Filling up my gas tank.

I always though that NEX stuff could be acquired through PLEX / in-game currency.

Things that cost less than CCP's Micro Transactions

Not much else is that cheap.

Filling up my gas tank.

Well, let's see... I can't sell ISK for cash (not without risking a ban), but I can buy AUR with it (indirectly), and I have craploads of ISK.
So... CCP's MTs cost me... a whooping ZERO.
Not much else is that cheap.

Aurum CAN be paid for with nothing but isk, which CAN be earned through sheer diligence.

However, they can also be purchased with real money, giving them a dollar equivalent. Just because it's irreversible doesn't mean the equivalent ceases to exist.


re: OP

My car insurance!

Well, let's see... I can't sell ISK for cash (not without risking a ban), but I can buy AUR with it (indirectly), and I have craploads of ISK.
So... CCP's MTs cost me... a whooping ZERO.
Not much else is that cheap.

At some point to get NEX money someone had to spend IRL cash to convert to Aur.

When you buy stuff from the nex store it costs IRL cash money one way or another. It might not be you that paid CCP the money but that plex has a definite cash value associated with it.

If someone does not put up the money to begin with there is no access to the nex store.

At some point to get NEX money someone had to spend IRL cash to convert to Aur.

When you buy stuff from the nex store it costs IRL cash money one way or another. It might not be you that paid CCP the money but that plex has a definite cash value associated with it.

If someone does not put up the money to begin with there is no access to the nex store.

It seems painfully obvious that CCP's target audience is with "NEW" players. Buying PLEX with real money does matter since most new players will have low skills and need to spend money on PLEX to buy this **** in the first place.

tsk tsk, Akita. I'm was certain that you of all people would be talking about opportunity cost (that whole "minerals I mine are free" thing).

It seems painfully obvious that CCP's target audience is with "NEW" players. Buying PLEX with real money does matter since most new players will have low skills and need to spend money on PLEX to buy this **** in the first place.

tsk tsk, Akita. I'm was certain that you of all people would be talking about opportunity cost (that whole "minerals I mine are free" thing).

Let's play a silly little game.

Pretend I'm on a salary in excess of $1M/year. I own my house. In fact, I own many investment properties. I have shares in multiplexes. I have a beach house on both coasts, a villa in Italy, a few nice cars, plenty of clothes and staff to cook, clean and care for me.

So what do I do with my spare cash? I could buy more houses. I could buy more clothes. I could hire more staff. But I have enough of all those - any more and I'd never actually use them.

So I spend money on bling instead.

Now let's say you're a capsuleer with billions of ISK lying around. You make more ISK than you spend. What do you do with the spare ISK? You could give it away, but why? Instead, why not spend it on bling?

Finally, let's all get over the use of the word "micro transaction" to describe the Noble Exchange which is a "virtual goods" store. It's not meant to be cheap, in fact it's intended to cater to the obscenely rich. Not you, not me, just the obscenely rich.

Akita T is spot on, as usual.

Finally, let's all get over the use of the word "micro transaction" to describe the Noble Exchange which is a "virtual goods" store. It's not meant to be cheap, in fact it's intended to cater to the obscenely rich. Not you, not me, just the obscenely rich.

If it WERE bling then your statement would hold but so far I've seen nothing I'd want to have. Being exclusive comes from quality and quality, most of the time, comes at a steep price. Just being expensive isn't quality or bling, that's nothing more than silly.

I always though that NEX stuff could be acquired through PLEX / in-game currency.

I have craploads of ISK.
So... CCP's MTs cost me... a whooping ZERO.