• US Delay Reasons?

    by
    watashiwa
    Published on Jun 22, 2001 01:42 PM
    75 Comments
    jazzyfox writes, "I got pointed over to this on the mamak site and found a really interesting piece, that makes me have a little more good intentions towards Sega of America. The most interesting part of the article is the second paragraph:
    "Sega of America decided to try and work out payment options that would be considerably cheaper than what the Japanese pay currently for PSO ver2. They went with their options back to Sega of Japan who had set up the US pay structure, the exact same as Japan, 400 Yen for 30 days, or 1,000 Yen for 90 days. Sega of America went with having the US pay $10 for six months, and Sega of Japan just about went nuts, so now, they are still going back and fourth."
    "

    Categories:
    1. General
    Comments 74 Comments
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 02:35 PM
      Paying to play is a total scam! Read here
      http://forums.gamespot.na.zdnet.com/group/zd.Games.Dreamcast/talkback/videogames/videogames.tpt/@thread@20003@forward@1@D-,D@ALL/@article@20003?EXP=ALLE19847E19971&VWM=hr&ROS=
      Yep the whole url Dont anyone tell me i'm cheap either, the cost isnt the important issue here
    1. Kasera's Avatar
      Kasera - Jun 22, 2001, 03:49 PM
      considering this is true (and i am not calling anyone a liar) then it almost sounds too good to be true. i'm not saying that i wouldn't enjoy ten bucks for six months, it's just that it sounds too damn good. on the other hand sega of america may be trying to compensate for the backlash of people from their announcement of pay-to play. *kasera's head explodes trying to figure this one out*
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 05:11 PM
      Ok kiddies, after your raging and ranting, if any of this is true, and if it ends up at 10 bux for six months, will you still bitch moan and cry? I don't buy the "what if you dont have a CC" BS either, theres an easy alternative your parents have control over, its the visabuxx card.
      Although it would be nice if they setup some other kind of option, because face it options are ALWAYS nice.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 05:14 PM
      Umm I know SEGA's no $ony, but they're still a corporation, the idea they could care is kinda silly. But hey...
    1. pErFeCt34's Avatar
      pErFeCt34 - Jun 22, 2001, 05:29 PM
      I mean SOJ doesnt want the US to get away with paying less. thats just funny as hell
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 06:41 PM
      No, I will never pay a subscription to play a game. No matter how "cheap" it is.
      If SoA seems to think that it'll cost them $10 for 6 months of server use, and assuming (a very good assumption here) that after 6 months the overall server use for PSOv2 will be a but a fraction of what it'll start out as (less then 10%), why don't they just charge us $50 or $55 for the game instead of $40? Collect that extra $10-$15 for the projected server costs up front as part of the initial purchase. That way, no one complains...
    1. Ping's Avatar
      Ping - Jun 22, 2001, 07:06 PM
      The $10/6 months is a way for Sega to make some money. If they just upped the game's cost then they wouldn't make money for however long PSOv.2 is played by everyone (Be it 6 months or 6 years).
      You're suggesting they add the $10 "server charge" (the pay-to-play charge) to the retail price of the game, since they're gonna lose the players in 6 months anyways, right? Well, if they added it on like that, then I doubt they'd lose many players, because then it's just another $10 for the game, rather than $10/6 months.
      [*grumble*grumble* Though I'm sure there would be players who would bitch about having to pay an extra $10 at all.]
      If they didn't charge this pay-to-play, then they wouldn't experience a server usage drop like you say. Obviously, Sega (or any other company) would like to make as much money as they can, and $10 as a period charge gains more than $10 as a flat one-time charge.
      Whatever happens, $10/3 months or $10/6 months or whatever isn't a bad price at all. C'mon, $10 is like 2 or 3 combo meals at your local fast food restaurant! It's nothing! And even 3 months can be a long time! So long as they don't hike up the price to more than the $10/3 months (That's reasonable as it is!), I'll be paying, because I want that burning q-tip!! And that leaf! And the umbrella!! Sugoi!!!
      *ahem* Uhhh... that's about enough from me. ;
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 07:20 PM
      Actually, if you think you're so smart to tell all theses "kiddies" a how little $10 every 3 or 6 mo. is and about Visabuxx etc., then you're sorely mistaken. I am not a "kiddie" yet I am not buying the game due to the fee. Now I'm not saying it's expensive or I don't have a credit card, but if everyone supports fees like this, the long term effect on the gaming industry wouldn't be great. If games like Everquest, Asheron's Call, and especially a game like this that has MUCH less to offer as a MMORPG are successful at charging fees, then more companies will follow their lead, just as Sega followed Everquest's. Every game you play that charges will eventually amount to being expensive, especially since most charge $10/mo. Please think before you insult the "kiddies."
    1. Thanatos's Avatar
      Thanatos - Jun 22, 2001, 08:15 PM
      I hate SoJ anyway... they dont realize we north americans (and some europeans) play longer than the majority of the japanese out there. I mean... man, quantity is better than quality sometimes. They can't een imagine what happens if they put a 1 dollar bill for every 3 months and see how much profit they rack in rather than making 20$ per 3 months. As far as i can see, SoJ are just a bunch of cheapskates. I MIGHT buy v.2, but mark my words that i wont go online with it.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 08:23 PM
      They have already experienced this kind of server usage drop with the original PSO, and it hasn't even been out (in the US) for 6 months yet.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 22, 2001, 10:39 PM
      I totally agree with Faewyn here. $10 for 6 months? That's nothing! I mean, the Japanese have to pay more and their people made the game! I'm tired of hearing everyone whine and moan like little kids about pay to play. Instead of crying about it all the time, show your discontent by not giving them your money. Don't buy the game, don't pay the service. I for one will buy the game and I will pay to play it. If you don't like the whole thing, then don't do it, but please, for the love of God, stop whining all the time.
    1. Parn's Avatar
      Parn - Jun 22, 2001, 11:17 PM
      First of all, Sega of Japan is the core of the whole company. Why do you think Dreamcast is being canned? Your belief that North Americans play PSO longer than the Japanese is about as baseless as people saying there's life beyond space. You can't prove any of this nonsense.
      There are more Japanese players than there are European and North American players combined. The proof is online, check the JP servers during peak hours. Their servers are so packed, some of them hit the US servers. Check them out Saturday morning.
      Sega of Japan are cheapskates for charging $9 for 90 days? I'd say the cheapskates are people like YOU who think $3 for one month is too much.
      If you choose to not go online with your copy, then all I have to say is, your loss, not ours. The real cheapskates are the ones that think $3 for one month of play is too much. Tightasses.
    1. Parn's Avatar
      Parn - Jun 22, 2001, 11:22 PM
      Why do you think Yamauchi of Nintendo is so reluctant to get into online gaming, even with PSOV2 promised on Gamecube? It all has to do with the profit margin. Online gaming doesn't make a whole lot of money if you don't charge a monthly fee, in fact, you'd lose money eventually due to bandwidth issues. The days of free online play are over, if you haven't noticed. This isn't just PSO we're talking about. The internet isn't booming like it once was, companies like Yahoo are going out of business. Free this, free that, and now they're dying. There's no source of income for them, since pay-per-view/click ads don't pay what they used to.
      Back to the Gamecube comment, it's simple math. Charging an online fee turns people away (as it's doing now), and not charging an online fee equals potential loss of profit. Either way, it doesn't look so good for the company trying to make money, doesn't it?
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 23, 2001, 01:26 AM
      You really can't compare PC to console.
      Don't buy the game, you won't be missed.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 23, 2001, 01:29 AM
      Yeah even if other companies do follow lead it really depends on the product, you think those losers would still be paying if those games werent fun.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 23, 2001, 01:47 AM
      Its a hopeless cause, either they'll pay it or they won't.
      Screw SoJ
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 23, 2001, 02:12 AM
      1) You have no proof that North Americans play longer. We have the ability to play online longer because we currently don't have to pay to play online, but I'm pretty sure that the Japanese play alot longer than we do.
      2) How can you call SOJ cheap? This money allows them to secure and maintain the servers. In addition, the Japanese were able to access more quests and enter into contests. The Japanese already pay per minute for local calls, and the price they pay for internet would be outragous compared to the US. Would you call your phone company cheap or your AOL service cheap because they force you to pay a monthly service fee? No, because that is what they are providing you with, a service.
      3) Stop complaining. I'm sure you can spare that Big Mac Extra Value Meal a month to pay to play this great game. If you're not going to buy the game, then don't, and stop whining. I think Americas been spoiled enough.
    1. 's Avatar
      - Jun 23, 2001, 02:58 AM
      I'm happy that at least SoA gave any response to anyone regarding the release dae of version 2 in the states. This shows me that they are not just sitting on the copies of ver2 in some room laughing saying;"How much longer till we really piss everyone off?" All of this talking about the small fees of the game jepordized the US release of it. With all of the coplaints we make Sega ends up pushing back the release date and further alienating customers, making them wonder if they should release it at all. If we keep complaining about the small things like the fees for online gameplay and don't focus on main product issues we just waste time and end up making the release date go back. I'm not sure how the extra money will be spent but, I can only hope it is to stop the one thing completely destroying the experience of the game. If we are to raise a stink about anything it should be about cheating (Game Shark etc)this struck a solid blow to the gamng community of pso and made millions decide not to buy the game. I suppose something about a level 10 person running around with a mag cell and his/her 125% on everything spread needle+255 gaining levels faster then you can say: that's stupid, turned away many potential buyers. If Sega wants to profit they should find a way to stop all cheats in ver.2 and perhaps not spread out the release dates between countries by months totally removing any motivation to play. That last comment hit me on a deep level being i was one of a few hundred playing version 1 back in January (kudos to Babbages for calling us early) and was in the first team in the US to get to hard and very hard then beat the game as well as get our characters to lvl.100, back then the game had much more meaning then going on and getting some hacked or duped weapon`and just totally suping up your character, back then it was about discovering the double saber and being the only person to have it and have people ask how I got it, earning 100 levels instead of using a gs for quick level gain. So I am happy that no new rares have been posted for version 2 for a few days now,so possibly us players waiting until August will have a chance of discovering weapons that all of the people that imported the game and the Japanese have never seen before. Hurry Sega America needs you to release version 2 now!
      Lahri ophelia 10 lvl 100
      ..and yes those last 100 levels with my hucast were gained legit and in less than two weeks.
    1. Thanatos's Avatar
      Thanatos - Jun 23, 2001, 08:10 AM
      Now here comes another idiot who thinks he can afford everything. Look, PSO was supposed to be a FREE GAME for us Americans.
      And now you're trying to say that you're so rich and cool you can afford everything and treat us cheapskates because we can't convince most of our parents into using their credit card?
      Go ahead, spend all your money and try to look like cool, rich buttache. And see how good it'll do for you.
    1. Thanatos's Avatar
      Thanatos - Jun 23, 2001, 08:23 AM
      1. Your theory is groundless too, then.
      "but I'm pretty sure that the Japanese play alot longer than we do."
      Right... you're "pretty sure" well that proves you're not that right too.
      2. Yes, SOJ is cheap. And my phone service? I don't even need it... i use the phone rarely and AOL pretty much sucks.
      3. Complaining?
      And i NEED a credit card to play online. How am i gonna convince them?
      Sorry, im NEVER going to play a P2P game. They're looking to rip your money and im not gonna lose the dignity of spending ALL of my hard-earned cash just for this "great game". Hell, its already worse as it is.
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