F2P Summit: Subscriptions likely to remain monetisation model; Other platforms considered
Cambridge studio Jagex will likely persist with a subscription model for its hugely successful MMO Runescape, an executive at the company has said.
Speaking today at the Free to Play Summit in London, Rob Smith (pictured) said that a gentle introduction of item sales over time “could possibly be introduced, providing our audience is happy with it”.
In 2007, Jagex removed certain aspects of Runescape to stamp out ‘grey market’ trading of virtual goods. A subscription to premium game features will cost users anything between £3 and £10.
Smith said the long-term aspiration for Runescape was to extend to other platforms such as tablets. The Java technologies underpinning the game are broadly in decline, he said.
“Our plan is to try and move so we don’t specifically stick to one platform or technology,” he added.
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Jagex has in the past sought to release games on consoles, though appears to have been met with resistance from the platform holders.
Jagex is still trapped by the "subscription vs. microtransaction" paradigm. Once freed of this constraining monetization perspective, a whole wonderful world of monetization options becomes possible.
At the cost of the game's integrity, right?
There is a lot more than monetization, monetization, monetization.
They're just about to piss off half of the people who still play, those who have seen all ends of RuneScape's horrid changes. And now, here we are, witnessing more failures. I really hope that if this is actually introduced that they can no longer make money on the game. They don't deserve to be a company that fucks over that many people THAT many times.
If you were pissed now, look at the news today. Absolute shit. No, your audience is not "happy with it."
Of course, less than a week later, they add micro-transactions.
This is how pissed off I am I think everyone involved in the decision should be fired. Lord knows if I pissed of thousands of people I'd be sacked from my job & rightfully so
Forget this if you really want more money remove the "Grand Father" rate make them pay $5.95US instead of $5 suddenly you've got alot more money each month a much more reliable increase of income then this & likely with not much ranting I wouldn't mind losing part or all of my subsidy to better support the game as a whole.
You could go even further & move everyone to $7.95US it's still decent value for what where getting & would generate even more money eliminating both the Grand Father & Father subsidy. I probably wouldn't push higher then $7.95US a month though it's to soon after the last raise.
Former Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison said that he wanted to merge the premium subscription model with micropayments. How do you feel about the idea?
I don’t think you can take a game like Runescape and retrofit microtransactions into it. The game’s just too big, and I don’t think it would add value for our players. Obviously that system could be more remunerative, but I think it would price a player experience too far up. - MMG was right back in 2009 theres no place for Microtransactions in Runescape.
Their most recent update revealed how little they actually think monetary updates through when they are implemented in the game. They are comprising the experience of the game in pursuit of revenues. Players can now buy up their skills with real money even more directly than they could before, whats the point of playing?
'... a gentle introduction of item sales over time “could possibly be introduced, providing our audience is happy with it”.'
A quick glimpse of the player forums over the past week would show that the audience is FAR from happy.
A long term player myself, this was quite frankly the last straw. I wasn't quite frothing at the mouth, but I did feel a strong urge to spit - as a friend of mine said: "If I wanted a game with MTs, there's a lot better out there."
" providing our audience is happy with it”
All anyone has to do is look at the forums on Runescape to see that Jagex doesn't care at all whether their audience is happy with change they implement.
They not only implement change their paying members are unhappy with, but then totally ignore paying members complaints about the change.
And yes, if I want MTs, there are better games out there than Runescape
