Prime Access, In Game Market

[Hixlysss]

So I got an idea, based on something The Old Republic does. The Old Republic allows you to purchase their in game expansions with real world cash, or the in game equal. Why not allow us to do with with warframe and the prime access packs?

 

Add the packs to the ingame market, remove the platinum you get for purchasing them, and allow players to get, for example, the Roar pack for 2625 plat. This way the old vets whom are sitting on 4K plat and don't want any more have a reason to spend their platinum, and in turn later on will buy more. This creates a situation where Platinum is being cycled and spent in bigger amounts than the 20 plat on trading for stuff, or 150 here or there for a bundle. This should create a situation were people get plat in bigger bundles, so they can buy the prime access bundles, or perhaps more bundles in the future, rather than avoiding the whole thing because they don't have the extra 80$, but they do have upwards of 5K platinum.

[Llyssa]

The main problem I can see with this is the platinum discount. This means that someone could buy the bundle for 1/4 of the price, which is a dramatic reduction in actual sales.

 

If the coupons weren't a thing, it would have more validity, but with their existence and people's reliance on them, it kind of undermines the entire concept.

[ChaoticVice777]

The main problem I can see with this is the platinum discount. This means that someone could buy the bundle for 1/4 of the price, which is a dramatic reduction in actual sales.

 

If the coupons weren't a thing, it would have more validity, but with their existence and people's reliance on them, it kind of undermines the entire concept.

 

I wouldn't say no to having more convenient purchases of Prime Access within the game (not that I actually use Prime Access), and I bet Digital Extremes can prevent the use of platinum discounts when purchasing such packages.

Edited March 23, 2014 by ChaoticVice777

[Llyssa]

Another thing: This offers a potential null-sum potential. If everyone interested uses existing platinum to buy the bundles(either through trading or usage of existing resources), then no new money is made at all. The hope for future bundles to make money then relies on the hope that masses of platinum are not stored up in anticipation of them.

 

However, if it's known that bundles can be bought for existing platinum, it would be highly logical to buy platinum at the massive discount in anticipation of new bundles, thereby permanently cutting the income flow of the company.

 

Additionally, this would harm sales via lack of trading--if many players are seeking to gather as much platinum as possible to buy these bundles, they'll be forced into heavy price competition, whilst the number of people with surplus lying around would decrease, thus making the number of people able to meet higher prices also less-existent.

 

If prices across the board were driven down in this way, it would discourage sales of new platinum, as people would need far less to acquire what they need via trade.

 

With the added problem of prime trading, this would also kill sales of most weapons and warframes--if all trade items are extremely cheap, by force(from the above), then all prime gear is extremely cheap by default. There's no reason to buy a weapon or warframes from the market itself if you can get the superior prime gear at steep discounts. It's true that the prices quoted on them now are low, but imagine if they were 1/5th of current.

 

There's enough wild potatoes to field a few pieces of prime gear, so the easy acquisition this creates would not significantly boost the sales there of.

 

I think this would actually end up quite devastating for the company overall. Between coupons and trading, this is just asking for a problem.

 

The base idea seems like it could work out okay, but the position DE is in paints it out badly.

[Llyssa]

I wouldn't say no to having more convenient purchases of Prime Access within the game (not that I actually use Prime Access), and I bet Digital Extremes can prevent the use of platinum discounts when purchasing such packages.

How? He's saying "use platinum that you have right now to buy the packages".

 

The game will start differentiating between platinum bought on discount and platinum bought at full price? Does it do that now? How would that affect trading? "Selling item x for 18 FULL PRICE PLAT ONLY!"?

 

EDIT: I mean, really, what keeps me from saying, "okay, it's worth 2k plat, let me buy 2k plat at 75% off, and then use it to buy the package"?

Edited March 23, 2014 by Llyssa

[Hixlysss]

Another thing: This offers a potential null-sum potential. If everyone interested uses existing platinum to buy the bundles(either through trading or usage of existing resources), then no new money is made at all. The hope for future bundles to make money then relies on the hope that masses of platinum are not stored up in anticipation of them.

 

However, if it's known that bundles can be bought for existing platinum, it would be highly logical to buy platinum at the massive discount in anticipation of new bundles, thereby permanently cutting the income flow of the company.

 

Additionally, this would harm sales via lack of trading--if many players are seeking to gather as much platinum as possible to buy these bundles, they'll be forced into heavy price competition, whilst the number of people with surplus lying around would decrease, thus making the number of people able to meet higher prices also less-existent.

 

If prices across the board were driven down in this way, it would discourage sales of new platinum, as people would need far less to acquire what they need via trade.

 

With the added problem of prime trading, this would also kill sales of most weapons and warframes--if all trade items are extremely cheap, by force(from the above), then all prime gear is extremely cheap by default. There's no reason to buy a weapon or warframes from the market itself if you can get the superior prime gear at steep discounts. It's true that the prices quoted on them now are low, but imagine if they were 1/5th of current.

 

There's enough wild potatoes to field a few pieces of prime gear, so the easy acquisition this creates would not significantly boost the sales there of.

 

I think this would actually end up quite devastating for the company overall. Between coupons and trading, this is just asking for a problem.

 

The base idea seems like it could work out okay, but the position DE is in paints it out badly.

Hrmn, I can see a way to fix a lot of these, in that only allow founders/prime access be able to do get the bundles with just plat.

 

 

How? He's saying "use platinum that you have right now to buy the packages".

 

The game will start differentiating between platinum bought on discount and platinum bought at full price? Does it do that now? How would that affect trading? "Selling item x for 18 FULL PRICE PLAT ONLY!"?

 

EDIT: I mean, really, what keeps me from saying, "okay, it's worth 2k plat, let me buy 2k plat at 75% off, and then use it to buy the package"?

I don't see how that's a problem considering those discounts are random anyway. I mean what if two weeks ago you got a 75% off plat and got some platinum and then used that platinum to buy the prime bundle. I don't see what the issue with that is.

[ChaoticVice777]

How? He's saying "use platinum that you have right now to buy the packages".

 

The game will start differentiating between platinum bought on discount and platinum bought at full price? Does it do that now? How would that affect trading? "Selling item x for 18 FULL PRICE PLAT ONLY!"?

 

EDIT: I mean, really, what keeps me from saying, "okay, it's worth 2k plat, let me buy 2k plat at 75% off, and then use it to buy the package"?

 

Ah, I see your point. I guess your best shot is literally what you stated, differentiating the platinum. The game does prevent you from being able to trade away your starting platinum, so that there's potential. I suppose the best shot at determining what platinum has been discounted is:

 

X (Y), where X is the platinum that has been bought at full price and Y is the platinum that has been bought at a discount 

 

Trading would become...more unique/interesting I suppose, since only X should be used to buy Prime access (i.e. the RL cost of the Prime access is converted into a RL-plat ratio set by DE and then subtracted from your total X), and Y can be used on anything else. In other words, discounted platinum would potentially become "less valuable"...not that it's that big of deal. Or would it? There's a lot of factors to consider...

Edited March 23, 2014 by ChaoticVice777

[XenosInfinity]

I'm confused. Don't the Prime Access packs all contain platinum at a relative discount? Is that being excluded from this idea so you just get the equipment?

[ChaoticVice777]

I'm confused. Don't the Prime Access packs all contain platinum at a relative discount? Is that being excluded from this idea so you just get the equipment?

 

This is where it gets dicey. I think any and all platinum purchases that do not involve the "X of the Lotus" coupons should be counted as platinum bought at "full price" (even with bulk discounting). Sure, you gained quite a bit of platinum, but you also consumed a lot as well, and that's where the ratios have to be determined... 

[Llyssa]

Hrmn, I can see a way to fix a lot of these, in that only allow founders/prime access be able to do get the bundles with just plat.

 

 

I don't see how that's a problem considering those discounts are random anyway. I mean what if two weeks ago you got a 75% off plat and got some platinum and then used that platinum to buy the prime bundle. I don't see what the issue with that is.

To the first: we would hear no end of uproar over that. I'm also not entirely sure it would be unjustified.

 

To the second: It's random to a degree, but people purposely work to game the system by planning their logins to maximize the potential. So far as I understand it, it's a working, if slow process, enough so that some people rely on it exclusively. For some people, the bundle is the only thing they'll spring for outside of the whole gaming the system thing. If the bundle was available to them for gaming the system, they would.

 

I mean, it could feasibly work, but we're staring at a LOT of problems to compensate for.

 

The final, and biggest one is: Even if they compensated for all of the above, the non-sales in hopes of sales at a later date means they'd be pushed to generate even more plat-purchasable content, which is something they've throttled back on, purposely, because we've been upset by how prevalent it was, and they'd have to hope the future content was enough to encourage new sales, instead of relying on any income from the current sales. That'd require a restructuring of their entire development process.

 

As a long-term strategy, it's dangerous. They'd need to spend a significant amount of time poring over industry records and data before even thinking about it.

 

If math and analysis shows it would be good, and they can shore up all of the loop holes, okay, great. At first blush, I'm not so sure.

 

I'm confused. Don't the Prime Access packs all contain platinum at a relative discount? Is that being excluded from this idea so you just get the equipment?

No, there's 1 pack that has all of the stuff and no plat. That would be roughly 1,000 platinum.

[Llyssa]

Oh, also, Sony.

 

I'm not entirely sure Sony would sign off on that. If they don't, it would be either completely invalid, or only available on PC. In the latter case, all hell breaks loose if they get account transfers put in.

 

EDIT: As for why, Sony won't make money on players buying things via plat they already own versus buying them through the Sony store, of which they get a cut, as I understand it. So you'd have to convince them it's a good thing before they'd allow it through their "cert" process. =/

Edited March 23, 2014 by Llyssa

[Axterix13]

Another thing: This offers a potential null-sum potential. If everyone interested uses existing platinum to buy the bundles(either through trading or usage of existing resources), then no new money is made at all. The hope for future bundles to make money then relies on the hope that masses of platinum are not stored up in anticipation of them.

 

However, if it's known that bundles can be bought for existing platinum, it would be highly logical to buy platinum at the massive discount in anticipation of new bundles, thereby permanently cutting the income flow of the company.

 

Additionally, this would harm sales via lack of trading--if many players are seeking to gather as much platinum as possible to buy these bundles, they'll be forced into heavy price competition, whilst the number of people with surplus lying around would decrease, thus making the number of people able to meet higher prices also less-existent.

 

If prices across the board were driven down in this way, it would discourage sales of new platinum, as people would need far less to acquire what they need via trade.

It'd most likely encourage the sales of platinum, actually, rather than discourage them.  Less platinum in circulation means it has greater value, but the price in real world money hasn't changed.  Effectively, everything is now cheaper.  That opens up a new price point.  Someone who might not want to pay $5 for Rhino parts might be willing pay $2.

 

Now, whether or not that would offset people buying the founder's packages at 75% off... that's another matter.  Though DE could price them as if plat were purchased at 50% off to compensate for that.