Quit putting outfits and skins in the apex tier - the price creep is getting outrageous

Troodon80

jaws343 wrote: »

AuraStorm43 wrote: »

Its almost like crown crates are gambling and they need to load it with garbage to make it harder to get what you want

IDK, I look at it like this:
If I am paying 400 crowns for 1 crate. The minimal expectation is I get 4 instances of crown poisons (or something else in that lower tier). Anything beyond that is a bonus. At a minimum, I am paying 400 crowns for 4 lower tier items. So, before purchasing just ask yourself, are you cool with paying 400 crowns for 4 lower tier items? It's a guaranteed reward, you will always, at a minimum, get one of these items. You may get more, but you will always get your crowns worth of items.

True gambling would be:
I pay 400 crowns, with a chance of getting absolutely nothing in return. I may get a crown poison, I may get a mount, or I may get nothing.

In the second scenario, there is not a tangible value of return on my crowns. I am either getting something or I am getting nothing. In the first scenario (and the one true to how crates work), I have a minimum value I am purchasing items at.

Legally speaking, many territories across Europe, for example, define three major forms of gambling: betting, gaming, and lotteries. "Gaming" is the playing of a game for a prize. The prize being quite literally anything of "value" (UK (Gambling Act 2005 Section 6(5)), France (Article L.320-1)). Some of the items available, for example soul gems and tri-stat potions, are also available in the crown store for crowns, this means they hold actual tangible value as you could pay real money (for crowns) to otherwise obtain them.

In the Netherlands, however, the items obtained from the loot box would have to be tradable for real-world money after obtaining them in order to be considered gambling. Meaning that even if the loot box didn't promise any reward, they wouldn't be regulated in the Netherlands.

The UK's NHS somewhat recently described loot crates as a contributary factor to gambling addictions (further on my comment made on the first page; if you can't tell a need/requirement from a want/desire, then you might want to look into that).

In Ireland, there is a loosely worded variation that does not describe a prize at all, merely "stakes" by the player as well as "remote" gaming/gambling for the purposes of an interim legislation (S.2 Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956-2019, Betting (Amendment) Act 2015).

A player who pays for a "loot box" is considered to engage in gambling under Belgian law. Crown crates are not available to purchase within Belgium.

Germany has moved to adding extra "interactive risks" to its USK age rating system, similar to the ESRB in the USA, making any game with loot boxes 18+, though it hasn't specifically stated it as being gambling (yet) the University of Hamburg believes it to be so.

While nothing on the regulatory side has been announced, investigations are happening in Brazil.

Whether you believe it's "true" gambling or not doesn't really matter. Many countries and institutions (a lot more than I've listed) are moving towards loot crates being exactly that, whether they give a random item or take your money with no promise of a reward, and are either setting restrictions on the sale of them, increasing the age rating for the games with loot crates, or requiring gambling licences just to market the games in certain territories.

GrahamJoyce

Charlotte_Loreley wrote: »

Skimming through comments, I am actually surprised people still indulge companies by buying crates and lootboxes.
What's wrong with society and why no-one seems to learn?
Pre-purchasing unknown products and buying boxes with unknown items, and then asking why your expectations are not met.

At this point this is just comical. It's like Tom constantly shooting himself in the ass with a curved gun and pretending to not know how it's happening.

I completely agree. The entire crown system is particularly bad for people who have gambling problems or gaming addictions. It amazes me that people pay (sometimes hundreds of dollars) for in game items. This is why I refuse to buy crown crates. It's also why zos was forced to implement the seal system. (For all the good that did.)

Troodon80

Raideen wrote: »

"The best things about these items: Not necessary in the least to successfully play the game."

YOU may not need cosmetics to play ESO, I do.

[snip] It's okay to say that you want something because it enchances your gameplay, and I'm not saying they don't add value (I say that owning almost every cosmetic item aside from the scrib, a pony guar, and the streamer giveaway exclusive pets). But it's still not a need.

[edited for baiting]

vsrs_au

Troodon80 wrote: »

You don't need to play this game

No, it's not that simple. Some of us (myself included), are struggling with all that's occurring in the world recently: wars, pandemics, etc., and use games like these as a method of self-therapy. Quite frankly, ESO and Skyrim have made a major contribution to my sanity over the last 2 years .

Troodon80

spartaxoxo wrote: »

But if we're gonna use it in the more common sense of the term, which is something required for X thing, then cosmetics can absolutely be a requirement of enjoying a game. Many people find games dull if their characters can't look nice.

That's the opposite of common sense. It's still a want. I want to raid. I want to play in end game. I want to theorycraft. I want to play PvP. I don't need any of those things and I acknowledge them for what they are. You want your character to look nice, and, by the way, no one has said it's not a valid way to play. Fashion is a huge thing in this game and it adds a huge amount of value. As does housing. And every other playable element of the game. There's something for everyone, which is what makes it great. But it doesn't change what it is.

vsrs_au wrote: »

Troodon80 wrote: »

You don't need to play this game

No, it's not that simple. Some of us (myself included), are struggling with all that's occurring in the world recently: wars, pandemics, etc., and use games like these as a method of self-therapy. Quite frankly, ESO and Skyrim have made a major contribution to my sanity over the last 2 years .

I grew up in a different time where needs and wants had to be clearly defined because of all the things happening at the time, including wars, famines, pandemics, etc., things that, you may not believe, were much worse than they are right now. It really is that simple.

If you're hooked on something to the point you consider it a need, especially if you're using it as a form of self-therepy against things like depression, anxiety, or other mental or emotional struggles, among other things, it might be well advised to re-evaluate and reflect on what those definitions are. An escape can very easily become an addiction.

spartaxoxo

Facefister wrote: »

You guys would've also complained if the skin would've been a reward for a trifecta or something similiar. It's not too expensive, you want it for free.

Today I learned spending money on a Legendary reward instead of an Apex reward is somehow free.

Rezdayn

"yu AiL WaNT iT! iTs NuT a Ne3d! u JaST WunT iT FreE"

Bruh...

Everything in a videogame is just a "want". Balance? we only want it. We dont NEED it. Able to log in and not have 29 days of maintenance per month? That is also just a "want" since we really dont NEED it... Mounts? Nope just a want since we dont NEED it. We could just walk around. While we are at it... NO mounts and NO running. Everyone now just walks. Its only a WANT and not a NEED after all...

This argument of "you just want it" is so meh.

Yes people want to experience a game for a reasonable price or time investment. Colour me suprised!

Wing

jaws343 wrote: »

The best things about these items: Not necessary in the least to successfully play the game.

so should we overprice everything in the world that is not a necessity to live?

nice phone 100k
internet 200k
nice clothes 50k
etc.

and when you say "thats outrageous!"

we can say "oh well you dont NEED any of that"

Seminolegirl1992

Yes pleaseee. Just keep it to mounts. Price creep is bad enough, just keep it legendary and under. I was way more involved with crown sales when things were actually obtainable.

xclassgaming

It's only cosmetic, stop it's not a big deal.

Meiox

Rezdayn wrote: »

"yu AiL WaNT iT! iTs NuT a Ne3d! u JaST WunT iT FreE"

Bruh...

Everything in a videogame is just a "want". Balance? we only want it. We dont NEED it. Able to log in and not have 29 days of maintenance per month? That is also just a "want" since we really dont NEED it... Mounts? Nope just a want since we dont NEED it. We could just walk around. While we are at it... NO mounts and NO running. Everyone now just walks. Its only a WANT and not a NEED after all...

This argument of "you just want it" is so meh.

Yes people want to experience a game for a reasonable price or time investment. Colour me suprised!

That reminds me about some conversations I had with smokers in the past, they allways said "I don't need the cigarette", I could stop smoking any time if I wanted, I just don't want to stop.

Just try for yourself to not use the internet/smart phone for 1 month if you don't need it.
The line between 'Want" and "Need" is very thin ;-)

Raideen

[snip]
No, this is expressing that in order for me to be a customer for this product, that this product 'NEEDS' to come with certain features for me to play the game. These are my requirements, and not you, nor anyone has the ability or right to tell me how to play.

Troodon80 wrote: »

[snip] It's okay to say that you want something because it enchances your gameplay, and I'm not saying they don't add value (I say that owning almost every cosmetic item aside from the scrib, a pony guar, and the streamer giveaway exclusive pets). But it's still not a need.

I am not failing at anything, I perfectly understand the difference between a need and a want, but I also understand that these areas are not black and white, or concrete as you have suggested. I understand that these exist in the grey.

YOU might be here for combat and killing bosses etc. For you, these items are not required to play the game. For me I am NOT here for combat or killing bosses, and these items must exist for me to play the game. I don't know how to express this to be any more clear.

[edited to remove quote]

daim

jtm1018 wrote: »

What do you mean price creep?
They just decided to up the cost.
For what ever reason they want.

You want more, pay more.

And.

You can always opt out.

They are not forcing us to buy it.

All legal.

Actually they didn't up the costs because there are no prices to be seen anywhere in the first place.

[snip]
[edited for bashing]

Wolf_Eye

Araneae6537 wrote: »

Wolf_Eye wrote: »

Lady_Galadhiel wrote: »

I am not suprised at all.
Zos reads the forum posts and lots of people where super excited to get the costum as you could read in the comments of the datamined post a while back.
Super excited people=more chances to milk them.

I was excited to get the costume, thinking it was going to be for crowns and not in a loot box. I didn't automatically lose interest when I saw it was in a loot box, but I did lose interest when I noticed the tier it was on.

I also noticed they "upgraded" the new instrument to be a higher tier than what the new instruments were in the Bandaari crates.

I noticed that! Totally bogus. I feel like ZOS was creating some good will by making everything obtainable for Gems and then endeavors and bringing back more crate seasons (I know these changes didn’t please everyone and naturally the goal is to make money buy still, I am I think many others felt these were good moves). Now that is being eroded by making new things cost more without them being any better.

Like those spriggan polymorphs — at that Gem price I’d expect a real spriggan with a trunk and roots and unique animations instead of this weird two-legged thing. Now is this Play Qanon emote — will it let you choose songs or even have the option to play something yourself (like GW2 instruments) or anything else to justify the jump in price? I highly doubt it.

I noticed also they removed Skald-Muse Fledgling Gryphon from the regular crown store (under the pet categories). You can currently only get this pet through the new crown crates now.