I'd like to spent money on a new expansion!

[Rohaus]

I would handily lay down cash for an expansion...

Heck, do a Kickstarter to gauge whether or not it could really happen!

Spend some time putting together a great 'Plan' with ideas and thoughts fleshed out and I guarantee the remaining population would give out money for this to happen.

Other companies are doing it... why not you Funcom?

[Lostclause]

There is so much still needing to be done to expand on previous content releases. To much unfinished to warrant a new xpac. Also until such a time as FC actually makes a viable F2P model the new xpc will not draw new players and will do little to address the atrition that AoC has.

[cins]

Of course we would. But that's not the problem here.

What they'd need is a giant pile of money right now to be able to put out an expansion for next year's end (at most optimistic estimate). This pile of money doesn't exist and even if lots of people were to sign a legally binding contract to pay FC good money when they launch the new expansion, it still won't magically make that giant pile of money appear. No big cash, no big development initiatives. And if FC hits lottery from something else that doesn't involve AoC (fe with Lego MMO), their newly acquired wealth would not be invested into AoC.

FC could try to set up a kickstarter knockoff of their own (can't use actual Kickstarter because something something) where players can pay money right now and will be given the AoC expansion when it launches. This is something they could potentially try but I'm sure they won't as this is an incredibly risky move.

[Rathothis]

FC could try to set up a kickstarter knockoff of their own (can't use actual Kickstarter because something something) where players can pay money right now and will be given the AoC expansion when it launches. This is something they could potentially try but I'm sure they won't as this is an incredibly risky move.

Not sure about the commercial risk as the beauty of kickstarter is that, if you don't get enough money, you just don't do it. So it kind of helps to minimise risk, unless you are very bad at budgeting...

As regards reputational damage, I guess that risk is rather limited in FC's case. (Not to sound too condescending, they have huge creative merits, but when you read the gaming press, there really isn't all that much love towards them.)

Then there might be legal risks, but I can't quite make out why they should have much of an issue there. It should be relatively easy to "shield" the money from current creditors by setting up a new subsidiary for the kickstarter and development of the expansion.

So I'm not sure about the risk part. I guess in the end it simply boils down to Funcom not believing that a kickstarter will bring in enough money to fully finance an expansion, and being unable to finance it themselves.

But back on topic,
1. yes
2. For a Khitai-sized expansion, I suppose I'd pay something between EUR 250 and 500 depending on the content of the expansion, extra goodies and yadda yadda. More if I feel silly.
3. For a Turan-sized expansion, probably something between EUR 50 and 100, again more if I feel silly.

[CueQue]

An expansion about the place behind the walls in Connal's valley would be cool, aswell as a new minigame map in a snowy landscape.

[nuadar]

Thing about game development and kickstarter project in general is that they fail, even if successfuly funded...Giving money to funcom just to see new expansion fail to release at time, then see how they burned through money quicker then they though. There is still potentional for catastrohpy funcom couldn't predict, even with succesful kickstarter and milions in pockets

Fix old stuff, build on top of it, go effective, don't waste money. Those are 4 main things funcom needs to follow right now

[Rathothis]

Thing about game development and kickstarter project in general is that they fail, even if successfuly funded...

That's my point about budgeting. And yes, Funcom don't exactly have a good record there. And there are bad examples of cost explosions, like Broken Age (formerly Double Fine adventure).

None of this means that it cannot or should not be done. But it probably means that a risk-averse company will not go down this route. And I'd be surprised if Funcom were in a mood to take risks at the moment. Whether this the right choice from a business perspective, I cannot say - with Arnie returning to the big screen, I'd probably invest in AoC over TSW. But that's just me (plus a lot is still uncertain about that movie, of course).

[Zoeri]

But back on topic,
1. yes
2. For a Khitai-sized expansion, I suppose I'd pay something between EUR 250 and 500 depending on the content of the expansion, extra goodies and yadda yadda. More if I feel silly.
3. For a Turan-sized expansion, probably something between EUR 50 and 100, again more if I feel silly.

€500 for an expansion?? And then €85 per year for subscription? I don't think you'll get many others with you on that expansion.. Hehe

Khitai size; €50-100 for "Collectors Edition", €25-40 for access.
Turan size; €20-30 for "Collectors Edition", €10 for access.

The acceptable prices would vary on playtime included. For example, I think the €50 for Turan "Collectors Edition" was well spent, for three months game time and all the in-game items.

[Jaedelyia]

€500 for an expansion?? And then €85 per year for subscription? I don't think you'll get many others with you on that expansion.. Hehe

I don't think he meant EUR 500 as in "500 should be the price for everyone" but more I think what that meant was more "EUR 500 is what I'm ready to pay personally" (like for a kick starter or a "pay what you want" thing.

[Rathothis]

I don't think he meant EUR 500 as in "500 should be the price for everyone" but more I think what that meant was more "EUR 500 is what I'm ready to pay personally" (like for a kick starter or a "pay what you want" thing.

Yup, that's the beauty of kickstarter. Clearly, an expansion with a box price of EUR 500 would fail