Who is the target audience ?

[bod]

The ultimate hardcore crowd would gladly pay 100-300 US$/month (at least so i have read).

The weekend/squadron-night players seldom plays more than 10 hours/month.

Maybe the hourly rates also is something that keeps the interest up: We would like to play more, but the cost stopped us. This would prevent us from getting bored.

Who knows ? only time will tell - i guess.


Bod

[koala]

$30 per month is aimed at an audience such as myself.  I played a lot of AW in the early '90's when it was $6 / hour, so I was as hardcore as they come.  After a while you just have to look at the numbers and say, "this is nuts".  $30 is not for your casual gamer, so unlike other posts I've seen on this board, it's *not* going to appeal to the "Quake crowd".  I believe it's the perfect balance between having serious participants, being able to compete with all the other entertainment options out there, and being able to make a healthy profit.  More importantly, I don't have to constantly think about "wallet drain" while I'm getting to altitude, so it will make the flying / combat styles more flexible and realistic.

ko

[bod]

Maybe you are right koala. I do find it a bit strange however, that people who gladly would pay more now actually can pay (substantially) less, while the casual player, like myself, now need to pay more for the same amount of time as before.


Bod

[-towd_]

well it is a new game and should be light years ahead of the current warbirds for many reasons you all know. and if you were in charge of the pricing plan for warbirds and ah does this. what are your options?

1. give up hourly who is gonna pay for a game in that way when there is a beter one cheaper?

2. match price to ah, still no go same as above why when there is ah (a superior game at same price).

3.slash prices and hope to put air warrior out of bussines with a 10 or 20  buck flat fee, i havent been there lately but used to be at least 1000 to 1300 people  on all the time total in aw every nite at peak time. i bet they have 30 or 40 thousand members multiply that by 10 or 20 and you are talkin some cash. and a survivable nich for imol

also 30 bucks might be lower than ww2online can go with the very much larger costs for production.
if so good tactical move hitech you give your old company (i guess you still own some of it)a way to survive,till they get rid of the corporate idiots and destroy air warrior probly for good (freeing up a huge player base) ,the air war guys are just as addicted as the rest of us, (hell most of us are from there). and cut the profit out of your only serious competitor.

all in all that dude that wrote "the prince" would be proud and i am impressed (then again i might be way off the mark).


towd    


 

[Dancer]

Well,

$30 hits pretty much what the "serious but
financially limited" player in "the other
game" spends.

It translates in roughly 15 hours of flight
per month, given a hypothetical price of
$2/hour.

Now assume you fly two scenario's for 2 hours
each per week and you get about roughly 16
hours.

I know from a lot of european pilots (who
have to pay extra hourly charges for telco),
that they don't fly much more than this.

However, if the game clock stops after 15
hours (dollar-wise that is) and there are
"just" telco charges remaining...

Dancer out.

[ACES_Hotpants]

I just find it so shrecking annoying this is aimed at the yuppie market. Im from UK and have to pay by the min here for my calls. With a decent paying job even WB's was a little to much on the expensive side to me.

Im a hardcore and semi real flight sim nut but Im so gutted its priced me out of the game.


------------------
ACES_Hotpants
 Http://acesrock.cjb.net  
ICQ 9713301
ACES ROCK!

[Beaz]

I'm a long time WB player... started the UK's first squadron and I've seen loads of people just bite the bullet simply because of the telephone charges.

ACES-Hotpants what you do is get a btinternet line at £11.95 a month and have FREE connection all weekend long... you can't get better than that at this time and the connection seems to be reasonable.

Regards

Daren

------------------
Beaz
249 Squadron RAF "Gold Coast"
"With Fists and Heels"
Part of the Tangmere Wing