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Request for Implementation of Regional Pricing for Ashes of creation in Developing Countries.( MENA)

Hello,
I am writing this to request the implementation of regional pricing for Ashes of Creation in developing countries. As a passionate gamer, I have been following the development of Ashes of Creation and have eagerly been waiting for its release. However, I have noticed that the only option for purchasing the game is through foreign currencies, which is a significant challenge for gamers in developing countries.

I understand that game development is a costly and time-consuming process, and it's only fair that you receive proper compensation for your hard work. However, for players in developing countries, the current pricing model is simply not feasible. It's not uncommon for people to work long hours just to pay for a single month of subscription. This not only creates financial strain but also limits access to the game for a large portion of the population. By implementing regional pricing, you'll not only make the game more accessible but also ensure that players can enjoy it without financial burdens.

On the other hand, several game developers have implemented regional pricing, such as Steam and Xbox Game Pass, which offer their services for a reasonable price depending on the country. Regional pricing is a fantastic way to make games more accessible to gamers in developing countries, allowing them to enjoy the same gaming experience as others around the world.

Unfair pricing can have many negative effects on the gaming community, particularly in developing countries. When game developers don't provide regional pricing, it can be very expensive for players to pay for subscriptions or in-game purchases, which can lead to frustration and a lack of interest in the game. As a result, some players may turn to private servers, such as those in World of Warcraft, which can be accessed for free.

In addition, private servers are unstable, in the majority of cases end up being a victim of glitches and all types of abuse which hinder the experience of new players.

While private servers may seem like a solution to the high cost of playing the game, they can actually be harmful to both the players and the game itself.

If the regional prices system is implemented correctly, there will be no room for exploitation or misuse of the system to get lower prices. In fact, it would help increase the popularity of the game and make it more accessible to a wider audience.

Therefore, I urge you to consider implementing regional pricing for Ashes of Creation. It would be a massive step towards making the game more accessible and affordable to passionate gamers in developing countries.

Comments

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    NiKrNiKr Member
    https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Payment_model
    There will be no region locking, but certain regions will have "harmonized" subscription prices that better reflect their local economies. Harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions.[5][6]
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    Okay,
    If we say that the harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions, in the case of players of North Africa the closest server would be the one in Europe, so they would technically pay in Euros in we would find ourselves in the same problem
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    NiKrNiKr Member
    Okay,
    If we say that the harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions, in the case of players of North Africa the closest server would be the one in Europe, so they would technically pay in Euros in we would find ourselves in the same problem
    Intrepid is currently a self-publishing indie company. They don't have endless money to buy up servers on all continents/regions. But I'd assume that if they see enough demand for the game in those regions, they might support at least a few servers there.
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    NoaaniNoaani Member, Intrepid Pack
    IMO, for an indie developer with literally no released products as yet, the current plan they have is more than can be reasonably expected.

    It isnt going to please everyone, but that isnt and should be the goal.

    North Africa is a region likelynqouldnt have enough potential players to make it viable.

    However, MENA as a whole (especially if Turkey is included) probably would be.

    Thw downside then becomes the number of time zones included in the region...
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    CawwCaww Member
    Unfair pricing

    The bulk of the AoC cost structure is from the US-based expenses incurred. Asking for discounted pricing is asking for others to subsidize the experience, not something a lot of people want to do given the monthly sub. model. Calling the practice of standardized pricing unfair ignores all the money that AoC will need to recoup once launched and for on-going operations.
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    TalentsTalents Member, Intrepid Pack
    Okay,
    If we say that the harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions, in the case of players of North Africa the closest server would be the one in Europe, so they would technically pay in Euros in we would find ourselves in the same problem

    So how do you stop people VPN'ing to MENA countries so they can pay $3 a month instead of $15 and still play on EU servers?
    nI17Ea4.png
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    Taleof2CitiesTaleof2Cities Member
    edited April 2023
    Talents wrote: »
    Okay,
    If we say that the harmonized regions will be segregated from other regions, in the case of players of North Africa the closest server would be the one in Europe, so they would technically pay in Euros in we would find ourselves in the same problem

    So how do you stop people VPN'ing to MENA countries so they can pay $3 a month instead of $15 and still play on EU servers?

    Isn’t it based on the country of residence of their Ashes account, @Talents
    … with a matching form of payment?

    That way, the login origin doesn’t matter.

    I’m sure Intrepid is sophisticated enough to check the billing address … even for PayPal.

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    unknownsystemerrorunknownsystemerror Member, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
    Or, crazy take I know, they just do what they already plan for possible regional servers and how those restrictions and payment work.
    south-park-rabble-rabble-rabbl-53b58d315aa49.jpg
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    Talking about the VPN concern,
    The current decision of harmonizing aka " giving a price for each region " for example in the FAQ he said that to play in the US servers you got to pay the US sub, and if you want to play in the Brazil servers you are going to pay the price of the sub that is set in BRazil ( just like the wow sub ) .In other words if you use a VPN you are going to end up playing in another server from your continent which seems really unreasonable for most players given the ping and the time zone inconveniences.

    @Talents to reply to your concern, what I said above should be sufficient , if not you can look up the reference in the wiki for the harmonizing system so you get an idea of how it works precisely


    @Caww what you said seems completely logical, but keep in mind that the cost of hosting servers and managing the different local expenses varies from country to country,

    Overall, I think that they should settle with the middle-ground solution that is to use the AWS servers in the ME region ( Israel ) which they should be ready by the first half of 2023 ( obviously before the release of the game ) as it can cover both the ME and the NA region while keeping in mind the price concerns .

    With appreciation to all the efforts provided by the team
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    NoaaniNoaani Member, Intrepid Pack
    edited April 2023
    Talking about the VPN concern,
    The current decision of harmonizing aka " giving a price for each region " for example in the FAQ he said that to play in the US servers you got to pay the US sub, and if you want to play in the Brazil servers you are going to pay the price of the sub that is set in BRazil ( just like the wow sub ) .In other words if you use a VPN you are going to end up playing in another server from your continent which seems really unreasonable for most players given the ping and the time zone inconveniences.
    That isn't how it works. The payment model isn't taking in to account physical location at all.

    There play, as best we know, is to simply make it so players paying the full subscription have access to the main server regions (EU, NA, OCE, SEA), and players paying harmonized prices will be limited to the server in the region they pick.

    There is (probably) nothing at all to stop someone in North Africa from playing on the Brazil servers - no VPN or anything needed. All you would need to do is create an account that is locked to that region.

    If there is demand from the region, then hosting a server in AWS Israel may well be an issue - but only if there is demand.

    The best thing someone could do to this end - rather than posting here - is to get involved in MMO communities in the region and get as many people as possible to show interest.

    I've been here since 2017, and in that time you are the second poster I have seen start a thread wanting North African servers (the last guy was specifically Egypt).

    Two people over the span of 5+ years would suggest you have a long way to go still - fortunately though, you probably have enough time.
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    @Noaani
    The thing about going out in the wild and convincing people that MMOs should be given a try is not efficient IMO, once the game shows its potential in front of an audience, there is no denying that this will spark interest, TLDR: you can't hype up something that they can't try.
    So getting at least a server in the ME ( Israel of bahrein ) that takes into account local pricing for NA players may be the way to go ( the ones in Bahrein are already open ), the only problem that remains is that how to segregate prices between those that play from the rich gulf countries and the players who come from developing north african countries
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    Taleof2CitiesTaleof2Cities Member
    edited April 2023
    So getting at least a server in the ME ( Israel of bahrein ) that takes into account local pricing for NA players may be the way to go ( the ones in Bahrein are already open ), the only problem that remains is that how to segregate prices between those that play from the rich gulf countries and the players who come from developing north african countries

    As mentioned in my prior post, gamers should be eligible for local pricing based on their Ashes account details and payment address … no issues there.

    What Noaani is getting at is will there be enough players for that region to support its own server (harmonized + non-harmonized)?

    Or, will the harmonized players from MENA be locked into another server on another continent?

    Given the precedent set by other MMOs and current level of engagement in the Forums, I share the skepticism that there will not be a dedicated server for those players.
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    NoaaniNoaani Member, Intrepid Pack
    Noaani
    The thing about going out in the wild and convincing people that MMOs should be given a try is not efficient IMO, once the game shows its potential in front of an audience, there is no denying that this will spark interest, TLDR: you can't hype up something that they can't try.
    I didnt say it would be easy to do, just that it would be the best thing to do. You probably dont need to get people in the region committed to playing the game, you simply need to show Intrepid that there are people that would potentiqlly want to play.

    It is probably worth pointing out to you that it will cost Intrepid as much to host a server in MENA as it will in Europe (assuming all other factors were the same). You are kind of asking Intrepid to take the local economy in to account and offer a cheaper deal, when that local economy isnt in turn passing that on to Intrepid.

    This is why Intrepid have said they will have servers in areas that have shown an interest in the game, rather than just trying to open as many servers in as many regions as they could.

    Intrepid do not stand to make a profit from price harmonized servers, and if they do it wrong could well stand to lose a significant amount of money.
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    @Noaani I see where you are coming from. To get something out of this; we should place our hopes on the game being actually good and innovative ( or rather keep giving good feedback ) , because if it can just manage to get the right amount of attention and recognition, our cause would get immense help
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