Being F2P (Free-to-Play) in online games, I am very interested in how paying players (P2P or Pay-to-Play) approach the games. This anonymous survey looks at alias "Derek J.", a P2P player for the game Marvel Avengers Academy. Our stock questions are in bold.
- How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?
- I found it through an advertisement on Facebook and I kept playing because I enjoyed the style of game mixed with Marvel characters.
- How much time are you able to spend playing the game compared to: What you initially expected; the amount of time you actually play the game; and what you would like your time investment to be?
- I might not be the best example in this case because I don't have much of a social life and I work from home so I can play all day long. There have been 1 or 2 events where I set timers during the night, like [the Spider-Man Event], to get specific actions done (in this case its the training of our heroes).
- Does this have any influence in your decision to spend money?
- What keeps you coming back to the game / what do you like about the game itself? E.g., The actual mechanics of the game and events such as crafting items and fighting bosses; or collecting characters or decor; or laying out your Academy campus; or following the various story/one particular story; etc.
- I keep coming back because I like the Marvel characters. I particularly enjoy some of the actions the characters have such as Spider-man's Slinging Webs, Ant-Man's Watch Where You Step, etc. It has no affect on whether I spend money though.
- What specifically about the game makes you spend money?
- Do you compare your purchases in the game or your reasons to spend money, to any other type of expense (e.g., it's part of your entertainment budget not different from watching a movie, or it's like buying a service with no physical goods you take away, or it's a consumable like eating at a restaurant, etcetera)? Do you feel this comparison is key to understanding why people spend money?
- I spend it as part of my "Me money". I'm extremely big on keeping up my finances.
- When did you first buy Shards and what made you decide to? E.g., Did you decide to do so as soon as you saw the game, right when you started playing, when the "Buy One, Get One" quest ["Buy a Box of Credits and get US$5 of Shards for free!"] appeared, some experience later in the game, etc...
- Actually I was inspired by the quest you mentioned. It was also a time where I had a lot of extra money and I thought "Why not?"
- Do you have a budget or other heuristic to determine how much you spend per unit time (e.g., per week); do you have a maximum amount you are willing to put into this game in total after which you will definitely not spend any more? What is your decision process / reasoning?
- I have a budget and I ration how much I spend. My decision is based on what events I have planned for the rest of the month and of course I pay my bills first before calculating how much I'll spend.
- How much have you spent so far and how do you think you compare with other P2P in the game? How does it compare to your other online game purchases and do you use those purchases to decide how much to spend?
- I can't honestly remember how much, but if I had to ball park it I'd say $150-$200. I feel at times that I've spent way more then anyone else, but I've seen quite a few P2P that have spent significantly more. I don't buy much other then necessities aside from the occasional Xbox game.
- How much commitment to the game do you have now that you have spent money, and does that commitment increase the more you spend? What would make you walk away now?
- I feel very committed and it is highly impacted by how much I've put into this game already. It would take being massively short handed to stop playing, like if I didn't get through streak 7 of Mysterio after all the money I spent on Episode 5 alone.
- How do you feel about F2P players in general? How do you feel about F2P players able to get Shards without paying (e.g., through levelling up or watching advertisements)? How does this influence your purchases? Other than having spent real money in the game, how else do you think you differ from F2P players?
- I don't think any differently of F2P than P2P, I personally believe that you should only spend money if you want to and enjoy the game. I'm unhappy that P2P do not have access to those advertisements that offer shards, but other then that I have no concern otherwise.
- What are your expectations / what do you feel you should be entitled to compared to someone who is F2P? How would you feel / what would you do if at some point the game stops developing and no further content is created. Do you feel this is part of the natural life cycle of a game and to be expected?
- I dont think I'm entitled to anything more then F2P other then the item/character I purchased. I do believe that the game will follow the cycle of no further updates.
- How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?
- I found it through an advertisement on Facebook and I kept playing because I enjoyed the style of game mixed with Marvel characters.
- How much time are you able to spend playing the game compared to: What you initially expected; the amount of time you actually play the game; and what you would like your time investment to be?
- I might not be the best example in this case because I don't have much of a social life and I work from home so I can play all day long. There have been 1 or 2 events where I set timers during the night, like [the Spider-Man Event], to get specific actions done (in this case its the training of our heroes).
- Does this have any influence in your decision to spend money?
- What keeps you coming back to the game / what do you like about the game itself? E.g., The actual mechanics of the game and events such as crafting items and fighting bosses; or collecting characters or decor; or laying out your Academy campus; or following the various story/one particular story; etc.
- I keep coming back because I like the Marvel characters. I particularly enjoy some of the actions the characters have such as Spider-man's Slinging Webs, Ant-Man's Watch Where You Step, etc. It has no affect on whether I spend money though.
- What specifically about the game makes you spend money?
- Do you compare your purchases in the game or your reasons to spend money, to any other type of expense (e.g., it's part of your entertainment budget not different from watching a movie, or it's like buying a service with no physical goods you take away, or it's a consumable like eating at a restaurant, etcetera)? Do you feel this comparison is key to understanding why people spend money?
- I spend it as part of my "Me money". I'm extremely big on keeping up my finances.
- When did you first buy Shards and what made you decide to? E.g., Did you decide to do so as soon as you saw the game, right when you started playing, when the "Buy One, Get One" quest ["Buy a Box of Credits and get US$5 of Shards for free!"] appeared, some experience later in the game, etc...
- Actually I was inspired by the quest you mentioned. It was also a time where I had a lot of extra money and I thought "Why not?"
- Do you have a budget or other heuristic to determine how much you spend per unit time (e.g., per week); do you have a maximum amount you are willing to put into this game in total after which you will definitely not spend any more? What is your decision process / reasoning?
- I have a budget and I ration how much I spend. My decision is based on what events I have planned for the rest of the month and of course I pay my bills first before calculating how much I'll spend.
- How much have you spent so far and how do you think you compare with other P2P in the game? How does it compare to your other online game purchases and do you use those purchases to decide how much to spend?
- I can't honestly remember how much, but if I had to ball park it I'd say $150-$200. I feel at times that I've spent way more then anyone else, but I've seen quite a few P2P that have spent significantly more. I don't buy much other then necessities aside from the occasional Xbox game.
- How much commitment to the game do you have now that you have spent money, and does that commitment increase the more you spend? What would make you walk away now?
- I feel very committed and it is highly impacted by how much I've put into this game already. It would take being massively short handed to stop playing, like if I didn't get through streak 7 of Mysterio after all the money I spent on Episode 5 alone.
- How do you feel about F2P players in general? How do you feel about F2P players able to get Shards without paying (e.g., through levelling up or watching advertisements)? How does this influence your purchases? Other than having spent real money in the game, how else do you think you differ from F2P players?
- I don't think any differently of F2P than P2P, I personally believe that you should only spend money if you want to and enjoy the game. I'm unhappy that P2P do not have access to those advertisements that offer shards, but other then that I have no concern otherwise.
- What are your expectations / what do you feel you should be entitled to compared to someone who is F2P? How would you feel / what would you do if at some point the game stops developing and no further content is created. Do you feel this is part of the natural life cycle of a game and to be expected?
- I dont think I'm entitled to anything more then F2P other then the item/character I purchased. I do believe that the game will follow the cycle of no further updates.
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