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Devalued ISHUKONE Shirt? CCP Marketing Malpractice? [UPDATE]

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Obsidian Dagger
Nitrus Nine
#161 - 2012-06-26 18:29:00 UTC
The Antiquarian wrote:
I try to keep myself calm, but this is just way too outrageous that I had to vent here again and again.

You, CCP, made it sound as if ISHUKONE SPECIAL EDITION Shirt was only available contingent upon the purchase of 13 X PLEXs several months ago. I didn't have to, but I took the damn bait, with the expectation that CCP and its honest marketing department will maintain the "uniqueness" and rarity of these special items.

But you decide to reward those who took that "extra leap of faith" by treating us like ***** and dingleberries and having these same items available for 50 cents each several months later. Where is fairness in this?

CCP, You should have MADE IT ADAMANTLY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING THAT AFTER 6 MONTHS, THESE SPECIAL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 50 CENTS EACH!

CCP should make appropriate reparation by rewarding the previous faithful ISHUKONE SPECIAL SHIRT owners with other equivalent UNIQUE items.

Prior to this debacle, the shirt had a market value of approximately 1.2-1.3B. Now, it costs 11 million to purchase.



Funniest post of the year.
Mr Epeen
It's All About Me
#162 - 2012-06-26 18:36:40 UTC
Ranger 1 wrote:
Panacani wrote:
There is a lot of trolling of the op saying CCP never stated the shirt would be limited edition or that it wouldn't eventually be worth less than a can of soda. While that is true, it simply proves that they have deceptive marketing practices.

So either they are incompetent and missed the fact that a limited edition shirt would go on 'sale', or they are deceptive in offering a can of soda (and masking it's value) as a bonus to a $200 sale. Either way, the op has a legitimate gripe.


There was no "limited edition" shirt. You, like many others, are confusing Special Edition with Limited Edition. They are not the same thing.

A bonus can of soda on a $200 sale is still a bonus can of soda.


Semantics aside, it's poor judgement on CCPs part to give the impression that you are receiving something heretofore unreleased and thus a gift not unlike the Quaffe shirts and ships. This was not a slip. Marketing departments don't slip up. It was a well thought out obfuscation of the truth so as to get people to buy a large number of PLEXes that they otherwise might not have.

It's SOP in the business but nonetheless dishonest in my opinion. And with the blow-back from this debacle, it's only going to hurt CCP's chances of slipping it by us the next time. They have effectively neutered themselves.

But mostly I quoted you just to say I like your new look. I think it suits.

Mr Epeen Cool
Reloadin
#163 - 2012-06-26 19:14:33 UTC
And to think I thought I'd got a bargain picking this shirt up for 480m when I saw it going for over a bil a few months later.

So when are we going to see other supposedly limited items available? Red and blue quafe shirts? Green and gold esquire coat? Tournament ships?

What new gimmicks / marketing shams will you come up with to sell plex / collectors editions in the future?
Joe Skellington
Sarz'na Khumatari
#164 - 2012-06-26 19:17:16 UTC
500 Aur, not bad. Thanks for the tip bro.

Please note that ASCII art is not permitted in the forum signatures. Spitfire
Ranger 1
Ranger Corp
Vae. Victis.
#165 - 2012-06-26 19:17:50 UTC
Mr Epeen wrote:
Ranger 1 wrote:
Panacani wrote:
There is a lot of trolling of the op saying CCP never stated the shirt would be limited edition or that it wouldn't eventually be worth less than a can of soda. While that is true, it simply proves that they have deceptive marketing practices.

So either they are incompetent and missed the fact that a limited edition shirt would go on 'sale', or they are deceptive in offering a can of soda (and masking it's value) as a bonus to a $200 sale. Either way, the op has a legitimate gripe.


There was no "limited edition" shirt. You, like many others, are confusing Special Edition with Limited Edition. They are not the same thing.

A bonus can of soda on a $200 sale is still a bonus can of soda.


Semantics aside, it's poor judgement on CCPs part to give the impression that you are receiving something heretofore unreleased and thus a gift not unlike the Quaffe shirts and ships. This was not a slip. Marketing departments don't slip up. It was a well thought out obfuscation of the truth so as to get people to buy a large number of PLEXes that they otherwise might not have.

It's SOP in the business but nonetheless dishonest in my opinion. And with the blow-back from this debacle, it's only going to hurt CCP's chances of slipping it by us the next time. They have effectively neutered themselves.

But mostly I quoted you just to say I like your new look. I think it suits.

Mr Epeen Cool


Thank you good sir. Smile

Advertising speak is always full of attention getting phrases that don't always mean what you assume they mean at first blush, I readily admit that.

Many is the time I see a "Special Edition" item thrown in as part of some deal, leaving the buyer to assume what they will. My general rule of thumb is simply "If it doesn't say specifically that only a set number will ever be made, don['t assume that this is the case".

It's been a long time since I really got into collecting anything in particular, in my case I used to collect limited edtion and/or custom blades of various types, but even though you would think that type of collection/investment would be cut and dried I still had to be a bit careful. In that hobby (like many others), "Special Edition" items were a dime a dozen, and the only items that had a high likelyhood of going up in value were sequentially numbered Limited Editions with a certificate stating that the item would never be reproduced.

View the latest EVE Online developments and other game related news and gameplay by visiting Ranger 1 Presents: Virtual Realms.
Opodiphthera Eucalypti Lepdoptera
Doomheim
#166 - 2012-06-26 19:49:58 UTC  |  Edited by: Opodiphthera Eucalypti Lepdoptera
Reloadin wrote:
And to think I thought I'd got a bargain picking this shirt up for 480m when I saw it going for over a bil a few months later.

So when are we going to see other supposedly limited items available? Red and blue quafe shirts? Green and gold esquire coat? Tournament ships?

What new gimmicks / marketing shams will you come up with to sell plex / collectors editions in the future?


Try 'unique' ships 're-issued' and given as gifts of choice at last CCP's birthday: Primae, Echelon, Zephyr and Apotheosis.
All useless, but even so, more useful than this ******* shirt.
Dirk Culliford
Zero G Universal Enterprises
#167 - 2012-06-26 21:04:01 UTC
So, OP, from your own post said shirt was worth 1.2b. You could therefore have acquired it for 3 plex, with some isk left over.

Either

- You actually kind of wanted 13 plex anyway, which shoots down your own argument of "I only bought them for the shirt"

or

- You failed at economics lesson 1

This point is unrelated to the other valid points already presented relating to whining about the free toy that came in your cereal when all you paid for was cereal.
Celeste Taylor
Ruby Dynasty
#168 - 2012-06-26 21:14:56 UTC
Dirk Culliford wrote:
So, OP, from your own post said shirt was worth 1.2b. You could therefore have acquired it for 3 plex, with some isk left over.

Either

- You actually kind of wanted 13 plex anyway, which shoots down your own argument of "I only bought them for the shirt"

or

- You failed at economics lesson 1

This point is unrelated to the other valid points already presented relating to whining about the free toy that came in your cereal when all you paid for was cereal.


This is exactly what I don't get either. People buying stuff in EVE based only off it's value as dictated by the items rarity and high AUR price. It is as if CCP were to make virtual gold bars which couldn't be used for manufacturing or anything else. I was a bit hesitant in paying 400m on the red/gold Executor which was competitive with the old retail 3000 AUR priced Sterlings, but decided to buy it since that is about the top of what I would pay for something I would wear. The monocle on the other hand looks tacky and is above my current budget so it remains the only (not counting the new FW stuff) item that I don't own.
Flakey Foont
#169 - 2012-06-26 21:18:57 UTC
I bought a jackalope and now my friend has one!
Lipbite
Express Hauler
#170 - 2012-06-27 02:12:28 UTC
OP, you better sell your monocle(s) before CCP

1) introduced identical left/gold monocle as either 500AUR NeX item or

2) made right/gold monocle not-so-rare drop from NPCs or

3) made both monocles craftable with ~ 0 ISK cost.

Because it is clear this is not last time CCP messed with NeX and avatars.
Reloadin
#171 - 2012-06-27 02:32:56 UTC
Lipbite wrote:
OP, you better sell your monocle(s) before CCP

1) introduced identical left/gold monocle as either 500AUR NeX item or

2) made right/gold monocle not-so-rare drop from NPCs or

3) made both monocles craftable with ~ 0 ISK cost.

Because it is clear this is not last time CCP messed with NeX and avatars.


Yes, anyone with a monocle or any other older clothing should sell it while you can still get something for it.
Quote:

Existing items from before June 19th will remain in the store, for now, at the current prices
Tippia
Sunshine and Lollipops
#172 - 2012-06-27 02:36:53 UTC
Mr Epeen wrote:
Semantics aside, it's poor judgement on CCPs part to give the impression that you are receiving something heretofore unreleased and thus a gift not unlike the Quaffe shirts and ships.
To be fair, it was true at the time. The entire problem is that the OP assumed it would remain unreleased afterwards as well even though nothing of the kind was ever mentioned.
Ariel Marquette
Doomheim
#173 - 2012-06-27 02:39:14 UTC
50 cents each?

1 PLEX costs $20.
1 PLEX converts to 3,500 AUR.
1 Ishukone shirt costs 500 AUR.

So, the shirt has a value of 1/7 of $20, or approximately $2.86. It's clearly worth over 5 times your 50-cent valuation.

Also, you fail at math.
Rikula
Doomheim
#174 - 2012-06-27 03:27:39 UTC
Lipbite wrote:
OP, you better sell your monocle(s) before CCP

1) introduced identical left/gold monocle as either 500AUR NeX item or

2) made right/gold monocle not-so-rare drop from NPCs or

3) made both monocles craftable with ~ 0 ISK cost.

Because it is clear this is not last time CCP messed with NeX and avatars.


If this is the correct take-home message from this situation, then it has another corollary: Don't spend aurum or ISK on clothing items where you require some trust from CCP to respect the value of the item.

Which for many people will mean, don't spend aurum or ISK on clothing items.

And I really think that's not the message CCP should be sending.
KrakizBad
Section 8.
#175 - 2012-06-27 03:48:01 UTC
Reloadin wrote:
Lipbite wrote:
OP, you better sell your monocle(s) before CCP

1) introduced identical left/gold monocle as either 500AUR NeX item or

2) made right/gold monocle not-so-rare drop from NPCs or

3) made both monocles craftable with ~ 0 ISK cost.

Because it is clear this is not last time CCP messed with NeX and avatars.


Yes, anyone with a monocle or any other older clothing should sell it while you can still get something for it.
Quote:

Existing items from before June 19th will remain in the store, for now, at the current prices


I hear some people figured out how to use stupidly expensive monocles and then sell them, prior to it being nerfed. Lol
Poetic Stanziel
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#176 - 2012-06-27 03:52:34 UTC
The Antiquarian wrote:
I try to keep myself calm, but this is just way too outrageous that I had to vent here again and again.

You, CCP, made it sound as if ISHUKONE SPECIAL EDITION Shirt was only available contingent upon the purchase of 13 X PLEXs several months ago. I didn't have to, but I took the damn bait, with the expectation that CCP and its honest marketing department will maintain the "uniqueness" and rarity of these special items.

But you decide to reward those who took that "extra leap of faith" by treating us like ***** and dingleberries and having these same items available for 50 cents each several months later. Where is fairness in this?

CCP, You should have MADE IT ADAMANTLY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING THAT AFTER 6 MONTHS, THESE SPECIAL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 50 CENTS EACH!

CCP should make appropriate reparation by rewarding the previous faithful ISHUKONE SPECIAL SHIRT owners with other equivalent UNIQUE items.

Prior to this debacle, the shirt had a market value of approximately 1.2-1.3B. Now, it costs 11 million to purchase.

What? You're mad because you wanted to pay $230 for a pixel shirt, and in the end only had to pay $0.50?

There's no end to the ridiculous rage some people have.
The Antiquarian
Imperial Academy
Amarr Empire
#177 - 2012-06-27 06:16:45 UTC
Dirk Culliford wrote:
So, OP, from your own post said shirt was worth 1.2b. You could therefore have acquired it for 3 plex, with some isk left over.

Either

- You actually kind of wanted 13 plex anyway, which shoots down your own argument of "I only bought them for the shirt"

or

- You failed at economics lesson 1

This point is unrelated to the other valid points already presented relating to whining about the free toy that came in your cereal when all you paid for was cereal.


Obviously you have not examined the initial offer proposed by the great CCP marketing department. When it held the special sale of 13 X Plex for the shirt promotion, it made it sound as if the purchase of the 13 x PLEX was the only viable venue for anyone to obtain the shirt. Similar to the Interbus Shuttle handed out along with the actual copy of the EVE Online client, I figured it would make a terrific investment and a sound collectible.

If more people purchased 13 X PLEXs and the price of the shirt decreased due to the increase in the supply, I have no grudge against it. But the problem here is that CCP "artificially" increased the supply of the Ishukone Special Edition Shirt, thereby, making the initial investment worthless. There are also those who purchase the shirt for 1.1B-1.4B with logical expectation that under no circumstances, would CCP make a direct interference on the market.

CCP nerfs and do funny stuff in the market often times. They might change the venue of rare ores and have the prices increase by 10%~50% and vice versa. But as for the ISHUKONE SPECIAL SHIRT, CCP, without any warning, lowered the market price from 1.1B-1.4B to 0.001B in a matter of 3 seconds.

You claim that I failed Economics 101? Having collected rare items for the past several years, I assure you that i have increased my net worth MANY TIMES over whatever meager amount you have. This is not the failure or the lack of my economics knowledge. It is the failure of the CCP to provide a clear explanation prior to making market disruptions.

Trust me, if CCP said these shirts will be available for meager $0.50 cents, I wouldn't have bothered with purchasing 13 X PLEXs.
Soldarius
Dreddit
Test Alliance Please Ignore
#178 - 2012-06-27 07:27:26 UTC
My tear cup overfloweth.

Someday I'm going to make a toon, who's one and only job is to collect tears and display them in some sort of museum or Hall of Fame.

http://youtu.be/YVkUvmDQ3HY
Rodj Blake
PIE Inc.
Khimi Harar
#179 - 2012-06-27 07:29:05 UTC
The PLEX bought several months ago still have the same monetary value.

The virtual shirt that was free several months ago is now worth 50c.

If you have a problem with that, then don't spend RL cash on non-existent items.

Dolce et decorum est pro Imperium mori
Dirk Culliford
Zero G Universal Enterprises
#180 - 2012-06-27 07:40:01 UTC
The Antiquarian wrote:
Dirk Culliford wrote:
So, OP, from your own post said shirt was worth 1.2b. You could therefore have acquired it for 3 plex, with some isk left over.

Either

- You actually kind of wanted 13 plex anyway, which shoots down your own argument of "I only bought them for the shirt"

or

- You failed at economics lesson 1

This point is unrelated to the other valid points already presented relating to whining about the free toy that came in your cereal when all you paid for was cereal.


Obviously you have not examined the initial offer proposed by the great CCP marketing department. When it held the special sale of 13 X Plex for the shirt promotion, it made it sound as if the purchase of the 13 x PLEX was the only viable venue for anyone to obtain the shirt. Similar to the Interbus Shuttle handed out along with the actual copy of the EVE Online client, I figured it would make a terrific investment and a sound collectible.

If more people purchased 13 X PLEXs and the price of the shirt decreased due to the increase in the supply, I have no grudge against it. But the problem here is that CCP "artificially" increased the supply of the Ishukone Special Edition Shirt, thereby, making the initial investment worthless. There are also those who purchase the shirt for 1.1B-1.4B with logical expectation that under no circumstances, would CCP make a direct interference on the market.

CCP nerfs and do funny stuff in the market often times. They might change the venue of rare ores and have the prices increase by 10%~50% and vice versa. But as for the ISHUKONE SPECIAL SHIRT, CCP, without any warning, lowered the market price from 1.1B-1.4B to 0.001B in a matter of 3 seconds.

You claim that I failed Economics 101? Having collected rare items for the past several years, I assure you that i have increased my net worth MANY TIMES over whatever meager amount you have. This is not the failure or the lack of my economics knowledge. It is the failure of the CCP to provide a clear explanation prior to making market disruptions.

Trust me, if CCP said these shirts will be available for meager $0.50 cents, I wouldn't have bothered with purchasing 13 X PLEXs.



I however have $260 that you don't have