Perot Erstik
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Posted - 2011.06.26 11:12:00 -
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Edited by: Perot Erstik on 26/06/2011 11:15:15
Originally by: Argus Sorn Edited by: Argus Sorn on 26/06/2011 09:24:28
Honestly I do think that there is a bit too much anger being generated over what is ultimately an internal memo in an essentially private corporation. While this is a company that we are customers of, and in a sense stakeholders of, it is not a government - they are not obligated to have every internal memo or discussion made public. Nor should these internal discussions be made public - and the response of the eve playing public over this one memo (calling for good developers to be fired and worse) has proven that. A company MUST be free to internally debate their course, for without such debate work, creative work in particular, will NEVER happen. They must be free to debate things which may at first seem unpopular without fear of backlash.
We are certainly due our opinion on development issues, as we are customers, and CCP should care about said opinion as it is good business practice. The thing is, CCP has proven itself far more receptive of player desires and feelings than nearly any other MMO producer out there, while still managing to create a quality product. We must keep in mind that they have done this through the very sort of internal debate that we are 'up in arms' over. The forumula has worked thus far - perhaps we need have some faith in it. More openness may be a good thing in some way - CCP has admitted as much, but taking it too far can paralyze a company.
In addition, we must not fail to admit that lines of metagaming have been crossed in an unacceptable way here. This is no internal Goonswarm or PL mail. These aren't IP addresses from some random alliance forum. These are internal memos of a real world corporation. This leak borders on corporate espionage of the real world sort and we should not support it. How would people feel if a CCP employee leaked records of PLEX transactions to EN24? I am sure EN24 would publish it - have no illusion there. What if your credit card information, your address, or any other information you deem private were leaked? We should not justify or support these internal leaks which may be a breech of contract and perhaps even border on illegal - by responding to them with too much outrage. Honestly, if we should be outraged about anything it should be the leak itself. If we should be calling for anyone to be fired, it should be whomever leaked this memo in the first place. We should not support or dignify this sort of breach of corporate security, in a company which we claim to hold so dear. It can only jeopardize the future of that company, and thus the game we love.
Lastly, I find it odd that folks find the Aurum and microtransactions to be so appalling - as if the idea of spending real world cash on in game objects is somehow new. You can already buy faction items for real money. You can already buy standing (by purchasing tags and cosmos items). You can even buy Titans. Buy plex, get isk, and then use the isk for whatever you want in the game. This is not that far removed from microtransactions. Plex have opened the economy up to real money purchases - not Aurum. Sure, the tying of Aurum to plex requires that a plex be bought by SOMEONE, rather than currency simply generated in game, but I would argue that the plex economy is driven far more by our ravenous need for isk to buy Titans, Super Carriers, and other fun toys with than by the need for a handful of people to own a monocle.
Just my thoughts.
Argus Sorn
This.
As well, I don't appreciate being called an idiot for continuing to play the game. No, I'm not. I'm going to avoid non-vanity AUR items if I can (we don't even know if it's actually happening), and I am going to continue to play the game until it bores me.
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