PUHOLINO:Did anyone ever think WGT might actually WANT to get rid of the top earners?
I am not sure if WGT WANT to get rid of the top earners, but I do agree they do not contribute to the coffers of WGT by putting in real cash. But effectively winnings would then be taken by the next echelon on players (who again probably don't put real cash into the game (by playing challenges) if those top players did or could not compete.
The reduction in the elite range (gift cards) i assimulate to Renns position of cost cutting. These cost real dollars to WGT so this is a way of reducing their real cost but also does tend to back up Jures post as it does also reduce the incentives for top players.
The real money comes from the majority who, like myself, need to open their wallets to play at a reasonable level, The clubs are a one off cost apart from the odd upgrade, where the money is generated is from balls (as most would agree - overpriced pixels) as these are required frequently. Yes there are free ways to earn credits which can be unreliable and often are limited depending on your geographical location,
With more players creating accounts the ability to raise revenue should increase PROVIDED they are actually new players. If they are (and frequently seem to be) are an existing player using a new ID they will not spend any real cash and as Jure says, when you see a player (especially a newbie) shooting so low it DETERS the genuine player from playing RGs etc and sometimes will just give up. All players need an incentive not a deterrent. Once again a great example is to tier up but the reward is a deterrent as you will probably need to upgrade equipment so many will not bother. The only reason I don't think WGT take multi accounting seriously is the pure numbers they can boast to prospective advertisers. This is probably its best avenue of income so the offset against players spending on equipment and tournaments is probably neglible loss.
I now run my own business (damned tough in these economic times) and shake my head when I read Renns post. I was working for an Airline when SARS occured - all flight and cabin crew took massive pay cuts when the airline made its first ever quarterly loss but the execs salaries were unaffected. Well the airline made an annual profit and the salary was eventually reimbursed (all loss of flight time - a major part of remuneration) was not. Now this seem off track but my point is you need to look after the people that make your business work. In WGTs case, this is the majority who pump their hard earded dollars into the game.
It is a great game and I do love it, but the average player like me would like incentives. Partly for me I have continued to play because of the online friends I have made - I don't play for credits, just pure enjoyment but would like to get some sort of reward for the real cash I have invested, perhaps with some sort of loyalty scheme.