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Are Micro-Transactions the Future of Online Game Business Models?

Posted by Soulskill on from the to-agree-pay-50-cents dept.

Last week we discussed news of Sony Online Entertainment's unveiling of a store that would allow players to purchase in-game Everquest items for real money. Massively spoke with John Smedley, SOE's CEO, about the system and what their goals were. He made the point that they were limiting sales to things that wouldn't unbalance the game. "They're fun and they're convenient. That's all they are. We're not selling power. There are a lot of respectable viewpoints on this, and a lot of reasonable people can disagree on them. Our view is that nothing here is gamebreaking." Edge Magazine has a related piece about Mytheon, an upcoming action-strategy game that will rely on micro-transactions to support its otherwise free-to-play business model. The game's producer suggests that micro-transactions are "a model that really gets us closer to the end user, and that's the way things need to be in the future, online."

6 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. I read micro-transistors by Cur8or · · Score: 2, Funny

    I was hoping the next gen was here for Christmas. Come on man, where is my Xbox 720?

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  2. Mommy, Mommy! by ImNotAtWork · · Score: 2, Funny

    week 1: I need your credit card to buy x week 2: I need your credit card to buy y week 3: z? Game gets uninstalled by mom.

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    1. Re:Mommy, Mommy! by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually:

      "Mom. I need your credit card to buy a potion to turn my in-game pants blue."
      "You have ten seconds to say you were kidding, before I send you to a boarding school."

    2. Re:Mommy, Mommy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      shit you can do that? where do i sign up?

    3. Re:Mommy, Mommy! by IceCreamGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

      www.gotoboardingschool.com

  3. Re:Hooray! by CR0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You know, a capitalist society would say, "let me pay for what I want to use", and a socialist society would say, "bill everyone the same and give everyone the same opportunity."

    I'm surprised American's so dislike free play with micro-transactions and prefer to pay a large monthly fee.

    You know, universal health care might work for you guys.

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