Put the game on sale to bring in new players

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Right now the game suffers from two things:

  • Lack of players actually playing the game
  • Lack of people knowing that the game even exists.

Both of these could be solved, at least in the short term by putting the game on sale on steam, say 50% or so. It will also increase fluidity of the game since people who might not otherwise buy it would buy it and check it out, leading to more money (it’s easy to sell 100 people something for $1 but much harder to find one person willing to pay $100 for something).

Obviously this is a short-term solution and other steps would also need to be taken, such as better onboarding, but it could get the ball rolling.

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If one of the first issues Monumental has decided to work on is the new player experience and new player retention has been so poor, why try to recruit new players now? Why provide a poor NPE when there is a promise of an improved experience in the future? Personally I think all you do trying bring players in now when based on prior sales and events, very few stay is just reducing the pool of potential players that might try the game after Monumental makes its changes.

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Pretty sure Monty mentioned making the game free to play.

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It was already being seriously discussed and looked at prior to the big BG3 situation… The revamping of certain things needed to happen before that otherwise free to play would fail.

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I saw. Just mentioning here since the title says put the game on sale.

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We’ve been working on this already (sale price point). It should be rolled out in the next few weeks.

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That soon? That is very impressive. I was not expecting such a quick response. I was expecting you’ll to get settled in and play the game a bit more to get used to the nuances of gameplay before implementing changes on that scale. :scream:

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Wow :open_mouth: :+1:
gofast

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They probably need to collect a lot of data to help guide their decision making. A sale is one way to do this. On top of the F2P model

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Please don’t. F2P would make this game a disaster. F2P would mean premium blocks, tools/outfits unavailable unless you pay real money, and other stuff like that. The game already has a decent monetization system, provided it stays B2P (sovereigns and gleam club). All it needs is better onboarding and a little promotion (such as getting big gaming channels like e.g. Markiplier to play the thing). The lack of players stems mostly from people not knowing Boundless even exists.

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F2P honestly just makes the most sense to me. Figure out what players are willing to pay for and make those items purchasable. I also thing Gleam Club being a subscription model makes sense.

What part of F2P would make it a disaster? The F2P model is already there … minus the cost to buy the game.

Sovereigns, Sovereign fuel, outfits, plots, skins (paints), additional character slots, skill resets, skill pages, appearance changes, tint kits, etc.

EDIT: The most common complaint I see with F2P is toxic players.

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Rampant mini beacons too? :smiley:

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If you have active moderators in game and a pretty straightforward policy on beacons it would probably be fine.

Right now, or at least when it seemed like there was no one reviewing griefers, it would be an issue. If the communication from @Tiggs and @monty1 is any indication to how the moderation may be inside the game, then the toxicity might become limited.

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As long as they are cosmetic, this isn’t particularly different from GC being able to use emoji on signs.

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The problem with F2P is that right now everything can be obtained in-game in a relative easy way. That will change when the game goes F2P. Here’s what’s going to happen:

  • You will no longer obtain cubits (the cosmetic/plot currency) via leveling up, or you will only obtain laughable amounts, like 10 cubits every 5 levels.
  • Either exchange chests will get timers (HELLO MINI GOLF KING!!!) or locked chests will be introduced that you can only open by paying or with heavy, heavy grind.
  • Some items will be only useable/acquireable by premium players, while certain blocks will be only available for cashmoney, not generating naturally or obtainable via crafting.
  • You will be bombarded by in-game ads for the cash shop and the premium system.
  • Probably more and even worse, just look at any F2P MMOs or F2P mobile games (examples: Trove, RAID: Shadow Legends).
  • All that to get whales to support servers assaulted by kiddos who either can’t afford to play or wouldn’t buy the game anyway.

Again, all the game really needs is better NPE and promotion by making big gaming channels (on both Twitch and YT) play the game and tell the viewers where they can BUY it.

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I have to agree F2P i don’t see as a positive. It changes the community of the game. This community is really great and if the new player experience is improved I believe the game can regrow to it more populous times.

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Not all F2P models are the same.

That’s counterintuitive to providing a good NPE. If the only way to really get plots to build or that snazzy body paint you have your eye on is through cold hard cash, what was improved from that.

The game is already a grind, this sound like a self imposed restriction rather than a logical move. Restrictions on a game that supposed to be BOUNDLESS is like shooting yourself in the foot.

There was nothing really bad about trove. It felt too slow for me but otherwise meh. You should take a peek at Nexon’s MMOs. Pay for cosmetics but no real P2W that I remember.

There is a potential for F2P to go wrong, but it may not really be a bad thing for us here. Limitations should not be the way and would go against the entire vision of the game.

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I agree with all of these points. F2P has a bad reputation for milking players BUT warframe, league of legends, and POE are great examples of models that work. Just please don’t make us pay $8 for a character slot, $25 for a bag, $10 for a bag slot, $25 for a companion, etc…

I can see some skins, tattoos, pants, shirts, and such as cosmetics being added to the shop. Maybe extend some monthly cubits/reward chests monthly for gleam club being active, add in decoration textures/skins and such to the store.

Hell I’d even pay to unlock a dungeon plotter to make my own dungeons and such!

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@Darkhog

I think even remotely commenting on “What is Going to happen” in a F2P scenario is all speculation at this point. The game’s current price point is WAY TOO high, so if you want more players that needs to be fixed or made F2P. Before the NPE happens they need to determine if the game and infrastructure can EVEN handle a huge influx of players. @monty1 has even joked around (maybe seriously) that he could spool up 20k accounts to see what happens. Anyways, went off on a tangent there…

But hey, let’s get a few things out of the way then go through your list! Ready? Off we go…

I love speculation as your entire list is just that just as my comments will mostly be, as I do not know what monetization will occur, but I can guarantee it WILL happen. If I was Monumental, I would look at ways the community is willing to pay for things. Here’s a quick list:

  • Gleam Club
  • Sovereigns
  • Sovereign Fuel
  • Plots
  • Cubits

Those are already being sold and paid for. Sure. you can get some of those via cubits earned in game, but the first 3 you can’t. Now, let’s run through your list… shifting into second gear!!

  • You will no longer obtain cubits (the cosmetic/plot currency) via leveling up, or you will only obtain laughable amounts, like 10 cubits every 5 levels.

Firstly, how do you know? Seems pretty counter-intuitive since the NPE needs this.

  • Either exchange chests will get timers (HELLO MINI GOLF KING!!!) or locked chests will be introduced that you can only open by paying or with heavy, heavy grind.

@monty1 I am sure realizes that loot chests are not the way to go with Boundless, at least not the one traditionally found in games like CS: Go etc. Why not ask him? :slight_smile:

  • Some items will be only useable/acquireable by premium players, while certain blocks will be only available for cashmoney, not generating naturally or obtainable via crafting.

Now this may be possible. I also don’t find it so bad if this is simply some aesthetic blocks. I mean someone who actually pays for something should get something special. Is this so bad? I mean if others want to pay for that is it so bad? Feel free to do a forum search and you will totally understand how I hate F2P, but there are F2P systems that aren’t too bad, check out Warframe sometime.

  • You will be bombarded by in-game ads for the cash shop and the premium system.

Again, how do you know? I highly doubt this is even a thought in Monumental’s thoughts, but just as your statement is speculation, as is mine.

  • Probably more and even worse, just look at any F2P MMOs or F2P mobile games (examples: Trove, RAID: Shadow Legends).

I have mentioned a game too Warframe, it is technically an MMO and F2P. I would be more than happy to list some other games if needed where the F2P is fair… but in the end a F2P has to make money. I am not sure what figures Boundless pulls in with their profits, but I can guarantee that a $30 price tag makes them very little. Again, though we are both speculating.

  • All that to get whales to support servers assaulted by kiddos who either can’t afford to play or wouldn’t buy the game anyway.

What other options are there? This is a very niche game and I love the game I truly do. I have dumped so many hours into the game in my short 20 months of playing. Well over a years’ worth of hours which I find nothing short of crazy. The problem is in the end it has to make money and if everyone in the game is not buying things other than Gleam Club and/or Sovereigns and their fuel I don’t see how it can sustain itself long-term. Even with another 25k players, know why? Because none of that is guaranteed income, but for arguments sake neither is a non-F2P model.

All that said, played Warframe for years… never ran into any kiddos in its great F2P model. I seldom bought a thing in the game because everything was “eventually” attainable, but I could have paid for it if I wanted. I made it my goal to collect every warframe in the game… took me a bit of time… but you know… it was damn fun and I still play it every once in a while, when a new frame comes out.

We can continue to speculate, but I am sure Monumental is looking at ways they can monetize the game and as a developer myself, I’d do the same. Obviously, people are willing to pay for things others cannot as they already do with Sovereigns, their fuel, plots and cubits.

Maybe @monty1 will chime into this once he has his footing :slight_smile:

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The monetization system is pretty bad in terms of generating revenue from more advanced players like myself, it is far too easy to grind out cubits in this game. and I am at the point where i find cubits to be 100% useless at this time.

I think this won’t happen, Cubits are already damaged goods, I am sure there are a modest amount of players who already are sitting on a pile and would never need to buy them, If they were to do it smartly they would need to add a new premium currency to go along side cubits.

There are ways to do F2P with out being a sideways ████ show, it all depends on if the Devs care more about their players or care more about the profits, the concept of F2P is fine, it is the greed that ruins it, It is the capitalism that ruins it by dictating that there should be “No money left on the table.”

I personally have very little problems with the game being F2P and having a cosmetic shop, if the shop is done in a tasteful, non-greedy way, and if that means we start getting good and new types of cosmetics added to the game regularly, the cosmetics we currently have are very lacking and disappointing to be frank. All we have are bits and bobs that go on the face and tattoos, They can do better.

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