I don't understand limited time offers.

Minyassa · January 2018

Are there *really* so many people that can spend hundreds of dollars on impulse buys on digital products that they outweigh all the people whose money ZOS is rejecting because they don't have it together in four days? I don't understand that business practice. I have spoken with a least a dozen people who would buy the big-ticket homes for real cash if they were not limited time sales. I and many of my friends agree that it would be worth it to us to set aside money within our entertainment budget to eventually buy the expensive crowns-only houses. So why the rush? I have trouble believing that there are really so many people with hundreds to toss at digital frippery on a moment's notice, enough to make the ones who would be slower but guaranteed purchases be completely unattractive to ZOS as customers. Do I have a misunderstanding of the game's player base as far as average income? I mean is this actually a rich people's game that I have been taking as mainstream? I'm trying to wrap my head around the reason why ZOS doesn't want my money just because I can't rush into spending it on them.

DoctorESO · January 2018

Deloth_Vyrr · January 2018

Also, there is a secondary advantage to these limited time sales. ZOS have been known to sometimes return limited items back into the store on the anniversary of when they first went up for sale.

All those people who missed the item the first time around are much more likely to jump on it if and when it returns (again for a limited time window)

Dawnblade · January 2018

They exist because humans are easily manipulated by such simple marketing efforts as making something appear rare or in limited quantities (limited edition, limited time only).

Rohamad_Ali · January 2018

HYPE

TheShadowScout · January 2018

Its an old trick... but it works.
Sometime.
That's why they keep using it!

And for those who do miss out... they return all the limited time offers in crown crates someday. To make them spend even more money to get what they want.

Welcome to capitalism!

Pheefs · January 2018

Minyassa wrote: »

I don't understand that business practice.

Hi!
The thing about this forced scarcity thing we have to remember is its about money & resources too...
apparently a short term offering of an expensive house gets them a better return for money & server space.

I don't think its that there are more whales buying than we realize, in my opinion they are happy with less houses overall.

Minyassa · January 2018

Pheefs wrote: »

Minyassa wrote: »

I don't understand that business practice.

Hi!
The thing about this forced scarcity thing we have to remember is its about money & resources too...
apparently a short term offering of an expensive house gets them a better return for money & server space.

I don't think its that there are more whales buying than we realize, in my opinion they are happy with less houses overall.

That is something I never considered but it makes sense, in an annoying and frustrating way. But it does solve the mystery!

Bleh.

Hanokihs · January 2018

Most people who want and are exited for specific items jump on them the moment they're released. If you're not one of these people and need extra time, I suggest investing in crowns when they're on sale and making a point to save about 4000-6000 of them for limited-time items. Alternatively, save up some every month, and you'll never be caught by surprise.

jesse_lewis · January 2018

Ill be honest, the crown store really bugs me. Only because if you were to add all of these items to achievements there would be so much more content to do in game. I really like the way WoW does it as they have a cash shop with maybe 10 or 12 mounts and pets. In game however, they have hundreds upon hundreds of achievement tied mounts, pets, and collectables. I have a couple ideas as to how they could implement this. One being that if you sub to ESO+ for so many months you can get all of these mounts and pets if you complete some prerequisite. Once your time expires though it'd lock you out from that particular mount or pet until you resub or you could buy it for crowns.

monktoasty · January 2018

In theory it probably works..but in practice..leaving it up will eventually garner more sales.

But then again..the allure of having something rare is tempting to many..so there's that.

kyle.wilson · January 2018

This is why limited time is so effective. In reality its a terrible and disgusting sandwich, but its limited availability creates havoc when it appears.
The limited period increases the desirability because less people will have it. It has also allowed them to increase the prices to sell it.

kyle.wilson · January 2018

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Its an old trick... but it works.
Sometime.
That's why they keep using it!

And for those who do miss out... they return all the limited time offers in crown crates someday. To make them spend even more money to get what they want.

Welcome to capitalism!

That's not capitalism, that's an exploitive behavior to the already addictive qualities of an MMORPG.

monktoasty · January 2018

I just wonder..if the Mcrib is year round..it would probably sell more but who knows

kyle.wilson · January 2018

monktoasty wrote: »

I just wonder..if the Mcrib is year round..it would probably sell more but who knows

McDonalds generally "releases" the sandwiches when pork is at a low price. This allows them to maximize profits and keep hype.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/06/news/companies/psl-mcrib-seasonal-items/index.html

DoctorESO · January 2018

kyle.wilson · January 2018

DoctorESO wrote: »

kyle.wilson wrote: »

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Its an old trick... but it works.
Sometime.
That's why they keep using it!

And for those who do miss out... they return all the limited time offers in crown crates someday. To make them spend even more money to get what they want.

Welcome to capitalism!

That's not capitalism, that's an exploitive behavior to the already addictive qualities of an MMORPG.

I guess the capitalism part would come into play this way: Customers don't like exploitive behavior. Therefore, they will stop frequenting games/companies that are exploitive. This will cause games/companies to be less exploitive because they want to keep or attract new customers.

EA has been listed as one of the most hated companies for years, yet people still buy their games in masses.

Oberick · January 2018

Most people won't buy a 100$ virtual house if they have time to think it over, but they will if they think its a limited time thing. And even more still will buy it the next time it comes up for sale because people often regret the choices they make.

Minyassa · January 2018

Oberick wrote: »

Most people won't buy a 100$ virtual house if they have time to think it over, but they will if they think its a limited time thing. And even more still will buy it the next time it comes up for sale because people often regret the choices they make.

See, if there WAS a reliable next time, I wouldn't wonder so much about this. But in the time I have played (about 7 months) I have not seen them offer any of their limited sales again, all I've seen is stuff showing up in crown crates that people say used to be on sale. So I was figuring that once they do their limited offer, it's gone forever until it shows up in a crown crate with no guarantee of getting it, and that's what doesn't make any sense to me. If they DO offer limited items more than once then I won't think they're as crazy!!

DoctorESO · January 2018

FearlessOne_2014 · January 2018

Limited offers other than the Elven Hero costume are normal a huge turn off for me. When I see something go up for limited offer for more than the cost of the game. Nothing but red flags and alarms buzz in my head.

Now items that are not limited but costly if I like them I'll buy them. But trying to coax me into hurrying up to spend $40 or more on a two day limited item..... BEYOND HUGE TURN OFF. To the point even if I have the money and like the item. I simply just don't buy it out of spite.

Stop putting up these limited items in this manner if your intention is to get me to buy them. Because it actually does the opposite. Price is not the issue. The issue is the part you ZOS are trying to coax me into buying the item with little time for thought.

BlazingDynamo · January 2018

I'll admit I use to buy into the limited time mounts and stuff cause I thought they were going to actually be limited edition and unique (never come back) after crown crates came out and included all of those part limited mounts I gave up on buying "limited time offers". It'll come back, even if it don't who cares