huschdeguddzje wrote: »I'm glad I got the spymaster costume, looks like it won't be returning soon if naryus costume is anything to go by.
That being said the exclusivity is one of its appeals
Ahnastashia wrote: »Chances are they will not stop the limited time items because they want to snag the impulse buyers. They don't want people to have time to really think and have the chance to reconsider choices about buying some items (imho). When I see time limited items... I just pretty much say NO because I know what they are doing.
By making things exclusive, especially time exclusive, you get people to spend more money then they otherwise would on stuff they don't even need or want, because of prestige and because the time pressure leads to non informed buying decisions. If it wouldn't work out companies wouldn't be doing it.
“On the revenue side, they’ve done something that’s really unique, which is come up with a perception of exclusivity,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. Many accessories in the Fortnite shop are available on a limited basis, prompting players to buy before coveted items disappear from virtual shelves. “If you see another player in a leopard skin and go to the store and see it’s no longer available, you think, Shoot, I’ve got to move on it next time.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-24/fortnite-phenomenon-turns-epic-game-developer-into-billionaire
So, basically, the argument is that ZOS could be making more money if they stuck to a one-and-done system where items never came back once retired. Not the evergreen system that you suggest.
By making things exclusive, especially time exclusive, you get people to spend more money then they otherwise would on stuff they don't even need or want, because of prestige and because the time pressure leads to non informed buying decisions. If it wouldn't work out companies wouldn't be doing it.
Others here suggest otherwise, and more than one has claimed to not buy anything due to the current system. Perhaps they do better with other players than those who have posted here... But, from my point of view not offering the cosmetic results in losing sales. Because, as I said, I was wallet open ready to spend a good $100 last night only to find none of them items I was buying crowns for was available lol. I am a returning player, I have been here since March 2014, early access on PC and now I play on my Xbox One X...
By making things exclusive, especially time exclusive, you get people to spend more money then they otherwise would on stuff they don't even need or want, because of prestige and because the time pressure leads to non informed buying decisions. If it wouldn't work out companies wouldn't be doing it.
Others here suggest otherwise, and more than one has claimed to not buy anything due to the current system. Perhaps they do better with other players than those who have posted here... But, from my point of view not offering the cosmetic results in losing sales. Because, as I said, I was wallet open ready to spend a good $100 last night only to find none of them items I was buying crowns for was available lol. I am a returning player, I have been here since March 2014, early access on PC and now I play on my Xbox One X...
From my general experience such practices usually make money from from customers with rather small interest in the product. For ESO that would be players that only play for a few months at best and then lose interest in the game.This system usually makes money by drawing from a large costumer base. Additionally you keep your product range small, which can also have it's benefits.
I of course can't know how this works out for ESO, but I know that it works pretty well for other businesses. Maybe they do their own market research, maybe they just copy what works and can't do math. Who knows.^^
BejaProphet wrote: »I get what they are doing, and I understand the financial sense of it. I have no problem with it in theory. But at the same time can't we all admit that the sheer flurry and quickness of it combined with the extremely high prices combined with the chance being forever missed is a bit frustrating? I wish they could think of someway to maintain that "exclusivity appeal" while giving me some venue in which to grab an item I simply couldn't get at the time.
jimmulvaney wrote: »The best marketable way to deal with the FOMO buyers (impulse, fear of missing out) is to cycle sale prices, not content. For instance, I am a HUGE fan of Daz 3d and can tell you that I easily spend a thousand dollars a year on their content. They cycle prices in predictable intervals, with themed sales of 75, 50, and 25% off but even the generations-old content is still available, granted they 'vault' some items that rarely ever sell, but still available from time to time. Honestly ZOS, my crowns are just adding up and I got nothing worth spending them on because of limited time offers.
Having been in sales off and on for the last 40 years, here is what I have learned:
1. Offer something with value for a fair price, and people will buy it.
2. Make sure the things you do sell are availible to be bought.
3. Dont lie, manipulate or bamboozle your customers if you want repeate sales.
How many of these rules has ZOS broken?
Also, there was one limited time house, Pariah's Pinnacle, which was on sale for about a month last December. I have no idea whether that extended time-frame garnered more sales than the shorter ones.
“On the revenue side, they’ve done something that’s really unique, which is come up with a perception of exclusivity,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. Many accessories in the Fortnite shop are available on a limited basis, prompting players to buy before coveted items disappear from virtual shelves. “If you see another player in a leopard skin and go to the store and see it’s no longer available, you think, Shoot, I’ve got to move on it next time.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-24/fortnite-phenomenon-turns-epic-game-developer-into-billionaire
So, basically, the argument is that ZOS could be making more money if they stuck to a one-and-done system where items never came back once retired. Not the evergreen system that you suggest.
ZOS is not at fault for any items you missed during your hiatus, especially as your opinion on the crown store hasn't changed in that time. And your departure around December '16 was after the limited offers on all the hero costumes so "returning from a time when there was not a Crown store" is not an accurate statement.
So, perhaps this model does make them more money, but it leaves out new players. I'd like to see a compromise where LTO items are offered on their anniversary, at least for things like Tel Galen or Naryu's outfit, which are closely tied to MW - why not offer them again at MW's anniversary? Or, someone else here posted an idea about an annual sale of retired items for ESO Plus members.
I've spent very little money at the crown store for similar reasons. The limited time/exclusive thing just doesn't work for me as a customer. Creating a false scarcity in order to charge stupid prices is a sleazy tactic used by companies that don't respect their customers. Especially when it's implemented as often as it is here.