Cash Shops: Should They or Shouldn't They?

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Cash Shops.

I've always hated them, yet they've always managed to rope me into the next spiffy game that I've wanted to play.

*Note*
When I state "real" money, I don't mean in-game money. I mean the dollars, coins, credit, and checks that we use in real life.

First example would be Gunbound. I once had the archangel set along with the golden hammer all due to "hard work" in obtaining the amount of in-game money to buy it. However, I've found that people must buy these sets with "real" money like dollars, yens and pounds. And not only can you buy it with "real" money, but that item expires after a certain amount of days

It's like saying, "HEY! Give me your money and I'll lend you these spiffy pixels and take them away in a week! But I won't give you back the money! Oh noooooooooo. No no NO! We won't give your money back, because you get to keep the enjoyment and memories you had in using them. That way, when you only have that memory and no awesome gear, you'll be stuck with horrible gear and losses that will aggravate you to the point where you'll buy that awesome gear again! HA! I have your money!"

The second example would be Granado Espada/Sword of the New World. This game poses a different cash shop than Gunbound. Instead of letting items expire, you may keep the items once you purchase them with "real" money.

However! They created the game so that items take forever to purchase with in-game money with increasing difficulty. This will cause a person to look at the Cash Shop items and provoke them to take the easy way out to make themselves look pretty and extremely strong.

The Cash Shop is clearly designed to drain your money away.

And don't you find it sad that even though games are free, they always have a cash shop to drain more money than you can use for a month of WoW? A purchase of a simple game for $50 dollars might even turn out to be more beneficial than blowing off so much money on Cash Shop items in a free game. Even though you feel like it won't matter because you don't buy Cash Shop items, it's an atrocity because many others do. This is why sites like Gaia Online flourish immensely.

I strongly believe that games should provide extra, customizable, and more awesome content at the end of a game instead of releasing free and shitty games with elitists clothes that can only be obtained with "real" money.

What do you guys think?

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

In Gunbound, you can buy it for a day, 7 days, or permanently. That's how their system works. I find that gear in Gunbound doesn't make THAT much of a difference. If you're a crack shot then you're a crack shot. If you're a nub with 150% attack and def. and whatever then it's not really going to matter.

Anyway, the point of the cash shop is so that the developers, who made a game for FREE, are able to support their wives and children with money. You know, because they just made a free game for you. Ahem. Making a little cash on the side isn't a bad thing, even if it wasn't their only source of income. And yes, perhaps it is to drain your money. But then again, who says you have to buy from them? I find games with cash shops enjoyable without having to purchase the spiffy gear.

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

I should make a rank called "Devil's Advocate" for you here.
lol~

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

That'd be cool.

Plebe Number of posts : 90 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-02

Don't matter to me to be honest, I never indulge in those things. I can resist the temptation. :p

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Neither did you vote. =O I can resist too.

Plebe Number of posts : 90 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-02

Oh yeah, I forgot to be democratic

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

THAT'S THE SPIRIT!

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

You two just like ganging up on me.
C'mon.
Be honest.
>|

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

I'm being honest. You dont' have to buy stuff from cash shops. But it's okay for them to be there so they can make money?

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

I honestly think it's more beneficial to create games that you pay for initially like Warcraft and whatnot. The quality of the free MMOs and whatnot have horrid quality due to them being RELEASED on the premise that they're free with the Cash Shop that backs them up. That sort of game development ethic isn't great at all in my opinion. It causes mediocre games to be released in large waves with only several AWESOME aspects in it while still sucking away our money. To be honest, I'd rather have a brilliant overall game that sucks away my money than a shitty, half-assed one that's built in a F2P type mindset.

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Then...go play WoW? lawl. THERE YOU GO! CASH SHOP PROBLEM SOLVED. 4ever. =D

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Jaiphonderby wrote:: Then...go play WoW? lawl. THERE YOU GO! CASH SHOP PROBLEM SOLVED. 4ever. =D

EXACTLY.
Well not solved completely since other morons are wasting their money away in the cash shop.
BUT I'M GOOD!
Which is why I play WoW.
xP

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Who cares about other morons. Some guy suggested we remove safety labels off everything and let the idiots kill themselves off, resulting in a smarter society.

Guardian Number of posts : 135 Age : 36 Registration date : 2008-09-01

Jaiphonderby wrote:: Who cares about other morons. Some guy suggested we remove safety labels off everything and let the idiots kill themselves off, resulting in a smarter society.

Sadly enough, I'd agree.
In a sarcastic sense of course.
I love you

Lieutenant Number of posts : 188 Age : 38 Registration date : 2008-09-01

I agree in a...non sarcastic way?