Purchases will be handled strictly within The Pinball Arcade - why?

[SqueakyG]

In PinWiz's post on the "Articles" section of this website a few days ago, it says:

"NOTE : All purchases will be handled strictly within The Pinball Arcade and you will be required to add funds to your steam wallet for all in-game purchases."

I'd like to have some discussion about why it works this way, and whether it's the best way. I must admit I have concerns.

Zen Studios offers each table pack for Pinball FX2 outside the game on their main Steam product page for Pinball FX2. This has some big advantages:

- Buyers can pay by any regular Steam payment method, not limited to the Steam Wallet
- The Steam client's purchase system is more familiar and trustworthy than a game's ad hoc purchase design
- You can see a list of every table pack and their prices at a glance without entering the game


So I wonder why The Pinball Arcade has chosen not to work like Pinball FX2?

I haven't seen TPA go live on Steam yet (due to last weekend's delay... which was caused by problems implementing the in-game purchase prices, natch), but I'm concerned that you won't even be able to see the prices for table and season packs unless you're in the game. Knowing what TPA's interface looks like on other platforms, it's woefully inadequate at showing a clear overview of all prices.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Mike mentioned in another thread that this is the way Valve told them it had to be done for this game. He actually had the code all in place for standard Steam DLC, but they made him re-do it all.

 

[DodgeRodge]

What Jeff said.
Also I believe TPA was forced by Valve to be released as "Free to Play", unlike Pinball FX2.

When you check the "Free to Play" section in Steam, there is also a text box on the right side that exlains the wallet payment thing.

I think it is very unfair from Valve to force Free to play on TPA, but what should FS do when Valve dictates... The game was never designed as a Free to Play title, so it can't perform to it's full potential (in terms of sales).
It's especially unfair since Pinball FX2 also has many DLC's and was not forced to go Free to Play.

Hopefully FS does still speak to Valve in order to get the game released in the "normal" section as it deserves.

 

[LMA]

Maybe to stop banks thinking suspicious activity is going on. Sometimes In the Uk I've bought a lot of separate things in one week on my debit card and the bank phones me up with an automated call and I have to conferm dates and locations of spending to unlock my account for the last thing I bought.

 

[PALADiN]

At least the season packs could've been listed as regular DLC. I've seen similar ingame content bundles (which is essentially what the season packs are) released for other F2P games.

 

[Jeff Strong]

At least the season packs could've been listed as regular DLC. I've seen similar ingame content bundles (which is essentially what the season packs are) released for other F2P games.

Well, they had to do what Valve told them, otherwise it would've been delayed further.

 

[Tin_Foil]

Does this also prevent the ever popular Steam Sales? I wouldn't expect FS to take part in them much anyway, but they are always good free publicity when they do happen.

 

[SqueakyG]

Does this also prevent the ever popular Steam Sales? I wouldn't expect FS to take part in them much anyway, but they are always good free publicity when they do happen.

Steam sales are AWESOME. Certainly for the consumer, anyway I can't imagine Steam sales hurt publishers -- it leads to many more sales than they would have ever got before. I took the plunge with Pinball FX2 in the last Steam sale, which means I am another person with Pinball FX2 on my computer, which means I am another person who may buy more tables in the future.

I also worried that TPA's in-game-only purchases might prevent TPA from taking part in Steam sales. I immediately bought Season One already, but it would be nice if I could get season 2 at Christmas at 50% off.

 

[Turndawg]

I hope that Farsight brings this topic back up with Valve in an effort to reach an agreement or compromise on something, even if it's something like allowing just season packs. Half of my excitement for this game's release on PC was to get the season 1 pack for all my friends, and with the way things are now that is simply impossible.

 

[Roo]

Yeah, gifting and Steam sales are both really good points. Also, it's just strange that Valve made them go this way when there is already a game that uses almost this exact same business model doing it with regular purchasing (Pinball FX 2 also has a free main game that includes all tables in the data, with one free table and the rest purchasable in various size DLC packs).

 

[PALADiN]

Best we can hope for at the moment is that this is only a temporary solution to get the game out faster. Prolonged negotiations would've most likely led to riots.

 

[Freelance]

I'm unhappy too. My friends sometimes like to gift me games and stuff for birthdays and things, but with in-game purchasing it is impossible for them to do so : /

 

[netizen]

Is it possible to put money on another persons Steam Wallet as a gift, or can Steam gift cards be purchased (like iTunes or Play Store cards)? Or can we contact Farsight and make a purchase directly through support to make gift purchases if you know the persons FarSight account name etc?

These might be some potential options given the IAP system that is in place.

 

[Draftcard]

hopefully when its fixed it will transfer our digital licences back to our steam accounts. In this day and age without tangible media, this is pretty important to me.
Im really glad its just out...thanks FS!

 

[PALADiN]

Is it possible to put money on another persons Steam Wallet as a gift, or can Steam gift cards be purchased (like iTunes or Play Store cards)? Or can we contact Farsight and make a purchase directly through support to make gift purchases if you know the persons FarSight account name etc?

These might be some potential options given the IAP system that is in place.

You can buy Steam Wallet credit that acts like iTunes or Google Play credit. As far as I'm aware though, only certain markets have them (I know Australia and the US do).





Sent from my Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

 

[Freelance]

Is it possible to put money on another persons Steam Wallet as a gift

Sadly you can't gift Steam Wallet funds.

 

[atlantis1982]

Yeah, gifting and Steam sales are both really good points. Also, it's just strange that Valve made them go this way when there is already a game that uses almost this exact same business model doing it with regular purchasing (Pinball FX 2 also has a free main game that includes all tables in the data, with one free table and the rest purchasable in various size DLC packs).

Except Pinball FX2 doesn't have flavors as in regular and pro packs which will complicate matters with tagging DLC items that are fully purchased or partially purchased. In short, Zen is nothing like TPA table purchases.

 

[QuiGonJ]

atlantis1982, I think you hit the nail on the head. It was likely the pro pack purchases that made it this way.

 

[Kaoru]

I'm shocked! This will damage the sales, I'm afraid... and what disappoints me most that I can't buy the game as a gift for my friends.

And if it's the pro packs that caused the problem then they really need to let go of them. I mean really let go of them. They probably were a nice idea at the time (and even then more so on paper), but I never saw much of a point in them, let alone even bought more than one of them.

 

[Roope]

Quoting myself from the other thread regarding this issue.
-------
FS, you should really, really consider changing the business model for this game for pc. Don't treat is a mobile platform because it is not one.
You are missing a ton of sales just because the stuff can't be sold through steam as a standard way. I know Valve made you to do it in game, but maybe that is a sign that it could be improved a lot.

Individual tables, table packs, season packs and pro versions all of those is just too much. If I would be in charge for the PC title I would just put in season packs and individual tables and sell the pro upgrade as a side thing that would affect all tables.
I bet Valve would be ok with that and let you list all the DLC like that on the steam page and sell it directly. Your sales would go up because more people would buy those extra tables and season packs and you could actually take part of the Steam sales events which are HUGE for the volume sales.

You are missing a huge opportunity here just because you are sticking to a release ways of the other platforms.