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SomerBlinks non-RMT RL earnings

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Argus Sorn
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#621 - 2013-11-01 14:45:27 UTC
Lena Lazair wrote:
The funniest part of this whole boondoggle is that Blink/CCP did this to themselves. It's not exactly news that Blink has been leveraging this loophole for a while now. You can find posts pointing out this obvious fact going back years. But it never drew the community's attention or outrage the way recent events have.

It was simply CCP and Blink's greed, hubris, or outright obliviousness that led to the current state of affairs. Free iScorps, tournament ships, public endorsements by blue posters... I mean, seriously, which of the geniuses involved DIDN'T realize that was going to cause a public outcry?

I certainly know that if I'd been running a profitable grey-area RMT operation for two years under the radar of any obvious CCP attention, I would be returning those iScorps immediately and turning down ANY official "gifts" or "endorsements" from CCP faster than you could bat an eye. If it hadn't been for the blatantly obvious bias and cronyism on display by CCP with these recent gifts, Blink would likely have remained out of any serious public scrutiny for many years to come.

When you are doing something at least a little bit shady, at least have the decency to TRY and keep it in the shadows. People are very good at looking the other way but they do tend to take offense when you start flaunting it in their face.

Anyway... thinking of that makes me giggle every time.



Something about your avatar makes it difficult to imagine you "giggling".
Guttripper
State War Academy
Caldari State
#622 - 2013-11-01 14:45:39 UTC
Perhaps we players are to blame...

If we would have blindly been buying virtual $1000 pants and other swag through micro transactions, CCP just may not have been in the financial bind to rely upon Somer to swing some cash their way.

*sarcasm off.
Argus Sorn
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#623 - 2013-11-01 14:46:37 UTC  |  Edited by: Argus Sorn
Nanatoa wrote:
TigerXtrm wrote:
Nanatoa wrote:
TigerXtrm wrote:
Are you presenting an opinion as a fact?


The facts are they offered a prize, got people to play, and didn't give out the prize they initially offered.
What would you call that?


Wait wait wait, let me get this straight. So you deposited 16b, used that money to play and I assume you lost it all eventually. And then, because they changed the prizes you demand to get back the money that you already spent and possibly won prizes with?

Please tell me that's not what you're saying because that would be... just... omg Lol


Here's the timeline of events:
2013.09.26 00:28 The Gold Magnate lottery was announced.
The lottery required you to play Blinks to earn tickets. There was no other way to participate. I had never played Blinks before but I deposited 16B and participated in every Blink I could just to earn the lottery tickets.
2013.09.26 14:03 I posted I threw 16 billion into this just because of the Gold Magnate promotion.
2013.09.26 19:23 CCP Navigator announces that the Gold Magnate has been withdrawn.
2013.09.26 20:26 I protest in the announcement thread.
2013.09.26 20:46 I protest in the SOMER Blink thread, ask my 16B back and offer to return everything I won in the Blinks.
2013.09.27 10:40 I message Somerset Mahm ingame
2013.09.28 02:55 Somerset Mahm refuses a refund, blames CCP
2013.09.28 10:47 I reply to Somerset Mahm, which gets ignored
2013.10.04 11:54 I post in the SOMER Blink thread, saying Somerset Mahm still hasn't replied.
[[ Prize draw takes place here somewhere]]
2013.10.08 20:01 I file a support ticket. (No response from CCP yet)
2013.10.18 15:54 I post in the SOMER Blink thread, asking when I will receive a reaction.
2013.10.26 01:21 I post again the SOMER Blink thread, complaining that they're ignoring me.
2013.10.26 02:43 Andrev Nox contacts me ingame.
2013.10.26 11:18 I reply
2013.10.26 20:30 Andrev Nox replies
2013.10.27 16:35 I reply
2013.10.28 03:40 Andrev Nox replies
2013.10.30 00:50 I reply
2013.10.30 01:10 Andrev Nox replies
2013.10.30 01:31 I reply
2013.10.30 01:34 Andrev Nox replies
2013.10.30 01:35 I reply
[[The contents of this exchange will be the subject of a later post, but Andrev Nox's conclusion was that SOMER Blink "will not refund ISK used in valid play that has already been won or lost".]]
2013.10.31 23:54 I post in the SOMER Blink thread, concluding "for SOMER Blink offering an unique prize, requiring people to play Blinks to enter, then withdrawing that prize, is 'valid play'. Well, I call it 'bait-and-switch'."




Quit ^^^^ting up the forums with your baseless opinions. LOL.

(the sarcasm runs thick on page 32...)
Ace Boogi
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#624 - 2013-11-01 14:48:35 UTC  |  Edited by: Ace Boogi
Guttripper wrote:
Perhaps we players are to blame...

If we would have blindly been buying virtual $1000 pants and other swag through micro transactions, CCP just may not have been in the financial bind to rely upon Somer to swing some cash their way.

*sarcasm off.

maybe if they didn't do stupid stuff like develop WIS just to kill it, released a ******* playstation game, and dropped cash into a vampire game we haven't really seen anything of, eve would be the game it was meant to be. then we wouldn't have to have microtransactions or RMT. people would play the game because it was... good. imagine that. but instead we get **** noone wants, shilling and favouritism for certain corps, and stat change patches that are advertised as expansion packs.
Argus Sorn
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#625 - 2013-11-01 14:51:20 UTC  |  Edited by: Argus Sorn
Ace Boogi wrote:
Nanatoa wrote:
Ace Boogi wrote:
you left out the best and last part, where the posts replying to you and supporting you in the offical Somer thread were deleted by a CCP member for extremely vague reasoning.


I'm sure they didn't mean to; they probably were accidentaly caught up in a cleaning spree.
But indeed, I did post a few more times in the SOMER Blink thread, but bringing up the simple fact that a previous post got deleted was enough to get *that* post deleted for "discussing moderation". So I decided just not to mention the deleted posts at all.

no, they meant to. i saw several critical posts disappear completely because ??? reasoning over the last 2 or 3 days. i expect the thread to be cleaned up again today. they're basically trying to make it look like there is no opposition in there. they are playing muscle for Somer. it's pretty sad.



Dude, stop discussing moderation.

Damn - now you made me discuss it.

We're doomed.

Seriously tho - page 32 and we all need a laugh or two right?

As many have pointed out - CCP was warned. All those posts about how "perceived conflicts of interest" are bad, yeah - they need to learn to listen to the smart people at the table and cover their own arse by not being so ridiculously stupid as to extol the virtues of an organization half of EVE thinks are complete scum. And not the sort of "in game" scum that half of EVE thinks that Goons are, I mean legitimate, real life, profiteering, manipulative, opportunistic, self-serving scum.

And to think, they created the CSM to be scapegoats for this sort of nonsense and they didn't even give themselves the chance to throw them under the bus.
Varius Xeral
Doomheim
#626 - 2013-11-01 14:52:12 UTC
Ace Boogi wrote:
Guttripper wrote:
Perhaps we players are to blame...

If we would have blindly been buying virtual $1000 pants and other swag through micro transactions, CCP just may not have been in the financial bind to rely upon Somer to swing some cash their way.

*sarcasm off.

maybe if they didn't do stupid stuff like develop WIS just to kill it, released a ******* playstation game, and dropped cash into a vampire game we haven't really seen anything of, eve would be the game it was meant to be. then we wouldn't have to have microtransactions or RMT. people would play the game because it was... good. imagine that. but instead we get **** noone wants, shilling and favouritism for certain corps, and stat change patches that are advertised as expansion packs.


Yeah, imagine where this game would be now if they had just spent the last three years working on Eve.

:ccp:

Official Representative of The Nullsec Zealot Cabal
Argus Sorn
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#627 - 2013-11-01 15:23:11 UTC
https://twitter.com/somersetmahm/status/396090063248818176

Implication in SOMER is "skyping with CCP" - is that before or after they thumbed their noses at the rules.

Absolutely sickens me.
Ace Boogi
Republic University
Minmatar Republic
#628 - 2013-11-01 15:24:26 UTC  |  Edited by: Ace Boogi
Argus Sorn wrote:
https://twitter.com/somersetmahm/status/396090063248818176

Implication in SOMER is "skyping with CCP" - is that before or after they thumbed their noses at the rules.

Absolutely sickens me.

the implication from that + Andrev Nox is that CCP gave them the greenlight to 5x their RMT reward to 1bil. that's some repugnant ass **** if i may say so myself.
Sexy Cakes
Have A Seat
#629 - 2013-11-01 15:29:12 UTC
Quote:
But enough talk from me. We all know that much quoted phrase, “It’s not what you say, it’s what you do,” that will make the difference here. From now on, CCP will focus on doing what we say and saying what we do. That is the path to restoring trust and moving forward.

Regards,

Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO

CCP Hellmar


I don't see allowing SOMER to 5x their EULA breaking activity as focusing on what you say and saying what you do.

Not today spaghetti.
Leigh Akiga
Kuhri Innovations
#630 - 2013-11-01 15:36:34 UTC
Argus Sorn wrote:
https://twitter.com/somersetmahm/status/396090063248818176

Implication in SOMER is "skyping with CCP" - is that before or after they thumbed their noses at the rules.

Absolutely sickens me.


Begin Skype session:

Somer: "Hey there CCP Soandso how are things? Listen...do you guys care if we burn through a couple trillion isk to push as many GTC as possible before the 7th.

CCP ?: Naw go ahead, call if you need anything.

CoolCoolCool
Argus Sorn
Star Frontiers
Brotherhood of Spacers
#631 - 2013-11-01 15:40:16 UTC  |  Edited by: Argus Sorn
Sexy Cakes wrote:
Quote:
But enough talk from me. We all know that much quoted phrase, “It’s not what you say, it’s what you do,” that will make the difference here. From now on, CCP will focus on doing what we say and saying what we do. That is the path to restoring trust and moving forward.

Regards,

Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO

CCP Hellmar


I don't see allowing SOMER to 5x their EULA breaking activity as focusing on what you say and saying what you do.



As I said elsewhere, when I was at fanfest he responded to a player mentioning the paying of FC's in cash by basically saying that he felt like such a thing would stop it from being a game, and that on the player side he felt it was important than it remain a game, so that it remain an escape for people from their real lives.

Basically the way I interpreted it was that Hilmar was against the 'tainting' of the game with real life capitalism and greed. I am not trying to put words into his mouth, but he discussed it within the context of some pretty hefty social commentary about fulfillment and the nature of work, Maslow's hierarchy of needs type stuff. It was quite thoughtful and heart felt and I was very impressed.

But they very thing that he was against - or least claimed to be against - has been allowed to happen right under his nose, and continues to happen - and the individuals involved are still being given special access despite having thumbed their noses at CCP's decision. One group has been picked out as special enough to warrant billions in ships, trips to Iceland, the "100% trustworthy" label, and private Skype conversations to discuss their future. All while the rest of us wait with no response.

It's shameful. Honestly this is far worse than monocle-gate ever was.
Rekkr Nordgard
Steelforge Heavy Industries
#632 - 2013-11-01 16:03:05 UTC
CCP: plenty of time to chat with Somer on Skype, but waaaaaay too busy to issue any statements about this mess to the playerbase.
YesYes NoNoNo
Karmic Rebalance
#633 - 2013-11-01 16:05:43 UTC
Rekkr Nordgard wrote:
CCP: plenty of time to chat with Somer on Skype, but waaaaaay too busy to issue any statements about this mess to the playerbase.


I give it about two to three weeks before they realize the silence is making things FAR worse.
Guttripper
State War Academy
Caldari State
#634 - 2013-11-01 16:15:36 UTC
YesYes NoNoNo wrote:
Rekkr Nordgard wrote:
CCP: plenty of time to chat with Somer on Skype, but waaaaaay too busy to issue any statements about this mess to the playerbase.


I give it about two to three weeks before they realize the silence is making things FAR worse.

But the new ~expansion~ will be here!!! Won't you be so excited that you'll completely forget about all this Somer Bling Bling?
Kendra Flux
Wavestar Business Ventures Inc.
#635 - 2013-11-01 16:17:33 UTC
Guttripper, I really like your name since it gives me such a great visual. Shocked
YesYes NoNoNo
Karmic Rebalance
#636 - 2013-11-01 16:17:45 UTC
Guttripper wrote:
YesYes NoNoNo wrote:
Rekkr Nordgard wrote:
CCP: plenty of time to chat with Somer on Skype, but waaaaaay too busy to issue any statements about this mess to the playerbase.


I give it about two to three weeks before they realize the silence is making things FAR worse.

But the new ~expansion~ will be here!!! Won't you be so excited that you'll completely forget about all this Somer Bling Bling?


I imagine that's what they are hoping!
Rosewalker
Khumaak Flying Circus
#637 - 2013-11-01 16:18:59 UTC
YesYes NoNoNo wrote:
Rekkr Nordgard wrote:
CCP: plenty of time to chat with Somer on Skype, but waaaaaay too busy to issue any statements about this mess to the playerbase.


I give it about two to three weeks before they realize the silence is making things FAR worse.


I would guess a statement comes out on 8 November. I think there are some legal things at work and someone figures legally it is best if they keep silent until then.

The Nosy Gamer - CCP Random: "hehe, falls under the category: nice try, but no. ;)"
Baali Tekitsu
AQUILA INC
Verge of Collapse
#638 - 2013-11-01 16:19:49 UTC
So its friday evening, no statement from CCP.
They havent learned a thing about crisis management and the CSM is either doing nothing or doing it in the background again to be able to claim "we have beeenn SOOOOOOO MUUUUUCHHH INVOLVED into the matter and talking to CCP" afterwards, while avoiding any kind of transparency and possible critic afterwards.

RATE LIKE SUBSCRIBE
Sexy Cakes
Have A Seat
#639 - 2013-11-01 16:22:14 UTC
Baali Tekitsu wrote:
So its friday evening, no statement from CCP.
They havent learned a thing about crisis management and the CSM is either doing nothing or doing it in the background again to be able to claim "we have beeenn SOOOOOOO MUUUUUCHHH INVOLVED into the matter and talking to CCP" afterwards, while avoiding any kind of transparency and possible critic afterwards.


Malcanis already sunk his ship by being ignorant.

The rest of them probably noticed that and kept quiet.

Not today spaghetti.
Minmatar Citizen160812
The LGBT Last Supper
#640 - 2013-11-01 16:24:30 UTC
Baali Tekitsu wrote:
So its friday evening, no statement from CCP.
They havent learned a thing about crisis management and the CSM is either doing nothing or doing it in the background again to be able to claim "we have beeenn SOOOOOOO MUUUUUCHHH INVOLVED into the matter and talking to CCP" afterwards, while avoiding any kind of transparency and possible critic afterwards.


Give it time they probably went through three drafts already that were trashed because of analogies involving $1000 pants.