Bye bye Parriah's Pinacle

DreamyLu · January 24

I do love that house. I was waiting since 2 years with hope to see it in store and buy it. Yesterday, when I saw that it was back, I got totally excited, but I had only 190 crowns left and it can't be purchased with gold.
So, I jumped on my credit card and got a shock when discovering the real value of crowns... Since I rarely purchase stuff in this game, and that when I do it's with gold, gems, seals of end. and the crown I get from ESO+, I had never had a direct link to what the crowns mean in term of real money: WOW!

I gave up on the house. I will let the crowns I get from ESO+ increase until I have nearly that amount and from there, use only that what I get in excess of it until the house will be back in 2 years - or more - from now.

Don't misunderstand me: I don't tell it's bad or wrong. I myself invest lot of money in my main game. And I believe it's good that those who can afford it (like me) do that, because that's what maintains games alive. However, I wanted to share about that, because it shows how we can easily lose contact to reality regarding real value of money, when close inside our game worlds. Enjoy gaming, but take care All.

Northwold · January 24

Yes it's honestly worrying that sometimes people don't realise some of the big houses can cost *more* than an entire single player triple-A game. In the UK, at least.

Kendaric · January 24

Northwold wrote: »

Yes it's honestly worrying that sometimes people don't realise some of the big houses can cost *more* than an entire single player triple-A game. In the UK, at least.

It's not only the UK, the rest of the EU as well and probably it's not different for other countries. And it's not only houses that are expensive as hell...it's almost everything in the clown store. It's no longer anything that could be called "micro-transaction"...

Danikat · January 24

I've often wondered how players can justify buying the extremely expensive houses, especially when they're just using them for a guild hall or something and it's not really any different to the ones you can get with gold.

I suppose this provides one answer, if you're paying for ESO+ for other reasons and consider the crowns a bonus you're likely to value them less than if you're buying crowns directly.

It's difficult to get a definitive value for crowns because the price per crown is different depending on how you buy them, and they're often on sale, so rather than keep track of exactly where mine came from I calculate the price of crown store items based on the cost of a full price 5,500 crown pack (because that's the one I buy most often). So for example for Pariah's Pinnacle is (£29.99/5500)*10,400 = £56.71

Sometimes I do the calculation and decide it's definitely worth it, other times I look at the result and think "oh wow, it's not that nice".

BlueRaven · January 24

Usually, when they first go on sale, the big houses go on the market the same time as a crown sale.

Also, utilize crown sales to your advantage. Even if there is no house, or even anything of interest, currently in the store.

Lugaldu · January 24

I don't know, but I always look very closely at the equivalent between crown prices and the value of real money and the prices of things in the crown store. And then I evaluate how much joy I can get from buying something in the crown store or not. I compare it to a visit to the restaurant, where at the end you had nothing but a full stomach and maybe good company. But when I buy a package of 21,000 crowns in the sale for around 80 euros, then - for me - I will have invested this money better than with 2-3 visits to a restaurant, because I can buy at least one large house and numerous other things for it , which I will enjoy for weeks. And not just one or two evenings.

BXR_Lonestar · January 24

I've often wondered how players can justify buying the extremely expensive houses, especially when they're just using them for a guild hall or something and it's not really any different to the ones you can get with gold.

If your like me and you have ESO plus, don't buy crowns or crown items often, and are not a crown seller, then you often have a huge crown surplus, so why not splurge on something you like when you see it come up? At that point, it just becomes an additional perk of having the game subscription.

freespirit · January 24

I too have to force myself to do a reality check when looking at the latest Crown House that I really want to own!

I have brought a few when they appear at a time that I have enough ESO+ crowns saved up and I'm also guilty of getting my grown up kids to give me money for Birthday and Christmas pressies....

I suffer from way less guilt when I spend their money on huge overpriced houses in a game!!

Pixiepumpkin · January 24

The prices are ridiculous.

I always think "What tangible item do I need IRL that will make life better, vs this overpriced digital item". I always feel ashamed when I spent a lot on crowns because the return on the money is simply not good compared to a plethora of other games and to real life items.

I too was going to get Parriahs Pinacle, but even though they lowered the price, its still over 50 USD for the house, in fact closer to 100 USD and frankly its old looking. The textures are just old looking.

Its just not worth it. I figure I can not spend crowns on 3 occasions and instead get me an heirloom quality pan from 360 cookware or all-clad. Maybe a nice leather bag from saddleback that has a 100 year warranty.

I don't have an issue spending money on digital goods, but ESO prices are insane, even on sale crowns are over priced in my opinion.

w002exp · January 24

I'm certain ZOS would have collected the demand modeling to figure out the best pricing model, but I do always question whether a reduction in price would increase revenues. But I have to assume that ZOS has near perfect demand model data because of how they can monitor crown purchases and volume. So your simple answer is--at a single price point, it is priced where it is at because people are willing to pay for it at that price.

I do think ZOS is making some enormous pricing errors though by not discriminating the market further. There are a lot of buyers who are willing to buy the product above cost (like OP) but won't because the price is too high. I'm almost certain there are also a lot of buyers who are willing to pay more for these houses but they end up paying less because of where the house is priced. Currently, the price discrimination only separates into a Furnished and Unfurnished model, but the furnished model comes with crown furnishing which is objectively less valuable than in-game furnishing (because it cannot be traded or easily stored). Despite being willing to pay more for a furnished model I know many who will not because the crown furniture is more a hassle then a help.

You're welcome ZOS, that's my light consulting for the day. You're welcome to hit me up and we can discuss how to come on board to do more.

runa_gate · January 24

What's your @name? (DM me if you want to keep it private). I'll send you that house.

Pixiepumpkin · January 24

^

AScarlato · January 24

I have spent more on ESO since joining in 2020 than I have in 10 years of other MMOs, due to the costs of housing, and worse...the insidious use of gambling through crown crates for cosmetics, mounts, and furniture that I wanted to complete character concepts as an avid Roleplayer.

At this point though I have started spending far less. I have multiple homes I purchased that got little to no use, and wish I could return (such as Princely Dawnlight and the Lighthouse home).

I really have no one but myself to blame, but it really is 100s of dollars down the drain over a fleeting fancy. Lately I have succeeded in avoiding my impulse to buy every home I have some interest in, and sadly despite spending thousands on housing, I'm presently using the "free" Antiquarians one I got from the Skyrim expansion as my main.

Edit: Aside from myself I will also blame FOMO, since we often only have a week, or sometimes even 2-3 days to decide to get something, knowing it can vanish for years....

Pepegrillos · January 24

It's about 26 million gold at current PC-NA rates in some crown exchange discords.

runa_gate · January 25

it occurs to me this person will not see my offer before the house leaves the store which would be really messed up

Northwold · January 25

runa_gate wrote: »

it occurs to me this person will not see my offer before the house leaves the store which would be really messed up

It's a really kind one. If you message with the @ signal will at least give a notification. @DreamyLu

TaSheen · January 25

I thought @DreamyLu had posted in the gift exchane thread this past December, but I couldn't find a post from him/her. I hoe s/he sees your offer @runa_gate - you are a star for doing this!

runa_gate · January 25

Their signature even says PC/NA like me but trying to /w DreamyLu would only work if they were logged in, wait I'll try in-game mail

freespirit · January 25

I actually brought Pariah's Pinnacle the first time it appeared(one of those times I had enough ESO+ crowns saved up), it sat there undecorated until very recently, the size and layout was just not right for me....

What changed my mind you ask?? I discovered how far you could build to the left of the entrance over the edge!!

I basically blocked off most of the building and it became my "Sky Pirates" house, which once I had limited the space was very enjoyable to decorate!

DreamyLu · January 25

Dear All

Yep, I'm in EU playing on NA, and at the top of it I'm playing at Aussie & Asia times (early morning my local time), so I see everything with lag.

I thank all the persons who offered their help to get me the house (I also got messages).

I would like to apologize because I'm not sure if I was clear enough in what I said: I'm lucky enough to be "comfortable" with money - both in rl and in game - and could afford to pay for the house without second thought. The issue was more emotional, as I realized the real price of that house. Where I live, that's about one week food for 2 persons for example. And ESO isn't even my main game... I was overwhelmed by an enormous feeling of guilt and couldn't cope with it in that moment.

@runa_gate, thank you so much. Should you have gifted me the house in game, I would like to compensate. I will see it once in game.

A big sorry again to All if I gave the wrong impression that my problem was that I couldn't afford the house. It wasn't the point.

You All rock guys!

katanagirl1 · January 25

You can also have the house gifted to you for gold if you can find a crown seller. I don’t know what the crown to gold ratio is on PC though, probably much more than on PS.

ZOS_Volpe · January 25

Hello there,

We have gone ahead and moved this thread to a category we think is more suitable for this topic, Crown Store & ESO Plus.

Thank you for your understanding.

runa_gate · January 25

Sadly, not knowing your @name and seeing mail fail to @DreamyLu we appear to have missed our opportunity

DreamyLu · January 26

runa_gate wrote: »

Sadly, not knowing your @name and seeing mail fail to @DreamyLu we appear to have missed our opportunity

No worries at all and thank you for caring.

ADarklore · January 26

I always find it interesting when people complain about the prices of Crowns (which if you buy them on SALE, you get a much better deal), and compare them to 'tangible' items. So you're telling me you don't go out to movies, to bars/nightclubs, etc? Because there is no tangible asset to any of that either. IMO, spending $50 on Crowns gets me more long-term entertainment than spending $50 for one night at a nightclub. There are so many ways that people throw money away on some form of entertainment- including drinking/smoking- for far more short-term "entertainment". Many of us, at least for me, have spent hundreds of hours playing ESO over many years... so all the money I have contributed to the game IMO was well worth the long-term entertainment value I have received.

Pixiepumpkin · January 26

Its perplexing when people support ludicrous prices on digital goods that require no storage space compared to tangible items, are infinitely (for all intents and purposes) re-producable with little to no warehouse overhead and the allegedly predatory practices that some game studios employ against their clientel. These "micro transactions" are not even remotely micro. There is literally no reason a house in a video game should cost more than the base game copy or any expansion ESPECIALLY when their is a mandatory subscription (and lets be brutally honest, no one is playing ESO to its fullest without ESO+, due to the craft bag alone and the necessary materials to do crafting dailies).

"So you're telling me you don't go out to movies, to bars/nightclubs, etc?"
If you are referring to me, then no, I do not. I do not go to bars, or night clubs, nor pubs. If I watch a movie, I purchase it on blu-ray, music on CD or vinyl.

Everyone, literally everyone will get more mileage out of a tangible item than any digital good. I might counterpoint myself and suggest that digital music will get you your moneys worth, but as someone who enjoys finer reproduced audio, you simply are not going to get better than vinyl on a well balanced high fidelity audio rig. But back to the point, very few people have everything they need, and this is proven if you are paying rent or have a mortgage. A tangible item, a better pot for cooking, a better blanket for warmth, a better mattress for a good nights rest, the list goes on and on. Digital goods can not touch these items that make every day living better, less of a chore or even enjoyable.

I have played thousands of hours over the years in ESO, but the money spent in hindsight has not been worth it. I should not have to pay insane amounts of money to make the game fun, which is exactly what all the cosmetics are.

I played world of warcraft for 20,000+ hours and felt every month sub was absolutely worth it because anything I collected in game that made the game better like outfits for transmog, or mounts, were all had by enjoying the content itself. I never had to spend insane amounts to make the base game fun.