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This is an excellent initiative, and I'm happy to donate to the cause.

As someone who pays for the game solely through ingame earnings, I'm really interested to know more about the economics of this charity drive. I mean, is my 'donation' really in name only - made by CCP on my behalf? Or, since there is a relationship between CCP's real economy and Eve's virtual one, have I actually contributed anything more than honest goodwill?

Regardless, I'd be hard pressed to afford to make such a donation out of my own pocket, so I'm glad that CCP has stepped up.

You all have my thanks and deepest respect.

Cholly.

It's a bit more complicated and all parties are involved: you and CCP. I'll try to explain the best I can

CCP sells PLEX which are tokens for a service that they are obliged to provide. Mostly, it's about an obligation to allow someone access to play the game for 30 days. There are other uses for PLEX, but they make a small percentage of the overall PLEX consumption.

When a PLEX is bought through Account management page. CCP agreed to provide a service to some player for 30 days. It doesn't matter which player gets to actually use the service, so they have allowed PLEX trading in the in-game market. That doesn't change the fact that PLEX on the market has already been paid for by someone.

When PLEX for Good initiative is active, each PLEX which gets donated breaks CCP's obligation to provide any in-game service to any player. It's like returning a store voucher that never gets used. On the other hand, consumption of PLEX is measured and monitored on a regular basis. Since in-game economy in EVE is open and player driven, market will regulate itself by means of supply and demand. PLEX for good starts, PLEX prices jump temporarily, player see an opportunity to earn extra ISK by selling PLEX, supply increases, price levels itself. When supply increases, that directly means that CCP is selling more PLEX.

So, from a player's perspective: obligation to provide service for a PLEX is broken the moment you donate a PLEX, which means that whoever bought that PLEX for cash paid for something that never gets used by anyone (I know there's an appropriate word instead of "used", but can't remember it now... not a native English speaker).


On the other hand, CCP's part in this is big as well. Each transaction between a player and CCP has it's own fees, whether it's a bank transfer fee, credit card processing fee, payment service processing fee (like PayPal) or tax. So even when a PLEX is paid for and never converted to a provided service, CCP is contributing to your donation by agreeing to cover all those fees for a service that never gets provided. CCP may or may not get some kind of a tax relief because they donated to a charity, depending on the local laws.

Of course, CCP is not obligated to provide any charity service at all and they have every right to keep the money from the PLEX sales and do nothing. But, they choose to run PLEX for Good anyway, which is a very humane thing to do.

Overall, the whole community is participating in a PLEX for Good drive and everyone: players and CCP, is contributing. CCP's part in this may be bigger, but your contribution makes it happen without CCP loosing too much money. Besides, there are players, like me, who didn't buy PLEX of the market and bought it from CCP directly just to donate to the cause because it's easier and/or more convenient to donate to a good cause through CCP then through conventional means (if you can even imagine a situation where a local law requires you to pay a tax on charity donations, like it is the case in my country... and no, we don't have any tax rebate whatsoever.... that term simply does not exist here).

TDF Armor incursion community will be running fleets to support plex for good project join us in game and help make a real difference

please donate to my alt wyrd niam and all the isk raised will converted to plex and donated to this good cause

join us in our in game channel The Ditanian Fleet

Same issue for UK players - if you have ISK and you convert to PLEX to donate - no problem.

But to buy PLEX for pounds to donate is crazy - two PLEX are 30 pounds - so 15 pounds per PLEX.

15 dollars is just under 10 pounds at today's rate. so roughly 2/3 of your money will actually go to charity.

Clearly better to donate the pounds directly.

Reminded me of a recent VICE episode on the Haitian eathquake relief effort:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/haiti-what-happened-to-the-10-billion-in-u-s-aid-pledged-after-the-earthquake/5445016
and
http://cepr.net/blogs/haiti-relief-and-reconstruction-watch/second-usaid-contractor-suspended-following-caracol-housing-debacle

Well worth watching the full episode: VICE season 3 episode 7 (aired April 24, 2015).

I hope the Nepal relief effort is more effective.

Just give directly to a charity of your choice that does relief efforts in Nepal.

CCP can't donate more than 15 per PLEX because a good number of PLEX are sold in discounted large bundles. I *think* (someone correct me if I am wrong) that 28 PLEX is usually USD 400, which is likely USD 385-390 once CCP incur bank fees on the transaction.

Contract is up.

It's just awesome, how shooting virtual people in the face, can help real poeple in times of crisis.
Such a great game, such a great community. And i'm really proud to be part of it.

Small update: According to the O7 show today this PLEX for goods drive already has raised the equivalent of $40k.

That is wonderful! And remember, every single Isk counts.

Great chatting with you at Veto London Last night just dropped a few items to you in a contract so you can add them to list of stuff