To those people who are anti-in game advertising, please read this carefully and only reply if you have something constructive
to say instead of your antiquated, rose tinted glasses, classic gaming, rhetoric!
I seem to remember reading that Frontier wasn't going to charge a subscription for this game but if they don't I think this will be the shortest MMO game release in history!
Unless the elite dangerous subscriber base is willing to fork out for a monthly subscription I simply can't see how Frontier will be able to afford to run the gaming servers unless they go down the in game advertising route. I really can't believe some of the players naivete who have posted their disgust at using in game advertising! How do you think Frontier will keep the game running without an income being generated from elite dangerous?
For the last 10 years I have been playing Eve online but this was costing each player £15 per account per month in the beginning. in recent years they drop the price to £10 but this was the only way a game company would be able to keep the servers running, pay for technicians to maintain those said servers, pay for game programmers, graphic artists and content fiction writers! Maybe you thought Frontier would generously donate servers to the elite dangerous cause and maybe you thought the Frontier employees would volunteer their time and expertise? Everything costs money and MMO games are not immune to this!
What? Did you really think you could pay for an MMO game once and not dip your hand into your pocket ever again? Your kick starter donation was simply your way of showing your keenness to see another game with the elite emblem on the front, but little else! If you really thought you would get away from paying a subscription, having in game advertising or using real world currencies, now who is living in a fantasy world?
Personally I would rather have in game advertising than having to pay a subscription even if the advertising wasn't conducive to the elite universe! I would be irritated If it was pop-ups but having bill boards next to every space station with the latest offer from B&Q or other DIY store or having an airline advertising in game then I really wouldn't care! What does it really matter what is being advertised as long as you enjoy the game and the advertising isn't in your face! Frontier are not a charity and are not making this game for their health, it is to make the company a healthy financial return and if they make an awesome game in the process, then this is a bonus! They are not going to finance game servers and Frontier employees out of their own money so therefore the money will have to come from somewhere!
To those who are not in favour of using real money to buy products and services, what the hell is your problem? Let's say if you only had a few hours a week to play the game but you have seen you could use real money to further your elite dangerous experience by buying a new ship or new modules then I would say: "it's their money to do what they want with! So I will set myself up as a elite dangerous manufacturer and make a bit of pocket money on the side!" Does it really matter if casual gamers are buying their success? Who are you to tell them this is the wrong way, just because you are a diehard gamer with no life away from your computer! Not everyone can afford to shut themselves away from the world for hours every week, maybe they have five kids, three jobs, five cats etc and just want to have an hour here and there to fly about in his beloved Cobra MK 3 and blow the crap out of other people without worrying about making in game credits! In this way we are opening up the elite franchise to casual gamers who have a limited amount of time to devote to playing what should be an awesome game! I would say that paying for items with actual currency should not be the only method of funding your progression through the game but we shouldn't frown on those that do
As for those people who are saying "no we definitely don't want in game real world advertising and real-world money influencing the economy" I would say "why the hell not?" I have read every single post in this thread and apart from personal dislike of the above comment nobody is given a definitive reason why elite dangerous shouldn't have in game advertising and make it possible for entrepreneurial individuals to benefit from this game? Also I could not see one person who dislike the idea of in game advertising suggesting any other method for Frontier to generate an income to help fund elite dangerous for years to come!
I have just found another thread on which they discussed how people would prefer to fund the game play for gaming servers and so that Frontier employees keep updating the game. the results were quite interesting! See results below:
Subscription up to £5 per month 14.18%
Subscription up to £10 per month 9.22%
Subscription up to £20 per month0.71%
Cash for Credits 42.55%
Vanity Items 60.28%
Advertising 33.33%
No Online Play 19.86%
http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5064
I'm going to finish by saying, if this was a stand-alone game where the entire elite dangerous was on one DVD similar to the original game was then I would completely understand your argument. Unfortunately elite dangerous will need a substantial number of gaming servers, continual maintenance of these servers, and a large creative staff to feed the insatiable appetite for new story lines from the ever increasing player base! With this in mind the elite universe will have to decide how the game is paid for in the years to come…
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