Let Jean explain himself.
Larger hero bundles at cheaper prices come with limitations. First of all, clarify how large and if you’re suggesting a greater discount than 70% or whatever it is for every hero. Bundles do not allow players to choose the heroes they want to own, and their sizes may be at odds with preferences too. There is a logical jump to just offering all the heroes for say $60, maximum size and savings. I believe there are psychological factors in play here and a cap on revenue but if I’m honest this is the one superseding idea I would have to accept. This would entail essentially scrapping the current pricing “model”, deeply slashing undiscounted prices or disabling them altogether with a free to play gold unlocking “system” running in parallel.
Making all but the most recent 10-15 heroes available for free is completely unacceptable. That makes the game available for free. Pushing heroes down the price tiers is also beside the point, although I would incorporate some of this. It helps somewhat in reducing cost but doesn’t address the deterring front-loaded large cost involved. Anyone who brings up the free hero rotation should be slapped across the face. The rotation is temporary and picked by Blizzard, a tease for seriously minded players and a crutch for players who have little to no intention of spending money.
There are two categories of revenue - gameplay and cosmetic. That’s it. The second sentence is exactly a critical part of my point. While gameplay is most valuable and most likely to be bought if a game is too pricy without being in a compelling position demand can dry up even if interest exists, and the game takes another hit in player attraction and retention. I think Blizzard screwed up in monetizing gameplay and priced themselves out royally.
So, there is a nuclear option in pulling a Smite and offering everything for $60. That’s defensible. Beneath it are the options discussed in this thread that make things interesting.
- The rent-and-buy idea that turtle retrieved from one of the other threads. [silver expires after one week of being obtained]
- The super dynamic bundle idea with a fixed discount percentage similar to the current large bundle that enables players to pick the number as well as the specific heroes to form the bundle.
I think I should be able to eat two pounds of cookies whenever I want but that didn’t end up working out.
It’s not fair, it’s just silly and random.