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Guest Accounts - Good for profits?

Started by Interesting Dave May 19, 2010 at 1:25 PM 2 replies 850+ views
Original Post
Interesting Dave
Interesting Dave
I just thought of something like this (for a multiplayer game): Player's make an account (username and password), but also set a guest password. Player's can tell their friends the username and guest password which will allow friends to play the game with the account holder, as long as the account holder is online at the same time (up to a certain max of guest players - say 4). Do you think such a system is giving potential buyers an easy free-ride? (especially if they share the true password to the account), or could it help sales through word of mouth? What incentives could you give the account holder not to share the password? (assumming he knows & trusts his friends so he doesn't lose his account). Stats / progress tracking comes to mind.
Roger that, lets run like hell!
stonemetal
stonemetal
Depends on the game. If there is a strong character then 'Joe' wouldn't want 'Steve' messing with his character, and probably wouldn't share the login. Where as if it is a more generic counter strike sort of game(no strong PC attachment) then sharing would be more likely. Something like what starcraft did where there was a guest install that striped out single player content could be another approach if there was a large single player component.
Obscure
Obscure
I can't see any sane reason to give away the master password. The guest passwords allow your friends to play so why would you? Best way to prevent it is make the master password a single log in. If your friends use it then you can't log in to your own game (unless there is a guest slot free).
Dan Marchant - Business Development Consultant
www.obscure.co.uk
ShinkaFudan
ShinkaFudan
You just thought of this? It seems you're a bit late. A few games already do this. The most recent is Qual Solaar's "LOVE".

With how open he is about other parts of his game, I'm pretty sure he would be willing to tell you the benefits that that system had on his sales, as well as what incentive people had to not sell their guest account. I know that the forum had people asking for guest account access.

Shoot him a question on http://twitter.com/quelsolaar or email him at eskil@obsession.se
This man made my day: http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=523021

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