Is there ever going to be a FREE new zone?

DeadlyRecluse

I just wish they'd add the DLC zones to the main game on their 2nd anniversary or something like that. Maybe 2nd is too fast, but if the 3rd anniversary IC event is just double tel-var, I doubt I'll even take note.

Reverb

When they eliminated the subscription model, it meant that revenue would be coming from cash purchases. This includes all new maps. Don't expect a free zone, ever. Saying "it wouldn't hurt them" to release a free dlc zone is like saying it wouldn't hurt Macy's to stop charging for things, and let everyone walk out with stuff for free. It would hurt their finances, a lot.

They said they will continue to release enhancements to the base game, but not content. Housing was the last big enhancement release. I expect transmog, jewelry crafting and maybe spellcrafting will be "free" enhancements we will see in future years. But not free zones.

LadyNalcarya

OP, I have a question: would you agree to work for free? Making games requires a lot of work and investments, especially if we're talking about online games (which means that they need to pay for servers etc).
And yeah, Craglorn wasnt a free update. You couldnt even log in without active subscription back in the days.

SirFilip

Reverb wrote: »

When they eliminated the subscription model, it meant that revenue would be coming from cash purchases. This includes all new maps. Don't expect a free zone, ever. Saying "it wouldn't hurt them" to release a free dlc zone is like saying it wouldn't hurt Macy's to stop charging for things, and let everyone walk out with stuff for free. It would hurt their finances, a lot.

They said they will continue to release enhancements to the base game, but not content. Housing was the last big enhancement release. I expect transmog, jewelry crafting and maybe spellcrafting will be "free" enhancements we will see in future years. But not free zones.

Well maybe don't work on new mechanics or bug fixes but make some content, this could be one way for free content. I'm not demanding anything and I'm not saying that everything should be free. And no they would not go bankrupt.

r3turn2s3nd3r

SirFilip wrote: »

If you make the game bigger maybe you can get more new players to buy the base game.

Doubt it. New players are already overwhelmed stepping foot into what it already a MASSIVE world. I know the first time i booted the game up I was like 'Whoa. This is huge." New players are going to be far more concerned with trying to figure out what they're doing (at least they should ) as opposed to 'Oh there's only 20 some zones"

Let's flip the suggestion. I don't play the Call of Duty franchise. Tried it a couple times. I can tell you this, if they run a promo and say 5 free new maps added to base game, guess what, i'm still not playing.

SirFilip

LadyNalcarya wrote: »

OP, I have a question: would you agree to work for free? Making games requires a lot of work and investments, especially if we're talking about online games (which means that they need to pay for servers etc).
And yeah, Craglorn wasnt a free update. You couldnt even log in without active subscription back in the days.

Well actually they wouldn't be working for free. The company would still pay them.

Reverb

SirFilip wrote: »

Reverb wrote: »

When they eliminated the subscription model, it meant that revenue would be coming from cash purchases. This includes all new maps. Don't expect a free zone, ever. Saying "it wouldn't hurt them" to release a free dlc zone is like saying it wouldn't hurt Macy's to stop charging for things, and let everyone walk out with stuff for free. It would hurt their finances, a lot.

They said they will continue to release enhancements to the base game, but not content. Housing was the last big enhancement release. I expect transmog, jewelry crafting and maybe spellcrafting will be "free" enhancements we will see in future years. But not free zones.

Well maybe don't work on new mechanics or bug fixes but make some content, this could be one way for free content. I'm not demanding anything and I'm not saying that everything should be free. And no they would not go bankrupt.

You're seriously suggesting they stop fixing bugs, and pay people to develop content they won't make money on? At the expense of fixing and balancing things people have already paid for? That would be a terrible business decision, and would please neither new nor existing players.

Chilly-McFreeze

SirFilip wrote: »

Most people who have DLCs are subscribed anyway right? So even if they release 2 DLCs instead of 3 they still get the same. And they also make money from the crown store. If you make the game bigger maybe you can get more new players to buy the base game.

This is where you are wrong.

Think of it like this. ESO+ is one source of income. Paying 10 bucks for the base game won't keep the game running . They have to sell the subscription/ CS items. How do you get players to buy 13€/month when they could run the same game for 10€ payment one time only?

Through adding player value to a subscription. XP/ research boons become meaningless at some point. Costume dyes, housing slots, bank space are some features, but are they enough to make me pay 130€-156€ a year? Especially if 1/2 of the new content would need to get bought anyway?

E: As for the "get new palyers to buy the base game" part. Like I said, 10€ won't make much difference on the long run. Usually you test a b2p game (to see if you like it at all) before you buy additional content or subscribe to it. Additionally, a subscription also adds some sort of "force" on the subscriber to log in and not waste money. This also keeps the zones alive.

SirFilip

Why invest money in something you wont get your money back?

r3turn2s3nd3r wrote: »

SirFilip wrote: »

If you make the game bigger maybe you can get more new players to buy the base game.

Doubt it. New players are already overwhelmed stepping foot into what it already a MASSIVE world. I know the first time i booted the game up I was like 'Whoa. This is huge." New players are going to be far more concerned with trying to figure out what they're doing (at least they should ) as opposed to 'Oh there's only 20 some zones"

Let's flip the suggestion. I don't play the Call of Duty franchise. Tried it a couple times. I can tell you this, if they run a promo and say 5 free new maps added to base game, guess what, i'm still not playing.

Just because you wouldn't doesn't mean others also wouldn't

r3turn2s3nd3r

SirFilip wrote: »

Just because you wouldn't doesn't mean others also wouldn't

OK, let's try it this way. Did you buy Skyrim? If you did then let's say that map was 10% smaller at launch. Would that 10% difference in map size stopp you from buying the game? I bet no.

Emmagoldman

Someday when we collective our workplaces it will be free, until then they are putting food on the table and boosting shareholders portfolios

Bax

SirFilip wrote: »

LadyNalcarya wrote: »

OP, I have a question: would you agree to work for free? Making games requires a lot of work and investments, especially if we're talking about online games (which means that they need to pay for servers etc).
And yeah, Craglorn wasnt a free update. You couldnt even log in without active subscription back in the days.

Well actually they wouldn't be working for free. The company would still pay them.

And company grows money on a tree or something?

Dojohoda

Do you work for free?

SirFilip

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

Do you want to pay for everything?

Reverb

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

No, that's the grandest part of his plan. Zeni will pay people to give him things for free! And they won't go bankrupt doing so. And they'll stop fixing bugs to make it happen.

He's either trolling, or is so blinded by his desire for free things that he doesn't understand business or the player base at all.

SirFilip

Reverb wrote: »

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

No, that's the grandest part of his plan. Zeni will pay people to give him things for free! And they won't go bankrupt doing so. And they'll stop fixing bugs to make it happen.

He's either trolling, or is so blinded by his desire for free things that he doesn't understand business or the player base at all.

Lol

nnargun

SirFilip wrote: »

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

Do you want to pay for everything?

That's how it works, yes. You offer something (knowledge, expertise, goods, whatever) that others give you tokens (money) for in exchange. Those tokens you can use to pay others, like ZOS, for their "services".

You can also try to exchange goods or services in the first place. Maybe you can ask ZOS to work for them in exchange for "free" DLCs. Maybe you own a farm and Matt Firor needs a sack of potatoes every month you could give to him in exchange for the monthly sub fee. That might work.

Dojohoda

SirFilip wrote: »

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

Do you want to pay for everything?

Get a non-paying full time job for a couple of months as a game programmer, then we can discuss why new zones are not free.

r3turn2s3nd3r

SirFilip wrote: »

Dojohoda wrote: »

Do you work for free?

Do you want to pay for everything?

But that's a different question than the topic now isn't it?

Do we WANT to pay for everything? No one wants to.

Your question was "Is there ever going to be a free new zone". And everyone has pretty much answered that for you. No. It just doesn't make good business sense for ZOS at this point of the game's evolution.

mirta000b16_ESO

MMOS require a significant amount of money to keep running, meaning you collect money by:
- not allowing a player to access at all without buying the game AND paying monthly
- not allowing the player to access the game without buying the game and stiffling your progress a little/ selling you DLCs to make sure that you spend money
- allowing everyone access, however harshly punishing players that choose to continue playing for free by almost making sure that they can't progress at all without paying.

I understand that this is a buy to play game. I accept the fact that they require income from me to continue developing content and running the game. I prefer this model to F2P (though P2P is my favorite as it ends up producing the most fair game to players).

It sounds to me like you would like to play a free game. Go and do so. The quality is lower than buy to play and it will be mighty annoying for you to try and compete, but hey, the zones will be free

JamilaRaj

Naturally. Sooner or later, The Monetization Department will realize that if they charge X dollars for access to a zone, some people say "no, thanks" and pay nothing, when they could pay at least something, while some other peple say "okay, here you go" and pay X, when they could pay 2X, 3X or more. In other words, that there were money that could have been had, but were not. Then they will realize that they could do with zones the same thing they did with the game and simply move monetization from outside into a zone and reach that money.

For example, they could create a new dungeon and allow everyone to play it and get rewards, but truly OP gear would only drop to players who bought some token, Blessing of Sheogorath or whatever.
They could even make the token very cheap, but consumable, say $1 for 10 tokens, and turn it into effectively ninja scam crate (because random (or nonrandom) rewards) thinly veiled as a dungeon.

mirta000b16_ESO

JamilaRaj wrote: »

For example, they could create a new dungeon and allow everyone to play it and get rewards, but truly OP gear would only drop to players who bought some token, Blessing of Sheogorath or whatever.
They could even make the token very cheap, but consumable, say $1 for 10 tokens, and turn int effectively into ninja scam crate (because random (or nonrandom)) thinly veiled as a dungeon.

That's a F2P practice. When attempted in a B2P or P2P game it tends to cripple the game with mass player exodus.

JamilaRaj

mirta000b16_ESO wrote: »

JamilaRaj wrote: »

For example, they could create a new dungeon and allow everyone to play it and get rewards, but truly OP gear would only drop to players who bought some token, Blessing of Sheogorath or whatever.
They could even make the token very cheap, but consumable, say $1 for 10 tokens, and turn int effectively into ninja scam crate (because random (or nonrandom)) thinly veiled as a dungeon.

That's a F2P practice. When attempted in a B2P or P2P game it tends to cripple the game with mass player exodus.

Not if players are stupid. "Dungeon" label on scam crate, instead of "scam crate", should confuse them completely. Besides, they have nowhere to go, predatory monetization is ubiquitous, so who cares?

coop500

Craglorn was a free zone DLC, and as people were saying, the DLCs are a bargain in the crown store.
I don't pay for ESO+, but I gladly buy every DLC

CaffeinatedMayhem

Subscribe, then all the DLC is free.

coop500

SirFilip wrote: »

Reverb wrote: »

When they eliminated the subscription model, it meant that revenue would be coming from cash purchases. This includes all new maps. Don't expect a free zone, ever. Saying "it wouldn't hurt them" to release a free dlc zone is like saying it wouldn't hurt Macy's to stop charging for things, and let everyone walk out with stuff for free. It would hurt their finances, a lot.

They said they will continue to release enhancements to the base game, but not content. Housing was the last big enhancement release. I expect transmog, jewelry crafting and maybe spellcrafting will be "free" enhancements we will see in future years. But not free zones.

Well maybe don't work on new mechanics or bug fixes but make some content, this could be one way for free content. I'm not demanding anything and I'm not saying that everything should be free. And no they would not go bankrupt.

D-don't work on bug fixes? Okay I'm done, this guy is beyond fixing

luen79rwb17_ESO

Oh hell yeah! But I want a whole new continent for free!!

Balamoor

Honestly if anything I want less free things, it introduces some of the most disruptive players in the community. I think ESO would be better served if they didn't have a 4 dollar sale of the base game every other week.

I think one of the few mistakes Anet did was offer the GW2 base game for free, it is working their CM's and mods overtime, diametrically GW1 has not lowered it's price in years and that community albeit not huge is amazing, I think B2P only works if the buy isn't a throwaway sum that encourages bored trolls.

The business model should be 30 bucks for the base game (never lower) 40 bucks for the current paid expansion if you want more buy the dlc or sub, if you want to be part of the forum community beyond the tech support and players helping players forums....you have to subscribe.

coop500

Balamoor wrote: »

Honestly if anything I want less free things, it introduces some of the most disruptive players in the community. I think ESO would be better served if they didn't have a 4 dollar sale of the base game every other week.

I think one of the few mistakes Anet did was offer the GW2 base game for free, it is working their CM's and mods overtime, diametrically GW1 has not lowered it's price in years and that community albeit not huge is amazing, I think B2P only works if the buy isn't a throwaway sum that encourages bored trolls.

The business model should be 30 bucks for the base game (never lower) 40 bucks for the current paid expansion if you want more buy the dlc or sub, if you want to be part of the forum community beyond the tech support and players helping players forums....you have to subscribe.

No to the last part, I paid well over $200 for this game and it's DLCs and such, but I don't sub, I still have every right to use the forums.

Elusiin

SirFilip wrote: »

DanteMR1995 wrote: »

SirFilip wrote: »

Yeah but if they made something new for free once in a while it wouldn't hurt.

Housing system, 1T, balance updates, bug fixes, event costumes/motifs/exp boosts, armor sets, etc...

Yeah general game improvement but that shouldn't be praised, that should be normal. You mean the motifs and armor sets which you can only get in the dlc zone? Or you can buy them but they are really expensive.

So not only should developers spend hours improving the game, creating 3D models for motifs and costumes, examine formulas for finding balance, creating models for housing, implement hundreds of housing items, intertwine server-client communications for how the whole housing system is to work, maintain the server tech, examine forums and bug reports, search for and debug issues reported, all of this for free, but they also have to make you entire game maps with quests/stories/beautiful game models/etc?.. You do realize, a single thing mention takes several people as well as hours of work, and that there's no way they could be paid wages, or that the company could maintain it's bills if they did what you're demanding.