Why no one is talking about the super high unit costs?

Hi Folks!
I just wanted to know your opinion on the overall cost of buying units. I am not much of a spender but guys an odin costs me 9000rs which is like 1/10 of my monthly salary. I think in countries outside the cost after the conversion is too much and they should now reduce the cost of units. With current state of game and the overall unit value depreciation over time, they should..

Any opinions?
@Kabam Porthos @Kabam Vydious

Comments

NiteAndDae

I think the ridiculous prices (30k units or ~$1k USD) for an r2 6* vision is a product of an increasing user base that clearly feels comfortable spending. I mean, if they charged $10k USD for the same package, I doubt anyone would have purchased it, so they are probably using data to determine the price points that will yield sales, along with determining the 'value' of things like rank up mats. I don't see this changing anytime soon, other than always increasing the costs for the latest and greatest all the time.

You can always just wait, as items will always come down in price over time. Unit value does NOT depreciate over time, the item value does. Your units today can get you more than your units last year, etc.

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NiteAndDae

As for your more immediate problem of currency conversion, that is also the product of a geographically agnostic platform in a world of disparate currencies. Just as in real life, $100usd can go much further in countries whose currency is weak relative to the USD, and unfortunately you fall on the wrong side of that equation right now.

Lightvayne

The high cost isn't just related to this game. The Unit cost here is pretty standard across all mobile ftp games.

I'm not saying it is right, I don't 100% agree anything that is temporary like that should ever cost anything over a standard game ($50-$60), but I get the idea behind it and it really depends on that actual value of what you are buying. In the examples above, some of the higher end stuff in some of these games isn't exactly $99, but in those game, there really isn't much you can do with them. Units in this game can pretty much be used for almost everything, so they have a bit more value to it.

In the long run, it allows the players to maybe get a bit ahead of the curve or not have to wait as long for something, so the price is gonna be high. Also, while this game is free to play, the people making this are not free to work. Overall, no one is forcing anyone to buy anything, that game is just as enjoyable without having to buy anything.

Shrimkins

The value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for it.

Dęłtå

Hi Folks!
I just wanted to know your opinion on the overall cost of buying units. I am not much of a spender but guys an odin costs me 9000rs which is like 1/10 of my monthly salary. I think in countries outside the cost after the conversion is too much and they should now reduce the cost of units. With current state of game and the overall unit value depreciation over time, they should..

Any opinions?
@Kabam Porthos @Kabam Vydious

That’s kabam I’m afraid

NMEONES

I doubt the price of an Odins will go down... WAY to many people purchase it at this price point, why would they drop the price? It’s not very smart business wise.

Granted, one could argue that if it cost less then thise who don’t currently purchase the units would then purchase them... but I don’t really think it’ll work out that way. If someone is not going to buy an Odins for $100, I doubt they’ll still want to spend $75-80 for it. Then even if they did, it wouldn’t turn them into a whale, and it would still be a once in a while thing. Now you have the price dropped and once in a while a few people (Who previously didn’t spend) are purchasing it BUT they are getting less money from the whales who purchase Odins on a regular basis. So I’m the long run, they would still see more money from the Odins at this price rather then a reduced price.

Hey, I could be wrong.... it’s just how I picture the whole scenario working out. I’d LOVE for the price of an Odins to go down, I just don’t see this happening. IF they went down this road, I think they’d add an item or 2 to the Odin rather then reduce the cash cost.

Inx

As most have said it’s just how it goes and everyone’s come to accept it.

Lol I just wish Kabam would let us buy level 1 revives instead of the level 2

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Inx

Potions need to be revamped if anything, way over priced and underwhelming. What is it? 3 revives for 4.99 lol

Inx

I doubt the price of an Odins will go down... WAY to many people purchase it at this price point, why would they drop the price? It’s not very smart business wise.

Granted, one could argue that if it cost less then thise who don’t currently purchase the units would then purchase them... but I don’t really think it’ll work out that way. If someone is not going to buy an Odins for $100, I doubt they’ll still want to spend $75-80 for it. Then even if they did, it wouldn’t turn them into a whale, and it would still be a once in a while thing. Now you have the price dropped and once in a while a few people (Who previously didn’t spend) are purchasing it BUT they are getting less money from the whales who purchase Odins on a regular basis. So I’m the long run, they would still see more money from the Odins at this price rather then a reduced price.

Hey, I could be wrong.... it’s just how I picture the whole scenario working out. I’d LOVE for the price of an Odins to go down, I just don’t see this happening. IF they went down this road, I think they’d add an item or 2 to the Odin rather then reduce the cash cost.

Honestly it’s just the value of in game purchases that are warped like crystals, way over priced. If the crystals and pots were lower then I’d personally be more incentivated to buy units because I’d feel like I was getting more for my money then scraps.

That to me is the problem because with the way things are now it’s feels like I’m being ripped off or worse perpetuating and enabling con.

Also the competitive nature of the game and players is more of an incentive to buy units then anything else from what I’ve seen, war, prestige, aq, youtubers. That alone already props ups Kabams justifications for pricing more then anything imo when it becomes a compulsion. While it can be said that the market drives the price, Kabam sure has no problem enabling people to spend.

Toyota_2015

The value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for it.

Never expected to find such good advice on an MCOC forum post.

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Tehsigzorz

Thats mobile gaming for you as well as gambling I guess?

DNA3000

Honestly it’s just the value of in game purchases that are warped like crystals, way over priced. If the crystals and pots were lower then I’d personally be more incentivated to buy units because I’d feel like I was getting more for my money then scraps.

That's called "working as intended." The prices for most things aren't intended to incentivize spending. They are actually set to make people think twice about spending. Ideally, people should just earn what they can get from gameplay. But if everyone played for free there wouldn't be a game: someone has to fund it. So the game isn't trying to make things cheap enough for everyone to buy, it is generally making things so expensive that only a few people are willing to buy. This gives players the smallest amount of in-game rewards while still generating enough revenue to support the game. Meanwhile, people who don't spend are penalized the smallest amount possible for not spending. And the people actually spending still think it is worth it (or should, if they are rational actors), so they should be fine with it as well.

That to me is the problem because with the way things are now it’s feels like I’m being ripped off or worse perpetuating and enabling con.

If you feel that way, you're not supposed to be spending on the game.

Inx

Honestly it’s just the value of in game purchases that are warped like crystals, way over priced. If the crystals and pots were lower then I’d personally be more incentivated to buy units because I’d feel like I was getting more for my money then scraps.
That's called "working as intended." The prices for most things aren't intended to incentivize spending. They are actually set to make people think twice about spending. Ideally, people should just earn what they can get from gameplay. But if everyone played for free there wouldn't be a game: someone has to fund it. So the game isn't trying to make things cheap enough for everyone to buy, it is generally making things so expensive that only a few people are willing to buy. This gives players the smallest amount of in-game rewards while still generating enough revenue to support the game. Meanwhile, people who don't spend are penalized the smallest amount possible for not spending. And the people actually spending still think it is worth it (or should, if they are rational actors), so they should be fine with it as well.
That to me is the problem because with the way things are now it’s feels like I’m being ripped off or worse perpetuating and enabling con.
If you feel that way, you're not supposed to be spending on the game.

Yea I know, but at a certain point ethics comes into play doesn’t it? If it didn’t countries all over, as well as players, wouldn’t be making such a big fuss about loot boxes and in game spending. It’s definitely a talking point today within any gaming community. I’m not arguing against it, just saying just because you can or can’t afford it doesn’t mean your not being taken advantage or enabling someone elses compulsion.

In the end I guess it doesn’t matter and it is just what it is. No point trying to argue against it or justifying it, but at the very least we shouldn’t be blind to it.

Jwallace25

It's all about priorities. Some have so much extra money that spending $1,000 on an animated game character won't affect them. Others prioritize this game above other things that they could buy. Some sacrifice things that they need, like food and a place to live, to buy these characters. As long as Kabam has guys willing to spend, they would be fools not to offer it. Kabam is in business to make money, and they've created a product that people are willing to spend ridiculous amounts of money on. For those guys that spend, I say more power to you.

DNA3000

Yea I know, but at a certain point ethics comes into play doesn’t it? If it didn’t countries all over, as well as players, wouldn’t be making such a big fuss about loot boxes and in game spending.

First of all, the volume of complaints doesn't correlate to validity. More players complain about game difficulty than do lootboxes. And regulators aren't looking at lootboxes as problematic because of value, they are looking at them as potentially needing age-restrictions and regulation regarding disclosure.

If you're concerned about ethics, it isn't the big cost low value lootboxes that should be your concern. It is the small value moderate value lootboxes that are the most problematic because they attract the most people into buying them and are the most addictive in terms of psychological feedback. You should be asking free to play developers to sell fewer lootboxes for more cost individually, rather than suggesting they sell more lootboxes for less cost individually.

I'm not worried about the dozens of COWhales of the world spending tens of thousands of dollars on MCOC. I'm much more worried about the hundreds of thousands of players spending twenty dollars on MCOC that really shouldn't be spending anything on a mobile game. But if you make lootboxes both cheap and have high value, that's what you'll encourage. Not only because you'll put more lootboxes in range of their spending power, but by encouraging more players to spend in general you'll increase the peer pressure on everyone else to spend. Literally no one cares what COWhale spends, because to a first order approximation zero percent of the players of the game ever encounter him in-game. But if 80% of players spent on the game instead of 30%, and they were getting a lot of value for that money, the other 20% would be compelled to spend to keep up, in a way they currently aren't now.

Diksh619

Agreed!
The only concern that i have is:
The game when i started playing had limited 4 stars and 5 stars had a pool of around 10-15 and there were no r5 even for a very long time. The numbers of item like revives don't give you % of health that can be recovered so if i am boosted for a war then those pots hit hard. I think most of the stuff is outdated like pots, revives cost, energy costs, stash capacity, t2 alpha availability, arena and the number of units that you get in 100$ feels way out dated. I don't remember they ever increased the limit or reduced the price.
They should at least give more units but i get this is business. It was more of a post to know how you guys feel about it as i saw no one ever mention it.
Thanks a lot guys for the feedback. I hope kabam can either reduce the cost or increase the units some day.
Happy Thanksgiving fellas!

Inx

Yea I know, but at a certain point ethics comes into play doesn’t it? If it didn’t countries all over, as well as players, wouldn’t be making such a big fuss about loot boxes and in game spending.
First of all, the volume of complaints doesn't correlate to validity. More players complain about game difficulty than do lootboxes. And regulators aren't looking at lootboxes as problematic because of value, they are looking at them as potentially needing age-restrictions and regulation regarding disclosure.

If you're concerned about ethics, it isn't the big cost low value lootboxes that should be your concern. It is the small value moderate value lootboxes that are the most problematic because they attract the most people into buying them and are the most addictive in terms of psychological feedback. You should be asking free to play developers to sell fewer lootboxes for more cost individually, rather than suggesting they sell more lootboxes for less cost individually.

I'm not worried about the dozens of COWhales of the world spending tens of thousands of dollars on MCOC. I'm much more worried about the hundreds of thousands of players spending twenty dollars on MCOC that really shouldn't be spending anything on a mobile game. But if you make lootboxes both cheap and have high value, that's what you'll encourage. Not only because you'll put more lootboxes in range of their spending power, but by encouraging more players to spend in general you'll increase the peer pressure on everyone else to spend. Literally no one cares what COWhale spends, because to a first order approximation zero percent of the players of the game ever encounter him in-game. But if 80% of players spent on the game instead of 30%, and they were getting a lot of value for that money, the other 20% would be compelled to spend to keep up, in a way they currently aren't now.

So it’s better for players to be priced out for the sake of protecting themselves from themselves?

When I talk about the valuation of items I’m mainly talking about potions or in game items not crystals, not that they should be ignored either.

Lowering the price of items such as potions isn’t going to fuel anyone’s compulsion for spending unless they already have one or are really terrible at the game. The potions would go into over flow anyway so I don’t see who would compulsively spend more units/moneys then they have to or are already spending currently. Even I spend units/money on potions already occasional so the idea that it’s going to create a new player base of compulsive buyers, regarding potions, seem unrealistic, when they would end up spending less relative to what they’re already spending and using. I see it as lower priced items means less pressure and less spending when it comes to aq or aw, due to item use limits, and less spending in questing all around. This isn’t even talking about mastery cores, which are extremely overpriced outside the money deals they offer occasionally. If the argument against this is fairness in that it would be unfair for the players who’ve already spent money in the previous years, it’s irrelevant to Kabam as evident by the mastery core money bundles, act 4 energy reductions and cavalier crystals.

For crystals imo it isn’t that different. Whales usually chase after certain champs as do most players in champion specific crystals. I don’t see how a whale spending 200$ on Odins to buy say 40 crystals, if the valuation was reduced, is worse then a whale spending 200$ just to get 20 crystals. The sooner they get and dupe the champion they’re after most will stop, but either way they’re fine. In this very same scenario, players with or without a problem who are spending anyway, whale or no whale imo are still better off since they’re more then likely to get what they’re after and spend less overall. Yes they might be tempted to spend if they weren’t spenders, but they’d still be getting a better deal if they chose to then the underwhelming ones they’re presented with now. The idea that prices should stay the way that they are as a means of stopping players from spending makes no sense from the players perspective or Kabams as far as I can see. If Kabam could generate more money then they would implement whatever system that would work out for “them” the best otherwise they’d just be doing “bad” business so if it was better for them to lower prices why wouldn’t they do so? Are they holding back for the sake of the players? This doesn’t add up unless Kabams getting bad data or business advice.

Regarding the players who may or may not have a problem, who are spending already anyway will still be getting a better and fairer deal, unless if your of the opinion that the prices are already fair and that’s fines. Just because we’ve all come to accept the pricing doesn’t mean the valuations are good. If Kabam had charged less from the beginning we wouldn’t be having this discussion and if they had charged more then nothing would be different. The price they set is arbitrary, even if it was based upon other games since at a certain point the first generation of these games choose that valuation. If it came down between playing or not paying I don’t think many would walk as most currently don’t simply because it’s mavel. How many players have ditched MCOC for that transformers game? I’ve never had the urge to play it all, when both games from what I hear aren’t all that different. Kabam doesn’t have to lower the price for units, but they could for items or keep the price the same for items and lower the price for units, not that it matters at this point.

I see 2 scenarios. 1 where all players are paying the set prices now, which in my opinion are overpriced resulting in bad deals or 2 where all players are getting a bit of a better fairer deal, spending problem or no problem. To be blunt it’s better for the players to be taken advantage of and ripped off at the their benefit then Kabams, if the system can’t or won’t be changed. That’s if they are getting ripped off since the whole idea of fairness is relative, but I don’t see why Kabam should benefit more when they already don’t buy much goodwill from the player base to begin with. Right now Kabam gains the most at the expense of all the players, whale or not, who may have problems or not. Whether you like cowhale or not, he’s still a person and doesn’t deserve to be written off as not wanting a better deal or valuation for his money, nor should he just be seen as the sacrificial whale, if he even cares at all, but whatever. Choosing one group of people over another is hardly ethical. Everyone should have the chance or opportunity to get a better deal for their money then what’s being offered now

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spiderknight616

The high cost isn't just related to this game. The Unit cost here is pretty standard across all mobile ftp games.

I'm not saying it is right, I don't 100% agree anything that is temporary like that should ever cost anything over a standard game ($50-$60), but I get the idea behind it and it really depends on that actual value of what you are buying. In the examples above, some of the higher end stuff in some of these games isn't exactly $99, but in those game, there really isn't much you can do with them. Units in this game can pretty much be used for almost everything, so they have a bit more value to it.

In the long run, it allows the players to maybe get a bit ahead of the curve or not have to wait as long for something, so the price is gonna be high. Also, while this game is free to play, the people making this are not free to work. Overall, no one is forcing anyone to buy anything, that game is just as enjoyable without having to buy anything.

The weird thing about PoGo is that it's actually much cheaper to buy the 100 coins pack multiple times than the 550 one in India.

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