[MUD-Dev] Are eBay sales more than just a fad?

[Timothy Dang]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2000, Dave Rickey wrote:

> ----Original Message-----
> From: Vincent Archer <archer at nevrax.com>
> >
> >An alternate "model" for this kind of business is taking over EBay sales
> >by adding something they can't provide: goods escrow.
> 
>     But why (from an executive's viewpoint) settle for making $15 on the
> player-to-player sale of a $150 UberWeapon, when you could sell the same
> thing outright and take the whole $150 as pure profit?
> 
>     That's why I say it's like being a "little bit pregnant".  The game that
> takes the first step makes higher profits than the one that doesn't.  The
> game that takes the second makes yet higher profits.  Higher profit margins,
> more money you can get the execs to kick loose on marketing, more marketing
> means higher player numbers.

Won't know until we see it in practice at a large scale, and even then
there's a zillion variations it could take. I still expect that if people
perceive that it's possible to buy oneself into desirable state A, where
state A is otherwise available in the game worldonly through much grueling
work, then many people will be turned off to the game.

They may not quit a game already going, but be less likely to start
playing. If 50% of the potential game audience doesn't show up, there's
both less direct demand for the game items, and less indirect demand
(since such things are often bought in order to skip some advancement /
acquisition period and play with friends).

Less demand means lower prices for those items you do sell, and suddenly
it's not so clear it's a brilliant business model. Maybe it's just a
matter of segregating the market into those that do and don't sell items.

Project Entropia sounds like they've got something interesting planned,
because it's not merely a game, but a metaverse with gaming, commerce,
etc., hoping to be a more exciting VR alternative to the web. In such
circumstances people are less likely to be miffed by real-world cash
having an influence.

There's many other ways to make the selling of items still profitable, but
inoffensive. As I gather, Simutronics has a history of selling events,
such as weddings. They can justify this partially by the truly increased
admin costs, and also because it's a special thing which doesn't tip the
balance of power. Achaea (sorry, never sure if I spell that right) sells
items, but as I understand (Matt, is this right?) those items are never
enough to significantly alter the balance of power, and are identifiable
as bought items rather than in-game-acquired items.

But my guess is that the first game that tries to appeal to a mass
audience and plans a significant portion of it's revenue from item sales
from the outset will see things work awkwardly.

------------------------------
Timothy O'Neill Dang / Cretog8
520-321-4015
One monkey don't stop no show.




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