Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:29 am
I've been thinking about this all night, and at first I was horrified. It doesn't seem fair to the players who work hard, but don't have a lot of real world cash.
Pragmatically, though, I don't have ten or fifteen hours a week to play Neopets like I did when I started. I play maybe an hour or two during most weeks, and I've had to let go of a lot of the more "boring" activities around the site. Refreshing the shop wizard 200 times or waiting 20 seconds to get my daily furmball tip from the WoK, aren't how I want to spend what little playing time I have.
I would love to be able to level my pets the way I used to do, but I haven't got the time to make it worthwhile. Being able to drop $10 or $20 on some items every couple of months would give me codestone money and make me a much happier Neopian.
But I've always liked that Neopets has an actual working economy in the game. Prices fluctuate with supply and demand, there are real shortages, and there are no artificial caps on prices. An item in neopets has an actual worth - look at how prices on BD items are determined by usefulness as much as rarity.
Back when Neeopoints could still be sold on Ebay, the exchange rate worked out to something like 2000NP=$1. That may have been against the TOS, but that was a real value that people in the real world put on Neopoints. I presume that these new items will be worth quite a bit more than 10,000NP. If someone can legally buy a saleable item that worth a few hundred thousand neopoints, it would be the economic equivalent of being able to print your own in-game money. NP will be worth less, low and mid-range items will be worth less, high-end items will inflate, and the economy will go stagnant, like it has in other games I've played that let players purchase items.
That being said, I have the impression that Viacom sees Neopets as a pre-teen MySpace, and not as an actual game.
Pragmatically, though, I don't have ten or fifteen hours a week to play Neopets like I did when I started. I play maybe an hour or two during most weeks, and I've had to let go of a lot of the more "boring" activities around the site. Refreshing the shop wizard 200 times or waiting 20 seconds to get my daily furmball tip from the WoK, aren't how I want to spend what little playing time I have.
I would love to be able to level my pets the way I used to do, but I haven't got the time to make it worthwhile. Being able to drop $10 or $20 on some items every couple of months would give me codestone money and make me a much happier Neopian.
But I've always liked that Neopets has an actual working economy in the game. Prices fluctuate with supply and demand, there are real shortages, and there are no artificial caps on prices. An item in neopets has an actual worth - look at how prices on BD items are determined by usefulness as much as rarity.
Back when Neeopoints could still be sold on Ebay, the exchange rate worked out to something like 2000NP=$1. That may have been against the TOS, but that was a real value that people in the real world put on Neopoints. I presume that these new items will be worth quite a bit more than 10,000NP. If someone can legally buy a saleable item that worth a few hundred thousand neopoints, it would be the economic equivalent of being able to print your own in-game money. NP will be worth less, low and mid-range items will be worth less, high-end items will inflate, and the economy will go stagnant, like it has in other games I've played that let players purchase items.
That being said, I have the impression that Viacom sees Neopets as a pre-teen MySpace, and not as an actual game.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:54 am
That's some Horrible Terrible Vegetable. I hope it's just some prank and isn't true! 
If it is, I hope it's just a nightmare... o_0
If it is, I hope it's just a nightmare... o_0
Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:24 am
Already playing MapleStory and paying for items (because, really, £5 isn't that much for 3 months of a pet), it doesn't bother me. I guess it was going to happen some time soon anyway. Hopefully they'll be able to sell for Neopoints as well, if people want to take that route, and people can buy them, albeit at an expensive price.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:23 pm
Eh, I'm not big on paying for stuff like this, so I probably won't be buying anything.
But you can believe if I was in charge of Neopets I'd be doing the same thing. As others have said, plenty of other game sites do it already. It's not that much different from buying a video game.
But you can believe if I was in charge of Neopets I'd be doing the same thing. As others have said, plenty of other game sites do it already. It's not that much different from buying a video game.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 3:31 pm
Meh, I have more cash than time at the moment so this appeals to me. They'll have to tightly regulate it to make sure it works or I could see people leaving in absolute droves.
I agree that any items bought will be "special" and I imagine that paying will give you "perks" rather than a definate advantage over other players just as premium does.
I agree that any items bought will be "special" and I imagine that paying will give you "perks" rather than a definate advantage over other players just as premium does.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:08 pm
How obnoxious. Neopets, for shame.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:44 pm
Ugh, I guess it was going to happen some day...
I understand that neopets need money to be able to maintain the site, but I'm still a little dissapointed to hear this news.
I just hope it won't give people who pay for items get too much of an advantage over people who can't pay for items. I mean, why spend weeks/months playing games and restocking to get a special paintbrush for pet, when someone else can buy it for 5 dollars. If people can just buy it for money it wouldn't really be an achievement any more. And the thing about neo that I like is that you can set goals for yourself and that you have to work for them to achieve them.
Plus, I'm not going to spend money on something that doesn't even excist. People can say it's only 1 to 5 dollars, but even when you only buy 10 items of 2 dollars that adds up to 20 dollars, for a bunch of pixels that's alot of money.
[/b]
I understand that neopets need money to be able to maintain the site, but I'm still a little dissapointed to hear this news.
I just hope it won't give people who pay for items get too much of an advantage over people who can't pay for items. I mean, why spend weeks/months playing games and restocking to get a special paintbrush for pet, when someone else can buy it for 5 dollars. If people can just buy it for money it wouldn't really be an achievement any more. And the thing about neo that I like is that you can set goals for yourself and that you have to work for them to achieve them.
Plus, I'm not going to spend money on something that doesn't even excist. People can say it's only 1 to 5 dollars, but even when you only buy 10 items of 2 dollars that adds up to 20 dollars, for a bunch of pixels that's alot of money.
[/b]
Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:50 pm
So much for not having to pay for Neo.
If we have to pay for it, I suggest they get rid of the ads then. That's the whole reason I left Neo was because the ads were driving my computer nuts, and that was frustrating me, and I got bored with it.
Gaia has donation items, and aside from being $2.50, there are very few ads on the site. n_n
That's why you can find me there now. XD (Mrs. Joshua Olds -- wink wink)
If we have to pay for it, I suggest they get rid of the ads then. That's the whole reason I left Neo was because the ads were driving my computer nuts, and that was frustrating me, and I got bored with it.
Gaia has donation items, and aside from being $2.50, there are very few ads on the site. n_n
That's why you can find me there now. XD (Mrs. Joshua Olds -- wink wink)
Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:45 pm
I can't say I mind, because Subeta does something quite similar and I've yet to find a need for anything that can be "bought" off of their site (and even if I did, I could just save up the play money to buy it in trades). I honestly don't think it will affect the way Neopets is currently played, but that also depends on exactly what TNT decides to sell.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:23 pm
If they are really going to sell items for real money, then let them go ahead. I personally won't buy a single thing, just a bunch of pixels. I have work to do and am still in school, so I might stop playing soon. Go ahead and buy stuff if you want, I just don't want people buying SuAP or something for $5 or something like that and crashing the market.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:33 pm
I think I'm going to cry 
(there lol)
Am I going to make my real life bank account bleed dry because of a bunch of pixels? Oh no.
Am I going to pay to visit the Healing Springs? Oh no.
Would I rather feed my real pets or virtual pets? Real, of course.
Yep, this was bound to happen someday. "Never pay to play neopets"? Haha. Oh well. Better enjoy it while I can.
(there lol)
Am I going to make my real life bank account bleed dry because of a bunch of pixels? Oh no.
Am I going to pay to visit the Healing Springs? Oh no.
Would I rather feed my real pets or virtual pets? Real, of course.
Yep, this was bound to happen someday. "Never pay to play neopets"? Haha. Oh well. Better enjoy it while I can.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:54 pm
D: Well I think that really sucks.
I can only hope it won't have a huge impact and that it won't completely collapse the economy. Not that I have great hope of that.
But oh well. I keep telling myself it's just a game. If they completely ruin Neopets, I'll just stop playing, and find something else to waste my time on.
I can only hope it won't have a huge impact and that it won't completely collapse the economy. Not that I have great hope of that.
But oh well. I keep telling myself it's just a game. If they completely ruin Neopets, I'll just stop playing, and find something else to waste my time on.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:23 pm
I'll wait and see how this plays (or rather, pays) out before I make a final decision on staying or leaving. I knew it would eventually happen they would sell out, literally and start charging money but I wasn't expecting it so soon either.
Depending on how they set up this pay-for-items deal, it may ultimately have no effect on me like Premium doesn't or only a little like how Lutari Island does. If it becomes a significant part of playing, especially when it comes to plots or other story-based site events, I'll quit immediately and convince as many people as I can to do the same and have them convince as many people as possible and so on. If it's just a chance to purchase rare pets (like the Lutari), then I'll probably not care too much and let them do it until they hit the breaking point with me.
Micropayments are the future, but they won't be worth it since in all likelyhood, you'll still have advertisements just like you do now. Cable television made the same claim when it first came onto the scene. They claimed it would be advertisement free and unrestricted. We all know that's a lie. Only if you pay extra on top of the money to gain access (premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc.) do you get "advertisement free" cable television.
Neopets will still have advertisements (my guess is more than less) and eventually force us into paying to play. They're just gradually introducing the concept. First with Premium, then with Lutari Island and now with micropayments for certain items/pets/whatever which you know will grow to take on more and more items/pets/etc. Eventually it will be pay a "small yearly fee" to play, then it will become monthly like many of the MMORPGs if it even makes it that far.
Depending on how they set up this pay-for-items deal, it may ultimately have no effect on me like Premium doesn't or only a little like how Lutari Island does. If it becomes a significant part of playing, especially when it comes to plots or other story-based site events, I'll quit immediately and convince as many people as I can to do the same and have them convince as many people as possible and so on. If it's just a chance to purchase rare pets (like the Lutari), then I'll probably not care too much and let them do it until they hit the breaking point with me.
Micropayments are the future, but they won't be worth it since in all likelyhood, you'll still have advertisements just like you do now. Cable television made the same claim when it first came onto the scene. They claimed it would be advertisement free and unrestricted. We all know that's a lie. Only if you pay extra on top of the money to gain access (premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, etc.) do you get "advertisement free" cable television.
Neopets will still have advertisements (my guess is more than less) and eventually force us into paying to play. They're just gradually introducing the concept. First with Premium, then with Lutari Island and now with micropayments for certain items/pets/whatever which you know will grow to take on more and more items/pets/etc. Eventually it will be pay a "small yearly fee" to play, then it will become monthly like many of the MMORPGs if it even makes it that far.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:36 pm
charlixsparkles wrote:I think I'm going to cry
Am I going to make my real life bank account bleed dry because of a bunch of pixels? Oh no.
Am I going to pay to visit the Healing Springs? Oh no.
Would I rather feed my real pets or virtual pets? Real, of course.
Yep, this was bound to happen someday. "Never pay to play neopets"? Haha. Oh well. Better enjoy it while I can.
So much for not having to pay for Neo.
If we have to pay for it, I suggest they get rid of the ads then. That's the whole reason I left Neo was because the ads were driving my computer nuts, and that was frustrating me, and I got bored with it.
Pardon me, but... did either of you actually read the initial posts clearly? Neopets is not becoming pay-to-play. You will not have to pay for things like just playing the site.
Any payment will be optional, and if done right, it shouldn't make much (if any) difference at all if you decide not to (or can't) pay for anything.
It's not pay-to-play. You don't have to give them a penny. (Just like neopets premium! Remember when THAT first came out, that whole fiasco? And it turns out it didn't impact the site much, if at all?) You don't have to pay for anything on neopets, and they have already stated several times you never will. You can go around playing the site without paying them anything.
But if you want to give them money and buy things, you can. Honestly, I know I probably will. It's better than buying cards I'll never use for rare item codes that I don't know will actually do me any good - at least I won't feel like I'm 'gambling' with my money.
Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:57 pm
I'm in the middle on the whole thing. I can see how it could be a horrible change or a great one. So I'm going to wait until I see what you can buy for what price and the like before I spout how bad or good I think it is.
Though if there is even the slightest chance I can paint or train my pet more from this little move... I'll be a very happy Neopian.
Though if there is even the slightest chance I can paint or train my pet more from this little move... I'll be a very happy Neopian.