New funding model?

[Ack-Ack]

These threads amuse me because there is so much assumption from the creator and their plan is based on these assumptions, regardless if they're correct or not.  For example, the OP mentions "5,000" subscribers and then details how to gain more based on the number he pulled out of his arse, which results in a flawed model because its not based on any factual numbers.

Why did fighter ace close down, they were just like AH today, stagnate subs, therfore no room to improve therfore lost subs and a downward spiral.

And you know AH is suffering from "stagnate accounts" because....?  Again, you're pulling this out of your arse like your "5,000 subscribers" number.  You have no facts to base either statement on.  Only HiTech and crew at HTC know these numbers and they don't share this information with the player base.

Notice that the vehement reaction to this model is from long time players who have something to loose, ie their ability to rank highly each month.
I would prefer that this doesnt happen to AH I can just see the writing on the wall, was a post to perhaps prepare you for the change and I love watching you stalwarts cry and moan at any new ideas.

People that are against your business model aren't against it because we're afraid we will no longer be able to rank highly each month, most of us don't give a rat's arse about rank or score.  However, some of us that do know the gaming industry know that the majority of F2P games fail and aren't a guaranteed source of revenue or subscribers.  You're asking HiTech to ditch a proven business model with one that doesn't guarantee success or profit.


ack-ack

[coombz]

I agree that the subscription model is pretty much dead these days. Blizzard are still keeping it going with some success, but really the future seems to be in free to play, pay for new content/cosmetic upgrades type models...for better or worse

However I don't see that working for AH...

It'd be great to bump up the player base, and it could possibly lead to a lot of good things. Mostly I'm thinking of more competition.

BUT the thing is, most people who are up for playing a f2p game do not have joysticks and I don't think many would be prepared to get one just to try out something new. So either we bump up the population with a bunch of GV players (bleh), or the gameplay has to be dumbed down for mouse users. 

[hellwolf]

well ack ack its not hard to work out approximately how many subs there are, even 100% out and there are 10000 subs makes no difference. still not a million.  You are also working in the dark, who is to say that Aces past business model will still be profitable and growing in the future, if the business is not growing above inflation rate then its going backward, not saying this is happening, just that innovation is the only way to grow. You all have said that HT is happy at this level, your own assumption that suits your own ends. It seems logical that growth in a company is one of the main goals and reasons for trading.  Sure there are some boutique businesses that fill a niche, but in the present global economy they tend to get swallowed up by the big players.  Im not saying this is my idea or wish or desire in any way!!! So don't post with the assumption I have some cross to bear or agenda i want push. This is just an observation that Aces high will probably have to move to modern funding model of games. If its good enough it will survive, if it isn't then it dies.

A joystick should not be a requirement for playing at lower levels and would be a good intro for new players, u want to move up some more levels then buy a stick!  What difference will it possibly make to you if lower levels have or don't have a stick, they will be up against other players at same level and same issues.  If you don't care about rank and are just interested in the "fight" then this model should suit you down to ground, you will only be up against the better players, you wont have to complain about Hos or running ever again, since in order to reach your exulted level Hos and running just wont get you there.  Seems like your more worried about running out of easy targets lol.

[Yeager]

two words: apples, oranges.

[Ack-Ack]

Seems like your more worried about running out of easy targets lol.

If I wanted easy targets, I'd just hunt you and your squadron mates down in the MW arena but I want a game that will stick around and moving to a F2P model doesn't guarantee that.  

As I mentioned, a vast number of F2P games fail within the first year of operation, so moving to a F2P business model doesn't equal an influx of cash or players.  The best F2P business models are ones that incorporate a hybrid model that is both made up of F2P and paid subscription elements with the goal of moving F2P subscriptions into a paid one, an example of a good working hybrid model is the one used by Turbine for LoTRO and D&D Online.

well ack ack its not hard to work out approximately how many subs there are, even 100% out and there are 10000 subs makes no difference. still not a million.

Using your method, you're not going to get an accurate number of paying AH subscribers because you really can't figure out the number by using the roster.  Let's use Air Warrior as an example.  When AW closed down, a lot thought it was because of low subscriber numbers that caused EA to pull the plug.  People were basing their facts on the numbers they'd see online and figured it was only a few thousand, if that many.  In fact, at the time AW was shut down it had slightly over 38,000 paying subscribers and it was EA's second largests (in terms of subscription numbers) online game, only behind Ultima Online.  As you can see, basing paying subscriber numbers only on what you see population wise in game isn't enough to base or let alone make an assumption on how many a paying subscribers the game has.


ack-ack

[PorkyPig]

  HTC, just don't accept any government funding. The game will go down the tubes for sure!

[hellwolf]

So ack ack Ea threw away a perfectly well subscribed and profitable business by ditchin AW.  Now that makes perfect sense.  If they were getting out for other reasons then why didnt someone snap up such a good model with so many subs?

[Ack-Ack]

So ack ack Ea threw away a perfectly well subscribed and profitable business by ditchin AW.  Now that makes perfect sense.  If they were getting out for other reasons then why didnt someone snap up such a good model with so many subs?

Because EA wouldn't at the time, nor will they now sell the IP rights.  The reason why EA purchased Kesmai (developers and studio behind AW) was because EA at the time was creating their fledging online portal (EA.com) for all of their online and MMO games and needed the assets from Kesmai (i.e. community tools and most importantely the Aries Netcode used by AW and other Kesmai games) and once they got those, they axed the game because to keep it would have entailed spending money on continued development of the AW IP which EA wasn't willing to invest in because of other, more "mainstream" games they were developing at the time.

ack-ack

[hellwolf]

Because EA wouldn't at the time, nor will they now sell the IP rights.  The reason why EA purchased Kesmai (developers and studio behind AW) was because EA at the time was creating their fledging online portal (EA.com) for all of their online and MMO games and needed the assets from Kesmai (i.e. community tools and most importantely the Aries Netcode used by AW and other Kesmai games) and once they got those, they axed the game because to keep it would have entailed spending money on continued development of the AW IP which EA wasn't willing to invest in because of other, more "mainstream" games they were developing at the time.

ack-ack

Not willing to invest = no profit for amount of investment, you just proved my point

[Karnak]

Case in point, me.  Other than for a few really tight months in 2010 I have had a continuous subscription since Aces High v1.03 was released.  I very rarely play nowadays.

[Fish42]

Not willing to invest = no profit for amount of investment, you just proved my point

[caldera]

Hellwolf, no offense but your idea sucks.  AH was here long before you started playing and will likely be here long after you've moved on to some crappy F2P AH wannabe. 

[hellwolf]

Hellwolf, no offense but your idea sucks.  AH was here long before you started playing and will likely be here long after you've moved on to some crappy F2P AH wannabe. 

Ok i give up you dont get it, ITS NOT MY IDEA. I just suggested that AH may be headed this way, stated some advantages to this system. I'm not here to defend that model, just saying that's the model that is most common now days and the reward/achievement is an integral part of the model and AH are trialing it. Was just putting 2+2 together is all. So far posts are just poo pooing the idea. Well I happen to agree that this model wont suit the present player base. However it may suit HT. The ad hominem attacks on my motives, the you haven't been here long enough to even suggest an idea, the what would you know about the gaming world, is exactly the attitude i expect from you guys and one of the reasons this game will eventually fail with customers like you calling the shots.

[Ack-Ack]

Not willing to invest = no profit for amount of investment, you just proved my point

EA mentality at the time (and still today) is that they are looking for the "big game", and at the time the "big game" to beat was Everquest and EA was desperate for game that would bring in the numbers that EQ was bringing in for SOE (Sony Online Entertainment) but they needed a backbone infastructure to handle it, which is where Kesmai came into the picture because they had the assets to provide that backbone to EA.  AW wouldn't bring in the numbers that EQ was bringing in during that time, nor would any of the games EA was also developing for their online portal, so at the time they took a step back from the MMO business because EA's endeavors weren't paying off at all for the money they were investing in their other games and failed development of the Ultima Online franchise.  

While AW did have 38,000 paying subscribers when it was shut down, EA thought they'd be able to recover those lost subscriptions with their other games they were developing at the time, namely Motor City Online, which they forcasted to have over 100k+ paying subscribers.  So the decision was made to cease further development, not because AW wasn't a money generator anymore but because EA really had no clue about the online/MMO gaming market, which we still see evidence of today with their failures with Warhammer Online and Star Wars Old Republic.

ack-ack

[hellwolf]

 EA really had no clue about the online/MMO gaming market,
ack-ack
[/quote]

Wow and accuse me of making assumptions about someone else's business. lol You really have no hubris at all