Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
EvE Microtransaction
Crucial
Member UncommonPosts: 29
in EVE Online
CCP Zinfandel:
Good morning, capsuleers.
Some of you have found the location where we will be building a kind of store. It's not built yet and there's nothing to test in this build, but we hope to have you testing this store on Duality in a couple of weeks.
When you see it, you will realize it is nothing like "paying quad" and that there is nothing there that affects your power in the game. And I am convinced that some of you who are the most disturbed by the concept of selling virtual items are going to look at them and say "I know it's kind of silly but it does fit into EVE Online, it should be pretty successful, and I personally want that."
I will come bump you guys when we get close to test time. We really want to hear your feedback once you've seen some of what we have.
Thanks and have a great weekend.
SS:
{mod edit -image resized}
Comments
It's microtransactions for the novelty items, such as avatar clothing, that will be coming in the distant future.
I think it's actually a good idea. It will drive the value of PLEX up. Now, not only will players who make a lot of ISK be buying PLEX for monthly fees, but also to get the FOTM clothing when station cybering.
This will not affect those who play the game regularly or know how to make 50m+/ISK per hour. Life goes on for us. For those that just dabble in Eve or just aren't able to figure out how to properly run missions will end up paying for their in-game clothing and accessories.
CCP are too smart to allow game-altering microtransactions, so I feel this will probably be a good move for the company long term. Will create some extra revenue and turn around on the Incarna feature especially.
I've two accounts, and I very rarly pay any money to subscribe them.
Eve is probably the only game that is genuinly free to play. so yea, I've no problem with a cash shop in eve.
The drop down box that showed up saying only buy plex seems like it's just an easier step for poeple to sell/buy plex to/from eachother. If they introduce costume items though, they'll probably make a little fortune from it. I know I'd spend money there >_<.
'just' cosmetic or not... it's all about selling you in game rewards that you previously would have had to play to earn.
amd you all lap it up, not considering what it actually means (just repeating the corperate line on it all).
what kind of gamer wants to buy their characters new shirt with real cash rather then play for it?
pathetic move by CCP imo.
*actually edit*
I don'teven blame the devs anymore tbh... all fans of this crap are so happy to fork over a ton more more money for what should be in game as part of a sub that it would be stupid for CCP to not take it off you. In fact you DESERVE to have it taken off you.
I now have changed to applauding CCP for taking you for all that extra cash. You deserve to be robbed blind.
I would support this, since it could bring more money to devs, but strictly if it never ever happens to be any transcation with impact on balance in game.
People will pay for it, and the few people who see it like you do, are far outnumbered by the drones who will gladly fork over the cash. So CCP wouldn't really feel it in the wallet if a few people boycott it. =/
As long as it stays as vanity items only, then I think there's no real problem. It does feel a little sleazy, but in a game where there is an in-game mechnism for players to pay each other's subscription in return for in-game currency, I dont think there is a rational justification to say that PLEX are acceptable but cash-for-hats isn't.
Of course the worry is that there will be a constant, huge temptation for CCP to introduce "just one, little" game-advantage MT item. We will just have to hope that a combination of common sense, desire to protect their brand, and constant and uncompromising player vigilance will avert this from happening.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
well, I won't buy any item, cosmetic or otherwise, from a virtual shop, because I would feel like an absolute gullible fool if I did. I get what your saying, it's not always about boycotting to change things though
Paying real money for entertainment has been going on ever since we started using currency. If you go to a movie and spend $20 for a 2 hour show, what do you have to show for it? I can spend $200 to go watch a 3 hour NASCAR race and walk away with nothing to show for it. That is just how entertainment works.
You can keep bitching and moaning about it, but people will always be willing to pay for things they find entertaining.
If you would feel like a gullible fool if you payed for these things then that probably means they hold little value to you, so I ask again, what exactly is your problem?
I do get "play to achieve", actually. I feel that I'm quite achievy myself tyvm. In the unlikely event that I feel a burning desire to play e-dressup in EVE, I'll convert one of my stack PLEXes, that I achieved by playing btw, and convert it into hat-money. Everything about my character and my game experience will be based on "play to achieve".
However I am not likely to sperg out just because some chump has decided that he cant be bothered to do an hour of missions or whatever to earn his hat-money and decides to just buy a PLEX direct from CCP and convert it. And the reason for that is: because it's just hats.
If he was able to use hat-money to buy unique deadspace modules or POLARIS frigates or double SP-rate potions, then yeah, sure, I would go apeshit, ebay my accounts and flounce off into the sunset. But it's just hats. And as long as it stays just hats, and those hats are acquired through convertible in-game currency so that people like me can get them by achieve-to-play, I dont give a damb if some idiots are prepared to give CCP real money to play e-dressup in EVE.
I quite understand why you're concerned about the possibility of malignant cash shops in EVE; I'm concerned about it myself. As are the rest of the playerbase, pretty much. But this isn't it, not yet anyway, So simmer down.
if you're bothered by the principle of people being able to pay for ingame advantages, then EVE was always dead to you anyway. Buy GTC -> convert to PLEX -> sell PLEX on market -> receive ~750M ISK at today's rates. This exchange has been legitimate almost since EVE launched, but the game has survived because although from the point of the guy who sells his GTC for ISK it works like RMT, the exchange is structured such that the normal game-damaging effects of RMT are minimised. Full marks to CCP for squaring the circle with that one, btw. I personally dont care much about the principle so long as the practical effects dont bother me. And because EVE is based on item destruction and player knowledge as much as anything, the negative effects of the PLEX trade are minimal.
tl;dr: so long as all items can be obtained by and traded between all players, and MT items are restricted to vanity stuff, then there really isn't a problem. Buying e-hats is ridiculously trivial in comparison in comparison to already being able to turn RL cash into PLEX and buy ships.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Who said that using real money to pay for entertainment is the issue..? Get a grip lol. Your example is pointless.
and, look, you can keep trying to belittle others views by using words like 'bitch' and 'moan', but that won't make you any less of a victim of this scam. It just tells me that you can't see it.
But ok, shop in your virtual mall, use your real cash that you went out to work for to buy your cosmetic pixels, it's your life.
You might wanna check out IMVU next after EVE, it's full of folks like you.
Oh sorry, I didn't realize CCP made you pay for expansions. In that case, they certainly don't deserve any extra revenue from non-game altering microtransactions in their game. I don't want to have to pay twice for content!
Oh, wait.
Listen, the content is accessible by anyone. Every 6 months, you get a FREE expansion. This means CCP survives on monthly fees ALONE. That includes credit card payments, and PLEX purchases. A PLEX is just a monthly subscription that they sell in advance that gets used later. CCP is not like other companies. They are not altering their entire game to follow a microtransaction payment scheme. They are adding vanity items to get some TURN AROUND from a feature they've spent a LOT of money developing, which they will be giving to their players for FREE like all the other expansions.
They are developing 2 other full games and a MAJOR expansion for their current game right now.
If you can't get over the fact that they're going to attempt to recover some costs by allowing non-game altering microtransactions, then GET LOST. CCP doesn't want you here, and neither do the players.
To quote the greats of the past - "Can I have your stuff?"
Seriously, all your replies are painting CCP as some money hungry corporation out to rip off their players.
But when has CCP ever asked anything more from its players? They have one of the most loyal communities in the MMO genre, and if they feel justified to ask for a little bit more after EIGHT YEARS, then by all means they have that right. And as someone who loves their product, and wants to see their other products hit the light of day, I don't see this as greed at all.
Your perspective is just that. Your perspective. But quit acting like everyone is a troll or an idiot just because they don't agree with you. Some people see CCP for what they are - an independant company carving out a niche in a very competetive market where multi-million dollar companies fail all the time.
To quote... YOU - Your perspective stops at yourself. You're missing the wider picture.
Mr Vesavius, I think accusing CCP of milking their players is the last thing a human being should be doing. You can find a great other problems to whine about but this one isn't going anywhere.
Yes, some folks look in the mirror but fail to see their own reflection.
It really is a matter of degree, there are no absolutes and cash shops are just alternate payment models and not some form of ultimate evil that must be resisted with all our heart and souls.
Hear this, in the future, all MMO's will have some form of microtransactions. If you can't accept it, better plan on getting out of the genre.
The only thing we can hope for is that the cash shop does not provide peformance enhancing items and if they really do it right, nothing will be available in the cash shop that cannot be purchased by a player putting in a reasonable level of effort.
I believe that CCP will follow the latter model.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Could you more clearly explain what is the issue? Now, before you bite my head off, I'm simply looking to understand your issue here because you seem extremely passionate about this.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
I havent logged into my account forever on here but you made me go through that small process just to say this....REALLY??
How is his example pointless? It's simple, people buy cosmetic items for show/entertainment. How is that ANY different then spending your money anywhere else for entertainment?
Everyone needs to get off their absurd high horse of cash shops. Scam? Give me a god damn break people.
PS: Posting on forums don't make you legal experts of any measure, sorry for the disappointment.
I don't think this is really an issue for EVE anymore. The game is what it is and works well that way. It's all about buying, lying, trading, and cheating in a myriad of ways.
You don't see people nerd raging because SC2 isn't an MMO. The people that like it play it and are happy with it. The same is true here.
CCP thought they had to make a decision a few years back. Support the Null sec game or the High, and they choose the High. whether or not that was the right decision is the only real question facing this game, and I'm not really sure it's much of a question.
You are complaining about people spending their RL money on something most of us consider entertainment. I haven't spent a dime of my RL money on EVE since I found the ISK faucet of wormholes but you feel free to keep making assumptions about me or what I enjoy.
As long as CCP delivers what they advertise I see no scam here. Just because you do not like something, doesnt make it a scam.
Morning fellas just wondering something. How many sandbox games out there use microtransactions?
I usually avoid microtransactions so I don't really know. Would be interested in finding this out.
While I don't want to support or use microtransactions in eve I probably will end up doing it just because I am interested in that stuff and I have to be a part of the system to buy clothes. Or I'll just get tired of it and find another MMO but nothing else really interests me out there atm. Main problem for me is there is no industry for creating these clothes now, which I would have liked to do. Also their prices are gonna be rediculously high which is just annoying as I would like to use these features.
Lastly I don't see this sticking to just cosmetic items.
We already see people using the justification that you can buy these cosmetic items through isk so theres nothing wrong. That argument is just as true for any ability affecting items so arguing it's unballanced is kinda untrue. As for being fair? Eve was never fair and never will be. I'm not seeing any strong reasons for them not to go this way and with the number of MMOs going this way I'm sure Eve will follow not wanting to get left behind.
Honestlly though I see it most likely being ships like the Tribal Tempest coming in first, expensive as all hell making it unlikely to see pvp so it won't affect balance. Anyone who does bring it pvp would just die horribly as everyone and their dog would want to be on a killmail for something that costs a lot of Aurum. It would mostly just serve as a hangar decoration/vanity item just with slightly better guns than a normal ship. The models are already in there and they put effort into creating them but the ship itself is never used, they may as well make some profit of those models. I don't think we'll ever see any common items (aside from vanity) bought through the cash shop but items like this would fit in perfectly.
Into the breach meatbags
Great call by them, tbh.