MMO item reaps over €2million for Bigpoint

[mameks]

Bigpoint claims that more than 2000 DarkOrbit players have purchased the game's highest-level combat drone in just four days - at a cost of more than $1300 each.

Ever wonder why so-called "free-to-play" games have suddenly become so popular with publishers? Chew on this insight, courtesy of DarkOrbit, a space-based F2P MMO operated by Bigpoint. It's one of Bigpoint's biggest games, even though an estimated 97 percent of players don't pay on a month-by-month basis, because those who like it, like it a lot.

How much is a lot? Combat drones, ranked in ten levels, can be acquired by players to support their ship in battle; the most powerful drone, the Zeus, is very rare, requiring all nine other drones as well as the discovery of special blueprints. But over four days this month, Bigpoint made the Zeus available for straight-up purchase at the ridiculous price of €1000 - that's $1335 - and contrary to all reason, it was a huge hit. More than 2000 Zeus drones were sold, adding up to nearly $2.7 million in revenue off a single item. In four days.

It's a little hard to swallow, isn't it? Gamesbrief thought so too, so it went back to Bigpoint just to be sure. "Originally, CEO Heiko Hubertz told me that the company had sold 1,000 10th drones. He then introduced me to the producer of the game, Simon Davis, to explain how DarkOrbit worked," the author wrote. "Simon told me that he had been authorized to say that the company has now sold 2,000, as at 16th November 2011. "

And that, kids, is how [and why] it's done.

Source


Posted for Veho 'cos he's lazy

 

[Zarcon]

F2P is the future of MMOs.
Or at the very least, subscription free with an initial purchase of the game.

It really preys on impulse buying.
$15/month might seem like a lot, but just a dollar or two on a few cash shop items doesn't.
And then somehow you've spent over $100 that month.

 

[Veho]

There are over 2000 people that would pay $1300 for an item they could also get for free (with a little grinding). You think they made it available for purchase for the lulz? I mean, $1300? You can't tell me they actually expected people to buy at that price.


EDIT: Also, this:

 

[Foxi4]

-snip-

Nevermind, I thought someone auctioned 1 item for nearly 3 mil, lol. NOW it all makes sense.

 

[ProtoKun7]

I should try something like this.

 

[Rydian]

"Freemium", "Pay2Win", and there's a third name for this kinda' thing, but I forgot it.

But yeah. Goes along the lines of "sunk costs" and all that crap to convince players to spend.

 

[Skelletonike]

Well, I prefer F2P or P2P but like Guild Wars, where you only pay for the game itself... I mean... It's kinda stupid to keep pay for a game and in order to play you have to pay even more every month... And yeah... I do buy cash items for some games (like items and skills for Grand Chase for example)... Back on topic tho... Didn't even know of this game to begin with... Either the people who play it are rich kids, or they sure love to waste money...

 

[ZaeZae64]

Reminds me of that guy who sold his Unusual Burning Flames Team Captain on TF2 for $1500.

some people I swear.

 

[Zarcon]

Now what makes you feel worse?

The fact that people threw away $1300+ on a virtual item?
Or...
The fact that these people could afford to do so?

 

[ZaeZae64]

Now what makes you feel worse?

The fact that people threw away $1300+ on a virtual item?
Or...
The fact that these people could afford to do so?

The fact that somebody got that much money by selling a virtual hat.

 

[Hells Malice]

I don't mind F2P, but i'd much much rather pay monthly to not have to deal with pay2win. I don't mind vanity items like Maplestory....but there are MMOs that suck total shit like Conquer Online that exist ONLY to make money...and it's incredibly successful. It has like 100 freakin' servers and the only point of this game is to buy overpriced dragonballs and use them to do various things ingame, that are completely pointless.

 

[Skelletonike]

I don't mind F2P, but i'd much much rather pay monthly to not have to deal with pay2win. I don't mind vanity items like Maplestory....but there are MMOs that suck total shit like Conquer Online that exist ONLY to make money...and it's incredibly successful. It has like 100 freakin' servers and the only point of this game is to buy overpriced dragonballs and use them to do various things ingame, that are completely pointless.

In most F2P, at least in the ones that I play, you usually only pay for extra stuff, like... New costumes, weapon styles (like, masks for the weapons), an item that will let you marry another player and have a wedding, etc etc...

 

[Canonbeat234]

MMORPGS - Where your hard earned money belongs to us.

Edit: Gah, MMO's are so freaking overrated these days. Look at the amount of cash these fools spend every year. Just imagine this like the same how alcohol and cigarettes works, once you're addicted it's hard to stop. Especially those WOW players who have been playing for years. It's only a game but some of these poor gamers 'believe' that's their life; in front of a computer screen with pixelated graphics achieving an nonexistant goal that someone have achieved first and you just a copycat.

 

[klim28]

Learned my lesson about buying in-game items. Ragnarok Online @_@

 

[Hells Malice]

Learned my lesson about buying in-game items. Ragnarok Online @_@

Official Ragnarok servers REALLY went downhill when they started selling non vanity items in the cash shop...
Thank god for good private servers.

 

[klim28]

Godly Items are the only one they are not selling on the item shop. They even sell boss item loots/rares and boss cards now. Tao Gunka card sells for 5000Php=$111. You cant even call the item rare because everybody has it. I had enough of this MMOs.

 

[Hells Malice]

Godly Items are the only one they are not selling on the item shop. They even sell boss item loots/rares and boss cards now. Tao Gunka card sells for 5000Php=$111. You cant even call the item rare because everybody has it. I had enough of this MMOs.

...really?
What official server?

Play private. Officials died pretty much when trans classes were released.