ESO Business model - Someone enlightnen me

rafaelcsmaia · July 6

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Firstmep · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Just to be clear that has nothing to do with the layoffs, so far the only free content was night market.
Microsoft literally announced that they want to shore up profits, hence why so many senior staff is being laid off, the most expensive people go, so to speak.
Also you might not spend on cosmetics but things like paid battle passes(tomes) are wildly popular in other games.

Soarora · July 6

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Eldovar · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Sluggy · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

You are not the majority of players. Many of them enjoy cosmetics and, as much as I hate to admit it personally, many enjoy gambling.

DLC is great for attracting players in large number for a short time but it is a one-time income per customer. A live-service game isn't going to continue running at the size it does with that. Cosmetics are extremely fast and cheap to produce and require very little red-tape for writing off in both quality and acceptability. They alone can drive sales for subscriptions, gambling, and gifting in a way that DLC won't. They are the real money maker.

rafaelcsmaia · July 6

Firstmep wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Just to be clear that has nothing to do with the layoffs, so far the only free content was night market.
Microsoft literally announced that they want to shore up profits, hence why so many senior staff is being laid off, the most expensive people go, so to speak.
Also you might not spend on cosmetics but things like paid battle passes(tomes) are wildly popular in other games.

I was not linking the two directly, apologize for the miscommunication, but you can see how going forward it can impact the profit and generate more layoffs.

zaria · July 6

Agree, also all cosmetic has to fight all the others you have to be relevant.

This one is only here to farm, is probably my favorite.

rafaelcsmaia · July 6

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Thats fair, but most crown stuff is obtainable with seals, i have so many of them i could get anything i want if it showed up now, for free. While i apprecciate not having to spend money, it also feels to me like a missed opportunity to monetize.

AScarlato · July 6

Eldovar wrote: »

I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

I remember an age poll that skewed a lot older than expected before it was removed. Kind of makes sense, it's an older MMO and the genre in general seems to be skewing older now.

Many were confused about how battle passes work at all.

I disagree about cosmetics though - those seem to be of universal interest and I play with some older retired people who love them

rafaelcsmaia · July 6

AScarlato wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

I remember an age poll that skewed a lot older than expected before it was removed. Kind of makes sense, it's an older MMO and the genre in general seems to be skewing older not.

Many were confused about how battle passes work at all.

I disagree about cosmetics though - those seem to be of universal interest and I play with some older retired people who love them

Oh yeah surely some ppl love them and thats allright, I just would have kept both, like I was fine buying chapters, in my head i was supporting the game. Some ppl might disagree but cmon zos is not a charity, we pay, we get service.

Malprave · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

It’s hard to say. But obviously they are privy to all kinds of information on the financial performance of the game that we don’t have access to. They looked at it and decided season passes were a good move.

Maybe the season 0 pass did not generate the anticipated revenue. Now we’re in the cost cutting phase unfortunately.

Sorry to see it. I’m a huge fan of the work all these people have done on the game over the years and that work was arguably very successful. They had a good run in a business known for turnover. Wishing them the best in whatever they do next. I’m sure there are many companies that would appreciate the efforts of these industry veterans.

Eldovar · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Thats fair, but most crown stuff is obtainable with seals, i have so many of them i could get anything i want if it showed up now, for free. While i apprecciate not having to spend money, it also feels to me like a missed opportunity to monetize.

Those seals serve another very important metric: engagement and game time. You didn’t accumulate all this out of thin air.

Lots of people also needs a carrot to chase. Take away those incentives to earn stuff by investing time and people will also leave. There is a reason the word ‘reward’ is said 20 times in every stream or article.

AScarlato · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

AScarlato wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

I remember an age poll that skewed a lot older than expected before it was removed. Kind of makes sense, it's an older MMO and the genre in general seems to be skewing older not.

Many were confused about how battle passes work at all.

I disagree about cosmetics though - those seem to be of universal interest and I play with some older retired people who love them

Oh yeah surely some ppl love them and thats allright, I just would have kept both, like I was fine buying chapters, in my head i was supporting the game. Some ppl might disagree but cmon zos is not a charity, we pay, we get service.

I agree there. I was happy to pay for chapters because I got a set of offerings to expect in return. I never had a problem with that.

I still buy expansions for FFXIV and have no qualms doing so there either and am glad they haven't gone towards this model yet.

Luneca · July 6

Malprave wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

It’s hard to say. But obviously they are privy to all kinds of information on the financial performance of the game that we don’t have access to. They looked at it and decided season passes were a good move.

Maybe the season 0 pass did not generate the anticipated revenue. Now we’re in the cost cutting phase unfortunately.

Sorry to see it. I’m a huge fan of the work all these people have done on the game over the years and that work was arguably very successful. They had a good run in a business known for turnover. Wishing them the best in whatever they do next. I’m sure there are many companies that would appreciate the efforts of these industry veterans.

From a logical standpoint, who would think that the battle pass would generate a lot of revenue? Weren't players filling the forums even saying they wouldn't buy it? Wasn't it all over Reddit? Even Steam?

How much negative sentiment did they need to determine it was a bad idea?

wolfie1.0. · July 6

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

zaria · July 6

Sluggy wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

You are not the majority of players. Many of them enjoy cosmetics and, as much as I hate to admit it personally, many enjoy gambling.

DLC is great for attracting players in large number for a short time but it is a one-time income per customer. A live-service game isn't going to continue running at the size it does with that. Cosmetics are extremely fast and cheap to produce and require very little red-tape for writing off in both quality and acceptability. They alone can drive sales for subscriptions, gambling, and gifting in a way that DLC won't. They are the real money maker.

Saw the quality control in the otherwise cool split skirt dress for 400 gems, fitting at the waist was like an noob Skyrim mod.
Also the next cosmetic has to be relevant in your collection who is harder as its get larger.

Eldovar · July 6

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

True, we get a license. Although preserving single player games is a easier. That’s not the case for live service offerings.

But the same is true for movies, series, ebooks and music when u consume digital.

wolfie1.0. · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Thats fair, but most crown stuff is obtainable with seals, i have so many of them i could get anything i want if it showed up now, for free. While i apprecciate not having to spend money, it also feels to me like a missed opportunity to monetize.

Seals can only be used to get crown crate items and only when those crates are avaliable. So while the majority of crown items can be purchased with seals, not all of them are readily available.

Also, seals were implemented to meet legal requirements regarding lootboxes thats the only reason they exist.

Luneca · July 6

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

Only if they haven't skipped DRM-only purchases. I've simply bought less in the past decade unless I can get it DRM free or a physical copy without day 1 DLC. Also, plenty of older games out there, smaller game development circles that aren't corpo, etc.

Malprave · July 6

Luneca wrote: »

Malprave wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

It’s hard to say. But obviously they are privy to all kinds of information on the financial performance of the game that we don’t have access to. They looked at it and decided season passes were a good move.

Maybe the season 0 pass did not generate the anticipated revenue. Now we’re in the cost cutting phase unfortunately.

Sorry to see it. I’m a huge fan of the work all these people have done on the game over the years and that work was arguably very successful. They had a good run in a business known for turnover. Wishing them the best in whatever they do next. I’m sure there are many companies that would appreciate the efforts of these industry veterans.

From a logical standpoint, who would think that the battle pass would generate a lot of revenue? Weren't players filling the forums even saying they wouldn't buy it? Wasn't it all over Reddit? Even Steam?

How much negative sentiment did they need to determine it was a bad idea?

Again, we have no information on the game’s financial performance and can’t speak to the success or failure of the battle pass. But the game obviously passed a threshold that drew the attention of the dreaded bean counters. And they said cut staff. Which really sucks.

wolfie1.0. · July 6

Luneca wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

Only if they haven't skipped DRM-only purchases. I've simply bought less in the past decade unless I can get it DRM free or a physical copy without day 1 DLC. Also, plenty of older games out there, smaller game development circles that aren't corpo, etc.

I agree and agree to your point your making. Some of us have been aware of whats been happening for years.

But my point was on a more broad perspective. If you look at the most popular games of the last 10 years how many of those games are DRM free? The pool is getting smaller and smaller.

zaria · July 6

Eldovar wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

True, we get a license. Although preserving single player games is a easier. That’s not the case for live service offerings.

But the same is true for movies, series, ebooks and music when u consume digital.

So true, I lost an hard drive last year, 3 TB of movies and tv shows, ironically it was an secondary backup for the important stuff. Games, 3d content i made like and ***
qNOwWGO

Arunei · July 6

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Thats fair, but most crown stuff is obtainable with seals, i have so many of them i could get anything i want if it showed up now, for free. While i apprecciate not having to spend money, it also feels to me like a missed opportunity to monetize.

Only Crown CRATE stuff, along with a couple of odds and ends like the Spriggan Polymporphs, can be bought with Seals. They exist for existing or potential future laws regarding only being able to get in-game rewards via 'gambling' with no way to get them directly. And while there are indeed people who have thousands and thousands saved up because they haven't seen anything they want to spend on them, I'd be willing to bet my account that a much higher number of people have nowhere near that many saved.

Malprave wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

It’s hard to say. But obviously they are privy to all kinds of information on the financial performance of the game that we don’t have access to. They looked at it and decided season passes were a good move.

Maybe the season 0 pass did not generate the anticipated revenue. Now we’re in the cost cutting phase unfortunately.

Sorry to see it. I’m a huge fan of the work all these people have done on the game over the years and that work was arguably very successful. They had a good run in a business known for turnover. Wishing them the best in whatever they do next. I’m sure there are many companies that would appreciate the efforts of these industry veterans.

The layoffs today have absolutely nothing to do with if Season O in and of itself did poorly or not financially.

zaria · July 6

zaria wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

True, we get a license. Although preserving single player games is a easier. That’s not the case for live service offerings.

But the same is true for movies, series, ebooks and music when u consume digital.

So true, I lost an hard drive last year, 3 TB of movies and tv shows, ironically it was an secondary backup for the important stuff. Games, 3d content i made like and ***

And now you can not edit your own post anymore ???
I made an error posting an image

AScarlato · July 6

Arunei wrote: »

The layoffs today have absolutely nothing to do with if Season O in and of itself did poorly or not financially.

Has there been any news as to why exactly they did this?

I understand selling off studios that no longer fit your future vision but they also said they specifically wanted to keep a strong focus on Elder Scrolls.

The success of ESO I think is important to the brand. I just don't really understand right now.

virtus753 · July 6

zaria wrote: »

zaria wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

Eldovar wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

Same here. I play still but haven’t invested anything into the game since 2025 content pass preorder. I am also under the impression ESO has a lot of older players that are not into battle passes and cosmetics.

Microsoft Xbox boss also mentioned in her post today that gamepass didn’t fullfill their expectations. Another thing I could predict from the start because a lot of gamers want to own games and the other part just takes a 14 day trial on a new account to play the latest 3 new 80 dollar games and cancels.

All baffling decisions.

Gamers havn't technically owned the majority of their games for over a decade.

True, we get a license. Although preserving single player games is a easier. That’s not the case for live service offerings.

But the same is true for movies, series, ebooks and music when u consume digital.

So true, I lost an hard drive last year, 3 TB of movies and tv shows, ironically it was an secondary backup for the important stuff. Games, 3d content i made like and ***

And now you can not edit your own post anymore ???
I made an error posting an image

The edit button should be accessible (albeit invisible) when you hover over where it should be, to the left of the comment number.

Sluggy · July 6

AScarlato wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

The layoffs today have absolutely nothing to do with if Season O in and of itself did poorly or not financially.

Has there been any news as to why exactly they did this?

I understand selling off studios that no longer fit your future vision but they also said they specifically wanted to keep a strong focus on Elder Scrolls.

The success of ESO I think is important to the brand. I just don't really understand right now.

Man, whatever they say in public is just a show. No one is going to come out and say something like, "We like the idea of this product going strong for the foreseeable future but if anything should end up lower than expectations then we're gonna axe it faster than an uncle usurping a throne". Self-fulfilling prophesies and all that.

The only thing you should ever look at are the numbers you can see and the actions being taken. Talk is cheap.

Lekjih · July 6

I know four people who, combined, have spent half a million on crowns and crates. Three of them are around 20-40k. The other one has the rest to themself. Obviously I have to trust what people are saying they spend, but even in the end game raiding community, where people are waiting for the next trial, the number of them saying "I'll wait for it to be on eso+" is really high. So they weren't buying the yearly content anyway, but they were buying cosmetics. Makes sense to lean into cosmetics.

Malprave · July 6

Arunei wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Soarora wrote: »

My guess is because of the season pass FOMO. 4x premium season passes a year costs more than a Chapter but it’s spread out so we don’t notice as much. Let alone the people who buy the extra premium. ZOS also needed goodwill to bring back and retain players, who would then buy the premium passes and crown store items.

Thats fair, but most crown stuff is obtainable with seals, i have so many of them i could get anything i want if it showed up now, for free. While i apprecciate not having to spend money, it also feels to me like a missed opportunity to monetize.

Only Crown CRATE stuff, along with a couple of odds and ends like the Spriggan Polymporphs, can be bought with Seals. They exist for existing or potential future laws regarding only being able to get in-game rewards via 'gambling' with no way to get them directly. And while there are indeed people who have thousands and thousands saved up because they haven't seen anything they want to spend on them, I'd be willing to bet my account that a much higher number of people have nowhere near that many saved.

Malprave wrote: »

rafaelcsmaia wrote: »

Title, id really want someone to explain to me how the move to make DLC content going forward free was a good call. Like for instance myself, i dont care about cosmetics and stuff, only time id spend money would be chapters and DLC, so now theyre gone, im not putting a single penny in the game, and i bet there are a lot of ppl llike this.

I know im not a business genius but that simply doesnt add up to me, the moment I saw this being announced i anticipated the team being impacted, as they were today.

It’s hard to say. But obviously they are privy to all kinds of information on the financial performance of the game that we don’t have access to. They looked at it and decided season passes were a good move.

Maybe the season 0 pass did not generate the anticipated revenue. Now we’re in the cost cutting phase unfortunately.

Sorry to see it. I’m a huge fan of the work all these people have done on the game over the years and that work was arguably very successful. They had a good run in a business known for turnover. Wishing them the best in whatever they do next. I’m sure there are many companies that would appreciate the efforts of these industry veterans.

The layoffs today have absolutely nothing to do with if Season O in and of itself did poorly or not financially.

Sorry, I didn’t know you work for Zos. Can you tell us why these cuts are happening then?

propertyOfUndefined · July 6

Microsoft is essentially reallocating resources to push harder in the AI arms race. Their "Frontier Company" vision announced last week is a good example of where they're headed. At the same time, competition is only getting more intense, with OpenAI and Anthropic moving closer to IPOs and every major player investing heavily in AI. It's unfortunate that the gaming division seems to be bearing a significant share of the cuts.

AScarlato · July 6

propertyOfUndefined wrote: »

Microsoft is essentially reallocating resources to push harder in the AI arms race. Their "Frontier Company" vision announced last week is a good example of where they're headed. At the same time, competition is only getting more intense, with OpenAI and Anthropic moving closer to IPOs and every major player investing heavily in AI. It's unfortunate that the gaming division seems to be bearing a significant share of the cuts.

Gross.