So why does ESO "retire" certain styles from the Crown Store?

SocialAssassin

So I see that ESO is planning on retiring some styles from the Crown Store as of this posting? And I was hoping I could get someone from ESO to answer this question? Is it so you guys can make room for new styles? Or only bring them out for special events?



REMOVAL OF EXISTING CROWN STORE ITEMS
The following items will be retired from the Crown Store on all platforms on December 12 at 10 am EST.

Crafting Motifs

Crafting Motif: Bloodforge Style
Crafting Motif: Dreadhorn Style
Crafting Motif: Fang Lair Style
Crafting Motif: Huntsman Style
Crafting Motif: Scalecaller Style
Crafting Motif: Silver Dawn Style
Crafting Motif: Welkynar Style

ManwithBeard9

Partly to create a "false" scarcity of product and partly to not have an enormous list of motifs in the crown store. They all can be earned through activities or bought from guild stores for gold.

idk

The styles added after the game launched were limited time from the start of offering them. It is not like they we cannot get them as most styles offered in the cash shop are available in game.

Beard man has it right. Reduce clutter and provide an urgency to purchase for those who fall for such things.

TiaFrye

Removed styles usually pop up in crown crates 2-3 cycles later, similar to other removed items that are not motifs, so you can guess why based on that.

Watchdog

TiaFrye wrote: »

Removed styles usually pop up in crown crates 2-3 cycles later, similar to other removed items that are not motifs, so you can guess why based on that.

Exactly. If I am not mistaken, you can see some of the motifs being retired in the upcoming Frost Atronach Crates.

Ohtimbar

It's the old "Disney Vault" business strategy. It is presumably good for business, not so much for customers.

VaranisArano

So that they may encourage players to buy it while it is available...and so they may pad out their Crown Crate seasons with returning items that don't take time or effort to make.

Also the Crown Store might get a little overwhelming if we get new stuff each month and nothing ever leaves, or at least that is the most positive spin for a digital storefront.

Alienoutlaw

its to feed the Fear Of Missing Out reflex thats why they have timers, to create a false sense of urgency and demand, if you know something is there all the time your less inclined to make a purchase there and then, but rather save and get it later, when an item is removed or going to be removed you are more inclined to make a snap purchase knowing it may be the last chance to get something you didnt really want in the first place. The same way new items feed the "I want to be first" mentality most crown crates are bought within the 1st 48hrs of release and once an item becomes "common place" in the game sales of the crates to get that item drop off. A basic but very powerful sales technique

Asardes

To put them in Crown Crates later probably. But in case of crafting styles it's not that bad, since those can be bought in game for gold. In fact if you look at the crown price of those, the gold to crown conversion ratio (300-350 on EU-PC) and the gold price of those motif pages on guild store, you'll realize that buying them for crowns is a downright ripoff. You're far better buying them with gold off guild traders since gold is relatively easy to make, especially for a player with a focus on crafting.

Goregrinder

Ohtimbar wrote: »

It's the old "Disney Vault" business strategy. It is presumably good for business, not so much for customers.

How many people are going to buy it if you can pick it up 365 days out of the year? "Oh ill just buy it later it's always on the store..." A year and a half goes by and you haven't bought it.

It's a way to force customers to either s*** or get off the pot. You either want it, or you don't.

DreamsUnderStars

Fake scarcity. Their marketing monkies think this is a clever way of getting more money. Which is does in the short term.

Goregrinder

DreamsUnderStars wrote: »

Fake scarcity. Their marketing monkies think this is a clever way of getting more money. Which is does in the short term.

In the world of MMO's, "Long Term" isn't a guarantee, so short term is the way to go for your share holders and investors.

Unseelie

It is a double edged blade.
Having everything always available to everyone has advantages, but then nothing really feels special or must have or has any prestige and the only way to give it such would be jacking the price up.
On the other hand they can retire things, and then pull them out for special events to sell for small amounts of time so it gives people something to look forward to, gives people that have it some warm fuzzies for having something that not everyone has and means more will likely buy it when it does go up for sale.
It is not secret that we live in an "I want it now if he has it I should have it wah wah unfair" society but I am still glad that some things are that way.
*Note that I say this having just restarted playing on PC having lost many many hundreds of dollars on items that sit on an inactive PS4 account.

TheShadowScout

SocialAssassin wrote: »

So why does ESO "retire" certain styles from the Crown Store?

To make people impulse-buy the stuff, duh!

And all those styles will someday be back... for a limited time, so that the ones who didnd't get them will have a chance to spend money once more.

Welcome to capitalism, where they work with such tricks to boos their sales! (or get fired from the company for not generating enough profit)

snowsong

SocialAssassin wrote: »

So I see that ESO is planning on retiring some styles from the Crown Store as of this posting? And I was hoping I could get someone from ESO to answer this question? Is it so you guys can make room for new styles? Or only bring them out for special events?



REMOVAL OF EXISTING CROWN STORE ITEMS
The following items will be retired from the Crown Store on all platforms on December 12 at 10 am EST.

Crafting Motifs

Crafting Motif: Bloodforge Style
Crafting Motif: Dreadhorn Style
Crafting Motif: Fang Lair Style
Crafting Motif: Huntsman Style
Crafting Motif: Scalecaller Style
Crafting Motif: Silver Dawn Style
Crafting Motif: Welkynar Style

Drat! It seems I missed out on the Welkynar Style & Fang Lair Style I wanted to save up for! LOL :P

FOMO is Real.