Games free?

[Matthew Kane 1,305]

Haha, I'd say so, yes.

 

Good example on the Orbx NZ thing. Great product and coming without any strings attached or left out items. But in modern gaming terms, you would fly to Wellington and then a small popup would come up 'wouldn't you like to fly to a more detailed Wellington? 1200 other people already use it, click here to buy'. :lol:

 

'30% off on ILS approaches this weekend!' :ph34r:

 

Well....ORBX has released a New Zealand South Island, followed by a New Zealand North Island. After the regions they do premium airports, First will come Queenstown Airport, then a Milford Sound airport....no word yet on North Island airport but I have a feeling their will be a Wellington.

 

So in a way they already add layer on top of layer in their scenery packages.

 

ORBX also has a free demo of Tasmania and PNW to allow you to try before investing further...

[mgh 89]

Once cookie cutting starts...

 

What exactly is cookie cutting?

[mabe54 17]

What exactly is cookie cutting? Molding a department within an organization to suit their business practices and lofty golds, meaning, maximize profits above all or else. When: the need of the few outweigh the need of the many (simmers), becomes the norm. BTW, if anybody got lost, we simmers at the present time are living at "or else".

 

Cheers,

[mgh 89]

What exactly is cookie cutting? Molding a department within an organization to suit their business practices and lofty golds, meaning, maximize profits above all or else. When: the need of the few outweigh the need of the many (simmers), becomes the norm. BTW, if anybody got lost, we simmers at the present time are living at "or else".

Cheers,

 

Does that mean the needs of the many (simmers) should be met even if it's not profitable?

[mabe54 17]

Once I learned that if a company had a net profit of 1 Billion the previous year and the preset would just anticipate merely another Billion, the final yearly report would considerate it as a lost. Hello? Ah, the forecast was not achieved. Hello? I stopped weeping for big companies/corporations ever since. Their gain is actually my pain.

 

Cheers,

[mgh 89]

Once I learned that if a company had a net profit of 1 Billion the previous year and the preset would just anticipate merely another Billion, the final yearly report would considerate it as a lost. Hello? Ah, the forecast was not achieved. Hello? I stopped weeping for big companies/corporations ever since. Their gain is actually my pain.

 

Cheers,

 

Interesting no doubt, but it doesn't answer the question.

 

Which company decided a net profit of 1 billion was actually a loss?

[bic 43]

Quite frequently they are able to report an accounting loss, which also may mean a big tax benefit. There are many reasons: depreciation of assets (equipment), refinancing of bonds, write off of assets that might be useless, purchase of another company for billions, maybe a sale (spin off) of a company or division and I think some real estate transactions.

[mgh 89]

Quite frequently they are able to report an accounting loss, which also may mean a big tax benefit. There are many reasons: depreciation of assets (equipment), refinancing of bonds, write off of assets that might be useless, purchase of another company for billions, maybe a sale (spin off) of a company or division and I think some real estate transactions.

 

that still doesn't answer the question - Does that mean the needs of the many (simmers) should be met even if it's not profitable?

[CoolP 283]

Anyone with a good example of a successful free to play model and game?

[dmaher 0]

TeamFortress is likely the best example. If I understand right, it started as retail boxed title but didn’t really break through…and went to free-to-play. It brought in a big audience and they sold DLC...much of it made by third parties. Much of the DLC content is cheap to make too...just a few days. Not like FS. But I'd say it gets a lot of attention just by getting to market first. Like Koi Pond for iphone :)

[CoolP 283]

TeamFortress is likely the best example.

I see, the concept change helped the numbers then. Surely not a magic bullet but, on the case, perhaps the spark to start the fire. I see they are now setting up that Star Wars MMORPG to become free to play, maybe for the same reasons.

 

It wasn't planned that way (as far as I understood), so I'm curious how they establish that change and the elements to then make some money with being 'free'.

[GeorgeLKMT 63]

Team Fortress 2 (TF2) was pretty popular even before F2P. But its F2P model is one of the most succesful imho, because you can purchase items that change your game appearance, you can buy weapons and stuff but it doesn't affect the game very much. It's a very team play based game and you can beat players with purchased weapons even with your basic loadout. But I don't know other games like that. Everything is free to play but pay to win. Especially MMORPGs. That's why I don't like this model very much, because companies care about money and not about the players. They don't care about people with F2P complaining about balance. They care about those who pay money, because they know, there are plenty of them willing to buy paid content.

[CoolP 283]

Adding to dmaher's example, I came across World of Tanks being a prominent example for free to play stuff. Perhaps the success of that one acts as the force driving the big publishers into the would-be 'free' waters as their magic bullet.

 

But, from looking at it, there's more to that concept than just offering the basis for free. By the way, good point from George with that pay to win scenario.

[SKEWR 362]

Everything is free to play but pay to win. Especially MMORPGs

 

This, exactly.

 

Having played MMOs regularly for awhile, games that go F2P, aren't really F2P. Sure you can play the most basic version,but don't expect to actually enjoy the game. One of the comic book MMOs want to charge you to have more than one bag, access to certain powers... access to the most basic things to make your "free" experience not fun. Guild Wars 2 is coming and it is also F2P. Many people are looking forward to it, but I'm wondering how they will try to entice us to buy ingame advantages and semi neccessities. I read once that Lord of the Rings Online was failing miserably. Then they went F2P with MT (micro tranasactions: buying "DLC") and the money started rolling in. Far better than the subscription based model they were using.

 

TF2 is awesome. Yes they sell hats, but some of them also have a low percentage of dropping during gameplay.

 

F2P may sound nice, but it depends on how much the company nickel and dimes us as to whether it is a model better for, us, the consumers.

 

Imagine: "Free 777 model! FMC $20. Fuel system $15. Premium 3D overhead panel $25. Alpha textures so you can use your plane at night! $10" etc...

[mabe54 17]

Interesting no doubt, but it doesn't answer the question.

 

Which company decided a net profit of 1 billion was actually a loss?

 

All of them. After the first billion a % incremental forecast is attached for the following year. If the company comes out again with just another billion the forecast was not met and therefore it is considered a lost. Why? No growth. Funny isn't it. You probably saying: Come one, they made another BILLION for heaven sake. Nope. It's a lost.

 

Cheers,