Here's an idea for TFP that's better than their current DLC: reward players who buy the game as a gift for their friends.

[ayprofessor]

Every year, I make a point to buy one copy of the game for a friend on steam. It's something I've been doing since 2018, if I recall correctly, out of appreciation for the game, and as a gift to some random lucky friend.


Just now, I've seen the DLC for the game is out and I don't think it's worth it. Then, I got thinking:


What if people who already own the game could buy it at a discount to send it as gift to a friend on steam (say, the current price on steam with an additional 15% discount; if there's already a 40% discount, we could buy it at a 55% discount instead) and the person buying the gift additionally got some in game reward for doing that, which would improve with every new copy bought as a gift?


I used to play Team Fortress 2 and they have an item like that. The game is free, but free accounts have restrictions. If you buy a premium account to gift a friend (or that friend mentions you when they buy a premium account themselves) you get a cosmetic item to wear, and it improves on level whenever that happens again.


In TF2 it's kinda boring, because the only thing that updates on the item is a text counter, but I imagine the idea could be made better by TFP. It would be a good way to spread the game around, while also benefiting the players gifting others. Plus, imo it's better than just selling the cosmetic DLC on the store. It turns something that looks like a mere cash grab (selling cosmetic DLC) into a way to reward players who are gifting their friends and spreading copies of that game around.


What do you think?

 

[InfiniteWarrior]

With the game open to modding, I honestly don't see how a cosmetic DLC system is even expected to work or worth the effort. Why buy them when you can make your own and/or download the efforts of others, perhaps with a little donation to the mod author? That's why games like Fallout 76 were ultimately closed to modding despite studio promises to support modding. The CEOs decided that would cut into their precious profit margins.

Industry CEOs like the **** at EA have long been looking for ever more new and clever ways to manipulate psyches; create recurring revenue streams; and turn what used to be products into "services," exploiting extremely young and/or troubled players, especially.

Make the game. Sell the game. Develop actual DLC, i.e. map and story expansions, for that game and sell that. That's the way it used to be done. I'm not against evolution, but have absolutely no respect or patience with the sorry and manipulative tactics of the industry today.

It's a thought, but such a "reward" would probably not be enough to sell enough extra copies. I certainly wouldn't be prompted by such a "reward." I'll buy the game for someone else if I think they'll like it, not because it'll get me a new virtual hat -- insubstantial pixels on a screen highly likely to go *poof* in the future.

 

[ayprofessor]

With the game open to modding, I honestly don't see how a cosmetic DLC system is even expected to work or worth the effort. Why buy them when you can make your own and/or download the efforts of others, perhaps with a little donation to the mod author? That's why games like Fallout 76 were ultimately closed to modding despite studio promises to support modding. The CEOs decided that would cut into their precious profit margins.

Industry CEOs like the **** at EA have long been looking for ever more new and clever ways to manipulate psyches; create recurring revenue streams; and turn what used to be products into "services," exploiting extremely young and/or troubled players, especially.

Make the game. Sell the game. Develop actual DLC, i.e. map and story expansions, for that game and sell that. That's the way it used to be done. I'm not against evolution, but have absolutely no respect or patience with the sorry and manipulative tactics of the industry today.

It's a thought, but such a "reward" would probably not be enough to sell enough extra copies. I certainly wouldn't be prompted by such a "reward." I'll buy the game for someone else if I think they'll like it, not because it'll get me a new virtual hat -- insubstantial pixels on a screen highly likely to go *poof* in the future.

Me too. But it would feel good to be rewarded by the devs for buying a gift copy of the game. As I mentioned, TF2 did that and it was a pretty wholesome system. Maybe the 7dtd community would appreciate that sentiment too.

 

[InfiniteWarrior]

a pretty wholesome system

I haven't seen one of those in years. As I said, it's a thought. It'll be interesting to hear what everyone thinks of it.

 

[theFlu]

Why buy them when you can make your own

There's a lot of different types of customer. Some will never buy anything you put out, some will buy everything they see. Paid-cosmetics manage to tap a couple segments, "those who just have too much money" and "anyone who's sorta looking for an excuse to give the devs a little more".

The whole gaming industry pretty much runs on "donations", most games could be rather trivially pirated, yet they sell well. That's people giving money to devs because "they deserve it"; the same people are good candidates for cosmetic sales.

And my daily EULA-compliance statement follows:
Play fair everybody!

 

[InfiniteWarrior]

There's a lot of different types of customer

Neoliberal society has failed to convince me that I am either a customer or a consumer. Rather, I'm a human being and expect to be treated as such. I wish the same for all my fellow human beings and, in fact, wish all other life forms on this planet well. Edward Bernays can stuff it.

 

[theFlu]

Rather, I'm a human being and expect to be treated as such.

Certainly. Similarly, I tend to lose any interest towards a game that is referred to as "IP" or a "product" by their dev; at least it's a major red flag. That may be the business end of things, but developing a game is different from developing "on an IP"...

But, in the case of payable cosmetics, I think it's the least dehumanizing option for all. The buyer knows they're not getting anything, the seller knows they're not selling anything ... it's a voluntary donation masquerading as a trade. Abuse with them only happens towards people with no impulse control, but I don't think we improve anyone's impulsivity by scolding cosmetics.