Cost of Horizon vs Star Citizen Price Model

Justor · Sep 30, 2015

I am just curious why there are so many complainers about Horizons Season 2 cost. When Star Citizen releases 1 ship for 900$ USD that you cannot even fly yet!

This not a Elite is better than Star Citizen tread or the other way around.. I am not comparing game differences but price models.

Frontier says hey we have Season 2 where you will be able to:
· Land on planet, with all the varied game play (SRV, etc)
· Have Co-Pilots / Multi Crew ships
· Loot and crafting
· Character Creator (Which is looking sweet and a surprise)
· Ships count going to 30+ with more to come and more SRV types as well.

So many people are hey that is ......it costs too much! I will agree that is not cheap, but I think Frontier is giving us our moneys worth when all these features are implemented.

Here is Star Citizen releasing ships for 900$, I have paid 60$ USD for the game. Started on 1.1 right before wings came out. I like this game enough that I bought the Life Time Expansion pass for around 180$ USD with the exchange rate. So right around 240$ USD I have the game, and every expansion that will every come out for this game until Frontier decides they are done and the game is complete as is.

I will still need to pay Star Citizen another 660$ before I would "own" this ship, which seems crazy too me... compared to Elite, $ to value I think it wins hands down.

I wonder why Star Citizen fans will gladly pay 900$ for a ship that is a concept, Frontier says 60 for the expansion and people on Elite forums blow up and say that it is too much, when you are getting way more than just a ship, but a ton of content.

Just for the record, I hope Star Citizen is successful there are not enough good space games out there and I hope it proves to AAA publishers that there is a market for space sims and we will get more than just the next COD and BF going forward in the future.

Shout out to Frontier for making this awesome additive game!

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/165536/star-citizen_s-usd-900-ship

The Roberts Space Industries website is now selling another virtual ship for Star Citizen with an eye-popping price tag. The new ship for Cloud Imperium's upcoming space combat game is the Endeavor-class research vessel, described as "a fully modular space platform designed to be adapted for a variety of scientific and medical tasks." The outlay for this is $900.00 USD, which is 15 times the price of the typical AAA game, and more than enough to buy a gaming PC. Here's more on the Endeavor: "Initially developed as a floating laboratory, the MISC Endeavor can be outfitted for everything from spatial telescopy to use as mobile hospital."

Crank Larson · Sep 30, 2015

Some people just like complaining. Unfortunately, those that like complaining are more likely to pursue their hobby on forums such as this... While those that are perfectly happy with E: D and the way it is going find it much more enjoyable to actually play the game.

babelfisch · Sep 30, 2015

AFAIK you can progress to those ships without paying for them, it's like a pay2win system.

However I don't think there is anything wrong with FDEVs price policy.

Captain N · Sep 30, 2015

How about Eve Online then. You pay a minimum of $10.95 every month whether there is an update or not.

Kayweg · Sep 30, 2015

Captain N said:
How about Eve Online then. You pay a minimum of $10.95 every month whether there is an update or not.

How about PLEX ?

On topic, i have nothing against FD's business model for ED, i just refuse to buy a second copy of the original game in order to get access to Horizons.

Once Horizons is available seperately, i'll reconsider.

Comparing one criticized model against another one isn't very convincing btw..

Crank Larson · Sep 30, 2015

Why does it need to be compared to any other game (or software)? The choice is simple... If you like E: D, and want to continue to play it with all the features, you'll buy the expansion. If you don't, don't bother... Go and spend the money elsewhere.

Kazacy · Sep 30, 2015

EVE online have the most sensible approach to this. After all everyone wants servers, updates, new cool ships etc etc. But all of this costs real money for FD. As for Star Citizen to ask 18600$ (it's not a typo) for ultimate package and without a game, i don't know seems like scam to me. Just wait if/when they release the game and ask more money for more powerful ships, and so and so on. No thank you FD life extension pass is more than enough for me.
PS and some paint jobs, and bobble heads when they release them and....

Crank Larson · Sep 30, 2015

Kazacy said:
As for Star Citizen to ask 18600$ (it's not a typo) for ultimate package and without a game, i don't know seems like scam to me.

I agree. I'm hoping I'll be proved wrong.

Jukelo · Sep 30, 2015

Invalid comparison OP, Horizons is an expansion you need to buy to access any of its content.
Star Citizen ships are in-game content which you will be able to access even if you only paid 30€ for the game.

Apos · Sep 30, 2015

Because Star Citizen satisfies the e-peen of people. They pay for something and get the advantage. It is vastly more of a rip-off, but the person getting ripped off is free to create the illusion he got himself a good deal.

Horizons included the base game within its price, which means that our galaxy would have the possibility of attacting new members without scaring them through paid expansion walls. But in contast, this infuriates some people who think that their money entitles them to an advantage bigger than access to the Cobra MK IV. And they ignore the already existing time and experiences they have accumulated.

And there's your "problem". Some people don't enjoy other people getting to have as much fun as they do.

WiseDuck · Sep 30, 2015

Well, star Citizen only costs about £25-30 .... but if you want to drop large amounts of money, then there are packages that allow you to do that.

I for one am very happy I got my Lifetime Pass from ED's KS. Because i would not pay for a any further updates to ED, they are just not worth the cash.

Nara · Sep 30, 2015

I don't think it's so easy to make a comparison between ED and SC in this sense. FD are going with an expansion model and from what I've seen so far SC aren't doing this, but it would be great if someone knows better. So this could mean that you only ever pay $45 once for SC?

The ship prices in SC do seem on the crazy side, but it's just an incentive for donations for funding the game.

I personally think FDs approach is more realistic, and if I didn't already have the lifetime expansion pass (hurray for Premium beta *pats self on back*) I would happily pay yearly for expansion content.

- - - Updated - - -

WiseDuck said:
Because i would not pay for a any further updates to ED, they are just not worth the cash.

The amount of work going just into planetary landings is worth the cost, never mind all the other features announced. I'd be surprised if your opinion wasn't in the minority.

Kazacy · Sep 30, 2015

Apos said:
Because Star Citizen satisfies the e-peen of people. They pay for something and get the advantage. It is vastly more of a rip-off, but the person getting ripped off is free to create the illusion he got himself a good deal.

Horizons included the base game within its price, which means that our galaxy would have the possibility of attacting new members without scaring them through paid expansion walls. But in contast, this infuriates some people who think that their money entitles them to an advantage bigger than access to the Cobra MK IV. And they ignore the already existing time and experiences they have accumulated.

And there's your "problem". Some people don't enjoy other people getting to have as much fun as they do.

Yeah envy, but they still don't get it they played the game almost a full year and they can play the game even after that, just without the add-on. Envy and greed and like i said before the FD people need to pay their bills like everybody.

Kayweg · Sep 30, 2015

Apos said:
Because Star Citizen satisfies the e-peen of people. They pay for something and get the advantage. It is vastly more of a rip-off, but the person getting ripped off is free to create the illusion he got himself a good deal.

Horizons included the base game within its price, which means that our galaxy would have the possibility of attacting new members without scaring them through paid expansion walls. But in contast, this infuriates some people who think that their money entitles them to an advantage bigger than access to the Cobra MK IV. And they ignore the already existing time and experiences they have accumulated.

And there's your "problem". Some people don't enjoy other people getting to have as much fun as they do.

I do for the most part agree with your first line there.

I have no doubt whatsoever though, if paid-for ships were available in ED, they would be bought too.

That the base game is bundled with Horizons is exactly the issue, not the price in itself. Great deal for newcomers, no doubt.

But for us who already own ED, a separate "Horizons only" expansion would have been more interesting. They could have offered both, they didn't. That's what's disappointing.

lysan · Sep 30, 2015

If FD asked money for their ships you will see people cry too, crying is a national sport in some countries.

Kronic Offender · Sep 30, 2015

I own both games and prefer ED over SC hands down. The cost is higher with ED so far but the gameplay is so much better with ED. I don't mind paying a bit more for ED. I played Eve Online for over 10 years at 15 bucks a month. ED is a bargain compared to that.

TheDayman · Sep 30, 2015

I'll probably buy SC when it comes out, but to be honest I'm not hyped up about it and I certainly won't be pre-purchasing anything from them. I have a feeling that everything SC can/will do, ED will already be able to do when it comes out.

Lowievisser · Sep 30, 2015

Captain N said:
How about Eve Online then. You pay a minimum of $10.95 every month whether there is an update or not.

all whats it now 15+ major expansions are free , and you only choose to pay if your lazy or bad at the game.
ED cost me more as 6 years of eve. Not that im complaining , its not much money either way. but on this forum ppl cry about eve online without playing it.

so no , the min atm is around 1,1 bil ingame credits(isk) a month each character.

Space Junky · Sep 30, 2015

Justor said:
.. I am not comparing game differences but price models.

No you aren't. Sorry but I'm going to call a spade a spade here. You trying to compare two entirely different price models which neither are directly comparable.

For starters one game is RELEASED and adding content via purchasable DLC. The other is still in early stages of development and the "$900,000,000 ships" are a form of revenue to help support and develop the game. Let us not forget that ED was also a crowd funded game where, just like in SC, people can give the devs more of their hard-earned money (even in the $1,000's...again just like SC) to help support and develop the game. So many people side step this fact when trying to draw up these irrational comparisons. Please take the time and read the various kickstarter pledges https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461411552/elite-dangerous/description

Secondly, I love how any time this argument is made, people often go to the extremes to help plea their case while simultaneously showing the flaw in their calculations. Did you know you can get into SC for as little as $35 AND fly a ship? That there is no need for spending hundreds or more to be a backer/pledge/whatever? Did you also know that when ED was in alpha and beta stages that their were different price models as the game progressed towards release? I think when I became a backer in ED it was around October during one of the beta periods and I think I paid over $75 USD for access to the game. That was the MINIMUM amount to gain access. Read that a few more times before proceeding. Now fast forward a few months later and I decided to also pledge to Star Citizen. At that time the MINIMUM to get a ship and have access during development was $45. Let that sink in. People like to say SC requires tons of money to buy into the game when the reality is it cost me LESS than it did to back ED while it was being developed. The same holds true today, barring any current Steam sales of course. Do the math people.

Lastly let's talk about content since you bring up expansions. The plan for ED has always been to have paid DLC added on as time goes on after release. I knew this before I backed the game so this is no surprise to me. I get it. Both games approach content in a different way. SC is making the FPS, dynamic galaxy, ship boarding, multicrew, etc all upfront and will charge a single price for it. No subscriptions, etc. ED on the other hand decided to develop the core foundation for the game first (season 1) and later slowly bring in each specialty expansion to an added cost for access. Pay to play is you want to look at it that way. Now me personally I don't have any issue with either route both games take. I'm a space nut so that's why I backed and support both.

It just irks me when I see these stupid "comparisons" made that really are founded on ulterior motives. It's strange how these arguments always start out. usually there is some extreme pricing numbers thrown out and other nonsense but the kicker is they usually end up with some statement about how they truly hope the game does well. Sorry but if you're going to spew venom at least stand up for what you say, not some wishy washy nonsense. Fact is any real space fan will more than likely buy both (and other space games because they love the genre). Competition is a good thing as well and the more the merrier IMHO. Why can't people just set aside their personal differences or whatever is beyond me. If you don't like SC, fine, but if you're going to call it out on pricing models you need to at least know that ED ran a VERY similar price model during it's development. Call a spade a spade.

Kazacy · Sep 30, 2015

I also played EVE with PLEX money over a year, but they where stolen/extorted/scamed money (mostly from hisec ninja). If you really want to work for your money, in EVE best is to pay the game, and make money for the ships you lose.