Discussion: VP/BF Price Changes

[sneakygras]

3,000 posts and counting...

[Pelleban]

(04-12-2009 05:08 PM)Pelleban Wrote:  I haven't been playing for a long while now. Reasons are:
There is a problem with your connection...
There was a thread up about it, but nothing was done and there were no replies from the devs what were being done to solve the problem. I could temper with my modem but I shouldn't have to do that just to play a game, it's the devs responsibility to make it work!
Now I checked back to see if it had been solved, and I see that there are uber weapons that costs tons of vp but can be bought for real money infinitely. In case vp rewards haven't changed, you quickly run out of them when u reach higher levels. A lack of vp means you won't be able to afford these super weapons cause u must have bandage and wrench and therefore free players are at a disadvantage imo. And that means the core idea of the game has gone away. Don't get me wrong here, still a great game if you pay for it.

Lol, I had to quote my own post on this one! I went back into the game just to check the uberweapons out. And I saw they had trippled the cost of normal weapons!!! That made me lol! hahaha, are they for real? how the F are u suppose to afford weapons, bandages and wrenches when u have completed missions and are at lvl 30? answer me that, and I might come back, but now? No way!

[wizier]

(04-12-2009 06:24 PM)sneakygras Wrote:  3,000 posts and counting...

3001th

[Legolasx002]

(04-12-2009 06:26 PM)Pelleban Wrote:  

(04-12-2009 05:08 PM)Pelleban Wrote:  I haven't been playing for a long while now. Reasons are:
There is a problem with your connection...
There was a thread up about it, but nothing was done and there were no replies from the devs what were being done to solve the problem. I could temper with my modem but I shouldn't have to do that just to play a game, it's the devs responsibility to make it work!
Now I checked back to see if it had been solved, and I see that there are uber weapons that costs tons of vp but can be bought for real money infinitely. In case vp rewards haven't changed, you quickly run out of them when u reach higher levels. A lack of vp means you won't be able to afford these super weapons cause u must have bandage and wrench and therefore free players are at a disadvantage imo. And that means the core idea of the game has gone away. Don't get me wrong here, still a great game if you pay for it.

Lol, I had to quote my own post on this one! I went back into the game just to check the uberweapons out. And I saw they had trippled the cost of normal weapons!!! That made me lol! hahaha, are they for real? how the F are u suppose to afford weapons, bandages and wrenches when u have completed missions and are at lvl 30? answer me that, and I might come back, but now? No way!

they dont want you to get vp they want you to get BF!

[F4CE]

(04-12-2009 05:58 PM)JudgeDOA Wrote:  

(04-12-2009 12:33 AM)|DoG|Runn3r Wrote:  

(04-12-2009 12:04 AM)JudgeDOA Wrote:  I just want to get my voice heard amongst the flames in the other thread, as I personally want this game to get back to being fun.
To point out a misconception by Mr Cousins regarding VP usage. Not all of us have high levels of VP and I always use up my points quite quickly, those who do are probably players who have a lot more spare time to play than I do (as a 36 y.o. father of 2 with a full-time job). Perhaps a better way of managing this would have been to put a cap on the amount of VP you can have, to encourage people to use it (500 VP maybe?).

Judge believe me when I say this :

Mr Cousins is under no misconseption, he knows for a fact we can not afford VP items with the new price's, that is why they set them so high so YOU HAVE TO BUY BF i hope you can see what I am saying because alot of people don't seem to understand why they have done this,just to make sure i'll say it one more time THEY WANT YOUR MONEY, i hope this helps clarify the situation for you.

I agree with what you are saying but I was referring specifically to the following statement

(30-11-2009 03:59 PM)BenCousins Wrote:  Our analysis of the VP economy showed us that people had lots of unused VP, which told us the prices for VP items were too low - hence the increases in VP pricing today.

but the following gets more to the point

(30-11-2009 03:59 PM)BenCousins Wrote:  We also frankly wanted to make buying Battlefunds more appealing. We have wages to pay here in the Heroes team and in order to keep a team large enough to make new free content like maps and other game features we need to increase the amount of BF that people buy. Battlefield Heroes is a business at the end of the day and for a company like EA who recently laid off 16% of their workforce, we need to keep an eye on the accounts and make sure we are doing our bit for the company.

If you guys have any more questions or comments feel free to email me direct on ben.cousins@dice.se

Whilst I understand the sentiment in this comment, the present changes have only put the game at risk of losing those of us who have paid to support this game and in so doing put their futures at risk.


Perhaps EA should pay more attention to the suggestions section, where many good ideas have been put forward which would increase revenue. Better value for money is what we need, but those who cannot afford to pay should not be penalised (we are in a global recession you know!). Often less is more. I.E. you make things cheaper and more people will be persuaded to part with some cash, isn't a little from many better than a significant sum from a few?

Agreed! I would have never even considered buying BF before this and for just about a minute or two I actually thought about throwing $5 or $10 for this shiat. Then I saw what you get for your cash and actually did the real-life and audible LOL.

'F' that noise. I'm playing until the stuff (weapons) I had already purchased with VP runs out on my main character and then I will find some other mindless way to waste my time. I guess they have a few more days to come up with some changes in their system or their revenue from me looking at those stupid ads goes down to $0.00.

On the other hand, you can quickly tell who the morons are when you are in game. Look for people using tons or bandages and wrenches. It's kind of nice being able cut more lone-wolf gunners and commandos to pieces and always having a second crack at them with lower health if they get you.

MAYBE they could consider putting the Weapon VP prices back they way they were and raising the price of the Widgets. The game is about blasting away. If you want to get more life, pay more for it.

[LoseALot]

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/sh...?t=1050258

Quote: Expect an influx of new TF2 Players this weekend!
For those of you who are not aware the Battlefield Heroes community is on fire and in full scale revolution about a pricing structure change and the fact they added pay only weapons that are more powerful than those accessible for free.

Over 7,000 players have signed a petition to move from BFH to TF2 as a way to slap EA/Dice in the face. If only 20% of those people follow through we will have over 1,000 new noobs running around this weekend.

There are people begging Valve to reopen the discounted prices from Halloween so they can distribute copies for free to move entire clans from BFH to TF2.

If an update for TF2 is on the horizon, i think it would bring even more players over.

Valve, this is your chance to strike now and capitalize on your competitors lack of community involvement.

And i look forward to having some easy targets around, HA HA!

[Splunk]

I'm going to leave because you promised closed beta testers something and all I got was a shitty medal.

You are trying to get money from the community BEFORE you even let a stable community be created. You tried to take money from the closed beta testers and RAISE the price of whatever VP item you can get. I don't want to be a level 20 with beginner weapons but I don't want to pay my real money in order to go somewhere in this "free" game.

Good job, EA!

[Jossiqua]

I wrote this in another topic, but I think it was the wrong place so I'm moving it here

First of all, I can't be bothered to read through 150+ pages of posts to see if someone said the same thing as me Tongue so excuse me on that one.

Right. I understand that you, EA & DICE, need to make some money, that's fine you're a business after all. I was fairly willing to put money into this game, especially as you announced that BF prices for weapons was decreased (in particular the "unlimited" option which is what I was interested in). I can now buy 2100 BattleFunds at price of £13.47 and get all the weapons I need + plus change (at the current rate of 145 BF for an unlimited weapon).

To be honest, I was happy to do that. I'd say BFH is my third most played game ever with a total of 9 days worth of gaming time so far. I've spent £30, £40 even £50 on many console games that have lasted me for 1-2 days worth of gaming time. So what I'm saying is, this game is value for money, at least for me anyway.

However there's problems with this game, some new and some old, that really put me off investing money into your game. So, I shall list and explain them:

1. Cheaters - Currently the biggest reason why I will not pay for this game. I've reported 21 (+2 which I have yet to report but have footage) cheaters to date and those are the one's I could be bothered following around and getting enough solid evidence for. I've seen plenty of others. Now I know cheaters are in just about every kind of shooter game, I know only one where aim bots and wall hacks will not work/are useless. You only have to look at Enemy Territory to see how bad cheating can get on online gaming. So I accept that cheaters can't be removed entirely, but currently there are far too many of them. If I play commando, the chances are I'll see one a day, maybe more. This is unacceptable if you want me to pay. If it was more like 1 or 2 a week then I'd (somewhat reluctantly) take that as an acceptable amount of cheating for a Pay2Play game. But like I said, I personally see more than this (maybe I'm unlucky eh?) and it's unacceptable for a Pay2Play game.

2. "Tier 2" or "Super/Uber" Weapons - Buying the now "Tier 1" weapons has suddenly become unattractive with the release of these weapons. It's early days yet and I've yet to test them so I'm unsure how much of an advantage these weapons have over the others. However, if it turns out that the advantage they have is significant, then there's little point in me buying the "Tier 1" items and the prices for the "Tier 2" are unattractive. I also cannot help feeling that those who have already bought "Tier 1" unpolished, and in particular, polished weapons for unlimited use, may have been stabbed in the back here. Again this is dependent on how powerful the new weapons are.

3. My Trust in You (EA & DICE) - As a direct follow on to what I said about unpolished and polished "Tier 1" weapons, if it does turn out that the Super/Uber weapons are significantly more powerful than the others then you've essentially stabbed those that bought the Tier 1 weapons for an unlimited period in the back here.

Continued...

[Jossiqua]

Next, there's the issue with "Exclusive's" and then re-releasing them. Now I've read a bit about this and your argument is based on the definition of "Exclusive" but lets face it, I don't think you're ignorant enough to not realise how many people would take the word "Exclusive" and think "Wow, this is the only opportunity to buy this item, I better get it!". I've not bought these items so it's not a direct issue to me but I can't help but think you duped these people into buying these items on the false idea that "these items will never be released again". You should've defined "Exclusive" a lot sooner or, even better, advertised these items as "Exclusive to this month!" with it written clearly underneath that they'll be released at a later date. Maybe you did define exclusive upon release of these items, I don't know, I was never interested in these items and so had no reason the check the small print. But whatever the case, you irritated many people doing this and I'd say lost a bit of their trust.

Thirdly, your advertising campaign. This game was strongly advertised as a casual, free to play shooter, with money gaining you no advantage over those who did not pay. Hell, you even mocked games which were more dedicated to hardcore gamers with lots of cash. And now look what you've done. Only the hardcore gamers can afford the none standard Tier 1 weapons with Valor Points, let alone the Tier 2 one's. Sure, many players (including myself who was saving VP for a big multi hero weapon & clothing spend) had a lot of VP saved up, but for most, this will be gone in a month and no one except the hardcore will be able purchase the alternative weapons for VP. And let's face it, Knife and Mid-Ranged MG aside, the starter weapons are poor. Anyway the point is, you advertised this game as something which it no longer is.

These three points make me very unwilling to give you, a well known and profitable gaming business, any of my money. I have little trust in you now and I have no idea what idiotic thing you'll implement next.

4. Players Leaving - Many players are planning on, or already have left. Although I feel that it's a bit too early to just rage quit (I'm personally waiting to see how this pans out) I can understand why people have left. This makes the game somewhat unattractive play as I'm left with mostly players who have starter weapons and don't have much of chance and hardcore players with money burning a hole in their pockets who are most likely to be highly skilled and have the maximum advantage due to cash. Does a casual gamer want to play with these people? Not really.


So. There you have it. My main reasons why investing money into this game is a somewhat unattractive prospect. For all it's problems, I like this game, really, I do, but with these issue's present, I can't pay you guys the money which you would otherwise deserve for a great game. Sorry.

[SniperShark]

This is a epic fail and Shade why no officel response ? Are the moderators to busy to count there money?
Seriously This is there worst scam in history of bfh.
I would like to see how this is going to work.
But if it not gets ''fixed'' then its the ''finger'' for you.

[PotatoeFritz]

(30-11-2009 03:59 PM)BenCousins Wrote:  We also frankly wanted to make buying Battlefunds more appealing. We have wages to pay here in the Heroes team and in order to keep a team large enough to make new free content like maps and other game features we need to increase the amount of BF that people buy. Battlefield Heroes is a business at the end of the day and for a company like EA who recently laid off 16% of their workforce, we need to keep an eye on the accounts and make sure we are doing our bit for the company.

To give you a customers point of view: I got money. And I was willing to spend some 20€ a year MAXIMUM or so here. But no more.

Because I only get a service for it, which could get cut or changed by you as YOU please. And as you just DID. Without any further explanation.

Being a customer, you wouldnt be too fond of a service doing this to you like that.

And worst of all: What you did just contradicted your advertisement. (no ingame advantages for payment, remember?)

(01-12-2009 08:44 AM)HelloAndy Wrote:  Fixed isn't a term I would use, but it's highly likely they will be adjusted as we've continued to change the ratio between free/vp/bf since the beginning of the game. Comparing to other games out there, ranging from Windows games to Facebook games, we've had waaay low price/effort to get access to all of the cool content without barely even trying.

It should be possible to play and enjoy the game for free (which you can, the default clothes are a bit dull, but the default set of weapons are good and leathal). A more active player should be rewarded with enough VP to use a few none-standard items (here we might need more tweaking) either for a couple of days, like over the weekend, or be able to keep using some of them. And if you wanna have imba looks and a great weapon unlimited, then you should be able to buy this with a small and affordable amount of BF (we lowered this even more now).

1. I know first hand that it isnt too pleasing seing competitors getting more money out of the same product.
But: Do they really get more money out of it? Experience tells they usually dont. But if they do, and their customers dont feel cheated, you might want to look into the way HOW they did that...

2. The nature of this game isnt that much determined by clothes, though it is something unique, but by the guns - and bandages. By selling advantages for money, you have contradicted half of your advertisement and alienated customers. The maths many people here did stands, that your intended customers (working people), will get slaughtered by new weapons if they do not pay over time.

I wont think of it like you. If I started I would latest stop being thrown in a game of rich bored kids, getting slaughtered by their new uberweapons. Since we cant choose our games, this is likely to happen rather sooner than later.

(30-11-2009 03:59 PM)HelloAndy Wrote:  Thanks for your concern. We don't really need money as much as a sustainable business model for the game. Like, we want a lightweight and fun game, with great graphics and gameplay, that doesn't cost a lot to play and enjoy. AND that this game is not costing us more money than we make. Even if it would seem like a company like EA have endless money, it's bad business if games cost more to develop and maintain than they bring in. If a cash flow turns negative each month it will lead to zero money in the bank eventually. Not saying this is the case for us, but if we get it right with Heroes and this model, we can have a lasting positive cashflow and can continue working with it forever and everyone will be happy. Even make amazing expansions or who knows what the future might bring?

OHHHHHH!!!!!! Now here its comes: "that doesnt cost as lot to play...." Errrrr, your advertisement tells it were for free?!!!! Now when did that change please? And when did you intend to tell your customers?

If you run your buisness like how you do now, I expect more completly intransparent actions via EA / DICE with this game in the future.

I am out of here.

EDIT for having to look up the last guys name

[Rockingdemon]

I have about 8000 VP, if I choose to keep my weapons I used before the update it wil cost me about 4500 a month per weapon. So do the math: my VP will last maximum 2 months. And that's just for one weapon for just one of my heroes. I didn't save my VP to spend it al in 2 months. And another thing: What am I to do when my VP runs out? Buying BF? Don't think so cause I can't afford BF. This is why players who have the resources to buy BF have an advantage, because I'll have to stick to the default weapons. Also even if I would have the money to buy BF, I wouldn't, just out of principle. I'm deliberately not even spending my VP out of principle.

[Pablo1989]

"Who digs under who hole, it runs to it" says my dad

[Onno10]

Looks like my sig hypnotised Shadeshooter

[AbsTructIONZ]

1. you shouldn't get advantages from money, it is goddamned unfair. like me, where 1 dollar is Rp.10.000 in my country, to buy 700 BF, i would've used all my monthly allowance. not to mention that EA haven't make the BF to be bought with money transfered to some account.

2. please consider us third-world-citizen players. most of us don't have paypal or giro or anything that could buy BF. this game is awesome -if not awesomest that i've ever played. just that i can't buy BF with real money here. i suggest EA create a new payment system like SMS or such.

please, shadeshooter, my main is a commando. and i'm dying with all gunners using Tier 2 MG and i'm still using standard pipsqueak, and i can't get the custom pipsqueak because i'm underaged to have a credit card. not sure if my bank support your payment option anyway. give us third-world-citizen some solution.....

[snorling]

Wow.
EA, you couldn't have found a better way to practically piss 2million people off.
So what are you going to do now? Make so that when entering a tank/plane/car will cost 3BF?
Sounds as logical as what you've just achieved.
Or, when taking over a base, you need to pay BF?
Maybe... you need to pay BF to get a "finishing shot" in order to kill players?
How about... Need to buy the abillity to level with BF, per level up?
Ah, of course... To reload, you need to press B and F keypads and pay 5BF?
Or eventually... To shift between your weapons... you need to use the B and F command again?
Think of... Every 10 step you took with your character, you need to pay 7bf?
And... To take over a base... you need to send all your VP and BF you had collected to EA?
Maybe... When using a smg, you needed to pay to have a aim every 7 seconds?
And when you're on it... how about... To chat, you needed to pay for every word, and to check your abilities, you needed to pay 80BF... and when you're using a weapon, you needed to hear a 20second long commercial? And how about... everytime you use the map, you lose all your BF?
And why not do so... that to crouch, you needed to buy all clothes that is in the store for a total of 5000BF?
And it wouldn't not be so that you would... When adding a friend, EA makes you pay for every time you join a map with him/she?
Yeah, that's just some things you could put in the game, cause you have already made some changes as dumb as these... and nobody will even care, cause nobody will play this game in a very short period of time, unless you take back these outrageous changes!

[Kazperzky]

The list goes on and on, but aren't we really just waiting for a reply...?

[Rot.]

Short of having already done a dramatic and embarrassingly public reversal of the recent update I don't image there's a way for EA/Dice to turn this around without seeing a significant loss in BFH brand value.

This is a public relations nightmare and doing a simple google search for the game no longer turns up glowing reviews but instead numerous articles about the pricing debacle.

Add to that their timing, December, the height of the holiday season and it stands to reason that many of you will be getting new games as gifts over the next several weeks. It's an amazingly ballsy and product crushingly short-sighted move on EA's part.

EA's always been given a bad wrap for it's colorless corporate culture and instances like this show a remarkable divide between itself and its users, particularly at a time of year when many studios would be more likely to show players appreciation and possibly cash in on good will.

[DrowsyJay]

ROT-"Short of having already done a dramatic and embarrassingly public reversal of the recent update I don't image there's a way for EA/Dice to turn this around without seeing a significant loss in BFH brand value."~ I respect your thought processes, Well said Soldier!




Happy Hunting!

[Mareczek20]

(01-12-2009 02:06 PM)P.Schulze Wrote:  

(01-12-2009 01:50 PM)ShadeShooter Wrote:  For widgets like bandages, I think lots of people forget that this change is for everyone. And it's not only about pricing but a bit about gameplay too. Think about it like this: If you can assume that every player you meet will have a stack of essentially unlimited amount of bandages, then what good is that item? We could've just made it default for no price at all. Which in turn would mean we could just remove it since everyone have it. Now what you get is instead an item that is worth something, that you save for those special occasions instead of throwing on basically every cooldown. Yes, it will be a change of how you play, how everyone plays. But in my opinion, after 10 000 rounds fired and the round is over, I'd rather see that I've killed (and maybe died) 10 times instead of 3.

What special occasion? A candlelightdiner with a royal? This is a SHOOTER! It happens every third time, that I use a bandage and someone shoots me from far away and interupts the healing... And cheaters make it even harder to get healed in peace... This is the worst thing about the update. The weapons may be acceptable, but this... this is a big advantage for rich kids. That way I can flush my money down the toilet. Or at least burn something with it!

I would have no problem to pay for weapons, but in the moment not even for that, cause this game is a CHEATERPARADISE!

fix the ***** prices!!!! !!