Ideas on future income flow for UWE

FultreFultre Join Date: 2013-03-02 Member: 183533Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
Hello Respected Community Members,

First and foremost, let me just say, I love this game to death. Everything about this game is perfect, in my opinion, I truly mean everything. I could go on for hours explaining why I love this game so much but this is not the topic I want to discuss. Instead, I would like to discuss, with you, ideas on how we as the community can help fund this game into the future.

In today's day and age, everything seems to be funded via micro-transactions or subscriptions, long term supported games anyway. NS2 on the other hand is funded by one of purchase which can unfortunately dry up very quickly and without income or future games in the pipeline UWE could be in trouble. Without compromising the game mechanics, balance and braking everyone's piggy bank how could we ensure that UWE receives steady funding into the future so they can maintain and support this superb game.

I've lurked around in this forum since NS2 was released and I know for a fact that we have some amazing minds here. So can I please ask of you all to share your opinions on this matter and produce some very clever ideas on how we can combat this issues.

My ideas are as follows:
- Create non-compulsory subscription fee which cost about $1-5 a month and offers a unique skin (along the lines of black armor).
- Create micro-transactions for unique voice packs or emotes.
- Create an in game steam based, donate button, for those feeling very generous (and with a big piggy bank).

Please don't take me the wrong way, the last thing I would like to do is hurt this game in anyway by changing anything, my concern is the well being of the game and the team behind it. I would live this see NS2 thrive for the next 10 years and with funding and the wonderful team behind the scenes I believe it will.

So the question is:

How can we ensure that UWE receives steady income in the future?

Kind regards,
Fultre

Comments

  • FarewelltoarmsFarewelltoarms gainesville fl Join Date: 2013-03-03 Member: 183603Members
    If UWE ever came out with a good anti-cheat detection mechanism for this game, I'd gladly pay a voluntary subscription fee.
  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    edited July 2013
    Actually back in the days it was flippin' normal to just sell a game once. It's a businessmodel that works.
    What the companies do today is making MORE MONEY! GROWTH! MORE MONEY! FUNDINGS! HEDGEFONDS! FCKIN MONEY MAN! MOOOOOOOONEEEEEEE...you get it.

    I'm sure UWE knows how they plan to keep the business alive. There are ideas for the next game for sure.
  • Kenshir0Kenshir0 Join Date: 2013-02-25 Member: 183347Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I would pay for skins and emotes and also for a gorge plushie
  • FultreFultre Join Date: 2013-03-02 Member: 183533Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Kenshir0 wrote: »
    I would pay for skins and emotes and also for a gorge plushie

    Hehe, yes gorge plushie would be nice!
  • CrushaKCrushaK Join Date: 2012-11-05 Member: 167195Members, NS2 Playtester
    countbasie wrote: »
    Actually back in the days it was flippin' normal to just sell a game once. It's a businessmodel that works.
    What the companies do today is making MORE MONEY! GROWTH! MORE MONEY! FUNDINGS! HEDGEFONDS! FCKIN MONEY MAN! MOOOOOOOONEEEEEEE...you get it.

    I'm sure UWE knows how they plan to keep the business alive. There are ideas for the next game for sure.

    Sure, but back then a game was a product, not a service.
    Selling stuff as product is still fine nowadays, but it also means that you can't shell out as many (content) updates and constant support either. There are two sides of the medal, and rip-off DLCs for AAA-titles where you pay 5 bucks for a bonus level and weapon are not all that there is.

    Killing Floor is a damn popular game on Steam, despite being so old (it uses so many parts of UT2k4 in every aspect).
    I doubt that would also be the case if they couldn't keep constant free content updates and annual holiday events running, which are ultimately funded by people who buy the DLC skin packs and the few weapon pack DLCs that exist there. (Selling weapons is actually fine in the game, since they are properly balanced and just offer variety and the game is PvE-only without scoreboards but with modded servers anyway)
  • RicezRicez Join Date: 2013-04-13 Member: 184784Members
    edited July 2013
    Cosmetic unlocks in NS2 would be great, even if it's only a logo on the side of the LMG, or different grip colour on the pistol.

    This sort of thing works well in other games, why not NS2? Maybe not worth the effort?
  • DraptorDraptor Join Date: 2013-03-05 Member: 183721Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    countbasie wrote: »
    Actually back in the days it was flippin' normal to just sell a game once. It's a businessmodel that works.
    What the companies do today is making MORE MONEY! GROWTH! MORE MONEY! FUNDINGS! HEDGEFONDS! FCKIN MONEY MAN! MOOOOOOOONEEEEEEE...you get it.

    I'm sure UWE knows how they plan to keep the business alive. There are ideas for the next game for sure.

    I also remember the days when a game would receive one to two patches in its lifetime. As much as we like to remember how many games added features post launch, those were rare. It was normally a few bug fix patches then nothing until the expansion pack or sequel.
  • FultreFultre Join Date: 2013-03-02 Member: 183533Members, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Shadow
    Some very good points, thanks guys, keep em comin! :)
  • militaerkidmilitaerkid Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58249Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited July 2013
    Ricez wrote: »
    Cosmetic unlocks in NS2 would be great, even if it's only a logo on the side of the LMG, or different grip colour on the pistol.

    for my point i would like to see retro NS1 models in NS2, i know there are already the retro fade and knife and they are great but they are not whitelisted on every server :c

    also a retro gameplay mode(old models, game mechanics (gorge as the main builder, heavy armor instead of exo), old buildings (siege cannons, elec. rt)) would be cool tho, maybe UWE can publish a small DLC (NS Legacy DLC?) and offer it for small budget
  • ezekelezekel Join Date: 2012-11-29 Member: 173589Members, NS2 Map Tester
    I just got level 5 ns2 badge on steam woop!
  • GISPGISP Battle Gorge Denmark Join Date: 2004-03-20 Member: 27460Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Squad Five Silver, Squad Five Gold, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Gold, Subnautica Playtester, Forum staff
    ezekel wrote: »
    I just got level 5 ns2 badge on steam woop!
    Ill be getting that and the foil :)
  • ezekelezekel Join Date: 2012-11-29 Member: 173589Members, NS2 Map Tester
    GISP wrote: »
    ezekel wrote: »
    I just got level 5 ns2 badge on steam woop!
    Ill be getting that and the foil :)

    I don't have money for the foil, even though I just spent about $20 to get to steam level 30 :P

  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    Draptor wrote: »
    I also remember the days when a game would receive one to two patches in its lifetime. As much as we like to remember how many games added features post launch, those were rare. It was normally a few bug fix patches then nothing until the expansion pack or sequel.
    That again is true as well.

    Whatever, best wishes UWE whatever you choose to do.
  • IronsoulIronsoul Join Date: 2011-03-12 Member: 86048Members
    edited July 2013
    I wouldn't mind a subscription system to fund a competetive backend for NS2. The subscription can go towards matchmaking, servers, broadcasting, prizes etc.

    I personally don't care about the competetive side of NS2 but that's only because it feels very awkward and the game seems to be in a no mans land between pub play and competetive competition. Oh tautology, how awkward and awesome you are.

    To elaborate, people would be able to fund a clan server or be able to play matches on a private server whenever they want without paying for a full 24/7 server. They would be able to all contribute to the clan financially in order to pay for this, handled through steam micro transactions. Then UWE handles the actual paying for the servers to someone like Multiplay. I'm imagining something similar to battlefield 3 on consoles, only better!
  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    ezekel wrote: »
    GISP wrote: »
    ezekel wrote: »
    I just got level 5 ns2 badge on steam woop!
    Ill be getting that and the foil :)

    I don't have money for the foil, even though I just spent about $20 to get to steam level 30 :P

    Steam levels ey, doesn't ring a bell :-?
  • kk20kk20 Join Date: 2012-10-30 Member: 164592Members
    Exo tokens, that way people will spend pres on useful stuff like mines insteal of saving for dual exos.
  • CrushaKCrushaK Join Date: 2012-11-05 Member: 167195Members, NS2 Playtester
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    Steam levels ey, doesn't ring a bell :-?

    You get them for XP that you gain on Steam. You get 100 XP for each badge level that you craft. And a few additional ones depending on the number of games and your activity in previous Steam events.

    You gain one Steam level for every 100 XP in the first then levels, then every 200 XP for the next 10 levels and so on. So it becomes harder and harder to get higher Steam levels. Every level adds +5 to the maximum of your friend list and every 10 levels is the drop rate for Booster Packs increased by 10%.

    The average price of trading cards for a somewhat popular game is usually around 20 cents per card. Most games require 6-8 cards to craft a badge and drop 3-4 of them, so on average you can probably say that you need ~75 cents per badge level. If you take into account that some games need more cards for a badge and that you don't get any free drops for the next level of a badge, then you can probably assume that reaching Steam level 30 costs at least 60-70 Euro.
  • ezekelezekel Join Date: 2012-11-29 Member: 173589Members, NS2 Map Tester
    edited July 2013
    Kouji_San wrote: »
    ezekel wrote: »
    GISP wrote: »
    ezekel wrote: »
    I just got level 5 ns2 badge on steam woop!
    Ill be getting that and the foil :)

    I don't have money for the foil, even though I just spent about $20 to get to steam level 30 :P

    Steam levels ey, doesn't ring a bell :-?

    steamcommunity.com/id/ezekel
  • StardogStardog Join Date: 2004-10-25 Member: 32448Members
    edited July 2013
    They could easily kickstart something if things ever got desperate. They have enough fans.

    They should do a F2P mobile version of NS1 in Unity using Photon. There's already a Counter-strike rip-off that gets tons of players.
  • NthaoNthao Join Date: 2013-07-22 Member: 186278Members
    Some ideas that have proven to work are already out there on the market (the Skins/real life objects/etc) and so I think it just takes time for UWE to release this stuff.
  • OkxydOkxyd Join Date: 2012-02-06 Member: 143981Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    New skins like in Killing Floor should be a nice deal, I would spend lot of bucks just to show off with my dark blu eyed Onos or my superb albinos Gorge.
  • Toasty888Toasty888 Join Date: 2013-07-25 Member: 186395Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I for one would pay for customizations. New models for characters and equipment would work.
  • Toasty888Toasty888 Join Date: 2013-07-25 Member: 186395Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I'd love to put more money into this game. Just give me a good reason.
  • militaerkidmilitaerkid Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58249Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    release action figures, more plushie's, cards, replicas, cups, posters, dlc (like already said "cosmetics")...etc...etc

    and please world wirde shipping asap :3
  • FrozenFrozen New York, NY Join Date: 2010-07-02 Member: 72228Members, Constellation
    Stardog wrote: »
    They could easily kickstart something if things ever got desperate. They have enough fans.

    They should do a F2P mobile version of NS1 in Unity using Photon. There's already a Counter-strike rip-off that gets tons of players.

    100% would play ns1 on my mobile
  • ObraxisObraxis Subnautica Animator & Generalist, NS2 Person Join Date: 2004-07-24 Member: 30071Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Silver, WC 2013 - Supporter, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    It would cost a huge amount to remake NS1 for Mobile, and I'm not so sure it could work.

    A mobile game doesn't sound like a bad idea tho! :-)
  • NarfwakNarfwak Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5258Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS1 Playtester, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Gold, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow, Subnautica PT Lead, NS2 Community Developer
    edited July 2013
    If UWE ever came out with a good anti-cheat detection mechanism for this game, I'd gladly pay a voluntary subscription fee.
    For the record since this keeps coming up: NS2 is VAC secured, and hacks get submitted to Valve the moment we find them (which is usually very fast). Actually detecting and banning people that use hacks in NS2? Well, that's outside our realm of control, and I believe VAC is similar to most "modern" anti-cheat engines in that it bans in waves and may not ban a detected user for a considerable length of time. This can obviously be frustrating as a known cheater has the potential to linger in the community for quite a while, but it's the system we have and there's not a whole lot that can be done about it (although UWE programmers are badasses and do change the engine to break exploits/hacks from time to time).
  • JektJekt Join Date: 2012-02-05 Member: 143714Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    Really the best anti-cheat detection is more accurate first person spectating and a demo system. Apparently cheats submitted to Valve to be put into VAC take months to actually get any detection implemented.
  • Core DumpCore Dump Join Date: 2011-07-11 Member: 109768Members
    Plushies are coming! I would be down for an expansion pack really although I feel the core game is just getting to the point of feeling "done" now
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