There would be a main problem with the re-pricing of VIRTs: players who already bought them previously would feel frustrated if the prices were lowered, specially those who got them recently.
About the sudden loss of players, I guess we can study why that happens. Some players might lose interest in a game for many reasons:
-The "testing for a while": might be enough for checking if the game is amusing or not to them. Myself, I have wondered about leaving because of the lack of time, but I managed to follow the productor way, thus requiring less time than others who manage hundred of stores at the same time. The game is entertaining, challenging, allows free-roaming and you are not forced to follow a pre-set path. So, it's relatively easy to adapt the gameplay style to real life time.
-VIRTs frustration: a thing that also made me think, "I should forget about going somewhere here" was this. Enterprises of larger size than 2 require the use of gamepoints in order to get their innovations installed. Double edge blade, as it makes you consider the investment, as it can go waste if you happen to change the size of the enterprise. Thus, max it out, or forget about installing it. That, and I'll never own my palace by collecting VIRTs in the game, with non-payment methods. Some players are limited due to not having online banking for whatever reason. And contests and tenders make sure you see that players winning them are the ones having 300 VIRTs in account. The more you have, the more you get. A non-payment player can't compete at that level to win them. The "laws" prevent the trading of game points/VIRTs for in-game money with other players, bad move in my opinion, as it reduces the number of game points being introduced in the game.
-Online competence: as we know, game clones pop-up like flies on the Net. Some of them might offer more freedom to players, and they might be lured to them. Nothing prevents players from being on them both, except the lack of time or the rate the games keeps getting new updates. Some games seemed to be forgotten by their creators, while others get weekly updates and give it more "life". But once one of them greatly surpasses the other, it's very unlikely to keep the audience. It's just like selling low-quality jewelry in the Fashionable District, competence will make it almost impossible. Same happens here.
I'm not sure if I forget something, more reasons for gradually leaving/losing interest in online games? |
