Why are in-game store purchases not account wide?

Gray_howling_parrot · July 2022

*NOTE: By account-wide, I mean cross server; if you have a PS4/5 account and a PC account, I believe your purchases on one platform should be available on the others.

Is this something that's difficult to implement? I think a lot of people switch platforms at some point when theyre able to afford upgrading from console to PC or just to join their friends (ex. I switched from PC to PS5 to play with friends). While I'd love to see cross-save implemented because it'd be good for the game (albeit not likely possible with their current hardware setup), i'm surprised that certain things like crown store purchases are not. Thoughts?

Flangdoodle · July 2022

For the same reason that when you bought a movie on VHS, you didn't get it on DVD, and blu-ray, and to stream, etc.

At some point, they have to dillineate when the product becomes another product, and that line seems to be the platform each account is on. The fact that you need a new account to play on each one should clue you in - how would they even keep track of multiple accounts for a single player? Even if they did, the cost of tracking those accounts would be too expensive, and what would they get back for that extra expense?

Hurbster · July 2022

Interesting example. When I bought films on VHS, the other formats had not been invented yet.

Gray_howling_parrot · July 2022

Flangdoodle wrote: »

For the same reason that when you bought a movie on VHS, you didn't get it on DVD, and blu-ray, and to stream, etc.

At some point, they have to dillineate when the product becomes another product, and that line seems to be the platform each account is on. The fact that you need a new account to play on each one should clue you in - how would they even keep track of multiple accounts for a single player? Even if they did, the cost of tracking those accounts would be too expensive, and what would they get back for that extra expense?

If you get an Ouroboros crown crate from watching a twitch stream it goes to all platforms 🤷🏻‍♂️ Figured why can’t these also be account-wide in that sense. There’s certain aspects where they are technologically unable to make things account-wide like cross play or cross save for full characters but simple in game store purchases I believe should be linked to the account at the very minimum.

Oreyn_Bearclaw · July 2022

Are you looking for an answer other than corporate profits?

Gray_howling_parrot · July 2022

Oreyn_Bearclaw wrote: »

Are you looking for an answer other than corporate profits?

Lol

Elsonso · July 2022

I recall that someone once asked why Crowns were shared across geographies but not Crown purchases. As I recall, from back then, that it was a technical issue. Might still be the case, but now it is probably more something they don't want to do.

As for why they do not cross platforms... I don't think we need to look any further than who we buy Crowns from.... Bethesda, XBox, and Playstation. Why would Playstation want people spending XBox Crowns on bling for Playstation? Playstation wants players to buy their Crowns from Playstation, not XBox or Bethesda.

Danikat · July 2022

I think it's simply that they did whatever was easiest in each situation.

If you buy something or get given it (like Twitch crates) outside the game assigning it to 1 specific server would require an extra step for the player to choose which server it should go to and the programming behind the scenes to make that happen. It's easier to just give it to your account on all of them.

Likewise if you buy something while logged into the game making it available on other servers would require a system to share the data about the purchase with other servers so they know to unlock it on your account. Keeping it server specific doesn't require anything extra.

I have no idea if they did that deliberately for technical or business reasons or simply didn't think about building an additional step into the purchase process to accomodate people who play on multiple servers.

I suspect they haven't changed it and won't change it in future because that would be more complicated - for a start there would be a lot of intial data to share to update all the servers on all the purchases, and they'd have to address all the people who bought things twice and now want refunds on the useless duplicates. If the majority of players appear to have accepted the status quo why bother going to all the trouble of changing it?

FlopsyPrince · July 2022

Flangdoodle wrote: »

For the same reason that when you bought a movie on VHS, you didn't get it on DVD, and blu-ray, and to stream, etc.

At some point, they have to dillineate when the product becomes another product, and that line seems to be the platform each account is on. The fact that you need a new account to play on each one should clue you in - how would they even keep track of multiple accounts for a single player? Even if they did, the cost of tracking those accounts would be too expensive, and what would they get back for that extra expense?

That is bogus. It is a "because we can and want you to rebuy stuff" fee.

The idea that it is similar to movies in different formats is foolish. Though now they don't want you to own movies. Carrying on your analogy we should only "rent" the house, mounts, etc. we have, not own them! (Own being a relative term in an MMO of course.)

psychotrip · July 2022

Jaustink wrote: »

*NOTE: By account-wide, I mean cross server; if you have a PS4/5 account and a PC account, I believe your purchases on one platform should be available on the others.

Is this something that's difficult to implement? I think a lot of people switch platforms at some point when theyre able to afford upgrading from console to PC or just to join their friends (ex. I switched from PC to PS5 to play with friends). While I'd love to see cross-save implemented because it'd be good for the game (albeit not likely possible with their current hardware setup), i'm surprised that certain things like crown store purchases are not. Thoughts?

Because it makes you more likely to purchase things multiple times.

That's it.

That's the reason.

Welcome to modern gaming.

I have no idea if they did that deliberately for technical or business reasons

Why do we keep questioning this in the year 2022? Why do we still give AAA megacorporations the benefit of the doubt?

Genuinely asking because I do not understand.

Ratzkifal · July 2022

Account-wide? It doesn't even save from PC EU to PC NA. Your crown balance gets updated just fine if you buy something on one server though. So... greed I guess?

Dawnblade · July 2022

Because they can make more by charging players over and over and over for the same thing, and a digital thing that doesn't cost them a dime at that.

ZOS_Hadeostry · July 2022

Greetings,

After further review we have decided to move this thread to a category we think is more appropriate for this topic.

Thank you for your understanding

Paulytnz · July 2022

Jaustink wrote: »

Flangdoodle wrote: »

For the same reason that when you bought a movie on VHS, you didn't get it on DVD, and blu-ray, and to stream, etc.

At some point, they have to dillineate when the product becomes another product, and that line seems to be the platform each account is on. The fact that you need a new account to play on each one should clue you in - how would they even keep track of multiple accounts for a single player? Even if they did, the cost of tracking those accounts would be too expensive, and what would they get back for that extra expense?

If you get an Ouroboros crown crate from watching a twitch stream it goes to all platforms 🤷🏻‍♂️ Figured why can’t these also be account-wide in that sense. There’s certain aspects where they are technologically unable to make things account-wide like cross play or cross save for full characters but simple in game store purchases I believe should be linked to the account at the very minimum.

Getting those crates from Twitch streams is kind of like getting advertisements to buy the actual product later. Of course they will want to "advertise" that as many places as possible. But of course when it comes to actual dollars, oh yeah baby you gonna have to pay more than once if you want it more than once.

RagnarSw · July 2022

Flangdoodle wrote: »

For the same reason that when you bought a movie on VHS, you didn't get it on DVD, and blu-ray, and to stream, etc.

At some point, they have to dillineate when the product becomes another product, and that line seems to be the platform each account is on. The fact that you need a new account to play on each one should clue you in - how would they even keep track of multiple accounts for a single player? Even if they did, the cost of tracking those accounts would be too expensive, and what would they get back for that extra expense?

Like the other guy said, your example doesn't really make sense. You're comparing formats from different eras. Most blu-rays these days do infact come with a code for a digital copy. Also, you don't need a new account to play on each platform. I am using the same account for PC that I had used for Xbox. You have to make an ESO account before you can play on console and you just tie your gametag to that account. If you log into your account on ESO website you can find an area where you can link all your accounts.

Stx · August 2022

I was considering creating an account on ps4 to play with a friend, but if I don't have access to all the cosmetics and mounts that I've bought over the years, HELL TO THE NO.

I don't mind leveling again and grinding skill lines etc, but having to re-buy hundreds of dollars worth of crown purchases, many of which are only available once every 2 or 3 years? F that.

rexagamemnon · August 2022

Everything including characters should be account wide. I feel ZOS made a bad decision when they went the route they did about geographic servers essentially being seperate accounts. All characters, purchases and achievments should be under one account, with the ability to log into either server. @ZOS_Kevin its like that with WOW, why did zos choose to go the route they did with servers? dont get the wrong idea ESO is way better than WOW. Even though ZOS has stated they have no plans to implement server transfers at this time or in the future, is it at least brought up at all around the office.
Ive got thousands of hours, hundreds of dollars, and almost 2000CP, and i made the mistake back in 2015 to play on the EU server. Back then it was populated around the clock in cyrodill. Now when i log on in the evening 7pmEST no one is pvping… they are all asleep! Im a husband and father and i work full time, so im rarely able to get to current EU primetime hours…. Help me out kevin! Is the idea around the studio/office even floated from time to time!? Ive heard its not possible to transfer because of the way the servers were set up, what about a “copy and paste” service for a set fee? Id really appreciate anything you can do for us in the community to pass on to the devs and more specifically for those of us in this thread. Thanks in advance @ZOS_Kevin

FlopsyPrince · August 2022

Account-wide should mean account-wide, but it does not. Many here will handwave it away claiming different platforms are different accounts, which is not true, since I still use a single account to log into ZOS' site for all platforms.

It doesn't even cover NA and EU as noted above. But supporters will say it has to be that way, with no valid justification.

It is a money issue as noted above.

AND they can make you lose out on Crowns you bought/own if you change platforms completely. You cannot move them to a new platform (such as going from the PS4 to the PC).

I wish those in management at ZOS would realize this is one issue that may make them some money now, but that will make their users very unhappy in the long run. It is like a pebble in your shoe - an ongoing irritant that can often be lived with, but that is really annoying and can stop things completely!