Frontier, you're making the same mistake Arenanet just made

[Rosemourne]

Frontier,

By offering the original game in the Horizons pack, you should consider those who just purchased the game. Guild Wars 2 is the example referenced in the title of this post. They released a Heart of Thorns preorder that included the original game, but continued to sell the original game up until the announcement. This resulted in a large backlash until they eventually agreed to include the game to people who purchased the game within a set period (I think a month and a half?).

An exact example that comes to mind would be a friend of mine, who purchased Elite on exactly one week ago. Now, in order to play on the same level as a new player, he has to pay additional. Whereas if he waited 168 hours, he could have saved half the cost. With the steam sale recently, I'm sure you have a large new player base that may feel cheated by this. Consider offering Horizons for new players who have purchased the game in the past couple of weeks.

Heck, technically they could ask for a Steam refund (still within the time limit), then take the money and purchase the new expansion again to save money and costing you any lost funds from the refund. Much less, the people who are purchasing the game today or later on Steam, unaware of Horizons.

 

[h347h]

Frontier,

By offering the original game in the Horizons pack, you should consider those who just purchased the game. Guild Wars 2 is the example referenced in the title of this post. They released a Heart of Thorns preorder that included the original game, but continued to sell the original game up until the announcement. This resulted in a large backlash until they eventually agreed to include the game to people who purchased the game within a set period (I think a month and a half?).

An exact example that comes to mind would be a friend of mine, who purchased Elite on exactly one week ago. Now, in order to play on the same level as a new player, he has to pay additional. Whereas if he waited 168 hours, he could have saved half the cost. With the steam sale recently, I'm sure you have a large new player base that may feel cheated by this. Consider offering Horizons for new players who have purchased the game in the past couple of weeks.

Heck, technically they could ask for a Steam refund (still within the time limit), then take the money and purchase the new expansion again to save money and costing you any lost funds from the refund. Much less, the people who are purchasing the game today or later on Steam, unaware of Horizons.

Opinion noted.

 

[Mr_Zeno]

Not exactly the same but near. With ANet you don't get a discount for owning the original game where here you are, the discount may be less that you payed for ED but it is a better deal than the on with HoT.

 

[Huros]

Just picked up Horizons for a second account for my son, can't access.... have raised ticket but make of that what you will; might have to wait until december.

 

[Gswine]

On top of this point I'd add that the tag line 'A season of Expansions' is incredibly bad alongside such little info on what is exactly available. Are we getting a Season Pass of multiple expansions? How are the Expansions actually broken down as in game elements and can these elements actually be bought individually or do they make up the basis of AN expansion to the base game.

God Dam it, this kind of intentional opaqueness reeks of bad business practice and can skew buyer opinion before you get a chance to actually define and promote what's on offer.

For clarity, I'm only just finding out about the Horizons expansion and I'm sure that some details have not sunk in yet but this post is an honest initial reaction to the announcement. Please get more detailed info out there before expecting wallets to just open FD.

 

[Kayweg]

Their business, their call.
No more buying cats in bags for me though, lesson learned tyvm.

 

[beelbeebub]

to be fair, the issue of people buying a game at one price, then being able to get it a lower price a short time later due to a sale, price cut or new package will always happen. if you buy something, you are also accepting the fact that the item may cost less in the future.
.
i'm not sure but if you preorder horizons, don't you have to wait until horizons is released before you can access the base game?
.
so the OPs friend would not have had ED for just a week, but for 4 months (assuming a December launch) before Horizons comes out.
.
In fact anybody who buys ED today will get ED to play now, whilst if they bought Horizons they would have to wait 4 months for ED and Planetary Landings.

 

[Tiamat]

By offering the original game in the Horizons pack, you should consider those who just purchased the game.

They should consider backers too. Those of us that paid £50 back in beta have had to fork out almost as much for Horizons yet any new players pay around half of what we have.

 

[Cmdr Ultra]

They should consider backers too. Those of us that paid £50 back in beta have had to fork out almost as much for Horizons yet any new players pay around half of what we have.

That's just stupid, you have gotten to play the game since April 2014, I think maybe, bit unsure of the exact date.

 

[Huros]

to be fair, the issue of people buying a game at one price, then being able to get it a lower price a short time later due to a sale, price cut or new package will always happen. if you buy something, you are also accepting the fact that the item may cost less in the future.
.
i'm not sure but if you preorder horizons, don't you have to wait until horizons is released before you can access the base game?
.
so the OPs friend would not have had ED for just a week, but for 4 months (assuming a December launch) before Horizons comes out.
.
In fact anybody who buys ED today will get ED to play now, whilst if they bought Horizons they would have to wait 4 months for ED and Planetary Landings.

My interpretation was if you buy Horizons today you could access the base game today. If i have to buy ED as well i would have lost my £10 discount from Horizonse and the whole thing becomes a mess with customer services and me demanding a swap around etc. Classic Frontier lack of clarity.

 

[Soopyyy]

That's just stupid, you have gotten to play the game since April 2014, I think maybe, bit unsure of the exact date.

So?
We still paid a premium to test a game for them. A game that was terribly broken at times.

 

[Robbeh]

They should consider backers too. Those of us that paid £50 back in beta have had to fork out almost as much for Horizons yet any new players pay around half of what we have.

I also want a refund on every game I have brought that has reduced in price since purchased!

 

[Lord_Crazy]

Consider offering Horizons for new players who have purchased the game in the past couple of weeks.

I understand your point, but where does it stop? I mean, what about my friend who bought the game one day before the past couple of week? I would rather see FD offering a significant reduction for any past player, say 20£ instead of only 10£.

 

[beelbeebub]

Just picked up Horizons for a second account for my son, can't access.... have raised ticket but make of that what you will; might have to wait until december.

They should consider backers too. Those of us that paid £50 back in beta have had to fork out almost as much for Horizons yet any new players pay around half of what we have.

I think this is the point that people are missing.
.
Horizons for pre-existing owners is £40 and for newcomers is £50.
.
So an existing player pays £80 in total (£40 for the existing game and £40 for the expansion) and for that get

*access to ED from the point they bought it (could be 8 months ago) until the Horizons pack is released (December 2015ish)
*access to the Horizons content when it is released
*some little extras like the new ship etc.​

.
A newcomer pays £50 total and gets

*access to ED only when the Horizons pack is released (December 2015ish)
*access to the Horizons content when it is released
*some little extras like the new ship etc.​

.
So for £30 (the difference between an existing customer and a new comer) you get to play ED for between 4 and 12 months before the newcomer. £30 for at least 4 months access to ED seems fair.
.
The same calculation exists for earlier backers, especially the beta backers, who have had access to the ED development builds as well as the game.

 

[Cmdr Ultra]

So?
We still paid a premium to test a game for them. A game that was terribly broken at times.

Maybe you should have paid the extra 50 Quid Premium for the lifetime expansion back then, then.

I am also just a Standard Beta backer. I'm just not as cheap or unrealistic as some. I should have had more faith and forked out earlier

 

[Stoo]

Rather glad I got free expansions for life, it saves me having to join in the moanfest

 

[Tiamat]

I also want a refund on every game I have brought that has reduced in price since purchased!

I'm not saying I want a refund but £10 discount is pretty mean considering all the work we put in. If we want our beta status for Horizons too we don't even get the £10 as it gets swallowed up by re-buying that. Basically I have having to re-buy the game again at full price

Rather glad I got free expansions for life, it saves me having to join in the moanfest

I very nearly did but with only vague ideas of what they were I didn't know if it would be worth it.

 

[Stocker]

Well, If someone only purchases ED Horizons. they don't get all the expansions that was in this years releases. They only get the ships and maybe wings, but not PP or CQC.

 

[MarcusReed]

Nah,bad idea. FD is doing it right by charging premium cost for premium content. I have premium beta and lifetime expansion from last year when the game had 60% lest content it has now, with a tone of haters in the forums saying ED will never amount to anything.

Bravo FD

 

[Soopyyy]

Maybe you should have paid the extra 50 Quid Premium for the lifetime expansion back then, then.

I am also just a Standard Beta backer. I'm just not as cheap or unrealistic as some. I should have had more faith and forked out earlier

Don't get me wrong, I am not worried. It was just a weird point to make.