La Gris Feu
Covenant Security Solutions
25
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Posted - 2012.07.17 17:52:00 -
[1] - Quote
Frankly I don't find the Mercenary Pack interesting enough to buy as is, but I'd like the chance to purchase something. It looks OK and all, but the only thing I really like about it are the two permanents and I'm not feeling the 20 USD cost. Although it is my suspicion that it was mostly a gesture to meet market demand for access to the beta, by providing would-be players with the option to buy access from the legitimate source/securing potential revenue.
Anyway, in my experience, in this kind of environment, at this stage of development, providing cheaper, smaller packs of exclusive (and enduring) content, frequently and for only shorts periods of time, tends to be more popular as the players have yet to establish a secure base of interest or confidence to justify larger investments. Also, since it is still beta, to serve primarily as acknowledgement of beta-fluctuations, a gesture of kindness, and to begin paying off those investment costs. And I don't mean to sound patronizing about all this (or like an idiot lol), as it is probably something you already know or may have in the works, but I figure it's worth a mention.
I'd recommend once every online weekend offering a new pack of primarily improved versions of lower-end gear at 'very low' prices.
An example of an ideal pack would be something like:
For approximately 10 USD
2,000 AU, 2-3 5-Day Boosters
2 permanent improved versions of base equipment
2 consumable stacks of an AU exclusive weapon(s)/slot equip(s)
1 Permanent suit OR Vehicle
Then a ~3-5 USD version with just
1,000 AU, 3 1-Day Boosters
The same permanent suit Or Vehicle
The more attractive/primary permanent weapon
And a ~1.5 USD version that contains one random stack, permanent equip/vehicle, AU payout (~500) from previously featured deals (people love a quick and dirty shot at chance, alter the odds of specific items as desired).
[However, make sure to include the attributes of such content in the purchase description, that's another thing that keeps someone like me away from purchasing such things, when the specifics of content are unavailable, who wants to chance it and get disappointed? I feel like that's a big problem with the Mercenary Pack]
Anyway, lower prices mean more sales, exclusive permanent gear means more interest and satisfaction, and more satisfaction means more future purchases and increased customer confidence and loyalty. Obviously the specific pricing and other details are CCP's call, but pretty much anything over 10 USD at this point is likely to suffer for interest, and also at this point it's more important to suck people in with good deals, so that Dust can accrue enduring interest (ie, "I've already put x (currencies) in, so it'd be a shame to stop playing").
Not to mention CCP would do well to encourage mass purchases now while the player-base is smaller to flush out any bugs in or otherwise refine purchasing/spending AU, buying packs, and raising interest in AU items; especially since this seems to be the primary method of income.
To conclude, I think I've made the point I meant to make, and I would like to say that while I provide this consultation freely I'm not above receiving compensation (10% off the gross of all such packs, some prototype or exclusive content blueprints, 500 million enduring SP, my own locked planet, whatever you're feeling ;I), thank you for your time. |