Quote Originally Posted by Naunet View Post
What makes an emote in the cash shop any different from an emote earned in-game? They're both content. As for progressing the game, that all depends on what you want out of the game.
I have no insight into SE's plans but if I had to guess, there is a quota of inclusive items like emotes, gear, and mounts. These would most likely be planed ahead of time, for example 2 free emotes per patch. These included items are budgeted for and are covered by the part of the budget paid for by our subs. Anything else has to have resources and man-hours allotted from outside the budget using funds from previous ventures as budgets move forward, never back.

Example, Thancred's new outfit that was released to the cash shop a while back. SE does not invest into that glam item hopeful to get its money back directly. That glam was most likely developed off of a budget derived from sale of another item. So again I don't know for real, but educated guessing says the sale of another item, say Melphena's costume, its profit was taken, and rolled into the development of the next item. This cycle will continue until the CS no longer makes money.

So something like /playdead isn't paying for itself, but is paying for the next emote or item.

Also note most price raises, despite the general public's assumption that its some cash grab, often find a source in labor. Something happened that caused the prices to go up, some new programmer(s), contract renegotiations, any number of things really.