Second-rate citizens like me.

anitajoneb17_ESO · October 2017

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Meanwhile, development on the content takes a backseat.
We'll just have to disagree on this one, I cannot believe it does not impact on the game more than your letting on.

You're right. I don't believe one second that crown store is taking any resources away from game development. It's just a bunch of 3D-models (mostly reskins of each other on top of that). The most costly aspect of it is probably the accounting system and the advertising. So yeah, let's agree to disagree on that.

Doctordarkspawn · October 2017

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Meanwhile, development on the content takes a backseat.
We'll just have to disagree on this one, I cannot believe it does not impact on the game more than your letting on.

You're right. I don't believe one second that crown store is taking any resources away from game development. It's just a bunch of 3D-models (mostly reskins of each other on top of that). The most costly aspect of it is probably the accounting system and the advertising. So yeah, let's agree to disagree on that.

Wow, a civil break from a disagreement on this forum? Someone call the doomsday preachers, the sky is about to fall.

Balamoor · October 2017

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Meanwhile, development on the content takes a backseat.
We'll just have to disagree on this one, I cannot believe it does not impact on the game more than your letting on.

You're right. I don't believe one second that crown store is taking any resources away from game development. It's just a bunch of 3D-models (mostly reskins of each other on top of that). The most costly aspect of it is probably the accounting system and the advertising. So yeah, let's agree to disagree on that.

I can shed some light on that.

People who create assets are usually the first ones to get trimmed after a MMO is complete because there isn't a heck of a lot to do, you either move them to other depts if they have the expertise or give them the notice and the Friday break room "Thanks for everything party"." Developers just can't afford to keep dead weight around even for a few months, so they would either rehire for the project or outsource with companies like the one I use to work at.

When devs have cash shops like in ESO, they can take some of the income generated and keep more of these people, to do texture maps and occasionally new models and you have the benefit of not having to go to a headhunting firm or advertise on Gamesutra or what have you...they also have that person ready when it's time to create more content, so no this doesn't take resources away, in fact it actually makes dev teams more efficient, and lets more of the team keep their jobs at better pay because (hate it or not) making stuff for the cash shop is of the biggest money makers out there.

Iluvrien · October 2017

Balamoor wrote: »

anitajoneb17_ESO wrote: »

Doctordarkspawn wrote: »

Meanwhile, development on the content takes a backseat.
We'll just have to disagree on this one, I cannot believe it does not impact on the game more than your letting on.

You're right. I don't believe one second that crown store is taking any resources away from game development. It's just a bunch of 3D-models (mostly reskins of each other on top of that). The most costly aspect of it is probably the accounting system and the advertising. So yeah, let's agree to disagree on that.

I can shed some light on that.

People who create assets are usually the first ones to get trimmed after a MMO is complete because there isn't a heck of a lot to do, you either move them to other depts if they have the expertise or give them the notice and the Friday break room "Thanks for everything party"." Developers just can't afford to keep dead weight around even for a few months, so they would either rehire for the project or outsource with companies like the one I use to work at.

When devs have shops like these they can take some of the income generated and keep more of these people, to do texture maps and occasionally new models and you have the benefit of not having to go to a headhunting firm or advertise om Gamesutra or what have you...they also have that person ready when it's time to create more content, so no this doesn't take resources away, in fact it actually makes dev teams more efficient, and lets more of the team keep their jobs at better pay because (hate it or not) making stuff for the cash shop is of the biggest money makers out there.

Certainly an interesting post. I thank you for sharing it. I would appreciate the answer to a couple of questions, based on your experience, to tease out the details, so to speak.

1) What is the comparative release cadence of new playable content between games that have a cash shop and those that don't?

2) Does all production of cash shop items cease during the production phase of new playable content?

Balamoor · October 2017

Iluvrien wrote: »

Certainly an interesting post. I thank you for sharing it. I would appreciate the answer to a couple of questions, based on your experience, to tease out the details, so to speak.

What is the comparative release cadence of new playable content between games that have a cash shop and those that don't?

There are a lot variables given different teams sizes and some teams are more copacetic, they just can crank out content, but by and large the developers I have worked with that featured Cash shops actually produce more content.

wrote:

Does all production of cash shop items cease during the production phase of new playable content?

Again depends on the team, but by and large you never have any one thing totally cease operations, development teams are usually AGILE focused, and that means a constant concept to execution process.

Anywho hope this helps