Comments on: $5/month is my sweet spot (Free Realms) http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/ But what will you do when you catch one!? Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:05:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Five Dollar Vanilla « Tish Tosh Tesh http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121992 Five Dollar Vanilla « Tish Tosh Tesh Wed, 13 May 2009 13:26:18 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121992 [...] floated this idea before, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one, but between Pete finding his sweet spot and this rumination on the fate of “vanilla” WoW (it’s not going anywhere, [...] [...] floated this idea before, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one, but between Pete finding his sweet spot and this rumination on the fate of “vanilla” WoW (it’s not going anywhere, [...]

]]> By: Crag http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121839 Crag Sun, 10 May 2009 22:53:10 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121839 (replying a bit late as been on holidays) Your pricing comparisons there are some that have regularly run through my mind but for me it has always been with the 'normal' $15/month and I've considered that comparatively that has always seemed a larger amount in the US. Here in Australia my basis has been to see a movie has been AUD$16 for many years. To buy a mass market paperback is AUD$18-$21 . So when looking at the US$15 which until recently had been converting to about AUD$17 the typical MMO subscription stood up very well in entertainment time cost. Of course our dollar has dropped in the past half year and its more like AUD$23 now. Still considering I will typically play at least 5, and occasionally as much as 15, hours a week on any MMO I am subscribed too that is excellent value. (replying a bit late as been on holidays)
Your pricing comparisons there are some that have regularly run through my mind but for me it has always been with the ‘normal’ $15/month and I’ve considered that comparatively that has always seemed a larger amount in the US. Here in Australia my basis has been to see a movie has been AUD$16 for many years. To buy a mass market paperback is AUD$18-$21 . So when looking at the US$15 which until recently had been converting to about AUD$17 the typical MMO subscription stood up very well in entertainment time cost. Of course our dollar has dropped in the past half year and its more like AUD$23 now. Still considering I will typically play at least 5, and occasionally as much as 15, hours a week on any MMO I am subscribed too that is excellent value.

]]> By: Spinks http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121753 Spinks Sat, 09 May 2009 06:35:48 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121753 I'm really enjoying FR and it's great about the short session playstyle. I did also pony up the $5 (yay, big spender!) and I was impressed at the extra minigames that were unlocked, like the snowboarding one and the archaeology one. I actually need to locate where to train the new jobs though :) I'm finding the MMO style jobs kind of grindy to train. I’m really enjoying FR and it’s great about the short session playstyle.

I did also pony up the $5 (yay, big spender!) and I was impressed at the extra minigames that were unlocked, like the snowboarding one and the archaeology one. I actually need to locate where to train the new jobs though :) I’m finding the MMO style jobs kind of grindy to train.

]]> By: Tesh http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121730 Tesh Fri, 08 May 2009 20:14:56 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121730 The short session playstyle of FR is perhaps their biggest key to success. The business model may have its quirks, but letting people play in bits and pieces, rather than in hour(s) long blocks is very significant. Good to see you having fun with it! I keep meaning to play it more (I played in the Beta), but I'm short on time. As usual. ;) The short session playstyle of FR is perhaps their biggest key to success. The business model may have its quirks, but letting people play in bits and pieces, rather than in hour(s) long blocks is very significant.

Good to see you having fun with it! I keep meaning to play it more (I played in the Beta), but I’m short on time. As usual. ;)

]]> By: Scott http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121725 Scott Fri, 08 May 2009 17:41:49 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121725 Ya know, from knowing all your gripes the past several months or more about monthly subs, etc., but from reading this post it sounded to me more like that it's not so much that MMOs are $15/month vs. $5/month or any other pricing scheme, but that you just don't have the time for the typical MMO time-sinks? Or perhaps more to the point, you don't have the time all in one sitting? You can zip around in Free Realms and get a little something accomplished where in [insert every other DikuMMO here] you'd have tedious (what the deluded call "meaningful") travel times and other aspects that just drag out the amount of time it takes to do what in the end should have been a simple task. Even finding groups in many MMOs can take entirely too much time. I suppose that's the tradeoff to designing games for the optimum group composition as opposed to say, your typical XBL game where we can just click Join Quick Game and we're off and running. Ya know, from knowing all your gripes the past several months or more about monthly subs, etc., but from reading this post it sounded to me more like that it’s not so much that MMOs are $15/month vs. $5/month or any other pricing scheme, but that you just don’t have the time for the typical MMO time-sinks? Or perhaps more to the point, you don’t have the time all in one sitting?

You can zip around in Free Realms and get a little something accomplished where in [insert every other DikuMMO here] you’d have tedious (what the deluded call “meaningful”) travel times and other aspects that just drag out the amount of time it takes to do what in the end should have been a simple task. Even finding groups in many MMOs can take entirely too much time. I suppose that’s the tradeoff to designing games for the optimum group composition as opposed to say, your typical XBL game where we can just click Join Quick Game and we’re off and running.

]]> By: Tipa http://dragonchasers.com/2009/05/08/5month-is-my-sweet-spot-free-realms/#comment-121724 Tipa Fri, 08 May 2009 17:18:14 +0000 http://dragonchasers.com/?p=2132#comment-121724 Blamefulgecko was in a weapon making mood last night so in return for some tourmaline and some iron he made me a bow and some other weapons. So I jaunted off and became an archer. Very cool look, and I had a lot of gear and shards and jewelry for the job just from normal adventuring. The Archer RMT hoodies are scary. Not sure if I'll buy one.... Ninja is fantastic. I am not using my best gear, though, because I like the outfit I have on now for looks. Blamefulgecko was in a weapon making mood last night so in return for some tourmaline and some iron he made me a bow and some other weapons. So I jaunted off and became an archer. Very cool look, and I had a lot of gear and shards and jewelry for the job just from normal adventuring.

The Archer RMT hoodies are scary. Not sure if I’ll buy one….

Ninja is fantastic. I am not using my best gear, though, because I like the outfit I have on now for looks.

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