Changes to the Gold Bonus Program

[The Lurker]

Why is the gold bonus nerf in CC only? MW has to be by far the most unbalanced game and old tiers in place.

[[CM]]forgetaboutit]

Hey guys, we expected a lot of people to be angry about this. It was either make the changes or remove the program entirely, so we went with this. Keep in mind that it's a courtesy program we don't have to run at all, and we give out free stuff. Anyone that enrolled agreed to us making changes at any time.

A&F
I was wondering about our spending during the start of the month
Seeing alot of us bought prior to this announcement
Wouldn't we be put in the old program as that is where our money was spent
Just Sayin

[cc thunder]

I heard about this movie called ban hammer, it seems like several people on this forum have already seen it, hopefully not too many more will see it though , in the movie people bring up standard individual views and topics then all of a sudden disappear, really weird but not as scary is they try to make it out to be kind of lame, I couldn't imagine if a company ran the same way as the movie I would see it tanking before too long

[montecore]

A&F
I was wondering about our spending during the start of the month
Seeing alot of us bought prior to this announcement
Wouldn't we be put in the old program as that is where our money was spent
Just Sayin

Not according to the terms and conditions. You should thank Gree. They could have changed it on the 31st.

[Vile Lynn]

Hey guys, we expected a lot of people to be angry about this. It was either make the changes or remove the program entirely, so we went with this. Keep in mind that it's a courtesy program we don't have to run at all, and we give out free stuff. Anyone that enrolled agreed to us making changes at any time.

Why do I get the feeling this is a ploy to distract us from the actual game issues that are really making players angry?

[[CM]]forgetaboutit]

Why do I get the feeling this is a ploy to distract us from the actual game issues that are really making players angry?

What issues they are all fixed

[Yancool]

Hey guys, we expected a lot of people to be angry about this. It was either make the changes or remove the program entirely, so we went with this. Keep in mind that it's a courtesy program we don't have to run at all, and we give out free stuff. Anyone that enrolled agreed to us making changes at any time.

I don't mind you changing the rules, but do it with respect for your players, who has been working hard to spend whatever amount they use in the game. Most of the anger here is not directed at the change it selves, but the way you have done it.

It all fairness you should either have send this email on the last day of September, counting for October purchases, or make it effective in November. Many have been spending money on gold they used in the war in the weekend, even bought a few vaults on discount for the LTQ and whatever comes in the next couple of weeks.

Had you send out the email just before the war, the points would have been much lower as everybody would have been holding off. The anger you expected was a different one, then the one you got, but why are we not surprised?

The things Gree throw at the users will make people angry, disillusioned, quit, hurt your brand, play other games, play for free. I think it's time you sit down and say what can we do for the players, and not what can we do against the players!

Only place I have seen more frustration is in EA forum, and that's certainly not a good second place.

[mxz]

From everything I've gathered...the decision was made because Gree (wrongly) saw this as a rampant gold inflation problem (probably being B&M'd about by free players).

Yet again, they miss the mark on where the inflation lies (hint to devs: it's the stats of items you give out) and the responsible party (hint to devs: it's not us, it's you).

[montecore]

I don't mind you changing the rules, but do it with respect for your players, who has been working hard to spend whatever amount they use in the game. Most of the anger here is not directed at the change it selves, but the way you have done it.

It all fairness you should either have send this email on the last day of September, counting for October purchases, or make it effective in November. Many have been spending money on gold they used in the war in the weekend, even bought a few vaults on discount for the LTQ and whatever comes in the next couple of weeks.

Had you send out the email just before the war, the points would have been much lower as everybody would have been holding off. The anger you expected was a different one, then the one you got, but why are we not surprised?

The things Gree throw at the users will make people angry, disillusioned, quit, hurt your brand, play other games, play for free. I think it's time you sit down and say what can we do for the players, and not what can we do against the players!

Only place I have seen more frustration is in EA forum, and that's certainly not a good second place.

I am becoming more and more convinced that the company and game are some sort of clinical psychological research project, and the current MO is seeing just how much the users will tolerate. The rampant hilarity of how they screwed up the previous battle and now changing the agreement in the most unfair way/time possible really leaves few other options.

The best part is the concept that this is being done to balance out the competitive nature of the game. But with the 5K and 10K bonuses staying the same, do you really think the people buying that much will spend less? Or the stat items will suddenly go back to 300/300 being incredibly badass?

What this will do is make the very top players even more untouchable than they are now and crush the middle class.

[GU7 F4WK3S]

I am becoming more and more convinced that the company and game are some sort of clinical psychological research project, and the current MO is seeing just how much the users will tolerate. The rampant hilarity of how they screwed up the previous battle and now changing the agreement in the most unfair way/time possible really leaves few other options.

Look up the 'Skinner Box' and you'll definitely find parallels. Difference being we actually pay to be experimented on.

[lordsagacity]

Hey guys, we expected a lot of people to be angry about this. It was either make the changes or remove the program entirely, so we went with this. Keep in mind that it's a courtesy program we don't have to run at all, and we give out free stuff. Anyone that enrolled agreed to us making changes at any time.

I understand that you do not have to run the program, but players do not have to pay. Waiters do not have to serve well and customers do not have to pay tips.

[cooch]

Gree has sustainability issues as an ongoing concern with the key business area of Japan. It cannot recover and launch a new product line quick enough, or is buying time to do so, to get back in touch with the fickle changes of its paying customers in Japan.

Typical of any major corporation they have first cut costs where they can especially in satellite countries and divisions including Funzio/US. Also typical is the last cuts are beginning at HQ. Seems to be happening in Japan HQ now in at least larger numbers.

Funzio, while probably an expensive acquisition, is probably one of the best assets Gree has in sales, CF, GM and growth. So now it is time to come after the Gree customers. Price increases are not going to work in the competitive app world that Funzio plays in. So the first pass is to reduce or eliminate the discount program. Since Funzio mgmt does not know the net affect it will launch this test balloon in its oldest platform game which also happens to create the least revenue of the Big Three apps. If it works, that is the net loss is not significant, it will be applied in the other two platform games. Don't fool yourself. Organic growth by Gree is gone and they need to squeeze profits and beat costs out of all assets. The future for Gree is in Funzio applications as long as they don't try to import Japanese tastes across the board in international games. Hello Kitty type games are for kids not adults.

The issue, however, is masked by Funzio decisions if this fails. The stat inflation has hit the breaking point for at least some gold spenders, in particular, long time players (over one year). Perhaps the player substitution is working and it is a long term strategy to unwind long term whale players with new whales. Perhaps not because all paying customer losses add up. Plus real players use syndicate 3rd party apps to pass on historical information from old whales to new whales about game, funzio, and concerns. Darn thing is that many players spend gold in MW, KA and CC or free in CC but spend in KA and/or MW. We talk and are concerned. Not sure how many will jump to Beta games when live including beta testers based on current business strategies.

Surely you can understand if one spends a vault for events a year ago had value for probably a month. With stat inflation it was a week and now is about a day until next event starts. Surely you must understand except for the .5% players that have spend without abandon there is a limit to most of us spenders for pixel entertainment. It must be impacting your revenues as we are seeing the spenders leave syndicates. Old whales replaced by new whales is a good strategy but I think the new whales won't play as long and are getting wise to this.

The other issues causing paying customers to quit is the significant amount of events where it has taken more RL time than expect, desired, or tolerated by the individual or the ones around them. This needs no explanation. The life expectancy of spenders must be declining and the new whales will probably be around for less than a year. Understand you must manage for short term results in a short term business product but you've gone past tolerance rate of some and that number will grow.

The issues of reliability of platform and numerous gree mistakes to this issue is non sequitur. You had technical issues in game pre-stat inflation, pre-numerous events, we whined but we played then and now. I doubt you lost many, if any, spending players for technical issues. So this issue is ongoing and not germane to issue. You also have demonstrated the desire to make up for event issues cause by you two wars and most of us thank you for that. Can't please everyone.

So I offer no advice as not my place. Just know that paying customers are watching what Gree and Funzio will do and more may follow the early deserters. At least convert to non-paying customers. Still got to think conversion of paying to free is the worst accomplishment. The Funzio created issues need to be addressed fairly soon but that's your call.

Last some disclosure. I am not a Whale Class Gold Spender. More like Seal Class. Most of your spenders are in this class. We are your customers. This forum tends to be dominated by the Sardine Class. That is the players that don't pay for the game but whine a lot about everything Funzio and gloat or berate your paying customers. They don't add value in relationship to their contributions to the game or your business.

We hope you make some positive adjustments to game and tread carefully on pricing model both in gold program and list/sales pricing for us Sardines.

Thanks for listening.

[mxz]

Did you really expect people to read that?

[Molly's Voice]

Did you really expect people to read that?

I started to, but fell asleep at "sustainability".

[aron]

If im right this bonus changes will probably only affect top 25 teams, and some top 50, but not top 1-5?.. i dont see the logix..