So I don't think Blizzard devs read anything but Reddit, anyway here is some food for thought for my fellow Hearthpwners.
How do you think this would affect specifically BLIZZARD'S PROFIT. I'm not talking about player satisfaction which obviously just goes up with lower prices on a flat scale. I actually think this would increase both profit and happiness.
My suggestion in summary: Once per expansion, a promo active for 50 packs for $5. Once per month, a separate promo active for 10 packs for $2. Once per day, a separate promo active for 2 packs for $1. Normal pack prices for impatient people are 1 pack for $1.
Assumptions (using round figures for ease): 250 packs for all/almost all cards 150 packs for enough cards to build at least one meta deck or a few if lucky 100 packs for a very good collection that you can try various things with, with anything but the worst luck 50 packs for a bad time - likely to get 2 disappointing legendaries and not much else - unless you get REALLY lucky Anything less, practically worthless, might as well have just gotten your free legendary in 10 packs and stopped.
Current Pricing: $50 for 100 packs from expansion preorder, plus another 50 packs from expansion-specific promos, gold saved, whatever. Remaining packs cost $2 each. $150 for 150 packs $350 for 250 packs
My suggestion: $5 for 50 packs from expansion preorder. $6 for 30 packs, buying once per month for 3 months Say you get another 20 packs from gold saved - cut down on other miscellaneous promos.
Therefore $11 for 100 packs - Relatively casual player that doesn't want to spend a ton of money will probably spend $11 throughout the expansion, play all year (maybe buying other stuff such as hero skins, increasing ad revenue from tournaments they are engaged in, etc.), and have a decent collection.
$101 for 280 packs, buying the one-shot, monthly, and daily promos for 3 months Folks can still spend $101 per expansion if they want to, earning most or all of the cards in a set. Way more within the budget of an adult gamer.
$205 for 250 packs - Whales/streamers will spend $5 on 50 packs, then $200 on another 200 packs, bringing them to $205 for their impatience.
You would need 3x more people spending $100 than you had spending $300 to make that back (though less depending on number of whales that are impatient and spend more than double). BUT, your thousands (millions?) of players are WAY more likely to spend the $11. Right now, I am spending nothing per expansion. I am one of the cheapest gamers out there. But you would get that $11 out of me. If you would get it out of me, you would get it out of way more people.
The side effect of customer retention is really important. With people actually able to PLAY your card game due to owning more of the expansion, this increases profit in many other ways than directly buying packs. And still, it would feel like the cards were earned, as they had to be bought over time, and gold is still relevant, keeping that steady flow of endorphins going for increasing your collection.
The thing is, for card games and gacha games, profit comes almost entirely from whales. If someone currently spends $100 per expansion on packs, under your system, they would cut the amount spent down to less than $20. Profit would vanish. Customer retention is important, but they would absolutely lose money overall
Coming from someone majoring in business, lowering their prices to meet demand seems right. Since they are selling something virtual, they pretty much have an endless supply, therefore the only need for them is to meet demand. I'm a free to play player ever since I started playing a couple years ago and I have never bought a pack with real currency. If they dropped the price or at least made something like, get this amount of dust for this much money, I would actually really consider paying them. With the current algorithm, people have opened 200+ packs to not get every card in a set which is a ridiculous amount of money. Right now they are basically feeding off of the whales. I would think that all of the players like me would actually contribute more than just .1% of the hearthstone players.
The thing is, for card games and gacha games, profit comes almost entirely from whales. If someone currently spends $100 per expansion on packs, under your system, they would cut the amount spent down to less than $20. Profit would vanish. Customer retention is important, but they would absolutely lose money overall
I would argue this is because every free to play game out there focuses on whales - how could a non-whale ever purchase hearthstone packs? Get 5 cards for $2? It isn't allowed a chance to work.
Also, the people that spend $100 per expansion on packs will keep doing it, they'll just feel less shitty, and be more likely to do it next time, since they actually get the whole expansion. Of the virtual card game. For $100.
The beauty of it is, assuming whales are careless with their money and therefore will buy all the packs at the start, the profit loss from them is actually minimal.
I imagine the ideal pack price has already been extensively researched by the crew at Blizzard. With this in mind, the price currently in place is what Blizzard believes to be the most ideal; it's the price that they believe will generate the most profit per person. In my opinion, the prices are fine, however; I do enjoy the special pre-order bonuses, and I believe that they should continue offering these as they're a good way to ensure that more players will participate in the next expansion.
Blizzard devs have nothing to do with pack pricing. Who do you think has more business analytical tools and a better idea of supply and demand for their product, an S&P 500 company with thousands of employees or some random dipshit on a forum? It's pretty risible to think you're going to crack the nut on optimum pack pricing.
Blizzard is a multi million dollars worth company. Card packs cost so much probably because people in Blizzard came to conclusion that's the most optimal price to generate the most money. I assume they didn't want to go higher because it might backfire and people would stop buying (although they do increase from times to times in certain zones by little), and there is most likely no reason to reduce the cost as well because it probably wouldn't make more people buy than it would make difference from those that buy already to pay less.
For me just seeing them drop this regional pricing BS would see them getting more money. I quite like the look of several Witchwood cards and was tempted to go for the pre-order deal for 70 packs until I saw the price (almost 1/3 more than in the US).
I expect OP's proposition would help them get players who don't normally spend anything to buy some packs but at this point I feel like the vast majority of profits are being made on the 'whales' who spend hundreds per xpac. Ultimately I doubt it'd make any significant short term difference to their bottom line.
Long term I think the cost of the game (combined with the 'hands off' approach to balance) is driving people away. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for the players dropping a cool thousand to get all the new cards only to find only a couple of those cards will be usable for the next 4 months.
I feel like i would play this game more if i was f2p. I can make every single meta or meme deck right now, and 50k dust to spend, but i get bored of the deck 3-5 games later even if i had 100% winrate with it, i spend more time watching hearthstone streamers lol
If it was me i would give more cards to newer players and f2p players and make buying packs MORE expensive. Just give out more in game rewards to get more packs.
I feel like this game lacks goals, something i can work on while playing the game, I feel like if i have to work my way to complete my collection and not just easily spend $ to buy it I would play the game more, but thats me.
Im probably just used to WoW after playing it for 10 years, where theres alwys a carrot on a stick.
My suggestion in summary: Once per expansion, a promo active for 50 packs for $5. Once per month, a separate promo active for 10 packs for $2. Once per day, a separate promo active for 2 packs for $1. Normal pack prices for impatient people are 1 pack for $1.
Even though sales could increase profits, the prices you listed are just not realistic. They were already selling 10*3 bundle for what, $20, if I remember correctly? That's probably the price you can expect, if they decide to do a sale again.
Blizzard is a multi million dollars worth company. Card packs cost so much probably because people in Blizzard came to conclusion that's the most optimal price to generate the most money. I assume they didn't want to go higher because it might backfire and people would stop buying (although they do increase from times to times in certain zones by little), and there is most likely no reason to reduce the cost as well because it probably wouldn't make more people buy than it would make difference from those that buy already to pay less.
They haven't changed prices since they started, so they have no control experiment for this. But rich people are just omniscient I guess and can predict outcomes based on nothing? Or what's your conclusion here?
I'll throw this out there: I probably won't preorder the next expansion if they don't offer the bonus 20 packs like they did for witchwood. They set a precedent, and there's no going back now. This is coming from someone that has pre-ordered every expansion.
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So I don't think Blizzard devs read anything but Reddit, anyway here is some food for thought for my fellow Hearthpwners.
How do you think this would affect specifically BLIZZARD'S PROFIT. I'm not talking about player satisfaction which obviously just goes up with lower prices on a flat scale. I actually think this would increase both profit and happiness.
My suggestion in summary:
Once per expansion, a promo active for 50 packs for $5.
Once per month, a separate promo active for 10 packs for $2.
Once per day, a separate promo active for 2 packs for $1.
Normal pack prices for impatient people are 1 pack for $1.
Assumptions (using round figures for ease):
250 packs for all/almost all cards
150 packs for enough cards to build at least one meta deck or a few if lucky
100 packs for a very good collection that you can try various things with, with anything but the worst luck
50 packs for a bad time - likely to get 2 disappointing legendaries and not much else - unless you get REALLY lucky
Anything less, practically worthless, might as well have just gotten your free legendary in 10 packs and stopped.
Current Pricing:
$50 for 100 packs from expansion preorder, plus another 50 packs from expansion-specific promos, gold saved, whatever.
Remaining packs cost $2 each.
$150 for 150 packs
$350 for 250 packs
My suggestion:
$5 for 50 packs from expansion preorder.
$6 for 30 packs, buying once per month for 3 months
Say you get another 20 packs from gold saved - cut down on other miscellaneous promos.
Therefore $11 for 100 packs - Relatively casual player that doesn't want to spend a ton of money will probably spend $11 throughout the expansion, play all year (maybe buying other stuff such as hero skins, increasing ad revenue from tournaments they are engaged in, etc.), and have a decent collection.
$101 for 280 packs, buying the one-shot, monthly, and daily promos for 3 months
Folks can still spend $101 per expansion if they want to, earning most or all of the cards in a set. Way more within the budget of an adult gamer.
$205 for 250 packs - Whales/streamers will spend $5 on 50 packs, then $200 on another 200 packs, bringing them to $205 for their impatience.
You would need 3x more people spending $100 than you had spending $300 to make that back (though less depending on number of whales that are impatient and spend more than double).
BUT, your thousands (millions?) of players are WAY more likely to spend the $11. Right now, I am spending nothing per expansion. I am one of the cheapest gamers out there. But you would get that $11 out of me. If you would get it out of me, you would get it out of way more people.
The side effect of customer retention is really important. With people actually able to PLAY your card game due to owning more of the expansion, this increases profit in many other ways than directly buying packs. And still, it would feel like the cards were earned, as they had to be bought over time, and gold is still relevant, keeping that steady flow of endorphins going for increasing your collection.
The thing is, for card games and gacha games, profit comes almost entirely from whales. If someone currently spends $100 per expansion on packs, under your system, they would cut the amount spent down to less than $20. Profit would vanish. Customer retention is important, but they would absolutely lose money overall
Coming from someone majoring in business, lowering their prices to meet demand seems right. Since they are selling something virtual, they pretty much have an endless supply, therefore the only need for them is to meet demand. I'm a free to play player ever since I started playing a couple years ago and I have never bought a pack with real currency. If they dropped the price or at least made something like, get this amount of dust for this much money, I would actually really consider paying them. With the current algorithm, people have opened 200+ packs to not get every card in a set which is a ridiculous amount of money. Right now they are basically feeding off of the whales. I would think that all of the players like me would actually contribute more than just .1% of the hearthstone players.
I imagine the ideal pack price has already been extensively researched by the crew at Blizzard. With this in mind, the price currently in place is what Blizzard believes to be the most ideal; it's the price that they believe will generate the most profit per person. In my opinion, the prices are fine, however; I do enjoy the special pre-order bonuses, and I believe that they should continue offering these as they're a good way to ensure that more players will participate in the next expansion.
Well now that Brode's gone, I think Blizzard is going to have a MUCH harder time selling packs, so a change like this might not be so far-fetched.
I think I know what I'm talking about.
Blizzard devs have nothing to do with pack pricing. Who do you think has more business analytical tools and a better idea of supply and demand for their product, an S&P 500 company with thousands of employees or some random dipshit on a forum? It's pretty risible to think you're going to crack the nut on optimum pack pricing.
I enjoy.
Blizzard is a multi million dollars worth company. Card packs cost so much probably because people in Blizzard came to conclusion that's the most optimal price to generate the most money. I assume they didn't want to go higher because it might backfire and people would stop buying (although they do increase from times to times in certain zones by little), and there is most likely no reason to reduce the cost as well because it probably wouldn't make more people buy than it would make difference from those that buy already to pay less.
Dead but dreaming
For me just seeing them drop this regional pricing BS would see them getting more money. I quite like the look of several Witchwood cards and was tempted to go for the pre-order deal for 70 packs until I saw the price (almost 1/3 more than in the US).
I expect OP's proposition would help them get players who don't normally spend anything to buy some packs but at this point I feel like the vast majority of profits are being made on the 'whales' who spend hundreds per xpac. Ultimately I doubt it'd make any significant short term difference to their bottom line.
Long term I think the cost of the game (combined with the 'hands off' approach to balance) is driving people away. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for the players dropping a cool thousand to get all the new cards only to find only a couple of those cards will be usable for the next 4 months.
I feel like i would play this game more if i was f2p. I can make every single meta or meme deck right now, and 50k dust to spend, but i get bored of the deck 3-5 games later even if i had 100% winrate with it, i spend more time watching hearthstone streamers lol
If it was me i would give more cards to newer players and f2p players and make buying packs MORE expensive. Just give out more in game rewards to get more packs.
I feel like this game lacks goals, something i can work on while playing the game, I feel like if i have to work my way to complete my collection and not just easily spend $ to buy it I would play the game more, but thats me.
Im probably just used to WoW after playing it for 10 years, where theres alwys a carrot on a stick.
I'll throw this out there: I probably won't preorder the next expansion if they don't offer the bonus 20 packs like they did for witchwood. They set a precedent, and there's no going back now. This is coming from someone that has pre-ordered every expansion.