Free to Play Speed Games on Classic Map

[Metsfanmax]

If I had been able to play free classic speed games when I first joined the site I don't know if I would have decided to buy premium.

For this reason, I think that if we implement this, it should be with a cap on the number of free Classic speed games you can play per month. I do not know what the number should be. 10? 25?

In my opinion it should be a cap on speed games per day, not per month as I think that if someone were to use up their free speeders for the month they would look elsewhere having gotten used to having more or less unlimited speeders for a day or so. Either that or they would have gotten their fill completely of risk in that one day and were sated for another month. It's really a tough call as far as the number though. I think that your 25 a month guess would probably fit but you could maybe even double it if it were a daily cap.

Ok, I agree. Two per day is a better customer retention strategy.

[chapcrap]

If I had been able to play free classic speed games when I first joined the site I don't know if I would have decided to buy premium.

For this reason, I think that if we implement this, it should be with a cap on the number of free Classic speed games you can play per month. I do not know what the number should be. 10? 25?

For me, I think it would be better to make it like one/day or four/week or something like that. If it is done as ten/month, people will play all of them right away and be done for a month. To keep people coming back, it needs to be every day or week, IMO.

[cooldeals]

If I had been able to play free classic speed games when I first joined the site I don't know if I would have decided to buy premium.

For this reason, I think that if we implement this, it should be with a cap on the number of free Classic speed games you can play per month. I do not know what the number should be. 10? 25?

In my opinion it should be a cap on speed games per day, not per month as I think that if someone were to use up their free speeders for the month they would look elsewhere having gotten used to having more or less unlimited speeders for a day or so. Either that or they would have gotten their fill completely of risk in that one day and were sated for another month. It's really a tough call as far as the number though. I think that your 25 a month guess would probably fit but you could maybe even double it if it were a daily cap.

Ok, I agree. Two per day is a better customer retention strategy.

I haven't come back to this for a while but I'm very excited it is still a possibility. The reason I never suggested a limit is because I used to play risk on pogo.com with no limit. All they have is Classic also. I would assume many players would just go back to pogo.com once they ran out of games, but then again that kind of player may be too cheap to buy anyway. As long as we can get players to finish a few games on CC their chance of staying is much higher.

If a limit is implemented chapcrap is right, it's better to do a daily or weekly limit. Most New people are risk starved and they will likely max out whatever limit they have quickly so a shorter limit lets them come back tomorrow instead of 6 or 30 days later (if they come back).

I would recommend at least 4 games allowed the 1st day even if it's only 1 or 2 a day after that. You have to give someone several chances to win or improves and get the hunger. I know people are going to say people will make multiple accounts...yada...yada...yada....they could make multi's to circumvent any limit so it makes no difference.

It also might be important to note that if a limit is implemented we should have some kind of Notice explaining the limit when they hit, when they can come back and several other fun things in the site to check out such as their 4 games on unique maps in the 24 hour games, the SoC Trainings, forums, live chat, etc. Get them to look around the site.

[agentcom]

Yeah, I don't really like the limit idea for the reasons you mentioned. If we did limit them to a low weekly limit, I think that you should maybe expand the map or settings choices or something. Basically, I think, from a business standpoint, that we should be offering them at least what they can get elsewhere or close to it.

[thehippo8]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

[chapcrap]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

That's a completely different idea.

[thehippo8]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

That's a completely different idea.

... and?

[greenoaks]

i would go with 5 free speed games a day on Classic only.

not only would that give those new to the site a dose of what we have to offer it will increase the number of speed games available to the rest of us to play. a win win.

throw in the free speed on festive maps that we have throughout the year and i feel new recruits could get excited enough to stay and pay.

[darth emperor]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

No score is bad idea, because

1- If only freemium can enter, people won't pay premium just to enjoy and mess with the games.
2- Even if premiums enter, people will mess the games a lot (as it won't affect your rating), so newbs won't come back, or learn bad strategy.

Maybe you could do is that these games doesn't count for the speed medal...

[chapcrap]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

That's a completely different idea.

... and?

And this is a formed idea in Submitted. So, we won't be changing it to include a suggestion that is currently in Rejected.

[thehippo8]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

That's a completely different idea.

... and?

And this is a formed idea in Submitted. So, we won't be changing it to include a suggestion that is currently in Rejected.

Lol ... you make it sound like my idea was challenging your authority in some way! Seriously? I'm sure all ideas remain amorphous and up for discussion at all times. Nothing is set in concrete and if a majority of people want something changed then they are fully entitled to do so, should that be in the best interests of CC! Be careful to not be too much of a naysayer - or at least in the way you say nay because this is a community. At any rate, it's great that the fremium speed classic game idea has so much interest. But we should continue to discuss the details until it is implemented.

[chapcrap]

One other possibility is to not score fremium speed games - ie that you have to be premium to play speed and improve your rating.

That's a completely different idea.

... and?

And this is a formed idea in Submitted. So, we won't be changing it to include a suggestion that is currently in Rejected.

Lol ... you make it sound like my idea was challenging your authority in some way! Seriously? I'm sure all ideas remain amorphous and up for discussion at all times. Nothing is set in concrete and if a majority of people want something changed then they are fully entitled to do so, should that be in the best interests of CC! Be careful to not be too much of a naysayer - or at least in the way you say nay because this is a community. At any rate, it's great that the fremium speed classic game idea has so much interest. But we should continue to discuss the details until it is implemented.

No. I don't think you challenge my authority. I'm just explaining how the process works. When different ideas are introduced in a thread, they are open to be posted as a new idea, but there has already been a consensus here. That's all I'm saying.

[thehippo8]

Oh, shall I start a new thread or can you split this one? Seemed to me that lots of ideas are being discussed around the core idea - up to you I guess.

[chapcrap]

Oh, shall I start a new thread or can you split this one? Seemed to me that lots of ideas are being discussed around the core idea - up to you I guess.

I would start a new thread if you really wanted a new, unique suggestion.

[Metsfanmax]

chap, making the speed games un-scored is not a different suggestion, it is a revision of the current suggestion.

Everyone, it would be nice if some data were gathered on how other gaming websites approach this. How many games do they give away for free as part of a business model that convinces you to purchase a subscription? If we had some actual data on this it would be easier to make the case to the admins.

[chapcrap]

Everyone, it would be nice if some data were gathered on how other gaming websites approach this. How many games do they give away for free as part of a business model that convinces you to purchase a subscription? If we had some actual data on this it would be easier to make the case to the admins.

Games are free on Yahoo, but they have ads.

[blakebowling]

Making these speed games not scored wouldn't work anyway:
How would we score games that have both free and premium members?
If we don't score those games at all, what's to stop someone from playing only classic speed to avoid losing points?
If only the premium's points change, what's to stop someone from only playing with other free members?
If you separate free and premium classic speed games, you prevent them from playing with each other, therefore making this feature almost completely worthless.

[greenoaks]

Making these speed games not scored wouldn't work anyway:
How would we score games that have both free and premium members?
If we don't score those games at all, what's to stop someone from playing only classic speed to avoid losing points?
If only the premium's points change, what's to stop someone from only playing with other free members?
If you separate free and premium classic speed games, you prevent them from playing with each other, therefore making this feature almost completely worthless.

i agree, all games count

[cooldeals]

It is free to play Risk on pogo.com. If you pay for a membership there are no ads. If you don't pay you have a little 20-30 second ad about every other round or so. I don't like the idea of ads entering the site, but since this would be something new that's free I'd be for them using ads in ONLY these free games. Maybe it'd pay for the free-loaders AND we would get more membership from people who converted to premium.

Also dominating12.com has free 5 minute speed games I believe. I've seen guys from there advertising in Live Chat to come on over. Ace Rimmer and I of course ran him out of chat on a rail.

[*Pixar*]

It is free to play Risk on pogo.com. If you pay for a membership there are no ads. If you don't pay you have a little 20-30 second ad about every other round or so. I don't like the idea of ads entering the site, but since this would be something new that's free I'd be for them using ads in ONLY these free games. Maybe it'd pay for the free-loaders AND we would get more membership from people who converted to premium.

Also dominating12.com has free 5 minute speed games I believe. I've seen guys from there advertising in Live Chat to come on over. Ace Rimmer and I of course ran him out of chat on a rail.

[thehippo8]

I am yet to try Pogo (I just cringe) but I am now a registered user of dominate12 (same name there as here) ... and I must say that we seriously have no competition whatsoever from them. It is cumbersome, clunky and the graphics just awful. It is not programmed well and I don't see the community spirit. So, ah, nah, no problems with that one!!

[HardAttack]

Make one change to the suggestion. Cap it at 100 games, after that they have to pay (are blocked from playing further free speed games). win win win situation.

great idea.

this idea is awesome...
a cap, but 100 might be a bit high...
maybe 25/month...next month another 25 games...and limit it on classic map only.

[ZeekLTK]

And why wouldn't they set up 100 multi's, and get 400 games at a time

Wow, someone thought out their response.

Oh I did, and oh, they do - well, usually only 3 to 4 accounts, but some have had up to 10 or so just to get free games. They get busted in the background so you dont ever see them

As to the "teaser" option for speed games, it's been thrown about in several other threads, the multiple accounts problem is probably the main objection...if you anyone can come up with a way to give a few free speed games without making it easy to get them simply by creating several accounts, do post it please

If multiple accounts is the "main objection" then that means there shouldn't be any objection. Why punish all of the people who would follow the rules (and play once a month on their only account) just because a few people might break the rules and try to play more than once. You obviously have ways of detecting multiple accounts from the same person, so why not just deal with it like you normally do.

Seriously, that is such a backwards way of looking at it. Why let people even have free accounts in the first place then? Obviously some people are going to create doubles to get around the 4-game limit.

[thehippo8]

Well said Zeek.

[BGtheBrain]

*****