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TCG - SOE money grab: Looks like we vets were right....
Burntvet
Member RarePosts: 3,465
Some of we "Vets" saw the implementation of the TCG as a "backdoor" RMT and called SOE on it. Looks like they are opening the front door....
This is from the official SOE site....
The Star Wars Galaxies Dodonna Tournament Pack is now available at the Station Store for a limited time. Just $10.00 USD (plus applicable taxes) gets you this pack, which contains the following:
One (1) Jan Dodonna (1P3) promo card
One Ewok Vendor (1SWGP5) loot card
Three (3) Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game: Champions of the Force booster packs
We said the TCG = RMT . What else is this then? Add to this the fact that SOE has said it is acceptable to trade booster packs for in-game credits, and you have SOE-sponsored credit selling too, only with SOE pocketing the real cash.
For all the people that shouted down the "vets" as whatever, all I have to say is SWG-NGERMT is here. It has begun.....
UPDATE.....
• New Loot Cards – More than 20 new Loot Cards will be available, including the V-wing Starfighter and a powerful buff, the Sanyassan Skull, that can be redeemed with an active account* in the Star Wars Galaxies MMO.
Pay SOE more money, get an advantage. Yeah, we vets didn't know what we were talking about or what was coming.....
Comments
Wow, a company is trying to make money .... whould'a thunk it.
With a buggy, increasingly unpopular product, perhaps they should try to improve some of the inherent failings of the game and not resort this TCG gimmick to scrape up a few more bucks before the doors close.
Good products make money. Bad ones don't. Gimmicks and shinnys only work for so long and only on a small segment of their playerbase. If this is the best they can do, things are worse than even we think.
We called the TCG a cynical attempt to soak the pokemon crowd. Wonder how it is working out for them....
Of course the TCG is a "money grab." That's the no-shit comment of the century right there.
So I started to walk into the water. I won't lie to you boys...I was terrified. But I pressed on, and as I made my way past the breakers, a strange calm came over me. I don't know if it was divine intervention or the kinship of all living things, but I tell you, Jerry, at that moment ... I was a marine biologist.
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
So I started to walk into the water. I won't lie to you boys...I was terrified. But I pressed on, and as I made my way past the breakers, a strange calm came over me. I don't know if it was divine intervention or the kinship of all living things, but I tell you, Jerry, at that moment ... I was a marine biologist.
Well, the current game is little more than the CU, with a slightly worse interface and targetting system. So in essence, 2 years worth of subscriptions have brought the game back to the CU, only an inferior version and missing 20ish professions. Only in the last year or so has the game seen any significant content additions and that's been at the cost of getting the core game to an acceptable state.
...The spread of secondary and latterly of tertiary education has created a large population of people, often with well developed literary and scholarly tastes, who have been educated far beyond their capacity to undertake analytical thought.
The TCG is simply the first step towards mirco-transactions at SOE. Smedley has said that he believes that is the future of MMO gaming for SOE, so it shouldn't surprise anyone at this point.
The TCG is nothing more than a money sink. I will give them credit, if they can get people to actually pay for this stuff, then gamers are as dumb as they had hoped and SOE deserves props for exploiting that.
Tecmo Bowl.
So you know i watched a video of MANY top developers who ALL said they are looking at micro transactions.Smedley was not in this video.You can bet that EVERY single company out there is looking at it.
It is dumb to be so naive as to not expect changes.Are we complaining that games cost anything at all to play?because it wasn't long ago BAttle.net/HEat.net were free to play our beloved games.
SOE is the first it seems to try different things,they were first to charge for EQ1 then others followed.I wouldn't worry about any game developer collecting in on this anymore,since EVERY single"YOU THE PLAYERS" are using RMT at alarming rates.WOW brings in MILLIONS to the RMT.
I still remember the first month EQ2 brought in the open servers to RMT.They did there analysis and found two states from the USA were the biggest RMT users being California the worst,i can't remember the second one offhand.
REMEMBER this ,there is NO micro transactions UNLESS YOU the players are using them.So you have nothing to worry about right,since your not going to use it right?
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
Well, the current game is little more than the CU, with a slightly worse interface and targetting system. So in essence, 2 years worth of subscriptions have brought the game back to the CU, only an inferior version and missing 20ish professions. Only in the last year or so has the game seen any significant content additions and that's been at the cost of getting the core game to an acceptable state.
And this has what to do with the TCG?
So I started to walk into the water. I won't lie to you boys...I was terrified. But I pressed on, and as I made my way past the breakers, a strange calm came over me. I don't know if it was divine intervention or the kinship of all living things, but I tell you, Jerry, at that moment ... I was a marine biologist.
Well, the current game is little more than the CU, with a slightly worse interface and targetting system. So in essence, 2 years worth of subscriptions have brought the game back to the CU, only an inferior version and missing 20ish professions. Only in the last year or so has the game seen any significant content additions and that's been at the cost of getting the core game to an acceptable state.
And this has what to do with the TCG?
... erm... well you asked the question which prompted the answer I gave, not sure how or what you thought the logical response may be. Strictly speaking all they did with 2 years of subscription fees was re-implement a watered down version of a previous system so I think it's fair to say people that paid over the first 2 years of the NGE were effectively paying twice, so although not related to the TCG, it still answers your question.
...The spread of secondary and latterly of tertiary education has created a large population of people, often with well developed literary and scholarly tastes, who have been educated far beyond their capacity to undertake analytical thought.
Wow, a company is trying to make money .... whould'a thunk it.
Yeah! I mean how dare he be concerned about a company with a long history of sketchy business trying to drill people for more money. Hey, I'm gonna start a company where we offer a monthly paid service where we don't kick peoples cars in and loot them blind. Nothing wrong with how we're going about it right? We're just trying to make money 8D!
Bans a perma, but so are sigs in necro posts.
EAT ME MMORPG.com!
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
Combat enhancing buffs (used to buy from other players with ingame money) and new vehicles (content patches used to include new vehicle schematics). Now you pay real cash for these things, on top of the subscription fee. Actually it's worse than that because you pay real cash only for a random chance to get these things.
TCG interface works in SWG. People buy boosterpacks and then sell either the unopened packs or lootcards (for redeeming ingame special items) ingame for credits or unredeemed lootcards. So basically paying rl money for ingame credits/lootcarditems.
So for a new player a tip: When you start playing SWG, buy some boosterpacks in SOE 's online shop, sell them ingame for credits to get some nice starting funds. Using either the official server trade forums or TCG trade forums to get in contact with the buyers. Great isnt it?
The game wasnt designed for this. But with the ingame economy already struggling, SOE thought, lets screw the economy even more and make some money out of it while we are at it.
I think it is smart from a commercial point of view, from a player point of view it makes me want to vomit though.
Wow, a company is trying to make money .... whould'a thunk it.
Yeah! I mean how dare he be concerned about a company with a long history of sketchy business trying to drill people for more money. Hey, I'm gonna start a company where we offer a monthly paid service where we don't kick peoples cars in and loot them blind. Nothing wrong with how we're going about it right? We're just trying to make money 8D!
Lol okay that made me laugh harder than I have in a long time. Thanks for that
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
Combat enhancing buffs (used to buy from other players with ingame money) and new vehicles (content patches used to include new vehicle schematics). Now you pay real cash for these things, on top of the subscription fee. Actually it's worse than that because you pay real cash only for a random chance to get these things.
Actually it is worse, because the boosterpacks work like a lottery. You cant simply buy the ingame items from SOE, but have to buy boosterpacks, hope it contains such an ingame item. People still do it though, just check the official trade forums (SWG and SOE strategy).
So you know i watched a video of MANY top developers who ALL said they are looking at micro transactions.Smedley was not in this video.You can bet that EVERY single company out there is looking at it.
It is dumb to be so naive as to not expect changes.Are we complaining that games cost anything at all to play?because it wasn't long ago BAttle.net/HEat.net were free to play our beloved games.
SOE is the first it seems to try different things,they were first to charge for EQ1 then others followed.I wouldn't worry about any game developer collecting in on this anymore,since EVERY single"YOU THE PLAYERS" are using RMT at alarming rates.WOW brings in MILLIONS to the RMT.
I still remember the first month EQ2 brought in the open servers to RMT.They did there analysis and found two states from the USA were the biggest RMT users being California the worst,i can't remember the second one offhand.
REMEMBER this ,there is NO micro transactions UNLESS YOU the players are using them.So you have nothing to worry about right,since your not going to use it right?
I never said Smedley was the ONLY one who plans to use microtransactions. I also never said it was a bad idea. It's a great idea for squeezing money out of consumers. It is likely bad for equality in MMO gaming.
Will I ever participate in it? No.
Especially not for a game as dated and broken as SWG.
Tecmo Bowl.
Wow, a company is trying to make money .... whould'a thunk it.
Yeah! I mean how dare he be concerned about a company with a long history of sketchy business trying to drill people for more money. Hey, I'm gonna start a company where we offer a monthly paid service where we don't kick peoples cars in and loot them blind. Nothing wrong with how we're going about it right? We're just trying to make money 8D!
No one FORCES you to buy the cards. Its free will at the end of the day. There is nothing sketchy about the TCG.
Except for the fact that it is the ONLY way to get some of the items.
If SOE wants to turn SWG into an RMT (more than it is now) fine, it can do whatever it wants. But, to do so on top of a premium subscription makes them the greediest MMO company out there. Other games that have RMT are free.
And the problem that most people have is that the TCG has opened the door for straight up RMT/SOE sanctioned credit buying/selling. THAT is what players, especially long time players, have a problem with.
Want to have a better toon and have an edge in PvP and not have to work for it yourself? Buy 20 packs of cards, sell them for 20 mil each in the trade forums (legal) and take the 400 mil and buy the highest end weapons/armor/crystals/equipment out there (legal) and for the price of $60 you are on par/ahead of players who have played the game for months or years getting to that point. THAT is what many players hate about SOEs implementation of the TCG.
Which is another reason SOE has been fighting credit farmers more lately: they are directly competing with SOE to sell credits.
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
Combat enhancing buffs (used to buy from other players with ingame money) and new vehicles (content patches used to include new vehicle schematics). Now you pay real cash for these things, on top of the subscription fee. Actually it's worse than that because you pay real cash only for a random chance to get these things.
Actually it is worse, because the boosterpacks work like a lottery. You cant simply buy the ingame items from SOE, but have to buy boosterpacks, hope it contains such an ingame item. People still do it though, just check the official trade forums (SWG and SOE strategy).
someforumguy is absolutely correct. I recently sent an email to the State of Texas Lottery Commission informing them of what $OE is doing with this TCG cash grab.
Their reply basically stated that if the TCG indeed functions the way I described to them (which I sent them a C&P of Valara's own Oboard post describing the TCG), they are obliged to publish the odds of "winning" said items or be in violation of State gambling laws.
ArcAngel, you're our resident law expert...
Care to weigh in on this one?
Fair enough but you dont NEED to have any of those items - they are all cosmetic.
S
Fair enough but you dont NEED to have any of those items - they are all cosmetic.
S
"Need" is word that means different things to different people, as being so subjective, can have no real value in a discussion.
Substitute "provides a competitive advantage" for "need" and you are getting closer to it.
As I just stated, the buying/selling of TCG packs can and does provide a competitive advantage to those willing to pay SOE more money. This is aside from the loot cards themselves.
Some of the cards DO provide a competitve advantage, the Gorax Ear, for one, and I am sure there are others (can't speak on this point), or will be. And yes, the Gorax Ear provides something comparable to other in game items, but you can BUY your way to one of these (Pay money, get competitive advantage) without having to "work" to get one of the others.
But many loot cards are mostly cosmetic in nature. For now. And that is not considering the fact that all of the new vehicles and art and the rest take potential content away from crafters, who could probably use it.
SOE has always been a money milking scam since they ruined EQ. Alot of people (including myself) will NEVER play anything that SOE has come close to touching as a result. You would think that watching EQ, probably the best mmo ever (imho), die off due to thier 'business model', SOE would get a hint that people hate this, but oh well, I guess they're happy with thier bottom line, not thier reputation.
Sure the are cosmetic now or they are things they used to give people as incentive to keep playing, or as a reward for being a long term loyal customer or any number of other free things. The design process is slowly changing from "do we give players something to strive to achieve in game" against "how much money could we make if we sell this in a boost card".
You can see it happening right now in EQ/EQ2 as it starts to go beyond just cosmetic items. Small little incentives, items, etc. Now people are saying, they aren't that powerful so it isn't important. *sigh*
The goal of this card itemization type of thing is very obvious and just about anyone can see it for what it is really designed to do. Every rotten word out of Smedleys mouth tells the tale of his lust to get micro transaction in every game he touches.
These types of things used to be free nice perks for subscription longevity or other special events, but now they come with a price tag and people somehow think it is fine. I just don't get it, because there is a bigger precident being set here than the value of one stupid item. I mean it isn't like SOE to not take something to the extreme is it? They just know to go a little slower based on their past initiatives. SOE knows their userbase is filled with apologists who will roll over to whatever they decide to do as long as it is introduced slow enough.
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
Combat enhancing buffs (used to buy from other players with ingame money) and new vehicles (content patches used to include new vehicle schematics). Now you pay real cash for these things, on top of the subscription fee. Actually it's worse than that because you pay real cash only for a random chance to get these things.
Actually it is worse, because the boosterpacks work like a lottery. You cant simply buy the ingame items from SOE, but have to buy boosterpacks, hope it contains such an ingame item. People still do it though, just check the official trade forums (SWG and SOE strategy).
someforumguy is absolutely correct. I recently sent an email to the State of Texas Lottery Commission informing them of what $OE is doing with this TCG cash grab.
Their reply basically stated that if the TCG indeed functions the way I described to them (which I sent them a C&P of Valara's own Oboard post describing the TCG), they are obliged to publish the odds of "winning" said items or be in violation of State gambling laws.
ArcAngel, you're our resident law expert...
Care to weigh in on this one?
Sounds to me like you already spoke to the experts
. Nobody would have a better view than the lottery commission. Good research. I wonder what they'd say if you told them there were posts of people losing hundreds of dollars trying to win a loot card, and failing, without being informed of the odds. I'd love to hear that one.
Wow a company is trying to make money by selling content that used to be free with the standard monthly subscription. Who can see anything wrong with that.....
It is only a short path until you have to pay $ for character respecs, special guns, new ships, etc. Your indifference is what allows this sort of thing to happen. I hope to not hear you whining in a few years when if finally realize it affects you directly.
What content that "used to be free with the standard monthly subscription" is now being sold for extra money?
Combat enhancing buffs (used to buy from other players with ingame money) and new vehicles (content patches used to include new vehicle schematics). Now you pay real cash for these things, on top of the subscription fee. Actually it's worse than that because you pay real cash only for a random chance to get these things.
Actually it is worse, because the boosterpacks work like a lottery. You cant simply buy the ingame items from SOE, but have to buy boosterpacks, hope it contains such an ingame item. People still do it though, just check the official trade forums (SWG and SOE strategy).
someforumguy is absolutely correct. I recently sent an email to the State of Texas Lottery Commission informing them of what $OE is doing with this TCG cash grab.
Their reply basically stated that if the TCG indeed functions the way I described to them (which I sent them a C&P of Valara's own Oboard post describing the TCG), they are obliged to publish the odds of "winning" said items or be in violation of State gambling laws.
ArcAngel, you're our resident law expert...
Care to weigh in on this one?
Sounds to me like you already spoke to the experts
. Nobody would have a better view than the lottery commission. Good research. I wonder what they'd say if you told them there were posts of people losing hundreds of dollars trying to win a loot card, and failing, without being informed of the odds. I'd love to hear that one.
The 'loophole" is that they give away free booster packs. I think the dude SOE hired from the goldfarming company knows all the tricks to the trade. Pure speculation on my part though, as usual.
See you in the dream..
The Fires from heaven, now as cold as ice. A rapid ascension tolls a heavy price.