Unstable Arbiter’s Lightsaber for Direct Sale

[LonelyWookiee]

Mass Effect: Andromeda costs $60.

 

That kind of put it in perspective for me.

 

Hear, hear!

 

On another note, someone please explain to me why everyone is upset this is 7,600 CCs which is worth only about 1.5 hypercrates and yet you get the item while avoiding RNG. How many people have bought 2 hypercrates and actually pulled this lightsaber? Yes, there are some but compared with the majority of those opening packs isn't it worth it if this is the item you specifically want?

[AscendingSky]

Anyone who sees my usual posts knows I tend to be very negative towards EAWare lately, with all the terrible decisions they've made in the past year. So it may surprise you to hear me say I don't think this is one of those terrible decisions. I fully support being able to direct purchase items from the CM instead of having to buy dozens of gamble packs and praying you get items you want out of them. I would love to see ALL items from each pack sold in this fashion, with the option to buy the gamble pack if you want to take a chance and see if you can get a cheaper deal. Or even better, just going the FFXIV cash shop route, where everything is direct buy for cash, no intermediate fake currency like CCs involved, period.

 

Now, I think the price point on this particular item is a bit too high (I'd say a $30-40 equivalent in CCs would be more equitable for something that's just a bunch of pretty pixels), but I suppose EAWare are worried about the whales who support this game getting super upset with them if they start selling all the rare items the whales like to flip for hundreds of millions of credits for an actually reasonable price. Personally, I'm all in favor of making platinum items more available for less, to try to tamp down some of the seriously ludicrous price inflation I've seen on the GTN (as newer shipments of Cartel Packs have progressively worse drop rates than the ones that came before, which leads to more artificial scarcity of items people actually want rather than recolored ugly trash outfits).

 

And yes, absolutely this is a transparent attempt to pad their bottom line in a financial quarter where they've lost a lot of subs and CM income. But it's still an optional cosmetic item that provides no in game benefit other than bragging rights, so... who cares? If you don't want it, don't buy it. I certainly won't. But I'd be more than willing to direct buy OTHER rare items in the future if they were something I actually wanted and I felt the price was right.

Edited March 7, 2017 by AscendingSky

[Quraswren]

Hear, hear!

 

On another note, someone please explain to me why everyone is upset this is 7,600 CCs ...SNIP...

 

Because one hypercrate gives you more than just 24-30 chances at one item. While giving you those chances it also gives you other options in the loot you get. Even with all that other loot from ONE hypercrate, they are still expensive.

 

Avoiding the RNG would be nice but $60 is a bit nuts when it comes to any one item. The avoidance of RNG could have a better price point and the item would still be very rare.

 

Even making the cost as much as ONE hypercrate would be a bit more tolerable than $60 or 7600 CCs. 7600 is so over the top it's no wonder gamers responded how they have.

[Tsillah]

Because one hypercrate gives you more than just 24-30 chances at one item. While giving you those chances it also gives you other options in the loot you get. Even with all that other loot from ONE hypercrate, they are still expensive.

 

Avoiding the RNG would be nice but $60 is a bit nuts when it comes to any one item. The avoidance of RNG could have a better price point and the item would still be very rare.

 

Even making the cost as much as ONE hypercrate would be a bit more tolerable than $60 or 7600 CCs. 7600 is so over the top it's no wonder gamers responded how they have.

 

From my experience you won't get that ultra rare item from just one hypercrate though. You can be lucky but people have to buy up to 5-6 hypercrates to get that one item. That's a lot more than 60 bucks and the rest of the stuff out of those crates generally doesn't make up for it.

 

That aside though, you can buy a complete new game for the same price of this item. That is something to think about. If you think that skin is worth that much to you, then by all means, but otherwise just think of what else you can get for that money.

 

Hypercrates same deal in the end. I used to buy a lot of them but I also did it to support the game. Then two realisations came...with the money I spent I could buy 2-3 games per month easy. And whereas I was putting a lot of money into this game, BWA wasn't. They just used it as profit rather than investing back into the game.

 

That to me was the worst of it really. I get companies wanting to make money. Nothing wrong with that. But it is rather taking the piss to charge this much for cartel items and not reinvest a good chunk into the game. I am glad we are getting some real content again this year but it's been a while and I certainly am no longer willing to pay more than the bare minimum to stay subbed ....well time cards now, since they are cheaper and BWA make even less from that.

 

This is the reaction they got from me. I guess I was what people call a whale but that stopped sometime last year. Part of me has to wonder if they are doing this now because I'm not the only one who stopped and cartel pack sales are down overall. It's certainly harder to find decorations in significant numbers on the GTN these days. So it's just a thought, no proof, but I can't help but wonder.

[light_senshi]

They want to eek out as much money as they can while spending as little as possible. .

 

Pretty much this. I've been saying that since they started the direct buys of otherwise unobtainable and otherwise extremely GTN expensive items.

 

 

Don't think I've ever seen a price for a single item so high before.

 

You should take a look at some of the crap Aeria games has pulled off over the years. Makes this look tame by comparison.

[Andryah]

Players have been asking/demanding a direct purchase route for super rare CM items for some time now.

 

Basically, as I see it...... they are calling these players bluff on wanting and willing to pay high CC prices for direct purchase of super rare pack items.

 

It will be interesting to see if these players actually "put up" or go into a rage spin that would nerf a Whirling Dervish.

Now, I think the price point on this particular item is a bit too high (I'd say a $30-40 equivalent in CCs would be more equitable for something that's just a bunch of pretty pixels....

 

As for the pricing.... clearly they have done their research here in setting the price. How so? Average selling price on the GTN is in the neighborhood of 100M credits and credits in the RMT trade are currently hawked at about $6 per 10M credits. You do the math. So they appear to be careful not to undercut the actual player economy with this offer. [and to note: this is a consistent pattern for them, as they do seem to dial-in prices for direct purchase based on prevailing prices on the GTNs coupled with the prevailing RMT trade in credits.]

 

As for us as players.. we will know if this model works or not, based on if they continue to offer super rare items for direct purchase and continue to dial them in based on fair market prices on the GTN coupled with RMT trade rates.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Andryah

[Gelious]

Hey folks,

Later today we are going to be adding the first ever Platinum rarity item to the Cartel Market for direct sale, the Unstable Arbiter’s Lightsaber. The single-handed saber is going to be on sale from today, Tuesday 3/7 through next Tuesday 3/14 at the price of 7,600 Cartel Coins.

 

Translation: Afer all the horrible changes we made to the game so many people unsubbed, causing EA's revenue from this game to drop significantly, so EA ordered us to do something in order to get them more money ASAP, and that's what we came with. Because, you know, "spi... money must flow!"

Edited March 7, 2017 by Gelious

[LordAppius]

Tbh i could notcare less about buying that saber from the CM, already bought it with in game credits, but what pisses me off is the fact that some ppl will buy this giving proof and arguments to bioware that this is a good strategy.

 

Now if from all the money they receive they would actually release a decent expansion, 4 raids, 3 worlds, 10 fps and a lot more stuff i would not complain at all, BUT i doubt that this money is going to be put into developing the game.

[Talon_strikes]

Anyone who sees my usual posts knows I tend to be very negative towards EAWare lately, with all the terrible decisions they've made in the past year. So it may surprise you to hear me say I don't think this is one of those terrible decisions. I fully support being able to direct purchase items from the CM instead of having to buy dozens of gamble packs and praying you get items you want out of them. I would love to see ALL items from each pack sold in this fashion, with the option to buy the gamble pack if you want to take a chance and see if you can get a cheaper deal. Or even better, just going the FFXIV cash shop route, where everything is direct buy for cash, no intermediate fake currency like CCs involved, period.

 

Now, I think the price point on this particular item is a bit too high (I'd say a $30-40 equivalent in CCs would be more equitable for something that's just a bunch of pretty pixels), but I suppose EAWare are worried about the whales who support this game getting super upset with them if they start selling all the rare items the whales like to flip for hundreds of millions of credits for an actually reasonable price. Personally, I'm all in favor of making platinum items more available for less, to try to tamp down some of the seriously ludicrous price inflation I've seen on the GTN (as newer shipments of Cartel Packs have progressively worse drop rates than the ones that came before, which leads to more artificial scarcity of items people actually want rather than recolored ugly trash outfits).

 

And yes, absolutely this is a transparent attempt to pad their bottom line in a financial quarter where they've lost a lot of subs and CM income. But it's still an optional cosmetic item that provides no in game benefit other than bragging rights, so... who cares? If you don't want it, don't buy it. I certainly won't. But I'd be more than willing to direct buy OTHER rare items in the future if they were something I actually wanted and I felt the price was right.

I always gain some faith in humanity reading your posts. +1 sir!

[Azidahka]

I personally don't even think it looks that cool

[Andryah]

I personally don't even think it looks that cool

 

^^ I agree.

 

But we apparently have a lot of Kylo Ren wanna-be's in this game.

[Edyn]

...Why the price of 7,600 Cartel Coins?

It’s a lot of Cartel Coins, but this sale is directed at those players who have the resources to acquire the item...

 

Oddly enough, this word actually actually threw me a bit and I have no idea why money wasn't used.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Edyn

[JennyFlynn]

Oddly enough, this word actually actually threw me a bit and I have no idea why money wasn't used.

 

Possibly because some players may be sitting on say 10k CC obtained through grants and referrals rather than having to buy CC with real world money, hence resources. Best I can guess anyhows.

Edited March 7, 2017 by JennyFlynn

[Fygee]

That price is flat out obscene and indefensible. You're selling a cosmetic item for what equates to four months of subscription game time. Just....wow.

 

I understand wanting to have a rare item stay rare, but why not make it so its not exclusive to whales? How about a fun game play mechanic or end boss that drops it so that anyone can acquire it?

 

Yes, there's the GTN, but it'll still be beyond stupidly expensive there too.

 

This game is turning more and more into a microtransaction hell. I like that its at least not a paywall requiring you to purchase things to progress, but still...

[xeriphim]

Wow 7600 coins ? At first read I was laughing seeing that price for the saber hilt. then I laughed and face palmed when I saw this is just for the saber and there isnt' a dualsaber version being offered or included. Now I'm going to simply ask does the 7600 cost also include the collections unlock ? or is that an extra cost of cartel coins ? Could the Community Manager please shed light here ? If a person were to buy it'd be good to know if they should be looking to get the 7600 coins required or aim for closer to 8000 coins to also cover the collection unlocking cost. Thank you .

[LonelyWookiee]

I personally don't even think it looks that cool

 

This exactly. I don't understand all the hype with it but I try to imagine if it were something I did want in regards to this test of theirs.

[eriksarcasm]

Mass Effect: Andromeda costs $60.

 

That kind of put it in perspective for me.

 

Indeed.

[Andryah]

Oddly enough, this word actually actually threw me a bit and I have no idea why money wasn't used.

 

Because sources for CCs are fungible... in that they come from monthly subscriber grants, security key grants, and the ever popular hawking of ones referral code for CCs as well as direct purchase. Most players have an aggregate of CCs in their possession and some NEVER ever purchase them directly.

 

It is not necessary to actually purchase CCs to then purchase this saber if you work your unpaid sources of CCs well. There are players out there sitting on 10s of thousands of cartel coins gleaned from sources other then direct purchase with actual real money.

 

The unintended consequence of this sale ----> more bad behaviors in game around bartering between players to hit someone's referral code link for "promise" of xyz compensation.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Andryah

[eriksarcasm]

^^ I agree.

 

But we apparently have a lot of Kylo Ren wanna-be's in this game.

 

That's the Defiiant Vented Lightsaber. This is the one that came before that that looks and sounds like a bug zapper.

 

Peacemaker's is much nicer IMO.

[Andryah]

That's the Defiiant Vented Lightsaber. This is the one that came before that that looks and sounds like a bug zapper.

 

Peacemaker's is much nicer IMO.

 

You actually think any Kylo Ren cosplayers care about the nuance you are presenting?

[Lunafox]

Keep it. I'd rather have my money than pixels. I might have considered it for 600 tops. People would be bat **** crazy to even think about spending that on pixels that will vanish when they shut the game down.

 

They want to see how much they can gouge for, and that will affect rarities in the packs too. Why put the items in the packs, if you can find fools with more money than brains.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Lunafox

[EliteRevenant]

Speaking as a guy who gives Bio a LOT of leeway and plenty of the benefit of the doubt (and have purchased more than my fair share of CM items (probably more than I should've)), and am not prone to calling them greedy at the drop of a hat... yeah, no, selling a single item for the price of a whole new game or expansion is just a bad deal, and indefensible. I've no interest in this particular item, but even if I did or it was one of the weapons I did want to purchase, $60 or so is NOT good value and I would rather spend it elsewhere.

 

With that same sum of money, I could pre-order, off the top of my head, Nier: Automata on Steam, get the cosmetic items from that pre-order and then plenty of hours of gameplay and story when the game comes out on that platform. And I'm positive that would be superior value for days.

 

I mean, when the devs apparently feel the need to preemptively defend a pricing decision, I think you can pretty much deduce that someone there realizes that this is probably NOT gonna go over well with their customers. (And actually, I can appreciate that sort of foresight and willingness to explain to the playerbase. The apparent price-gouging... not so much.)

[IanArgent]

The put out two types of sabers - the Vented one that has the lightsaber-blade "hilts," (Master Ranos has a pair of these, incidentally; bound to her alone), and the Unstable one that has the "flickering" particel effect on the blade. Kylo Ren's lightsaber has both the vents and the unstable blades.

 

/nerd

[eriksarcasm]

You actually think any Kylo Ren cosplayers care about the nuance you are presenting?

 

Absolutely! Any cosplayer worth his/her salt would care about the details!

[Andryah]

Absolutely! Any cosplayer worth his/her salt would care about the details!

 

As IanArgent pointed out.. the unstable is actually a hybrid of a saber compared to the movie. There is no exact duplicate (probably intentional to avoid needing IP approval), so the cosplayers are just going to have to cope.

 

It's red, it's unstable, so that's all they really need I bet.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Andryah