PSA PSA: Heirloom Collection Platinum Changes & Lessons

[Dragoon]

Well here we are - the last day of 2023 and the last day of this ill-advised, poorly presented idea that will forever stain Warframe's 10 year anniversary.

2023 had so many great releases in gaming, and Warframe too had some of the best updates in recent memory. It was the return of in-person Tennocon, even! And then we were given the opportunity, the privilege, of paying $100 to say you had supported the game over its ten year lifetime...even if you had spent money on the game in that time, either through plat, merch, or prime access. Even if you were at Tennocon, in person, paying for the ability to celebrate a game you loved with fellow fans and the developers. I still think they could have avoided so many issues if they had just given out the Accolade to anyone who had done those, even if the price would have smarted for the packs themselves.

I waited. I waited until the very end here to see if anything would happen, just because I said I would over the course of this thread. I've watched every devstream this year, listening and looking forward to what's coming. You said you learned, but when it all comes down to it, we've heard that all before. You saw pushback with the very first Prime Access, and you said you learned. You saw pushback with Regal Aya, and you said you learned. I can point to reply after reply in this thread from player historians far better than I who pointed out those 'lessons' you've learned, again and again and again. You had the chance to make things right the very year it was released, but now we're in the very situation Rebecca said they would never do again. She's said live that they never wanted to repeat what happened with Excalibur Prime again, and later the same year she said that they released this. This is forever going to be something now locked from new players' inventories, either because they didn't have the money or hadn't started playing yet. They even unpinned this topic while the packs were still being sold because they refused to do anything suggested that would actually fix their issue.

I love this game. I'm not a founder and thus forever locked from the shiny Excalibur Prime in my inventory, so I wasn't going to miss out on this milestone. The fact you had to FOMO it so hard will always taint the Heirloom Collection going forward, even if the Frost skin is the Prime he always deserved.

I wanted to post here one last time before the end of the year and the end of this 'promotion.'

This isn't the 10 year celebration Warframe deserved. Instead of celebrating 10 years of one of the fairest, most consumer-friendly F2P games on the market, we got the second most expensive macrotransaction in the game's history, second only behind the original Founders packages that helped save the game and offered tangible, real items with it.

I love this game, and I'm still excited about where it's going. Getting teasers of future content is always iffy, but getting gameplay teasers for future content in current quests? That's a first, and way better than any devstream release or Tennocon trailer could ever be. If anything, I wish we were kept totally in the dark at Tennocon about 1999, to be super surprised at the reveal that we could actually play the teaser they showed then. It's a great change from past trends, and a good indication of things going forward.

I just wish I could say I had as much hope for the monetization of the game staying as great as it once was going into the future too. Another example? Primary and Secondary Arcane slots used to be earned, able to be farmed even in the beginning with Steel Essence. Since there is no cap on an item farm, you could get adapters if you wanted to when you wanted to, and the incursions added later guaranteed one - if not more depending on the Acolyte spawns - gun arcane slot per day. Now, Melee Arcane slots are 50000 Syndicate standing, meaning not even the highest MR can get one in a day, and instead they're diluting a drop table of a limited-time game-mode filled with far more desirable items. Or you can just buy them for 20 plat. It's a sad regression from a much better implementation, which doesn't feel great. There's always the chance that will be adjusted in the future, since unlike this collection that's not a time-limited event they decided can never be changed.

Even if this thread is unpinned, even if they do release a better version of the Heirloom packs in the future, we can still point back at this and say, "why couldn't you do this then?"

They could have, they just chose not to.

Edited January 1 by Dragoon

[(PSN)ZephyrThorn719]

You said we had til December 31, 2023 11:59 pm to purchase heirloom pack it is 8:30pm December 31, 2023. It is erased off of all platforms a day early. My husband and I cannot purchase or find it anywhere on the store for our PS5. We wanted the 1 risen pack for $30.00 for ZephyrThorn719 and Vigilante719

USA Mountain Time 8:30pm

Waited long because of good reasonings and unfortunate events...and could not afford it until recently 

Edited January 1 by (PSN)ZephyrThorn719
Clarify Time zone and situation

[Slayer-.]

5 minutes ago, (PSN)ZephyrThorn719 said:

You said we had til December 31, 2023 11:59 pm to purchase heirloom pack it us 8:30pm December 31, 2023. It is erased off of all platforms a day early. My husband and I cannot purchase or find it anywhere on the store for our PS5. We wanted the 1 risen pack for $30.00 for ZephyrThorn719 and Vigilante 719

At the moment in Canada where DE is it's 10:28 PM Sunday 31st, sucks but why wait so long?

Edited January 1 by Slayer-.
forgot date

[(PSN)demishock]

24 minutes ago, (PSN)ZephyrThorn719 said:

You said we had til December 31, 2023 11:59 pm to purchase heirloom pack it us 8:30pm December 31, 2023. It is erased off of all platforms a day early. My husband and I cannot purchase or find it anywhere on the store for our PS5. We wanted the 1 risen pack for $30.00 for ZephyrThorn719 and Vigilante 719

This is my situation, too. Was going to gift it to myself with the extra paycheck I got on Friday, only to find when I hopped online this afternoon that it's MIA from the PlayStation store. The time-gating on it was bad enough; now it's not even up for as long as it was supposed to be? Not cool.

[(PSN)ZephyrThorn719]

36 minutes ago, Slayer-. said:

At the moment in Canada where DE is it's 10:28 PM Sunday 31st, sucks but why wait so long?

Unfortunate events (Family Emergencies) happened and could not afford it until recently. 

Edited January 1 by (PSN)ZephyrThorn719

[Slayer-.]

5 minutes ago, (PSN)ZephyrThorn719 said:

Unfortunate events (Family Emergencies) happened and could not afford it until recently. 

Damn that sucks, hope everyone is ok.

[xMarvin732]

Seems like its a PSN thing :/ its still available for PC, Xbox, couldnt find link for switch.

[Slayer-.]

2 minutes ago, xMarvin732 said:

Seems like its a PSN thing :/ its still available for PC, Xbox, couldnt find link for switch.

Maybe PSN pulled it early, or they need to look at their console clock system, seems to be a stupid move.

Ouch can't even gift them as well, get on PC and send them to yourself. ^{_{yes I'm being silly.}}

[(PSN)FrDiabloFr]

38 minutes ago, xMarvin732 said:

Seems like its a PSN thing :/ its still available for PC, Xbox, couldnt find link for switch.

It’s still available on ps i’m in the UK so further ahead in time and it’s still there.

Ok so 2 minutes after posting this it’s gone, from in game store and ps store.

Edited January 1 by (PSN)FrDiabloFr

[Alno0724]

Still available through the in-game store on pc somehow. Dunno if a transaction will actually go through.

[Ersedu]

I feel they should have handled this differently 

 

for starters the 10 year supporter accolade should have been given for free to accounts that actually played 10 years 

as the accolade holds no weight unless you played or play 10 years 

they could have done a different accolade for the heirloom pack like 10 year anniversary supporter accolade or something like that 

definitely should have had cheaper packs with just the skins and other stuff

I feel they need to start thinking things through more carefully before doing stuff like this in the future to avoid backlash 

maybe do surveys to gather feedback for future stuff like this so they can do it right 

 

It was a good intentioned idea it just wasn’t handled well 

It could have been done better

Edited January 1 by Ersedu
Edited to elaborate

[PublikDomain]

Good riddance.

[Prjkt_Shiro]

On 2023-08-30 at 3:08 PM, [DE]Megan said:

Greetings, Tenno!

We’re back in action after TennoCon 2023 - and our number one priority is addressing the community’s reaction to the Heirloom Collection.

We missed the mark here and understand the feedback we're receiving because of it. After taking some time to review and evaluate our options based on the concerns, we have opted to increase the Platinum amounts in all Heirloom Packs. 

 

The Feedback we can address for the current Heirloom Collection:

“The value of the Packs does not justify the price point.”

 

Our Change to Address:

We are increasing Platinum to all Heirloom Packs to bring them alongside Prime Access standards:

• Increase Platinum in Risen Pack: 400 to 800
• Add Platinum in Celestial Pack: 800
• Increase Platinum in Zenith Pack: 600 to 2100

*The Platinum will be delivered via in-game Inbox to accounts that have already purchased the respective Packs. We are coordinating our efforts now to arrange the Inbox send, and Hotfix required. We will signal when the Inbox has been delivered on all Platforms.

 

**8/31/23 Status Update:

We're running the Inbox script on each Platform now that the Hotfix has been deployed. We'll update here when the script has finished for all!

The script is complete!! All accounts that have purchased a Heirloom Pack have received the appropriate amount of Platinum via in-game Inbox.

 

Similar to how Regal Aya bundles launched with no Platinum and were met with strong feedback, we agree Heirloom Packs need more value to justify their status.  

This decision was made to address the feedback and maintain the expectations we had set for players upon the release of the Heirlooms (time exclusivity and Pack contents). In doing so, we are able to increase the value of pack contents in a way that does not remove any value for Tenno who have bought them. We do not feel it would be fair to those who purchased an Heirloom Collection already with the understanding that they were time-limited to now remove that element. Those who have purchased simply get more, and ultimately they are now a good Platinum deal with exclusive Cosmetics.

Heirloom Collections are intended to be unforgettable (for the right reasons) - we are also discussing ways we can better preserve that feeling of legacy, quality, and prestige for future Heirloom Collections (if we make more).

We truly appreciate your feedback and concerns and recognize the responsibility we have in ensuring that any new directions we take with cosmetic exclusives are done with much more careful consideration. The Heirlooms were designed with the celebratory nature of this year's TennoCon and 10-year anniversary, and it's on us to ensure that you, as a player, feel that we are upholding years of lessons learned when it comes to selling cosmetic exclusives. If we continue with this series, we are dedicated to ensuring all future Heirloom Collection releases have more purchase flexibility and reflect all feedback we received during this launch.

 

Thank you, Tenno!

I wish the pack wasn't limited time.

 

Returning player here. After being absent for about 6 years, I saw this pack and looked back into Warframe. Found out cross save was coming and got super excited. But I couldn't get access to my platform because I no longer owned an Xbox and had to sit and wait to be able to access my Xbox stuff again. Didn't want to purchase it on a new PC account, yanno? I got into Cross Save when it was opened again in 2024. The pack was vaulted 2023. Feels really bad :(

 

FOMO on Cosmetics?

 

Come on...please bring it back.

[(PSN)FrDiabloFr]

1 hour ago, Prjkt_Shiro said:

I wish the pack wasn't limited time.

 

Returning player here. After being absent for about 6 years, I saw this pack and looked back into Warframe. Found out cross save was coming and got super excited. But I couldn't get access to my platform because I no longer owned an Xbox and had to sit and wait to be able to access my Xbox stuff again. Didn't want to purchase it on a new PC account, yanno? I got into Cross Save when it was opened again in 2024. The pack was vaulted 2023. Feels really bad :(

 

FOMO on Cosmetics?

 

Come on...please bring it back.

Unfortunately they said it was a one and done, they did this to fomo players so they’d panic buy, if they brought it back it would have pretty hefty ramifications, i’d imagine people would actually be able to claim money back.

[Prjkt_Shiro]

12 hours ago, (PSN)FrDiabloFr said:

Unfortunately they said it was a one and done, they did this to fomo players so they’d panic buy, if they brought it back it would have pretty hefty ramifications, i’d imagine people would actually be able to claim money back.

Even if it was listed at the same market price it was the first time, there'd really be no ramifications. Those that panic bought it still have it at the same value that the people who didn't panic buy it.

I can't imagine it sold well at all, I don't see these skins on these Frames when they're being used. But either way, it's a shame that all this amazing work on these Heirlooms are vaulted and inaccessible. No one I know who plays Warframe has them, and they were more active than I have been. It's rather depressing.

"We do not feel it would be fair to those who purchased an Heirloom Collection already with the understanding that they were time-limited to now remove that element." but then go onto say "Heirloom Collections are intended to be unforgettable (for the right reasons)" but the opposite effect is true.

It's become unforgettable for the wrong reasons.
It'll be remembered as overpriced bundle with FOMO baited items.

Not as "Super cool - Frost and Mag Heirlooms!"

Would the collective Warframe community really be that bent out of shape if they were made available again? Or is it D.E. just being misguided?

I went to Destiny for a long stay (left for it around the time Fortuna released), a game where I often felt scammed and preyed upon to buy cosmetics. Often feeling cosmetics were overpriced.

Finally break away from Destiny again and return to Warframe only to find even worse feeling business practices for cosmetic items. It leaves a bad taste, and I wish to scrub it away. But now all I can do is "get over it".

Edited February 16 by Prjkt_Shiro
because it's sad and so am I

[PublikDomain]

29 minutes ago, Prjkt_Shiro said:

Would the collective Warframe community really be that bent out of shape if they were made available again?

I have serious doubts. Not only has the collective community already expressed their disappointment with these packs not coming back, along with other issues, I also have doubts the community as a whole would care what someone who'd actually "get bent out of shape" over them coming back might think. What kind of person would actually get "bent out of shape" about someone else being able to have them too? It's just such a selfish, elitist mindset. Why should someone who looks down on their peers be catered to over every other past, current, and future member of our community? DE said that they feel it'd be """unfair""" to these people to bring the packs back, but they conveniently ignore how unfair it already is to everyone else.

[(PSN)FrDiabloFr]

2 minutes ago, PublikDomain said:

I have serious doubts. Not only has the collective community already expressed their disappointment with these packs not coming back, along with other issues, I also have doubts the community as a whole would care what someone who'd actually "get bent out of shape" over them coming back might think. What kind of person would actually get "bent out of shape" about someone else being able to have them too? It's just such a selfish, elitist mindset. Why should someone who looks down on their peers be catered to over every other past, current, and future member of our community? DE said that they feel it'd be """unfair""" to these people to bring the packs back, but they conveniently ignore how unfair it already is to everyone else.

Agreed, the whole way it was handled was truly bs, i can hear it though “well i only really bought it because you said it was a one and done but now you’re releasing it again” it would poke the bee hive so to speak.

[Prjkt_Shiro]

13 minutes ago, (PSN)FrDiabloFr said:

Agreed, the whole way it was handled was truly bs, i can hear it though “well i only really bought it because you said it was a one and done but now you’re releasing it again” it would poke the bee hive so to speak.

To be honest, seeing people still monitoring this forum thread speaks volumes after it went silent for a whole month.

[Katinka]

As someone who owns the Heirloom collection, I say bring it back and never make this mistake again.  (And yes, as a Founder I hold the same opinion on that too.)

[Hexerin]

27 minutes ago, Katinka said:

As someone who owns the Heirloom collection, I say bring it back and never make this mistake again.  (And yes, as a Founder I hold the same opinion on that too.)

They legally can't bring back either of them. It doesn't matter whether you, I, or anyone else who participated in the content "gives permission" or "asks for it". By advertising the content as "exclusive, never to return again", they are legally bound to never bring it back again. They'd have to pay massive fines to the US (at minimum), and the EU would probably just outright ban them from operating the game on the continent period (their commerce laws are no joke these days). Dunno what Canada law specifically is on this, but I would assume there's similarly severe penalties up there too.

Edited February 16 by Hexerin

[TARINunit9]

41 minutes ago, Hexerin said:

They legally can't bring back either of them. It doesn't matter whether you, I, or anyone else who participated in the content "gives permission" or "asks for it". By advertising the content as "exclusive, never to return again", they are legally bound to never bring it back again. They'd have to pay massive fines to the US (at minimum), and the EU would probably just outright ban them from operating the game on the continent period (their commerce laws are no joke these days). Dunno what Canada law specifically is on this, but I would assume there's similarly severe penalties up there too.

This is not actually true. It's the excuse, but it's so oversimplified and extremist as to lose all connection to reality. "Exclusive", "limited-edition", and other such goods are brought back all the time and the US government doesn't care.

[Hexerin]

5 minutes ago, TARINunit9 said:

This is not actually true. It's the excuse, but it's so oversimplified and extremist as to lose all connection to reality. "Exclusive", "limited-edition", and other such goods are brought back all the time and the US government doesn't care.

Terminology, and the exact phrasing of what is said, matter. "Exclusive" and "Exclusive, never to return" are not the same thing.

[Prjkt_Shiro]

7 hours ago, Hexerin said:

Terminology, and the exact phrasing of what is said, matter. "Exclusive" and "Exclusive, never to return" are not the same thing.

Firstly, I just wanna say I love the support everyone has had towards the idea of trying to urge D.E. to make them available again in a form more financially accessible than an overpriced, limited-time, FOMO bundle. I was expecting a lot more blowback since that's what I was just used to in Destiny forums. 🥰

 

But going back to topic, buying a product is not a legally binding contract that the makers of said product have to adhere to. They set the purchase, and have full rights to change that product package as they deem necessary just as much as they have the full rights to change the game as necessary. Just because they weaponized FOMO to sell a package does not mean that they have to continue to do so for that same package. 

It is not legally binding to have a product, sell it at one price in a set way - then come back and turn around to resell it again a different way. Digital purchases do not have these kinds of protections in the U.S. or anywhere else. For example: Bungie/Destiny has repackaged, resold, and removed content/bundles/items as they saw fit without ever reimbursing players for what was spent on said items. Doubling back to my absence, I spent a long time in the Destiny sphere and the Destiny 2 I bought for full price in 2017 is not the same Destiny 2 that's playable today. Not even the bundles containing some of the content that I paid for in subsequent DLCs are different than the ones you can get today.

I'm shocked that D.E. even turned around and added more value to the bundles (even if the result is not one that was even asked for).

While companies like Bungie would just plug their ears and scream as loud as possible, not dissimilarly to this, Sony has been removing access to some digitally purchased content in other countries because they don't want to renew certain platform copyright licenses in said region. Another thing on that side of the fence, Sony bought Crunchyroll and then Crunchyroll bought Funimation. Now I had digital purchases with Funimation, but now with the Crunchyroll merger dissolving Funimation's streaming service Crunchyroll isn't honoring digital purchase libraries on their platform and I am losing access to all my digital purchases. (*Note: the digital purchases were only available in physical purchase cases with an access code, however I specifically bought the physical for the code so I could take my movies not on streaming services directly on-the-go).

There are no digital purchase protections because these companies set their terms of purchase to allow them to make as many changes to such digital content as they feel the need to do so, and/or revoke access entirely. Currently purchase protection laws let them get away with it, TARIN is correct - governments don't care.

[Katinka]

From what direction I've seen EU law going in, they are more likely to get in trouble for creating artificial scarcity than for going back on a small part of a bundle's description.  Even that's not going to happen any time soon though as the behaviour of came companies is not exactly a big priority for law makers.

[Rawbeard]

18 hours ago, Hexerin said:

They legally can't bring back either of them.

what law prevents them from doing that? 

  

17 hours ago, Hexerin said:

Terminology, and the exact phrasing of what is said, matter. "Exclusive" and "Exclusive, never to return" are not the same thing.

neither of those are legally protected terms. like "organic" or "contains the thing we claim it does" with food, which is much better regulated than things that do not actually exist in real space. 

Edited February 17 by Rawbeard