$100 in a couple clicks. SCARY.

[Verain]

Yes and they should get professional help. Coddling an addict isn't going to help them realize that they are, in fact, an addict and make them want to change.

 

Dude, you are willing to say anything to justify abusing the weak.

 

Refusing to build a carefully constructed addict trapping device isn't "coddling". Blizzard isn't "coddling addicts". Wal*Mart isn't "coddling addicts".

 

It's an irresponsible marketing plan and one that should maybe be regulated.

 

Not everyone that buys hundreds of dollars worth of product is an addict either. If someone has enough of a disposable income to buy what they want whenever they want then that's on them

 

Agreed, but I didn't mean to address legit folks spending like a grand. If you have the disposable, I'm glad Bioware is getting that and you are getting cool experiences.

 

But pretend, for the moment, that everything was on the Cartel Market for a fixed cost of coins, even though that may be high. I would argue that such a model would reduce addictive behavior while still pulling in dollars, though perhaps not as many. I would argue that the delta in cash gained between that model and this one is a measure of company greed and lack of morality, and I would argue that that delta is surprising for Bioware. Though perhaps not for EA, which keeps getting voted worst company in the country.

 

but there are people making this into an "evil video game company" thread when there are things exactly like this in the real world with less of a chance of acquiring anything of actual value (e.g., real money).

 

There's evil jerks in the real world, so that compare doesn't really help. Lemme put it this way: Blizzard doesn't need to have lotto packs to attack the pocketbooks of the unfortunate, they just sell you stuff. The cartel market is a mix, but there's no denying that the model is meant to abuse the pitiable under the guise that they are free to spend their money as they choose because they COULD be one of the folks who can comfortably afford it. I'm not opposed to the cartel market in general- I buy literally everything I think is cool, and wish there were MORE ships for me to buy right now- but I dislike when they have clearly paid a bunch of Clever Lads to mess with the less fortunate.

 

This is no different than any other company selling a product. The people buying know what they have a chance of getting and it's up to them to decide whether or not it's a wise investment.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, lets hear a big round of applause for Naive Interpretation Of Adam Smith's "hurting dumb people is ok because they are dumb!"

 

 

*raaah* *raaaaaah*

Edited December 14, 2013 by Verain

[LT_CRANE]

Blizzard isn't "coddling addicts".

 

I read your posts on this page (38) and in almost every single one you're spouting "Blizzard doesn't have to do this" or "Blizzard doesn't have to do that." You're comparing a game that's been around for almost a decade that is P2P with millions of subscribers to a game that hasn't even been out for 2 years yet and is F2P.

 

OFC Blizzard doesn't have to do the things to keep their game afloat. Blizzard makes most of their revenue in subscription fees with $25 dollar mounts and $10 pets and recently added armor pieces to sell on their shop.

 

SWTOR is a Freemium game. You don't have to be a sub, but you miss out on a lot of stuff if you don't sub. Without the Cartel Market, EAware would only be making money off of the 500,000+ subs they have.

 

But pretend, for the moment, that everything was on the Cartel Market for a fixed cost of coins, even though that may be high. I would argue that such a model would reduce addictive behavior while still pulling in dollars, though perhaps not as many.

 

I would argue that there will still be those people that are completionists. What about them? Do they get the shaft because someone buys more Cartel Packs than they can afford?

 

There's evil jerks in the real world, so that compare doesn't really help. Lemme put it this way: Blizzard doesn't need to have lotto packs to attack the pocketbooks of the unfortunate, they just sell you stuff. The cartel market is a mix, but there's no denying that the model is meant to abuse the pitiable under the guise that they are free to spend their money as they choose because they COULD be one of the folks who can comfortably afford it.

 

Again with the "Blizzard doesn't need to" nonsense. EAware isn't holding a gun up to anyone's head and telling the to buy the Cartel Packs. The packs are meant to make profit for the crippled game. That's it. They aren't singling anyone out. They don't know who is a gambling addict or not. They're hoping to make some money for the game that was about to capsize. You're blatantly calling them thieves and crooks because of a business model that was put in place to save the game.

 

You need to realize that if there are any people with gambling problems, it's a very few of the people playing. I highly doubt the possibility of a few weak-willed gamblers was enough to make Bioware make the Cartel Market.

 

And your whole argument of "don't do this because there's a chance that one of the people playing is an addict" is a joke. Try using that against bar owners because there are some people in the world that are alcoholics.

 

Be more worried about people in real life wasting money on lotto tickets for a chance at a million dollars than spending a few buck on a videogame to get something cosmetic.

[Wintermist]

It's by design they're doing this, they designed the boxes so that you would have to buy them until you got the item you're after. You might never get them.

 

That's great, thinks BioWare, let's add a $100 package for them so it will speed things up. A freaking ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR package to gamble away on boxes where you might just never get the item, at all. Is that how a MMORPG is supposed to be financed?

 

If that is the way it has to be, then to me there clearly is something wrong with the main game if they simply can't get enough subscriptions. Maybe if they polished up the main game, more people would be inclined to subscribe.

 

Adding a one hundred dollar package is just showing everyone how pathetic the game is has become, where the game doesn't have to be. The company has gone from being the fabled BioWare, into this... It's really sad.

[tekhiun]

OK related to what OP said.

 

I am by no means a defender of the CM, not because i don't think we should have a cash shop but because of how it is implement in the game. However it is very likely that the reason they put the 100$ option is because there may be people that will spend hundreds of dollars through several transactions to buy cartel packs. It's sad that such people exist but it is true. If this is the case that its only logical to have that option.

[OddballEasyEight]

OK related to what OP said.

 

I am by no means a defender of the CM, not because i don't think we should have a cash shop but because of how it is implement in the game. However it is very likely that the reason they put the 100$ option is because there may be people that will spend hundreds of dollars through several transactions to buy cartel packs. It's sad that such people exist but it is true. If this is the case that its only logical to have that option.

 

Well, I occationally buy a hypercrate to sell on the GTN, and that means I have to buy two sets of 5500 CC's.

This way I could just buy the big 14500 one and have enough left for the next time I buy a hypercrate...

 

Also, is it just me or did they add a smaller purchase option too? I distinctly remember there being three options for purchase and now there are five.

[Darth_Wicked]

Well, I occationally buy a hypercrate to sell on the GTN, and that means I have to buy two sets of 5500 CC's.

This way I could just buy the big 14500 one and have enough left for the next time I buy a hypercrate...

 

Also, is it just me or did they add a smaller purchase option too? I distinctly remember there being three options for purchase and now there are five.

 

Fairly sure you always had four options and now they've added a fifth.

[ghoul_drool]

OK related to what OP said.

 

I am by no means a defender of the CM, not because i don't think we should have a cash shop but because of how it is implement in the game. However it is very likely that the reason they put the 100$ option is because there may be people that will spend hundreds of dollars through several transactions to buy cartel packs. It's sad that such people exist but it is true. If this is the case that its only logical to have that option.

 

I don't understand why it's sad that such people exist. I find it way more incredulous to spend 2000 dollars on a purse than spending far less on something you actually enjoy.

[OddballEasyEight]

I don't understand why it's sad that such people exist. I find it way more incredulous to spend 2000 dollars on a purse than spending far less on something you actually enjoy.

 

Yup. I don't drink, I don't smok, I don't gamble, I don't use drugs and I don't like going out clubbing.

So why shouldn't I spend that money that I save on not doing those things?

[SawneyRath]

that is your opinion...

 

or should i have gone with "no we're not"

 

 

It really isn't my opinion. What is contributing to the OP at this point? A Debate over what is gambling and what is not?

 

How is this thread contributing ANYTHING to the game or the OP's original questions/concerns? By this point (Page 39ish) I'm sure there isn't anything left that is helpful, or even relevant to the topic originally posted.

 

The OP wanted to suggest a warning for people who are buying 100$ worth of CC. Who cares what the definition of gambling is, or who is buying the CC. What does it contribute to the TOPIC of the post? Are you in support of or against it? I believe you already answered that, so why continue the off-topic debate? To prove you are in fact right? Who cares!? What do you gain? You nor anyone else will change the minds of people, so yeah...

 

So yes, you all are just arguing to argue. I just like to throw the wrench in the gears heheh.

[tekhiun]

Well, I occationally buy a hypercrate to sell on the GTN, and that means I have to buy two sets of 5500 CC's.

This way I could just buy the big 14500 one and have enough left for the next time I buy a hypercrate...

 

Also, is it just me or did they add a smaller purchase option too? I distinctly remember there being three options for purchase and now there are five.

 

Dunno mate, I never bought CC

[OddballEasyEight]

It really isn't my opinion. What is contributing to the OP at this point? A Debate over what is gambling and what is not?

 

How is this thread contributing ANYTHING to the game or the OP's original questions/concerns? By this point (Page 39ish) I'm sure there isn't anything left that is helpful, or even relevant to the topic originally posted.

 

The OP wanted to suggest a warning for people who are buying 100$ worth of CC. Who cares what the definition of gambling is, or who is buying the CC. What does it contribute to the TOPIC of the post? Are you in support of or against it? I believe you already answered that, so why continue the off-topic debate? To prove you are in fact right? Who cares!? What do you gain? You nor anyone else will change the minds of people, so yeah...

 

So yes, you all are just arguing to argue. I just like to throw the wrench in the gears heheh.

 

You are aware that you get a "are you sure you want to make this purchase" notification when you buy the CC right?

So you DO get a warning.

And since the OP brought up that he consideres cartel packs gambling in his third sentance in the first post, I consider discussing that completely on topic.

 

EDIT: In fact, the poster said "i also want to take this opportunity to..." and THEN talked about adding some sort of warning about the warningsigns of gambling, so yeah, the post wasn't about the warning, that was more of an afterthought.

Edited December 14, 2013 by OddballEasyEight

[SawneyRath]

You are aware that you get a "are you sure you want to make this purchase" notification when you buy the CC right?

So you DO get a warning.

 

Then why is this thread even still alive? The whole point was to suggest just such a thing. That was what I was saying lol. This thread is so far derailed from that its all about "Addicts", the definition of Gambling and people talking all sorts of crap about how they should or should not buy CC, or support or are against the CM.

[OddballEasyEight]

Then why is this thread even still alive? The whole point was to suggest just such a thing. That was what I was saying lol. This thread is so far derailed from that its all about "Addicts", the definition of Gambling and people talking all sorts of crap about how they should or should not buy CC, or support or are against the CM.

 

Read my edited post.

[branmakmuffin]

Then why is this thread even still alive?

Because people like you (and me and all the rest) keep posting to it. If you really thought a thread deserved to die, you would not post in it.

[Yamahara]

Yup. I don't drink, I don't smok, I don't gamble, I don't use drugs and I don't like going out clubbing.

So why shouldn't I spend that money that I save on not doing those things?

 

 

My god making such choices sounds terrible..Anyways, Just sell the hyper crate packs on the gtn.. Then buy whatever it is you wanted with the creds you make. Which should be around 10 million. Simple, and you don't risk getting the garbage that a lot of the packs give you.

[IStillWantMySWG]

dont listen to the apologists, the CM is gambling. I graduated from harvard law and i can say for sure it is.

[Icebergy]

dont listen to the apologists, the CM is gambling. I graduated from harvard law and i can say for sure it is.

 

I'm a rocket scientist and I can say for sure that you are wrong.

[HoloTweed]

dont listen to the apologists, the CM is gambling. I graduated from harvard law and i can say for sure it is.

 

Except that the CM is not gambling. You get a guaranteed virtual product for your virtual coins. And baseless claims about where one graduated from does not make it true.

[TUXs]

I'm a rocket scientist and I can say for sure that you are wrong.

 

I'm a lawyer and I can argue either way...for the right price

[IStillWantMySWG]

Except that the CM is not gambling. You get a guaranteed virtual product for your virtual coins. And baseless claims about where one graduated from does not make it true.

yes it is gambling plz stop spreading false info thnx