Would you pay for VMK?

[momto2inKC]

Yes, I would pay if they made some improvements. We currently pay to play another online game. However, I would only expect to pay $5 or so a month for VMK. We pay $15 a month for City of Heroes and it is far better a game as far as graphics, connectability, etc...

 

[SimbaCub63]

I've thought about this some more and ... I'm not even sure what you would be paying for?

The chance to interact with other Disney fans? Plenty of free places on the net to do that.

The games? Yes, they are fun but the games offered on VMK do not break any new ground and are basically re-toolings of standard arcade games. (Even Fireworks is a variation on the "Space Invaders" theme.) Would I PAY to play those games? No, thanks. I'll go back to spending time on the Play Station.

That leaves collecting and trading virtual items. First of all, though I love OWNING things, trading is my LEAST favorite part of the site. And I can't for the life of me wrap my head around the idea of paying money to own a "virtual" item. And finally, having paid accounts would probably eliminate the possiblity of "mules" - it would invariably be one account per paid subscription. I think losing all the mule cash would make a lot of folks think twice about the fun of collecting new items.

As others have said, VMK would have to be a vastly different site to make it viable as a pay-site. And then it wouldn't be VMK. It would be ToonTown and I don't pay to play that, either.

Finally, I want to say that I think VMK is doing a LOT of stuff right. The Halloween overlay of Main Street was a blast. The lobby of the Haunted Mansion area has me drooling in anticipation of what's inside that virtual building. (Incidentally, that is also a great nod to the way in which the empty facade of the DLR Mansion had people staring and wondering for years at the real park. Let's hope we don't have to wait as long!) Many of the items, room designs, etc. that are out or have been promoted to come out soon remind me of being in the actual parks - and that's all I really ask of VMK.

I don't think that, on the basis of a bad weekend, it's time to suggest a radical overhaul of VMK and its transition to a pay site.

 

[Stevostitch]

I really dont think i would pay for it! I LOVE VMK, but being poor and in college, its just not a part of my budget right now, as im sure it is with most my age. Plus, think of all the kids that play and their parents may not even care for disney, espically enough to pay for a game for their kids, its an extra step and a hastle. Even if it improves the service it will quickly become a game for the kids whos parents just throw money at them, or the avid disney fans who are willing to pay for it, it just doesnt sound like a VMK i want to be a part of anyway!

 

[Fairy Dust]

No, I would not pay for VMK, or any online game come to that.

This is the first online game that I have ever played and only play it because it IS free!

For some reason I thought it would be free for a trial period when it first started, like 3 mths, so this is an added bonus to me.

 

[Tishke]

Would I pay for VMK....is this a trick question? Would I want to pay to see my DS get upset because VMK won't put forth the effort to make the game more stable? Would I pay for the headaches I get after trying to get into these "yes, it's just as easy as that" games? There really isn't anything that makes VMK worth paying for.

I like the game. It has brought me a wealth of new friends, but I would still have those friends outside the game. I would much rather talk to my VMK friends outside of the VMK dictionary, and playing has almost become a chore now Not really what I thought it would be.

So, would I pay? Nope....it would be like placing a "Kick Me" sign on your own back. You are just asking for a hurting

 

[Maleficent2]

Finally, I want to say that I think VMK is doing a LOT of stuff right. The Halloween overlay of Main Street was a blast. The lobby of the Haunted Mansion area has me drooling in anticipation of what's inside that virtual building. (Incidentally, that is also a great nod to the way in which the empty facade of the DLR Mansion had people staring and wondering for years at the real park. Let's hope we don't have to wait as long!) Many of the items, room designs, etc. that are out or have been promoted to come out soon remind me of being in the actual parks - and that's all I really ask of VMK

I totally agree with you. After such another horrible event we do tend to forget the GREAT stuff VMK has done and is doing....events are just not one of them.


This whole pay for play idea is really just speculation anyway...Yavn said VMK will ALWAYS be FREE.

I just hope this is not a whim by Disney and in a few months VMK will be gone...but if that happens it will sure have been a fun ride while it lasted.

Mal

 

[ReadingBelle]

No, I can't see paying for VMK. I really enjoy it, but not enough for it to be a monthly expense. If it was a one-time payment, I might consider it. But as others have mentioned, they would have to make some big improvements first.

 

[threeboysmom]

Sadly, as much as I love all my new VMK friends and family that have joined me on VMK , I would have to say NO to paying whether it be monthly or yearly. I have never paid for an online game before and would not start now. There are much better things to be putting my money towards.

It would be so HARD for me (and the kids) to give up VMK, but at least my house would go back to being neat and orderly...

 

[Azure]

To answer you're question, no I would not pay to play VMK. But like you said if you did have to pay for it then you would want it to be more let's say non-crashable game to put it lightly.

 

[NiteBeforXmas]

As much as I love playing VMK, NO I would not pay to play! I agree that there are better things that I can spend my money on (like more artwork from the Disney Gallery...omg I heart that place sooo much!). I would, however, continue to keep in touch with my VMK pals here on the DIS! Let's just hope that's not what comes to pass!
~Nite~

 

[daviedude]

i would probably not pay either but a verification of age thing would be good and a unliited dictionary witht the exception of major swears. i might be willing to pay like a dollar a mounth fee but thats all it is worth to me.

 

[DarkSideMoon]

that depends. IF they- ripped up the dictionary, fired almost all the current staff replied to my 8 emails, and listened to players, bumped up the graphics, and added DCA,AK,MGM,EPCOT, disneysea, thne i might consider it.

 

[Loves Disney]

Great dreams Dark, they are mine as well. However, LOL LOL!! We need to think realistically, Sure, staff would be fired but about the people who hired them, they would again pick lousey staff AND... Like they would ever bring all that to vmk they can't even hold an event right let alone several new parks LOL LOL.

 

[4fosterkids]

I would definitely not pay to play. It is a really fun free Disney game, that still surprises me how much I like, as well as my kids. It is also a very good leveraging tool for parents....my kids will do just about any chore & better homework to be able to get that password out of me.....bad huh?
I'm curious how many people have increased their visits to Dland/WDW because of VMK ?
I think Disney should increase their prizes in retail items too, ex: Happy Meal codes, movie codes like Herbie, cereal or snack boxes etc. Nothing expensive or weird, but I know I'd buy stuff like that for the codes.
Just my thoughts...

 

[aterriq]

no I wouldn't pay for it.

 

[Empare]

I don't know if I would pay. Like Miakoda said 5 dollars a month I can handle! Especially if this means better service.

 

[BrittnTylersMom]

It would depend on the price, but most likely, I would not pay for VMK.

I think all the (additional for some) trips to the IRL parks that people are making, should be more than enough to pay for it.

I've been printing the PDF files for when we go to WDW in May, 'it' worked for me..I'm more excited than ever to get there so I can do the quests and get some other goodies!!

 

[mewmewpwr]

SShhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! vmk staff might be on the boards you never no if they will think of makeing us pay

 

[RecklessPuppy]

I never thought that I would ever pay to play an online game...Before VMK I use to play on coke studios...it is a free game similar to habbo hotel...My kids always liked habbo better and wanted me to pay for them to be an "HC" and to get some furniture. HC status allows you to purchase extra room styles, you have more choices for clothing and hair and each month that you pay for HC you get a cool rare furniture piece.

I always refused saying that it was silly to pay for virtual things...a total waste of money...I said why should I do this when coke is free...then coke studios got over run by scammers...people make fake furniture and when you get it in a trade it dissappears from your room...the coke staff and moderators are worse than VMK..they will do nothing to help you and rarely ban these people who make fake furniture. This got so frustrating that I decided to try out Habbo Hotel.

You can play Habbo for free but it is so hard to get furniture...the only way to purchase stuff on habbo is to actually pay money to buy credits and then purchase furniture from a catalogue...You can hope to find kind people who give away furniture but it is not easy...You can win rares in contests but I have entered several contests and never won..it always seems like the same people win....

There are three ways to play habbo...you can be a non HC member and purchase credits just to buy furniture, you can play for free and hope to get some stuff...just maybe enjoy friendships and chatting online.... or be an HC and purchase credits to pay for HC status and buy furniture...

You can get 15 credits for $3.00 (in Canada). HC cost 25 credits and when habbo puts rares in the catalogue for a limited time they cost 25 credits as well. The regular furniture in the catalogue costs anywhere from 1 credit to 7 credits. Habbo is excellent for customer service...they reply quickly and always fix things that go wrong...I have never had connection problems and scammers are banned right away....there is no huge dictionary like VMK either...

As you can guess I do pay to play Habbo now and it can get very costly...I pay the 25 credits each month for myself and my two daughters to be HC's and whenever they release rares if the girls like them we all get a rare each...I find it can get costly...there are months where we pay nothing except the HC fees...other months I spend more...

I guess what I am getting at is that if VMK made things a little more like habbo then I might pay...you can play for free if you like but for the extras you must pay. Since VMK is sponsored by Disney and Sulake (the creators of Habbo) Then I am sure they can make the system more stable and provide the same kind of customer care..

If it came down to it and it was not too expensive I think I would pay to play...I truely enjoy VMK and would miss it too much if I just stopped playing....I no longer have the attitude that it is a waste of money to play an online game and pay for virtual furniture...I look at it like when you spend the day at an arcade..you spend money and go home with nothing physical...you just had fun playing..that is how I feel Habbo is....

Sorry for rambling on..I hope I did not bore everyone

 

[NJ Mike]

I no longer have the attitude that it is a waste of money to play an online game and pay for virtual furniture...I look at it like when you spend the day at an arcade..you spend money and go home with nothing physical...you just had fun playing..that is how I feel Habbo is....

Sorry for rambling on..I hope I did not bore everyone

You know, that is a great point. I had never really stopped to look at it in that light. It would be the same as going to a movie, or a play. You pay money, and you are entertained, but you're right, you dont get to keep anything phsyical. I think vmk would have to step up in a lot of areas, but yes when i play i am entertained and enjoy myself. So i guess if i stopped looking at it as "what do i get for the money?", and started looking at it for entertainment value, then perhaps if the fees werent too out of line, then maybe i would pay. Its tough to swallow i think because it is free now. So i think many people, myself included, would want to see new things, as well as improvements to the "free game" before we would be willing to even consider paying.

great point though, thanks for sharing that.