Platinum - Why It Should Change, Why We Should Buy It

[DaveC]

There is a problem for me with the current system for platinum purchase. Here is what goes through my head...

 

"The smallest amount of platinum I can purchase is £3.99, it gets me 75 platinum. I stop, I think, hmm, what do I really want....just a warframe slot, do I really want to spend £3.99, what will I do with the other 55 platinum."

 

So I don't buy platinum, next week  won't buy platinum....DE make no money from me. I just bite the bullet and sell another warframe (i'd rather not), but I do. So what would make me buy platinum and probably spend more than 3.99 in total over time?

 

£1 = 20 platinum......but why does this work.

 

I spent many years in Marketing, IT, systems and sales (I'm now retired, retired at 44,and that was over 8 years ago). We found out a long time ago that small impulse purchasing works, this is why pound shops are so popular in the UK. If something costs so little, you don't have to think about it, it becomes an impulse purchase....like a bar of chocolate, or a can of soda. no go back to my issue and the thinking that could be there.

 

" I have a new Warframe, I don't want to sell one of my old ones (emotional attachment, it took a lot of work to build it, perhaps I put an Orikin reactor in it). However, just for £1, I don't have to sell it, I can buy enough plat to get 1 slot.....a pound is nothing, So it takes no time/thought at all to spend £1. I buy a slot"

 

2 things have happened:

 

1. I have been through the platinum purchasing process once, to of course it's easier next time, both psychologically and technically (because I presume they make the process for subsequent platinum purchases simpler and faster).

 

2. I have had the "reward" for my £1, I can feel the instant benefit...it feels good. So a reinforcer to purchase more.

 

The next time I build a new warframe, it's really easy just to spend £1 and buy another slot....after all it's only £1. Of course it's easy now over 3 or 4 months to spend more than £3.99. Weapon slots being 12 platinum is pretty silly though. because £1 gets me 20 plat, with 8 left over....NO, weapons slots at 10 plat make far more sens, then I would buy them.

 

Why should DE do this...well I read that they have over 1M players signed up to warframe. lets assume that 775K people actually play it regularly. The number of people who buy significant platinum £3.99 and above is probably a small fraction of that number. This leaves poerhaps 700K people who might purchase if a £1=20 plat system was bought in (of course change £3.99 for 100 plat). I suspect half of those might spend £1, a further 50% might spend another £1 and a further 50% might spend yet another £1.

 

this is nearly £1.2M, money DE currently don't get and probably will never get....and this is an estimate on the low side, because a lot more people will buy much more platinum that this. To all existing platinum purchasers who bought at old rates, they simply get a platinum credit to even up the balance for buying under a different system.

 

Last and not least, it's an easy way for one Kid to buy a Birthday present for another, just £2 for 20 plat, but I don't remember seeing a gifting system?

Edited April 26, 2013 by DaveC

[Story4]

Hmm i think it is a good ideea. If i can reinforce it a little, 1 euro is 20 plat, but the more you buy you get some bonus plat. For example at 5 euro you get 100 plat but you get 20 plat for purchasing this much. At 10 euro you get 50 bonus plat etc. you get the idea.

 

Also it would be good if it also counted over time, like if i buy now 5 euro and get 20 bonus plat and i buy 5 more euro after a month i get 30 bonus plat. It should have a threshold of 50 bonus plat or something similar when you buy something over time but i think it is a pretty good idea.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Story4

[Ced23Ric]

You need to take into account transfer fees and minimum transaction spans. The tinier those are, the smaller the margin for DE due to bank fees.

[410maximus]

They already gave you a free game bro.... charging £3.99 for the smallest amount of platinum is not a big deal. "Psychologically" it should be a no-brainer to purchase a slot if you enjoy the game considering it was free. Support the devs. If dropping £3.99 is a big deal to you then I would venture to say you aren't DE's target audience. People are spending tons of $ on this game. I have 3 friends who purchased Grandmaster foundsers status in just the past 2 days... that's a $250.00 (USD) purchase per person.

Edited April 26, 2013 by 410maximus

[Sikab]

so 3.99 for 75 Plat is not small enough for you? seems like it is true, that not every1 can be good at his job (ex-job in this case).

 

be glad it's a F2P game. I'll throw another 150$ in the next month, so you don't have to...

Edited April 26, 2013 by Sikab

[Steemship]

You get 50 free platinum. By the time you are making your third or fourth warframe and your 10 or 12 weapon, you really kind of owe them at that point. Why do so many people think Free 2 Play means they are never expected to pay and the game will continue to develop and prosper on hopes and good wishes? 

[Zyfe3rX]

Ok...for the first time ever... I actually read the entire post. Yea very nice stuff.So i thought like a new idea.

 

Platinum Counter

 

A platinum counter acts more or less like a Loyalty reward thingi. Platinum Counter has multiple levels, each level fill on the basis of how much Platinum you buy. For each level there would be a special reward, which CANNOT be bought normally. These items would be exclusive to the players who spent good amount of money. It could be custom skin, rare mod (comes @ max lvl), it could be a signature weapon or anything which stands out in the crowd.

 

So each time somebody buys platinum for 5$ - the Platinum Counter Bar goes up (just like you gain XP), and this would act like an innovation for the players who spent money on the game to spent more, or maybe attract more players into buying Platinum !

 

 

Just my thoughtz :)

[Sikab]

Ok...for the first time ever... I actually read the entire post. Yea very nice stuff.So i thought like a new idea.

 

Platinum Counter

 

A platinum counter acts more or less like a Loyalty reward thingi. Platinum Counter has multiple levels, each level fill on the basis of how much Platinum you buy. For each level there would be a special reward, which CANNOT be bought normally. These items would be exclusive to the players who spent good amount of money. It could be custom skin, rare mod (comes @ max lvl), it could be a signature weapon or anything which stands out in the crowd.

 

So each time somebody buys platinum for 5$ - the Platinum Counter Bar goes up (just like you gain XP), and this would act like an innovation for the players who spent money on the game to spent more, or maybe attract more players into buying Platinum !

 

 

Just my thoughtz :)

This is such a borderline P2W option, that it would cause more problem then solve. I understand what you try to suggest, but give it a little more thought :)

[Story4]

This is such a borderline P2W option, that it would cause more problem then solve. I understand what you try to suggest, but give it a little more thought :)

Why is it P2W? If you just get a skin or a custom weapons that has the same stats as a regular one i see no problem. 

[Soulie]

If smaller transaction amounts were a better idea, I think we'd be seeing Microsoft do just that with Xbox live.

[Alohoe]

They already gave you a free game bro.... charging £3.99 for the smallest amount of platinum is not a big deal. "Psychologically" it should be a no-brainer to purchase a slot if you enjoy the game considering it was free. Support the devs. If dropping £3.99 is a big deal to you then I would venture to say you aren't DE's target audience. People are spending tons of $ on this game. I have 3 friends who purchased Grandmaster foundsers status in just the past 2 days... that's a $250.00 (USD) purchase per person.

this.

[GrandMasterV]

Just bought a master founder package. well first Hunter yesterday i upgraded to Master.

Wanna see where this games goes, just bought a bunch of slots and a color palette.

Perhaps down the road plat packages could be some what cheaper as they sell more.

Like buying/selling in bulk you get it for a better price. 

[ASH_PRIME]

Love it when 'free to whine' players who havnt spent a CENT on the game try and advise everyone on platinum..

[Sikab]

Why is it P2W? If you just get a skin or a custom weapons that has the same stats as a regular one i see no problem. 

That's why I said "give more thought to it".

 

There are players who will never, ever buy Plat, and there are those who will.

 

Those who will don't need to get rewarded for doing so. Those like OP with "great Plat price suggestions" will never buy Plat, ever.

 

This would just result Paying players getting even easier the items (we can already Rush the crafting, or directly buy the item).

 

Which would result in bad mouth taste for the F2P base, which would result in some of them leaving, which would result in lower Content. F2P players are Content, so you don't want to chase them away.

 

Got it now? :)

 

If some1 is really mentally set on purchasing Plat, he won't be held back by 1extra Euro/Dollar, he will just buy it. If some1 ever had this crossed hism ind "but only IF" <--- he won't, ever.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Sikab

[Story4]

Love it when 'free to whine' players who havnt spent a CENT on the game try and advise everyone on platinum..

 

Other than me i don't see anyone else who hasn't bought something for warframe. So i don't really see your problem... Also free speech and all that...

[Bakim0n0]

I love it even more when people who have no concept of merchant accounts, how they work and how they charge, comment on making even smaller transactions.

It's very likely that 5 dollars is the minimum amount where it's actually worth them processing the transaction financially. This is why there are so many places out there that have a minimum for credit card purchases.

Also, in a very real way, if you cannot afford $5 or the equivalent... seems to me you probably shouldn't be spending your money on a video game.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Bakim0n0

[Story4]

That's why I said "give more thought to it". Since you don't see the problem.

P2W(pay to win) means that you get an advantage efficiency wise (be it either DPS/mobs killed per second/kills in PvP etc.). Since skins or stuff like that don't actually give you an advantage i don't see the problem.

[Bakim0n0]

Another thing...

3.99 = 75 plat...
75/4 = 18.75
so 4 £1 transactions would get you 80 plat at that rate; encouraging people to do the smaller transactions and likely eating away at the profit margin considerably.

[Sikab]

P2W(pay to win) means that you get an advantage efficiency wise (be it either DPS/mobs killed per second/kills in PvP etc.). Since skins or stuff like that don't actually give you an advantage i don't see the problem.

He was suggesting Mods $ Weapons... Which is advantage. Skins and Cosmetic? Useless, you buy Plat to get Skins and Cosmetic too, so rewarding those is kind of... weird? That would just take cash away from Devs.

[ASH_PRIME]

I love it even more when people who have no concept of merchant accounts, how they work and how they charge, comment on making even smaller transactions.

It's very likely that 5 dollars is the minimum amount where it's actually worth them processing the transaction financially. This is why there are so many places out there that have a minimum for credit card purchases.

Also, in a very real way, if you cannot afford $5 or the equivalent... seems to me you probably shouldn't be spending your money on a video game.

 You got it in one..

Perhaps if these people spent half the time they spent WHINING actually WORKING then they might be able to afford some platinum..

I think we really need a 'Founders Only' game option!

[MrSnipyCat]

i have to agree that the current prices are a little poopish, i have 3€ on my steam wallet and i cant buy an more cash bcuz im 99 cents short and the minimum i can chage my steam wallet is with 5€ :I

Edited April 26, 2013 by Snipazz

[Sikab]

i have to agree that the current prices are a little poopish, i have 3€ on my steam wallet and i cant buy an more cash bcuz im 99 cents short and the minimum i can chage my steam wallet is with 5€ :I

as some1 said before. it's not worth processing for any company transactions below 5$...

Edited April 26, 2013 by Sikab

[Takomancer]

I dont see what this flames are about, this guy wrote this in regards to the creators of this game to improve in terms of their marketing so that they can profit more. It doesn't matter if this is a free 2 play game and therefore the plats should be overpriced. All it comes down to is are they profitting and can they increase the sales in the long run. 

 

Cheaper pricing isn't always the bad thing. You are making the market more accessible to wider audience. If they want to make a profit, they need to balance around that. 

Edited April 26, 2013 by Takomancer

[Sikab]

I dont see what this flames are about, this guy wrote this in regards to the creators of this game to improve in terms of their marketing so that they can profit more. It doesn't matter if this is a free 2 play game and therefore the plats should be overpriced. All it comes down to is are they profitting and can they increase the sales in the long run. 

 

Cheaper pricing isn't always the bad thing. You are making the market more accessible to wider audience. If they want to make a profit, they need to balance around that. 

No1 flamed. Although we did point out why his "points" were wrong. Plat prices are fine as it is.

[dzonatan]

as some1 said before. it's not worth processing for any company transactions below 5$...

Unless we have a banker on these forums I call BS on this one. OP however has a point though and a good example of this, pound shops.

 

Also this:

http://www.justfrompound.com/

http://www.poundland.co.uk/

http://99pstoresltd.com/

http://www.rdtkgps.com/

http://poundworld.net/

 

Either those websites owners are insane and lose instead of make money, or perhaps certain people's claims about processing costs are <puts on sunglasses> inflated?

 

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Edited April 26, 2013 by dzonatan