Free as in Pay?
You’re standing outside of a restaurant called “Free Food”. There’s a big lineup in front, so you think to yourself “maybe it’s not a scam, maybe it’s actually free”. You get in line, it moves quickly. The tables are not as crowded as the lobby. The exit is at the back so you never noticed anyone leave as you walked in.
You sit down at your table. Drink some water, pick at the basket of bread. The waiter comes and hands you a menu.
The menu has prices on it. The food on the menu is similar to the all-you-can-eat buffet across the street.
Do you?
- Say “WTF? This isn’t free” and walk out.
- Eat a full meal, paying more than you would across the street.
- Eat some more bread and water.
- Ask the waiter why the prices are a little high, to which he replies “Free is popular”.
- Order a small snack and come back when you get hungry again (which will probably be soonish).
If the choice of answers seems loaded, they are. These are what I’d consider realistic options for “Free to play” MMOs. It’s a bad comparison you say? I agree. Games are not restaurants.
Apparently “Horse” is overpriced on the Runes of Magic menu.
Tobold had reasonable and reasonably interesting post on this same topic a few days ago. http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-rmt-discussion-must-fail.html
Essentially, his argument is that money (the real kind, not the virtual) does not a have a fixed value for people. For example, if someone makes 1,000$ per year, then 10$ for a virtual horse is a very significant burden. By the same token, however, if someone makes 100,000$ per year, the same 10$ is a much more manageable sum.
The issue, it seems to me, is whether or not the items available in a game that uses RMT are conveniences or a competitive advantage. This may be a somewhat false dichotomy, as one could easily say that games that are not PvP oriented are not a competition anyway, so who cares if one player is able to pay for an “advantage”. After all, it is just a game we play for fun. But I think the reality is that many people who play games, even MMOs, are by nature competitive, and resent the fact that some people can pay for something they see as an advantage.
I’d agree that’s the big question Taek, the definition of “good value”.
In my attempt at satire I was trying to illustrate: Any place advertising “Free” to draw customers is not the sort of place I’d expect to find actual good value, just the illusion of such.
But you’re right, the perception and definition of value is different per person.
My personal issue is not just whether the game’s balance gets thrown out of whack (although that would suck), but whether suckers chasing “Free” or even “cheap” end up making it more expensive for everyone. I think this whole revenue concept is more than a little bit deceptive and predatory.