Comments on: Virtual World Business Models http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/ A blog on virtual worlds, games, and digital content, from Matt Mihaly Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:25:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: The Arcadia http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-15757 Sat, 12 May 2007 11:48:31 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-15757 FINALLY. Someone mentions Guild Wars. I was starting to get worried that I was playing a game that didn't really exist 0_o. Yeah, the "expansions" are expensive when you're not getting a good deal, but I much prefer shelling out the $100 or so it has cost me so far as opposed to the conservative estimate of $400 to play for about two years of WoW. I understand a little more now when seeing it called a chat room with games attached why it hasn't been mentioned previously, but though it's not as hardcore-driven like EQ1/2 and WoW (Evercrack and Waste of Wages to us poor people) I think it has solid storyline, good replay value, and still has RP potential. I don't personally RP my GW characters, but I have thought about side stories for book writing, and I've met some RPers in-game. GW is not as huge of a virtural world as some of the new MMOG's, but does that matter when there are good solid servers that almost never go down, ime? D2 went down all the time for me. I hear horror stories about WoW servers. I know I've gotten off topic, but the pay once - free forever is my favorite model. Pay for CDs and videos and you "own" it forever, can use it forever or until it breaks (because nothing earthly is eternal)... why can't the same be said for all games? I understand that there is a difference in staffing for long term game play versus staffing for a single-instance movie or CD and that people have to be paid, but monthy fees seem like such a hassle. I don't want to lose all my in-game virtual assets because I had to choose between gaming and rent for a few months. There has to be a better way. FINALLY. Someone mentions Guild Wars. I was starting to get worried that I was playing a game that didn’t really exist 0_o. Yeah, the “expansions” are expensive when you’re not getting a good deal, but I much prefer shelling out the $100 or so it has cost me so far as opposed to the conservative estimate of $400 to play for about two years of WoW. I understand a little more now when seeing it called a chat room with games attached why it hasn’t been mentioned previously, but though it’s not as hardcore-driven like EQ1/2 and WoW (Evercrack and Waste of Wages to us poor people) I think it has solid storyline, good replay value, and still has RP potential. I don’t personally RP my GW characters, but I have thought about side stories for book writing, and I’ve met some RPers in-game. GW is not as huge of a virtural world as some of the new MMOG’s, but does that matter when there are good solid servers that almost never go down, ime? D2 went down all the time for me. I hear horror stories about WoW servers. I know I’ve gotten off topic, but the pay once - free forever is my favorite model. Pay for CDs and videos and you “own” it forever, can use it forever or until it breaks (because nothing earthly is eternal)… why can’t the same be said for all games? I understand that there is a difference in staffing for long term game play versus staffing for a single-instance movie or CD and that people have to be paid, but monthy fees seem like such a hassle. I don’t want to lose all my in-game virtual assets because I had to choose between gaming and rent for a few months. There has to be a better way.

]]> by: The Forge · Virtual World Business Models part 2 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-621 Wed, 16 Aug 2006 01:55:44 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-621 [...] After feedback from a post recently on virtual world business models I’ve put together a new list of virtual world business model elements. I suppose I should really call these revenue models, but the term business model is used generically (including by me) to describe these, so there you go. Thanks to the many commenters in that thread. It’s had the most responses of any post on the Forge. After I feel reasonably confident the list is full, I’ll create a permanent page with a taxonomy on it. [...] […] After feedback from a post recently on virtual world business models I’ve put together a new list of virtual world business model elements. I suppose I should really call these revenue models, but the term business model is used generically (including by me) to describe these, so there you go. Thanks to the many commenters in that thread. It’s had the most responses of any post on the Forge. After I feel reasonably confident the list is full, I’ll create a permanent page with a taxonomy on it. […]

]]> by: Psychochild http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-618 Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:31:11 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-618 MUD-Dev has had technical problems, and the moderator has been dealing with that whole "earning a living by working all the time at a tech company" thing. Anyway, someone had a post about business models for websites. Thought it was vaguely similar to what is talked about here and might be interesting for comparison. <a href="http://www.brianoberkirch.com/?p=114" rel="nofollow">http://www.brianoberkirch.com/?p=114</a> Found via <a href="http://diggdot.us/" rel="nofollow">Diggdot.us</a>. At the very least, I like the term "freemium" to describe the business model of a free trial and paid "premium" access. MUD-Dev has had technical problems, and the moderator has been dealing with that whole “earning a living by working all the time at a tech company” thing.

Anyway, someone had a post about business models for websites. Thought it was vaguely similar to what is talked about here and might be interesting for comparison. http://www.brianoberkirch.com/?p=114

Found via Diggdot.us.

At the very least, I like the term “freemium” to describe the business model of a free trial and paid “premium” access.

]]> by: Tide http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-586 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:39:32 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-586 It's not popular amongst professionals, but you might want to include the brokerage model pursued by spoiler sites (or maybe they considered infomediaries), but also the contract agent model of levelling services for players. In one case you have external third parties compiling and repackaging information of a provider's IP and selling access to it, and in the other you have a direct service model of player's outsourcing their efforts to professional players. Something to consider at least. It’s not popular amongst professionals, but you might want to include the brokerage model pursued by spoiler sites (or maybe they considered infomediaries), but also the contract agent model of levelling services for players. In one case you have external third parties compiling and repackaging information of a provider’s IP and selling access to it, and in the other you have a direct service model of player’s outsourcing their efforts to professional players. Something to consider at least.

]]> by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-568 Sun, 13 Aug 2006 18:52:48 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-568 I've got a chart on the way that breaks down a hierarchy of business models. Thanks for the extra feedback, Steve! I don't know about mud-dev myself. I was active there for years, but unsubscribed a couple years ago. I’ve got a chart on the way that breaks down a hierarchy of business models. Thanks for the extra feedback, Steve!

I don’t know about mud-dev myself. I was active there for years, but unsubscribed a couple years ago.

]]> by: PlayNoEvil http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-563 Sun, 13 Aug 2006 13:28:37 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-563 An interesting "twist" on virtual real estate is purchasing additional character slots as Guild Wars now allows (if this was listed before, I missed it). Also, virtual assets may be divided into: unique/custom (see Cherry Pie entry in this blog), permanent (Iron Lore, I think), aging(where items wear out or break - Project Entropia), and consumables (some charge ups in Kart Rider). "Transaction Agent" should also be possible and is effectively what happens in Second Life for non-real-estate transactions where the site operator takes a percent of the transaction (this probably needs a better name!). By the way, has mud-dev come back to life? I tried to re-enroll from the email recently, but I don't think it worked. An interesting “twist” on virtual real estate is purchasing additional character slots as Guild Wars now allows (if this was listed before, I missed it). Also, virtual assets may be divided into: unique/custom (see Cherry Pie entry in this blog), permanent (Iron Lore, I think), aging(where items wear out or break - Project Entropia), and consumables (some charge ups in Kart Rider).

“Transaction Agent” should also be possible and is effectively what happens in Second Life for non-real-estate transactions where the site operator takes a percent of the transaction (this probably needs a better name!).

By the way, has mud-dev come back to life? I tried to re-enroll from the email recently, but I don’t think it worked.

]]> by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-551 Sat, 12 Aug 2006 19:38:16 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-551 Yep, KoL sounds like it uses the same business model, though for the record I think it's somewhat odd to call it a 'donation' when you regularly get something of value in return. Yep, KoL sounds like it uses the same business model, though for the record I think it’s somewhat odd to call it a ‘donation’ when you regularly get something of value in return.

]]> by: Ronald Watts http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-540 Sat, 12 Aug 2006 02:16:45 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-540 Would Kingdom of Loathing fall into the same category as IRE? It's hard to tell, since it's technically free download (since it's browser based), free to play forever, and you can get items for 'donations'. Would Kingdom of Loathing fall into the same category as IRE?
It’s hard to tell, since it’s technically free download (since it’s browser based), free to play forever, and you can get items for ‘donations’.

]]> by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-495 Thu, 10 Aug 2006 05:39:14 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-495 Goodness no John. I suspect it's the new scent I'm wearing called, simply, "Bartle" that has attracted all these fine folk. --matt Goodness no John. I suspect it’s the new scent I’m wearing called, simply, “Bartle” that has attracted all these fine folk.

–matt

]]> by: John Szeder http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-493 Thu, 10 Aug 2006 04:37:49 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/08/06/virtual-world-business-models/#comment-493 This is like a mud-dev who's who... Matt, are you now the keeper of the flame for discourse on online games? This is like a mud-dev who’s who… Matt, are you now the keeper of the flame for discourse on online games?

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