"Content creator" privilege / Alpha One Access

So you want random people like me to pay nearly $400, and that still won't give them access to the Alpha One?

But "content creators" get in 100%. I'll bet they don't even have to pay anything too, right. You guys just send them everything for free, right, even if they aren't even remotely interested in AoC? Seems fair.

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

Also, I don't care AT ALL about cosmetic items. Why are you forcing every single player to buy them with every one of your packages? Even if it doesn't actually affect the price it costs you, consumers don't like thinking they are being forced to pay for something they have zero interest in just because it's lumped together with something they do want.

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Altodor

Content creators bring more players to the community right. Thats pretty nice right. Its free real estate

Sathrago

Xez wrote: »

So you want random people like me to pay nearly $400, and that still won't give them access to the Alpha One?

But "content creators" get in 100%. I'll bet they don't even have to pay anything too, right. You guys just send them everything for free, right, even if they aren't even remotely interested in AoC? Seems fair.

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

Also, I don't care AT ALL about cosmetic items. Why are you forcing every single player to buy them with every one of your packages? Even if it doesn't actually affect the price it costs you, consumers don't like thinking they are being forced to pay for something they have zero interest in just because it's lumped together with something they do want.

You don't cause thousands of players to sign up and pay for the game. Giving them free access is pennies on the dollar compared to asking them to make an ad for your game. It is also more organic. Meaning they join up to play the game, not to get paid.

Overall you need to calm down the game is years from being released, god help you if you stay this mad for that long.

George_Black

The alpha one price was $500 and over for "random people".
What's the big deal that you werent around 2 years ago?
And who is forcing you to do anything?
Be reasonable

daveywavey

I'm pretty sure testing stages are being wiped after use, so access to Alpha and Beta shouldn't affect the long-term gameplay of Live.

Obviously, everyone would like to get it for free, but we don't have the same influence on the 'masses' as content creators do.

You want in, become a content creator!

jimmyw

Its good for the game to spread the word. be happy. I myself only bought the original Settler kickstarter and have no intention of upgrading it. Beta 2 here I come!

MrScrewtape

It's 100% standard marketing practice to give out free access to influencers.

You want to be treated the same? Go get 100k followers who will listen to your advice.

I had a friend who was a radio DJ, he got free stuff and admission all the time, simply on the hope that he would speak favorably about it later to the 1000's of people who listen to his show.

GrinningJack

Xez wrote: »

So you want random people like me to pay nearly $400, and that still won't give them access to the Alpha One?

But "content creators" get in 100%. I'll bet they don't even have to pay anything too, right. You guys just send them everything for free, right, even if they aren't even remotely interested in AoC? Seems fair.

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

Also, I don't care AT ALL about cosmetic items. Why are you forcing every single player to buy them with every one of your packages? Even if it doesn't actually affect the price it costs you, consumers don't like thinking they are being forced to pay for something they have zero interest in just because it's lumped together with something they do want.

So lets see, lets do a bit of math:

Simmit1G = 150 to 300k USD
Shroud = 150 to 300k USD
Asmon = 100 to 150k USD
Timtthetatman = 150 to 300k USD

So these are it's a rough estimates of what you would have to pay a big CC, based on my prior work. This does not include a set timeframe or the amount of streams and videos included in a PAID PROMOTION.

So now here is the question for you @Xez is it cheaper to just give CCs that are of a certain size a key for free if they are interested in Ashes or pay them their normal fee for paid promotions?

Also this is wrong: The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

We have paid to have access to Alpha and Beta TESTING PHASES which will be wiped before the full release of the MMORPG. All the Information gathered in the none NDA tests will public, so there still is a fair playing field.

You are also not forced to buy into the testing phases, you have the option to help with the testing before the full release, upon which everybody is on the same level with no advantage what so ever. You are free to buy in and help testing or not.

I brought close to 300 People to ashes and I still bought into A1 with three different 500 USD packs and over 500 USD of cosmetics and having free promotion from some of the biggest CCs on the planet for free, is every marketing managers dream.

So I don't know what ur on about.

akabear

to the OP, you raised some interesting views

Alpha / Beta
Those who paid for different certain tiers of access are still getting access at the various tiers.

Content Creators
The exposure youtuber, "TheLazyPeon" alone has provided by covering Ashes of Creation with just 5 videos is close to 4 million views, one of those was 1.8 million views. Then add in the creators that have done similar, and you have them to thank that AoC is accelerating the numbers of its future player base. That coupled with having some content creators involved early and drawing on their experience to get constructive feedback is highly productive and which in turn will only propagate their further content creation and exposure will only boost the game overall.

The time these content creators have put in to building a loyal and wide community and crafting the videos together is highly unrecognized.

I would rather the AoC team spend money on development and take advantage of these opportunities than they spent 10s of 1,000 of dollars of the game development funds to increase exposure. So giving some game time to these content creators in return is a small price and highly worthwhile for all of us.

Cosmetic Items
I am not sure of your angle on forcing to buy cosmetics. The way I interpret the packages is that they are given content / substance by providing access and items. Just a marketing strategy. In my case, I was not interested so more interested in the access at an earlier time than the cosmetics but see the cosmetics as a pleasant bonus. Interesting point thought, not sure how well the packages would have sold if sold as standalone with only access..

Jahlon

So there are three types of "Content Creators"

1: Big name influencers (Asmongold, Summit1G, Shroud, Tim the Tatman, Lazy Peon) These individuals you given an Alpha key to so they can throw a wide net and create a ton of publicity. You give them an Alpha Key that costs you nothing so all the Return on Investment is pure profit.

Some of these people didn't even get a free Alpha Key, they had purchased their own packs.

2: Official Content Creators (The green names on the Discord) These individuals were chosen by Intrepid back in 2017/2018 to be official content creators based on either the platform they already had or by the quality of the work they already did on Ashes of Creation. Some of the bigger people are ones that aren't quite on the Big Name Influencers list, but they are still big enough to drive traffic to your site.

All of these individuals have Alpha 1 access, however, some of them likewise purchased their own Alpha 1 access.

3: Unofficial Content Creators - These individuals either became content creators after the Official CC program closed, or they didn't know about Ashes of Creation before Alpha 1 sales closed.

These people if they do not have their own Alpha 1 access, will not be able to access Alpha 1 unless the Official Content Creator program reopens.

Now with what you said

Xez wrote: »

So you want random people like me to pay nearly $400, and that still won't give them access to the Alpha One?

Correct. Alpha 1 sales are not open.

If you do not want to pay $375 for a Voyager Plus pack, then spend $250 for a Voyager pack and wait until Alpha 2, or wait to see if they make the decision to reopen Alpha 1.

Wandering Mist

Hi @Xez

I can understand your concern and on the surface of it, it does seem very unfair that big influencers get access to testing phases where others have to pay for it, especially since people like Shroud, Summit, Asmongold, etc usually have more than enough money to pay for it.

However, as others have said, giving free access to big influencers is essentially free marketing for the game and the amount of people brought in from them will more than pay for the cost of the packages.

What I will say is that this kind of thing is purely for marketing, rather than for testing. High profile content creators rarely make good testers because their main goal is to entertain people, and there's nothing more boring than watching someone painstakingly repeat the same actions over and over again looking for bugs. That doesn't make good content at all.

For that reason, I personally would prefer Intrepid to bring in the big content creators and influencers slightly later, in Alpha 2 or even Beta after the majority of bugs have been worked out and the marketing can really take hold.

Dolyem

Xez wrote: »

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

See... if this is what you are valuing alpha 1 access at, you really shouldn't be getting one. The entire point of participating in an alpha or beta isn't to play the game and to try to obtain an advantage over players who don't have access, the point is to try to break the game in every imaginable way possible so the devs can fix it and have it as optimal as possible for launch. So if that isn't your main concern about getting an alpha 1 key, I honestly don't sympathize for you. The main people who should get tester keys, are the people who want to actually benefit the game itself by helping fix the problems it may have, and the big bad content creators you are pointing your finger at are helping grow the community base for the game in the meantime, so they are helping the game benefit as well.

mrwaffles

but in all seriousness it's kinda of a sound business strategy to give them access to promote their game. Well...till some WoW streamer smashes on it and it back fires but thats just my opinion

Lore Dynamic

I'm not really a Content Creator, I just play one on TV....
Can I have Alpha 1 access now? ... /rubs his hands together

JK

Come on Alpha 2! Please hurry... /hyperventilates.

Nagash

I think you killed him with facts and logic

daveywavey

Dolyem wrote: »

Xez wrote: »

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

See... if this is what you are valuing alpha 1 access at, you really shouldn't be getting one. The entire point of participating in an alpha or beta isn't to play the game and to try to obtain an advantage over players who don't have access, the point is to try to break the game in every imaginable way possible so the devs can fix it and have it as optimal as possible for launch. So if that isn't your main concern about getting an alpha 1 key, I honestly don't sympathize for you. The main people who should get tester keys, are the people who want to actually benefit the game itself by helping fix the problems it may have, and the big bad content creators you are pointing your finger at are helping grow the community base for the game in the meantime, so they are helping the game benefit as well.

BOOM.

GrinningJack

If I get the green back, I would say I am super privileged :P

Shabob

Content creators are the new "media pass" Do you give reporters and companies a hard time because they get to be back stage with the band?

Asgerr

Xez wrote: »

So you want random people like me to pay nearly $400, and that still won't give them access to the Alpha One?

I mean you've said it yourself. You're a random nobody. Why shouldn't you have to pay 500 credits for the Alpha?

Especially considering your basic and complete misunderstanding of the purpose of an alpha test.

The price is prohibitive for people like you or me because many people do get that wrong.

Thus, rather than have a bunch of people pay close to nothing to then complain, Intrepid prefers having people who demonstrate their dedication to the testing with their money.

Also, most big content creators are not only going to bring in a lot of eyeballs on the game, but they are also people who have had considerable experience in other MMOs

This means they probably have better feedback to provide than.... what did you call them again?

Xez wrote: »

random people like me

Ah yes. That.

neuroguy

Dolyem wrote: »

Xez wrote: »

The absolute earliest access to an MMO is the single most valuable thing a player can have, with direct consequences from that time mattering all the way through the entire lifetime of an MMO. A fair playing field would be much appreciated.

See... if this is what you are valuing alpha 1 access at, you really shouldn't be getting one. The entire point of participating in an alpha or beta isn't to play the game and to try to obtain an advantage over players who don't have access, the point is to try to break the game in every imaginable way possible so the devs can fix it and have it as optimal as possible for launch. So if that isn't your main concern about getting an alpha 1 key, I honestly don't sympathize for you. The main people who should get tester keys, are the people who want to actually benefit the game itself by helping fix the problems it may have, and the big bad content creators you are pointing your finger at are helping grow the community base for the game in the meantime, so they are helping the game benefit as well.

Came to say pretty much this. If your expectations are a game to play, you are trying to get in too early.

Damokles

OG please remember, that you dont go into the Alpha 1 test to enjoy it.
Alpha 1 testers are supposed to die, crash, burn and get disemboweled by bugs and server issues.

We are paying them to get the chance to give some kind of feedback early on and help them find stuff like plants that instantly kill you by clipping you through the ground and trap you in water under the map etc.

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