SI Radio Member Opinion: Agatir Solenth – 2011.06.28
Greetings my fellow corp men, women, & blog readers!!!
It is funny that people seem to forget that TIME = MONEY. In a subscription based game it is in the interest for the company providing the game (in this case CCP) to make it take as long as possible before you reach your goal in game.
Therefore the real life equation would be:
GAME TIME (GT) = CCP MONEY aka Revenue(R)
So CCP’s revenue equation would look a little something like this:
12 x GT x Subscriptions (S) = Revenue per Year (R/Y)
As we all know that CCP can only make the subscription fee per month per account. The only way to increase revenue would be to increase the subscription costs or get more people to play. Call me crazy… but I think CCP has a pretty good idea of what size of the current MMO market is willing to play EvE.
NOW for the in game equation:
GT = PLAYER IN GAME MONEY (ISK)
As well all know our in game revenue equation looks like this:
GT = ISK/Hour
That being said… I am pretty sure that CCP has a pretty good grasp on the average amount of ISK that a player could generate using any in game mechanics. (Even those players that “Bot” 24/7) As a result they can do the math to determine just how long it would take a player to earn the ISK to purchase any item in the game.
SO… as I look at the direction CCP has chosen to pursue my conclusion is this:
CCP has done the math. They have a realistic idea of the amount subscriptions they will have during a given year. As CCP is a company that exists with the idea of making a PROFIT, they would like to increase the revenue that their game can generate. They know that the player base would NEVER accept in an increase in the monthly subscription price.
This means that they cannot change the 12 x GT x S = R/Y equation to make more profit as the game was in recent past! So CCP has chosen to look at another revenue model… They have moved to ad Incarna & DUST 514 into the mix in attempt to gain more subscriptions (S), but as this alone doesn’t seem profitable enough they have decided to include Micro Transactions (MT)!
So they are looking to add MT to the equation: 12 x GT x S + MT = R/Y
One thing we all know… we may be all equal in game, but outside of the game in a capitalistic society some are more equal than others. In other words… Some folks make a lot more money than others. Because of this well known fact, CCP has decided to target those deeper pockets in an effort to increase its revenue.
Because of this, a good portion of the population has begun to scream “UNFAIR!” They scream this because they have devoted or have the ability to devote more GT over others, and have an advantage. Why do they have an advantage, because we know that GT = ISK, and ISK = power in EvE.
There is a strong argument that someone that plays more should have an advantage over someone that does not. However in the eyes of a company that wants to make more money, they can’t sell more game time to someone that doesn’t have more TIME to spend. They can sell ISK or items for the money that they do have. Get it? You don’t have the time but money to spare, then CCP will take it!
NOW for also those that still cry “NO FAIR!” let me ask you a few questions:
Have you used a PLEX to either get ISK or to apply to your account for more GT? If the answer is “yes,” then stop bitching you hypocrite. You are benefiting from the exact thing you are bitching about! That is right! You are getting to play for free because you don’t have a G@d D@mn job or real life! (That last statement was done somewhat tongue in cheek. I have spent more than my fair share glued to a computer playing MMOs.)
Have you purchased another character with skill points for your personal use? If the answer is “yes,” then stop bitching you F&ck!#g hypocrite!
HOWEVER… Even though I understand what CCP is attempting to do, doesn’t mean I’m not worried. I do not think that deep pockets in the real world should mean a person should be allowed to have items beyond the reach of other players that can devote more time to the game. I too believe that those in game should retain the advantage. As such no “noble” item should be sold below the “fair play time” market price. By “fair play time” market price… I mean placing an ISK/HOUR value on every item.
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#1 by HK1 on June 30, 2011 - 01:00
Well, here’s another perspective – how would you like it if you built a handcrafted house. Filled it with special things and rarities. Something extra special created by your time and effort, only to have a large company slap down a monstrous concrete apartment right next to your house, that has no redeeming features and blocks out your sunshine?
Because thats effectively what pay to win does. It devalues peoples time and effort.
I’m not disagreeing with your analysis by any stretch, but this is more than just a mathematical equation, its an emotive issue for a lot of people.
I don’t want ugly concrete blocks, and I certainly don’t want to have to purchase one or more in the hope of being able to keep up with the arms race.
#2 by Beanard on June 30, 2011 - 01:30
After much thought on the matter I have decided that the only items that should be npc (ccp) seeded are BPO’s and Skillbooks which seemed to be the way ccp was headed. All other items should be made by the players period, that will not be the case with the store.
I will wait until the ccp/csm summit is over to see what happens.
I have already looked at other games, if I biomass my character I will be done with mmo’s because nothing else comes close to the eve sandbox.
I understand the business view, I just choose not to support it further in the mmo space.
If ccp goes down the road they seem to be going I wish them luck but really think they should change the name, it won’t be EVE anymore.
#3 by Marcus mctavish on June 30, 2011 - 05:52
Most people that are complaining are complaining about the possibility of ccp introducing buyable skill points or golden ammo for real life money
#4 by De'Vadder on June 30, 2011 - 10:20
Everybody understands the things in the post. What you seem to not understand or have choosen to ignore is, that some people may not enjoy a pay to win game. Of course, if CCP could be sure that the number of subscriptions would stay the same, even if they sold 10 different pvp relevant buffs for 15€/monthe each, they sure would have to do it. But that is not the case. And to make that clear, many people have decided to speak their mind and even unsub (maybe temporarly) to make a point.
If you are not scared of a game where succes is decided by IRL wealth, go ahead and dont. But dont treat those of us that are as idiots that do not understand where CCPs money comes from.
And to the question why PLEX is different:
1. It offers a benefit even to those that do not want to buy advantages (as they can buy game time) and thus is more than just milking the player base.
2. The ISK/€ is really bad. Or realistic, if you want. 350m ISK can be earned ingame (very) roughly in the same time that 15€ can be out of game. Of course both highly dependant, but you get the idea.
That is of course because of the hard cap on demand for PLEX ingame.
Removing that cap by selling more stuff via MT can only increase the overall ISK/€ conversion.
And depending on the ingame demand of the sold items, there is not really a boundary to that.
Imagine they went the AO way, they would sell implants that give overall buffs and you could only wear one of them. And than, they would sell newer better ones every two months. The market could never stabilize on a realistic level.
In AO one RL workhour easily buys you hundreds of ingame workhours. (Averaged of course) And it is the same in all F2P games that allow MTed to be traded for in-game currency.
And that is bad. It means you have to pay to be competitive because those that do have an immense advantage.
If you are not afraid of that, either because you have enough money or you believe CCP will not go down that path after they will have established that their consumers accept MT and MT for non-vanity than ignore it. But some of us are afraid, because we love Eve but do not trust CCP (who have blatantly lied before and have proven several times their ‘love’ for Eve).
#5 by Matt on June 30, 2011 - 11:55
De’Vadder is on point about pay to win. My concern is MT conferring *in-game* advantages. I don’t really care if people want to spend their RL money on a pair of jeans for their toon.
I do care if those jeans double a ships hit points, so I’ll need to purchase a pair of pixel jeans too if I want to be a competitive PVPer.
#6 by Bob on July 1, 2011 - 01:32
Ease up on the hypocrisy label. PLEX is not the same thing. PLEX is game time, and you have to buy game time to play, oen way or another. If you buy a PLEX with cash and sell it in game you are trading your game time for ISK, but that ISK was *earned* by a player through in-game activities and paid-for game time. It did not just magically appear. If you buy a character you are paying someone for the time and effort and game time they put in to skilling that character up. You’re not buying some skill points that just suddenly appeared in-game. I think that’s an important distinction. Yes you are getting an advantage over where you might have been otherwise, but you’re also sharing that advantage with others by rewarding their in-game efforts. You’re contributing more broadly to the game as a whole, but buying at the NEX you contribute primarily to CCP’s revenues (and much less directly to the game).
#7 by Agatir on July 1, 2011 - 10:29
Great debate guys, and thanks for not turning it into a rant.
I think what is most evident… people, that are the players of EvE, are passionate about their internet spaceships.
#8 by Luk on July 4, 2011 - 17:27
Great point about time and money. As much as i liked EvE, I had to stop playing because I just could not spend that much time on the game. The game is like a second job, I kid you not. However, Incarna with its cash shop and expensive monocles are not going make me come back to the game at all. So I am not sure who CCP is targeting with this expansion, since both hard-core and casual players are not happy about it.
Maybe when the game will find a balance between time and money required to succeed, which could be impossible to achieve one way or another, maybe then i’ll come back to the best sci-fi MMO ever.