Since the requirement of VAT to now be paid over to UK Customs and Revenue, the cost to UK players has leapt by 20%. It's not about the moral obligation to pay tax and any benefit of not having done so in the past, and I wasn't debating that on the thread that is now closed where it claimed I was. I was proposing a solution to keep players and so I'd like to raise it again here. It warrants serious discussion instead of just being ignored and the conversation closed down.
I, like many other UK subscribers, have been playing Wizard101 since before there was a European server. So we had investment in wizards and inventory that meant it wasn't attractive to start all over again on the Gameforge franchised server when it started. Exchange rates at the time still made the US server better value even with currency conversions to US dollars.
Now that isn't the case anymore. With VAT included in the UK pricing, it is better value to play on the Gameforge server. It is academic whether I actually can afford the extra 20% to continue with KI, or not. Any purchase decision has to be based on a value proposition and there comes a point where an increased cost 'just isn't worth it'. But I would like to keep playing the game, especially now I have even more investment in wizards and inventory.
Only KI know the number of players affected by the increase and could extrapolate how many cancelled subscriptions may follow. Maybe a risk assessment would indicate they could replace that number with new players.
But considering the solution would be extract data from the US server and do a deal with Gameforge to import it into theirs, I can't see why this can't at least be investigated. No complex programming effort needed, just standard database query tools using existing knowledge of the structure. I have over 35 years of experience in the I.T. industry and qualifications in Business and System Analysis and trust me, this is basic stuff. Any real effort would be in promoting and taking payment for the transfer to happen.
KI would retain customer loyalty and worldwide player count, and the European server would benefit from an influx of experienced players to help out in their own time zone.
Please can this be investigated by KI? Surely it is worth a bit of analysis? Then before any time and expense is expended on implementation come up with a price and float the idea to the user community and see if there is sufficient support. Why not have one more bit of revenue before players leave and they gain nothing?
If not, I'll accept that there isn't sufficient value to KI but I'd have thought so long as the revenue outweighs the cost it is worth doing. Who knows how useful it might be in future, especially if other servers are franchised and the situation occurs again?
Either way, my time on the US server is sadly coming to an end. It'll be a shame to leave the spiral but unless I have a sudden and unexpected increase in disposable income it'll have to be.
So far I see my suggestion of a KI provided service to move European players on the US server to the Gameforge franchised version hasn't gained support so maybe I have to accept that it wouldn't be worth KI considering. But I doubt I'm the only European based player that would benefit by such a service, considering we would also be able to support others within out own time zone more readily, and have earlier access to new bundles that at the moment we can't buy from physical stores in the US.
Any European players want to pitch in with support for the idea before it gets killed off as not viable?
