strange gaming: MAA P2P Profiles

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Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Luke"

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 "Luke", 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 saw this game in Google Play store and being a huge Marvel fan, I went to try this game.

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'm able to spend a very good amount on this game timewise since I don't work due to my disabilities and I didn't start spending money till the game had its first event which was the Guardians of the Galaxy (I did the [Beach Event] but it didn't influence me to spend money).

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 enjoy the story and the game itself and the mechanics of the games are sometimes ok, or sometimes downright awful. The mechanics that I really like is the battle animations like we had in [Guardians of the Galaxy], British Invasion and Spider-Man, but what I really hate is what they did with Lizard. By making him a battle boss and then spend Generators to get his streak 7 done and then make him a premium character. Totally hated that and pardon my French but that actually make me fucking livid, was the first time ever I hated the game with such passion but I still brought him as I didn't want to miss him, but I made my feeling quite known to TinyCo.

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?

No, I just spend money on this game if I decide I want to (so far I been using an unlimited assumption of how much i'm willing to spend but now I have decided to impose a limit).

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...

I decided from Guardian of the Galaxy which is my favourite franchise.

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 didn't have a budget but as I stated, I have now imposed a limit.

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?

So far I have spent roughly £600-£700 since the Guardian's event.

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?

My commitment to this game is quite strong pre-Spider-Man event but after this event, I think my commitment is being very tested, because there was a few things I hate what they done in this event and I [am] personally beginning to get extremely frustrated.

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?

F2P I have no issues with how they play the game but from TinyCo perspective I do think they need to ease up on some of the challenges they set to F2P like if all free characters are supposed to be obtainable. Otherwise situation like Electro will be horrible. [ed: Basically it was impossible for F2P and extremely costly for P2P to defeat Mysterio 7 times].

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?

Well I think at this current rate, this game will die in 2 years due to the abuse they are treating the whalers so F2P will struggle to have new content cos at the time of speaking to you, I know at least 8 whalers who have quit this game and I'm on the verge of stop spending if the next big event abuses both the whalers and the F2P cos I do think of them when I play this game. I mean personally myself as a whale, I share information so the F2P can make a plan on what they wanna do (I do this via Discord).

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?

I saw this game in Google Play store and being a huge Marvel fan, I went to try this game.

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'm able to spend a very good amount on this game timewise since I don't work due to my disabilities and I didn't start spending money till the game had its first event which was the Guardians of the Galaxy (I did the [Beach Event] but it didn't influence me to spend money).

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 enjoy the story and the game itself and the mechanics of the games are sometimes ok, or sometimes downright awful. The mechanics that I really like is the battle animations like we had in [Guardians of the Galaxy], British Invasion and Spider-Man, but what I really hate is what they did with Lizard. By making him a battle boss and then spend Generators to get his streak 7 done and then make him a premium character. Totally hated that and pardon my French but that actually make me fucking livid, was the first time ever I hated the game with such passion but I still brought him as I didn't want to miss him, but I made my feeling quite known to TinyCo.

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?

No, I just spend money on this game if I decide I want to (so far I been using an unlimited assumption of how much i'm willing to spend but now I have decided to impose a limit).

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...

I decided from Guardian of the Galaxy which is my favourite franchise.

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 didn't have a budget but as I stated, I have now imposed a limit.

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?

So far I have spent roughly £600-£700 since the Guardian's event.

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?

My commitment to this game is quite strong pre-Spider-Man event but after this event, I think my commitment is being very tested, because there was a few things I hate what they done in this event and I [am] personally beginning to get extremely frustrated.

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?

F2P I have no issues with how they play the game but from TinyCo perspective I do think they need to ease up on some of the challenges they set to F2P like if all free characters are supposed to be obtainable. Otherwise situation like Electro will be horrible. [ed: Basically it was impossible for F2P and extremely costly for P2P to defeat Mysterio 7 times].

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?

Well I think at this current rate, this game will die in 2 years due to the abuse they are treating the whalers so F2P will struggle to have new content cos at the time of speaking to you, I know at least 8 whalers who have quit this game and I'm on the verge of stop spending if the next big event abuses both the whalers and the F2P cos I do think of them when I play this game. I mean personally myself as a whale, I share information so the F2P can make a plan on what they wanna do (I do this via Discord).

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

reade more...

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Michael R"

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 "Michael R", 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've been a Marvel fan for years. If I remember correctly I saw an ad for it from another game and checked it out.

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 spend a lot more time than I thought I would originally. I used to play it casually. Maybe two or three times a day. Now I play once an hour. I wish it was a lot less time intensive. Maybe like half way between the two.

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.

The thing that keeps me coming back and the thing I like most is the writing/story. I find it funny and well-written. I also like the aspect of collecting the heroes.

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 would say I classify spending shards as entertainment money. I try not to spend that much on the game.

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...

I bought shards right when I first started playing to get Spider-Woman.

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?

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?

Honestly I've spent probably around 200 dollars... and it's way too much in my opinion. My partner gets so mad I spend this much on this game. :P I've tried to cut back on the shards I buy. Its the most [I've spent] on online gaming currency for anything [I've played].

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?

Having spent so much money does make me feel more invested honestly. I do think a lot lately about going fully F2P... I think if they keep forcing players to pay A LOT to win like they have with this [the Spider-Man Event] I will.

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 think it's frustrating that I don't have the option to earn free shards. I'm definitely not mad at F2P... good for them for being able to do it.

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?

The only expectations are that if the game doesn't change [its] pay to win model is that they will loose a lot of players. And then the game will spiral into obscurity. Which would suck because I really enjoy the game. It would be sad to see greed ruin such a fun little game.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?

I've been a Marvel fan for years. If I remember correctly I saw an ad for it from another game and checked it out.

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 spend a lot more time than I thought I would originally. I used to play it casually. Maybe two or three times a day. Now I play once an hour. I wish it was a lot less time intensive. Maybe like half way between the two.

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.

The thing that keeps me coming back and the thing I like most is the writing/story. I find it funny and well-written. I also like the aspect of collecting the heroes.

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 would say I classify spending shards as entertainment money. I try not to spend that much on the game.

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...

I bought shards right when I first started playing to get Spider-Woman.

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?

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?

Honestly I've spent probably around 200 dollars... and it's way too much in my opinion. My partner gets so mad I spend this much on this game. :P I've tried to cut back on the shards I buy. Its the most [I've spent] on online gaming currency for anything [I've played].

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?

Having spent so much money does make me feel more invested honestly. I do think a lot lately about going fully F2P... I think if they keep forcing players to pay A LOT to win like they have with this [the Spider-Man Event] I will.

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 think it's frustrating that I don't have the option to earn free shards. I'm definitely not mad at F2P... good for them for being able to do it.

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?

The only expectations are that if the game doesn't change [its] pay to win model is that they will loose a lot of players. And then the game will spiral into obscurity. Which would suck because I really enjoy the game. It would be sad to see greed ruin such a fun little game.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

reade more...

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Derek J."

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.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

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.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

reade more...

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Stormy"

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 "Stormy", a P2P player for the game Marvel Avengers Academy.
Our stock questions are in bold. Because Stormy only became P2P because of a particular event, and more specifically because of a particular purchase, some of the answers will seem redundant.

How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?

I find the game addicting to be honest, I also like the recruiting and levelling up the characters. I'm aware that some of the characters I like in the MCU are premium characters. My commitment to the game is due to my boredom from my previous games I played as well as the small secret hiding in the time fog that never seems to see light of day.

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 expected the game to be a doddle to be perfectly honest, something that wouldn't take up all my time. That was up until some major events like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Civil War events. I would love my time investment to be drastically reduced, but that won't happen until the events aren't timed. I feel the timed events pressurise [sic] people into spending every little moment that they can onto the game to get some early unlock characters.

Does this have any influence in your decision to spend money?

I've only spent money on the newest event, the Spider-Man Event. I didn't want to but the Act I heroes available made me change my mind just on this event; then I’ll return to being a free to play, F2P, player.

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 love how I can rearrange the academy, give or take, and also the reason behind this timefog mystery. I enjoy the levelling up of all the students, heroes and villians, and seeing how their outfits change. Speaking of outfits I like how there are new outfits for different events such as the Symbiote Spider-Man outfit for fighting The Lizard.

What specifically about the game makes you spend money?

The reason I spent money on this event, Spidey, was to really get the Symbiote Spider-Man Outfit.

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?

My purchases were really based on getting what I want, like the Symbiote Spidey. It does come out of my personal spending budget I give myself each payday.

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...

In a way the quest Buy One Get One did have a play in it, which I feel it shouldn’t have, as it was bugging me being there and not being able to complete it without spending money. The first time I used my [free] shards, which I earned by watching videos, was to complete and get Black Knight from the British Invasion event. Then I purchased shards to get Symbiote Spidey.

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 started buying shards during the Spider Man Event, and I'm only doing it for this event. Whatever shards I have remaining afterwards will be rationed, unless it's a hero I really want and am convinced to get it, like if it's a limited time offer.

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 must have spent just over £100 on this game which I think is about average in comparison to the other Pay to Play, P2P players. In all honesty if I didn’t buy the shards on this game I would have bought a game via my console.

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'm more frustrated with the game, some of the heroes should be so expensive. I mean I know Spider-Woman is cheapish (260 shards) but Hulk is 1495 Shards or unlockable at level 35. As far as I can divulge I won't be spending my money on shards after the Spidey Event. Currently I’m not sure what could make me walk away, I’m generally happy with game besides the constant need of shards

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?

F2P players are lucky to get the advertisements, I think that if [you're] only buying shards like me for one event they should still have the option for everyone to earn shards. As mentioned previously, I'm not buying any shards after this event. F2P players seem to not actually care if they don't get a certain character. I'm a person that likes to complete a collection, like unlocking and "buying" the heroes and villains.

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?

My expectations as in game progress and what to add should be the Defenders, the X-Men, a repetition of previous events so that people who start the game now can get the Guardians of the Galaxy and Civil War heroes. I still reckon P2P should be allowed to earn shards by watching videos. If the game stops there's not much I can really do about it. I'll end up playing another game and is a natural part of the game's life cycle. I'll be a little bummed out that I didn’t get all the characters, but until everyone ever stops buy shards I don't think Avengers Academy will end but I may be wrong.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

How did you find Marvel Avengers Academy and what made you commit time to the game?

I find the game addicting to be honest, I also like the recruiting and levelling up the characters. I'm aware that some of the characters I like in the MCU are premium characters. My commitment to the game is due to my boredom from my previous games I played as well as the small secret hiding in the time fog that never seems to see light of day.

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 expected the game to be a doddle to be perfectly honest, something that wouldn't take up all my time. That was up until some major events like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Civil War events. I would love my time investment to be drastically reduced, but that won't happen until the events aren't timed. I feel the timed events pressurise [sic] people into spending every little moment that they can onto the game to get some early unlock characters.

Does this have any influence in your decision to spend money?

I've only spent money on the newest event, the Spider-Man Event. I didn't want to but the Act I heroes available made me change my mind just on this event; then I’ll return to being a free to play, F2P, player.

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 love how I can rearrange the academy, give or take, and also the reason behind this timefog mystery. I enjoy the levelling up of all the students, heroes and villians, and seeing how their outfits change. Speaking of outfits I like how there are new outfits for different events such as the Symbiote Spider-Man outfit for fighting The Lizard.

What specifically about the game makes you spend money?

The reason I spent money on this event, Spidey, was to really get the Symbiote Spider-Man Outfit.

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?

My purchases were really based on getting what I want, like the Symbiote Spidey. It does come out of my personal spending budget I give myself each payday.

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...

In a way the quest Buy One Get One did have a play in it, which I feel it shouldn’t have, as it was bugging me being there and not being able to complete it without spending money. The first time I used my [free] shards, which I earned by watching videos, was to complete and get Black Knight from the British Invasion event. Then I purchased shards to get Symbiote Spidey.

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 started buying shards during the Spider Man Event, and I'm only doing it for this event. Whatever shards I have remaining afterwards will be rationed, unless it's a hero I really want and am convinced to get it, like if it's a limited time offer.

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 must have spent just over £100 on this game which I think is about average in comparison to the other Pay to Play, P2P players. In all honesty if I didn’t buy the shards on this game I would have bought a game via my console.

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'm more frustrated with the game, some of the heroes should be so expensive. I mean I know Spider-Woman is cheapish (260 shards) but Hulk is 1495 Shards or unlockable at level 35. As far as I can divulge I won't be spending my money on shards after the Spidey Event. Currently I’m not sure what could make me walk away, I’m generally happy with game besides the constant need of shards

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?

F2P players are lucky to get the advertisements, I think that if [you're] only buying shards like me for one event they should still have the option for everyone to earn shards. As mentioned previously, I'm not buying any shards after this event. F2P players seem to not actually care if they don't get a certain character. I'm a person that likes to complete a collection, like unlocking and "buying" the heroes and villains.

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?

My expectations as in game progress and what to add should be the Defenders, the X-Men, a repetition of previous events so that people who start the game now can get the Guardians of the Galaxy and Civil War heroes. I still reckon P2P should be allowed to earn shards by watching videos. If the game stops there's not much I can really do about it. I'll end up playing another game and is a natural part of the game's life cycle. I'll be a little bummed out that I didn’t get all the characters, but until everyone ever stops buy shards I don't think Avengers Academy will end but I may be wrong.

If you also play Marvel Avengers Academy and have spent money on the game, we'd love to interview you too and compile more insights into P2P player for all the F2P out there.

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Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Luke"

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Michael R"

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Derek J."

Gaming Insights - Marvel Avengers Academy P2P Profiles - "Stormy"