Karlemgne
The Malevolent
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Posted - 2007.08.29 03:25:00 -
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Edited by: Karlemgne on 29/08/2007 03:27:27
Originally by: Toridas Naradak
Originally by: Learnify I like how everyone insults the isk-selling, and disparages isk-buyers. It's just funny cause CCP is very hypocritical, as they are the biggest isk-sellers of all. They sell it through timecodes, and eliminate all competition by retroactively stealing all virtual property (read: isk) that was not bought through them. (Yes it is stealing when you take something someone else bought, regardless of what any EULA may say. EULAs have no real legal power.)
1. player buys timecode from CCP 2. player trades timecode to another player for ISK
Which of those steps has CCP selling ISK? All the ISK in the equation comes from players. CCP is only selling time codes.
This isn't here nor there to the original posters problem, however I will answer you.
Having worked in the MMO industry in the past, I can promise you that any "objection" to isk or currency trading from the companies that publish MMOs revolves around the "sale" and transfer of their intellectual property.
What I mean to say is, companies do not like it when people are trading real currency for game currency and items, because they don't see any of the money that has changed hands because of THEIR game.
This leaves developers in a sticky situation. Simply selling items to customers directly is an option, but this increases inflation issues, and disturbs a very complex formula that regulates the amount of currency and items that flow into the game (through NPCs and questing) and the amount of money that comes out of the game (taxes on player transactions, etc.)
Some companies, like SOE, have opted to create servers where item and currency trading is acceptable. They then control all currency and money transfers through the "station exchange," charging a small fee for each transaction.
CCP has chosen a third method (and a rather ingenious one at that) to get their "piece" of currency exchanges in EVE-0. By allowing people to sell time cards for isk, CCP receives all of the "cash" that in most cases would have gone to a third party. For example, player A (the seller) gives CCP $15 for a time code, this player then sells the time code for isk to player B. So, player A has purchased isk from CCP, in a round about way, but the isk is isk that is already IN game.
There are secondary benefits from this as well, like people who typically couldn't afford a monthly subscription being able to play in virtue of their success in game.
-Karlemgne
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