Clan mech pricing/implementation

Just curious about this because I see a lot of people raging in the forums about the pricing rather than the implementation and lack of info. Although there are a lot of people saying this is too early, which I agree with, I see a lot of rage just about price as well. Personally if I saw a hint of CW and U.I. 2.0 was implemented, I would throw 60-90 bucks at this to give a bit of funding. Even though I love the davs, the clans have a special place in BT. What do you guys think? Try to keep it about pricing too instead of talking about CW and all that jazz.

 

As a normal everyday person I can't help but think that it's not appealing to spend any more than 5-20 bucks for a single mech. The packaging of the mechs seems indicative of PGI's target audience, which I find myself clearly outside of since I don't directly relate my util of satisfaction to disposable income. In addition I find the entire marketing strategy insulting, because I don't even want to play games with other people who are willing to spend fistfuls of dollars in order to gain a more genuine experience in a video game than me.

But the reality is, the big crux, the only thing that really matters is, MechWarrior Online has no endgame. If there was a persistent state world, that at least attempted to convey a sense of scope and scale worthy of the BT/MW universe instead of reducing it to pointless deathmatching, then yes I would be very interested in playing the game at a serious/tryhard level again and I could see myself spending some money here or there, potentially adding up to maybe triple figures if I'm getting a legitimate mechspanking experience.

Also the fact that I find PGI by-and-large to be quite unprofessional leads me to add a pinch of skepticism on to all of those things.

So to speculate about whether or not I could imagine a situation where supporting their product and participating in it enthusiastically ever again, that's quite a murky and highly doubtful scenario. These are, of course, personal local thoughts and not necessarily the 'greater' picture. Maybe PGI actually hit their target audience w/ this Clan Invasion sale, and the business model will succeed, etc. I would rather it didn't because it sets/further legitimizes a lowered-bar precedent of some sort in the gaming industry, but on the other hand I always want to see BT/MW stuff do well and stay somewhat relevant in today's increasingly-crowded gaming world.

Whatever, TLDR: I think it's stupid, I don't respect it, am not interested in it, it sets a bad example, it preys upon the naive/gullible, there's no real 'game' which is a shame, but if MWO somehow blasts off from here and does well then hooray for em.

PS - the real noodlebaker to me of all this is, i would not have made a bet 6 months ago that PGI would manage to find the worst way to promote arguably the most compelling aspect of BT/MW, aka the clan invasion. when you think about marketing and whatnot, wow, to me it looks like a titanic failure. you *cannot* as a business use the most valuable aspect of your product to actually disrupt your own appeal. that alone speaks volumes about PGI; fucking mental.

 

The current pricing is actually 30 bucks for THREE individual mechs. So that is 10 bucks per mech. If you are talking about chassis (this assumes variants are included) vs. Individual mechs, those are two totally different things, and thus need different pricing.

 

The prices don't really upset me. Sure it is a bit more than the phoenix per-mech cost, but they are clan mechs. I can only assume that they will be more expensive in-game for MC and C-bills compared to the mechs we were given with the Phoenix package.

The prices don't affect me because I'm all for earning the mechs I want when they eventually come out, assuming i'm still playing in 6 months.

Sure I don't like the idea and I believe it was poor timing. I mean true loyalty for purchasing a $500 skin!? Please, you should be thanking me and the other founders for being a game in the first place

Most people heard promises of game features, UI 2.0, and CW. Then time passes with no updates, frustration builds. The only things we see week-to-week are more mech sales, new hero mechs, but nothing related to the promises. Then we see an entire web page dedicated to yet another package at higher costs than we've seen to date, but still nothing concerning the promises that were made. I can really understand the reason everyone is so upset.

Maybe I'm just being naive, but I look at this separately from the promised content.

I understand the package and what the deal is, I look at what I know about the mechs, and i've made the decision that this package is not for me right now. Completely out of my head, forgotten, i've moved on. Now i'm back to waiting for UI 2.0 and CW just like I was before. It'll still roll-out. There will still be issues. But I have 6 months to watch and play this game before deciding if the package is worth buying.

no rush.​

Keep Calm
and
Pilot Mechs
Calmly​

 

You have to spend a couple hundred dollars if you want to have as genuine an experience as possible with a Mad Cat.

That is a fact.

The only way that shitty pedantic argument about 'mech/chassis/variant' is acceptable, to me, is if you only want to have as genuine an experience as possible with a Kit Fox. Otherwise, the pricing just escalates into major derpage territory and there's no way to justify it beyond initial tier.

I fail to see how going 'a la carte' regarding the mechs offered with a more reasonably structured pricing model would lead to the game dying or PGI going bankrupt, either.

 

I completely agree. I'm waiting for the flame to die down and to see if people will still be around in 6 months. If they are, then I will throw in 60-90 bucks to help more development and growth. If not, then I just go back to playing league every day until a new mech warrior comes out. Hopefully gamers won't let this wonderful community and lore die out.

 

The thing is though, I don't want a MadCat all that much. I would prefer a Stormcrow and Summoner and Kit Fox so much more. Don't get me wrong, it's an iconic mech, I just like the feel of mobility and firepower in those mechs. So the most I will purchase is $90, cause I can wait for the Stormcrow.

 

Right, I hope you understand what I was alluding to - the only way that pricing model comes across as not complete shit is if it was really just a way to influence people to buy the cheapest pack possible, Kit Fox etc.

But I'm sure we're both aware that's not what they're doing at all, right. You and I both know this simply about getting stupidly impulsive people to waste large amounts of money so they can profit. It's not some roundabout way of making a self-efficating mockery of a dumb pricing model in order to drastically reduce prices when the entire community gets offended at the notion that loyalty costs $500 a pop and then quickly get them back on your side with reasonable a la carte prices right in time for the rollout of the true game.

Fuck... wait... maybe that is what they are doing... what a genius display of economic brinksmanship that would be. K, I'm really high and you probably have zero clue what I'm getting at here but if you do, I tip my hat.

PS - perhaps I should give more serious thought into the simple notion that the pricing structure of the clan invasion packs is simply a indirect [and thus less hand of goddy like say, in game mechanics or CW design limitations] way of stratifying the community enough to give a sense that the clans simply aren't for everyone.

 

Soy, you can get whatever mech you want, individually, when they release. You can even INDIVIDUALLY buy the hero option when it eventually comes out in a year (assuming there will be hero variants). This package is not the only way to get the mechs. So why does it matter? You are either willing to pay for the full package or the one that has the mech you want, or you are not. Simple as that.

 

No I get exactly what you are saying dude. It makes sense in a roundabout evil maniacal way

*evil laughter*

And yes I can totally see why people are QQ'ing over this, and that's why the poll was born. I was just saying that personally for me it does not matter because the only mech with alure that has mechs in between it that I don't want is the stormcrow, cause while the Daishi is awesome, it screams "kill me quickly I'm a huge threat" like an Atlas with a smaller profile.

 

I don't mean this in any disrespectul way, ftr:

If you don't understand that the genuine experience of any online game is intimately related to the culture surrounding it, then I dunno what to say.

In other words, nobody remembers showing up to an epic party... after it already ended. You were either there or you weren't. You aren't invading dick if you aren't dropping cash for a Clan mech. Otherwise, go get your shine box essentially.

Think of any previous online game you've played. Now, quick, what was the 'best' time for that game. Typically, with exception [like peaks in balance/activity] the rawest, most culturally memorable and interactive time, in other words the LIVEST the most GENUINE time... is when it launches/releases/etc. Well, if you aren't dropping a bill or two on a clan pack then you are late to the fucking party. So that's the messed up part. PGI is basically asking you to spend triple figures to even be involved in the shit. Fucked up.

You were either at Woodstock or you weren't. Watching the old film or listening to soundtrack isn't going to transport you there. I doubt I could afford a ticket if I were alive back then, you feel me. Tailgate in the parking lot kinda deal.

 

Ok let me foresee a bit - i have some marketing experience - the plan they have in mind is simple but at the same time genious:

Phase 1: shock the community with exorbitant prices and big bundle packages before Launch (Community Provoking)
Phase 2: shock the community with 50% Sales Offer after Launch (Community Blinding - the prices are still high at 50%!)
Phase 3: shock the community with single Clan Mech Bundles/ new Enforcement Packs/Hero-Variants/Dropships etc. (Community Forcing)

Once the Clan Invasion has begun and the gamers started to collect Clan Mechs for illusional low sales offer prices, they won't stop or can't resist to open their wallets.

Imagine a 50% Sales Offer at the current Bundles - lots of people would scream and buy like crazy because they think they can save much money. BUT you'd still have to pay $120 (XL Bundle) for some Mechs. For $120 you can get two fantastic stable new complete epic full-featured Xbox One/PS4 games including much more MP Content! You must be insane if you fall for the sales trap in the above mentioned genious plan.

Wake up, Neo!!!

 

So the "genuine experience" is pre-ordering something that NO ONE will get to have fun with or use for another 6 months?


"Well, if you aren't dropping a bill or two on a clan pack then you are late to the fucking party."

It's not like you get to roll-out in your shiny new clan mech as soon as you purchase this. The "party" hasn't started yet. Some people are getting ready for the party already, but it doesn't actually start until JUNE 2014! That's a long time to get you "invitation" and enjoy the fun and Hype just before release. You're not missing out on anything if you don't pre-order.

Sorry, but I must not understand your point.

 

...are you really having trouble with this?

Look man, come summer, some people will have paid for early access to clan stuff for the invasion. Everyone else will have to wait. Thusly, the people who paid for early access to this stuff will have the genuine experience with it that everyone else will not have.

In other words, go reinstall XYZ 10 year old online game, and go do this and that or achieve so and so. Guess what, it's not gonna matter cuz it's already been done a zillion times before, by people who most likely aren't playing anymore or made that obsolete a long time ago, or the game is barren and you experienced it with approximately 2 autistic ppl named Bob and Fred that you only met 30 secs earlier. Now... you can make a case that what I just outlined right here is an exaggeration, but it's the same principle - it's not the genuine experience.

The point is to have the deepest potential experience possible, which is not possible if the community is stratified along financial lines.

 

Couldn't have said it better.

 

Hail,

I might add that the present game is boring as shit to boot, so all pricing aside you still end up with a Golden Turd anyway (for $500 dollars).

Seyla,

 

This goes through my head everytime I look at the clan page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLOMqb1ghOw

 

Vote for the last option !

PGI having financial problems ? Or they are hoping that people don't have brain and will buy this product...

With such policy I predict MWO being dead in less than a year.