Undisclosed Paywall

[YourToothbrush]

I was playing the new content with @The Lone Ninja Escapist and a friend of ours. Two of us are crowns players, the other is membership. We're moving through the first dungeon, and we all figured out the cheats pretty quickly, and gliding through the sewers when suddenly...



This stopped me.

Checking back through the Update Notes, there's no mention of this, nor does it elude to there being a payment. It's not until you go and check the Zone Pricing that there is a paywall. The only good news there is that the 6k crowns covers the entire escapade, but that doesn't excuse this lack of disclosure.

I don't have the money to spend on this game for another week (which might be a good thing, given how the three of us had some stability problems), and this was more than a little irritating to find out all of a sudden.

Quick edit: I didn't play TR, and don't know if it was disclosed there.

[SanicTheHedfghog]

Your avatar is me when i saw this in game.

I was so excited :/

[Orzee]

That is totally not okay. And 6000 crowns is a little more than half a world and they didn't say anything about it?!

For crowns players who played this on test realm, was this paywall there?

This update got my interest back in the game, because I thought they were finally giving away quality content for free.

Thank you for the post.

[Robobot1747]

I look at it this way: we got some new free stuff. (the trash monsters) Darkmoor was connected to Wizard City, and that's not free. I know that KI can be too greedy for their own good, but they're also a business and need money to continue providing Wizard101.

[YourToothbrush]

I look at it this way: we got some new free stuff. (the trash monsters) Darkmoor was connected to Wizard City, and that's not free. I know that KI can be too greedy for their own good, but they're also a business and need money to continue providing Wizard101.

That's not the point. In spite of predatory (yet optional) payment options there are, this is not the point I'm trying to reinforce.

The issue is disclosure. I wasn't particularly expecting a free update, and I get the point of paying for content like this. But this wasn't disclosed where people would generally check. Not everyone is going to go and thoroughly check every part of the website- it's about general consumer expectation.

They also have consistently noted in past updates when new areas are to be bought versus areas that come in as a freebie. You mentioned Darkmoor: When that dropped, they noted the price in the November 2014 update notes. The price WAS disclosed. The Catacombs were not.

And there will be others like me who went in, not expecting a paywall, who will get a very unpleasant surprise when they come across this. THAT'S the point of this.

[*Erin*]

I am a crowns account and did the level 15 dungeon free today and only did as far as the first boss fight in the level 130 dungeon and it has been free for me so far. I have not had a membership in years. How far into the level 130 dungeon were you before that popped?

[Falling Emeralds]

The issue is disclosure. I wasn't particularly expecting a free update, and I get the point of paying for content like this. But this wasn't disclosed where people would generally check. Not everyone is going to go and thoroughly check every part of the website- it's about general consumer expectation.
They also have consistently noted in past updates when new areas are to be bought versus areas that come in as a freebie. You mentioned Darkmoor: When that dropped, they noted the price in the November 2014 update notes. The price WAS disclosed. The Catacombs were not.

I agree ... I always pay attention to crowns prices of Test Realm content for this very reason -- I don't want to be surprised in the Live Realm. Unless I'm much mistaken, this is the first content update to ever implement a crowns cost that didn't exist in the Test Realm.

Test Realm has always included paywalls in order for players to give feedback on those prices. For example, when Aquila was first put onto Test Realm, the prices were outrageously high -- and KingsIsle compromised by lowering them when Aquila reached the Live Servers. By not disclosing the paywall before releasing this content onto the Live Servers, they took away our ability to give feedback on the cost of this paywall. I hope this was simply an oversight and not a trend for future updates.

[YourToothbrush]

I am a crowns account and did the level 15 dungeon free today and only did as far as the first boss fight in the level 130 dungeon and it has been free for me so far. I have not had a membership in years. How far into the level 130 dungeon were you before that popped?

It's seemingly a series of dungeons rather than a single one.

This popped up one or two quests after defeating the first boss and completing the first dungeon.

[Icy BlackHeart]

Me to, I have 2 accounts who are crown players and was excited to try out this place and hit the payment wall

[Lady Cat]

@Sparck Please respond to these members question . Lady cat says meow?