Cash shop pricing is getting a bit much...

[Krotoan]

as far as lines go - they already crossed that with the last Hildebrand quest. In-game reward for the quest was zero - now go and buy the outfit on the cash shop. I do agree, they are having a lend of us with the prices. I'm getting sick of the pay to play to pay mentality. They shouldn't be releasing any new "optional" items exclusive to the cash shop without providing a way to earn them in game, and they never should have. (this might be as simple as trading in-game tokens or points or providing new related quests, whatever.) They have now stepped WAY over the mark with the app - you pay the normal subscription, then pay for the app - to get the opportunity to pay to access the things the app provides? I'm getting dizzy.

So you'd rather the exclusive items never existed then?

[Dustytome]

So you'd rather the exclusive items never existed then?

We can't know they never would have existed unless we have access to an alternative timeline in which the cash shop did not exist. While they may have stated otherwise, companies often make these types of statements to reassure customers of the choices made. I find similar merit in companies being taken over and the former ceo reassuring clients that no changes are being made and all staff is being kept on.

[Sigma-Astra]

We can't know they never would have existed unless we have access to an alternative timeline in which the cash shop did not exist.

Quick, someone summon an Astrologian to use the Arrow Card, but make it backwards.

But, on a more serious note. I imagine that some might not exist if the NA/EU/JP didn't have the cash shop. The Korean/Chinese exclusives would stay there and they'd have no reason to bring them over if they were paid for by their separate cash shops that we don't have access to and by right, we'd have no business having access either. Also, things like the Eternal Bonding Ceremony may not be feasible since you can't enter a credit card number while in-game, unless they make it priced by Gil which may just increase the RMT sales so people can afford their roleplay wedding fantasies or just for the reward items/bonuses. I doubt that if the Eternal Bonding Ceremony was priced in Gil that it would be cheap like 20,000 or 100,000. It would probably be on par with housing costs since both pieces of content are optional to players and not necessarily needed outright. There would still be a free package, but Passion may be 2 or 3 mil, with Devotion being 10 mil for example.

It's almost a double-edge sword, we could have no Mogstation at all and make everything purchased via in-game through Gil (I don't want to say Achievement Points for all items because not everyone can do every single achievement in this game and everyone has varying degrees of stockpiled points), but it may increase the RMT practices as well because people will want the Gil lickety-split to buy what they want right away which could incur the wrath of even more bots.

As for the minions, emotes, mounts and other items, they could be added via achievement points or through Gil and again, if it's the Gil option, then they would just be fueling the RMT practices more possibly. It's just too hard to tell, but there are consequences for everything somehow. Even if the Mogstation didn't exist and things were done a different way, it probably still wouldn't be a perfect, flawless solution.

This is just a generalized theory though, so just food for thought.

[Dustytome]

- All the stuff you said, but won't fit here because character limit is still a thing. -

There's still the possibility of bringing them over with promotional events as some items were, although that worked out better for some regions than others. Considering the promotions, I wonder how much (if at all) SE has to pay to license that stuff.

[Sigma-Astra]

There's still the possibility of bringing them over with promotional events as some items were, although that worked out better for some regions than others. Considering the promotions, I wonder how much (if at all) SE has to pay to license that stuff.

I imagine it could be somewhat costly, because like anywhere, if a certain region of the world created it and another region wants to sell or spread it around, it's only fair for the original designers/developers to siphon a portion of the sales. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese/Korean stuff didn't already get a portion of the sales themselves come to think of it from our Mogstation....that could be part of the licensing contract for all we know. It wouldn't surprise me if China/Korea has to do the same for some of our stuff as well. I never thought about that until now, wow.

I imagine exclusive content not developed for the NA/EU/JP would go through the same kind of licensing procedures that anime probably does from Japan to all of the viable regions that it's usually sold in, and some titles are not released or banned in certain countries too. Some licensees can be really stingy too.

[HyoMinPark]

There's still the possibility of bringing them over with promotional events as some items were, although that worked out better for some regions than others. Considering the promotions, I wonder how much (if at all) SE has to pay to license that stuff.

You’re right that they could have done a promotion; but they would have to do one that isn’t a complete disaster for EU like the Maid/Butler Attire one was in order for it to be a successful promotion. No shady magazines and required selfies. However, it’s likely that the Chinese/Korean exclusives would have stayed in China and Korea since they were commissioned and made specifically for those countries, and were brought here only by demand and because SE could also charge for them like they did in China/Korea.

[XiXiQ]

So you'd rather the exclusive items never existed then?

in a nutshell - yes. They should not be releasing emotes, outfits and mounts that are unobtainable in-game under any circumstances. I have no issue at all with these "optional" (some prefer "exclusive") items also being sold. You can choose to play, or pay instead. I don't really care which one anyone chooses, as long as there is actually a choice involved.

[Krotoan]

in a nutshell - yes. They should not be releasing emotes, outfits and mounts that are unobtainable in-game under any circumstances. I have no issue at all with these "optional" (some prefer "exclusive") items also being sold. You can choose to play, or pay instead. I don't really care which one anyone chooses, as long as there is actually a choice involved.

Would you still feel that this was fair if the investment necessary was a VERY large time investment?

[ko_]

Would you still feel that this was fair if the investment necessary was a VERY large time investment?

What would be a fair time investment? See I think people say that cause they hate the store.. but i rather have the store cause when I see time investment I see things like 500 hours plus for something and that's not really better either. and I'm retired and I'm saying that.

[Krotoan]

What would be a fair time investment? See I think people say that cause they hate the store.. but i rather have the store cause when I see time investment I see things like 500 hours plus for something and that's not really better either. and I'm retired and I'm saying that.

I didn't say fair investment though. Just large.
The problem I'm trying to point out though is that the idea of "fair" here is very weird if you step back and consider what investing time can get you. Basically most any job you get in the real world lets you exchange time for money. Most people have a going rate for their time and I think it's really odd that people can know this, have a known quantity they'll accept in exchange for their time yet balk at paying a set amount of money for something but ALSO be OK with spending multiple times over that quantity in time to earn the same thing . You seem to understand this basic exchange of money to save time but a lot of the people on here don't.

"it's so expensive", "people overpay".

Your time is the only currency you actually have to spend and you're the only one who can demand value for that time.

all the people who complain about the cost and how they would rather be able to earn it in game even if it takes months. Get your butts out there and make some money. The opportunity to get those items IS there, you just have to spend a little more effort in REAL life.