Pricing

Ertai Planeswalker

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love this game and I hope it will turn into something that can exist for many, many years to come. The combination of match three and magic mana is a very nice twist to Magic. However, I feel that the way this game is marketed right now is focussing too much on the short term. Before you think this is another poor player complaining about the prices please take note that I am a financial controller with a master's degree in accounting and controlling who has been playing paper magic for 21 years now. I'm trying to look at it form D3GO's perspective, or what I think their perspective is, going on the current state of the game. Also, I don't have any insight into their margins and costs etc but given that most costs are sunk costs, I think I have a valid point.

Like I said, this is about pricing. This game has serious potential to generate money for a long, long time. And to fully tap into that potential, D3GO should take it's time. You see, there is a mismatch between the financial dynamics in a spreadsheet and the magic community. Basically there are two reasons why prices should be lowered:

1: Most freemium games give you all the content for €10 or less. I understand this game cannot do that as it's replicating the idea of a collectible card game, but €10 should buy me enough cards to get good enough decks to complete the single player campaign with reasonably powered decks.
2: This game is also competing with paper MTG. Real cards don't go away when D3GO stops with this game, gain value and can be traded or sold. You can buy 100 crystals for €5, which means a crystal is worth €0,05. A booster pack costs 60 crystals (€3) for 5 cards. (0,60 per card) A real life booster pack costs €4 for 15 cards (0,27 per card). Even when you buy the 3000 crystal pack for €100, you're still paying €2 for a booster of 5 cards. Only if you buy crystals at €100 per bundle and you spend it on big boxes only do you approach the price of a paper pack at €4,29 per pack. Given the disadvantages digital cards in this game have compared to real cards, digital cards should be significantly cheaper.

In short: prices should be cut by at least 75%. But how could D3GO make any money then? Becuase of the untapped potential in magic players. Looking at the local magic communities in Holland, they exist of basically two groups of people: adolescents/adults with enough money to regularly spend on magic and a large, large group of 12-15 year olds who get their weekly allowance so they can buy their pack of cards for the week. The latter is the group for which the game in it's current state is financially impossible to play. While at the same time being the most digital minded players: old school players like me won't leave that kitchen table even if it's free. Getting that group to spend their allowance on puzzle quest instead will boost sales significantly.

And then of course I think I won't be the only person out there with enough money I could spend on this game, but just doesn't because of the pricing. As long as this game keeps me entertained, and new series come out in the future, I would love to buy 1 or 2 big boxes per set for max €5 a piece. But until then, I'm sticking with the free in freemium.

Hope this helps.

TL;DR: Prices should be cut by at least 75% to make this game sustainable in the long term.