The Ethics of Optional Item Sales

[Bomb_Toss]

As the MMO gaming industry shifts from the adventure of the 2000's to a formulated money-driven F2P, a discussion about consumer ethics needs to take place. I'm talking about the optional items in FFXIV. The following is why I believe the practice is unethical in a subscriber model.

As a subscriber, I pay a monthly fee that is calculated based on the cost of the assets created for the game, the labor for their creation, and the updates/maintenance required to upkeep the game. That is the mutual agreement with SE when we give them $12-$14 a month. But FFXIV's optional items are assets created with subscriber money and then posted as completely stand alone items for the game because they are thought to be good enough to sell alone. This forces subscribers to pay more if they want the item they are paying SE, already, to create. In the end, such monetary practices devalue subscribers and create an incentive within the industry to lock the best content/design from subscribers.

In response, many that support these practices argue that services are similar. I disagree. Services are unlike the optional items because they only grant convenience. You can still create a new char on a different server with a sub. Also, I don't blame anyone that has bought these items--it is SE's fault as a company they provided this monetary policy. In the future, I would hope SE would revise this current strategy because it appears to be unethical to its subscribers.

[Mahri]

Buy it if you like it.

Don't buy it if you don't.

It's optional and has no impact on gameplay. Nothing unethical, given how they've been 100% transparent about what they're for.

Ain't rocket science.

[Teuciont]

Buy it if you like it.

Don't buy it if you don't.

It's optional and has no impact on gameplay. Nothing unethical, given how they've been 100% transparent about what they're for.

Ain't rocket science.

This is unfortunately 100% not true. I can almost guarantee you after experiencing FFXI, SE's other MMO, that items that have been placed in the cash shop are things that could have alternatively been placed in the game as quest rewards. This isn't profitable from a business perspective however considering that you're weighing whether or not you should:

-Spend Development time and money to create a reward AND quest for """"free""""*
or
-Spend Development time and money to create the "reward" and have consumers pay you back for that item.

Just because it's obvious from a business perspective doesn't mean you should bend over backwards and imply that it has literally no consequence for the game itself.

*After having paid a monthly fee to access the quest and reward in the first place.

[Gyson]

Buy it if you like it.

Don't buy it if you don't.

It's optional and has no impact on gameplay. Nothing unethical, given how they've been 100% transparent about what they're for.

Ain't rocket science.

Apparently it is, because it's not as cut and dry as you seem to think.

The idea is that you're paying a company for a game service. Part of that service includes the idea that the developers will continue to work on new assets to add to the game you're paying a monthly payment for. Turning around and charging you for those same new assets you've already helped pay to create is, well, not right (no matter how you want to dress it up). Now, you can say "don't buy it if you don't like it", but that doesn't change any of what I just said.

Whether you acknowledge that or not doesn't matter, as even game developers themselves understand this. That is why they often argue that a cash shop allows them to hire additional help in the form of employees who work solely on cash shop assets. In saying that, they are trying to make it clear that cash shop content is funded entirely (and solely) through cash shop purchases. And with that, everyone should be happy, right?

Unfortunately, it depends on how honest the developer is being with that statement. Usually the answer seems to be "not entirely" or "not at all". And that is the meat of the problem.

[GenJoe]

The idea is that you're paying a company for a game service. Part of that service includes the idea that the developers will continue to work on new assets to add to the game you're paying a monthly payment for

Yeah.. try telling a cop "I pay your salary" and see where that leads ya :P

Just because you pay SE for their services, it doesn't mean you're entitled to every little bit of their creation. That'd be nice I admit, there are some indie developers that take user feedback and put it directly into the games and even allowing users to have direct input on how the funds are used, but that is certainly not the norm. Also, SE's sheer size and structure would make that impossible to achieve.

Not to mention the varying degrees of customer expectations, you can't possibly please everybody.. Might as well take the path that makes them the money.

[Welsper59]

The idea is that you're paying a company for a game service. Part of that service includes the idea that the developers will continue to work on new assets to add to the game you're paying a monthly payment for. Turning around and charging you for those same new assets you've already helped pay to create is, well, not right (no matter how you want to dress it up). Now, you can say "don't buy it if you don't like it", but that doesn't change any of what I just said.

Forcing your own opinions upon others, no matter how many people might agree, does not mean you are right. Point out any part of the paid subscription agreement that states specifically that that is what the service you pay for entitles you to.

Whether you acknowledge that or not doesn't matter, as even game developers themselves understand this.

Isn't this like you saying "it doesn't matter if there's no proof, I'm always right".

It's very true that not all of the money spent by the players goes entirely to FFXIV. Only an idiot (or someone that is ignorant of fiscal duties) would think otherwise. There are dues to be paid for credit card transactions, server usage, employee salaries, etc. Not to mention the fact that SE is not a company catering solely to FFXIV, and given that the FFXIV team works for SE, well... money is generally pooled to the company itself. Encumbrances are usually set from this pool for departments to use. If issuing more money to a department means better production and profits, then more money is likely to be given to said department. So if the Cash Shop brings in profit, SE will likely decide to give FFXIV a larger budget if requested, which means more quality content/products/services/etc to be had from the department.

[Gyson]

Apparently it is, because it's not as cut and dry as you seem to think.

The idea is that you're paying a company for a game service. Part of that service includes the idea that the developers will continue to work on new assets to add to the game you're paying a monthly payment for. Turning around and charging you for those same new assets you've already helped pay to create is, well, not right (no matter how you want to dress it up). Now, you can say "don't buy it if you don't like it", but that doesn't change any of what I just said.

Whether you acknowledge that or not doesn't matter, as even game developers themselves understand this. That is why they often argue that a cash shop allows them to hire additional help in the form of employees who work solely on cash shop assets. In saying that, they are trying to make it clear that cash shop content is funded entirely (and solely) through cash shop purchases. And with that, everyone should be happy, right?

Unfortunately, it depends on how honest the developer is being with that statement. Usually the answer seems to be "not entirely" or "not at all". And that is the meat of the problem.

Forcing your own opinions upon others, no matter how many people might agree, does not mean you are right. Point out any part of the paid subscription agreement that states specifically that that is what the service you pay for entitles you to.

Isn't this like you saying "it doesn't matter if there's no proof, I'm always right".

Not in the slightest, and it's unfortunate you took it that way. While ultimately I can't help how you choose to perceive my comments, I'm simply regurgitating information that developers have doled out to the public in the past.

The same goes for this fellow and his odd analogy:

Yeah.. try telling a cop "I pay your salary" and see where that leads ya :P

Just because you pay SE for their services, it doesn't mean you're entitled to every little bit of their creation. That'd be nice I admit, there are some indie developers that take user feedback and put it directly into the games and even allowing users to have direct input on how the funds are used, but that is certainly not the norm.

I feel like both of you are, perhaps, new to MMOs. And I define "new" as someone who hasn't been participating in MMO games since they began to gain popularity back in the 90's. Those of us that did game since that period were around when a subscription fee allowed players to access all content added to the game (without having to pay additional fees beyond the monthly sub).

For newer MMO gamers I can certainly understand how cash shops may seem like the norm now, but the fact is development studios used to be able to create games with similar levels of content (and smaller player bases) without turning to cash shops and DLC for additional funding. Early Everquest and even FFXI are good examples of this as far as MMOs go. Unfortunately for all of us, greed and pressure from management have changed this (and I speak from experience on this as someone from that industry).

Any developer will tell you that an MMO is "never done" and that new content will always be forthcoming. I can't recall any that have dared advertised the idea that your monthly subscription fee would only be used to keep the lights on, and to not expect any additional content in the game's future despite your continued financial support. That would be a ridiculous death sentence for any MMO project.

For better or worse, evolution happens, and there will likely come a day when no one bats an eye at cash shops or DLC. We're not there yet, nor likely to be there for some time, and until then threads like this are perfectly understandable (although obviously bound to be controversial as different generations of gamers clash).

[Izsha]

I feel like both of you are, perhaps, new to MMOs. And I define "new" as someone who hasn't been participating in MMO games since they began to gain popularity back in the 90's. Those of us that did game since that period were around when a subscription fee allowed players to access all content added to the game (without having to pay additional fees beyond the monthly sub).

For newer MMO gamers I can certainly understand how cash shops may seem like the norm now, but the fact is development studios used to be able to create games with similar levels of content (and smaller player bases) without turning to cash shops and DLC for additional funding. Early Everquest and even FFXI are good examples of this as far as MMOs go. Unfortunately for all of us, greed and pressure from management have changed this (and I speak from experience on this as someone from that industry).

Any developer will tell you that an MMO is "never done" and that new content will always be forthcoming. I can't recall any that have dared advertised the idea that your monthly subscription fee would only be used to keep the lights on, and to not expect any additional content in the game's future despite your continued financial support. That would be a ridiculous death sentence for any MMO project.

I if you've been playing mmos as long as you imply you'd realize your own error. There are tons of 'dead' mmos where you pay literally to keep the lights on. Ffxi just announced that the end of this year will be the last content uodate. Ever. You can keep playing but the mmo is in fact 'done'. Ffxi subscriptions will keep the lights on and probably weed out the occasional discovered bug. There are TONS of dead mmos that still have servers but zero content still being mmade.

And to all the 'subscription should give me evetything' people, how do you justify buying expansions? It's a 1 time fee for content that according to your own logic, should he included via subscription.

You can't get all uppity about buying a Xmas hat in cash shop, then turn around and drop 40 bucks for an expac. If instead they put heavensward story in cash shop for 20, raids for 20, you'd be having a conniption. But if it's in a pretty box with a dvd, buying content is suddenly perfectly fine. Stop the double standards.

[GenJoe]

I feel like both of you are, perhaps, new to MMOs. And I define "new" as someone who hasn't been participating in MMO games since they began to gain popularity back in the 90's. Those of us that did game since that period were around when a subscription fee allowed players to access all content added to the game (without having to pay additional fees beyond the monthly sub).

No, I've been playing MMOs since the early 2000s, 2001-2002ish. I admit, I didn't start off with any of the iconic classics like Ultima Online, DAoC, Everquest, or even Lineage, but I've been around the scene long enough to remember the days when cash shops were non-existent. Like I said, I've never bought any premium features on cash shops myself, but if that's the direction SE chooses to go as a corporation, I don't believe myself to be so damn entitled for paying a measly $15 a month to demand that they provide me with all the perks.

For better or worse, evolution happens, and there will likely come a day when no one bats an eye at cash shops or DLC. We're not there yet, nor likely to be there for some time, and until then threads like this are perfectly understandable (although obviously bound to be controversial as different generations of gamers clash).

You're exactly right, the evolution HAS happened, You may not be there, but I am. I've come to accept it for what it is, and I've chosen to embrace it, in a manner that is positive to the game, which I think SE's cash shop could use a bit of tweaking. Largely, expanding the vanity/mount sold on the shop, and introducing game-time items as a tradable in-game item. Let the players control the economy. Let US determine what gil is worth in dollars, not some smarmy gil botters.

P.S. We can get into the whole debate of real money vs. game money stuff here, but I'll just make it clear. As long as there's no abuse (account hacking, paypal scams, botting) involved, I'm perfectly fine with people trading one for the other, as long as both parties are aware of exactly what one is paying for.

Really, that shouldn't be any different than my friend buying me dinner for getting a group together to run him through contents or crafting him a set of items.. Except the voluntary part, but hey, nothing brings strangers together like a business transaction.

[Sakuraluna]

Most of the stuff is old seasonal event vanity with no impact on gameplay anyway.