Aces High $19.95 Special Offer

[Pyro]

Raub, the problem with a poll is that there's a whole lot of difference between saying and doing.  If I were taking a poll on how much I would pay for something, I'd pick the cheapest price by default.  How many people would realistically choose higher prices in a poll.  What would the results be if the oil industry had a poll on what the price of gas should be?

<edit> Actually, gas is a bad example since it's a necessity rather than a luxury, but you can fill in an appropriate example.

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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

[This message has been edited by Pyro (edited 10-24-2000).]

[BigJoe]

I'm hooked   , like many, I said I'd pay 29.95 a month a long time ago and it sure beats the amount I was paying for that "other" sim.  Here you have quality service, quick response to problems, and a sim thats setting the standards for others to follow.

However I've heard others say they still consider AH in "beta" and won't pay until they see everything HTC says is coming down the pipe.  Another one I know is a PTO nut and probably can't wait for that theater to open.

I can only say I'm as happy as a pig in poop right now.

                      BigJoe

[This message has been edited by BigJoe (edited 10-24-2000).]

[Maverick]

 

Originally posted by Pyro:
Maverick, we undertook this with the understanding that people like yourself and Renfield would get bent out of shape over it and doubt our motivations.  Because of that and other obvious things, this is not something that we went about for giggles, it is valuable information that we aren't garnering for the good of the industry and therefore aren't going to give you all the juicy details about what our sample market is and what the results are.  

What I would like to know is what would you do to find the best price point?  A- Leave it be and don't worry about it.  B- Throw the dice, make the change and hope it works.

I think I would have taken choice C.

Make a survey of those leaving before paying account status and another of those staying and paying.

The info would be just as valid and you would not have created the 2 price situation you now have.

Cmon, Pyro, do you really think people playing now at $29.95 would be unhappy if you lowered the price????

I understand you are looking at the bottom line and trying to set a working cash flow. That is basic business. I am sure you and HT looked over the competition for their prices, crunched the numbers with contracts in the area you chose to work and settled on a base price. It was rather pricey compared to other games available Hell I know you are competing with dissimilar games like Quake and tribes. They cost much less and offer correspondingly less.

What Renfield and I disagree with is the way you chose to find out the data you are receiving.

Would you feel good if your utility company suddenly decided to offer the same facilities to others for one third less and didn't give you the same price???

An exit survey of those who do not decide to pay and play with a survey of those who are paying would give the same data.

Mav

[Kieren]

So....

If I go to the mall and there is a sidewalk sale going on, I should yell at the vendor for offering a reduced price to customers? Especially when the competition is selling virtually the same product for less? Just because I had previously bought the product at the normal price?

Sit back and relax. If the price break is doable, we all benefit. If not, don't worry about it. Either you get $30 worth of fun a month or you don't.

And Pyro's point about whether you test the waters or jump right in is an easy call to make- if it isn't your livelihood on the line. Maybe I would do it their way, maybe I wouldn't but I certainly won't second-guess them. It's their jobs on the line, friends, and I doubt they want to have to start all over again in a couple months. I'm quite sure they've thought this over.

And a final point on the poll... remember when it seemed everyone thought a 10K field in the middle of the map would be cool? When everyone thought the Ostwind would be the best thing for the game since sliced bread? When folks yelled for a separate arena for Axis/Allies?

Fact is, people say one thing and do another, or very quickly change their minds after they try something they think they would like.

[This message has been edited by Kieren (edited 10-24-2000).]

[Maverick]

Kieren,

Your analogy is flawed. There is no mall offering AH through another source is there?

The same vendor is offering the same product to different customers and widely differing prices. The same data could have been determined without having done this.

Mav

[Pyro]

Well Mav, I guess it's a glass half full or a glass half empty type of deal.  Either you're happy from the fact that we're looking at cheaper pricing or you're feeling screwed because we're looking at cheaper pricing.  It's just a matter of your outlook.



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

[Kats]

Some of you guys must be in LaLa land. Don't you think there are people with free accounts in AH, or WB for that matter? There are tons of them. It's part of business. The question is, what is the game worth for you.

I think Pyro's response was reasonable. They are are simply trying to establish a price point for maximum return. Once that price point is established it will be universal.

I should point out that I can understand some of you feeling slighted, when I heard about this the other day I knew people would scream hehehehehehe. Just remember that the guys are trying to do business and get inside the consumer's head, not cheat us. They could spend $50,000 on a market research company and get less valid info than the way they are going about now.


PS Badger. Did you hesitate before hitting the submit button? I didn't think you would do it  

[Gadfly]

Translation of the above:

What ever price point works best will become the pricing for all.  He ain't offering anyone HIGHER pricing, so My guess is the price is going down.

[Nash]

Yes!!!

A few of my squaddies just signed up based on this. They are mostly complete gear heads (Falcon 4 - you know the type... but *damn* good sticks).

I've been trying for ages to get them here... This did it!

Excuse me... I'm kinda excited about this.

BRING ON THE BABY SEALS!! (er, my squaddies not included   )

<rubs his hands together> <slurp> <drool>

The way I figure it, I was paying 29 bucks for this yesterday. The sim is still great today, and I'm still paying 29 bucks. Same thing. These guys just happened to win a Lottery of sorts... it happens, they got lucky... And it means more players in our arenas. It's a good thing imho.

[Snoopi]

Kieren (among others) has it right.

-This is not an offer for newbies.
-This is not for air-quake players.
 
-When you buy a car (Renfield...)
you do get a different price then the "other guy". (unless you buy a saturn    )

-If this helps HTC decide on a price point that helps lower the price while keeping HTC "alive", then so be it.

BTW
-I have "flown" AH since beta days.
-I can't afford it right now, but I am a proud "booster" of AH.
(last I checked..3 friends of mine are AH paying subscribers because of me)
-I host and fly H2H regularly.
-I report bug and have helped many newbies learn the basics so that they will like the game and hopefully stay and pay.
(some have)
To say that I have not "supported" HTC bug me.
I have done everything except pay $$ and will do THAT when my unemployed status changes.
I KNOW I have increased HTC's revenue.

I was presented the survey offer but unfortunately cannot even afford that price.
I WILL NOT complain if I get a job next week and then pay the normal $45.37 cdn to play online !

I think the chance for EVERYONE, HTC included, to benefit from this SMALL "test" is worth it. IF the price drops due to this "test", WE will all benefit from it.

Regards,
Snoopi

P.S. If anyone needs a Jr. Oracle OCP Certified DBA let me know, so I can explode in a fireball in front of more users.    

[This message has been edited by Snoopi (edited 10-24-2000).]

[Spitboy]

Well, in defense of HTC, I was one who took a trial period and did not follow through with a full account at the end of two weeks, and I did not receive a mail like that. I suspect the sample size for this test price was a relatively small group of:

1. Folks who signed up for a trial account, played a LOT of hours, but then did not move to a paying account; or

2. Folks who had a paying account for a while, spent a lot of time playing, and left.

I really don't see much wrong with the method, provided the testing pool is very small.

I think a better way to handle this would have been to offer three months at $19.95 to these people. With that, you still get the demographics on who would come to you at a cheaper price - and three months is a long enough time for folks to develop a playing pattern (ie., get hooked). Plus, with this method, you get the added demographic information on who actually keeps their plan when the three months expire and they moe to $29.95. Did the chance to try AH for three months hook them? That would have been valuable information. Spend 5 or 6 months with the above plan, then settle on a price point. If you don't go all the way down to $19.95, and settle on $25 or something, then at the end everyone is on the sape pricing plan.

Just my .02.

Spitboy -SW-

[Gman]

Geesh, stop thinking so hard about it guys.  HTC is doing this for everyone's benefit.  If it works out, great, we all save a few dollars a month.  If it doesn't, oh frickin well, a few guys got a cheap rate, and odds are they probably won't be sticking around if this move doesn't work, so it's no skin off your back.

P.S.  I could be flying AH free on a media account, but I've gladly forked over my $48 bucks Canadian every month.  Stop Crying.

[This message has been edited by Gman (edited 10-24-2000).]

[leepace]

Molders Here  

Please spare a thought for the guys that dont live in the U.S.A......

Im from Australia, and our dollar conversion is 53.54 cents to every Yankee dollar. So if its $29.95 its $60 odd dollars later for me. Hell people who have been here for a WHILE should atleast get some discount etc grrrrrrr

MOLDERS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chisel]

LOL I can just imagine the reaction on AGW if IEN pulled this and got found out.

I guess most of the hardasses stayed with WB's

[Maverick]

 

Originally posted by Pyro:
Well Mav, I guess it's a glass half full or a glass half empty type of deal.  Either you're happy from the fact that we're looking at cheaper pricing or you're feeling screwed because we're looking at cheaper pricing.  It's just a matter of your outlook.

Pyro,

That is NOT the case. No where in my post did I say I did not want a lower rate. I am happy that you are looking for a lower rate. I would be very happy if it were lowered to $19.95. I don't think you would find anyone who would not like it of rates were lowered.

I am unhappy that you didn't even ask the current paying members what they thought about a possible price reduction or price change possibility to include a survey of potential rates. I am unhappy that you gave a select clientele a one third reduction in perpetuity without any guarantee of a reduction in what the rest of us are paying.

Obviously you have quite an emotional investment in this situation as you have taken a very defensive posture in your posts. I have to ask you why you think anyone should be happy that you offered permanent  prices to others and not all.

Banks offer an "intro" credit card rate for a fixed time to start an account. The competition does the same to try and gain more customers. That is normal and those rates are set for a temporary time.

I fully understand the concept of determining a market price. But you have to understand that the customer doesn't have to like preferential pricing or treatment. That is the situation that has just been created.

Mav