Ways for Frontier to make money

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

now you may ask yourself why i'm making a post about helping a company make money. it's simple. Elite is the only Space Sim i know that will be a "GTA in space" this is truly a dream come true to many sci fi fans.
so back to the point, if ED makes money that means Future Developments. and we all know that everyone loves those developments. and it will be a game that will update as long as it runs so it could run for many years looking like a totally different game then the one we have now.

so i propose that Elite should make use of all those banners in front of the port, and advertise "in game", not something intrusive or something that will hinder the game but like "pics" of let's say coca-cola. this will bring in revenue

they should sell ships, and not like SC does where they are selling digital diamonds (300$ a ship? really now? and you can permanently lose them if you did not pay insurance?) whatever SC.....anyways they should sell ships and i don't mean pay to win, i mean sell ships that we get put into our game but we still have to buy them with credits.

anything else people want to add?

SlimExpert · Aug 25, 2014

I am curious how to sell ships, but you buy them with in game credits.

Do you mean a mini-kick starter? If FD Raise 100,000 GBP, they will add a new ship, we can purchase in game? Or something else? Just curious.

The game will come with 25 playable ships, as promised, we have 25% of that already, FD have already stated V1.0 all will be dockable in the Stations - hence a previous comment about T9 being the biggest in V1.0 - maybe a couple of ships of that size.

I would love to see really big ships, but, FD have stated the game is about a sole pilot - but then drop hints of co-pilot chairs. So, I hope we will have multi-crewed ships, but most likely when we get FPS.

As for selling advertisement sales, has been discussed a lot already. I am for it, but only, if it is not immersion-breaking. i.e. I don't want to see adverts for what's on TV tonight, because it is supposed to be the year 3300 AD.

Slim

SAB380 · Aug 25, 2014

Have you seen 'paint-gate' ?
Pay-2-win claims have actually been made ....against paint

Heads may literally explode if they start selling ships.

Zvanya · Aug 25, 2014

I'd rather just see them sell credits and nothing else, and make everything available for credits. This way there will be nothing that can be bought for money that can't be obtained by in game means.

SAB380 said:
Heads may literally explode if they start selling ships.

Yes. Amid howls of P2W OMG OMG

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

SlimExpert said:
I am curious how to sell ships, but you buy them with in game credits.

Do you mean a mini-kick starter? If FD Raise 100,000 GBP, they will add a new ship, we can purchase in game? Or something else? Just curious.

The game will come with 25 playable ships, as promised, we have 25% of that already, FD have already stated V1.0 all will be dockable in the Stations - hence a previous comment about T9 being the biggest in V1.0 - maybe a couple of ships of that size.

I would love to see really big ships, but, FD have stated the game is about a sole pilot - but then drop hints of co-pilot chairs. So, I hope we will have multi-crewed ships, but most likely when we get FPS.

As for selling advertisement sales, has been discussed a lot already. I am for it, but only, if it is not immersion-breaking. i.e. I don't want to see adverts for what's on TV tonight, because it is supposed to be the year 3300 AD.

Slim

there will be i honestly think it is unimaginable that they did'nt think of that....he was talking about sneaking on to another ship and catching a ride with them...like a stow away....so yea co-pilot is 110% coming

SAB380 said:
Have you seen 'paint-gate' ?
Pay-2-win claims have actually been made ....against paint

Heads may literally explode if they start selling ships.

Zvanya said:
I'd rather just see them sell credits and nothing else, and make everything available for credits. This way there will be nothing that can be bought for money that can't be obtained by in game means.

what i'm talking about is when they sell a ship you will simply get it in the game NOT in you inventory.....then you will have to buy it with the credits earned...that's not pay to win. that's simply support in my opinion
and no i don't think they should sell credits either i love the way the game is now. all i'm saying is just selling ships and have them earn it in game....good idea no????

JamesBondage · Aug 25, 2014

do you mean pay for the right to design one of the ships?

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

JamesBondage said:
do you mean pay for the right to design one of the ships?

you're a word smith my good sir. yes that exactly what i mean.

StayFrosty · Aug 25, 2014

This would only end up driving many people away.

What's the point finding ways to make more money if you lose your customers in the process? You eventually reach some point where not having those things brings you less money per head, but gets you more customers, so it's all about finding the right balance, and what most typical PC/console players want is NO CASH SHOP and NO ADS.

Oh, about ads, if they are neither intrusive nor immersion-breaking, then it means people don't see them enough, which means they are "bad ads", and thus can't be sold for much. So essentially, if you want to get it right, you need to make them very visible.

Still, I think they would already be on a much better path if they dropped the price of the current paint jobs, not to mention, make some of them available for free in the game. You won't drive anyone to buy more paint jobs if they only have one to begin with, and at the current price, they are so expensive it's ridiculous.

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

StayFrosty said:
This would only end up driving many people away.

What's the point finding ways to make more money if you lose your customers in the process? You eventually reach some point where not having those things brings you less money per head, but gets you more customers, so it's all about finding the right balance, and what most typical PC/console players want is NO CASH SHOP and NO ADS.

Oh, about ads, if they are neither intrusive nor immersion-breaking, then it means people don't see them enough, which means they are "bad ads", and thus can't be sold for much. So essentially, if you want to get it right, you need to make them very visible.

Still, I think they would already be on a much better path if they dropped the price of the current paint jobs, not to mention, make some of them available for free in the game. You won't drive anyone to buy more paint jobs if they only have one to begin with, and at the current price, they are so expensive it's ridiculous.

i would like to argue with you here. but there is alot to do so. this game can sell ships if for a reasonable amount. i mean literally i think a million people bought ships in the SC game and some bought them for 300$-3000$ you may not spend a dime on them but others will. and i'm not saying pay to win either just pay for content you want....how could that possibly drive away customers no one is forcing them to buy anything......and the people buying ships would not be purchasing pay to win.

#2 actually no you HAVE to see the ads when you go into the port remember those banners are they intrusive??

sorry but you cant get everything free....consumerism drives this world including this game.

i will agree with the paint jobs at the price they should sell them in packs. or sell them with different interior style or something.

JamesBondage · Aug 25, 2014

it would have to be pretty expensive so that there wouldnt be a huge amount of ship design submissions.. theres already going to be 25 different ships when full release hits (i'm pretty sure). however if there are any elite fans out there who feel the need to contribute more to FD, you could always buy the game again and give it away

haha

StayFrosty · Aug 25, 2014

livvinrussian said:
i would like to argue with you here. but there is alot to do so. this game can sell ships if for a reasonable amount. i mean literally i think a million people bought ships in the SC game and some bought them for 300$-3000$ you may not spend a dime on them but others will. and i'm not saying pay to win either just pay for content you want....how could that possibly drive away customers no one is forcing them to buy anything......and the people buying ships would not be purchasing pay to win.

#2 actually no you HAVE to see the ads when you go into the port remember those banners are they intrusive??

sorry but you cant get everything free....consumerism drives this world including this game.

They planned to make expansions, and those expansions, while most people would rather think about "planetary landing" and "on-foot exploration and combat", also include content updates. So yes, more content is coming, and that includes more ships, and they will cost money.
What you propose is still "pay to win", maybe you still need to afford it in-game, but then others just can't get it even if they can afford it. It doesn't change much, and certainly doesn't solve the problem.

As for ads, no they aren't intrusive, but they aren't very visible either. You just don't pay attention. They would need to be bigger and brighter than that.

But then, who says Frontier needs a lot more money? We don't know how much they have, how much they need, how much they spent, and what they planned.

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

JamesBondage said:
it would have to be pretty expensive so that there wouldnt be a huge amount of ship design submissions.. theres already going to be 25 different ships when full release hits (i'm pretty sure). however if there are any elite fans out there who feel the need to contribute more to FD, you could always buy the game again and give it away haha

are you talking about community modders? cause i'm talking about frontier selling lets say a aircraft carrier that is super huge for like 15-20$....worth it?

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

StayFrosty said:
They planned to make expansions, and those expansions, while most people would rather think about "planetary landing" and "on-foot exploration and combat", also include content updates. So yes, more content is coming, and that includes more ships, and they will cost money.
What you propose is still "pay to win", maybe you still need to afford it in-game, but then others just can't get it even if they can afford it. It doesn't change much, and certainly doesn't solve the problem.

As for ads, no they aren't intrusive, but they aren't very visible either. You just don't pay attention. They would need to be bigger and brighter than that.

But then, who says Frontier needs a lot more money? We don't know how much they have, how much they need, how much they spent, and what they planned.

well boo freaking hoo you can make that same argument with expansions. you think it's easy to make ships of EDs caliber? about those expansions, why not just let everyone have it for free!!!! if you don't want to pay for it then don't but those people that do will. that's all i'm proposing.
and it's not pay to win. idk how you see that as pay to win when you yourself just stated that you have to earn in game credits....

if they did'nt need money why did they need backers or even a kickstater sunny?......things that make you go hmmmm

JamesBondage · Aug 25, 2014

livvinrussian said:
are you talking about community modders? cause i'm talking about frontier selling lets say a aircraft carrier that is super huge for like 15-20$....worth it?

i thought you were talking about designing a ship, drawing the exterior/interior and submitting that to the developers who would then make it for the game. I was thinking the charge for that would have to be at least $1000 haha

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

JamesBondage said:
i thought you were talking about designing a ship, drawing the exterior/interior and submitting that to the developers who would then make it for the game. I was thinking the charge for that would have to be at least $1000 haha

hahahah no all i'm saying is buy a ship in a store, and have it in the game then have people earn it with in game points.....not pay to win right? lmao

JamesBondage · Aug 25, 2014

i did read somewhere that in the final game, you'll be able to store a small fighter in one of the larger ship's cargo hold..

Ruskodisco · Aug 25, 2014

JamesBondage said:
i did read somewhere that in the final game, you'll be able to store a small fighter in one of the larger ship's cargo hold..

oh god i'm crying......i can't believe they are making this game.....i just want to throw money at them...

JamesBondage · Aug 25, 2014

livvinrussian said:
oh god i'm crying......i can't believe they are making this game.....i just want to throw money at them...

hahaha

StayFrosty · Aug 25, 2014

livvinrussian said:
well boo freaking hoo you can make that same argument with expansions. you think it's easy to make ships of EDs caliber? about those expansions, why not just let everyone have it for free!!!! if you don't want to pay for it then don't but those people that do will. that's all i'm proposing.
and it's not pay to win. idk how you see that as pay to win when you yourself just stated that you have to earn in game credits....

Expansions allow a better balance between players, while on a per-player basis the balance is pretty much impossible to strike. And obviously, an expansion can contain "content", while a ship purchase is expected to offer a "new ship", which to be attractive, needs to offer a difference which breaks the balance.

It just can't work. And it remains that most people don't even want to hear about that stuff, and that we don't even know whether Frontier is that much desperate for money or not.

Cmdr Andy B · Aug 25, 2014

the problem with selling ships is that people need a reason to put their money down and unless doing so gives you some form of in game advantage there is no incentive to pay for them.

even if they then have to buy them with in game credits its still pay to win as those who dont spend real money cannot get the same 'upgraded' ship and benefit from the advantages it gives the player.

if the ships confer no advantage at all fewer people will buy them and little if any money over and above the cost of including them will be raised.

selling in game credits is NOT pay to win simply because anything you can get in game by flashing the plastic and paying real money for i can get by grinding out the credits by trading (or other profession.)

sure it may take me some time to do but if i have time and you dont credit sales puts us on a level playing field as you can now buy all the same things i can in the game due to my time investment and your cash investment.

provided that FD don't make it exponentially harder to earn money in order to bump up their credit sales there wont be a problem but if they do its game over time. people will stop playing by the bus load if they feel they cannot make progress without getting their wallet out.