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Best Payment Plan EverFollow
So the people at Aion made the most genius payment plan option ever. Instead of paying a monthly subscription, you pay for hours. For Aion, 18 dollars nets you 205 hours, which is about 8 hours a day for a month.
That's a horrible idea. I'd rather not be billed by the hour, it'd just make me feel like i had to micromanage the time spent playing.
Almalieque wrote:
I admit that I was wrong
God bless Lili St. Cyr
Quote:
So the people at Aion made the most genius payment plan option ever. Instead of paying a monthly subscription, you pay for hours. For Aion, 18 dollars nets you 205 hours, which is about 8 hours a day for a month.
XI is 12.95/month unlimited hours. So yes that's a "great " ripoff Aion has there.
I don't know how Aion works, but if there is a bazaar / self-shop system that would totally suck.
A lot of people like to set up their shop to sell their goods while they are away doing other things...including sleeping and work/school. In a game where they charged by the hour, no one would ever want to do this.
On the other hand, many people may not be able to play the game for 18 hours a day like some people. Maybe they don't want to pay the same amount that someone who can play all day pays, although I don't see why it really matters.
But if I was in charge, I wouldn't set up a system like this because it might make some people play less.
If you're charging 15$ a month as a base rate, those who play are going to want to play as much as they can to get their money's worth.
But if you charge by the hour, some may play less (only what they feel they need to, to accomplish something) in order to save money.
The only reason I can see for the developers to do this is if they have issues with too many connections to the server and want to limit it.
18$ a month for 8 hours a day? There are a lot of people out there who have the free time to play 18 hours a day if they want. That would be way way too expensive.
In the end it sounds almost like it would follow the same rule as many "F2P" games. The people with the most money in real life will be the better players because they can pay to play 18 hours a day, as apposed to those who can only afford 15$ a month.
I'd rather play a game where it's a standard subscription fee. As long as you can afford that then everyone has an equal opportunity in the game.
I don't see a reason why the wealthy should benefit over the poor.
It just sounds like an item mall to me except it's a play-time mall. The ones with more money to blow benefit more.
I'd rather everyone have the same opportunity when it comes to a subscription MMORPG.
A lot of people like to set up their shop to sell their goods while they are away doing other things...including sleeping and work/school. In a game where they charged by the hour, no one would ever want to do this.
On the other hand, many people may not be able to play the game for 18 hours a day like some people. Maybe they don't want to pay the same amount that someone who can play all day pays, although I don't see why it really matters.
But if I was in charge, I wouldn't set up a system like this because it might make some people play less.
If you're charging 15$ a month as a base rate, those who play are going to want to play as much as they can to get their money's worth.
But if you charge by the hour, some may play less (only what they feel they need to, to accomplish something) in order to save money.
The only reason I can see for the developers to do this is if they have issues with too many connections to the server and want to limit it.
18$ a month for 8 hours a day? There are a lot of people out there who have the free time to play 18 hours a day if they want. That would be way way too expensive.
In the end it sounds almost like it would follow the same rule as many "F2P" games. The people with the most money in real life will be the better players because they can pay to play 18 hours a day, as apposed to those who can only afford 15$ a month.
I'd rather play a game where it's a standard subscription fee. As long as you can afford that then everyone has an equal opportunity in the game.
I don't see a reason why the wealthy should benefit over the poor.
It just sounds like an item mall to me except it's a play-time mall. The ones with more money to blow benefit more.
I'd rather everyone have the same opportunity when it comes to a subscription MMORPG.
Toasting makes me uncomfortable. But toast I love. Never start the day without a good piece of toast. In fact, let's toast to toast.
I'm a casual player and this may even be cheaper for someone like me but still I'm against it. Paying by the hour would make me play less and if I'm really into a game I don't want to be worrying about a budget because that would ruin the game. The best payment option I've ever seen is a one time payment.
34 posts
Ive been playing Aion chinese version and i have to say i really dislike the payment method of paying for hours.. ive had multiple times i got kicked out of the game while in the middle of something because my time was up... sucks big time... id much much rather have unlimited playtime for a month and not worry about a thing and for hardcore players this will be cheaper too.
That's the payment plan for Chinese servers. It's typical for them to pay by the hour rather than monthly. I think it's to prevent "addiction" or some crap like that. So I've read.
And it's a horrible plan to just make it hourly payments. The best solution would be to offer both. Monthly payments for those who want unlimited access and have extra free time on their hands, and hourly payments for more casual players who only want to spend a couple hours a day/week playing. It works for both sides.
And it's a horrible plan to just make it hourly payments. The best solution would be to offer both. Monthly payments for those who want unlimited access and have extra free time on their hands, and hourly payments for more casual players who only want to spend a couple hours a day/week playing. It works for both sides.
WOW... That is a terrible idea, I was thinking of giving that game a try but I refuse to pay by the hour, Baazar has been mentioned, that is the most important. But also, There have been MANY MANY times where I go AFK, forget about the game and don't come back till much later.
But Let's break it down.
Say you have 1 account you play and mule, or maybee 2 accounts, 1 you play and a second you use to baazar when ever you log out.... This means you are logged in 24/7 This is what I do in FFXI. So here we go:
24 hours x 30 days in an avg month = 720 hours in a month.
720 divide by 205 (amount of hours in a billing period) = 3.512... This number is how many times you will be billed.
3.512 x 18 (monthly fee) = 63.219
$63.22 A month.... HOLY sh*t! If you wana stay logged in 24/7
Edited, Jul 5th 2009 9:12pm by ToorimaHades
But Let's break it down.
Say you have 1 account you play and mule, or maybee 2 accounts, 1 you play and a second you use to baazar when ever you log out.... This means you are logged in 24/7 This is what I do in FFXI. So here we go:
24 hours x 30 days in an avg month = 720 hours in a month.
720 divide by 205 (amount of hours in a billing period) = 3.512... This number is how many times you will be billed.
3.512 x 18 (monthly fee) = 63.219
$63.22 A month.... HOLY sh*t! If you wana stay logged in 24/7
Edited, Jul 5th 2009 9:12pm by ToorimaHades
Name: Toorima
Main Job: THF
Server: Hades
Linkshell: NoIdea
Guild job: Alchemy
Main Job: THF
Server: Hades
Linkshell: NoIdea
Guild job: Alchemy
Doesn't seem like a bad system to me. The price could be lower if it's a game where there's incentive to keep your character logged in unattended, but personally I don't like gameplay aspects like those anyway.
$18 a month would be reasonable for a high spec, high quality game (which still seems a bit questionable in regards to Aion) and if there's no real incentive to keep your character logged in afk, then most people wouldn't pay nearly that much anyway.
I guess I personally just don't care either way. If a few bucks a month is a huge deal to you, you probably ought to spend less time playing an MMO and find a little more work.
$18 a month would be reasonable for a high spec, high quality game (which still seems a bit questionable in regards to Aion) and if there's no real incentive to keep your character logged in afk, then most people wouldn't pay nearly that much anyway.
I guess I personally just don't care either way. If a few bucks a month is a huge deal to you, you probably ought to spend less time playing an MMO and find a little more work.
Hyrist wrote:
Ok, now we're going to get slash fiction of Wint x Kachi somehere... rule 34 and all...
Never confuse your inference as the listener for an implication of the speaker.
Good games are subjective like good food is subjective. You're not going to seriously tell me that there's not a psychological basis for why pizza is great and lutefisk is revolting. The thing about subjectivity is that, as subjects go, humans actually have a great deal in common.
In europe you have the option to pay $15/month and play 24/7. I don't know if they have removed that option for US or not. I dont see the point in paying 18 USD and play limited time then paying 15 USD and play unlimited.
EDIT; From US Aion website;
"The Aion Limited Collector's Edition will sell at an anticipated price of US$69.99 (€69.99/£54.99), while Aion's standard edition will sell at an anticipated price of US$49.99 (€49.99 /£34.99). Both retail packages include 30 days of game time. After 30 days, a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99 (€12.99/£8.99) for the game service will apply. Other pricing options will also be available. Pre-order purchases, available at retail stores June 9th, can be applied to the Limited Collector's Edition or the standard edition of Aion. Be sure to know that details about pre-order benefits and subscription pricing options for Aion will be announced at a later date."
US$14,99 montly for 24/7
Edited, Jul 5th 2009 10:04pm by Maldavian
EDIT; From US Aion website;
"The Aion Limited Collector's Edition will sell at an anticipated price of US$69.99 (€69.99/£54.99), while Aion's standard edition will sell at an anticipated price of US$49.99 (€49.99 /£34.99). Both retail packages include 30 days of game time. After 30 days, a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99 (€12.99/£8.99) for the game service will apply. Other pricing options will also be available. Pre-order purchases, available at retail stores June 9th, can be applied to the Limited Collector's Edition or the standard edition of Aion. Be sure to know that details about pre-order benefits and subscription pricing options for Aion will be announced at a later date."
US$14,99 montly for 24/7
Edited, Jul 5th 2009 10:04pm by Maldavian
Scholar
41 posts
I just hope the payment system is flexible. If I know ahead of time there are days I'm not going to play at all, I don't want to pay for them nor do I want my account nuked. I might be out of town for a week on vacation. I might be in the hospital. I might, um, have just picked up my copy of FF13 or Gran Turismo 5 or something. I might just need to take a break from the grind and go see a ball game.
Please SE, work with me. And take Discover and/or giftcards, please.
Please SE, work with me. And take Discover and/or giftcards, please.
Every one know pay-as-you-go sucks. Give me a contract any day.
That's an awful idea and lets not forget that if the player bazzar is the same in FFXIV as it is currently in FFXI then those trying to shift their hard earned goods while they sleep or are at work, are going to be paying a fortune in real currency.
That's an awful idea and lets not forget that if the player bazzar is the same in FFXIV as it is currently in FFXI then those trying to shift their hard earned goods while they sleep or are at work, are going to be paying a fortune in real currency.
I would rather have a lifetime subscription myself, if I play it for 2-3 months and find myself saying "This will keep me busy for the next 5 years" like with FFXI, I would purchase a lifetime subscription if it was available. One time payment of $200 or whatever and then never have to pay for it again? Sign me up!
The only way I could get behind a pay by the hour system is if the price of playing 24/7 for a month came out to be equal to the usual MMO fee.
Scholar
41 posts
Parade:
Agreed. I'd still like to pay via giftcards until then.
And SE still gets paid for each expansion.
Quote:
I would rather have a lifetime subscription myself, if I play it for 2-3 months and find myself saying "This will keep me busy for the next 5 years" like with FFXI, I would purchase a lifetime subscription if it was available. One time payment of $200 or whatever and then never have to pay for it again? Sign me up!
Agreed. I'd still like to pay via giftcards until then.
And SE still gets paid for each expansion.
Did you hear that?
That was my hope for Aion being successful blowing away into the breeze.
That was my hope for Aion being successful blowing away into the breeze.
Spiderpalm, level 32 Undead Warlock of the server Lightbringer.
I've been playing Aion for its Beta release.
205 hours isn't enough to get you through the AWESOME that is the character creation screen. The rest of the game is, so far, standard MMO fare, and flying. Ho hum.
205 hours isn't enough to get you through the AWESOME that is the character creation screen. The rest of the game is, so far, standard MMO fare, and flying. Ho hum.
George Carlin wrote:
I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
Current Time Killer
paying by the hour? no thanks
SE said something that relates to this topic... let me dig up the quote...
source : http://www.finalfantasy14-online.com/forum/question-and-answer.php
not much can be added to that
SE said something that relates to this topic... let me dig up the quote...
Quote:
Q: How will the payment plan look?
While Final Fantasy XI runs on a monthly plan through PlayOnline, Final Fantasy XIV will drop PlayOnline and utilize the recently established Square Enix IDs and Security Tokens. The monthly plan is also due for a change, and Tanaka says they are considering a more versatile plan, based on 30-day payment cycles. Some people have been confused by this, but all it involves is altering when a player's plan stops and starts. If you count by days instead of months, you have the freedom to stop and start more freely. This would allow billing to break free from the shackles of the monthly cycle and possibly really help out customers by helping them avoid paying for unused time and lessen the inconvenience of the regularly scheduled billing maintenance.
While Final Fantasy XI runs on a monthly plan through PlayOnline, Final Fantasy XIV will drop PlayOnline and utilize the recently established Square Enix IDs and Security Tokens. The monthly plan is also due for a change, and Tanaka says they are considering a more versatile plan, based on 30-day payment cycles. Some people have been confused by this, but all it involves is altering when a player's plan stops and starts. If you count by days instead of months, you have the freedom to stop and start more freely. This would allow billing to break free from the shackles of the monthly cycle and possibly really help out customers by helping them avoid paying for unused time and lessen the inconvenience of the regularly scheduled billing maintenance.
source : http://www.finalfantasy14-online.com/forum/question-and-answer.php
not much can be added to that
The system promotes playing for a short amount of time each day while at the same time exploits those addicted to the game. I personally don't see myself playing more than 8 hours a day on average so I consider the plan a good bargain for me. If you only play 4 hours a day, on average, that's only a $9 charge. $4.50 a month if you only play 2 hours a day.
It's an ideal plan for a college student, like myself, who should only play for about 1-2 hours a day, at most, with some extra time on the weekends.
EDIT: Seems this thread disappeared right after I posted.
Edited, Jul 6th 2009 3:57pm by Yogtheterrible
It's an ideal plan for a college student, like myself, who should only play for about 1-2 hours a day, at most, with some extra time on the weekends.
EDIT: Seems this thread disappeared right after I posted.
Edited, Jul 6th 2009 3:57pm by Yogtheterrible
So...Prepping up for a big fight...been shouting 2 hours for this...
BAM HERE COMES THE PLAYTIME CAP TO ASSAULT YOUR EYES
That's probably the one and only reason I'd never use such a system.
As for money, I don't feel as though I'm paying for FFXI, it's part of the end of the month routine and I wouldnt even notice it if I didn't have to renew it each time.
I'm pretty sure its a phsycological thing too, we all know eventually we'll have to reactivate and what not, but we put it off and off and off til it's too late due to maint...anyway yeah, if I'm constantly being reminded that I'm paying for this, it'll just put me off 100%, not just from being non-obsesive.
BAM HERE COMES THE PLAYTIME CAP TO ASSAULT YOUR EYES
That's probably the one and only reason I'd never use such a system.
As for money, I don't feel as though I'm paying for FFXI, it's part of the end of the month routine and I wouldnt even notice it if I didn't have to renew it each time.
I'm pretty sure its a phsycological thing too, we all know eventually we'll have to reactivate and what not, but we put it off and off and off til it's too late due to maint...anyway yeah, if I'm constantly being reminded that I'm paying for this, it'll just put me off 100%, not just from being non-obsesive.
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