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Microtransactions in EVE
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Tarryn Nightstorm
Hellstar Towing and Recovery
#61 - 2011-12-14 08:13:19 UTC  |  Edited by: Tarryn Nightstorm
Azahni Vah'nos wrote:
I've seen some quotes from CCP and the CSM regarding Microtransactions saying that this is what the majority of players want [...]




Citation needed. And I think a lot of us will agree when I say, I mean right ******* now.

Star Wars: the Old Republic may not be EVE. But I'll take the sound of dual blaster-pistols over "NURVV CLAOKING NAOW!!!11oneone!!" any day of the week.
Azahni Vah'nos
Vah'nos Family
#62 - 2011-12-14 09:27:25 UTC
Not easy going back through 8 months worth of reading and watching vids that are the basis for my comments. For those asking for references, here are some that are relevant.

We went from this with CSM5
CSM5 wrote:
However, CSM's preference is that no micro-transactions be connected to EVE.
to the following with CSM6
CSM6 Two Step wrote:
Most of the people on the CSM are completely OK with vanity only Microtransactions.

Which leads us onto what could be concidered 'vanity' by CCP.

CCP Zulu wrote:
Virtual goods sales in EVE Online will evolve through sales of vanity items, first in Incarna but later in-space features. The scope will be (and there‘s no design has been done around this, we‘re just talking strategy now) that anything that doesn‘t affect gameplay directly can be, potentially, sold for PLEX or other means.
That's a rather large scope.

Then we have this regarding microtransactions.
CCP from CSM5 minutes wrote:
CCP is not necessarily doing this to make more money, but to offer a greater and broader range of service to players.
So they are really doing it for us, the players. Maybe they can explain how including meaningless one off NeX purchased shinies in lue of potential added gameplay elements is of any benefit to me then.


There are other references I recall seeing regarding CCP selling the idea of microtransactions with anything from epeening to what amounted to nothing but marketing hype to justify their existance. If I have time or can be bothered, I will keep digging to find them.

Nex (Cash Shop) / Aurum - removing sand from the sandbox since Incarna. Currently the only use for aurum is to buy virtual items in the in-game store, but Cockerill expects to expand its uses in the future.

Freezehunter
#63 - 2011-12-14 09:38:42 UTC
Azahni Vah'nos wrote:
Not easy going back through 8 months worth of reading and watching vids that are the basis for my comments. For those asking for references, here are some that are relevant.

We went from this with CSM5
CSM5 wrote:
However, CSM's preference is that no micro-transactions be connected to EVE.
to the following with CSM6
CSM6 Two Step wrote:
Most of the people on the CSM are completely OK with vanity only Microtransactions.

Which leads us onto what could be concidered 'vanity' by CCP.

CCP Zulu wrote:
Virtual goods sales in EVE Online will evolve through sales of vanity items, first in Incarna but later in-space features. The scope will be (and there‘s no design has been done around this, we‘re just talking strategy now) that anything that doesn‘t affect gameplay directly can be, potentially, sold for PLEX or other means.
That's a rather large scope.

Then we have this regarding microtransactions.
CCP from CSM5 minutes wrote:
CCP is not necessarily doing this to make more money, but to offer a greater and broader range of service to players.
So they are really doing it for us, the players. Maybe they can explain how including meaningless one off NeX purchased shinies in lue of potential added gameplay elements is of any benefit to me then.


There are other references I recall seeing regarding CCP selling the idea of microtransactions with anything from epeening to what amounted to nothing but marketing hype to justify their existance. If I have time or can be bothered, I will keep digging to find them.



Doing the players a service and not doing it for the money my ASS...

If they wanted to *do it for the players*, they would ******* put all the clothes and cosmetic crap in the game as regular items that players can manufacture and put on the market, for ISK.

CCP LIED, from 2005 to Incarna Launch.
Incarna was nothing they promised it would be, watch the old fan fest videos from 2006 onwards.

Inappropriate signature, CCP Phantom.
Fidelium Mortis
Minor Major Miners LLC
#64 - 2011-12-14 15:25:27 UTC
Given the focus that the economy gets in EVE, I don't think a direct pay for items model is desirable. Sure, a direct pay for item model would be more convenient, but at the very least PLEX allows the transactions to be impacted by the market and also introduces a certain level of risk that is inline with the theme of EVE.

ICRS - Intergalactic Certified Rocket Surgeon
Doc Fury
Furious Enterprises
#65 - 2011-12-14 16:13:09 UTC
Azahni Vah'nos wrote:
Not easy going back through 8 months worth of reading and watching vids that are the basis for my comments. For those asking for references, here are some that are relevant.

We went from this with CSM5
CSM5 wrote:
However, CSM's preference is that no micro-transactions be connected to EVE.
to the following with CSM6
CSM6 Two Step wrote:
Most of the people on the CSM are completely OK with vanity only Microtransactions.

Which leads us onto what could be concidered 'vanity' by CCP.

CCP Zulu wrote:
Virtual goods sales in EVE Online will evolve through sales of vanity items, first in Incarna but later in-space features. The scope will be (and there‘s no design has been done around this, we‘re just talking strategy now) that anything that doesn‘t affect gameplay directly can be, potentially, sold for PLEX or other means.
That's a rather large scope.

Then we have this regarding microtransactions.
CCP from CSM5 minutes wrote:
CCP is not necessarily doing this to make more money, but to offer a greater and broader range of service to players.
So they are really doing it for us, the players. Maybe they can explain how including meaningless one off NeX purchased shinies in lue of potential added gameplay elements is of any benefit to me then.


There are other references I recall seeing regarding CCP selling the idea of microtransactions with anything from epeening to what amounted to nothing but marketing hype to justify their existance. If I have time or can be bothered, I will keep digging to find them.



You should provide links if you are going to quote out of context.

Where does it say exactly that the majority of EVE players want MT. That's what you need to show to back-up your opening assertion. Provide linky please.

☼

There's a million angry citizens looking down their tubes..at me.
Azahni Vah'nos
Vah'nos Family
#66 - 2011-12-15 00:43:22 UTC
Vyl Vit wrote:
The problem with MTs in a game isn't what the players want...players will wind up wanting to buy pretty much everything there is that now has to be earned. (To think otherwise is buffoonery.) The problem is with the owners of the store. Once they see those transactions coming in on those credit cards...5 bucks here, ten bucks there...their imaginations run wild and they convert the entire game into one giant MT Store advert.

Yeah, it starts with just adding a button on the UI, then before you know it the entire game is festooned with MT offers, and reminders and then the "Sale" mentality becomes engaged. Sales EVENTS, STAFF picks...on and on and on. The final blow happens when those who were once providing a game are now using a game as a vehicle to provide merchandise.

Aesthetics is the first thing to go out the window when money is to be made hand over fist. All the nice game design is easily edited for "this small thing" then "that small thing", and pretty soon the game has all the aesthetic value of junk mail. NEW players, who've never seen the game before think "It's always been this way." People with a shred of intelligence and who can only take so much nausea eventually leave, replaced by "players" who by now are just people with credit cards.

So...buy it, or earn it by game play? If you know anything about addictive behavior, you'd choose the latter. Those with little self-esteem invariably choose the former.

What it looks like is, every corner of the universe is in danger of becoming part of one huge billboard.

I've seen the future, and it's murder. BUY! BUY! BUY! (20% off with your purchase code!)

This is very true with many games that added a cash shop to them. It becomes a game of how much will these suckers put up with before they leave the game entirely. Look how it worked out for Allods Online as just one example where greed and it seems outright stupidity got the better of the games publisher/developer which resulted in it virtually becoming a ghost town compared to how many players it did have prior to the changes.

CCP gambled on the loyaly of it's playerbase with Incarna and the events surrounding it and found out the hard way with 8% subscription losses that where they were headed with the game wasn't acceptable.

Nex (Cash Shop) / Aurum - removing sand from the sandbox since Incarna. Currently the only use for aurum is to buy virtual items in the in-game store, but Cockerill expects to expand its uses in the future.