Creating False Urgency with this "for a limited time" stuff

ScottK1994 · July 2016

It's true. All rare things cause envy to atleast some people

Ep1kMalware · July 2016

ScottK1994 wrote: »

It's true. All rare things cause envy to atleast some people

that's part of the appeal. 6mo from now people will be like dayumm that's so sweet!

Averya_Teira · July 2016

Because it works ?

It's like stores putting a 40% rebate!!!!!!! On an item, but they raised the price before doing it....

Tons of people will get fooled and buy the stuff.

stewhead2ub17_ESO · July 2016

Stop. Just stop the silliness. OP calls it a "cheap infomercial route" but it's a legitimate business practice. Creating a desire for what some perceive to be an exclusive or cool item. Nothing at all wrong with that. You don't have to like it but ranting about it is low brow. I have no problem, whatsoever, with this practice. OP also calls it "an age old trick". Well there's a reason it's "age old". Because it's effective. Now move along. Nothing to see here.

ZOS_JohanaB · July 2016

We have gone through the thread and removed somethings we consider baiting and things that could derail the conversation. Please remember baiting is against Community Rules and if you have any questions feel free to go look through them.

Esquire1980g_ESO · July 2016

Things could be a boat=load worse. Try STO if you want worse where the store is the ONLY way to progress your toon. Deception is buying a lifer sub for 200-300.00 and then later comes the only way to progress is the store with $125.00 ships.

You don't NEED anything out of their store in this game. It's all bling. I haven't bought a single crown in this game and have the banker, a mount, and the new suit in about 6 months of sub and the crowns that come with that. Nice to have? Maybe, but not necessary.

My business doesn't have "limited time offers" but I'm not really in that type of sales, either. However, for an MMO in this day and era, I see nothing wrong with cosmetics in a store in a game they do not require a subscription on. It could be 2003 where sub was the only way to play. Yeah, ESO is B2P, but it still cost cash to run the servers and if they can make a few extra bucks to maintain on cosmetics, more power to them.

Don't like their practices? Create, code, pay devs, buy servers, pay connection fees, and make your own game. I actually tried that with a SWGEMU server that could not be charged for. In 1 year time, with devs donating their time, I had over $5000.00 out of pocket. Just because it's the internet, doesn't mean it's free to everyone involved. ZOS isn't here to make sure you have a free game to play. Sad? Maybe, but fact just as well.

KramUzibra · July 2016

I don't mind it and enjoy having things others mis out on.

Saucy_Jack · July 2016

Maybe someone from corporate came down and gave ZOS the Glengarry Glen Ross ABC speech?

CapnPhoton · July 2016

alexkdd99 wrote: »

I think people often forget that at the end of the day this is a company trying to increase revenue like all companies. Does it really matter if they want to sell things for however long they want? Either you want it and you buy it or you don't and won't buy it. I think of it as an impulse buy like the stuff on the counter when checking out at a convenience store.

This sums it up. If you are in business you understand this statement. Why and how does a company try to make money? Advertising, special or limited offers, etc...this can't possibly be the first time you have every seen this. As for getting fussy about something companies have been doing for a long time, its a bit of an over reaction.

Buffler · July 2016

Some right drama queens on this thread

Rohamad_Ali · July 2016

None of these things are needed ingame . These are vanity items . Don't let them appeal to your vanity and you win . The game is completely playable and enjoyable without purchasing these frilly items . If you have coin burning hole in pocket then grab them up and show off , if not you can impress others like me wearing even more fashionable crafted sets and ingame horses from the Stable Master .

Psyonico · July 2016

I see 2 ways that ZOS shoots themselves in the gift by such short availability windows.

1. 4 days is (roughly) average for a vacation, meaning there are people who won't be able to buy it because they don't have access to the game, meaning less money for them

2. A fair number of people live "paycheck to paycheck" without leaving it in the store for at least 2 weekend, they are missing out on *that* particular revenue.

Most games I've seen use a month (or so) as their "limited time" windows. If that is the norm, there is likely a good reason for it.

Drakoleon · July 2016

Lysette wrote: »

Just low quality stuff needs support by such tactics, high quality sells on it's own - this alone shows, what kind of stuff that is, what they offer this way.

THIS! Plus its a "snatch" infomercial policy....Apparently too many kids play this game and it works

BigBragg · July 2016

If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you like it and have the funds, buy it.

mlstevens42_ESO · July 2016

There is no urgency. That is my entire point. If you want the item then get the item if you do not then don't. Items in the store are for the most part cosmetic. No one NEEDS cosmetic items. They may look fantastic, might be a piece of meaningless bling to stand in a bank some place and show off but, it is NOT needful. Really so what if person b got the item you didn't does it alter the game at all if they have the Breton cosmetic outfit no...not at all.

Equating this to holding my child hostage is not called for and I do find this comparison to be horribly offensive. These things are not even remotely the same. This is bling digital bling in a GAME. These in game things none of them serve any purpose in the real world at all.

Acrolas · July 2016

In most trades, the shelf life of the average digital item is 90 days. After that, sales drop off substantially. You'll get residual sales, but nowhere near as many as a new item of the same type.

Retiring digital items is a necessity. As I like to say, if you don't need to retire digital items, you're not putting enough out there to begin with. Have an inviting inventory, and refresh it often. Nobody likes a cluttered digital store the same way nobody likes walking into an inner city Kmart on Christmas Eve.

And love them or hate them, exclusives work. They're why I leave a huge chunk of money available around SDCC. People budget for exclusives in a way they don't for regular releases. But at the same time, I don't need exclusives. Nobody really does. They're fun extras for something you're already a fan of, but no big deal if you miss out. There will be other things, and lots of them. It's nice knowing I can buy a lot of SDCC exclusives, but I'm always happy in August knowing I only bought the one set that I love and that enhances what I've already collected.

Valn · July 2016

mb10 wrote: »

ZOS dont exactly have to do things that suit you.

Theyre a business that are out to make money and if you blame them for that then you have absolutely no sense of the business world.

Try opening your own business and you'll know what they/I mean

Hmm, I'd rather open a business to provide a service to customers because I'm passionate about what I'd do, rather than open a business just to make money. Making customers happy would benefit the business than if I ignored the customers.

Zenimax have a created a wonderful world with hours upon hours of content and lore, with millions of players getting lost in it. And then you come along and tell me "they're a business that are out to make money". That's the problem right there. Your way of thinking is ruining it for everyone.

*charges you $10 to unlock hotbars*

"They're a business that are out to make money!"

*puts a paywall on things that should have been available from the start*

"They're just trying to make money!!"

Zero passion for games right there.

khele23eb17_ESO · July 2016

CapnPhoton wrote: »

alexkdd99 wrote: »

I think people often forget that at the end of the day this is a company trying to increase revenue like all companies. Does it really matter if they want to sell things for however long they want? Either you want it and you buy it or you don't and won't buy it. I think of it as an impulse buy like the stuff on the counter when checking out at a convenience store.

This sums it up. If you are in business you understand this statement. Why and how does a company try to make money? Advertising, special or limited offers, etc...this can't possibly be the first time you have every seen this. As for getting fussy about something companies have been doing for a long time, its a bit of an over reaction.

The question is - would you rather have your games made by companies like CD Project Red who strive to earn money by providing the best product possible thus gaining long term customer loyalty or like EA who try to earn money by tricking their customers to buy crap with marketing ploys.

Yolokin_Swagonborn · July 2016

We as a culture need to be more critical of marketing and it's gimmicks. Unfortunately they still work so that's why ZOS uses them.

If you find these gimmicks transparent or even insulting, then you aren't the target demographic. They must be working on some of us. ZOS doesn't seem to test their game for PvP bugs before release but you can be sure someone is testing marketing effectiveness.

That's something they actually care about.

ScottK1994 · July 2016

Valn wrote: »

mb10 wrote: »

ZOS dont exactly have to do things that suit you.

Theyre a business that are out to make money and if you blame them for that then you have absolutely no sense of the business world.

Try opening your own business and you'll know what they/I mean

Hmm, I'd rather open a business to provide a service to customers because I'm passionate about what I'd do, rather than open a business just to make money. Making customers happy would benefit the business than if I ignored the customers.

Zenimax have a created a wonderful world with hours upon hours of content and lore, with millions of players getting lost in it. And then you come along and tell me "they're a business that are out to make money". That's the problem right there. Your way of thinking is ruining it for everyone.

*charges you $10 to unlock hotbars*

"They're a business that are out to make money!"

*puts a paywall on things that should have been available from the start*

"They're just trying to make money!!"

Zero passion for games right there.

Nah you don't get it. Its good to have those thoughts in a business, a corporation isn't a business. The people who design the game aren't the people who have final say on what is designed. The people with ethics and morals don't make marketing decisions for example.

The system sucks but to expect a big business to be anything except like every other competing business is a stretch. A business isn't a human being basically. It's quite obvious if you play the game that the people who made it love games. The business doesn't love games though, if we make it human then it cares only take from people with love and passion.

Bethesda has CEOs who appear to love games. But the actual entity of Bethesda? It exists to take something from us because we love a certain a thing(fallout, elder scrolls). Its hard to explain but I think calling them non-human is close enough to an explanation

Pheefs · July 2016

Its not just money & perceived prestige, the forced scarcity of limited time offers also makes us look more unique from each other.

We don't have the same pets or costumes, & if you missed it... it will probably be a year before it comes back round again.

Pheefs · July 2016

also...
I sort of love that we are here debating the ethical merit of the Crown Store!

Necrelios · July 2016

The problem with limited time stuff is, will you regret not buying it as much as buying it? Probably not, which is why it is sold this way. As a personal rule I never buy limited time offers. It's never worth the regret.

Wreuntzylla · July 2016

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

CapnPhoton wrote: »

alexkdd99 wrote: »

I think people often forget that at the end of the day this is a company trying to increase revenue like all companies. Does it really matter if they want to sell things for however long they want? Either you want it and you buy it or you don't and won't buy it. I think of it as an impulse buy like the stuff on the counter when checking out at a convenience store.

This sums it up. If you are in business you understand this statement. Why and how does a company try to make money? Advertising, special or limited offers, etc...this can't possibly be the first time you have every seen this. As for getting fussy about something companies have been doing for a long time, its a bit of an over reaction.

The question is - would you rather have your games made by companies like CD Project Red who strive to earn money by providing the best product possible thus gaining long term customer loyalty or like EA who try to earn money by tricking their customers to buy crap with marketing ploys.

This is the point I was going to make. Elder Scrolls historically has been a niche game with incredibly loyal fans. Everything Bethesda worked hard to build, all the goodwill they have fostered and the reputation they have grown, destroyed almost overnight by adopting K-Mart's Blue Light Special philosophy (that even K-Mart eventually dumped).

Some people wear gold lame yoga pants with a tiger print, but the target market isn't exactly uptown. Elder Scrolls was a Cartier, now they are 7-Eleven.

KramUzibra · July 2016

Psyonico wrote: »

I see 2 ways that ZOS shoots themselves in the gift by such short availability windows.

1. 4 days is (roughly) average for a vacation, meaning there are people who won't be able to buy it because they don't have access to the game, meaning less money for them

2. A fair number of people live "paycheck to paycheck" without leaving it in the store for at least 2 weekend, they are missing out on *that* particular revenue.

Most games I've seen use a month (or so) as their "limited time" windows. If that is the norm, there is likely a good reason for it.

ZOS releases all that will be added to the crown store I'm advance so visit the site and plan accordingly.

dodgehopper_ESO · July 2016

DRXHarbinger wrote: »

When was the last time you saw the drugar polymorph? No one bothers with common items it's all about what's rare at the time. Take the Dro M'artha senche to a stater zone and people do nothing but message you ask how you get it. You tell them it was time limited and boom thr next item that comes up they jump on it. Damn zos has me working for them now.

That's great, except I wouldn't buy the draugr costume even if it was a rare item. I'm not really taken in by these removals. The only time it might snag my attention is if I was sitting on the fence about price and they offer me a sale, for instance.

One thing I'm unhappy about is the new package deal of DLC's. I spent my sub to unlock the dlc's on my account... it effects only the US. It seems to me that it might be better to wait six months and just by the latest consolidated pack, and it would unlock on the WHOLE account including EU server. The irony here is that I think my Alt account is going to have all the DLC's unlock with a lot less headache. They really need to change this about the game.

dodgehopper_ESO · July 2016

Wreuntzylla wrote: »

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

CapnPhoton wrote: »

alexkdd99 wrote: »

I think people often forget that at the end of the day this is a company trying to increase revenue like all companies. Does it really matter if they want to sell things for however long they want? Either you want it and you buy it or you don't and won't buy it. I think of it as an impulse buy like the stuff on the counter when checking out at a convenience store.

This sums it up. If you are in business you understand this statement. Why and how does a company try to make money? Advertising, special or limited offers, etc...this can't possibly be the first time you have every seen this. As for getting fussy about something companies have been doing for a long time, its a bit of an over reaction.

The question is - would you rather have your games made by companies like CD Project Red who strive to earn money by providing the best product possible thus gaining long term customer loyalty or like EA who try to earn money by tricking their customers to buy crap with marketing ploys.

This is the point I was going to make. Elder Scrolls historically has been a niche game with incredibly loyal fans. Everything Bethesda worked hard to build, all the goodwill they have fostered and the reputation they have grown, destroyed almost overnight by adopting K-Mart's Blue Light Special philosophy (that even K-Mart eventually dumped).

Some people wear gold lame yoga pants with a tiger print, but the target market isn't exactly uptown. Elder Scrolls was a Cartier, now they are 7-Eleven.

I don't think the next TES game will operate like this. They're using tactics common to a lot of MMO's. I'm not defending that but I do think one has to realize the MMO product is not the same as the standalone series.

dodgehopper_ESO · July 2016

Esquire1980g_ESO wrote: »

Things could be a boat=load worse. Try STO if you want worse where the store is the ONLY way to progress your toon. Deception is buying a lifer sub for 200-300.00 and then later comes the only way to progress is the store with $125.00 ships.

You don't NEED anything out of their store in this game. It's all bling. I haven't bought a single crown in this game and have the banker, a mount, and the new suit in about 6 months of sub and the crowns that come with that. Nice to have? Maybe, but not necessary.

My business doesn't have "limited time offers" but I'm not really in that type of sales, either. However, for an MMO in this day and era, I see nothing wrong with cosmetics in a store in a game they do not require a subscription on. It could be 2003 where sub was the only way to play. Yeah, ESO is B2P, but it still cost cash to run the servers and if they can make a few extra bucks to maintain on cosmetics, more power to them.

Don't like their practices? Create, code, pay devs, buy servers, pay connection fees, and make your own game. I actually tried that with a SWGEMU server that could not be charged for. In 1 year time, with devs donating their time, I had over $5000.00 out of pocket. Just because it's the internet, doesn't mean it's free to everyone involved. ZOS isn't here to make sure you have a free game to play. Sad? Maybe, but fact just as well.

The sad thing is that STO didn't use to be like that. I've come to a point with STO that I mess around with it maybe twice a year. Its pretty sad when I have as much as I have in that game too. Their version of the crown store went too far though, and I finally realized I wasn't getting any value for it, so I stopped. They haven't gotten anything from me for a couple of years thanks to that.

khele23eb17_ESO · July 2016

dodgehopper_ESO wrote: »

Wreuntzylla wrote: »

khele23eb17_ESO wrote: »

CapnPhoton wrote: »

alexkdd99 wrote: »

I think people often forget that at the end of the day this is a company trying to increase revenue like all companies. Does it really matter if they want to sell things for however long they want? Either you want it and you buy it or you don't and won't buy it. I think of it as an impulse buy like the stuff on the counter when checking out at a convenience store.

This sums it up. If you are in business you understand this statement. Why and how does a company try to make money? Advertising, special or limited offers, etc...this can't possibly be the first time you have every seen this. As for getting fussy about something companies have been doing for a long time, its a bit of an over reaction.

The question is - would you rather have your games made by companies like CD Project Red who strive to earn money by providing the best product possible thus gaining long term customer loyalty or like EA who try to earn money by tricking their customers to buy crap with marketing ploys.

This is the point I was going to make. Elder Scrolls historically has been a niche game with incredibly loyal fans. Everything Bethesda worked hard to build, all the goodwill they have fostered and the reputation they have grown, destroyed almost overnight by adopting K-Mart's Blue Light Special philosophy (that even K-Mart eventually dumped).

Some people wear gold lame yoga pants with a tiger print, but the target market isn't exactly uptown. Elder Scrolls was a Cartier, now they are 7-Eleven.

I don't think the next TES game will operate like this. They're using tactics common to a lot of MMO's. I'm not defending that but I do think one has to realize the MMO product is not the same as the standalone series.

Well you can try to keep as many people playing your MMO for as long as possible by making a good game or decide that theyll leave anyway so its better to bleed them dry any way possible while theyre there.

FortheloveofKrist · July 2016

Phinix1 wrote: »

DarkWombat wrote: »

It's really disappointing Zenimax is going the cheap infomercial route and using the age old trick of creating false urgency to get you to purchase things from the Crown Store. There is no way some of these items are only available for a lousy 4 days.

Elder Scrolls Online is doing well now. Why the need to go this route? It's a lowbrow mechanic.

Because business no longer has any principles. Greed is the only governing principle in the modern world. Greed is beholden to no one, loyal to no one, and honors nothing. Greed has no God. Greed IS it's own god.

So long as there are people to fall for the same old tricks they will be used. It is the way of the world.

mb10 wrote: »

Theyre a business that are out to make money and if you blame them for that then you have absolutely no sense of the business world.

This is the classic defense of the collapse of ethical integrity in the modern business world. Today, the people actually argue that anything done in the name of business is automatically right. The ends justify the means, and the only end is greed.

Aldous Huxley wrote an entire book about why the ends CANNOT justify the means, and that if the means are fundamentally destructive they will be so to the ends, sooner or later. Even the "good businessmen" themselves will suffer for it.

That is why everything today is so short lived. No one PLANS on there being a future to anything. They built it to fail. Programmed obsolescence. Milk it for what it's worth then throw it away.

Welcome to the disposable world of greed. No business is immune.

No public forum is free of those that will clamor to defend it.

A fundamental misunderstanding of capitalism as a mode of production.

May I suggest putting down the Huxley (just momentarily) and reading Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism by Frederic Jameson.