Let me just spend $5 instead of $10, please?

[Hesster56]

My biggest complaint right now with HCO is that I have to buy Clixbux in packs of 2, instead of 1. I'm much more likely to drop $5.00 at a time than I am to spend $10.00. 5's an impulse, 10 is a couple of lunches. It's a pain and it's probably keeping people from spending as much as they would.

[Timeshadow]

AS it was explained to me it costs HCO money each time ppl buy Bux. The Credit card companys and banks take their cut. I was told that to sell less than 10$ a pop would be unsustainable as it would cut out much of their profit. I can understand this. Who hasn't gotten ripped off by bank machine fees. So just plan your CB purchases in a minimum of 10$ at a time. Personally whan I bought most of my CB I payed all at once.

[Hesster56]

I understand all that, but if that's the case, bump it up to one $10.00 purchase instead of two $5.00 purchases. It feels like a ripoff being shown the $5.00 increments but then having to spend $10.00.

[Jarimy123]

Tell me this is a joke. Please.

[caguioa]

with $5, you can only get a few cbs. not that much for auction, unless you want to go for powerhouse generics. but, if you want stuff that matters, you have to spend at least 75cb for stuff. you can set aside your savings until you can see a bargain. Thats my take. regardless whether you buy 5 or 10, the bottom line is, you still buy them cus you need them to buy.

HCO is more fun than people's opinion regarding virtual boosters. treat it as an MMO, you pay for something you can never really hold.

[Contingency Plan]

I agree Hess. I am a lot more likely to spend $5 on the game in increments, than to drop $10 at a time. And if they do want it at $10, which I understand the Paypal thing...why offer it at $5? I can see an option to start at $10 and go up by $5 from there.

[Typhon]

Having done the math on this when we did the Donation Tiers; I do agree that $10 increments saves on fees in the long run (that $5 No Ads tier is barely worth it to the site). But with CB purchases, what if I only wanted $15? or $25?

Maybe the better option is to make it a $10 minimum, but make the increments above that at $1 (if the $1 = CB calculates evenly). There might be some rounding issues though.

There's also a lot of be said about bulk discounts ... because every retail store I buy from gives me a discount when I buy in bulk.

[Contingency Plan]

Having done the math on this when we did the Donation Tiers; I do agree that $10 increments saves on fees in the long run (that $5 No Ads tier is barely worth it to the site). But with CB purchases, what if I only wanted $15? or $25?

Maybe the better option is to make it a $10 minimum, but make the increments above that at $1 (if the $1 = CB calculates evenly). There might be some rounding issues though.

There's also a lot of be said about bulk discounts ... because every retail store I buy from gives me a discount when I buy in bulk.

I like this idea, as it does round evenly. If $5 equates to 100CB, then we are talking about 20CB per $1. Seems legit enough for me... Not that my opinion matters in the situation. But it makes sense.

[Typhon]

Not that my opinion matters in the situation. But it makes sense.
I think all opinions matter because the HCO staff monitor the forums and can change things based on what is being said.

[Contingency Plan]

I think all opinions matter because the HCO staff monitor the forums and can change things based on what is being said.

I hope that to be true. Personally I think they have been making large strides with the game. Figures of the week, redemption codes, and tourneys like the upcoming League at least show they are listening. Just hope the trend continues.

While it will never replace the tabletop for me, it can come in a very close second. Which is a win/win for Wizkids. Not much so for my wallet.

[BigBlueBeast1982]

I don't mind dropping $10 bones, but them bones better go pretty far. I have liked their new model of 9CB for a figure of your choice such as the Green Lantern and Galactic Guardian promo they just did.

I still however do not think a virtual booster of HoT should be $12.00, I'm still stunned that the prices have not been reasonably lowered yet. I think the 9 CB for a figure is a great price model and they should basically sell boosters at 9CB x 5 figures for a total of 48 CB a booster or $2.40.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. 99 cents on iTunes is good enough for a musician's time and effort he/she put's into writing and performing music. 99 cents is good enough for the programmers out there that make some amazing app's for the iPhone. Then it should be good enough to buy a coded and programmed virtual booster....

[Contingency Plan]

Great points Beast. I would be a lot more likely to enter sealed tourneys at that price. But at the current price structure, I just can't feasibly make a case to drop that kind of money. Kudos to the ones that can and do, but I can't. I'm surely not the only one.

[Typhon]

I don't think it has to do with "time" (artist/programmer), it has to do with the retail stores and the "end state". For your music analogy, no matter where you get it (online or in the store), you consume/listen to it at home (or wherever). That transaction is over. For Clix, where you buy and where you play are usually the same place, so HCO is a direct competitor for retail stores, and since WizKids sets MSRP, they have to price all equivalent product at the MSRP. To break that model in a manner that doesn't piss the retailers off, they need to come up with an ONLINE ONLY product/SKU, so the lines can't be easily drawn between the price of the retailer version and the online version. 9CB Single Figure? ... There's nothing available for retailers like that (you could call it "promotional/grab bag" if you wanted though, which are normally incentive/free figures).

For me, Tabletop and Virtual are two separate things. I still buy physical product (although I don't have time to play), and I buy enough virtual product to tool around with. I'm not buying more of one at the expense of another. I think there are a lot of people like that (or they wouldn't even buy any HeroClix if HCO wasn't available).

Once retailers are comfortable with that idea, and see that HCO is helping (or at least neutral), I hope that the prices will be more manageable.

Best we can hope for is that as physical product sells out (zero availability; zero retailers to complain), we might see the product released cheaper online.

"released cheaper" is not the same as a "post-release discount" though ... because I don't think anyone would appreciate paying $12 for a booster, only to have it discounted later. That might just be me though.

[Hesster56]

What about this though: HoT isn't available in retailers anymore. It's gone. Drop the price.

And don't charge for random, single figure boosters of a set so old that defense numbers are single clicks. The complete IC set in real life can be had for less than 50$, and isn't stocked by retailers. There's no reason to not say "Hey! Want the full set online? Give us some money, and maybe get hooked."

I'm not trying to turn this back into a "the game itself costs too much" thread, and I appreciate all the comments about my original post. It's just that except for figure of the week and the two starters, the pricing system isn't consumer friendly.

[BigBlueBeast1982]

You make some good points, but isn't iTunes a direct competitor with retail stores that sell physical copies of CD's. To be honest You can buy an 8-10 track CD in let's say Best Buy for $12.00, but yet you can get each individual music track on that CD for 99 cents making the total cost of the album $2-$4 dollars cheaper than you can buy it for in a retail store. (Don't forget you don't pay sales tax online either, further saving you a couple more bucks). So why doesn't that anger the retail giants like Best Buy and Walmart?

Maybe your right about the 9CB single figure promotional grab bag gimmick. I would pay 9CB for a figure that I wanted and wasn't a blind pull. In fact I've already done so with the Green Lantern and Galactic Guardians promo. To me it's a brilliant gimmick and they should try and sell whole set's like that in the future, that way it doesn't directly compete with retailers as like you said, "there's nothing available for retailers like that."

I don't think it has to do with "time" (artist/programmer), it has to do with the retail stores and the "end state". For your music analogy, no matter where you get it (online or in the store), you consume/listen to it at home (or wherever). That transaction is over. For Clix, where you buy and where you play are usually the same place, so HCO is a direct competitor for retail stores, and since WizKids sets MSRP, they have to price all equivalent product at the MSRP. To break that model in a manner that doesn't piss the retailers off, they need to come up with an ONLINE ONLY product/SKU, so the lines can't be easily drawn between the price of the retailer version and the online version. 9CB Single Figure? ... There's nothing available for retailers like that (you could call it "promotional/grab bag" if you wanted though, which are normally incentive/free figures).

For me, Tabletop and Virtual are two separate things. I still buy physical product (although I don't have time to play), and I buy enough virtual product to tool around with. I'm not buying more of one at the expense of another. I think there are a lot of people like that (or they wouldn't even buy any HeroClix if HCO wasn't available).

Once retailers are comfortable with that idea, and see that HCO is helping (or at least neutral), I hope that the prices will be more manageable.

Best we can hope for is that as physical product sells out (zero availability; zero retailers to complain), we might see the product released cheaper online.

"released cheaper" is not the same as a "post-release discount" though ... because I don't think anyone would appreciate paying $12 for a booster, only to have it discounted later. That might just be me though.

[hair10]

Great points Beast. I would be a lot more likely to enter sealed tourneys at that price. But at the current price structure, I just can't feasibly make a case to drop that kind of money. Kudos to the ones that can and do, but I can't. I'm surely not the only one.

I can drop the money, I simply refuse to. Should boosters be 99 cents? IMO, no. That makes the figs almost worthless. But should they be full MSRP? Again, no. We need some middle of the road pricing.

As for the song analogy, you all aren't taking into account the economies of scale. You can sell a song for 99 cents when you sell several million copies of it. HCO is going to sell what? A couple of hundred copies of a given fig?


@Hesster, drop me a line either here or in game. Maybe we can "combine our purchasing power". ;)

[Howard Brock]

I would be happy if all future pricing would be the price set in IC. Regardless of whther it is a new or a old set. That price to me is in the middle and is fair. The Hot prices are too high. Agreed. Doubt they wil change that. So be it. Just please do not set that price for future sets. Use the the IC model please.

[Contingency Plan]

I would be happy if all future pricing would be the price set in IC. Regardless of whther it is a new or a old set. That price to me is in the middle and is fair. The Hot prices are too high. Agreed. Doubt they wil change that. So be it. Just please do not set that price for future sets. Use the the IC model please.

I could live with the IC pricing on things. Each blind be 19CB. Hopefully we can see it continue.

[Timeshadow]

I know I will get flack for this but I have very little problem with the current price of "Modern" sets namely HoT but also any sets newer than HoT. I'd like to see a small price drop maby to 10$ or 200CB a booster(of 5 figures) but as long as sealed prizes remain the same 700CB+Le first, 350 CB 2nd or an equivalant amount if the tournies get bigger I can handle the price.

What we need more than any price change is more sets as quickly as they can release them. I'd love to see a new "Modern" set released every 2-3 months with a golden age set released in between untill online is caught up with current modern releases.

[Contingency Plan]

I know I will get flack for this but I have very little problem with the current price of "Modern" sets namely HoT but also any sets newer than HoT. I'd like to see a small price drop maby to 10$ or 200CB a booster(of 5 figures) but as long as sealed prizes remain the same 700CB+Le first, 350 CB 2nd or an equivalant amount if the tournies get bigger I can handle the price.

What we need more than any price change is more sets as quickly as they can release them. I'd love to see a new "Modern" set released every 2-3 months with a golden age set released in between untill online is caught up with current modern releases.

That would be a better price point, but still out of my range. At least it is, I'd I don't want my wife to kill me.

I could probably make the sell easier at $5 per pack of 5. And then keep the single blinds around 19 for older sets. Maybe 30 for newer single blinds.

[theharpiece]

I'm most likely alone in this, but I have no problem with the current pricing structure....I found Heroclix one day, right around the HCO beta launch and said wow these look neat. Then a quick google search reveled HCO....I had never played before, but downloaded the game and learned the rules....I put in about $120 in the first month of playing and have never had to pull my wallet out again and in fact have about $250 worth of clixBux and nearly every figure available, most in multiples.....So from being a total noob, spending $120 to having a $250 surplus and every fig available online, save some IC Le's and Thor's Chariot, I think things seem pretty fair....

[BigBlueBeast1982]

As you stated you never played the "real" and physical component of Heroclix so you really have nothing to gauge their price point, game play/ mechanics, and even social interactions with...

I'm sorry but while HCO is a great compliment to heroclix and it's players, it is not a replacement and should not be treated as such. This is why so many people are up in arms about the pricing because frankly; HCO is giving you an inferior product and inferior experience for the same cost as the real thing.

This is just common sense marketing. For instance let's use the soda in your grocery store as an example. You have your brand name Coca-Cola and Pepsi product's and then you have some off brand store bought soda's. What is the incentive of buying the inferior store bought brand's? The cheaper cost! People usually don't pay comparative prices for inferior products, if they did off brands and knock-offs would cost just as much as the real thing...

I'm most likely alone in this, but I have no problem with the current pricing structure....I found Heroclix one day, right around the HCO beta launch and said wow these look neat. Then a quick google search reveled HCO....I had never played before, but downloaded the game and learned the rules....I put in about $120 in the first month of playing and have never had to pull my wallet out again and in fact have about $250 worth of clixBux and nearly every figure available, most in multiples.....So from being a total noob, spending $120 to having a $250 surplus and every fig available online, save some IC Le's and Thor's Chariot, I think things seem pretty fair....

[Peers]

I'm sorry but while HCO is a great compliment to heroclix and it's players, it is not a replacement and should not be treated as such. This is why so many people are up in arms about the pricing because frankly; HCO is giving you an inferior product and inferior experience for the same cost as the real thing.

True, just as McDonalds charges $7 for an 'angus' burger, fries, and a drink -- where you can get that at a sit-down restaurant for roughly the same price (or slightly more), McDonalds has more locations and rarely has an issue with needing to wait for seating.

HCO is never closed, never loses your figures, and never has the owner come up to you and say, "Sorry, all the tables are being used for the Yu-Gi-Oh release tournament today."

What you lose in quality, you get in convenience.

[BigBlueBeast1982]

Well I wouldn't go that far. HCO has server downtimes, is affected by internet connectivity, and while you don't have tables being used up, you'll have a hard time finding games just as much with the lack of people being on at any given time.

And about losing your figures, in all my years of heroclix collecting (10 years) I have never lost a physical figure and prefer the physical figure to the virtual cause the fate of that figure is my control. Now I have had horrible luck with virtual items from World of Warcraft to Diablo II where my items were lost, hacked/stolen, or the game became obsolete and the company deleted everything on the sever I worked for all together...

And I don't know what goes on, on your kitchen table, but if I'm jonesing for a heroclix game at anytime of night I can call up a friend and have him come over for a game or two. My kitchen table is always open...


HCO is never closed, never loses your figures, and never has the owner come up to you and say, "Sorry, all the tables are being used for the Yu-Gi-Oh release tournament today."

What you lose in quality, you get in convenience.