Global Agenda: Pricing and Micro-transactions

The MMO that Could!
A Global Agenda Micro-transaction and ‘One time’ purchase deal.

I was thinking about RMT and cash shops in games. Then a few weeks ago I read a blog about MMO pricing over at GameMonkey. So I’d like to take a min and discuss what Global Agendas pricing plan is and future that may or may-not have a cash shop in it.

When I go to a purchase a game or MMO, there are a few things that play out in my head.

1. Can I afford this? Is there a monthly sub and will I enjoy it enough to subscribe.
2. What’s the gaming community response to the game/publisher or IP
3. If it’s a box in the store, I mull over the box reading and examining the pictures and how it was packaged and ‘prepared’ for ME.  If it’s in a digital form IE: Steam or DDL, I will read blogs, review the website, and search for videos and general information on the game.
4. I’ll pray about it and make a decision the next day or when I feel I have the information to make a choice weather to ‘buy’ or ‘not to buy.’

I am very frugal at heart, so spending money is very hard for me. Gaming has come and swept in the back door of all this frugalness. World of Warcraft has taken a crap load of money from me. With 4 years of subscription fees and SIX transfers at 25$ bucks a pop. Something had to be done.

I’ve really had to control my gaming expenses.  I’m still a work in progress and ‘STEAM’ isn’t helping any, but nevertheless I’m getting better.

On to the Global Agenda of this post!

Pricing

In the current state of MMO’s and games in general; the methods used of pricing your product are:

1. Box Standard.
   1. This would include 49.99 and 59.99 standard box from a local retail store.
   2. One time purchase with free ‘one’ month play time, but all expansions will cost the “Standard” retail price.

1. Digital Download.
   1. Includes your ‘Steam’, file-planet or any source of a digital download where you don’t have to physically travel to a retail shop.
   2. They also include the usual one time purchase with a free month and subscription after that, but also come with a greater potential to be discounted because the actual product takes no physical form. Thus lowering your initial cost to distribute the game.

What I’d like to point out about Global Agenda is what they did in their ‘Pre-order’ phase and now that they are in full swing. What their monthly subscription plan is.

Global Agenda bought and paid for.

Pre-order

When I purchased GA, I paid a whopping price of 44.99$, just under what most would consider the retail norm.  Along with the purchase you received two in-game vanity items. The “NO ELFS” mask and the “COMMON WEALTH” helmet,which looks cooler IMO

The Pricing

I made the purchase knowing that the game much like TF2 would come in small but intense bursts of fun. The subscription option for GA is one where they would seemingly allow you to play in the “Conquest” mode of the game. AVA (Alliance vs. Alliance) which is just a fancy name for ‘guilds’. In AVA you battle it out for control of said land and resources thus providing your Alliance with superior gear and upgrades. This is supposed to take place in an “Open World” type environment where your actions, alliances, strategies, and quick decisions will determine the outcome of your “Conquest” to take over or your failure to defend your territory.

After learning about this option I was really surprised, especially when hearing it was 2 dollars lower than the average MMO subscription. At a reasonable 12.99 monthly sub – you can participate in AVA and gain yourself some nice upgrades.  Weather the upgrades will be worth it, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see until more info and hardcore Alliances come out.

Will Global Agenda have a “cash” shop?

I have been looking around the forums, and HI-REZ‘s website and haven’t found anything that would confirm or deny that we may see a form of cash shop in GA.

Let me say this though, any player roaming around “The Dome” in game would have seen a few stores not opened yet, but having signs outside them. One a vanity store called “CYBER CUTS” allowing you to change your hair style and color. The other called the “GENOLAB” allowing facial and DNA
re-sequencing and lastly the “CYBRUS” shop, a cybernetic implants and augmentation kiosk.

So will we see ‘Micro-transactions in Global Agenda?? Time will tell, but all the signs point to, YES.