Frontier: Make the expansion discount permanent

[MikeSnos]

FD are a commercial organisation... If they made discounts permanent or a buy once get everything that follows free type pricing then they'd go out of business pretty quickly and we'd get no more expansions... self-defeating really which is why I posted my original post about the industry standard, it's that way because it makes sense in terms of the game's sustainability...

 

[Aslinkal]

$60 for an expansion. You're no different than Kotick, Braben. No offline mode, then this. WoW down 1.5 mil players and you wont even reach a quarter of that. What a joke.

 

[Soliluna]

FD are a commercial organisation... If they made discounts permanent or a buy once get everything that follows free type pricing then they'd go out of business pretty quickly and we'd get no more expansions... self-defeating really which is why I posted my original post about the industry standard, it's that way because it makes sense in terms of the game's sustainability...

I think the main point of contention is, buying the game for £40 when it was released, then having to pay £30 for an expansion, where the new player buys the expansion and the original game for £40. The new customer is getting more benefit than the return customer and this imbalance has caused a disconnect between what the consumer expects and what the consumer receives.

You then couple it with the fact that the discount time limited - meaning you potentially don't have the option to see what the expansion contains before its released and that offer is removed. Meaning should you wish to make a more informed purchase - as any consumer would - you would have to pay £40 for the expansion.. essentially buying the game again.

I don't think it is unreasonable to offer two packages, one £30 package for people who own the game and one £40 package that contains both the original and expansion.

In fact the second option seems so reasonable that it shocks me that it is not being offered. It doesn't bother me like it bothers others but I can empathise with the dissatisfaction.

 

[Bird Man]

To the OP: I would like to add my support to your request. This is a borderline Star Citizen tactic of dangling an exclusive ship and a discount for a "limited time" in order to get wallets open. What's worse, it's not necessary. I am happy to pay for access to the next season of updates. There is no aspect of these paid expansions that I consider to be a bait and switch. They offered a lifetime pass from before the game was launched and the price of that pass indicated quite clearly that the expansions would have a significant added cost.

I support the game and enjoy playing it. I also see great potential in where the game is heading and am happy to help fund continued development. Don't put a gun to my head! Offer the reward for existing fans without the time pressure and you would sow seeds of good will.

 

[FuzzySpider]

Honestly I can't believe the entitlement mentality of some.

You're right, you're right. Asking for video game companies to respect their customers in the current climate of Stockholm-syndrome worthy acceptance of abuse of those very customers (not referencing this in regard to that, but abuse in general) is indeed madness.

So what happens they offer the lifetime expansion pack but at a high price that will save money in the long run

Well to save money I'll simply wait until these expansions are on sale and then pick them up then. Getting the game at a premium price (I paid £50 for beta access last year, because I thought I was supporting the development of a game not just feeding a greedy corporation) was my stupid fault.

So what does FD do? They say ok if you pre-buy it you get a 10 pound discount for a limited time, and at a higher price offer what many asked for a chance to rebuy the lifetime expansion pass.

So what will FuzzySpider do?

He will not continue to support FD from the store but will instead tie Elite to his Steam account (I kept them separate purely because I thought I was supporting a developer who was different, putting up with the inconvenience of having a separate launcher for their sake not for mine).

He will also not be backing any kickstarter or other crowdfunded projects associated with Frontier, as those things exist for small-time developers and artists to find a way to bring their dream projects to life, they don't exist as a way for corporations to increase the bottom lines for their shareholders.

Why will I do these things? Not revenge, not in a childish tizzy (which is the genesis of much of the angst around this place), but simply because my desire to see this company do well will no longer be as much a priority to me as my own convenience and/or pocket.

Read the Op again, read this post which is spot on...

To be honest I've felt from near the beginning that FD have handled this side of things poorly.

£30-40 per year to keep up to date with an online game you like (if you want to that is) isn't an awful lot assuming the content's decent, but there's something about the way they handle these things that always seems to leave a bad taste in my mouth. First time I got that feeling was with the way Offline Mode was dropped (not that it was dropped, just the way it was handled) and there have been more times since then when I've felt a little uncomfortable with the way they've gone about things. I've not spent a fortune on the game as some have, but a decent amount; £50 Standard Beta and a single £10 paint.

Though I've not played Elite for a few months now, I'll almost certainly pick up Horizons as I like the game and planetary landings are a big deal to me. I just don't get that 'good vibe' out of FD as I do with some other devs and that's mainly down to the way they go about selling their product - It just feels a bit too openly money-grubbing to me. Rightly or wrongly, I just don't feel that I can trust them.

Heck, I want FD to make money and don't expect this stuff for free or cheap even (I also don't want to see a subscription model...), but there's a way to sell things that makes people feel happy to part with their money and a way not to and in FD's case it's usually the latter (IMO anyway!).

...the problem isn't what they do so much as the way they do it.

FD are a commercial organisation... If they made discounts permanent or a buy once get everything that follows free type pricing then they'd go out of business pretty quickly and we'd get no more expansions... self-defeating really which is why I posted my original post about the industry standard, it's that way because it makes sense in terms of the game's sustainability...

Oh come on. If the discount was enough to make them go out of business they'd not offer it at all. This is a very dirty and exploitative tactic employed to boost pre-orders, executed on their fanbase. Far from a gesture of good will some bean counter in marketing has decided this would be a good time to bank a load of cash up front.

I don't appreciate being treated like that. I am not demanding to not be treated like that of course, I know how the world works. But if I am treated like that I'll be less inclined to spend on Frontier products in the future.

 

[Arkantes]

This is a very dirty and exploitative tactic employed to boost pre-orders, executed on their fanbase. Far from a gesture of good will some bean counter in marketing has decided this would be a good time to bank a load of cash up front.

I'm surprised that you're surprised, they've been doing that for a while now. It was exactly the same a bit before gamma when out of the blue promises of free permits and ships for beta backers appeared in newsletter, followed by "only X left days to buy it!". Maximizing profits is their job, the game was mainly funded by private investors, not by the kickstarter.

 

[FuzzySpider]

I'm surprised that you're surprised, they've been doing that for a while now. It was exactly the same a bit before gamma when out of the blue promises of free permits and ships for beta backers appeared in newsletter, followed by "only X left days to buy it!". Maximizing profits is their job, the game was mainly funded by private investors, not by the kickstarter.

I am a long time fan of Elite and I had hoped they'd live up to their implied promises to not be a minime version of EA. I still am a fan and I've got rose-tinted specs when it comes to Frontier I'm afraid.

As I said in the Op I wouldn't mind throwing some extra cash their way for more stuff. Unlike a lot of people here I don't think the price is too outrageous (although it is a bit on the cheeky side given that it'll cost the same as Fallout 4). It's just the way they're operating right now more than anything.

Reddit has turned against them, and the forums exploded. Normally when game companies announce something like this there is a buzz of excitement and anticipation from the fanbase, not a lot of complaining with white knights taking on all-comers. This tells you something is going badly wrong here.

 

[Spanksh]

Not mentioning if it's worth the price or if this was the intention FD originally had, this is what the whole situation FEELS like summed up:

- Elite gets released with several DLCs promised.
- First DLC gets announced.
- DLC is up for preorder until release date.
- Elite is sold as GOTY edition (Game+DLC), without the DLC ever being sold on its own.
- Old players, who want the DLC and didn't preorder it, have to buy the entire GOTY edition.

This simply doesn't feel fair. Period.
I can live with the base game "being worth" 10 pounds and the DLC being 30 pounds (therefor GOTY = 40 pounds) at the point of the release of Horizons. In other words a permanent discount for current players (not only preorder). But I can't live with having to buy the entire GOTY edition if I don't decide to buy the DLC RIGHT NOW, before I know what exactly is even included, or if the DLC is even worth it.

I won't even start on the fact that the DLC won't include the entirety of what the DLC was expected to be (Atmospheric landings will be a separate season, therefor separate DLC - not added to the first DLC later on).

This isn't whining about the price or about new players getting stuff cheaper. This is about making it feel like ripping off people who don't want to support a seriously industry damaging business practice (preordering).

 

[Ginrikuzuma]

if anything I would imagine the discount will return again once the last expansion comes out a few years from now