Limited time timing...

Runefang · January 2018

Yolokin_Swagonborn wrote: »

DoctorESO wrote: »

But remember that if someone creates the best product in the whole world, but no one knows about it, then it's not doing much good.

You are confusing advertising with marketing. I have no problem with companies using money to increase the awareness of their product. That isn't remotely similar to what I am saying.

But there is a dishonest and immoral branch of marketing that studies human behavior and seeks to exploit weaknesses in human psychology to coerce people to part with their money when they normally wouldn't. Here are a few examples used in this game.

False Scarcity/Limited Time Offers: This game has digital assets. There is no Crow costume factory that's gonna run out of black feathers. There is no inventory cost for ZOS, no rarity. But we are used to associating value with rarity or difficulty of getting something. So ZOS created an artificial scarcity to make us think things are more valuable then they are.

Obfuscating the price or value of a product: Why buy "Crowns" first to buy things? Why not just advertise new items in Dollars in a Dollar Store? This costume costs 2000 crowns. Without looking, can you tell me how much real world money 2000 crowns represents right now if you were to buy the largest crown pack necessary to afford this item? Converting our real world money into fake money and constantly messing with the exchange rate creates a disconnect between real world value and how much money we are actually willing to spend on cosmetic items. How much is a digital crow costume worth? $5? $10? Is walking around like a digital crow going to give you $10 of value? Would you be surprised if I said it actually cost more than $10?

If something is valuable, I will pay money for it. But I am sick of the cheap psychological parlor tricks.

But things that *are* rare (regardless of whether this rarity is naturally occurring or created artificially) are often more valuable. More valuable to *somebody*. People buy something from the crown store with a short availability simply because they know it means fewer people they meet in-game will have it.

Is that exploiting human psychological weaknesses? Or simply catering to them?

Maybe it made you feed bad because you missed out (FOMO), but it made others feel extra special because they didn't.

Marketing is generally about giving people what they want (note its not always what's good for them), helping them to realise that Product A services Want B. It can be sinister, especially in capitalist world where profit is the only real aim.

Honestly there are much worse real world examples outside of the crown store where this happens, diamonds for example.

monktoasty · January 2018

lordrichter wrote: »

Twenty0zTsunami wrote: »

DoctorESO wrote: »

Twenty0zTsunami wrote: »

DoctorESO wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

Anyway, my attitude with Limited Time Offers is that it doesn't matter how long it is in the store. If I like something, can use it, and the price is right, then I buy it right away, whether it is in the store for a couple of days or "forever". If I miss something because I was away from the game , or not paying attention, then "oh well".

This is a good perspective. 1, 2, 3 years from now, after we've all moved on, this is going to be the last thing on our mind. Can you imagine being on your deathbed thinking, "Oh, I wish I bought that cosmetic item in that game I played 30-50 years ago!"

I bought the game 3 years ago. I still play it for a stretch of a couple months every year, til I get bored.

How then does this statement hold up?

You think you're making a valid argument but you're really just spouting B$. Of course no ones going to think about this on their death bed, but does that automatically mean it isn't a load of dog ish that they market their items like this?

I personally just started a new job a couple weeks ago. Money has been tight so I cant afford the $40 on pixels that I'd be required to buy, in order to pay for a $20 item.

But if the sale were about 5 days longer, or *not temporary* I'd be both able and willing to fork over the cash for it.

They're literally only hurting themselves.

I guarantee you that in five years, even if you're still playing, you're not going to really care about whether you bought this wraith of crows polymorph. You will have had the opportunity to buy much better things, and you will also have had great gameplaying experiences that overshadow any thought of having missed out.

Yeah excepting for the fact that I will see people in it and remember the time I got burned by the bunch of bozos that is the ESO team

Five years from now you might remember it, but I bet you don't care.

I still hold grudges from ultima online and star wars galaxies 20 years later it feels lol

Lynnessa · January 2018

Stinkyremy wrote: »

Not meaning to sound like a [snip] but if your financial life is that you are living payday to payday, broke by the next payday, you should probably skip on such petty things like cosmetics for a video game.
Save your cash, start having savings so you have money available for when you do want to be frivolous and buy something for yourself.

This is coming from someone who lived for the weekend for 15 years, paid on friday, broke by monday.

[Edited for bypassing profanity filter]

Telling people how to spend their money and live their life does make you sound like a [snip], and you know it or you wouldn't have qualified your statement.

I live check to check (according to some stats, 80% of my country does) and I spend my money any way I like because it is mine to do with as I please.

If some feel they are better than me because of this, that's on them, not on me.

Hey, by the way, can I borrow a fiver? Pay you back next Friday.

FloppyTouch · January 2018

Buy more crowns during the half off time, never had this issue of not having plenty of crowns.

Sorry you missed it always next year nothin really seems to be limited time just release yearly.

thewaywardone · January 2018

Runefang wrote: »

Do people really get paid on the 1st and 15th? Never heard of that.

Yep. Am one as well.

Katahdin · January 2018

Ep1kMalware wrote: »

Yolokin_Swagonborn wrote: »

ZOS_Edward wrote: »

Hey @srfrogg23
Unfortunately, this is a situation where it's difficult, if not impossible, to make everyone happy for the reasons many have stated in this discussion already.

If your company just stopped using deplorable marketing tactics and limited time sales, yes, it would make everyone happy. It's very possible.

You know what would make the entire world happy? Less Marketers and more people that actually add value to the planet.

Besides, these limited time sales add variety to the game. It would suck of everyone ever was running around in that polymorph

You mean just like "everyone" running around with the skeleton polymorph that everyone earned in game or the halloween polymorph or Nord towel or jesters costume or that stupid jester run or whatever FOTM costume, mount, pet, personality is out at the time.

Making it available for a longer time dosent mean everyone will have it. Yes you will see more of them for a month or two then it will decrease as people get sick of it or use something else. Also, lots of people won't buy it. I could have but I didn't because I think it's stupid.