to maximize my experience, by from time to time spending money at the cash shop, but as u all know, most students have very tight budgets. I believe Koma makess a good point instead of buying heiros for my character or getting her some pretty wings, i could go buy myself a a new shirt and pants. I think thats kind of outrageous. I know many "free" Mmorpgs that have lost many of their players due to the high cost of the cash shop, and favoring cash shop users over non cash shop users.
    [SIGPIC]
  • skar
    skar Posts: 36 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    The CS items should be cut 66% if you want to keep the 1 for 1 ratio. I think that would balance out the game with other versions of it a bit better.

    However, everyone is saying heiros when they talk about price cuts, I think if they are not cutting ALL items down then there is no true effect.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • koma
    koma Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    skar wrote: »
    The CS items should be cut 66% if you want to keep the 1 for 1 ratio. I think that would balance out the game with other versions of it a bit better.

    However, everyone is saying heiros when they talk about price cuts, I think if they are not cutting ALL items down then there is no true effect.

    I completely agree skar, all items need to be cut down! especially heiros and tp stones.
  • gryphen
    gryphen Posts: 9 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    They are going the way of the cell phone companies. You pay for every feature down to the last text message (global messaging).

    My solution is the same as others, reduce the cost of the items ingame. I truly believe that is the best we can hope for.

    However, I still woudn't even bite if the prices were reduced. Personally, this is just a time killer till another MMO comes out ... and my fiance likes this one but because of all the issues in this game I wont be spending 1 penny (accept for the bandwidth used to play) till the next thing comes out.

    Poorly coded (4+ years old and cant even run well on todays technology)

    It is not free (Free on the front end yet expensive on the back end ... still equals costly)

    Extremely low population/interest (When you only have 2 servers open at OB launch and in each starter town there are only about 100ish (more like 50) people ... 100x3(starter towns)x2(servers)=low population.

    No customizable keybinds (I can see it now, $1=1g 1g=10 key changes)

    Horrid quest descriptions (Kill x creatures and return to the NPC ... OK where are the creatures??)(I get a waypoint to the NPC I just got the quest from, now were do I go to complete the objective????)

    /end "cry-babying"
  • anima
    anima Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Just like you guys, I think the exchange rate for $1 = 1 gold is good, and they need to decrease the price to PW MY level. If this happens, it WILL please everyone, YES I say everyone. Why? Cause up until now, most of us used to play in MY, spent money in MY and we don't complain anything about the cash shop (eventhough it is still expensive compare to other servers).
    If PWI decrease the price as low as PW MY and someone still complain about it, just ignore that guy ^^, cause he must be **** ^^.
    Why...so...serious?

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • gryphen
    gryphen Posts: 9 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    anima wrote: »
    Just like you guys, I think the exchange rate for $1 = 1 gold is good, and they need to decrease the price to PW MY level. If this happens, it WILL please everyone, YES I say everyone. Why? Cause up until now, most of us used to play in MY, spent money in MY and we don't complain anything about the cash shop (eventhough it is still expensive compare to other servers).
    If PWI decrease the price as low as PW MY and someone still complain about it, just ignore that guy ^^, cause he must be **** ^^.

    Yeah, ignore the guy who doesn't feel like being bent over to a 4+ year old game.

    So I must be, as you say, ****. And you must like it up the ... well you get the idea.
  • ren
    ren Posts: 662 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    tinkus wrote: »
    Make Hierograms available for purchase at NPC vendors in-game for a reasonable price. That'd go a long way, I think.

    Or, they can lower the price, but yeah... that works too, though i don't think PWI would like that since it makes less $$ than just selling cheaper.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Official PWI irc: (mirc command, opens in a new window and won't interfere with any servers you're already on) /server -m irc.deltaanime.net -j #pwint
  • evrilysis
    evrilysis Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    odin wrote: »
    Solution please.

    Aion or WAR.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • irbis
    irbis Posts: 294 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    is it just me or no one actoaly bought any ZEN in OB? i was in etherblade, Lost City, Plume, ADC and everything betwen (mats hunt lol - with so many people around you need to travel much to get some logs) and i havent seen anybody with any CS items. the WC is cheap so i would expect somebody using one or two but no, all the day - deep silence...

    EDIT sorry for typos. hyper sleepy right now
    There exist only three beings worthy of respect:
    the priest, the soldier, the poet.
    To know, to kill, to create.
    -severan
  • tinkus
    tinkus Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    ren wrote: »
    Or, they can lower the price, but yeah... that works too, though i don't think PWI would like that since it makes less $$ than just selling cheaper.

    My reasoning is the game makes those item pretty much vital after a certain level. I would agree lowering the price would be the best thing to do... but is it really going to happen?
  • parshath
    parshath Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    maximusgod wrote: »
    OMG, $100 per month to play. How is this competitive is that with other MMO games? This is 4 times more other games. I am a pricing analyst for a very large corporation and you never price your products that high over your competitors. Especially when you are trying to attract new players.

    Pricing Solution = market research. How does an appraiser determine a price for a house? By using market data. Over and over market data is a proven method of determining prices. Using market data should has the most weight in determining a reasonable price.

    I'm not sure how much market research you guys did but it seems like it is way off and you probably already have lost many of your customers (or mmorpg players). Being a new game, starting a price like this is certinly not a wise idea. If I was pricing in your company, I would say, to begin with an introductory price to blow your competitors out of the water. This also gets new players comfortable with the idea of buying zen. Having a temporary sale is a great way to start this. Not the other way around. The idea is to attract new players not push them away with a high prices. Price should start low and increase incrementally when you have more players. I would say to start price as half as MY version to start pulling customers.

    I agree with you on this. Even though it appears like PWI has a very large customer base currently, realistically only a certain percentage of those customers are actually paying customers. I am sure that the nonpaying customers are the majority among the whole. The best thing to do would be to start off with low "introductory" prices that will keep paying customers happy and "draw out" those that would have otherwise be nonpaying customers. Then as the players become "addicted" to the service, the prices may rise due to "increases in cost of operation". It's "evil" but it'll work.

    Also since PW is only selling 1s and 0s, the monetary cost of such should be low, and mass production should be easy. However the drawback of ruining in-game economy could severely hurt them

    In my personal opinion, I think their best bet would be to either:

    1. Set a certain high price that is profitable even if they can only obtain a niche market. I have seen many companies do very well with just a niche market and a very loyal fan-base. However, this will limit the growth of the company in the long run.

    2. Set a low price that will still be profitable on the assumption that mass quantities will be sold. In this scenario it could be either "feast or famine". It depends on if players are actually buying in mass quantities and the possible issues that may occur due to a flood of cash items. This option has the highest potential growth.
  • sikozu
    sikozu Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    We should keep this discussion going here http://pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=40621
    That way its easier for the dev's to review our comments, its a lot harder if there are a bunch of threads spread out all over the place concerning the same topic.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    ★ :Sikozu :: Venomancer: ★ :Nebira :: Cleric: ★
  • parshath
    parshath Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    sikozu wrote: »
    We should keep this discussion going here http://pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=40621
    That way its easier for the dev's to review our comments, its a lot harder if there are a bunch of threads spread out all over the place concerning the same topic.

    >.> copy-pasta time...
  • ryuuzaki
    ryuuzaki Posts: 680 Arc User
    edited September 2008
    Agreed. The sticky is there to discuss this very issue.

    /lock
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
This discussion has been closed.

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