#player spending

[askagamedev]

Why is it that even/especially on mobile, micro-transactions are as expensive as they are? That is, at least the ones I've seen I have to think whether the value is even there. I would have thought that "giving away" obviously great value would get more people to bite. Are big spenders worth that much more than getting more small spenders? Is there some floor where even the cheapest good deal won't entice a new spender?

You might be surprised at how much others are actually willing to pay for things they like. Big spenders do a lot of the heavy lifting, and most choose to spend because they get sufficient positive value (for them) out of the game overall. My cousin's FIFA league is an example of that - all participants are highly-paid professionals who really like soccer, so they all engage without a spending limit because it's fun for them.

For pricing determination, it's something of an optimization issue - we don't want to charge more than most spending players are willing to pay or the value proposition isn't there and they won't buy at all, but we also don't want to charge too much less than most spending players are willing to pay or we're leaving money on the table that the players would be willing to give us. Many sufficiently-large mobile games will feel this out via A/B testing, where they distribute two slightly different versions of the same game and microtransaction offerings to their players and track spending behaviors to see which set of prices do better overall. They will also do this A/B testing to try other potential changes as well - game flow, visual design, level design, etc.

You are quite correct, however - the "regular" microtransaction offerings usually aren't for the budget-minded or newer spenders. Most developers create different microtransaction products aimed at different types of players. Converting non-paying players to small spenders is extremely important to any microtransaction business model. Getting someone to spend the first time is a lot more difficult than getting them to spend the second, fifth, or fiftieth time (especially in a free-to-play environment). For new players, devs usually offer a variety of one-time introductory packages that are more budget-friendly and help with early- and mid- game content more than elder game content. These introductory products ease the transition from non-spending player into spending player.

For regular spending players that are more budget-minded, devs typically offer a different set of options - often more limited quantity time-based "deals". These often aren't the latest and greatest things released, but can provide more value to the player for the price - instead of offering the newest coolest costumes to come out, this month's deal offers a bundle of several older costumes together at a reduced price. The fact that they are better value (if not the latest and greatest) and time-sensitive tends to make the buyers feel better about their limited purchases - they're getting a better deal that isn't always available.

Obviously, those who spend the most will get the most offerings. Not only are they the ones who support the game most financially, they are also the ones who consume the most paid content and demand more. Those who spend less are still valuable, which is why we will still offer them things, but they spend less so they also consume less. New players get special treatment, because new players can bounce off of a game easily and we want to keep as many new players around for as long as we can.

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[cidnangarlond]

[aingeal98]

Ultimately the resolution of Jason and Cass fights comes down to the fact that while he has his own ideals that don't mesh with the bats, Jason can be flexible. DC skipped the whole reconciliation with the family but while he's willing to kill it's generally a means to an end to him, not the whole entire point unless you're talking about Joker. Meanwhile for Cass the question of killing vs not killing is dead serious to her which means any time they're working together and things start going off track it's like:

Jason: Look if we kill this guy we send a message to his boss which makes it easier for us to negotiate with him from a position of power and I just think that-

Cass, snatching one of his guns and pointing it at her own head: Go on, pull the trigger. Kill him. Kill me. Go tell Batman that you let his daughter die to make a negotiation easier. He already let you die so no problem right? You think we should die? You think our life only worthwhile as part of a plan, just because we're killers? Are we doomed? Are we rotten to the core with no hope of redemption? Go on then, kill us and kill part of your soul alongside it. You clearly don't care for it so why are you even trying? Kill yourself along with us, come on Jason let's all just die right?

Jason, slowly backing away: I think you may be projecting a tiny bit so just. Calm down before I call the suicide hotline please.

Cass, slowly lowering the gun and knocking the random henchman unconscious: Yeah that's what I thought, fucking pussy.

Jason: Mm yeah you know what I hate you actually. Fuck this mission I'll just shoot you right now if you're going to be this annoying about it.

Jason, explaining things later to Dick: So I just kept shooting at her until I ran out of bullets and we both calmed down enough to call a truce. We tracked the guy down and didn't kill anyone but I did blow up the batplane just as a last minute screw you. Is she always this uh... intense?

Dick: Yeah, one time I broke up with Barbara and she threw me out a window. She's just like that.

[emacrow]

The batfam decided to play a new board game called the realm of Phantom which Cass had found in a vintage store...

Though when they began to play the game as Damian rolls the neon green dices first, they were suddenly transported into the real verison world of the game.

The sky is green, there a magical trail with green glowing trees, plants and animals. A sign between three paths along with little warning not to eat or drink anything meat related in the realm as it has said in the warning list.

Luckily the batfam had the snacks and drinks that were on the table.

Now it a race against supposedly time and space itself as each batfam roll the dice, pick glowing and floating neon green cards along the way, collect special items that has disadvantages and advantages.

Unfortunately during the time, somehow nobody was paying attention to Jason whom had snuck a couple of those glowing green pomegranate from a tree in the beginning while a certain someone panicked, had already eaten 4 of them, had thrown up a concerning crapton of icky yellowish green goob with red that screech at him like a chihuahua before it was about to flee and ended up getting eaten alive by some type of tiny floating blobs surrounding it and leaving nothing left.

He feeling fantastic though, and the urge to shot someone disappeared mostly was gone before anyone noticed he was gone for couple of minutes.

The batfam ended up meeting some characters that were on the board game, like Tuck the reincarnated Pharoah, little Ellie who beaten Damian to a near pulp whom kept trying for another rematch on his turn and ended up having to be dragged away before they ended up stuck in this place.

And finally they were near the end of the game where one of them must had the item to speak to the King of Balance... which nobody seem to know which item it was..

They tried every circle item they collected so far but none of them work. Tim is started to panic a bit, before Jason walked up to the Gate and press one of those green pomegranate into the circle like hole which ended up splitting in half, revealing the seeds of the pomegranate as the large grand Gate door open.

[braisedhoney]

well wishes from the void

[cowgirls-blues]

... I'm smoking, and I'm moving around a baseball around in my hand. And I'm counting the stitches. 'Cause it's a Möbius loop, it's just one line of stitches, I'm counting - kind of like a rosary. "Take me out to the ball game..."

I'm watching Candela Obscura for the first time and my brain just went "hey what if we drew Sean with huge Ghibli tears wouldn't that be fun???

[elfcollector]

I feel ill. All the fools and villains who ever fell for my ploys, they're — they're here!

[thankyouforthememoriesworld]

Someone touching Azzi Paige: 😡

[rambunctioustoons]

friend pick-up magma doodle + a silly continuation ✨

[trappedinafantasy37]

"Weeeh! I wanna recruit Minthara on a good playthrough! Weeeh! I don't like the ultimatum and want to keep both Minthara and Halsin! Weeeh! I wanna make Minthara good! Weeeh! I don't want Minthara to break up with me!" Minthara deserves more content but none of these things are at all what she needs or deserves. No, these are all things that you want for yourself, but do absolutely nothing for her. This is one of the biggest L's in the game and it will forever enrage me because I just know it will never happen.

Minthara deserves to confront Orin like all the other companions do with their abusers. She deserves to scream and yell at Orin. She deserves to cut at her the same way Orin did, make her bleed and scream in pain. Minthara deserves to torture Orin, just as she did her in the mind flayer colony. Minthara deserves the right to roll up to the Temple of Bhaal and beat the shit out of Orin with her bare hands. Leave Orin begging for mercy in which Minthara will not even give her a drop. To slam Orin down on that altar and slice her throat, offer her up as a sacrifice to the father she is so blindly devoted to.

And yes, Minthara would be afraid. She would be TERRIFIED. Despite how strong and powerful Minthara is, she is also the only one afraid of Orin. Unlike Ketheric, or Gortash, or Sarevok, she is the only one who fully acknowledges just how dangerous Orin actually is and does not underestimate her. She will walk down into that temple, intending to duel Orin with a massive disadvantage because she is terrified.

Minthara choked when seeing Orin again in the mind flayer colony. She choked when seeing Orin as an imposter, throwing her deep into the ocean of paranoia and fear. And she is so entrenched in paranoia that it actually becomes palpable to everyone around her, even you. She describes herself as paranoid, but this is the first that you actually see how paranoid she is. And she choked again when Orin kidnapped someone in camp, making her feel inadequate, making a mockery of her for being unable to protect one of her own. And every day that passes, the more and more likely that the victim is going to die and she has doubts on their survival.

At every possible avenue in which Minthara could have done something or said something about Orin, she froze in place with fear. But she's had enough. She cannot be afraid of Orin forever and she doesn't want to be. One way or another, Orin has to die and she wants to get over that fear. She needs to know that Orin is dead, for herself.

This would also make the alurlssrin confession all the more impactful. She wants to tell you that she loves you in the best way that she can because of the very high likelihood that she will never have another chance to do so. She would beg you to come with her as you give her the courage. She has the courage to face her fears and confront her tormentor, because she knows she has you in her corner. If you have the courage to stand up to the very gods themselves, then she can stand up to Orin. Romanced or not, your presence alone is enough to give her the strength to do something she would otherwise be too terrified to do.

Minthara deserves the honor to solo duel Orin in a fight to the death. Minthara deserves the right to achieve vengeance for herself. No, I do not care that this confrontation would conflict with a Durge playthrough. In fact, it would provide a phenomenal source of some interesting, and toxic, drama between Durge and Minthara. Especially if they're in a relationship. This also does not mean that Minthara killing Orin instead of Durge would not have its consequences (because it most certainly will). Even if Minthara does not fight Orin, it would be so much better if Minthara was just given the fucking chance to yell at Orin like all the other companions in their personal quests.

[lmanburs]

I think what makes TLOU show both enjoyable for the new and old fans is that they've kept the main story beats the same but the ways we actually get to these points are extremely different and take full advantage of the transition between mediums. We get a lot more time with the actual characters rather than on exploration and I'm really digging the pre-outbreak exposition we're getting before every episode

[project-sekai-facts]

Kanade's another cut for the Twilight Light 3DMV is a direct reference to her untrained The Dream I Saw Will One Day 4* card.

Screencap source

[ohnothisisathing]

Walter Bob ending up being the heart of the story and the conclusion was great storytelling. Not only was he not incidental, but he was integral and the point. They had to trust that Tazercraft and the audience would care enough about Walter to want him to escape and that was a safe bet considering how organically the players have grown to like him. Especially with Mike having been the one to give him his new appearance. I wasn’t expecting him to be so important but it seems inevitable in retrospect. Well done.

[boinin]

I've been thinking about where everybody sleeps in the German wing. We know Kurona, Isagi, Hiori and Yukimiya share a dorm room.

This seems harmonious. With the exception of Yukimiya and Isagi's tiff between the Barcha and Manshine matches, this group of four get on quite well. They're all well-mannered and respectful individuals (off the pitch). Perhaps they all agreed to bunk together.

If four to a room is standard, my headcanon is that the next room is occupied by these guys:

Raichi, Igaguri and Gagamaru are a package deal at this point. They're used to each other's quirks. Neru's cheerful enough to fit in with their clique. I can see him agreeing to room with the other three.

It seems likely that the German players may sleep separately to the Blue Lock players. While there's no evidence for this, we also don't see co-mingling between the two cohorts outside of matches, besides Kaiser barging into the locker-room or using communal areas like the training/AV rooms. Dorming separately also gives everyone a chance to take out the translators during rest periods.

If the German dorms are separate from the Blue Lock ones, then that leaves these two:

Bringing us to the point of this post.

An elaborate ploy to make you imagine these two as the world's most anti-social roommates.

[eff-plays]

Broke: Astarion choosing to die when Tav dies.

Woke: Astarion continuing to live on because his entire arc is about choosing to live again, choosing himself, choosing independence.

Bespoke: Tav outliving Astarion.

[janimay-sprout-cloud]

It seems that no matter how much I try, the book stays upside down...