If they put Dark Aura up for sale would you mind Wisp Aura going for sale too?
Been in since beta, bought every pack or box that CoH came out with and got every "exclusive" thing out there except the giveaways at conventions and meetings.
Sell it all.
I suspect one reason that, generally speaking, there's less "yes I got it and it's exclusive and I want to keep it that way" is that there are so many costume pieces and sprint alternatives and whatnot, of really high quality and high impact, that these things aren't heads and shoulders above other similar things and really stand out. Yes, they're nice, most of them, and there are some costume concepts that they'd be really great for, so you have friends who notice and say "hey, that's a cool aura", but it doesn't scream "Look at me!"
I don't know the law well enough to say if there are legal issues in offering for sale again things that were listed as "exclusive", I suspect it depends on the language ("only for a limited time" might be troublesome). As memory serves, the price difference between collectable and regular editions wasn't that high, and came with a number of benefits beyond the in-game stuff. (I loved having a DVD install for the game instead of a couple of CDs) and it's been so long that the present value of that difference is pretty small.
If we had a vibrant PVP community and if these exclusive items provided a benefit in PVP, I can see why people might want to keep it exclusive. I can sort of see the show off advantages for a PVE advantage but on the other hand I want people I'm teaming with to be effective and efficient. (Nirvana is joining one of the old task forces as WTF and discovering many of us have team transporter.)
But for purely cosmetic - give a period of exclusivity, and then sell them all. The only exception would be if a part is actually tied to an event - say a chest design that's the logo for a convention you went to, I can see tying that to that event and forever exclusive.
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I'm not a fan of exclusive items that not everybody has a chance to reach. The old vet reward program, given time, everyone had a chance to reach the items. The Twitter Codes, I guess technically the same was true, but not enough time was given for everyone to have a fair shake at it. At least more time was given with the Facebook codes. Other problem is not everyone even knew about it until it was done or even at all.
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I know I see the Wisp Aura a TON and it was a promotional thing. With the ordeal behind the Tweet code Thursdays and the Dark Matter Aura a lot of people want it for sale. However, so far they have said no since its a promotional item.
So how would you feel if as a compromised they released the Wisp Aura for sale? I think it would sell fairly well as I see a LOT of people using this aura. Thoughts? |
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Just chiming in to add another "I'm fine with previously exclusive items being made available to all". I'm not sure if there's currently any I've missed that I'd want to pick up, but it wouldn't bother me if everyone got access to any or all of the ones I do have (indeed, I'd generally be in favour of it).
As a general rule for how to handle exclusive items, I most approve of the suggestions that go along the lines of: exclusive for a certain period of time -> purchasable for a certain period of time -> earnable/available in-game after that.
I know I see the Wisp Aura a TON and it was a promotional thing. With the ordeal behind the Tweet code Thursdays and the Dark Matter Aura a lot of people want it for sale. However, so far they have said no since its a promotional item.
So how would you feel if as a compromised they released the Wisp Aura for sale? I think it would sell fairly well as I see a LOT of people using this aura. Thoughts? |
As in, an item can be exclusive for "X Amount" of time and then it winds up in the Paragon Market at a fair price.
I don't see a reason not to once the promotion period ends. I mean, you figure that they will eventually stop offering the Dark Matter auras via Twitter at some point so they can give away the new shiny.
I also feel the same way about the T9 VIP costume sets. Once they're rotated out, they should be put up on the Paragon Market (I wouldn't have a problem with a small premium on them either)
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So far the score seems to be:
Keep them exclusive: 1
Make them available: Everyone Else
I say keep them exclusive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go use this pitchfork to fling puppies into a portal to hell by the dozens! MWAAAAHAAHHHAHAHAHAHA!!!
No seriously, the exclusives thing is one of the stupidest parts of the comic book medium. We're in a digital age now and that means that the "true fans" get bragging rights all to their own - everyone can see how old our accounts are, how long we've been posting, etc. Giving exclusive stuff just for the sake of exclusives is bizarre, unless it's done Pokemon-style where mutually exclusive stuff encourages teamwork and trade, instead of just being rare for the sake of being rare.
Look how much more successful Pokemon is than the things it was inspired by, including Magic the Gathering.
I say, make it available for a price, say, seven gold plated diamond-studded yachts, and then have a sale every once in a while where people can get the aura for slightly cheaper, like 0.02% off or something. Then everybody wins.
Except the puppies.
/pitchfork
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There are things that I want that I can't currently have (Prestige Power Slide being the big, big one) and there are things like the Dark Matter aura that I do have and wouldn't mind letting others have the ability to get at any point. I'm at the point, though, where I've started to become hopeful yet wary when I see the "exclusive" argument brought up.
I believe everything should go into the store and that promotions should just be a kind of coupon way to save money, and draw interest to a new product. Using a gold star item to promote the game and then locking people out of it is going to make some people unhappy, and some of those are going to walk away disgusted.
I believe everything should go into the store and that promotions should just be a kind of coupon way to save money, and draw interest to a new product. Using a gold star item to promote the game and then locking people out of it is going to make some people unhappy, and some of those are going to walk away disgusted.
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It is a bit disheartening to find out that when I come back after a hiatus of a few months (again still subscribed, just not playing) that two bits I could have used: the Kirby dots aura and the tri-corner hat have currently come and gone with no announced return or wider availability for either.
I think that the action/tower defense game Dungeon Defenders does a much better job. They create new thematic challenge maps for each holiday season and to coincide with steam promotional sales. These are often available for free for about a week. After that, $.49 a piece. In that case, if you want to play a particular challenge map with friends, you too need to unlock the map content for your game. But it is always there, available in the store after the promotional period.
As you say, this on the shelf for free then away and out of reach for months if not years does breed a level of disappointment that though not game-breaking does for me add one more gram to the scale when coming back after a hiatus and weighing, "Do I really want to get back into CoH?"
Been subbed but away to accommodate a busy work schedule. I love the costume creator and until now had access to every costume bit (except the exclusive CoV cape) ever made available. I like it that way.
It is a bit disheartening to find out that when I come back after a hiatus of a few months (again still subscribed, just not playing) that two bits I could have used: the Kirby dots aura and the tri-corner hat have currently come and gone with no announced return or wider availability for either. I think that the action/tower defense game Dungeon Defenders does a much better job. They create new thematic challenge maps for each holiday season and to coincide with steam promotional sales. These are often available for free for about a week. After that, $.49 a piece. In that case, if you want to play a particular challenge map with friends, you too need to unlock the map content for your game. But it is always there, available in the store after the promotional period. As you say, this on the shelf for free then away and out of reach for months if not years does breed a level of disappointment that though not game-breaking does for me add one more gram to the scale when coming back after a hiatus and weighing, "Do I really want to get back into CoH?" |
I know that's not great news or very assuring, but I just figured I'd lend the tiny positive aspect that they'll still give it away for other things (maybe costume contests or random giveaways... I don't know).
Just figured I'd mention that for whatever it was worth.
On a side note...
I say keep them exclusive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go use this pitchfork to fling puppies into a portal to hell by the dozens! MWAAAAHAAHHHAHAHAHAHA!!!
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Great news! Thanks for filling me in on that. Been pretty far out of the loop for about 3 months.
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I just get disappointed every time I think about all the cool stuff that some folks have never had the opportunity to get, like the power slide, the facepalm emote, or the wisps aura. The Kirby dots are another one added to the pile. I have all but the Kirby dots (and just can't bring myself to do twitter to get them). Also, I have no illusions to think I'd be lucky enough to win them in a random event.
Anything locked away from a player or group of players "forever" because they didn't start the game early enough, aren't inclined to social media, or just suck at being lucky enough to get the random reward, is just dumb in my opnion. Especially if they could make a profit off it by selling them in the market at some point.
Exclusive for a time is all fine and good. "Forever" in a game that encourages players to make any look for their characters, to fit any theme (except for this one thing because you suck nya-nya) just makes no sense.
Drop exclusivity. Let folks buy whatever they want in the market, even if they have to wait a while to do it.
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I couldn't agree more.
I just get disappointed every time I think about all the cool stuff that some folks have never had the opportunity to get, like the power slide, the facepalm emote, or the wisps aura. The Kirby dots are another one added to the pile. I have all but the Kirby dots (and just can't bring myself to do twitter to get them). Also, I have no illusions to think I'd be lucky enough to win them in a random event.
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I'm just confused, I guess. Why IS Marketing marketing the game to me? Aren't I subscribed to it already? What else could I POSSIBLY get from being aware of their Twitter and Facebook promotions? I'd get it if I were a new player or if I were on the fence about subscribing, but I'm ALREADY subscribing. The Wisps aura was intended to get people to use the NCsoft Launcher, and it worked for me. I saw the aura, I wanted to have it, I went with the Launcher. But exactly what is this aura intended to make me do? Wait in line?
Far as I'm concerned, make all "promotion only" items available to VIPs as part of the service, or otherwise make them VIP-only once purchased. You want the items while they're still exclusive? Be a VIP, because that's what gets you the exclusive stuff. Am I that far off target here?
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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A twitter account actually wasn't needed in order to participate in the giveaways. just a link to their twitter feed, and a quick reaction time at around the 29-minute mark of every hour, as well as the stroke of the hour.
As I mentioned in the other thread, opening up the link to their IMAGE feed and refreshing it while having your ncsoft account window open in another tab/window/whatever and just being quick for that very short window of opportunity could do it.
You could dramatically increase your odds from say one in 500 to around one in three, varying based on how many people were trying the same trick and had pre-chosen the same code that you yourself were going to choose.
I got #3 in the list, roughly 30 seconds before their twitter feed updated to show that they had uploaded a new image.
you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you <3
A twitter account actually wasn't needed in order to participate in the giveaways. just a link to their twitter feed, and a quick reaction time at around the 29-minute mark of every hour, as well as the stroke of the hour.
As I mentioned in the other thread, opening up the link to their IMAGE feed and refreshing it while having your ncsoft account window open in another tab/window/whatever and just being quick for that very short window of opportunity could do it. You could dramatically increase your odds from say one in 500 to around one in three, varying based on how many people were trying the same trick and had pre-chosen the same code that you yourself were going to choose. I got #3 in the list, roughly 30 seconds before their twitter feed updated to show that they had uploaded a new image. |
A winning strategy for sure. But not everyone is in a line of work that permits them to camp the feed and their account window for five minutes every half hour. I'm sure this counterpoint was raised in the other thread as well.
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I say make them available to everyone. I don't mind if the exclusive thing is one of those costume toggle vanity deals, or a vanity pet that does nothing.
This is a costume piece. Costume pieces should be available to everyone, somehow. Not a lucky batch. It's terrible PR.
I wouldn't mind at all. Other people having to pay for what I got free doesn't bother me in the slightest.
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I joined far too late for the wisp aura, and would very much like to buy it.
Also, agree with all of the exclusive stuff going up for sell.
Oh, and the Think Tank should go in the market permanently. Every time it shows up I miss it.