I also recall Perfect World buying Cryptic several years before the announcement of this game, and prices in their game stores were....comparable. Yes, this game's started out much higher than the other two, but those other two were initially sub to play games.
And to be fair to Cryptic: both Champions Online and Star Trek Online are *still* pay-to-play games. At least that's an option that is still available: you can play 100% for free, or pay monthly, or even invest with a Lifetime account. These "Gold Tier" subscriptions and Lifetime purchases help to heavily subsidize the Zen Store.
Neverwinter was build from the ground-up as a free-to-play venture. There is no subscription or "Gold Tier" level for players, therefore the Z-Store for Neverwinter is not subsidized in any way whatsoever, therefore it makes sense that item prices there are much higher. However, just because I understand it and it may be justified does't mean I agree with it. Two words for me: sticker shock. And hence, I agree: most pricing is way out-of-whack for the perceived value of the items sold.
I'd been greatly hoping that Neverwinter would be designed similarly to CO and STO with a "Gold Tier" level that players could buy into (and I have no doubt a lot of players would do just this). However, the only reason this "Gold Tier" still exists at CO and STO is to take care of all those players who paid subscriptions or bought Lifetime accounts before the games were converted from 100% pay-to-play into free-to-play; Neverwinter started out as free-to-play and, admittedly, not having such subscription options is far easier to manage by the CFO.
TL;DR: It's understandable why the Neverwinter Z-Store prices are so much higher than those in Champions and Star Trek, though that does't mean I agree with it or like it. Unfortunately it is what it is and will always be just that: what it is.
And for the record to the OP: The title of this thread is wrong: when PWE bought Cryptic, all the Z-Store prices stayed exactly the same. Neverwinter was created after the fact and I refer to be description above.
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And to be fair to Cryptic: both Champions Online and Star Trek Online are *still* pay-to-play games. At least that's an option that is still available: you can play 100% for free, or pay monthly, or even invest with a Lifetime account. These "Gold Tier" subscriptions and Lifetime purchases help to heavily subsidize the Zen Store.
Neverwinter was build from the ground-up as a free-to-play venture. There is no subscription or "Gold Tier" level for players, therefore the Z-Store for Neverwinter is not subsidized in any way whatsoever, therefore it makes sense that item prices there are much higher. However, just because I understand it and it may be justified does't mean I agree with it. Two words for me: sticker shock. And hence, I agree: most pricing is way out-of-whack for the perceived value of the items sold.
I'd been greatly hoping that Neverwinter would be designed similarly to CO and STO with a "Gold Tier" level that players could buy into (and I have no doubt a lot of players would do just this). However, the only reason this "Gold Tier" still exists at CO and STO is to take care of all those players who paid subscriptions or bought Lifetime accounts before the games were converted from 100% pay-to-play into free-to-play; Neverwinter started out as free-to-play and, admittedly, not having such subscription options is far easier to manage by the CFO.
TL;DR: It's understandable why the Neverwinter Z-Store prices are so much higher than those in Champions and Star Trek, though that does't mean I agree with it or like it. Unfortunately it is what it is and will always be just that: what it is.
And for the record to the OP: The title of this thread is wrong: when PWE bought Cryptic, all the Z-Store prices stayed exactly the same. Neverwinter was created after the fact and I refer to be description above.