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Alright... (Community)
Alright... // Communityagent1Jan 3, 2002, 12:01pm
Let's say that enough people stayed with AW to save it from extinction. What would the money be put towards? Would it be only enough to sustain the current level of content and features, or would it let AWC make more frequent updates? If it will only let them keep running at their current "speed", then I don't know that I want to renew my citizenship once it's $9.50/month. I pay USD$10/month for an MMORPG that updates content and storyline once a month. They make changes (even if small) to the client, as well. They have a server farm that is load balanced to carry all of the players they have to host data for. All of the bandwidth is also paid for with that fee.
I do like Activeworlds a lot, but if the increase in price isn't reflected in an increase in quality of the product, then I don't think I'll be paying. It's too much for me to be able to shrug it off and say, "Hey! It'll save AW, and I get some cool upgrades!". I have no idea what is planned for the browser past 3.3. I also have no idea what will happen in May when I have to decide whether or not to renew. -Agent1 iceyJan 3, 2002, 2:05pm
Yes Agent1 is far right, it all depends on AW orientation, and AW future
plans, it depends. If increasing pricing is equal to implement features, give more opportunities and becoming part of the real 3D worldwide environment, well that will be another issue. If increasing pricing is to become the 'adult chat toy' new trend, well of course that would be really different. The credit card registration system will give more credibility to this environment trying to finally stop the anonymity which is of course diminishing all environments that are willing to adopt it. As far as I can suggest about pricing, the increase of worlds pricing would probably put this technology out of the market. Another issue is about young people, I wouldn't exclude all youngsters for pricing wouldn't be afforded by them, I would help, and they still are the main input here, not because they are many but because they do understand the meaning of the 3D. So probably the question is will AW still be 3D oriented or just make a business out of a chat? icey [View Quote] >Let's say that enough people stayed with AW to save it from extinction. What would the money be put towards? Would it be only enough to sustain the current level of content and features, or would it let AWC make more frequent updates? If it will only let them keep running at their current "speed", then I don't know that I want to renew my citizenship once it's $9.50/month. I pay USD$10/month for an MMORPG that updates content and storyline once a month. They make changes (even if small) to the client, as well. They have a server farm that is load balanced to carry all of the players they have to host data for. All of the bandwidth is also paid for with that fee. > >I do like Activeworlds a lot, but if the increase in price isn't reflected in an increase in quality of the product, then I don't think I'll be paying. It's too much for me to be able to shrug it off and say, "Hey! It'll save AW, and I get some cool upgrades!". I have no idea what is planned for the browser past 3.3. I also have no idea what will happen in May when I have to decide whether or not to renew. > > > >-Agent1 > > nomad 1Jan 3, 2002, 2:39pm
I agree. An increase in price such as this would require much more effort
by AWC to keep current with the demands of it's users. Perhaps this increase indicates a change in AWC's direction. In the past AWC has appeared to place more emphasis on the needs of it's "corporate" clients. It could be that in the current economic climate, the "corporate" clients are no longer providing enough income in order to sustain AWC and now AWC has decided to change it's focus to what many have hoped for for a long time....the average users. If this is true, and AWC has decided to make "joe/josephine" user it's "Customer #1" (and make them pay for it), we should expect to see a greater interest from AWC in keeping us happy. Although I don't expect we will see huge leaps in advances to AW anytime soon, I do think that users will be less tolerant of complacency on the part of AW towards it's largest (paying!) group of clients. If this is indeed what this price restructure is all about, it could spell very good things to come, or doom, for AW. It is a gamble for AWC to ask it's users to pay so much more. I'd be willing to pay, provided I see results. Dare I say it.....The Corporate Client is dead!!! Long live the Average User!!! We will see. NoMad 1 [View Quote] nomad 1Jan 3, 2002, 2:39pm
I agree. An increase in price such as this would require much more effort
by AWC to keep current with the demands of it's users. Perhaps this increase indicates a change in AWC's direction. In the past AWC has appeared to place more emphasis on the needs of it's "corporate" clients. It could be that in the current economic climate, the "corporate" clients are no longer providing enough income in order to sustain AWC and now AWC has decided to change it's focus to what many have hoped for for a long time....the average users. If this is true, and AWC has decided to make "joe/josephine" user it's "Customer #1" (and make them pay for it), we should expect to see a greater interest from AWC in keeping us happy. Although I don't expect we will see huge leaps in advances to AW anytime soon, I do think that users will be less tolerant of complacency on the part of AW towards it's largest (paying!) group of clients. If this is indeed what this price restructure is all about, it could spell very good things to come, or doom, for AW. It is a gamble for AWC to ask it's users to pay so much more. I'd be willing to pay, provided I see results. Dare I say it.....The Corporate Client is dead!!! Long live the Average User!!! We will see. NoMad 1 [View Quote] mauzJan 3, 2002, 3:09pm
[View Quote]
Let's hope so. Before, they used to rely on influx of ignorant newbies
who only had to be tricked into paying once and could then be forgotten. Now they have to actually try to keep the users happy and willing to pay month after month. I suppose the registration fee was bound to rise one day, it has been the same since 1997. They expanded adventurously and then lost their corporate customers because of the world economy. I for one can afford throwing a bit more money away just for fun hehe. But I don't like losing the tourists. If we can build "astounding and inspiring" worlds with the new features, we want to show them to everybody too. Could there least be a free demo mode without speaking or building rights? Without new blood AW will become an inbred, closed club that will stagnate and slowly wither away. They have to make pretty tempting advertisements to get people interested enough to pay for something that they haven't even seen yet. Only a fraction of the interested will want to battle with CC/Paypal, only a fraction of them will register, only a fraction of them will continue paying for months. People usually only flash their credit card for sex and games - are those what AWC is aiming at? Maybe some of the workers, no matter how valuable and dedicated they are, could draw their own conclusions about whether they would do more good for AW by resigning and giving money to AW as ordinary citizens instead. -- Mauz http://mauz.info iceyJan 3, 2002, 3:41pm
1. Tourist mode would be eliminated.
2. New users, who log in, would have to input a credit card number and would be able to enjoy Active Worlds for free as a citizen for 2 weeks. 3. After the 2-week period, they would be charged $9.50 per month until they cancel their subscription. [View Quote] [View Quote] cozmoJan 3, 2002, 5:50pm
and they charge just as much as an MMORPG too. and you knwo what. the EQ
people said that they charged way to low then they shouldve becuase they didnt expect the popularity to be so big, but they havent chnaged it yet becuase all MMORPGS right now cost about that much and they know people will just move to another one. AW has no competition but that doesnt mena people wont leave. Im pretty sure Rick will see that this plan has flaws and chnage it. [View Quote] |
