Pricing, Media, and the Fear Of Commitment

Ive been thinking about the different media economic models out there, especially games and e-books.  I think I've discovered a barrier to customer involvement that is often not explored.

Fear of commitment.



Think about what happens when you start reading a series of books – you're making them a part of your life.  You're talking about them with friends, paying money, using time, keeping up on the plots.  IImagine what this will be like in an age of serial e-fiction, where your commitment is more on a weekly basis or so?

Many MMO's and games with subscription fees require a commitment.  You're paying money, getting involved with a game and fellow gamers.  In fact you have to play to get your money's worth, or you're just waisting that subscription.

A few observations:

  • How many times have you heard someone doesn't want to "get involved" in a TV or book series because of time or other involvements?
  • How many times do you see people grind away at subscription games because they feel some vague sense of commitment and investment?
  • When it comes to MMO's all I play now are free/fremium ones.  I found that past MMO's that were subscription based definitely felt like a commitment.
  • Have you ever gotten a lot of DLC for a game?  Did you feel you had to – or did having a good game already seal the deal?

How much is this fear of commitment keeping people from being involved in a given piece of media?  How can you, the person in geeky media careers, deal with this?

I'm not sure I have a solution, but as I've thought it over I think this is a barrier many people don't realize can affect them.  I doubt its a massive definer of people's market choices, but I'm sure it's significant enough to warrant thought.

A few thoughts:

  • I think free-to-play, free book chapters, etc. really help people "ease into" a product before they make a commitment.  One of the most delightful marketing tools I saw in the past was when the first Doctor Who novels hit the US – and chapters of several were released in a promotional packet.
  • Pricing and subscription plans need to address the commitment fear for e-books, books, games, etc.  I'm not sure on this either, but I think monthly subscriptions are the biggest turn-off.
  • Pricing and subscriptions also need to deliver benefits to people so they feel they get their money's worth.  However that can actually be overdone – if an e-book subscription also gets you access to an online community, does that feel like even MORE commitment?

So keep this in mind in your geeky jobs – are you making sure that what media you work in addresses the fear of commitment people have?  Is it not a factor – or one that has blindsided you?

- Steven Savage

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0120a5823410970b www.genjipress.com

    I tried to tackle this by making “sampler” or “taster” versions of everything I’ve produced, both as physical giveaways and downloads. It gives people enough of an idea of the material so that they can decide if the whole thing is worth $12.
    I wonder if it is easier to do this with books than for, say, a movie or a video game. Trailers can be deceptive, so a lot of people will settle for renting a movie once to see if it’s worth owning.