The Warframe Market Is A Joke And Actively Discourages Impulse Purchases (Updated, Includes Solution To Installed Catalysts/weapon Slot On Weapons)

[BeastlyLizard]

Go for 1000 upvotes! :D

[Blackloch]

I actually thought the market prices seemed fair - they are "the shortcut" after all. You want it earlier, you pay it.

[LoKor]

Necro for 375.

 

Yea, DE don't care nor give a sht.  That's why I only buy char slots now lol.

[Zakalwe]

No its not.

Explain why not? And I don't mean the effort it takes to implement, I mean the "why" of it.

They already have our money, so rollbacks wouldn't matter.

The only reason not to do this is if for some reasons these prices are keeping them afloat. If the data suggests that more but smaller purchases wouldn't cover what they need.

It's easy to obtain everything in game, and to by a little pat and just use it for slots/reactors/forma/cosmetics and rushing the final stage of some frame builds you want sooner, but I would definitely have been more inclined to throw more money at this game more often while I was building my collection of gear had the prices been more reasonable.

Right now, if it wasn't for the founders pack, I would only have considered putting a few £s here and there to stock up on slots and potatoes. Had the prices been as they ae in the OP, I would probably have put twice as much into the game as the game would sell were it retail, and I'd be doing so as more contnt is added.

Of course, this might not reflect everyone, but if data suggests it reflects enough then I believe yes, the choice it /is/ that simple.

[Silvershadow66]

I'm sure everybody by now has noticed how absurdly priced everything is in the Warframe market.

 

DE, why is everything so expensive? I know you're new to the whole F2P scene, but making everything cost an arm and a leg is not how you make a profit. Who are you appealing to with garbage like this?

 

Everything is so expensive? 20 Plat will get you 1 reactor/catalyst/forma/warframe slot. 12 will get you 2 more weapon slots. Those are the impulse buy items. They are also the things that people will buy multiple times. 75 plat will get you one of the cheapest frames.

 

Many F2P games have a range of prices. Many such games have things in the $20-50 range. They all have the things at the bottom end of the range that people may want to buy multiple times. I have 7 Frames with reactors and when I get Nekro I will buy a reactor for that, I have put catalysts in about a dozen weapons now and I bought the majority of those. I have also bought slots multiple times.

 

I also bought Frost, its pricy but I could afford it and I really did not want to grind for it. So those prices appeal to players with money but less time.

 

Everyone seems to forget that MMOs need revenue and player numbers. Pricing some items high but allowing them to be farmed for means that while a minority will buy them outright the many will put in the hours to get it for free and keep player numbers up. And both groups will still be buying the cheaper items.

 

 

You see those Orokin Catalysts and Reactors which cost a measly 20 Platinum? I can guarantee you they are some of the highest selling items in the store. Why? They're cheap and rarely show up in the game. So tell me why some of the rarest to find and most sought after items cost LESS than all of the weapons, many of which can be made with barebones materials you get just by playing normally?

 

They are cheap because people buy multiple copies of them. I have spent more on potatoes than I did on Frost because I have bought them for all my stuff.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Silvershadow66

[Zakalwe]

 

Everyone seems to forget that MMOs need revenue and player numbers. Pricing some items high but allowing them to be farmed for means that while a minority will buy them outright the many will put in the hours to get it for free and keep player numbers up. And both groups will still be buying the cheaper items.

This is true, and a massive factor.

I bought a vauban because I had tonnes of founder plat. I bought founder to suport the game, not for the plat. Had I not bought founder, I wouldn't have bought Vauban for 300 platinum. Not ever.

200 would still make me think about it. It would force me to consider the time or the money.

 

You're right, I just think that -unless DE have data that suggests this is the only way to support the game - that they should try the other way too. 

[Inquisitioner]

Go for 1000 upvotes! :D

 

 I bet they'll implement it then, lol.

[Blackloch]

Game is an excellent F2P game. You can get almost everything sold in market just by playing the game - (custom colors, weapons&frame slots not included of course) 

 

Right now the OP's post just seems like a rant of not getting more stuff cheaper. And of course everyone will give a thumbs up for it because people do want to pay less, always. But you are just trying to drive the game to a point where everyone has every single unlock, mod, frame, weapon open with no effort. And that's fun, right?

 

Like I said earlier, buying stuff from market is a shortcut, saves your time and it needs to have a certain price. They've already made it easy enough with alert informers, to tell you when you get that missing Vauban blueprint or Catalyst as reward.

 

As a player and paying customer I see no point in all this. It just feels like you are being lazy and don't want to work for it, earn your stuff.

[Colaii]

DE You must look at this. This dude is a freakin' genius.

[Dr_Shadox]

sorry but i've read nothing , you speak about something we can craft in game for free (stalkers weaps included).

Option 1 : you play , you craft
Option 2: You buy.

People speak about slot ?
Play TF2 (or something with item sellable in market), sell loot on the market and use you gain for buy platinum...


in Free to Play mode , i've craft more than 70 weaps and 4 frame (without pay) ,and now i waiting for -75% and buy 570 platinum per steam for 6€ (money win with another games)


Sorry but it's totaly possible to have everythings for free AND help devs, juste need a brain.


If some people are lazy  and wouldnt pay .... hum play Scrabble ?


Edit : like i've said , i've read nothing , so maybe you purpose something better , i don't say the reverse , but i mean we can already have all in the game (included only platinum item like color an slot) for free.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Xodahs

[Qraz]

When I first time entered market, I thought that prices are high. BUT, if you look closer.... it's only weapons and frames that are more expensive. With in-game discount reward and few euros (7e), I could buy MANY slots for frames and weapons AND if I wanted, could have bought catalysts and reactors too.

 

More they give out stuff for "free", quicker this game runs out of content. In last few weeks I have been playing quite a bit, 166h. Already have built 9 frames just by playing without buying and every weapon I want to lay my hands on (including dojo weapons). After month of playing I already feel that there should be something more in this game.

 

Prices are fine, if someone really wants to save time and "try it all" quicker. But what they do after buying everything for almost free? There's nothing else in this game currently which would keep them in game as every map is planned to give out rare mats or blueprints for something.

[Dr_Shadox]

Not false , also like i've said i've craft more than 70 weap and 4 frames (mastery 9 this morning) , in 300 hours of playing.
 

So even if people want try all fast , it's still possible without pay, i'm the proof and i'm sure i'm not the only one

[Rengakun]

sorry but i've read nothing   , you speak about something we can craft in game for free (stalkers weaps included).

 

[some sort of rather incoherent argument that has nothing to do with the topic]

Edit : like i've said , i've read nothing   , so maybe you purpose something better , i don't say the reverse , but i mean we can already have all in the game (included only platinum item like color an slot) for free.

 

Also, show me where OP started saying "GIVE US STUFF FOR FREE", unless you really didn't read and just assumed what the OP is talking about.

[Dr_Shadox]

And something else ,

Ok if the cost is less , people will buy more , so finaly , the staff may win more money ,it's good for DE (and us)

BUT if people buy more , people will have item of the game more quickly , so they will left the game earlier too , finaly , it's bad for DE (and us)

[Dr_Shadox]

 

Also, show me where OP started saying "GIVE US STUFF FOR FREE", unless you really didn't read and just assumed what the OP is talking about.

Cuz i've see pic with price from market and i think it was a crying post of a players who want item in the market without spend his time , without pain , without pay.

[Haragh]

Yes, I also like to get Porches and Mustangs for free. Maybe they will give it to me if I ask nicely in the car shop. :)

Prices are totally fine. There is the faster way to buy platinum and the slower grinding way to get money and blueprints. And depends upon luck factor if some weapon BPs drop on a first time or 100th time. :)

[Silvershadow66]

Does every F2P out there operate exactly the same? No.... so what's your point?

 

Copy successful models? Which? Let me guess.... League of Legends?

Ok now we have to wait for a Chinese company to invest half a billion dollars on Warframe.

 

World of Tanks. Stuff varies from about $5 to $51 for permanent items (the premium tanks). The model is successful (i.e. millions of player and over $10 million a month revenue) and it seems close to the model that DE are using for their pricing.

[Judgebanks]

It takes 5 hours(Including craft times) to farm Nekros with 4 people, moreover he isn't even consider that good, yet for some reason he costs 375 plat.

[Silvershadow66]

The free to play market expects to spend small amounts of money in microtransactions- not pay $10+ for a single piece of equipment. This will be your last reply.

 

The pricing issues aren't slots, potatoes, or cosmetics. It's with equipment- single frames like ash can cost over $20.

 

And the market has items for small amounts of money. Like so many other games it also has items for larger amounts of money. And those items do sell.

[Rengakun]

Cuz i've see pic with price from market and i think it was a crying post of a players who want item in the market without spend his time , without pain , without pay.

Because not knowing what you're actually discussing about is the best way to discuss! [/sarcasm]

[Silvershadow66]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Boosting sales for platinum weapon and frames (that do not come with orokin reactor/catalysts) will:

 

--->Boosts sale for orokin/ catalysts reactors

 

and in turn will

 

---> Boost sale for weapon/frame slots (because no one wants to sell supercharged items)

 

and in turn will

 

---> Boost sale for credit/xp boosters (cause buying customers wants to level up their arsenal)

 

DE hires people from profit to increase content output

 

content output generates further profit.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

 

$_$  : D

 

Yeah yeah, I know it's simple and has flaws in it but it just goes to show how rabidly obsessed I will become with spending my plats. Rather than me just holding back from buying anything at all.

 

No it won't. Because frames and weapons come with their own potatoes and slots.

 

You argument falls down because if someone wants a new frame or weapon and farms for it they still need a slot and probably want a potato.

[Mezyo]

If you don't want to buy somthing you can farm it.

If you don't want to farm something you can buy it.

 

If the price is reduced so too should the time it takes to farm a weapon or frame.

 

The cost of something must reflect the effort required. I think it does that currently. I just dont like the price of things like colour packs. Anything you can not get unless you buy it shouldn't be so over priced.

 

Good effort from OP and I think there is some truth in it but blind pricing on anything sucks.

You would be happy paying $10-15 for a frame. I would be happy paying £20 for a frame. It still takes a me a crap load less time to earn £20 then it does to farm any frame in the game. Cost vs Time & Effort.

 

P.S

"Another thing DE needs to start doing is having sales that matter. Sales are ALWAYS when companies and other businesses earn the biggest profit"

Profit is after cost. Sales dont generate the most profit. They usually generate the most revenue in any given period. We could say it doesnt have a cost so its all profit but even taking payments costs.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Mezyo

[Silvershadow66]

So, by screwing over the people who don't spend much/aren't rich you are not getting 50% of the profit. Yes, i see, this is the perfect model. NOT.

 

Wrong again. A big chunk of the player base that is not in the 10-15% spends no money at all and won't spend money even if they did lower the prices unless they did it to a level that crippled their income from the current spenders. Getting a one time $10 spend from 40% of your player base is nothing compared to a regular $20 spend from 10% of your player base.

 

But most importantly how are they screwing anyone over? The things people really need to get are cheap, the expensive things are those that no one needs and that you can grind for.

 

Time OR Money. That is how good F2P models work.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Silvershadow66

[itsbigjon]

So I had a look at the original post. Didn't look through the whole thread (TL:DR)

 

However, I'm seeing one potential flaw with your suggestion.

In Warframe, three stakeholders:

1. DE

2. paying customers

3. Ninjas who play free.

 

To put simply, I think your suggestion is geared and biased towards the first 2, and is very questionable for the third group of people.

 

Imaginary case study:

Update 10 comes out >> New frame available from market >> People with $$ buy from market  >> Game becomes Pay2Win.

 

 

 

The game is currently in Open Beta, which means founders packages are still available, The most efficient dollar-to-platinum conversion is then to get these founders packages that gives more plat for your money (this effect stacks exponentially with every upgrade for founders too, and severely skews your price range estimates).

 

i.e. 13 plat per dollar for the cheapest normal plat-buy, ~18 plat per dollar for cheapest founders (+ other goods). So the guy who's buying a grand master founders package isnt paying $5 per weapon, he has OVER 9000 PLATINUM! (11,235 platinum, i.e. ~56 plat per dollar => 225 plat purchase equals under $5)

 

And now you're saying "so what? that still means people will have to fork out at least $20 instead to keep with the $5-10 price range", but I think people will do that, and I think DE should want to capture the demographic of people who will keep buying items with platinum, rather than the demographic of people who just buy a one-time $5 package.

 

So what I'm saying is, yes, I think the market is slightly broken and there is a lot of inflation with Founders packages that screws over the people who are buying platinum normally, but your solution is not a great way to go, because if you decrease the platinum cost of individual items, then it screws over the people who play for free, because the cost of items would be absolutely negligible for high-rank founders.

 

Referring back to my stakeholders list, I think your solution would severely imbalance the advantages of paying customers as compared to free-to-players. 

 

Sorry if these points have been outlined by someone else before. Good discussion topic though, and I like the idea of having the option to buy weapons (+ catalyst + slot).

[Annnoth]

I think some people take some ideas a bit too seriously on their own. I think the idea is almost flawless for being a good ground work. DE just needs to do the rest. They are the designers, not us. We make an idea, they expand on I and make it work.

The thread in general gets it's point across nicely, the market pricing sucks for the most part. Hopefully DE takes this idea and makes it work better because it makes for a solid base to build up on.