Would you...

[ReaverKS]

Would you do the survey equivalent of menial tasks inside of your favorite MMORPG for money? As in, let's suppose It would be something like this: Go to a certain city, and take a few screenshots of graphics that terribly need to be updated? And let's say they'd pay you $2-4. Would any of you do it?

Also, where do you draw the line, where is it just not worth it to do one of these game tasks? is 50 cents too little?

 

[imaheadcase]

I think the developer is not in touch with his own game if you have to do that.

If i did that for lots of games i would be a millionaire.

 

[ReaverKS]

Not if they paid you peanuts hehe. As for the developer being in touch with his own game, you could think of it sort of like Beta Testing...but why stop testing once the game is launched, why not still have people that actively seek and report problems with the game

 

[LurkerPrime]

The reason doing quests in games seems more like fun than work is that the rewards are instantanious (loot, xp, etc). If my employer paid me immediately per task I completed I guarentee you productivity would skyrocket.

 

[ReaverKS]

Very true Lurker but that could become extremely complicated, especially when you consider that for most jobs, not all tasks are created equal. Then you'd need a chart for different tasks, and each task would have a variation, it could get complicated quick. However I do agree with you in that immediate gratification is much better and more motivating.

 

[Gothgar]

As long as I get a free ipod

 

[Arkadrel]

Would you do the survey equivalent of menial tasks inside of your favorite MMORPG for money? As in, let's suppose It would be something like this: Go to a certain city, and take a few screenshots of graphics that terribly need to be updated? And let's say they'd pay you $2-4. Would any of you do it?

Also, where do you draw the line, where is it just not worth it to do one of these game tasks? is 50 cents too little?

Hahahah ^-^
I must say I like this idea.. I dont see why people wouldnt want it, if it ment you could find some data you could use to update game graphics is specific area's of that game people wanted updated the most.

People would do it for free, if it ment bettering the game their playing.

I dont think you need to pay people for it, if it ments there will be Improvements to the game they love to play, people will gladly help better it. Atleast I feel that way.

 

[Red Storm]

Turn it into a contest. Best shots win something cool. Everyone who participates wins something (less awesome) too.

You don't need to pay people, competition is all the motivation you need.

 

[ReaverKS]

As long as I get a free ipod

Very funny, skepticism was to be expected

 

[Arkadrel]

I remember playing FFXIV beta and thinking.... HOLY COW...
how can there be this much wrong with it, when FFXI worked so well.

Intire beta forums where full of people complaining about 100's of things.
What happend?

the game launched with barely any changes to the way things where in beta = result: look at it now.

I think if developers just listened more to the beta testers, that in itself would help aton.
If they afterwards did surveys, asking on input on what needs work next ect. that would not only be a good tool for the developers but also great for the players (ei. what they feel needs the most work, quickest gets fixed first).

**also I really dont think you should be paying people for it.
as long as its game related, people will do them, if they feel their imput should help better the game.

***make it so, people that dont want to do surveys can just click it away.
As long as its not daily or something, it shouldnt bug the hell out of people.

Turn it into a contest. Best shots win something cool. Everyone who participates wins something (less awesome) too.

You don't need to pay people, competition is all the motivation you need.

Chance to win a ingame rare item
I remember FFXI had small contests ect, I usually did those.

 

[go_gordon]

I could see myself doing something like that for a few dollars. The contest idea would be cool too, like, who can find the ugliest texture/graphical flaw?

 

[ReaverKS]

Ok, let's turn this discussion on it's head: Would you do in-game tasks that weren't for the betterment of the game but for an individual player? As in, the next time someone asked you to run them through an instance on your high-level main, and they offered you $4, would you be more inclined to do so?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Ok, let's turn this discussion on it's head: Would you do in-game tasks that weren't for the betterment of the game but for an individual player? As in, the next time someone asked you to run them through an instance on your high-level main, and they offered you $4, would you be more inclined to do so?

That's definitely looking like a free iPod post -- are you recruiting gold farmers?

 

[ReaverKS]

How about innocent until proven guilty? No I'm not recruiting gold farmers. I have no problem with skepticism but let's try to stay on topic. I'm not talking about anything that violates the user agreement.

 

[Arkadrel]

I usually end up helping from time to time, when people are shouting for help.... I do it for free, why? because I know at some point, i ll reroll a alt and be in the same situation (or I was in the same situation with my main character, and at that time someone helped me) and another kinde hearted person will again jump in and help.

rewarding people $ for it, would encurage people to pay others, or that people asked for $ to do it...
Im not a fan of that system, I dont think that would better the game enviroment of the MMO.

 

[gothamhunter]

I suppose I would be interested in any of the above mentioned ideas.

 

[Childs]

People will do this for free. Reward them with an ingame hat or skin or something, no need to pay.

 

[ReaverKS]

Very true, but perhaps higher quality could be achieved through paying =)

 

[Corporate Thug]

Yes....perhaps if any idea like this was in place, RAGE on PC wouldn't have been such a launch disaster.

 

[Arkadrel]

Since most MMOs are sub based, why not add a free day to their sub for takeing a survey? something that easy, or deduct 50cents or whatever from their sub.

That way your not paying them anything, your just reduceing what they have to pay you. Which is still a good thing for the player.


That said, F2P MMOs will have to go with small items from it.



I dont even think I would mind, takeing survey for say "what brand of coke, do you prefer" ect, if it gave a small item. Hell if the MMOs could make $ that way, fair enough for them I think (like I said people that dont want to part take can just not take the survey).

Lets say those surveys go into paying for server upkeeps = results in game being cheaper subscription fee for everyone = I doubt anyone would complain.

Yes....perhaps if any idea like this was in place, RAGE on PC wouldn't have been such a launch disaster.

RAGE isnt a online game though... its a single player FPS from what I understand.
RAGE just didnt get enough beta testing I think

I think the cuda acceleration only was a mistake, and that they aimed to much for that, and useres without had bugs (slow texture loading). they should have made a game that could run without it flawless, not be reliant on cuda to speed up decompressing of textures (when like half of the market users dont have that option).

 

[ReaverKS]

well the only thing with 'what brand of soda do you like' is that it could very well take away from the gameplay aspect, as in the role playing aspect I should say. Unless say it was done loading into the game, etc.

 

[greenhawk]

Lets say those surveys go into paying for server upkeeps = results in game being cheaper subscription fee for everyone = I doubt anyone would complain.

down side is that while we can be told that, most are too skeptical to belive it without seeing the numbers, but no business in their right mind will publish those details.

Besides, it does not take too long before bean counters say something like, "we can keep the subscription fee the same and pocket the advertising/survey money as extra profit".

As to the original Q, no. Paying $4 for a bug does not work when someone posts it and you have 1000 people all reporting the same thing. Taking away the money paid to everyone but the first, means most people will not bother reporting bugs as they will assume someone else has already reported it.

Bug forums work but due to its loose nature, finding non-fixed bug reports is time consuming so the bug does not come to the attention of the developers very fast. Add in that they are proberly getting paid to write the next expantion and not fix small bugs (ie: area you are not ment to have access to, running a non-standard resolution or using outdated video drivers ect).

One thing that is clear after all these years of working with computers, and that is if it works with bugs, no one goes out of there way to fix the bug.

 

[Corporate Thug]

RAGE isnt a online game though... its a single player FPS from what I understand. RAGE just didnt get enough beta testing I think

I thought it had MP as well...I could be wrong. I've sank about 15 hours on single player on it.

 

[ReaverKS]

If anybody is interested, I'm starting a website that will provide some of the services we've been discussing in this thread. No gimmicks, you don't pay me any money up front, nope there's no free ipod, and no you won't become rich. I'm talking about finding glitches, I'm talking about writing guides, teaching people how to pvp, pve, running through instances etc. I take someone that wants help, they pay me, you do the task and then I pass the money onto you, not all of it of course, 80%. Since I don't think this website would look to kindly on openly putting my email out there or linking my site, feel free to pm me. You don't need to give me any personal information other than your email address, that's it. And when you want to cash out, you give me your paypal address, so I can pay you. I promise if I ask for anything else you can assume I'm trying to give away a free ipod (and therefore a scam/unreliable).

 

[ReaverKS]

I've posted to my profile the necessary info but I'll stick around if anybody has any questions. Thank you =)