Why is Going Rogue Being Doled Out Piecemeal?
Sorry but the question's gotta be asked. The way things are looking now players have to:
- Buy in early to get early access to Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning |
- Wait until July and get access to four zones, 7 new costume sets, 2 additional powesets (parts of which we've previously seen in-game for NPCs), and level one access to the new incarnate system - Wait until 4th quarter 2010 to get the remaining 9 levels and the new endgame system and perhaps another high-level zone (but only if we buy GR 3 months earlier). |
And in the meanwhile, Ultra mode which was flagged for retail is now free. And in its place comes an awful lot of last minute bait and switch improvements. My question is: why? Why not just package it together in one retail expansion and let players enjoy? The way its all piecemealed out now, players might as well wait until 4th quarter to get Going Rogue and enjoy it all in one go rather then buying in now and waiting 9 months to get the full product? This just seems like a really weird business model somehow... What's the logic behind it again? |
I am assuming that no matter if it's being doled out piecemeal or everything held back until it's all finished to be released at once, there will be complaints.
Current main:
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My question is: why? Why not just package it together in one retail expansion and let players enjoy? The way its all piecemealed out now, players might as well wait until 4th quarter to get Going Rogue and enjoy it all in one go rather then buying in now and waiting 9 months to get the full product?
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City of Heroes and City of Villains both waited until the next issue to release their End Games.*
- Wait until 4th quarter 2010 to get the remaining 9 levels and the new endgame system and perhaps another high-level zone (but only if we buy GR 3 months earlier).
... My question is: why? Why not just package it together in one retail expansion and let players enjoy? The way its all piecemealed out now, players might as well wait until 4th quarter to get Going Rogue and enjoy it all in one go rather then buying in now and waiting 9 months to get the full product? This just seems like a really weird business model somehow... What's the logic behind it again? |
As for the other stuff - because it's an excellent promotional gimmick. If Dual Pistols is ready to go, why sit on it when you can turn it into an incentive to pre-purchase? And why gate graphical upgrades when they'd make a swell bullet point for a free release?
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- Wait until 4th quarter 2010 to get the remaining 9 levels and the new endgame system and perhaps another high-level zone (but only if we buy GR 3 months earlier).
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What happened the next issue?
When City of Villains came out, how many levels did it have?
What happened the next issue?
When Going Rogue comes out...
There's a pattern here, I just know it.
And why gate graphical upgrades when they'd make a swell bullet point for a free release?
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Not least of which is that trying to gate it would probably cause the programming team to go on a murderous rampage.
Sorry but the question's gotta be asked. The way things are looking now players have to:
- Buy in early to get early access to Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning - Wait until July and get access to four zones, 7 new costume sets, 2 additional powesets (parts of which we've previously seen in-game for NPCs), and level one access to the new incarnate system - Wait until 4th quarter 2010 to get the remaining 9 levels and the new endgame system and perhaps another high-level zone (but only if we buy GR 3 months earlier). And in the meanwhile, Ultra mode which was flagged for retail is now free. And in its place comes an awful lot of last minute bait and switch improvements. My question is: why? Why not just package it together in one retail expansion and let players enjoy? The way its all piecemealed out now, players might as well wait until 4th quarter to get Going Rogue and enjoy it all in one go rather then buying in now and waiting 9 months to get the full product? This just seems like a really weird business model somehow... What's the logic behind it again? |
Early access to Dual Pistols & Demon Summoning, is a pre-purchase perk. Just like those pre-orders that get perks, but this time, it's a perk for pre-purchasing.
It's an MMO, things are never finished untill it goes out of business, which I hope no one wants.
Get you sucked in with one level of incarnate, then keep you around for the next 9 levels
As for Ultramode, I think that was going to be available to everyone, whether they purchased GR or not. So getting it out before GR is not a big deal.
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As for Ultramode, I think that was going to be available to everyone, whether they purchased GR or not. So getting it out before GR is not a big deal.
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Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
And in the meanwhile, Ultra mode which was flagged for retail is now free. And in its place comes an awful lot of last minute bait and switch improvements. |
"Sorry bucko, but CoH and CoV are the same game." -BackAlleyBrawler
"Silly villain, CoX is for Heroes!" -Saicho
I'm pretty sure the QoL stuff coming with I17 and GR isn't 'last minute' by any means. Some of it like the inf email feature has been asked for since the game kicked off.
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Yes, Ultra Mode is part of Issue 17 (per the splash page on the main site for Issue 17), which everyone has access to whether they buy GR or not.
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Before Issue 17 was announced, Ultra mode was promised as a major feature of the retail expansion pack, Going Rogue. When Issue 17 was announced, that was no longer the case. So off the retail pack came Ultra Mode and in its place comes the first level of the Incarnate system (with the other 9 levels to come at a late date).
Keep in mind this announcement comes in Spring 2010 when GR was provisionally scheduled for release (and is now pushed back to July). So this "swap out" of upcoming features is seemingly a last minute decision (and this is after 2+ years of development mind you) - but for what reason?
You're spinning the facts a bit, my dear.
Before Issue 17 was announced, Ultra mode was announced as a major feature of the retail expansion pack, Going Rogue. When Issue 17 was announced, that was no longer the case. So off the retail pack came Ultra Mode and in its place comes the first level of the Incarnate system (with the other 9 levels to come at a late date). Keep in mind this announcement comes in Spring 2010 when GR was provisionally scheduled for release (and is now pushed back to July). So this "swap out" of upcoming features is seemingly a last minute decision (and this is after 2+ years of development mind you) - but for what reason? |
It made absolute sense to release it as free content. Thats probably the over-riding reason. Because it would require a Jackanism of game design to make people pay for it.
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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I am constantly amazed how people of the Internet can take anything and whinge about it.
I swear if they announced that everyone was going to get free cash money with every purchase of GR, someone would complain.
In answer to comments above, since Ultra-mode is likely to be an extra level of graphics above the current quality levels, it would be possible to gate it on purchase of GR. Possible, not necessarily a good idea.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
Can you imagine just how much of an ungodly fire storm would get kicked up if Ultra Mode wasnt free content? Given how long people have been griping about the visuals on the game, and how the last change was five years ago (iirc)?
It made absolute sense to release it as free content. Thats probably the over-riding reason. Because it would require a Jackanism of game design to make people pay for it. |
I could have sworn when Ultra Mode was revealed they also said it would be available to everyone not just people who bought GR and it may come out before GR if that was possible.
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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as others have said, the pistols do work as a good advertisement, if you are on the fence, are playing the game and a pistoleer joins your pug, you might get the "want it now" from having them playing with something you cant. demon summoning, from the page that was updated yesterday, may well have the same effect. frankly i was pleasently surprised that they did that at all, but in a way it makes sense. lets face it, coh is a game that relies heavily on legacy players, we just dont leave, and if we do, we come back, rather than hope for a bulk of new players with going rogue's boxed expansion, keep the old farts playing and get them paying now with the early purchase. i got a new powerset months in advance, and they have my money in the bank for a few more interest cycles.
You're spinning the facts a bit, my dear.
Before Issue 17 was announced, Ultra mode was promised as a major feature of the retail expansion pack, Going Rogue. When Issue 17 was announced, that was no longer the case. So off the retail pack came Ultra Mode and in its place comes the first level of the Incarnate system (with the other 9 levels to come at a late date). Keep in mind this announcement comes in Spring 2010 when GR was provisionally scheduled for release (and is now pushed back to July). So this "swap out" of upcoming features is seemingly a last minute decision (and this is after 2+ years of development mind you) - but for what reason? |
I'm not complaining - I get UM, I get it for free (well, apart from what I pay for the game, of course), and I get it earlier. And as long as GR still has lots of spiffy new uber stuff, I'm happy.
Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
Before Issue 17 was announced, Ultra mode was promised as a major feature of the retail expansion pack, Going Rogue. When Issue 17 was announced, that was no longer the case. So off the retail pack came Ultra Mode and in its place comes the first level of the Incarnate system (with the other 9 levels to come at a late date).
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I swear if they announced that everyone was going to get free cash money with every purchase of GR, someone would complain.
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I'm so glad you feel they're entitled to my money 9 months before they actually deliver the whole product.
I could have sworn when Ultra Mode was revealed they also said it would be available to everyone not just people who bought GR and it may come out before GR if that was possible.
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But you think its okay if they take a consumer's money for preorders in March, with the promise of having full access to the product in July, and THEN announce after taking that money that the last piece of the product won't be available until MUCH later (at least 4th quarter 2010 or first quarter 2011).
I'm so glad you feel they're entitled to my money 9 months before they actually deliver the whole product. |
There's also a valid economic reason: cash flow. While they get a nice steady supply of monthly subscriptions, they also make a nice chunk of change by selling new boxes. For most games there is an initial surge in buying when the game first comes out and then it declines to almost zero over time. Pre-orders and pre-purchases lets them extend the curve a bit and get some of that initial surge money ahead of time.
It makes it a smaller spike, but the income gets distributed over time, generating a smoother curve.
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as has been mentioned before, the final 10 levels of cov and coh were delivered in issues after their release, issue 7 took an ungodly amount of time, too. Also, lets not get too hostile about this with the "entitled" crack, they give you the option of getting it now and having the bonus of having the powers before everyone else. incarnates are not the focus of going rogue, they are a new system that we are getting a part of in gr and will actually be out in issue 19. gr will have all the content we had been told about, side switching, praetoria, the powersets, it will just have a bonus of a part of a system from issue 19. they arent entitled to anything(nor are you) they are offering additional value to a product and for an inexplicable reason, you are taking it as a rather personal affront.
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Ultra mode was promised as part of GR, another retail box product, and now its not and in its place is PART of a new yet wholly different content update as equal substitute but the rest of it won't be available until 3 to 6 months (or more) after the retail box becomes available.
THAT is something totally different than Grandville and COV; THAT is bait and switch substitution that occured AFTER consumers paid forward on a preorder and the promise of getting a COMPLETE retail product in July.
And that is a big problem (or its going to be very soon).
Sorry but the question's gotta be asked. The way things are looking now players have to:
- Buy in early to get early access to Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning
- Wait until July and get access to four zones, 7 new costume sets, 2 additional powesets (parts of which we've previously seen in-game for NPCs), and level one access to the new incarnate system
- Wait until 4th quarter 2010 to get the remaining 9 levels and the new endgame system and perhaps another high-level zone (but only if we buy GR 3 months earlier).
And in the meanwhile, Ultra mode which was flagged for retail is now free. And in its place comes an awful lot of last minute bait and switch improvements.
My question is: why? Why not just package it together in one retail expansion and let players enjoy? The way its all piecemealed out now, players might as well wait until 4th quarter to get Going Rogue and enjoy it all in one go rather then buying in now and waiting 9 months to get the full product?
This just seems like a really weird business model somehow... What's the logic behind it again?