rezil wrote:Please, no micropayments....You guys are alot better than that. Micropayments should NEVER be an option. When you're completely bankrupt with nothing at all, it would be a better idea to just surrender instead of bleed us out. Donations are a different story, I'm sure we're all fine with those.

And how do you feel about expansions?

"Wait it out. See what happens.
Nobody is forcing anyone to buy something they dont want."

"But, fact is they are going to implement it.
We cant stop that.
I feel its more important to know what my rights are as a paying consumer.
Thats the real question right know."

I was just replying to these comments, I don't know why you think I was calling you a bad man. I am just trying to explain why all these people are expressing their opinion or speculation, whatever you want to call it.

However, I still stand by that there was a page of people just talking about post rating.

I never said micropayments were the root of evil. I don't know if you read my posts you will see I don't know what to think of them. I am more towards against but I don't want to repeat myself. I went through the trouble of reading all 16 pages before posting.

Edit: I guess I should mention that I referred to Parvati because he or she seems to usually play devil's advocate. I am sorry if you weren't the person telling everyone they couldn't stop micropayments from being implemented.

aznparker wrote:"Wait it out. See what happens.
Nobody is forcing anyone to buy something they dont want."

"But, fact is they are going to implement it.
We cant stop that.
I feel its more important to know what my rights are as a paying consumer.
Thats the real question right know."

I was just replying to these comments, I don't know why you think I was calling you a bad man. I am just trying to explain why all these people are expressing their opinion or speculation, whatever you want to call it.

However, I still stand by that there was a page of people just talking about post rating.

I never said micropayments were the root of evil. I don't know if you read my posts you will see I don't know what to think of them. I am more towards against but I don't want to repeat myself. I went through the trouble of reading all 16 pages before posting.

Yes, you did.
And you get a cookie for that.
Just for a second i thougt you were trying to say that I was a trouble maker.
While personally I find myself to be pretty constructive

Thats a mather of opinion of course.

I have only seen these "micropayments" in small, free, multiplayer (NO NO NO micropayments are NOT revolutionary, neither is most of spore) games. I didn't care because I usually don't play games seriously enough to want to pay money for it (if it starts costing money, bye!). But micropayments were alright because I didn't HAVE to buy them.

But I also don't know how it will play out in a more "popular" single player game.

In the end, I personally won't care because what I want isn't more parts, more planets, more trees, more tribes, more civs, more terrains; I want an expanded gameplay.

I'm sorry if that sounds like I think micropayments are the root of all evil. I will clarify, no I don't. I still want to keep the cookie.

sagittary wrote:On one hand, I do agree that it's a very tricky slope to walk. On the other hand, I also disagree because at some point, developers need money to make new stuff - they can't survive on box sales forever; they need to make new stuff and pay off expenses like loans and creditors and all that fun stuff. Digging a business into a big financial hole really isn't a good way to keep a business alive and making new stuff.

The computer games industry has survived the last 30 years on box sales alone, what has changed in the business model that they suddenly can't make money anymore? The electronic game industry (computer and console games) is a multi-billion dollar sector of the economy and when you exclude MMO subscriptions, the only significant income source left are the box sales.

I for one will not be buying any parts via micropayments. I see this as nothing more than an attempt by EA to squeeze every dime they can from their customer base.

I don't want to, but I'm in the camp that probably will because they enjoy the game and will want the new parts.

And then I'll cry about it incessantly on the forums.

I'm afraid I have only read the first post here. Now, all I have to say is... Well,

I... Don't approve this.

turlow wrote:The computer games industry has survived the last 30 years on box sales alone, what has changed in the business model that they suddenly can't make money anymore?

A dramatic increase in piracy, watchdog groups dragging them into court every time they find out some kid who played Half Life shot his buddy, increased advertising costs, etc, etc.

turlow wrote:I for one will not be buying any parts via micropayments. I see this as nothing more than an attempt by EA to squeeze every dime they can from their customer base.

And what about an expansion?

This is a question with an easy answer!!!
Don't play the game at all.Will it make you happier to pay for something you have right?
I bought the freaking galactic edition,and stuff isn't like many said it would be.
Do you want to pay for a planet with different kind of tentacles? dude,get out and get some fresh air,games aren't worth squat if you get exploited for the little you have in your pocket for some freaking body parts
I call this game imperialism,my advise,if everyone stays clean and out of this stuff they won't have any other choice then releasing expansion packs,cause from this pocket not a cent is going to were it shouldn't go.
Save money,buy yourself a night in bunny ranch xD That! yes it's worth giving some money away xD

No no aznparker I was telling people they couldnt stop it from implementing.

There is nothing wrong with what I did.
I was pollite and i never do personal attacks.

But if I have offended anyone in my belief that this can not be stopped. I'm sorry, I can get carried away.
I did vote no.
Its just that , I have been following Spore since '05.
Its the only game ever - thats a long time- that made me reallly want to get it.

People seem to forget that micro payements and expansions can co exist.
Micro payements were in the original plan.
Am I being told all of a sudden I can not have the game they promoted?

(Yes, I may appear to be a devils advocate. But a persons opinion or belief (provided the person has some commen sense) is far to complicated to narrow down on 1 post. Fora are not just for stickin it up to the man or spouting all sorts of opinion, fora are also mainly used to engage in discusion. A progresive talk with the hope of finding an agreeable answer. )

tyger42 wrote:

turlow wrote:The computer games industry has survived the last 30 years on box sales alone, what has changed in the business model that they suddenly can't make money anymore?

A dramatic increase in piracy, watchdog groups dragging them into court every time they find out some kid who played Half Life shot his buddy, increased advertising costs, etc, etc.

turlow wrote:I for one will not be buying any parts via micropayments. I see this as nothing more than an attempt by EA to squeeze every dime they can from their customer base.

And what about an expansion?

I don't buy your argument because there has also been a dramatic increase in sales. When this industry is described as multi-billion dollar you do understand that is profits, right? And you know that profit is money made above all your costs including advertising, lawsuits, etc, etc.? Did you know EA made $236,000,000 in profits last year (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/snapshots/465.html)? How many games does EA have running curently that involve microtransactions?

As for an expansion, that depends on what is being expanded. If it nothing more than thousands of new parts, then no, I won't buy it. If there is a significant change in game play then I will consider it depending on what is added.

I don't like the Micropayment plan... seems like a bad idea.. and I would stop playing the game because of it... it would be uninstalled and placed in the box of games I no longer play or am totally uninterested in.

Micropayments:

Good for the company, bad for the consumer... in Free MMORPGs that have Micropayment options it unbalances the game to whoever has the money to buy the crap for the game... now some point out "Well its the same as an expansion"... which is not entirely true... as is if you get... a new set of arms, $0.99... new set of legs, $0.99... new set of eyes $0.99... the ability to create fire worlds with up to T2 classification, $2.99... and so on and so forth eventually you have all this pay for content that they add sparingly without delivering a completed package... its milking your customer base... now mass expansions can be the same thing with stuff like The Sims.. but the level of content for a 29.99 or 39.99 game is much higher and you'll have more people interested in purchasing it.

Pro- Allows consumers to decide on the items that they would want in thier game and allows them to purchase the newer content that they would want.

Con- Blocks creativity on certain levels as items you may of wanted and you can see are outside of your ability to have because you haven't purchased them, also it is bad on another level for EA/Maxis as that would be limiting thier target audience from everyone able to get an expansion to anyone with a credit card able to make an online purchase.. removing anyone who cannot convince thier parents, which could be ages 10-17, from being able to convince them of random single item purchases over and over instead of a single purchase for a full expansion.


Additionally I'd like to point out... that while they would have Micropayments on items... they would also be releasing expansions for added content of larger scales... more indepth creature stages, tribal or civilization, adding major features to space.. which would be doubly milking the consumer... you would not get any new parts from expansions (probably) but would still have to buy the expansions at the same price you'd buy stuff from the Sims for just updates to the engine or game modes without any new content.


Some may agree with micropayments, I do not.. I'd rather buy upgrades over time then be doomed to purchase single items from my in game browser like it was iTunes and have to buy expansions for my major game updates and upgrades.

Just my opinion in the matter... we may or may not be able to convince them of what some may consider a serious blunder or not... we shall see what they do... in six months to a year we may all be seeing some upgraded browser option that allows you to click and purchase new items, creature parts, planet upgrades, and so on with a single click and we'll mindlessly continue on.. or we'll stop playing and say forget this moving on to some other game without an idiotic "thanks for purchasing the game, heres the stuff we left out for you to buy again" options.

My 10 cents, commence flame attack.

I still remember when one of my friends talking about micropayments joked that one day you'll go into a shop in a video game, and there'll be two price tags. One the in-game currency, and one the real-world currency, and we both lol'd.

I hate it when reality threatens to mimic fiction.

Right now, Spore is a *skeleton* of a game, my intrest only stems from the fact future expansions may expand upon the backbone of the game either by either adding script/dialogue modding, or by fleshing it out with whole new core features.

If EA starts selling tiny bits of flesh for it, micropayment at a time, to bulk Spore up like it were a cell-phase critter nibbling bits of meat instead of strapping on nice new appendages and functionality, my only regret when I uninstall it (and weed secuROM out my kernel) will be that Spore, the game that in 2005 threatened to be the game to end all games, turned into just another EA cash-cow.

Maitlandian wrote:I just don't want to see spore turned into some blizzard game: monthly fees. Its the reason I stopped playing WoW in the first place. Viva la Freeservers.

Honestly I'd prefer a subscription fee if they were as competent about pushing new content and improving old content as some MMO's are (Pirates of the Burning Seas comes to mind, they've really been polishing that game well since launch).

Obviously not the $15/month of an online-play game, since there is not the same kind of overhead cost involved with Spore post-release, but maybe a piddling $2.50 a month from everyone. That would have been a smarter move. That's enough money to finance further moderate content development, and keep the servers for creations running, and ensure a long and fruitful run for the game.

Of course, far be it from EA to take a route that would feel fair to the customer. They're too busy tilting at less profitable windmills and obsessing over making people feel cheated. You folks at EA seriously need to take off the suits and play a game once in a while you know. It might help you sell them if you actually knew a thing or two about the dang things.

When was the last time Mr. Riccitiello even played a computer game? Has he ever? Was it solitaire?

Maitlandian wrote:Obviously not the $15/month of an online-play game, since there is not the same kind of overhead cost involved with Spore post-release, but maybe a piddling $2.50 a month from everyone. That would have been a smarter move. That's enough money to finance further moderate content development, and keep the servers for creations running, and ensure a long and fruitful run for the game.

Not really, I already have active downloads turned off and set to buddy content/subscriptions only, if they moved to that model I'd just download the stuff i like direct from Sporepedia, which being a website is free.

Then when I wanted to patch I'd come back months later and just pay the 2.50 to get all the patches and updates to date. Unlike an MMO there is no incentive to pay a fee routinely as the game itself is mostly offline in nature.