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Essentially, I would make it more accessible by offering different license options.
Free License: The arcade/custom games section is free to play. All one would need is to register on battle.net and download this portion of SC2 to play any arcade or custom games. There will be advertisements in this section to generate revenue for Blizzard.
Paid License: For a one-time fee, one would enjoy the benefits of the campaign(s) of SC2, the map editor, unranked matchmaking, and the free license. The user with the paid license or paid subscription has the options to turn off the ads in the game and also the first 3 months of subscription for free.
Subscription: For a monthly fee (like 4.99 US dollars and whatever equivalent in other countries), one will get the ladder component of SC2 and the free license benefits. They can be 3, 6, or 12-month packages for additional options.
Other stuff:
I would like to add Twitch and any other streaming site in the game itself, if possible. This end would be handled by Blizzard, meaning they will handle who gets to stream in the game.
I would also like to add LAN support in the game, but I'm not sure if it should be available in the free license or the paid one. I believe paid would be better, but this is certainly debatable.
Summary:
So, Free=Free, Paid = Paid+Free, Sub = Sub+Free.
For casual players, the free license should be more than adequate in order for people to enjoy SC2 as a game. Heck, they can play Dota/LoL variant on SC2 all they want and not actually play SC2 at all.
For mapmakers or would-be mapmakers, paying a one-time fee for an editor/IDE is not unheard of, so they should not be problematic.
For competitive and professional players, the monthly subscription thing should not be a problem because they want to invest their time or effort, whether for a living or enjoyment.
P.S. I feel that I can write this better, but better words and sentences are not occurring to me at the moment. Oh well.
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So you're saying that Blizzard should take AWAY people's actual ability to play on the ladder without a monthly fee. Can you imagine the shitstorm jkim91? It would be incredible. Not everybody who's on the ladder is a competitive of professional player. Nor would professional players would enjoy the unethical addition of a fee to be on the ladder, regardless of the fact that they can afford it. They bought the game.
I want to add that people actually hate buying incomplete games and people hate monthly fees, even small ones. Plus, it would make people more likely to just jump ship when they're angry. And they have less of an incentive to get back in the game when it's $5 for a game that they previously got angry with.
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in Patch 2.1 ... SC2 in Custom Games becomes F2P. and the Arcade becomes 100% free.
you now must pay for the single player campaign and ladder play. it is a 1-time payment.
i like the "on ramp" Blizzard has created to entice players to spend cash on SC2.
nice effort on your part, in trying to think of ways to improve the revenue model behind SC2. However, i think Blizzard's current methods are better than your suggestions.
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Every paid game that has ever absolutely blown me away I've purchased multiple copies of for various reasons.
Free games that did the same received far more than a "1-time purchase" worth from me.
Realistically, fixing the game rather than the monetization is the most effective way for blizzard to both grow the game and to make money. Most "business models" would end up as wildly profitable if the game was good.
PS you are seriously advocating for advertisements in game. I don't know what to say other than "NO". A lot of no. Very no. Such no. NO.
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Your proposals create a weird system of buying add-ons whenever you want to check something new. I like the "all or nothing" kind of way that is practiced now more - you either buy a game or you dont, simple as that. What ticked me is the post above mine mentioning ads. I dont think it would be that horrendous of an idea but in only one specified moment - stationary ad while watching loading screen, I mean not like you can do any other thing anyway right?
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On December 18 2013 05:37 Sn0_Man wrote: Realistically, fixing the game rather than the monetization is the most effective way for blizzard to both grow the game and to make money. Most "business models" would end up as wildly profitable if the game was good.
While I'm not trying to defend Blizzard or their business model or anything at all, this is just plain wrong. Hundreds upon hundreds of absolutely AMAZING games are released every year and nobody hears about them or plays them because of their business model and their business model alone. It's not enough to just 'make a good game', and it never has been. There needs to be something else to encourage people to play, not just a great game ^^
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The thought of paying a sub to play sctoo is hilariously infuriating. If I knew what would the end product be I wouldn't even buy it in the first place, then again 'cause of it I found tl, so I just think of it as my pay way into tl.
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Subscription is BS #killingEsports.
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On December 18 2013 07:06 Cyx. wrote:Show nested quote +On December 18 2013 05:37 Sn0_Man wrote: Realistically, fixing the game rather than the monetization is the most effective way for blizzard to both grow the game and to make money. Most "business models" would end up as wildly profitable if the game was good. While I'm not trying to defend Blizzard or their business model or anything at all, this is just plain wrong. Hundreds upon hundreds of absolutely AMAZING games are released every year and nobody hears about them or plays them because of their business model and their business model alone. It's not enough to just 'make a good game', and it never has been. There needs to be something else to encourage people to play, not just a great game ^^ If no one hears about them, then it has nothing to do with the business model...
If your game is completely unknown to the market, then going from F2P to subscription or one-time-purchase won't suddenly get your game noticed.
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I strongly prefer the option to buy the box for a one time fee of 60 bucks (40 for the expac 2 years later) to get unlimited access to EVERYTHING.
Fuck the subscription model. That always ends up costing more.
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On December 18 2013 07:06 Cyx. wrote: While I'm not trying to defend Blizzard or their business model or anything at all, this is just plain wrong. Hundreds upon hundreds of absolutely AMAZING games are released every year and nobody hears about them or plays them because of their business model and their business model alone. It's not enough to just 'make a good game', and it never has been. There needs to be something else to encourage people to play, not just a great game ^^
" Gameplay First " the most important thing is game play. "business model" comes after. This is Morhaime, chapter and verse.
No offense man, but I'll go with Mike Morhaime's opinion over yours.
it is why Blizzard is such a success and why they make so few games. they want every game they make to be great.
"Gameplay" is why the Atari, Intellivision and Colecovision all simultaneously collapsed as the C64 became the choice of hard core gamers. guys who spend major cash.
"Gameplay" is why inferior console hardware succeeds. Because the inferior hardware has some great games.
"Gameplay" is why Pac-man, a very simple totally off beat, completel different game succeeded.
"Gameplay" is why SC1:Brood War was the 17th best selling PC game of 2008.
And "Gameplay" is why the entire C&C franchise is on life support.
http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/about/mission.html
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