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Zen Market Prices need adjusting

hrorhror Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 1 Arc User
edited July 2013 in General Discussion (PC)
All I can think of every time I look at the Zen market is all the things I would love to have there but to me are not worth $25+. I think if the prices were lowered then the they would make far more money than they are at the current prices. for example, I love the cool mounts and companions but for one convenience item I and I am sure many others are not willing to fork out $35 for. That is a lot of money and in most other online games would get you much better items. I am sure that if the prices were lowered a huge increase in item sales would be seen and in turn a greater flow of these items in the auction house and improved in game economic results as well as better profits for the developers. I know that personally if I could get a cool mount or companion for $10-$15 I would be willing to spend that as it is much more reasonable.
Post edited by hror on

Comments

  • lltsnwnlltsnwn Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 787 Bounty Hunter
    edited July 2013
    hror wrote: »
    All I can think of every time I look at the Zen market is all the things I would love to have there but to me are not worth $25+. I think if the prices were lowered then the they would make far more money than they are at the current prices. for example, I love the cool mounts and companions but for one convenience item I and I am sure many others are not willing to fork out $35 for. That is a lot of money and in most other online games would get you much better items. I am sure that if the prices were lowered a huge increase in item sales would be seen and in turn a greater flow of these items in the auction house and improved in game economic results as well as better profits for the developers. I know that personally if I could get a cool mount or companion for $10-$15 I would be willing to spend that as it is much more reasonable.

    All I can think of is don't use the Zen market? Seems pretty straight forward to me... What is "reasonable" is completely different from one person to another. I am extremely confident that if Cryptic/PWE has researched the price to profit margins with volume of sales extensively.
    12.jpgRanger.jpg
  • sasheriasasheria Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    hror wrote: »
    All I can think of every time I look at the Zen market is all the things I would love to have there but to me are not worth $25+. I think if the prices were lowered then the they would make far more money than they are at the current prices. for example, I love the cool mounts and companions but for one convenience item I and I am sure many others are not willing to fork out $35 for. That is a lot of money and in most other online games would get you much better items. I am sure that if the prices were lowered a huge increase in item sales would be seen and in turn a greater flow of these items in the auction house and improved in game economic results as well as better profits for the developers. I know that personally if I could get a cool mount or companion for $10-$15 I would be willing to spend that as it is much more reasonable.

    The thing is that it is all subjective. Cryptic look at their metric sale figures and determine prices. Notice that some item had a price drop others did not. This mean they are selling "enough" to warrant high prices.
    To grow old is inevitable, to grow up is optional.
    Please review my campaign and I'll return the favor.
  • norobladnoroblad Member Posts: 556 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Wait it out. The standard business model for free to play is to make new stuff, sell it at a high price for a "while" to get all the folks who are willing to shell out $$$, then when sales of that item drop off cut the price on it while adding a new item to the store at a high price, repeat for the lifespan of the game. So long as the item sells at the high price above some threshold (that is, they sell at least X units per week or whatever) the price remains high. Eventually, though, sales will drop off on one time purchases like mounts.
  • cyresofbsgocyresofbsgo Member Posts: 16 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    when it comes to the dyes in the Z-store, it doesn't matter that "cryptic is selling enough"

    I simply am NOT going to pay more for virtual Dye in REAL $, than it would cost to gather dye the old ways in real life, and mix it myself. ( estimated at 12 sets of clothes for $2, not 1.33 sets of clothes for $6 )
    _______

    it's a serious sad state, of game when virtual goods, cost more real $, than the real goods do in real life.
  • kiralynkiralyn Member Posts: 1,440 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    it's a serious sad state, of game when virtual goods, cost more real $, than the real goods do in real life.

    Dye :p

    (also, "gather & mix it myself" includes a cost in time, effort, tools, and knowledge/training.)
    ----

    Anyway - OP, the solution is.... if you don't think it's worth the money, don't buy it. If enough people think the same way as you, they'll adjust the prices (or have frequent sales).
  • elawynelawyn Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I simply am NOT going to pay more for virtual Dye in REAL $, than it would cost to gather dye the old ways in real life, and mix it myself. ( estimated at 12 sets of clothes for $2, not 1.33 sets of clothes for $6 )
    _______

    it's a serious sad state, of game when virtual goods, cost more real $, than the real goods do in real life.

    Good luck with that.

    Purple dyes...

    Tyrian purple was expensive: the 4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, "Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon" in Asia Minor.[1] The expense meant that purple-dyed textiles became status symbols, and early sumptuary laws restricted their uses. The production of Tyrian purple was tightly controlled in Byzantium and was subsidized by the imperial court, which restricted its use for the colouring of imperial silks,[2] so that a child born to a reigning emperor was porphyrogenitos, "born in the purple", although this term may also refer to the fact that the imperial birthing apartment was walled in the purple-red rock known as porphyry.

    The dye substance comprises a mucous secretion from the hypobranchial gland of one of several medium-sized predatory sea snails that are found in the eastern Mediterranean. These are the marine gastropods Bolinus brandaris the spiny dyemurex, (originally known as Murex brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758)), the banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus, and the rock-shell Stramonita haemastoma


    Let us know how your trip to find predatory sea snails in the Mediterranean goes.

    Indigo dye:-
    A variety of plants have provided indigo throughout history, but most natural indigo was obtained from those in the genus Indigofera, which are native to the tropics. The primary commercial indigo species in Asia was true indigo (Indigofera tinctoria, also known as Indigofera sumatrana). A common alternative used in the relatively colder subtropical locations such as Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan is Strobilanthes cusia (Japanese: リュウキュウアイ. Chinese: 馬藍/山藍).

    and let us know about this trip as well. Don't forget to factor in the cost of all the travel to find the natural materials for these dyes.
  • drizztdourden21drizztdourden21 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 54
    edited July 2013
    dont whine about a f2p game that supports itself from paying players end of story its their zen market
  • drizztdourden21drizztdourden21 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 54
    edited July 2013
    oh and i spent 300 zen on dyes

    ps
  • norobladnoroblad Member Posts: 556 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    elawyn wrote: »
    Good luck with that.

    Purple dyes...

    Tyrian purple was expensive: the 4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, "Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon" in Asia Minor.[1] The expense meant that purple-dyed textiles became status symbols, and early sumptuary laws restricted their uses. The production of Tyrian purple was tightly controlled in Byzantium and was subsidized by the imperial court, which restricted its use for the colouring of imperial silks,[2] so that a child born to a reigning emperor was porphyrogenitos, "born in the purple", although this term may also refer to the fact that the imperial birthing apartment was walled in the purple-red rock known as porphyry.

    The dye substance comprises a mucous secretion from the hypobranchial gland of one of several medium-sized predatory sea snails that are found in the eastern Mediterranean. These are the marine gastropods Bolinus brandaris the spiny dyemurex, (originally known as Murex brandaris (Linnaeus, 1758)), the banded dye-murex Hexaplex trunculus, and the rock-shell Stramonita haemastoma


    Let us know how your trip to find predatory sea snails in the Mediterranean goes.

    Indigo dye:-
    A variety of plants have provided indigo throughout history, but most natural indigo was obtained from those in the genus Indigofera, which are native to the tropics. The primary commercial indigo species in Asia was true indigo (Indigofera tinctoria, also known as Indigofera sumatrana). A common alternative used in the relatively colder subtropical locations such as Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan is Strobilanthes cusia (Japanese: リュウキュウアイ. Chinese: 馬藍/山藍).

    and let us know about this trip as well. Don't forget to factor in the cost of all the travel to find the natural materials for these dyes.

    Apparently poke-salad does not grow there..... I can make purple dye all day long off the weeds in my back yard.... the freaking bird-bombs here are half purple too.
  • robbieg43robbieg43 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I would purchase ZEN for the same amount i would pay for a sub monthly in a pay to play mmo. But even so it would take 3 montsh to be able to purchase a quick mount.

    Therefore i will not buy it.

    Also i think if the lowered the prices people would spend more to receive more. 3500Zen for a 110% mount is like
  • vanorvanor Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    hror wrote: »
    I think if the prices were lowered then the they would make far more money than they are at the current prices.

    I hear this argument in pretty much every F2P MMO out there, and every time I hear it I know the person making the statement proves once again that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

    Yes Supply and Demand in it's most basic form does say that when the price goes down the demand goes up. This does not however mean that simply reducing the price by 25% means a 25%+ increase in sales. This argument quite simply fails everytime it's made because the person making it has no way of knowing what the current sales figures are, or what the projected increase in sales will be at a reduction of X%.

    It is a simplistic argument made for no other reason then a justification for someone to get a deal on something they want but aren't willing to pay the current price for.
  • sasheriasasheria Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    when it comes to the dyes in the Z-store, it doesn't matter that "cryptic is selling enough"

    I simply am NOT going to pay more for virtual Dye in REAL $, than it would cost to gather dye the old ways in real life, and mix it myself. ( estimated at 12 sets of clothes for $2, not 1.33 sets of clothes for $6 )
    _______

    it's a serious sad state, of game when virtual goods, cost more real $, than the real goods do in real life.

    If you can get REAL dye into a virtual world, I would love to know how. My wife makes awesome dye and would love to see some cool colors in NW :)
    To grow old is inevitable, to grow up is optional.
    Please review my campaign and I'll return the favor.
  • drizztdourden21drizztdourden21 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 54
    edited July 2013
    It is a simplistic argument made for no other reason then a justification for someone to get a deal on something they want but aren't willing to pay the current price for.[/QUOTE]

    correct. and 3500 zen is ****all if you do any hard dungeons
  • kvetkvet Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 2,700 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Oh, drop the dye argument already. How silly.

    Here's my thing with the prices. First, they can charge whatever they want, and you can pay it, or grind the ADs on your own and buy the Zen that way (aka Free) if you want to. Someone will always feel Zen store items are over priced, no matter what. The real problem I have is that the whole AD store, Zen Store thing is horribly broken. First, most (not all) Zen store items are almost worthless. There will always be collector players, but in a practical sense, one 110% mount is all you'll ever need since it's an account unlock. Beyond that, most of the companions are really not that useful.

    On the AD front - one example. You can buy a training tome to upgrade your mounts from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3. The total cost for that is ~3million ADs. However, for just over 1m you can buy enough Zen to get the purple horse from the Zen store. So.. you can pay 3m to upgrade a character locked basic horse to 110%, or 1m to buy a 110% account-wide mount. Crazy, huh?

    I really like how they've made ADs so much more easy to come by due to the Auction House -- that's a great touch because a lot of the highest end loot is very valuable and with a few lucky drops you can have a million ADs pretty easily, which translates into a couple thousand Zen (give or take based on market price). Personally, I think the Zen store is priced about right, although I think more of those things should be account unlocks (companions, for example). I also thing they should drop gear/special part of the AD store completely -- the items are not REMOTELY worth the cost with the single exception of the Cat companion, which they should put in the Zen store priced about the same as the Ioun Stone of Allure. Then, let the AD store be purely for consumables (scrolls, enchants, etc), which are priced pretty accurately in my opinion.
  • kyzakiankyzakian Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    For some of the itmes they need to reduce the prices because you can get them allot cheaper in the Auction House when you compare everything in the AD and Zen Exchange.
  • kierlakxkierlakx Member Posts: 117 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I'm pretty sure he's talking about those little boxes of dyes you can get at various stores, since he mentioned a price, and thats about what they cost.

    The zen prices ARE way too high, and it is making their sales lower than they could be. If they lowered the prices, they would make more money via more sales, and at the same time ease the image of PWE as a soulless money vacuum with no care for QC, balance, or fairness. These high prices just reinforce the notion that this is nothing but a cash grab disguised as a game, in that it seems like they want to make as much as they can as fast as they can and then move on to the next cash grab disguised as a game. That alone puts off even more people from spending money, even if they could easily afford to spend a lot, because people (that aren't mentally ill) do not willingly throw money at a clear rip off, because people do not like to feel ripped off.
  • drizztdourden21drizztdourden21 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 54
    edited July 2013
    okay well it costs about 400 zen to fully dye your character and thats about a mill ad which is BASICALLY NOTHING SO PLEASE DONT SAY DYE IS TOO EXPENSIVE
  • m1nuendm1nuend Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    If you combine AD and real money, then the price would be lowered. If I liked the appearance of the fastest mounts, I would probably exchange 150 000 AD for zen and then add real money for the rest. Well, maybe.

    I only have like 4000 AD because I spent it all on retraining token, though S:

    Someday!

    What? 1 million AD? I got about 900 zen for some 190 000 AD or something. Perhaps 210 000AD
    39275e2ac4.jpg
  • baranthusbaranthus Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 54
    edited July 2013
    But not everyone feels ripped off? As someone said earlier, just by being a wee bit canny you can make a ton of diamonds and Zen. Once you have sussed that out and learned how to make AD via the Auction House you will be making plenty of shineys and the Zen market won't seem a all pricey...
  • vanorvanor Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    kierlakx wrote: »
    The zen prices ARE way too high, and it is making their sales lower than they could be.

    And you've seen their sales reports so you actually know what their sale rates are?

    No you haven't so you can't actually know how high or low their sale rates are, and have no way of knowing if they are near what they have projected the sales need to be for them to make what ever RoI they are shooting for.

    They have a couple years between STO and CO to know what prices should be, it's not like they just picked a number out of the air.
  • amberongreenamberongreen Member Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    kierlakx wrote: »
    The zen prices ARE way too high, and it is making their sales lower than they could be.

    Please, share more details about your inside knowledge regarding Perfect World's monthly Zen Store sales figures...
  • aylii1984aylii1984 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 22 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    vanor wrote: »
    I hear this argument in pretty much every F2P MMO out there, and every time I hear it I know the person making the statement proves once again that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

    Yes Supply and Demand in it's most basic form does say that when the price goes down the demand goes up. This does not however mean that simply reducing the price by 25% means a 25%+ increase in sales. This argument quite simply fails everytime it's made because the person making it has no way of knowing what the current sales figures are, or what the projected increase in sales will be at a reduction of X%.

    It is a simplistic argument made for no other reason then a justification for someone to get a deal on something they want but aren't willing to pay the current price for.


    Agree with Vanor here. This is a supply/demand optimization for "paying" customers. To add more color here beyond high level talk (which seems like some people are simply just complaining and trying to rationalize themselves with no basis), generally about 10 - 15% of a F2P are paying customers. For a game like PWRD, average revenue per "paying" person from this pool is around $50-100 per month depending on stickiness of the game.

    If you don't really fall in this category then there's an obvious reason why your complaints dont matter. For example, should BestBuy lower the price of that sick super large LED screen you want? Unfortunatley, if you aren't their customer target then you dont factor into the supply/demand equation here.
  • sasheriasasheria Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    vanor wrote: »
    And you've seen their sales reports so you actually know what their sale rates are?

    No you haven't so you can't actually know how high or low their sale rates are, and have no way of knowing if they are near what they have projected the sales need to be for them to make what ever RoI they are shooting for.

    They have a couple years between STO and CO to know what prices should be, it's not like they just picked a number out of the air.

    Yup. That is why I said when the price drop at launch because those items prices were "too high" according to PWE numbers so they lower it. NOT all items are lowered so that mean that those items are selling at the rate the PWE are happy with. :)
    To grow old is inevitable, to grow up is optional.
    Please review my campaign and I'll return the favor.
  • herbwartherbwart Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 7 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I used to buy stuff in the ZEN-Market, mostly bags. But I would rather cut off my mouse-hand than buying an decorative item for 20 bucks.
    You can disscuss this foreward and backwards, I say the prices in the ZEN-Market are too high.
    :mad:
  • sasheriasasheria Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    herbwart wrote: »
    I used to buy stuff in the ZEN-Market, mostly bags. But I would rather cut off my mouse-hand than buying an decorative item for 20 bucks.
    You can disscuss this foreward and backwards, I say the prices in the ZEN-Market are too high.
    :mad:

    YOU may not, but someone IS buying them. The good part is that the item is sellable on AH for AD so you can buy them using AD instead of Zen.
    To grow old is inevitable, to grow up is optional.
    Please review my campaign and I'll return the favor.
  • healhamstahealhamsta Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 572 Bounty Hunter
    edited July 2013
    when it comes to the dyes in the Z-store, it doesn't matter that "cryptic is selling enough"

    I simply am NOT going to pay more for virtual Dye in REAL $, than it would cost to gather dye the old ways in real life, and mix it myself. ( estimated at 12 sets of clothes for $2, not 1.33 sets of clothes for $6 )
    _______

    it's a serious sad state, of game when virtual goods, cost more real $, than the real goods do in real life.

    Nobody cares whether you choose to pay for virtual dyes or not.
    Delve loot murdered my TR, DC, & GWF. Nerf Plox:
    I know that it sucks to no longer get gear to sell from the Dungeon Delve chest but it was truly overpowered.
  • wonkie4134wonkie4134 Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Ok I get the real vs virtual dye price thing, but I would pay that much for real dye if it meant that I could buy a real tiger for $35
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