CCP Fallout
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Posted - 2011.03.30 14:25:00 -
[1]
Heya Egor,
I'd like to take some time to answer your concerns regarding the PLEX for Good program. You raise some valid issues/questions that many have had since the program was instituted last year, and while we do have an FAQ on the matter, it's never a bad thing to get direct interaction from someone involved closely with the program :)
The reason why we use PLEX for donations is, truth be told, not everyone has cash floating around that they can donate. A lot of players have ISK to spare, but not a lot of cash on hand. By using PLEX in this way, people have a greater chance to donate to charity than they would otherwise, and a lot of players have expressed this to us, both on the forums and directly. PLEX for Good, therefore, is a good way to allow players to help those in need when they can't otherwise.
Do we write this off on our taxes? Not at all. All donations are made in the name of the EVE Online community. We simply cut the check for 100% of the proceeds. We absorb the costs for VAT (if applicable), credit card fees companies charge us, overhead (I donate my time working for this, as do the GMs and other persons working on this program) etc. No profit is made by us, either via tax breaks or otherwise, with this program.
To reiterate, 100% of each and every PLEX goes to the Red Cross. No money is lost, no profit is made.
Regarding the cost of PLEX during drives: during my presentation on charity to the CSM during the CSM Summit in December, both Doc and I addressed this concern. Here is what the meeting minutes said on this matter (note: the CSM wrote this, not CCP):
 Quote:
CCP has polled players regarding concerns about this program. One major concern is whether charitable giving causes a significant rise in the ISK value of PLEX. However, CCP statistics on PLEX costs do not appear to show a significant correlation between charity drives and PLEX price increases, and PLEX bought to donate are not a large part of the total volume of PLEX transactions. However, CSM noted that the perception that PLEX can be used for purposes like Charity and FanFest tickets (and thus, there will be greater demand for PLEX) could drive prices upwards due to speculation.
Fallout
Associate Community Manager
CCP Hf, EVE Online
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