Understanding Microtransactions
In the past, I have not been a fan of microtransactions. And while I am still not a fan of content that is exclusive to microtransactions or double dipping with subscriptions and microtransactions, I have come to a peace with the concept overall. This has mainly happened due to Runes of Magic.
Runes of Magic has a giant item shop where you can buy a multitude of items that are a nice convenience. This is the kind of implementation I like. If you do not like microtransactions, you could accomplish anything you wanted in the game without spending a cent. The items within the cash shop are mostly things such as potions to increase your experience gain for an hour, potions to refund your training points (sort of like WoW talent points), mounts, unique vanity outfits, and other items like this.
Furthermore, you do not buy the items directly with cash. You go on their website and buy "diamonds" and then use the diamonds in the store to buy items. It is a similar to XBox live currency.
Two of the aspects of the diamond system I like the most is that you can gift items to other people and you can sell diamonds on the auction house for gold. This benefits diamond buyers and those that play for free. For a diamond buyer like me, I can basically buy gold through a legitimate in-game method and for people that play for free, if they are good at making gold, they can buy diamonds and have access to cash shop goods.
I like this system. It allows me to play when I want to rather than feeling like I have to play the game because I am tied in with a monthly subscription. As it stands, I could see myself spending $15-$30 a month on Runes of Magic between diamonds for myself and Rynala.
Ixobelle recently talked about microtransactions and "buyer anxiety" when it comes to making a ton of micropurchases instead of having an "invisible" monthly payment. I do not think that buyer anxiety has ever been my problem with microtransactions and free to play games. It has always been something more like Syncaine actually talks about in a blog post he just wrote up today. Free to play MMOs have a terrible habit of giving people who play microtransactions a terrible advantage.
The person playing for free will not be able to compete when the paying players can buy gear and weapons that are incredibly better than anything else available in game. Free Realms sells level 1 swords that are better than anything a level 20 blacksmith can craft. In Runes of Magic, it is limited to items of convenience so in the end the free player will be on almost equal ground as the paying player.
I think that the microtransaction model could pick up greatly in the west so long as it kept with a business model of limiting the microtransaction items to only items of convenience, not blocking off certain classes or content as only obtainable via microtranactions, and not trying to double dip with both microtransactions and subscriptions.