This story has been heavily updated post-stream – keep on scrollin’!
An apparent leak on a Bless fansite – which was hastily scrubbed but nevertheless preserved by players and Redditors – has the community watching the game ablaze today. The leak revolves around the game’s plan for founder packs, set to be revealed today; according to the rumor, Neowiz aims to charge $40 for the standard edition of the game, on up to $200 for the collector’s edition. All of the packages include headstart, with differing chunks of premium membership time chunked together.
Neowiz has previously said it leaned toward a buy-to-play model in order to avoid pay-to-win pitfalls, but the premium membership time mentioned makes players think the game is more a hybrid model with an optional subscription.
The official stream is set to begin at 3 p.m. EDT, and then we’ll know for sure whether the rumors are bunk or not.
Worth pointing out is that MOP specifically asked Neowiz about the potential for a subscription in the future during an interview in March. “Does [the announcement that the game will be B2P] preclude an optional subscription or VIP recurring fee at some future date?” Here was Neowiz’s response: “Not necessarily! We are going with the buy-to-play model as we believe it will be best for both the game and for players. In the future if we feel that players would benefit from something like that without negatively impacting the game experience, it could be considered.”
However, Neowiz also told us during that same interview that the early access on Steam would be “closer to a soft launch” without any wipes, so it seems unlikely that die-hard Bless fans will be waiting around.
At the time, the company also confirmed the existence of the cash shop (I’m told the current version includes things that could potentially be construed as P2W right now, but we’ll have more on that later) but it also said it will not be doing lockboxes. MOP’s Andrew Ross attended the press event on the west coast today, so stay tuned for his thoughts.
Details for the founders’ packs going up the same, first day they can be purchased
Details on the premium sub going up the same, first day founders’ packs can be purchased
Founders’ packs contain currency for a cash shop that we know nothing about, including the items sold – we don’t even know if “3800” Lumena is like 30 bucks worth or 30 cents
EA starts the same day one needs to buy the founders’ packs to get access to EA
Founders’ packs claim EA is for 2 days
Unless my computer can download the game in negative spacetime I don’t see a way to actually get 2 days of EA even if I buy a founders’ pack
Are they completely stupid? Like, did anyone think about the customers’ user experience AT ALL?
I don’t normally dislike optional subscriptions but this does make it seem like Neowizz can’t be trusted . If they had been honest and above board from the get go then it would have been a different matter .
How after this do we know that the cash shop will only feature cosmetic items ? or maybe pay to win items will creep into the cash shop over the period of a few months ?
This has raised enough flags for me , I have gone from considering buying at launch to adopting a wait and see approach .
I think this is a serious miscalculation on Neowizz part . Its seriously shoddy business practice and terrible PR .
The good thing about all of this is that the BDO forums have been quieter, and even pleasant to a degree, with a lot of people moving over to try Bless. I really hope Bless works out for them!
At this point I think one has to wonder how people aren’t surprised when a hyped MMO from Asia (excluding Japan) comes over and ends up being disappointing with its monetization practices.
Black Desert, ArcheAge, Blade and Soul, Age of Wushu… the list goes on.
Duh. We are a cantankerous bunch.
k o r e a n
that’s all you really need to know to start running the opposite way
…I tend run in the opposite way from ignorance though. So I am unlikely to take up your advice. But thnkx anyways.
Ignorance does not equal self delusion
fool me a hundred times, shame on you still?
I dont think thats how it works, tho
I used to be somewhat interested in this game and wanted to give it a try.
But the more I see how they’re managing it, the more the game is planting its feet very firmly in my wait-at-least-several-months-and-then-see category. I have a strong suspicion of what Neowiz will be doing to it…
I haven’t seen anything that I’d consider P2W honestly.
Perhaps, but it’s beginning to look more and more likely this is merely a result of their unclear communication (perhaps deliberate?) and not their intent, which we, frankly, know next to nothing about.
Take this leaked screenshot, for instance. The headstart will begin on 28/5 – and “Details on what will be included in the Founder’s Packs will be revealed on May 28” as well. Can it even get more dodgy that this?
Either they are still playing around with their business strategy, which is disturbing this close to the release; or there is something there they do not want the players to know about in advance.
I said it before and I’ll say it again: What players label as P2W and what companies see as P2W are two entirely different things.
Developers tend to follow the more literal approach of World of Tanks where after a point you literally have to have cash shop ammo in order to compete. Since the subscription is literally “optional” then they’re going to keep calling it optional.
Players on the other hand have a wide variety of approaches. While some of us tend to be more literal about terminology there’s also a great deal of people who will perceive any kind of purchasable an advantage and therefore winning. Does the subscription give you some minor benefit? Then it’s absolutely 100% mandatory to play the game or you’ve already lost to someone who paid.
They don’t seem to understand this and will likely pay harshly because of it.
I really want this game to be good, but the communication we have been getting has been so shady …
When I heard their emissaries were forced to agree to only present a positive image of the game I kinda assumed they weren’t going to be listening to raw feedback or acting upon it.
I do think it’s a little weird that the founders packs go on sale the day of head-start. Typically, those packs are available at least 2 weeks in advance. I’m out of town that week anyway, so I won’t be picking one up. I was hoping it was going to be the week of the 21st. Oh well.
I find the “collectors” edition being $200 a bit much … Like, I don’t really need a second copy of the game.
Details of the content of the founder’s packs will also be revealed only on the day of the headstart.
It’s not just a little weird, it’s highly suspicious.