I know a lot of you are justifying this saying they need money.
JUST STOP JUSTIFYING THIS BS NOW.
It's not OK. No item shops are ok.
Because just like collectible card games, it's no longer a game but a who has the most money contest. I can't believe anyone would justify playing a game like this, or collectible card games, seriously how stupid can you be?
I will never purchase or play for free a game with microtransactions. Because once you introduce microtransactions it's no longer a game, it's something else.
I know a lot of you are justifying this saying they need money. JUST STOP JUSTIFYING THIS BS NOW. It's not OK. No item shops are ok.
Because just like collectible card games, it's no longer a game but a who has the most money contest. I can't believe anyone would justify playing a game like this, or collectible card games, seriously how stupid can you be? I will never purchase or play for free a game with microtransactions. Because once you introduce microtransactions it's no longer a game, it's something else.
I'm sorry but this is just your opinion. I think that it's not ok for people to go out and get plastered every weekend but that means nothing in the end. There are people who enjoy it and they will do it regardless.
And as the micro transactions are mostly cosmetic, then that really doesn't affect game play. I do balk a bit at the part where they indicate that somethings can be bought but also earned in game. That does smack a bit of "whoever is willing to spend money will have it first.
However, I don't know what these items are so it might not be too big a deal.
And besides, you may be right about the whole collectible card game analogy but you only open up a larger question with that statement. "Are games going the collectible card game route".
It's very possible that they are.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Look at city of heroes/villians NCsoft have been doing pretty much the same microtransaction system now for a year or so and its been incredibly successful.
How can cryptic not take the success of that and use it to there own advantage?
They're suppose to be selling entertainment, not a buisness model. Take away the social draw of MMO's and what exactly do you have left? Half-assed games that can't even begin to compete with single player games. So, their justification for making more money than single player games is what.......chat channels? These companies already make large profits with a subscription model. More than enough to pay overhead and produce more content. What exactly are they doing to increase the entertainment value to justify charging more money?
Maybe they cold learn a thing or two from Wal-Mart. Learn to cut costs in order to make your product not only affordable, but also desirable. All I see is an industry that has become bloated and greedy and using it as an excuse to rip off it's customers. They need to tread carefully, because they could end up running the genre back into the hardcore nerd dark ages of a decade past where they made a lot less money.
With PvE raiding, it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fawning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression, anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privilege. - Neanderthal
Dosen't bother me at all but the one thing i would like to see would be this >
Have the items that were bought and the ones that were earned have the same exact model and stats but have them be a different colour or mabye a wierd glow effect or some such so you can tell who bought their way through and who "earned" it.
Honestly, I am not a fan of RMT but at the same time I know it will become the normal way of doing things soon as many games now use it to some extent and most all new MMOs coming out plan to use it to some extent.
Champions, APB, DCU, SWToR, Aion (in other countries may happen here), and there may be more new titles as well I just do not follow them all close enough or some have not said either way.
As for games now look around! SoE nearly all their games use RMT.
WoW uses RMT for..character name change, gender change, server change, faction change, blizzcon items, trading card game in game items.
RMT is nothing new and is as I said, becoming the way of MMOs. Honestly cosmetic stuff and fluff is not a huge deal, non gamechanging items that you can get via rmt or game play is not a huge deal.
If the game is fun, enjoy playing it and who cares if some guy in your group paid $5 to have glowing lime green hands?? Does it really have any effect on your gaming enjoyment. If you really want those hands, buy em like they did, which does help support the game or go quest for them, rather then letting envy take hold.
The bigger issue will be how companies handle RMT, do they keep it light and innocent or do they force it down peoples throats? Do they keep it fluff or do they sell power?
If RMT ends up selling xp and levels and in game currency then I think it is a problem. To be fair, we have this now but from 3rd party companies who will sell you in game money, power level you, sell you items and accounts. We have it now, most people never have a clue if their mate bought some gold or if player xyz was power leveled.
So from the companies side, I can see cutting out these middle man companies who only congest the game and piss off players as a good thing while still offering services to players in a safe way that also brings in money to help further develop the game.
In my perfect world we have neither farmers or RMT but reality is we have them.
In the end if RMT is fun stuff and not game changing and a lot of is still available in game, then I see no issue for it and will support the game and play it as long as it is fun for me.
If RMT is taken to far and you can buy power, currency and similar I will be turned off but at the same time would have to question some things, because in reality all of that is readily available as is through outside companies, so what is the impact of cutting them out and making it offcial through the game itself?
As of now it is the trend and as of now has not been much of an issue, so I will keep on keeping on and be following this trend closely.
I know a lot of you are justifying this saying they need money. JUST STOP JUSTIFYING THIS BS NOW. It's not OK. No item shops are ok.
Because just like collectible card games, it's no longer a game but a who has the most money contest. I can't believe anyone would justify playing a game like this, or collectible card games, seriously how stupid can you be? I will never purchase or play for free a game with microtransactions. Because once you introduce microtransactions it's no longer a game, it's something else.
You pay $15 a month for an MMO? What's different about paying $15 a month for a cool costume and $15 a month for an MMO? Absolutely nothing. The money still goes back into the gaming industry.
Sure, some people may spend $200 in one month, but they're the real fools. At the end of the month they have $200 down the drain and really nothing to show for it. It's not like you can wear your purchased costumes all at once. Also, if you read the article... "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play." Yes, that's limited to Champions Online, but seriously... you're blowing it out of proportion. So a guy has lightning strings flowing behind him before you... you get it at level 33? You still get it, he just wasted $10 to get it before you. He's the fool, not you.
Traditionally, all a microtransaction system does it give your character a pretty costume. Once in a while you can buy a new weapon. But how can you complain about a game that you get for FREE. That's what most microtransaction games are... FREE! That means you can at least allocate $50 toward the game because you got a free game instead of purchasing a new game. End of story. You can be just as "cool" as everyone else who throws their money out the window on games.
Let it be known that I hate WoW with a passion and will defend almost any MMORPG against it. Current: FFXI (PC/360) Want: FFXIV, Stargate Worlds, Star Trek Online Past: AC, AoC, AO, Atlantica Online, CoH/V, DAoC, Dungeon Runners, D&DO, EVE, Everquest I+II, FlyFF, GW (all), Lineage 2, LOTRO, Mabinogi, Maplestory, PSO (DC/Xbox/PC), PSU (PC/360), PlanetSide, RO, Shadowbane, SWG (Pre-NGE), SotNW, TR, UO, Warhammer Online, WoW, WWIIO
They're suppose to be selling entertainment, not a buisness model. Take away the social draw of MMO's and what exactly do you have left? Half-assed games that can't even begin to compete with single player games. So, their justification for making more money than single player games is what.......chat channels? These companies already make large profits with a subscription model. More than enough to pay overhead and produce more content. What exactly are they doing to increase the entertainment value to justify charging more money?
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It's a good thing that I'm not a Christian. When people start saying that "Greed Is Good", then you know the end of the world is near at hand.
You would have to define greed. I think this definition is apt:
excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves
So I would be the first one on the greed band wagon provided someone can prove to me that they neither need the extra funds or deserve it. Well, the deserve it is a hard one but I can work wiht the need part as that is easier to prove.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
They're suppose to be selling entertainment, not a buisness model. Take away the social draw of MMO's and what exactly do you have left? Half-assed games that can't even begin to compete with single player games. So, their justification for making more money than single player games is what.......chat channels? These companies already make large profits with a subscription model. More than enough to pay overhead and produce more content. What exactly are they doing to increase the entertainment value to justify charging more money?
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Um, it's called basic logic. If games with 300k or less subs weren't making a profit, they would shut down, period. EQ, DAoC, WAR, SWG, EQ2 are all making money, yet have less than 300k subscribers and had large costs. Not only are these games still making profits, but they can afford to come out with monthly updates and content patches. These MMO companies aren't doing us any favors, we are the ones doing them favors and they need to remember that. Screw the consumer enough and you end up bankrupt. Captialism is a two way street.
With PvE raiding, it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fawning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression, anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privilege. - Neanderthal
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It is a bad analogy, because you are buying packages for cable programs that have an additional overheard for the cable companies to carry. All of those things could be included in an all access package, but the rates would be so high few people would subscribe.
That analogy should be about paying for an all access pass to something and then having to buy additional items, because not everything is included.
Look at the companies that have focused their energies on making game fun above all else. Look at the rest of the market.
Yeah greed has been so great for the mmo genre so far. Anyone can hit 500 subs right now with ease. The problem is they are not creating something that 500k people will be interested in, because greed keeps getting in the way.
It seems that companies have forgotten they are making games and not just some product.
I felt it was an excellent analogy, I pay for the top package for my Virgin Media cable yet I'm still asked to pay "More" for some movies that will eventually end up on my normal viewing anyway, I just access to them earlier if I'm willing to pay £4.99, which I personally think is daylight robbery and so just like the Micro system employed in alot of MMO's these days I forego that choice.
I'd rather not pay out more than I already am for something that I will either get later down the line anyway from my gameplay (Which has now been mentioned by CO devs) or I just go without it totally becuase it's just a bit of fluff added to the game to enhance looks or add a little flavour to my character, something that I can assuredly live without.
sounds cool to me, i see no problem in it, i'll have fun in the game no matter how much someone else is spending for their fun. And if they can kick my butt in some kinda fight because they spend hundreds of dollars it still wont bother me lol, Seems they lost far more then me losing a little battle.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." - Lewis Thomas
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It's a good thing that I'm not a Christian. When people start saying that "Greed Is Good", then you know the end of the world is near at hand.
---------- "Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
From what i've read over at the Champions online forum its used for things like changing name or server, Or getting a kickass costume etc, That's exactly what WoW have been doing for 2 years now aswell with paid character trasffer,Name change,gender change, and now they are soon publishing faction change, Atleast here you can gather the currency you need for a name change ingame and your not obligated to pay real money for it... Even tho i think they should have skipped the thing were you can buy costumes and such, it wont stop me from playing this game, it will be AWSOME!
If you can read this please, i beg you please! 01000111 01100101 01110100 00100000 01101100 01100001 01101001 01100100 00101100 00100000 01100100 01110101 01100100 01100101 00101110 00101110 00101110
The money issues aside, there's something else in that post that steers me away from this game. It implies (I admit, it does not implicitly state) that the best rewards will only be available to groups. In other words, if you're a soloer, the OMEGA system is not for you. I pass on this game.
Ok, I don't know what game you've been playing, but I don't know of any game that allows you to do end-game raiding solo. WAR requires groups for city sieges, pvp raids, etc. Wow required groups for MC, BWL, Naxx, etc... DAOC required groups... EQ required groups... every mmo I've ever played required groups for the end-game content. If you don't want to group for end-game raiding, then you are better off playing a single player game. I am sure there is one for you...
That being said, they have also said that they are adopting the public quest system from WAR(calling it open quests) so just cause they say it will require groups of players does NOT mean you will have to be grouped to do it.
EDIT: just reread it, to be sure... it says "These represent the most dangerous operations heroes can go on, and will be even more challenging (and rewarding) for teams of heroes." Maybe I am reading this wrong, but it says you can solo the content, but that the more people you have, the more rewards will be given out... So I guess it isn't open quest format, but it also isn't mandatory grouping either.
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
I love this analogy as well and additionally props to Kyleran for a Gordon Gecko ref.
In my industry these are called added value services... taking a basic item then adding the "fluff" at an extra cost.
Face it, unless we switch to global communism, there will always be someone that has more money than you and will pay their way to get ahead, regardless of actual skill level. Unfair, yes, well then again life ain't fair... It is just about time the game companies started taking advantage of it.
i think a unique costume piece is very game releated (there are NO unique character names). the char creation (and the uniqueness of the player characters) are one of the main features of champions online. well, you can call it a trap!
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
They said you can earn items that had effects
they did not say you could earn items WITHOUT effects. IE costume parts, base parts, pets ect.
They're suppose to be selling entertainment, not a buisness model. Take away the social draw of MMO's and what exactly do you have left? Half-assed games that can't even begin to compete with single player games. So, their justification for making more money than single player games is what.......chat channels? These companies already make large profits with a subscription model. More than enough to pay overhead and produce more content. What exactly are they doing to increase the entertainment value to justify charging more money?
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Um, it's called basic logic. If games with 300k or less subs weren't making a profit, they would shut down, period. EQ, DAoC, WAR, SWG, EQ2 are all making money, yet have less than 300k subscribers and had large costs. Not only are these games still making profits, but they can afford to come out with monthly updates and content patches. These MMO companies aren't doing us any favors, we are the ones doing them favors and they need to remember that. Screw the consumer enough and you end up bankrupt. Captialism is a two way street.
Are they making money? Is the development team of DAoC the same as for this game? is one of them located in the boonies maine and paying 5 dollars per square feet for office space where the other might be paying upwards of 27 dollars per square feet? Do they have the same health plans? What benefits? Are they publicly traded companies and therefore have to pay back to investors?
Do they have enough to invest in the future pipeline of the company?
You show me the books and then we can talk. I know I can't show you the books as I don't have access. I suppose if either of us had the time and inclination we could take one of these publicly traded companies and dive into their expenditures.
And suppose they made an error? Suppose they used a decent amount of investment/start up money and realized they were going in the wrong direction? So now they need more money to not only continue the development they are in now but to make sure they can continue to develop. No player is going to buy a game if there is a question that it will not make it out of the first year.
edit: and as was mentioned above, in the end, these are still businesses. We are not living in a communist country (you and I, others here might be who knows). Though in the end we would all like everything to be nice and neat and tied with a pretty bow, life doesn't work that way.
In capitalism you try to get as much as the customer is willing to pay but also to keep valued customers. You get to know your demographic and you tailor your business toward that demographic.
As the above person mentioned, this is value added stuff. Game companies are companies. They aren't friends in a garage making games because it's cool.
I'm pretty sure that if you work for a company then your company will do everything in its power to stay in business and to make a profit. This keeps you employed with good benefits and a decent salary.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Sigh, another game down the drain. I don't like being drained of my money, and I really don't like it when they are so obvious about it. I really can't see this type of payment model going mainstream when it comes to paying a month fee, and then paying extra for items you should be getting by playing, not paying.
So sad, too bad.
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
They said you can earn items that had effects
they did not say you could earn items WITHOUT effects. IE costume parts, base parts, pets ect.
Champions Online will support micro-transactions, but contrary to the concerns of some people, the game is not ‘based’ on them.
* The vast majority are aesthetic items, such as costume pieces, action figures, emblems, etc.
World Recession (depression in some countries) = Launch a mmo with a Box Fee , Monthly Subscription , And micro transatctions for costume parts etc YEAH THAT MAKES SENSE GUYS LETZ GO CATCH SOME FAIRIES LA LA LA LA
In some ways it does make sense if they are also suffering from the recession (which they are as are many of us) and they want to capitalize on those who can afford to pay the extras.
So they launch the game with the standard box fee and sub fee. For those of us who have no issues or very few issues with money they can avail themselves of the rmt store. If anything it makes more sense as they now have maximized their revenue streams for those who can afford it but for those who only can afford the box and sub, they don't need to take advantage of the rmt store.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
World Recession (depression in some countries) = Launch a mmo with a Box Fee , Monthly Subscription , And micro transatctions for costume parts etc YEAH THAT MAKES SENSE GUYS LETZ GO CATCH SOME FAIRIES LA LA LA LA
In some ways it does make sense if they are also suffering from the recession (which they are as are many of us) and they want to capitalize on those who can afford to pay the extras.
So they launch the game with the standard box fee and sub fee. For those of us who have no issues or very few issues with money they can avail themselves of the rmt store. If anything it makes more sense as they now have maximized their revenue streams for those who can afford it but for those who only can afford the box and sub, they don't need to take advantage of the rmt store.
Comments
I know a lot of you are justifying this saying they need money.
JUST STOP JUSTIFYING THIS BS NOW.
It's not OK. No item shops are ok.
Because just like collectible card games, it's no longer a game but a who has the most money contest. I can't believe anyone would justify playing a game like this, or collectible card games, seriously how stupid can you be?
I will never purchase or play for free a game with microtransactions. Because once you introduce microtransactions it's no longer a game, it's something else.
I'm sorry but this is just your opinion. I think that it's not ok for people to go out and get plastered every weekend but that means nothing in the end. There are people who enjoy it and they will do it regardless.
And as the micro transactions are mostly cosmetic, then that really doesn't affect game play. I do balk a bit at the part where they indicate that somethings can be bought but also earned in game. That does smack a bit of "whoever is willing to spend money will have it first.
However, I don't know what these items are so it might not be too big a deal.
And besides, you may be right about the whole collectible card game analogy but you only open up a larger question with that statement. "Are games going the collectible card game route".
It's very possible that they are.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Don't see a problem with it.
Look at city of heroes/villians NCsoft have been doing pretty much the same microtransaction system now for a year or so and its been incredibly successful.
How can cryptic not take the success of that and use it to there own advantage?
They're suppose to be selling entertainment, not a buisness model. Take away the social draw of MMO's and what exactly do you have left? Half-assed games that can't even begin to compete with single player games. So, their justification for making more money than single player games is what.......chat channels? These companies already make large profits with a subscription model. More than enough to pay overhead and produce more content. What exactly are they doing to increase the entertainment value to justify charging more money?
Maybe they cold learn a thing or two from Wal-Mart. Learn to cut costs in order to make your product not only affordable, but also desirable. All I see is an industry that has become bloated and greedy and using it as an excuse to rip off it's customers. They need to tread carefully, because they could end up running the genre back into the hardcore nerd dark ages of a decade past where they made a lot less money.
With PvE raiding, it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fawning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression, anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privilege. - Neanderthal
Dosen't bother me at all but the one thing i would like to see would be this >
Have the items that were bought and the ones that were earned have the same exact model and stats but have them be a different colour or mabye a wierd glow effect or some such so you can tell who bought their way through and who "earned" it.
Honestly, I am not a fan of RMT but at the same time I know it will become the normal way of doing things soon as many games now use it to some extent and most all new MMOs coming out plan to use it to some extent.
Champions, APB, DCU, SWToR, Aion (in other countries may happen here), and there may be more new titles as well I just do not follow them all close enough or some have not said either way.
As for games now look around! SoE nearly all their games use RMT.
WoW uses RMT for..character name change, gender change, server change, faction change, blizzcon items, trading card game in game items.
RMT is nothing new and is as I said, becoming the way of MMOs. Honestly cosmetic stuff and fluff is not a huge deal, non gamechanging items that you can get via rmt or game play is not a huge deal.
If the game is fun, enjoy playing it and who cares if some guy in your group paid $5 to have glowing lime green hands?? Does it really have any effect on your gaming enjoyment. If you really want those hands, buy em like they did, which does help support the game or go quest for them, rather then letting envy take hold.
The bigger issue will be how companies handle RMT, do they keep it light and innocent or do they force it down peoples throats? Do they keep it fluff or do they sell power?
If RMT ends up selling xp and levels and in game currency then I think it is a problem. To be fair, we have this now but from 3rd party companies who will sell you in game money, power level you, sell you items and accounts. We have it now, most people never have a clue if their mate bought some gold or if player xyz was power leveled.
So from the companies side, I can see cutting out these middle man companies who only congest the game and piss off players as a good thing while still offering services to players in a safe way that also brings in money to help further develop the game.
In my perfect world we have neither farmers or RMT but reality is we have them.
In the end if RMT is fun stuff and not game changing and a lot of is still available in game, then I see no issue for it and will support the game and play it as long as it is fun for me.
If RMT is taken to far and you can buy power, currency and similar I will be turned off but at the same time would have to question some things, because in reality all of that is readily available as is through outside companies, so what is the impact of cutting them out and making it offcial through the game itself?
As of now it is the trend and as of now has not been much of an issue, so I will keep on keeping on and be following this trend closely.
You pay $15 a month for an MMO? What's different about paying $15 a month for a cool costume and $15 a month for an MMO? Absolutely nothing. The money still goes back into the gaming industry.
Sure, some people may spend $200 in one month, but they're the real fools. At the end of the month they have $200 down the drain and really nothing to show for it. It's not like you can wear your purchased costumes all at once. Also, if you read the article... "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play." Yes, that's limited to Champions Online, but seriously... you're blowing it out of proportion. So a guy has lightning strings flowing behind him before you... you get it at level 33? You still get it, he just wasted $10 to get it before you. He's the fool, not you.
Traditionally, all a microtransaction system does it give your character a pretty costume. Once in a while you can buy a new weapon. But how can you complain about a game that you get for FREE. That's what most microtransaction games are... FREE! That means you can at least allocate $50 toward the game because you got a free game instead of purchasing a new game. End of story. You can be just as "cool" as everyone else who throws their money out the window on games.
Let it be known that I hate WoW with a passion and will defend almost any MMORPG against it.
Current: FFXI (PC/360)
Want: FFXIV, Stargate Worlds, Star Trek Online
Past: AC, AoC, AO, Atlantica Online, CoH/V, DAoC, Dungeon Runners, D&DO, EVE, Everquest I+II, FlyFF, GW (all), Lineage 2, LOTRO, Mabinogi, Maplestory, PSO (DC/Xbox/PC), PSU (PC/360), PlanetSide, RO, Shadowbane, SWG (Pre-NGE), SotNW, TR, UO, Warhammer Online, WoW, WWIIO
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It's a good thing that I'm not a Christian. When people start saying that "Greed Is Good", then you know the end of the world is near at hand.
You would have to define greed. I think this definition is apt:
excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves
So I would be the first one on the greed band wagon provided someone can prove to me that they neither need the extra funds or deserve it. Well, the deserve it is a hard one but I can work wiht the need part as that is easier to prove.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Um, it's called basic logic. If games with 300k or less subs weren't making a profit, they would shut down, period. EQ, DAoC, WAR, SWG, EQ2 are all making money, yet have less than 300k subscribers and had large costs. Not only are these games still making profits, but they can afford to come out with monthly updates and content patches. These MMO companies aren't doing us any favors, we are the ones doing them favors and they need to remember that. Screw the consumer enough and you end up bankrupt. Captialism is a two way street.
With PvE raiding, it has never been a question of being "good enough". I play games to have fun, not to be a simpering toady sitting through hour after hour of mind numbing boredom and fawning over a guild master in the hopes that he will condescend to reward me with shiny bits of loot. But in games where those people get the highest progression, anyone who doesn't do that will just be a moving target for them and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay money for the privilege. - Neanderthal
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It is a bad analogy, because you are buying packages for cable programs that have an additional overheard for the cable companies to carry. All of those things could be included in an all access package, but the rates would be so high few people would subscribe.
That analogy should be about paying for an all access pass to something and then having to buy additional items, because not everything is included.
Look at the companies that have focused their energies on making game fun above all else. Look at the rest of the market.
Yeah greed has been so great for the mmo genre so far. Anyone can hit 500 subs right now with ease. The problem is they are not creating something that 500k people will be interested in, because greed keeps getting in the way.
It seems that companies have forgotten they are making games and not just some product.
I felt it was an excellent analogy, I pay for the top package for my Virgin Media cable yet I'm still asked to pay "More" for some movies that will eventually end up on my normal viewing anyway, I just access to them earlier if I'm willing to pay £4.99, which I personally think is daylight robbery and so just like the Micro system employed in alot of MMO's these days I forego that choice.
I'd rather not pay out more than I already am for something that I will either get later down the line anyway from my gameplay (Which has now been mentioned by CO devs) or I just go without it totally becuase it's just a bit of fluff added to the game to enhance looks or add a little flavour to my character, something that I can assuredly live without.
sounds cool to me, i see no problem in it, i'll have fun in the game no matter how much someone else is spending for their fun. And if they can kick my butt in some kinda fight because they spend hundreds of dollars it still wont bother me lol, Seems they lost far more then me losing a little battle.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
It's a good thing that I'm not a Christian. When people start saying that "Greed Is Good", then you know the end of the world is near at hand.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
From what i've read over at the Champions online forum its used for things like changing name or server, Or getting a kickass costume etc, That's exactly what WoW have been doing for 2 years now aswell with paid character trasffer,Name change,gender change, and now they are soon publishing faction change, Atleast here you can gather the currency you need for a name change ingame and your not obligated to pay real money for it... Even tho i think they should have skipped the thing were you can buy costumes and such, it wont stop me from playing this game, it will be AWSOME!
If you can read this please, i beg you please! 01000111 01100101 01110100 00100000 01101100 01100001 01101001 01100100 00101100 00100000 01100100 01110101 01100100 01100101 00101110 00101110 00101110
Ok, I don't know what game you've been playing, but I don't know of any game that allows you to do end-game raiding solo. WAR requires groups for city sieges, pvp raids, etc. Wow required groups for MC, BWL, Naxx, etc... DAOC required groups... EQ required groups... every mmo I've ever played required groups for the end-game content. If you don't want to group for end-game raiding, then you are better off playing a single player game. I am sure there is one for you...
That being said, they have also said that they are adopting the public quest system from WAR(calling it open quests) so just cause they say it will require groups of players does NOT mean you will have to be grouped to do it.
EDIT: just reread it, to be sure... it says "These represent the most dangerous operations heroes can go on, and will be even more challenging (and rewarding) for teams of heroes." Maybe I am reading this wrong, but it says you can solo the content, but that the more people you have, the more rewards will be given out... So I guess it isn't open quest format, but it also isn't mandatory grouping either.
Actually it can very easily become mainstream.
Do you have cable? Do you pay a monthly fee? Do you pay a little extra for special movies or to add an additional premium channel?
As far as games go, there is already a precedence. There is a secondary market for games with monthly fees. So someone is paying a monthly fee and still paying to use the secondary market.
This is why it's so hard for game companies to ignore. Players keep saying they don't want any rmt but the evidence points to the opposite.
Totally agree and think its was a terrific analogy. I pay 100 bucks plus per month for cable TV, but they are more than willing to charge me extra for pay per view, special events, extra DVR's etc.
I said it before, creating MMO's is becoming too expensive, and only a select few really hit the big time sub numbers (i.e. 500K +).
Therefore developers are looking for a way to ensure more profits and RMT/Micro transactions is going to become the norm going forward, for almost every game, even from the big guys.
How it is implemented will be the real defining point, whether they are severely game influencing or just added fluff or items that can be earned by everyone fairly quickly.
And to those who attribute it to "greed" Gorden Gecko said it best "Greed is good!" and companies do not exist for the enjoyment of the customer, they exist to maximize revenue for their stockholders and investors.
If you happen to like the product as well, its just a plus in their eyes.
I love this analogy as well and additionally props to Kyleran for a Gordon Gecko ref.
In my industry these are called added value services... taking a basic item then adding the "fluff" at an extra cost.
Face it, unless we switch to global communism, there will always be someone that has more money than you and will pay their way to get ahead, regardless of actual skill level. Unfair, yes, well then again life ain't fair... It is just about time the game companies started taking advantage of it.
What are your other Hobbies?
Gaming is Dirt Cheap compared to this...
i think a unique costume piece is very game releated (there are NO unique character names). the char creation (and the uniqueness of the player characters) are one of the main features of champions online. well, you can call it a trap!
see more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQDZdIdkSTo
Champions Online - "Be the hero you want to be!" .........................(for an additional 4.99)
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
They said you can earn items that had effects
they did not say you could earn items WITHOUT effects. IE costume parts, base parts, pets ect.
I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time with that statement. Do you actually have access to all the books of quarterly expenditures?
Do you really have access to what they match in 401k benefits, what they pay for health benefits, insurance, rent, taxes, etc?
I think people sometimes go a bit nuts with seeing "we have 500k subs and we charge 15 dollars per month" but they don't ever really think of all the other things involved.
Um, it's called basic logic. If games with 300k or less subs weren't making a profit, they would shut down, period. EQ, DAoC, WAR, SWG, EQ2 are all making money, yet have less than 300k subscribers and had large costs. Not only are these games still making profits, but they can afford to come out with monthly updates and content patches. These MMO companies aren't doing us any favors, we are the ones doing them favors and they need to remember that. Screw the consumer enough and you end up bankrupt. Captialism is a two way street.
Are they making money? Is the development team of DAoC the same as for this game? is one of them located in the boonies maine and paying 5 dollars per square feet for office space where the other might be paying upwards of 27 dollars per square feet? Do they have the same health plans? What benefits? Are they publicly traded companies and therefore have to pay back to investors?
Do they have enough to invest in the future pipeline of the company?
You show me the books and then we can talk. I know I can't show you the books as I don't have access. I suppose if either of us had the time and inclination we could take one of these publicly traded companies and dive into their expenditures.
And suppose they made an error? Suppose they used a decent amount of investment/start up money and realized they were going in the wrong direction? So now they need more money to not only continue the development they are in now but to make sure they can continue to develop. No player is going to buy a game if there is a question that it will not make it out of the first year.
edit: and as was mentioned above, in the end, these are still businesses. We are not living in a communist country (you and I, others here might be who knows). Though in the end we would all like everything to be nice and neat and tied with a pretty bow, life doesn't work that way.
In capitalism you try to get as much as the customer is willing to pay but also to keep valued customers. You get to know your demographic and you tailor your business toward that demographic.
As the above person mentioned, this is value added stuff. Game companies are companies. They aren't friends in a garage making games because it's cool.
I'm pretty sure that if you work for a company then your company will do everything in its power to stay in business and to make a profit. This keeps you employed with good benefits and a decent salary.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
World Recession (depression in some countries) =
Launch a mmo with a Box Fee , Monthly Subscription , And micro transatctions for costume parts etc
YEAH THAT MAKES SENSE GUYS LETZ GO CATCH SOME FAIRIES LA LA LA LA
In all fairness it does state "Any micro-transaction that has a game effect can also be earned in the game through play". But IMO if someone can simply buy what I've worked for in an MMO I personally feel like it's been de-valued to me.
I was looking forward to this game but I'll have to reconsider it now.
I will never understand some peoples perspective. Simply because other people have what you have, some how lowers it utility to you? Just so long as it can be gained either way, why should it matter? No one is forcing you to part with your money. If you wish to gain something in game, then by all means do so. Those who refuse to play games with cash shops are limiting their own entertainment options. But thats their decision(shrug). But when its done right, its not only profitable, but enhances the game.
In YOUR opinion. Many of us do not share your sentiments on that issue. I, myself, am thinking about buying the game again - since they did say it is mostly fluff and you can earn the items. As far as buying them(another poster mentioned this) and then selling them - how is that not Gold Selling?
They said you can earn items that had effects
they did not say you could earn items WITHOUT effects. IE costume parts, base parts, pets ect.
Champions Online will support micro-transactions, but contrary to the concerns of some people, the game is not ‘based’ on them.
* The vast majority are aesthetic items, such as costume pieces, action figures, emblems, etc.
So costume pieces are mentioned.
In some ways it does make sense if they are also suffering from the recession (which they are as are many of us) and they want to capitalize on those who can afford to pay the extras.
So they launch the game with the standard box fee and sub fee. For those of us who have no issues or very few issues with money they can avail themselves of the rmt store. If anything it makes more sense as they now have maximized their revenue streams for those who can afford it but for those who only can afford the box and sub, they don't need to take advantage of the rmt store.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
In some ways it does make sense if they are also suffering from the recession (which they are as are many of us) and they want to capitalize on those who can afford to pay the extras.
So they launch the game with the standard box fee and sub fee. For those of us who have no issues or very few issues with money they can avail themselves of the rmt store. If anything it makes more sense as they now have maximized their revenue streams for those who can afford it but for those who only can afford the box and sub, they don't need to take advantage of the rmt store.
sounds like you have money to burn.