Aces High $19.95 Special Offer

[GRUNHERZ]

Hi

$19.95 Sounds good te me.  

thanks GRUNHERZ

[Camel]

This really hasnt bent my wookie,

I dont know whos on the list or why.

I trust HTC to be fair, its been proven to me! I think in reality this is great news.

Camel

[chaunc]

I just want to know how to make all the cool smiley faces i'm seeing in these messages.

Oh! and price war with WB sould suit me fine

(hmm if i put HTC bill on a visa that gives points to US air miles I am getting frequent flier miles to fly AH :-) )

Chaunc

[Wardog]

Agree with Fatty..

Ill pay 29.00 no problem, if HTC marketing has a way of drawing in new blood, good for them. Damn good marketing as far as i can see..

I would like to see more targets up..

WTG Pyro..

One other thing, i would not like to see the rate drop below $29.95.
Dog out...

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

[Lephturn]

Just to clarify things here... it looks to me like HTC is sending this to folks who tried a trial account but DID NOT subscribe after trying the 2 week trial.  

They seem to be doing two things here.  
****(This is just my Wild Assed Guess)****
1st, trying to retain some folks who try the game but don't end up subscribing.  2nd, trying to find out what the key reason is that these folks don't subscribe after the trial period.  This is very valuable information to HTC.

There is a possible positive here for the HTC community in general.  I'm sure if HTC finds out that the price is a big problem as opposed to other problems, the regular price could very well drop.  If they can find out what the major reasons are that folks don't subscribe and fix those, there will be more folks in AH, and the price may drop.  Additionally, if all goes well, HTC may end up with more income that will help them to develop the game.

This is just good business.  This is all good IMHO.

As a community, the best thing we can do to get a lower price in the future is to get more folks into this game.  Tell your friends, tell everyone about Aces High.  Do what you can to help new folks into the game.  Remember, every time you say "RTFM" when somebody asks a question you are keeping the price higher and/or HTC's resources lower.  We trainers will try to do our best, but we need the help of the entire community to make AH a place folks will want to stay.

Cheers, and here's hoping HTC gets lots of new customers and lots of great feedback from this special offer.

------------------
Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com


"My P-47 is a pretty good ship, she took a round coming 'cross the Channel last trip.
Just thinking 'bout my baby and lettin' her rip, always got me through so far."
 - Steve Earl

[Renfield]

Well, my $0.02 here...

I think if there are others flying the exact same sim as I am in the exact same arenas, that I should pay the same rate they are.

I don't think it is fair to current customers to either have them subsidize the newbies or to not give them "preferred" pricing when they have been ponying up the cash all along. Just because we have been paying $29.95 so far doesn't mean we should continue to if others don't don't have to and the discriminator is "new account".

I wouldn't have any problem at all with this if it was an introductory rate that after some time was moved to be in line with what we pay now. However, if this is a real e-mail and a real promotion, and these new players will maintin this pricing structure, then I resent that as a paying customer, I get second tier treatment.

I'm going to look into this further, but if newbies are getting regular subscriptions for $19.95 while we are expected to keep right on at $29.95, then I'll cancel my account and come back at $19.95 if that offer is extended or not come back at all.

Personally, I don't like this marketing ploy. To offer better rates to others just tells me that existing customers don't matter - at least not as much as our money.

This kind of pricing scheme works when prices go up for new subscribers - to keep existing customers at a preferred rate. However, it does nothing but cause big trouble as implemented here.

[Maverick]

ASSUMING this is not a troll....

I have a problem with this issue. Previously we were all flying for one rate. Now there appears to be a staggered rate. The service is all the same as far as I know. The $30.00 was for unlimited flying 24 / 7 and we all were told that was the deal. Now later after the several patches,versions and teething problems we have paid to help with another group of players has been not just accepted but recruited deliberately with an offer of the same product and conditions for one third less.

If this price change has been made across the board for all I have no problem with it. If this is a new change and all of us who have been playing are now less valuable as customers to HTC, I got a problem.

In previous areas of business I have seen "perk" rates for those who start into a product early and help develop it. Later customers coming into a business that is running smoothly pay a higher price for waiting. This recognizes the value of those who helped get it started. Doing it the other way seems to be a manner of punishing current customers for staying on. Yep we thought it was worth $30.00 a month as that was what HTC told us it was worth. Now it is worth $19.95 a month but we get to continue paying more..... Something is wrong here.

I sincerely hope this is a troll as I will be very unhappy if it is true, UNLESS the current customers get the same treatment.

I suppose a litmus test on this will be if this thread gets deleted or locked without explanation.

I hope Pyro tells us what the score is soon.

Mav

[Zigrat]

I share Mav's sentiments 100%, he put it better than I could <S>

[hblair]

I'm sure someone from HTC will explain this to us in due time, since of course, they're gonna have to now that the beans have been spilled.

Who knows? they may have been working on some email offers or something and it accidentally got sent out prematurely.
You know, like a few weeks ago when the professionals over at that other simm prematurley shot their HTML up to the website before the big guy gave permission.

Maybe this isn't the case.

It'll all come out soon enough...

[Pyro]

This is not intended as a marketing ploy to just bring us new customers, it's to gain information about pricing and some other things.  It's something that you as a consumer are subjected to everyday whether you realize it or not.  We've selected a group of people based on a number of factors and have used them to test out different price points.  We can take that information and crunch the numbers and have a good idea whether a different price point would make more sense for us.  If we find that to be the case, then everyone benefits.  We didnt' put a limit on the duration of the rate because it's the information that we're after and to do that would taint the results.  

We know that it seems exclusionary to our core supporters and that's been our chief concern in doing this, but given the choice of not exploring this or going about it in a reckless manner, we think that this is the best option.  The goal is not to have multiple price points, it's to have the best price point.  If things work out the way we want them to, we'll all benefit.



------------------
Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

[Renfield]

The point is, however, that the price of $19.95 has been locked in for those who sign up under this plan.

The rest of us, who gave you the information that we would sign up at $29.95 are stuck with the $29.95 rate until you decide (if you decide) to lower it - while those who signed up at $19.95 are guaranteed that rate from now on:

 

We've made arrangements for you to join the ranks of massively multiplayer flying for only $19.95 per month, unlimited months, unlimited flying until you delete this account.

Now that I know this situation is true, and as a current and paying customer I am now second-tier, I will be supplying more information for this experiment - I'm cancelling my account.

Done. Cya guys. I've really enjoyed flying with a bunch of you.

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

[AKSeaWulfe]

Okay Pyro, you've done what the experiment wanted.. Renfield has finally left the building!

<standing ovation>

hehehehehe
-SW

[hblair]

See there!

I don't give a rip. Maybe its a questionable practice, I don't know or care. I'm having a good time for 30 bucks a month. Let 'em do what they wanna with their polling plan. Its really their business. Lets not try to make their business decisions for them.

Have a beer pyro.  

[Fatty]

heh.  Yesterday you were fine with paying $30.  Today you found out a couple of people got a lucky break.  Ah well, see ya.

------------------
Fatty
Fat Drunk Bastards
"Newer studies show that over 97% of whines come from whiners."

[Staga]

First I thought I should quit sending money across the Atlantic but now I think I'll stay a while and look where this leads.

(wondering who leaked this out and what could happen IF the leak wouldn't happen?)