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Black Gold Online's payment model will make your head hurt
Black Gold Online's payment model might well be one of the most convoluted and bizarre plans ever instituted in an MMO -- and it's coming soon to the North American continent. Identical to the model that's being used in China, Black Gold's NA payment plan alleges to bypass subscriptions and cash shops entirely. How? Well, it's not explained very well, but that could just be because this monetization model was obviously crafted by a lawyer who hates gamers. The gist of it is that you won't be getting your good loot when you play; instead, your loot will go into a "save file" for optional cash purchase later on. The system holds back rare materials and premium equipment, giving you the chance to purchase the past one, two, four, or six hours of accumulated goods. You can also gamble to try to lower the cost of the purchased save. Snail Games Founder Shi Hai thinks this plan is just peachy: "We're focusing on giving our players choices when it comes to their gameplay experiences -- they decide what premium items to pay for and whether a play session is worth saving." [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: What payment model should mobile MMOs adopt?
Right now, two of the biggest mobile MMOs cling to radically different payment plans. Pocket Legends offers up the core gameplay for free with a heavy reliance on microtransactions, while Order & Chaos Online charges a (small) monthly fee to play. The problem is that gamers who might be OK with either subscriptions or microtransactions when it comes to MMOs on the big screen balk at treating these little screen versions the same way. The question is whether gamers will be more comfortable getting the first taste for free and paying small charges on top of that or signing up for a monthly fee and expecting subscription-level service thereafter. What do you think? If MMO studios are to make any money off the mobile market, how should they go about doing it? What would you be comfortable paying for a reasonably good game, assuming that you'd play a mobile title? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Digeo offers Moxi DVRs for easy monthly payments
Just in case Moxi's irrefutable mathematics weren't enough to sway you away from a TiVo, there's a new way to pick up on of its HD DVRs - via payment plan. Not to say they've gone all Rent-a-center on us, since both options for breaking down the $799 upfront cost (4 monthly payments of $199.75 or 20 monthly payments of $39.95) are both interest free, but with many buyers looking sideways at big ticket items these days, it could be enough to get customers off of the fence. Our initial impressions of he new hardware are here, and Dave Zatz mentions legal issues will restrict availability of the new pricing initially, but in lieu of actually costing less than a TiVo, is this enough to make you think again?
