12 months VIP for $100

Redwolf

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For those who still consider sending a message that VIP is a good business model for Turbine (I'm undecided on that one), they are offering 12 months for $100, or 17% off the 3-month jumper.

To me it is more of a setback as it illustrates how expensive things actually are. For two accounts that would be 2 * 100 + 2 * 50 for Isengard = $300.

For those $300 I still suffer an increasing stream of things that are not included in VIP, namely the LI construction related items, and the additional outfit slots that I want. This $100 package has no extra turbine points, just the same 500/month that every other VIP gets, although you do get some in the Isengard package.

At the end of those 12 months I would be locked more into VIP instead of premium, having spent the money on VIP fees, not one-time payments to assemble my personal lifetime membership. I don't really think this is a smart move since clearly the VIP benefits relative to the overall game get less and less and I don't see that trend stopping.

I think I'd rather spend 50% more on a "super-VIP" subscription that keeps me permanently away from that slow-as-molasses store and includes a better chunk of the game just for that higher VIP fee. I don't want to have to snoop around the store to find the LI deconstruction gizmo or whatever.
 

Morbii

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That's nuts. In the first person shooter world, I pay $60 once and I'm done. Crazy.
 

Redwolf

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Not to mention you can find one-time-payment games on sale. Not to much with an online service, be it a game, or Amazon kindle books or itunes music. Still liking paper books (used) and CDs (new and used).

It's not that I don't have $300 that I could invest into something that is fun. But LOTRO is still on the path downwards when it comes to vendor/customer relations and from my measurements player base wise, so the "investment" part here might not be that. Well I don't have time to play anyway...
 

Palantir

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What does this say for the wisdom of F2P and the stability of Turbine?
Is offering this a "gift" to players or does it bode ill of the financial state of the game?
 

Redwolf

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What does this say for the wisdom of F2P and the stability of Turbine?
Is offering this a "gift" to players or does it bode ill of the financial state of the game?
Hard to say. You can interpret it as a move to make some quick cash. The lack of granting you extra Turbine points could be used to support the point (so that you buy points for more money later). However, the lack of granting you an extra horse or cloak can be used against it because that would be more desperate and not compromise future TP sales.

It might also test whether VIP is still an attractive business model, which is kind of what I was asking in my initial post.

If you want to interpret it in the worst way then they have a change in the schedule that will make VIP (even) less attractive in a couple months (such as when Isengard starts) and they want to lock in a bunch of suckers.
 

Michael Dorosh

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What does this say for the wisdom of F2P and the stability of Turbine?
Is offering this a "gift" to players or does it bode ill of the financial state of the game?
I've been saying that for months. If they weren't desperate for money, why the sales? It could be genuine efforts to expand the fan base, but this one doesn't seem like it would be aimed at that. I have no idea for sure, naturally.

Does the EULA say anything about a refund if they go under or the game is cancelled before the subscription runs out?
 
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