Crown Store: Custom orders

Fallefel

Hey! TL;DR at the bottom.

One of the most frustrating experiences about the crown store is that if you're looking for one or two specific items, it can take really long time for them to come up for sale. At least, this is based on my own experience checking crown store every few days hoping for few items to show up. After months and months of waiting it can become, dramatically speaking, depressing. I'd have one possible solution for this that wouldn't render featured tab useless.

I'd introduce a new tab called "Custom orders", where are listed every single crown store item excluding houses and crates specifics like mounts/theme items. It would list all items, example currently available (4th of June) Narboth. Catch on the custom orders is that everything in there is more expensive; maybe even up to three times, so that you would be willing to wait for items to be featured if you wanted a bunch of them. Custom orders would alleviate the annoyance caused by mindless waiting, but wouldn't be your first option for every single time due to the increased cost.

Yay or Nay?

TL;DR: New tab "Custom orders", lists all* crown store items with increased price up to three times. A way of obtaining specific items without waiting for months for them to show up, but wouldn't render "Featured" tab useless due to the cost.

vsrs_au

I hope ZOS never read this thread, because it might give them more ideas about extracting money from its customers.

wilykcat

What did I just read 😳

ADarklore

I'd rather them just get rid of the "timed" idea and just give us access to everything all the time. I'm sure a talented web designer could create a new Crown Store site that would make use of tabs and filters so that we could find what we're looking for, regardless of how many items there are. Other websites have stores with tons of different items that don't break the internet, so surely ZOS could come up with a store that contains a mass number of items but are organized well.

One of the main reasons this whole "limited time only" sale doesn't work well is because new players coming in won't have access to them. Imagine how much they could make if they just left everything available all the time (excluding Crown Crate exclusives)... because new players would be able to buy them right away. It would be a win-win.

evan302

ADarklore wrote: »

I'd rather them just get rid of the "timed" idea and just give us access to everything all the time.

This ^
So much this!

Having recently arrived from a game where everything in the cash shop is available all the time, the time-limited shennanigins we have here just baffles me.
I fell in love with Sweetwater Cascades when I came across it in game recently. I'd have bought it but... nope, ZoS does not want my money, maybe in just over a year...

A lot of us have family and work responsibilities, then there are holidays, hospital appointments etc. So many things that can prevent you from logging on in the short window when things are available. So, then what? You wait, and hope you're around in one year, two year's time? It's crazy.

As to the Custom Order idea, that gets a hard 'No' from me.
Things are already priced very high compared to other games. Putting the price even higher for the 'privilege' of being able to purchase items when it suits you would probably not get a positive response from the community, and quite rightly so. There is no sensible reason to limit the supply in the first place; it's not like the things in the Crown Store are made from rare materials, they can replicate them infinitely.

(Edited for clarity)

TybaltKaine

[snip]

I'd rather just have everything open all the time, thanks.
[edited for baiting]

Fallefel

I made this thread reality in mind aka being favourable towards corporation business, because lifting time gates is unrealistic even though Id love that idea. I just wanna spend my excess overflow into pixel cosmetics even if they cost absurdly. Thats mainly because I don't hog every single item and unironically show constraint over hype factors. I just want some I actually care about.

And no, I'm a player not employee of ZoS.

evan302

@Fallefel I'm not sure why you think lifting time-gates is unrealistic or unfriendly towards the business.
Maybe it's a cultural thing? Where I live, the places that market goods in this way are usually selling cheap, poorly made imports and bankrupt stock, often in temporary stores. It makes sense for those companies to push the 'available for a limited time only' aspect as most of their goods cannot be re-ordered.

However, in this case we have items which have obviously had a lot of time put into their development and which can be bought by an infinite number of players, yet a very short window of availability.
The time limited aspect is clearly meant to stimulate sales due to FOMO, but I am certain it's losing potential sales as well. I didn't get my house, but I didn't immediately go and blow the crowns on something else; I'm just sitting on them.
The cash shops in FFXIV and in WoW both have all items available at all times (iirc, it's been a while since I played WoW). Neither Square or Blizzard are adverse to making money, so it obviously works for them.

Maybe we could bribe ZoS into dropping the time-gates in exchange for higher prices, but I don't think it would be good for the game long term. Personally, I'd feel I was being fleeced and I think it would cause a lot of resentment.

wilykcat

How would custom orders work for the in-game shop though? Would it be like ordering a sandwich from Subway...

WiseSky

Why only 3 times more expensive ?

While we are at it, let’s make it 20 times more expensive.

DarcyMardin

There’s nothing I want so much that I would be willing to pay three times as much for. Or *any* more for. The prices on the crown store are already too high.

wilykcat

DarcyMardin wrote: »

There’s nothing I want so much that I would be willing to pay three times as much for. Or *any* more for. The prices on the crown store are already too high.

I agree.

caesarvs

Fallefel wrote: »

I just wanna spend my excess overflow into pixel cosmetics even if they cost absurdly

Yo, I could use some items in the crown store right now, would you care to gift me those?

Fallefel

@evan302

"The time limited aspect is clearly meant to stimulate sales due to FOMO, but I am certain it's losing potential sales as well. I didn't get my house, but I didn't immediately go and blow the crowns on something else; I'm just sitting on them."

I agree with this wholeheartedly as I tend to do the same. However, judging by the fact that they haven't changed their crown store business model implies that it works at acceptable level by having some FOMO factored in. Even though you and I are stubborn enough to wait for the specific items, there are some people who can't and seems like the system is more beneficial that way, being aimed for the customers who "hype-buy" things. That is why I think that demanding the time-gate to be gone without any compensation towards ZoS is unrealistic demand to make. You make a good point with WoW and FFXIV though, maybe it's possible? Also, I'd want to see both featured and custom order tabs to co-exist, because it would feel really bad to give up the cheaper alternative.

To the others in the thread; my intention wasn't to rile you up for the increased cost. It was something I threw around. Obviously by having such a tab, the prices would be higher, otherwise the whole system would be unnecessary. I also understand that some may feel that crown store is expensive, but you aren't forced to buy anything from there. You can ignore it and find enjoyment in the game. I understand the temptation though, but frankly, it's yours to deal with.

I still appreciate the responses on this thread even if they don't align with my point of view. And to clarify; I agree with most of you, I'd want the store to include every single item at a regular price. I just can't see that realistically happen.

sparxys

I feel like a better idea would be to have everything available all at once, for like two weeks.
Ofc I'd prefer for them to be available all the time, but I don't think that would happen anytime soon, so what they could do to have the best of both worlds (I guess) would be to just have an event where everything's available.

They could tie it with the New year event or the anniversary event or something. I feel like that'd be nice.

This way they can have their lil manipulative FOMO for people who can't wait to get their hands on X Y X, but people who CAN wait for some time know when the store will have everything they wanna buy.

Gruumsh1

"SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!" doesn't seem to work with ZOS's marketing plan....

They seem very keen not to earn as much money as they could, they'd rather it dribble in in small amounts.

Inexplicable.

Gray_howling_parrot

Hey! Even better idea. Scrap this entirely and make all old items/items not currently in the store EARNABLE in game. Crazy concept.

Amottica

Zenimax puts crowns on deep sale twice a year which significantly lowers the cost of items for those who plan ahead. LTOs generate recenir because those who want the LTO but failed to plan ahead will pay full price for crowns.

These “special orders” would negate all that and permit people to just wait until a crown sale and save a lot of money. It’s unlikely Zenimax will not see how this will reduce revenue.

As such this is unlikely to happen.

Necrotech_Master

DarcyMardin wrote: »

There’s nothing I want so much that I would be willing to pay three times as much for. Or *any* more for. The prices on the crown store are already too high.

this

everything in the crown store needs to be cut to about 1/4 of what it is now

i also agree that limited time offerings and playing on peoples fomo is not exactly the best decision either because in many cases it also drives people away from the store too because what they want is never available