Zephiami
Dark Skies Dojo
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Posted - 2017.03.16 23:09:58 -
[1] - Quote
Ok, having read all the messages on this board to date, and listened to Seagull spout her stuff, I have a few comments of my own.
First off is the matter of about 3 cents per nu-plex, which of course, will come out at 5 cents when purchased in small lots, which translates to a 66% boost for CCP. I have no trouble with this, as CCP does need to actually make money after all is said and done. But be warned, as micro transactions come for a premium folks!
As much as I object, to CCP sweeping all the Aurum less than 1K's worth to nothing, because I too paid for these, they're definitely within their legal rights under the EULA changes they made a year plus back, where they declared we have "No Interest" in anything in the game. It's play at your own risk, folks, period, no exchange, no refund.
As I've consistently predicted, CCP's trying to make it's buck off of CHURN, which is all those Alpha accounts, rather than focus on retaining and rewarding their long term, regularly PAYING, account holders. Rather than be creative (hard work, actually) and adding things for which we'd gladly pay (Like Stargates and New Territory which could only be initially reached through holes) they're spinning the Parameter/Value dials downward to accommodate the newbies they incorrectly hope will sustain them instead.
Skins HAVE been a money maker, from both newbies and we longer term accounts as well. They are a good implementation for making money, but what CCP really needs to understand is that they'd make MORE money by adding hyper-expensive units like Stargates. CCP can make it's money, the same way Second Life and many others do, which is from the rental fees of player held properties. Currently the proper drain is Fuel Blocks, and Stargates would require ten or more times the monthly amounts of Fuel Blocks as do Citadels or POSes.
Player retention is primarily CAUSED by we longer term account holders, who protect and encourage the newbies, during the initial difficult phases. I've 'saved' several newbies from rage quitting this week alone, by being supportive and upholding them as they slowly break through the "Barriers to Entry" (the business term for this, and apparently not a concept players understand or have chosen to use). We need their support to survive, and help assure they can do so, by supporting them in turn, which we obviously do better than CCP's customer support. And every time CCP cuts US off at the knees, they shoot themselves in the head!
The only benefits we older accounts get from this change, is being able to fractionally support newbies who've only earned a portion of their monthly PLEX, rather than having to toss out for a whole one.
My summary is rather than monetize the minor difference between 0-1000 Aurum or Fractional Plex, CCP should monetize the difference between what could earned from privately controlled access to more systems, with the gap between what they could earn, and what they'd cost monthly in Fuel Blocks. I used to spend thousands of dollars a year, supporting my Corps and Alliance, but if CCP wants ME to open up MY FAUCETS again, they have to give me a reason to do so, and I say to them that "fractionating PLEX isn't going to do it, kiddies!" |