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With the end of Gambling, what about CCP bring it back with WIS

Author
TheDoctorUK
BSC LEGION
#1 - 2016-10-21 05:27:12 UTC
So CCP back in 2000 something brougnt out INCARNA.

CCP Spent 100's to 1000's Man Hours of time coding and designing station interiors for players to walk and meet around in. They introduced the New Eden Store, and $100 Eye Ware, that did nothing but look good. There was a Live Tech Demo at fanfest.

But upon release this happended :-

The Player Base Cried OUT!!!!! And Rioted in Jita

This was at a time the game was broken some say.

Eve Online Hold-em and soomerblink back then where the out of game gambling sites, but CCP was excited to show us that there was a way to bring it into the game, and corporation could run these games in the stations by renting space in the station.

Hell even at EVEFEST , EOH held events for players in person.

So why not bring back this feature in the game, for example players buy Casino Chips with isk and have an inventory on the character itself to carry these, like a wallet. It also sets hard limits on how much players can convert isk into chips.

And the best thing of all it can be player-base ran but moderated by CCP. Corps can be given tools or guides to import there designs into the game, so for example a slot machine's reels could consist of images that could be implemented by the corp who runs a max of 3 machines, a low tear, medium tear, high tear.

Minimum Payout of the machines could be a low as 80%, but the SCC would tax any income at a 20% rate (weekly when the machines are emptied) (Look CCP isk sink!)

Now yes its a spaceship game and some will hate it, some will like it and some will not care!

Maybe bring it out in sections over a long period, like corp office and walkway, dont have to be anything exciting, just have a bunch of boarded up shops. Most shopping centers are like this there days anyway. and over time with a small team who put in a afternoon or two a week come up with something each expansion.

And think about citadels, Not on the guest list anymore, its low or null sec, well them small arms (item) could have a use Blink .


Zan Shiro
Doomheim
#2 - 2016-10-21 05:50:47 UTC  |  Edited by: Zan Shiro
The impetus behind this is countries' legal people are looking at this as income. CCP is getting far away from this. Its headaches they don't want.

Headaches of explaining how say chribba can have bajillions of isk..but its not real money. Then lawyer in slick suit says oh, but here is articles about a fight in some system where bajilions of isk was lost and experts saying this equates to $50K USD was lost.

CCP is here to make a game about space ships. Thats what they want to do. Not be tied up in court all the time as its People vs ccp in the case of online gambling, tax evasion, etc.


In short game money is a grey area LE is eyeing to make less grey. Unless crossover to the RTM world happens, which is how this started to steamroll. CCP is keeping it that way. Gambling will be gone, law enforcement and tax entities like the IRS will have to go fishing elsewhere.

3rd party will handle it at their risk. And when caught, ban hammers as ccp will want to show a strong and visible aspect of we don't support this. What players X does on their own site...you can track them down yourself IRS auditor will be their stance. Here is our proof of ban, we washed our hands of this.
Donnachadh
United Allegiance of Undesirables
#3 - 2016-10-21 12:54:02 UTC
In basics I agree with zan. Online games cross international boundaries and making sure that your game stays clear of any and all possible violations of relevant laws in all countries is hassle enough without adding CCP sponsored in game gambling to the mix. You might say that it is only game currency that is at risk and it has no real value but that is not really true. We can purchase game currency with real cash, and even though it is against the rules and you can be banned for it you can sell plex, ships and many other things for real money. Setting aside the legal hassles with tax and gambling laws you still have the issues of in game gambling feeding into someones gambling addiction and the possible civil law suits that may come as a result.

Short version, it is better for CCP to stay out of the mess that this could become and concentrate their resources and energies on the real reason most of us play the game.
PopeUrban
El Expedicion
Flames of Exile
#4 - 2016-10-21 21:43:47 UTC
Saying that an in-game gambling system is of dubious legality is a slippery slope. At that point you can make the argument that converting PLEX to ISK for PvE ships is gambling, since the drop tables are all RNG.

Cutting off third party gambling makes sense. CCP and other companies don't have to answer for the actions of third party actors when they're not officially or unofficially sanctioning something they don't have control over.

Ingame methods, however, they have complete control over.

There's no good legal argument against ingame gambling with ingame currency, run by CCP, as that's part of literally every RPG with loot tables.

The argument that is seems like a waste of time has merit, but that's a matter of opinion. Lots of people liked the gambling sites, and especially betting on the AT and such things. In terms of work to implement systems, simple gambling (say in NPC stations) is a relatively simple thing to implement.

Whether CCP cares to add more non-spaceship sand to the sandbox is another question. It's far more likely they'd just spend three times as much money as they need to and make "EVE UNIVERSE POKER" as a half assed mobile app that has **** all to do with EVE anyway, if their recent track record is any indication.
Zan Shiro
Doomheim
#5 - 2016-10-22 00:54:03 UTC  |  Edited by: Zan Shiro
PopeUrban wrote:


Ingame methods, however, they have complete control over.

There's no good legal argument against ingame gambling with ingame currency, run by CCP, as that's part of literally every RPG with loot tables.



No...loot drops are loot drops.


Betting 5 billion on a roulette table (even in game) is gambling.


This the kind of stuff CCP would in time need to bring up in court, whenever some DA in the states or a Barrister in England is looking for some fame...and added tax revenue for their district. Why I said CCP is leaving this area of gaming. They want to pay devs, not international legal teams.

This is what I mean by not worth their money. Your little slot machine in game if some DA's in NYC, LA and Dallas care enough, find the legal precedence and start the process up....is now 3 separate legal cases. With 3 legal teams since in the US you have to pass the State exam to practice law in a state. I'll be nice and give CCP a legal team that covers Cali and NY. Still paying them ....and the Texas legal team.

I'd rather ccp headhunt and poach devs with their cash, not lawyers.





And yes CCP would have complete control of this. That the issue. Country X does't even have to work hard to subpoena.

CCP is being proactive here. I know some of you are going whats the big deal. The deal is with recent events like CS GO and such online game gambling has been skylined. Uncle Sam, whatever others have to refer to their countries just realized they have people making some income no taxes. Selling $1000 skins after gambling to get them? where the hell is our cut?

They won't be having that. Do you think the government(s) give a crap about illegal poker games in seedy illegal gambling dens. Nope. They care about the money made they can't grab. Why in the US, online gambling getting the evil eye. And pokers sites have been shut down. For the young bloods who aren't old enough to hit a casino. When you win big and go to the cashier you get your money....and a tax form. And yes you will fill it out, that casino is reporting your streak of luck.


CCP is ditching this before local and international laws make them more firm if not draconian. Its called proactive. Not sure about other countries success', the US has had a fair amount of success cracking down on online sites for poker and such already. CCP is reading the writing on the wall, Its not done yet but...I see a trend, do you?.

Cease and De........

So in say a year from when we have concrete laws CCP can sit back, laugh and they will have some fun for a bit as they watch other games with forms of gambling scrambling to comply with new laws.
Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#6 - 2016-10-22 01:06:10 UTC
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Hay, how about we keep internet spaceships about spaceships and gambling about gambling yeah?


Tiddle Jr
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#7 - 2016-10-23 03:12:22 UTC  |  Edited by: Tiddle Jr
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Hay, how about we keep internet spaceships about spaceships and gambling about gambling yeah?



Issue #1 to much of ISK and inflation% is behind the ISK income.
Issue#n pilots don't know how to preperly use/where to invest their ISKies

So gambling is easy to through money into with some chances of returns vs. activities required hours of active participation etc.

"The message is that there are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know" - CCP

Teckos Pech
Hogyoku
Goonswarm Federation
#8 - 2016-10-23 04:11:48 UTC
PopeUrban wrote:
Saying that an in-game gambling system is of dubious legality is a slippery slope. At that point you can make the argument that converting PLEX to ISK for PvE ships is gambling, since the drop tables are all RNG.



FYI, a randomization device does not a game of chance make.

Games of skill can also rely on randomization devices. So rating is really more a game of "skill" in that once you know what you are doing you can always "win".

"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design."--Friedrich August von Hayek

8 Golden Rules for EVE Online

Teckos Pech
Hogyoku
Goonswarm Federation
#9 - 2016-10-23 04:12:58 UTC
Tiddle Jr wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Hay, how about we keep internet spaceships about spaceships and gambling about gambling yeah?



Issue #1 to much of ISK and inflation% is behind the ISK income.
Issue#n pilots don't know how to preperly use/where to invest their ISKies

So gambling is easy to through money into with some chances of returns vs. activities required hours of active participation etc.


There really much in terms of investing ISK in the game. Capital markets in the game are extremely stunted.

"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design."--Friedrich August von Hayek

8 Golden Rules for EVE Online

Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#10 - 2016-10-23 08:54:15 UTC
Tiddle Jr wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Hay, how about we keep internet spaceships about spaceships and gambling about gambling yeah?



Issue #1 to much of ISK and inflation% is behind the ISK income.
Issue#n pilots don't know how to preperly use/where to invest their ISKies

So gambling is easy to through money into with some chances of returns vs. activities required hours of active participation etc.

Issue #1 unregulated gambling is illegal
Issue #2 read issue #1 again and think about it
Do Little
Bluenose Trading
#11 - 2016-10-23 09:57:24 UTC
Sanctioned in-game gambling has 3 insurmountable hurdles:

1. As mentioned, Eve is a global game and regulations vary considerably between countries. The only way to insure compliance with all of them is ban gambling completely.
2. The age of majority also varies between jurisdictions. Again, the only way to insure compliance is to eliminate the activity.
3. The concept of "moneys worth" is starting to be used to assess the relationship between virtual in-game currencies and real world money. In Eve, you can legally use ISK to purchase PLEX which can be used to pay for subscriptions and other services that are denominated in real world money. This will meet most, if not all definitions of moneys worth. So Eve can't hide behind the "it's only space pixels" argument - those pixels have real world value.

Any of these will justify the position CCP has taken - the surprise is it took them so long.
Tiddle Jr
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#12 - 2016-10-23 10:30:36 UTC
or maybe someone finally took the calculator and end up with numbers of money floated away off mother's company pocket?

"The message is that there are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know" - CCP

Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#13 - 2016-10-23 11:54:38 UTC
Tiddle Jr wrote:
or maybe someone finally took the calculator and end up with numbers of money floated away off mother's company pocket?

Err, have you seen the witch hunt going on in Britain and the US?
Now is not the time to be seen with a broom ,wearing a pointy hat.

Gambling with isk seems from the outside to be the whole package, black shifty cat and all,
Of course they're dropping it.
Tiddle Jr
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#14 - 2016-10-23 12:51:05 UTC
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:
Tiddle Jr wrote:
or maybe someone finally took the calculator and end up with numbers of money floated away off mother's company pocket?

Err, have you seen the witch hunt going on in Britain and the US?
Now is not the time to be seen with a broom ,wearing a pointy hat.

Gambling with isk seems from the outside to be the whole package, black shifty cat and all,
Of course they're dropping it.


i see your point, so now it's doesn't really matter if she slept with Lucifer or was just kind lady who helped people with herbal teas. Burn them all! I don't mind that 3rd party gamblers are gone, the only thing worries me is after Somer ban they shouldn't allow any new comers to continue such kind of business and also closed all who have remained at those times.

"The message is that there are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know" - CCP

Ralph King-Griffin
New Eden Tech Support
#15 - 2016-10-23 15:54:48 UTC
Somer got banned for the same reasons though, breaking the EULA,
not explicitly because he was the head of a gambling organization so of course they let someone fill the vacuum
And we're happy to leave them to it until they also broke the EULA.

Thing is though the banns hardly matter at all as the whole thing
was going to be shutdown anyway given the current litigious circumstances some other parties find themselves in.

I'll clarify here though, I'd love to be able to sit down and fleece my Corp mates over the poker table but it's reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeely unlikely that gambling of any sort will be allowed.
PopeUrban
El Expedicion
Flames of Exile
#16 - 2016-10-24 20:55:36 UTC  |  Edited by: PopeUrban
Zan Shiro wrote:
PopeUrban wrote:


Ingame methods, however, they have complete control over.

There's no good legal argument against ingame gambling with ingame currency, run by CCP, as that's part of literally every RPG with loot tables.



No...loot drops are loot drops.



Loot drops are gambling with an extra couple of buttons.

It is literally the same psychology.

Point here is that, from a legal standpoint, ducking and running because of stuff like the CSGO scandal doesn't seem to be preventing valve or blizzard from selling RNG loot boxes.

Allowing players to profit, directly, with actual money, is the legal issue here. Not having a game of chance. Sure, RMT was technically illegal before, but the steps taken these days are being taken BECAUSE of an RMT grey market, not because gambling fake money for fake goods was legally problematic.

It has nothing do do with the act of gambling/games of chance and everything to do with being able to convert fake currency in to real currency.

The CSGO issue, specifically, was so problematic because Valve silently allowed this behavior, and even built limited infrastructure in the form of the steam marketplace to support it.

Saying that gambling ISK for more ISK, which can only be used to buy internet spaceships or at most limited ingame services is akin to actually running for-profit gambling just plain isn't true.

One is an optional part of a simulated system designed not to depend on it, the other IS the system.

Somer and IWI were gambling sites. It only makes sense they be shut down. Gambling as one of a number of activites within EVE itself is not remotely the same from a legal or even ethical standpoint simply because it isn't the core focus of the simulation, just like the RNG that controls the drop rate of an officer module isn't the core focus of the activity of ratting.
Gadget Helmsdottir
Gadget's Workshop
#17 - 2016-10-24 21:19:26 UTC
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:

Now is not the time to be seen with a broom ,wearing a pointy hat.


But... But... My Halloween costume... Cry

Meh... Maybe I'll try a creepy clown instead. Roll

--Gadget

Work smarter, not harder. --Scrooge McDuck, an eminent old-Earth economist

Given an hour to save New Eden, how would respected scientist, Albertus Eisenstein compose his thoughts? "Fifty-five minutes to define the problem; save the galaxy in five."

Teckos Pech
Hogyoku
Goonswarm Federation
#18 - 2016-10-25 01:27:17 UTC
PopeUrban wrote:


Loot drops are gambling with an extra couple of buttons.


No.

Did you wager anything? No? Then not gambling. Are the results completely dependent on the RNG or also on your knowledge and understanding of the game? If yes, then quite possibly game of skill.

Quote:
Point here is that, from a legal standpoint, ducking and running because of stuff like the CSGO scandal doesn't seem to be preventing valve or blizzard from selling RNG loot boxes.

Allowing players to profit, directly, with actual money, is the legal issue here. Not having a game of chance. Sure, RMT was technically illegal before, but the steps taken these days are being taken BECAUSE of an RMT grey market, not because gambling fake money for fake goods was legally problematic.


Games of chance are not strictly the problem and it is a bit unfortunate CCP used that language.

Gambling is a game of chance.
Games of chance may or may not be gambling.

Since games of chance are rarely illegal using the broader category may result in things that are not a major problem being bannable offenses...but on the other hand using the broader language will ensure no edge cases sneak by and bite CCP on the buttocks.

Quote:
It has nothing do do with the act of gambling/games of chance and everything to do with being able to convert fake currency in to real currency.

[snip]

Somer and IWI were gambling sites. It only makes sense they be shut down. Gambling as one of a number of activites within EVE itself is not remotely the same from a legal or even ethical standpoint simply because it isn't the core focus of the simulation, just like the RNG that controls the drop rate of an officer module isn't the core focus of the activity of ratting.


You appear to be contradicting yourself here...

"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design."--Friedrich August von Hayek

8 Golden Rules for EVE Online

Teckos Pech
Hogyoku
Goonswarm Federation
#19 - 2016-10-25 01:28:05 UTC
Gadget Helmsdottir wrote:
Ralph King-Griffin wrote:

Now is not the time to be seen with a broom ,wearing a pointy hat.


But... But... My Halloween costume... Cry

Meh... Maybe I'll try a creepy clown instead. Roll

--Gadget


You'll scare us Americans.

"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design."--Friedrich August von Hayek

8 Golden Rules for EVE Online

Cat Laartii
Doomheim
#20 - 2016-10-25 17:20:12 UTC
i would love it if they added a casino and cantina to the stations. I could picture myself playing slots as my character for hours, +1.
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