In Black Desert, a Buy2Play payment model has been chosen, but there’s a catch.
In the past, saloons in the USA advertised “Free Lunch.” However, this was not a philanthropic offer, but came with an economic intention: Anyone who wanted to eat in the saloon had to drink something too. And of course, they wanted money for that. The hidden catch: The dishes in the saloon were often heavily salted. This increases thirst and pleases the saloon owner’s wallet.
This practice is underscored by a saying that every online player should take to heart: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” This is a phrase often found in economics textbooks. Loosely translated, “Nothing is free.” And whenever someone offers you something for free, they likely have some ulterior motive to recoup the costs.
The modern MMO player seeks the catch
The majority of online players have internalized this by now: “What is this payment system and where’s the catch?” they ask with every new game. How do they intend to ensure that I spend money in the game?
The biggest disadvantages of the 3 basic payment systems are well known to most online players:
- In a subscription game, I have to pay continuously, even if I’m not playing.
- In a Buy2Play title, I buy the base game and then have to keep purchasing DLCs whenever new content is released.
- If it’s Free2Play, then they surely want to extract money from me through some cash shop. I’ll be expected to pay for things that I find essential; otherwise, I can’t enjoy myself and can’t keep up with others. If I don’t pay, I’ll always remain a second or third class player.
At Black Desert, players looked for the catch but found none
At the beginning, players also roamed around the new fantasy MMORPG Black Desert searching for the catch. It sounded so good: Pay once, and it’s yours. No subscription costs, no costs for new content, and there are no really “mean advantages” in the shop that others can buy. Plus, you can also get essential things from a loyalty shop.
And new content will also be released for free. So is there no catch? Is this the “free lunch?” Did I pay once, and now they will keep developing the game for me?
No, the cash shop of Black Desert and the game mechanics also have a catch, which many only realize after they have been playing for a while.
The catch in Black Desert is visual
Unlike other MMORPGs, the appearance of the player’s character in Black Desert does not change by equipping “better” items. Many players are used to this: My character is level 50, I want that to be visible. Players expect that.
In Black Desert, armor is not displayed on the character, but you always see the same model. Those who want to stand out from the crowd are encouraged to visit the cash shop and buy one of the costumes there – and maybe colors too. Personalizing the character without the cash shop is significantly harder and only somewhat possible.
Apart from appearance, the costumes also bring some rather marginal improvements, but that’s not really something to get too upset about. In response to a stir over a PvP costume, the developers reacted quickly.
Not Pay2Win, but Pay2Customize is the principle
Essentially, Black Desert follows a “skin” principle, similar to what MOBAs do: If you particularly like a champ in LoL, you buy a skin for them to stand out from the crowd.
This system is used in MOBAs like League of Legends and is generally regarded as exemplary and player-friendly. Players are already accustomed to this “Pay2Customize”: Pay to adjust your character.
In an MMORPG like Black Desert, this is unusual because the “change in appearance” through better items is actually common in the genre. In Black Desert, it’s not so, because here too, it holds true: There’s no free lunch.
Somewhere, a catch is hidden. The probably annoying realization for players is that it has to be concealed so that the ongoing expansion and development of the game can continue alongside consistent payment inflows. In some form, someone has to pay for the “free lunch,” otherwise the pots will soon be empty and the kitchen will remain cold. In Black Desert, the catch is a clothes hook.
