Smart Business Moves Nexon Can Make
In no particular order:
1. Having a shared Cash Shop inventory. The existing exclusive CS inventories discourage players from maining new classes, because it forces them to start fresh cash-wise. The majority of revenue probably comes from cubing and special sales anyway, and removing this restriction will result in more characters being funded (and therefore more money for Nexon).
2. Expanding the maximum number of character slots. With how many classes we have now, and with every new class giving link skills, 18 slots isn't enough. This limit prevents many from creating new characters, and therefore funding new characters with CS items.
3. Having reasonable priorities. They've improved a bit, but it's not good enough. The Happy Time quest glitch was not more important than the hackers that are still running wild. Maintaining a fun and playable online environment is in their best interest, because no self-respecting gamer will tolerate a poorly managed game for long.
4. Shifting the focus from making new classes and areas to fixing existing content. Most quests are tedious and unrewarding. A lot of the maps are empty most of the time because a select few training areas overshadow everything else at almost every level range. Mini-games are difficult to make and rather pointless overall. The majority of PQs simply aren't done; even in channel 1 of Scania, the majority of PQ waiting rooms are empty at peak times. I can go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Eventually, players will realize that no matter how many classes they try, the overall experience doesn't change much. The existing game doesn't live up to its full potential, and the possibilities are anything but endless. Maple isn't as social as it used to be, and amending these existing issues first will certainly be a good move in the long-run in the sense that it will maintain the typical player's interest in the casual, solo experience.
5. Making item locks free. The new item locks released in KMS prevent characters from being deleted. Nexon has the means of providing players with a strong level of security, and making us spend money for that peace of mind is the ultimate way of them saying "we care about money a lot more than the players." This isn't real life, and the notion of item insurance in an MMO is ludicrous. If they wanted to show us that they cared about us, these locks would be available to everyone (for a small sum of mesos at most). Like every other move listed, they have everything to gain here. If they demonstrate that they care about their players, more players will be willing to return the favour.
6. Making Owls of Minerva and basic shops free. Basil's auction system just isn't what it used to be in the sense that many common items just aren't being sold, and the entire system is a ghost of its former self as far as activity is concerned. One of the major reasons I don't play MS seriously any more is because I don't have time to spend hours searching for the things I need in FM. If everyone had access to these items, then people wouldn't be so put off from buying and selling and MS would be a more enjoyable experience overall.
Note that this isn't me feeling entitled to something I'm not. This is me saying that there are standards in the MMO industry. I've tried 20+ MMORPGs. Only in MapleStory is setting up a shop not a basic right.
7. Finally, the most obvious one: better customer service, and no cherry-picking (i.e. giving priority to people who have a history of buying and spending NX). It's so obvious and self-explanatory that I don't think I need to elaborate.
Feel free to add to the list.
17 Comments • Newest first
@manoqueen It's just a wishful thinking topic. If I just wanted to reach out to Nexon, I would have put more thought into it and submitted it as a feedback ticket.
Just so you know, in KMS, character slots were expanded to 21, and with the current KMST, it's been expanded again to 30.
One clarification - when I say make basic shops free, I mean the most basic ones - the ones that disappear when you log off. The advantage to being a CS user would be having access to hired merchants.
@pluckyoureyes
1. KMS deliberately did that, because most of their CS equipment is permanent. GMS followed a different route, making most things expire in 3 months. JMS already implemented a shared Cash Shop inventory, and it's clearly not hurting them.
2. I'm saying the rate they're adding them isn't enough. I've been at my limit for a while now. Every new class that comes out, I have the same argument with myself: what am I willing to delete? If no expansions come with Kanna and Hayato, I won't be able to enjoy them immediately.
3. You've understood my point here, and I understand where you're coming from too, so I'll leave it at that.
4. I'm sure there are hundreds of players like me that see new classes as link skill mules.
5. Again, I'm making the logical assumption here that most of their money comes from cubes and items that change a character's appearance. This isn't exactly a risky move, and is one of the best things they can do to make people see them in a better light. Though apparently this has already happened in KMS - not really sure which update it's from though.
6. Same rebuttal as number 5.
7. Same comment as number 3.
@HateAndLove
Please don't think of #1 that way. I'm saying that a shared CS would encourage people to buy new stuff. Me and just about every one of my friends don't fund new characters because no CS items carry over. If I could use that one pet I had from my Mage, for example, then I might make Mercedes my new main and spend a few tens here and there getting nice equipment and changing my hair and eyes.
@Evol
I deliberately didn't include that one because Basil's first intervention covered it well enough.
Hackers could use free item locks against the player, right?
[quote=Amuro]@MrSwaagg So basically what you're saying is that you're fine with the existing standards. I kind of figured that this would be how this is received, so I almost want to forget about rebutting. But...
I'm not a cheap person. I don't make all that much money as a student, and I spend hundreds of dollars for entertainment value. If Nexon cared enough about MS to make it more enjoyable for players, then players like me would support them financially. The whole premise of this topic is brainstorming moves that will benefit them in the long-run. The way they currently conduct business is short-sighted and doesn't guarantee a constant revenue stream into the future. How much money do they make off item locks? I can almost guarantee you that the vast majority of their revenue is from things that modify character aesthetics and things that modify that stats on equipment. An immediate small dent in their wallet is a small price to pay for having a better game overall. The money will come, because people buy into quality games.[/quote]
No where did he say "it's fine/I love it how it is right now"
What he's saying is [b]it's not a business move[/b].
It's hard for Nexon to decide to make adjustments regarding NX use when their financial report shows quite a good sum of money, better than previous years. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130212006835/en/Nexon-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-Fiscal-Year-2012
@MrSwaagg So basically what you're saying is that you're fine with the existing standards. I kind of figured that this would be how this is received, so I almost want to forget about rebutting. But...
I'm not a cheap person. I don't make all that much money as a student, and I spend hundreds of dollars for entertainment value. If Nexon cared enough about MS to make it more enjoyable for players, then players like me would support them financially. The whole premise of this topic is brainstorming moves that will benefit them in the long-run. The way they currently conduct business is short-sighted and doesn't guarantee a constant revenue stream into the future. How much money do they make off item locks? I can almost guarantee you that the vast majority of their revenue is from things that modify character aesthetics and things that modify that stats on equipment. An immediate small dent in their wallet is a small price to pay for having a better game overall. The money will come, because people buy into quality games.
@MrSwaagg In what way would this impede Nexon? For the most part, I think these are good long-term moves for the game and the company.
@dartz321
2. To what? 24 or so slots? This is a GMS forum - my bad for not specifying that I was referring specifically to GMS and Nexon of America. And that's still not enough. Why not just straight-up expand it to 30-40 slots? They dish out 6 or so new classes every year, and there's already more classes than there are slots.
3. Valid. Stack hack is still around, and it's big enough that a competent company would have resolved the issue by now.
4. For the longest time, Nexon has been dishing out class revamps. That's almost all we ever get besides new classes anyway. I'm not saying halt all events in favour of fixes, and revamps to other areas of the game would be nothing less than refreshing.
5. Source please. I'm sorry that I haven't maintained enough interest in MS to keep up.
6. I might rescind my point about Owls. As for shops, I've played many other games where everybody was allowed to set up a shop and everything was just fine.
7. I've been around long enough to know their progress. I acknowledged that they've improved, but I maintain that it's not good enough. I've had much more pleasant experiences with other large MMO publishers.
Nexon removed the MTS.... brings more demand... waits couple years.... demand rises over.... MTS RELEASED!
ohhhh yeahhh I rawk
having owls for free is a horrible decision. It would lower nexon's profit by tenfold; merchants spend LOTS of nx buying hired merchants.
and merchants, such as myself would basically quit merchanting. the freemarket would die as we know it.
lvl hacking doesn't have the same impact as abusing maple points.
[quote=dartz321]
5. *Facepalm*. Check for updated information before posting please. KMS has since changed from making Item Locks Cash Shop only to be purchasable through mesos. This will be implemented in GMS soon.
[/quote]
Actually, it became meso-only in KMS because of the KSSN leakage (And Korea's enforcement on KSSN usage for Nexon and other companies) which lead to a hacking epidemic. This happened over a year ago and it's barely dying down.
It will only come to GMS if NexonNA feels there is a hacking epidemic and if they want to sacrifice getting $$ from it.
1. Not at all. If you can share cash shop inventories, people wouldn't have to buy pets, clothes, and other cosmetic stuff every new class that comes out
2. Agreed
3. idk
4. No, unfortunately that's not the case. New classes = there is no doubt there will be a mass move to play said class. And addressed at #1, people will buy new cash shop stuff for it. (Omg Angelic Buster so strong! I'ma fund the crap out of it! -few months later- Omg Xenon is much more OP than Angelic Buster, I'ma fund that now!)
5. This is kind of a 'on the fence' about it. On one hand, if they make item locks free, no NX from getting it. On the other hand, if the player were to get hacked and item locks are free, he'd be safe for the most part = playing more = possibility of buying NX
6. I don't see how that'll be a better business move. Shops and Owls are incredibly popular as it is, especially merchants, and they don't even last long!
7. No doubt.
Nexon is a business, they'd do anything for money. That's the cold hard truth.
I'm going to say it plainly. Your suggestions would definitely improve overall gameplay and make the game more enjoyable for players. But they're bad business moves because most of your ideas will have an [b]immediate negative impact on Nexon's profits[/b] (and this is why they will be unwilling to implement any of your changes).
1. "Having a shared Cash Shop inventory." It's not a secret on this one, Nexon [b]deliberately[/b] separated cash shop inventory so people would be forced to spend money on each character if they wanted all their characters to be decorated and reap the benefits of nx.
2. "Expanding the maximum number of character slots." I don't see much point to this one since it doesn't benefit Nexon. They add more slots as they create more classes.
3. "Having reasonable priorities. They've improved a bit, but it's not good enough. The Happy Time quest glitch was not more important than the hackers that are still running wild. Maintaining a fun and playable online environment is in their best interest, because no self-respecting gamer will tolerate a poorly managed game for long." Basically you want Nexon to be more pro-active in banning hackers. This move will require more resources, which will increase Nexon's overhead costs and decrease their profits.
4. "Shifting the focus from making new classes and areas to fixing existing content." Unfortunately, new classes encourage existing players to make a new character, which encourages more spending on nx cash due to #1 (no shared cash shop inventory). Taking the focus off new classes will limit nexon's profits since players already played all the previous classes.
5. "Making item locks free." This move will obviously create a loss in profits. Nexon doesn't exactly want to give away anything that they can charge $$ for.
6. "Making Owls of Minerva and basic shops free." Same as #5. I agree with you though; I have also played other MMO's that had free shops, but Nexon doesn't want to give up profits.
7. "Finally, the most obvious one: better customer service, and no cherry-picking (i.e. giving priority to people who have a history of buying and spending NX). It's so obvious and self-explanatory that I don't think I need to elaborate." Again, this move will raise overhead expenses which will have an immediate negative impact on profits.
I don't agree with number 5 and 6, but the other one's are pretty chill.
Really good points