Akatosh Living Armor Senche - Free?!??!?!

Sluggy · June 22

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

So you can get the Akatosh Living Armor Senche and or the Alduin Living Armor Senche for "Free", but only if you first get the Dragonclash Lving Armor Senche and the Times Herald Living armor first through the crown crates.

We have to buy crowns to get crown crates or sub to ESO plus to get crowns. Neither are free
We then have to use those crowns to obtain nearly impossibly, low % chance drop items from the crown crates. These crates are not "free".
The cost of the items using endeavors is greater than what one can save in a year of endeavors. So unless you knew over a year ago to save for these free items (which no one did), then and only then could they be "free".

ZOS, using the advertising lable as "Free" comes across as disingenuous.

One really important thing for everyone to always keep in mind when pricing or pricing models change. The metrics of these sales will influence future offers.

Pixiepumpkin · June 22

Carcamongus wrote: »

The problem isn't that the mounts are labeled as "free", which they technically are if you meet the requirements. The problem is that the requirements are steep and depend on awful odds, meaning a lot of money being spent. You spend gems or crowns to buy crates in order to (maybe) obtain the required items and then, with that (maybe) completed, you have the option of claiming the mount without spending anything else. Again, what truly deserves criticism isn't the use of the word "free", but the absurd requirements to obtain the free mounts. I don't usually complain about crates, but this novelty is a new low.

I was not criticizing the word "free" in as much as I was criticizing that "free" in this example is not "free" because it requires purchases as I illustrated.

And I agree, this is a new low.

whitecrow · June 22

All these mounts are hideously overdone and I wouldn't want them even for free.

Cooperharley · June 22

Dalsinthus wrote: »

Use cash to buy crowns, use crowns to by crates, convert redundant items in crates to gems, accumulate a large quantity of gems to buy 3 expensive items, combine said items into what you really wanted in the first place… It’s a lot. I can’t imagine trying to explain this to someone that doesn’t play this game.

The whole alternative currency that you have to buy first to purchase something in an in game store has always felt horrible.

It’s just a way to get you to spend more money than you need to actually buy something. Also, if they put a $ amount behind the radiant apex mounts, people would lose their minds at how much it costs on average.

Seals of endeavor too was just a legal workaround for Microsoft’s acquisition of ZOS so we can “earn” these. Why not allow us to accumulate 16K per season if we play a ton? Because then people wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars attempting to gamble for one.

I know it’s likely a high up decision, but man, it feels really bad

CalamityCat · June 22

whitecrow wrote: »

All these mounts are hideously overdone and I wouldn't want them even for free.

I thought the same. I logged in to preview them and genuinely it doesn't even look like someone tried to make something special. I never find the apex mounts tempting, they so often just look like trash to me.

Cooperharley wrote: »

The whole alternative currency that you have to buy first to purchase something in an in game store has always felt horrible.

It’s just a way to get you to spend more money than you need to actually buy something. Also, if they put a $ amount behind the radiant apex mounts, people would lose their minds at how much it costs on average.

Seals of endeavor too was just a legal workaround for Microsoft’s acquisition of ZOS so we can “earn” these. Why not allow us to accumulate 16K per season if we play a ton? Because then people wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars attempting to gamble for one.

I know it’s likely a high up decision, but man, it feels really bad

I think the different currencies also conceal how much real money you're spending on items. It would be interesting to see what happened if they had to display the real currency prices alongside their cost in crowns/gems/seals.

I always found the gambling thing disgusting, with this being a new low for ESO. I don't mind cosmetic items being in a store, but I'd prefer if they were just at a fixed price and this whole gambling nonsense was taken out. I don't buy the big expensive houses, but at least some effort went into making them. The other top price stuff should be similarly special at fixed prices. Not used as gambling bait.

If the gambling stays, I think it would be helpful to allow users to set a spending limit, so ZOS look at least minimally responsible. Or limit how many crates can be bought in a short period of time. Even if it's a setting the player puts on by themselves to help control their spending.

xxxGUZxxx · June 22

this has to be a joke right? Zenimax/Bethesda this is really soo scummy

AngryPenguin · June 22

As another poster pointed out, if you have to buy something to get something for "free", that item is not free. So that part all by itself is deceptive and dishonest.

Then the layering of how we're expected to buy crates and rely on RNG to fulfil the requirements for the "free" items is yet another new low point in ZOS' marketing. So low that I feel like ZOS is calling me stupid for having put up with their monetization for so long that it's now gotten this out of hand.

This is how pyramid schemes are structured. Many countries do not allow this kind of marketing because it's so deceptive.

There is no way ZOS comes out ahead by doing this, if for no other reason that it shows ZOS to be unworthy of our trust and respect. If they don't have any more respect for the customers than this, then it's really hard for the customer to have respect for the company.

Pixiepumpkin · June 23

AngryPenguin wrote: »

As another poster pointed out, if you have to buy something to get something for "free", that item is not free. So that part all by itself is deceptive and dishonest.

100%

AngryPenguin wrote: »

Then the layering of how we're expected to buy crates and rely on RNG to fulfil the requirements for the "free" items is yet another new low point in ZOS' marketing. So low that I feel like ZOS is calling me stupid for having put up with their monetization for so long that it's now gotten this out of hand.

I know your feeling. I feel the same way, as if they are inferring I do not possess the observational aquity to see what is being done to obtain the "free" item.

AngryPenguin wrote: »

If they don't have any more respect for the customers than this, then it's really hard for the customer to have respect for the company.

100%
I'd love to see their data detailing how much is profited from these practices, cross referenced with players leaving the game. I imagine they'd prefer to lose all the old players who already bought stuff in order to make room for new players to buy all the stuff again. This mindset works in the short term, but not long term. Because I can say, as a 100% absolute that I will never pay or play for another Zenimax Online product again, and I know quite a few people who share the same sentiment.

I have no problems paying for a game. I have purchased No Man's Sky 6 times even though that game has never required I spent a penny more than the initial purchase. Not in online services, not in DLC, not in anything. And yet, I am so enamored with their transparency and desire to make a game fun first and foremost, that I am willing to give them more money. They 100% deserve it and then some.

Eliahnus · June 25

The so-called "free" mounts sets off bad blood, that's for sure.

JJBoomer · June 25

not sure what you guys expect. you want capitalism. well this is what capitalism gives you. but then you complain about it, but then continue defending the system that makes companies be able to do things like this. ZOS is a company. they don't care about you. they care about money, because that is the world humans made for themselves. either accept it, or do something to change it.

magnusthorek · June 25

In my country, that kind of misleading advertising would likely result in legal proceedings. I won't do anything, though. I'm too lazy for that, and it's freaking cold for even being sat at my chair

Erissime · June 25

My main problem with this new system of "free" is the math. Man, I think I read some 10 times the necessary steps to acquire the other "free" mounts , and scrolled between pages in the store back and forth about as much to understand what is what. Honestly I hate it when I have to "math" around stupid names in order to figure out what's what as it is posted ( if you get this "blahblahblahLongName here + that "otherblahblahblahLongNamehere" you can have this "blahblahYoulikeHere"). Just say it with nrs next time please, since it's a "game" of numbers anyway!

Cool rewards otherwise, but I'm not a fan of being forced to buy something I do not like in order to get to something I like. You may want to rethink that strategy. Orange-too colourful thing-flame: meh. Red - yes! ( I know it is personal, but surely there are others out there with various tastes). Never impose on people's tastes!

OnnuK · June 26

I find myself, for the very first time, opting out of the 8000-crown bundle. ZOS, what exactly is happening?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but if an item is presented as 'free' only when another purchase is required, then it's simply not free at all.

Pixiepumpkin · June 26

Eliahnus wrote: »

The so-called "free" mounts sets off bad blood, that's for sure.

Ya, what little feeling I had of being a "valued customer" went out the window.

Pixiepumpkin · June 27

Sluggy wrote: »

Pixiepumpkin wrote: »

So you can get the Akatosh Living Armor Senche and or the Alduin Living Armor Senche for "Free", but only if you first get the Dragonclash Lving Armor Senche and the Times Herald Living armor first through the crown crates.

We have to buy crowns to get crown crates or sub to ESO plus to get crowns. Neither are free
We then have to use those crowns to obtain nearly impossibly, low % chance drop items from the crown crates. These crates are not "free".
The cost of the items using endeavors is greater than what one can save in a year of endeavors. So unless you knew over a year ago to save for these free items (which no one did), then and only then could they be "free".

ZOS, using the advertising lable as "Free" comes across as disingenuous.

One really important thing for everyone to always keep in mind when pricing or pricing models change. The metrics of these sales will influence future offers.

Sorry, I missed your post.

I agree, all we can do is refrain from spending money on this if we consider it unethical.