Why you should fix Zen now.

This is not another slam against the company running this game. I write this because it's obvious the owners are still holding onto some hope that they can get huge chunks of income from everyone initially and often.

I willg ive you 2 reasons to change it, and change it quickly, and SURPRISE, it's not a threat that I and my gazillion friends will go play the new MMOs coming out, I'll be here awhile even if I don't pay... others may leave, but that's not my point(s).

FB]FIRSTLY[/B], sometimnes a business model just doesn't pan out. It's human nature when developing our success blueprint that we envision getting the most from our customers while providing the least. That's not an insult, that's business... maximization of profit margin. Since the items in question have no cost, every additional dollar is pure profit.

It's obvious by the stalling of the company in the face of so many people who are complaining. The company is failing to understand basic human psychology. The complainer is NOT the troublemaker. The complainer is the one who is begging you to take his/her money. I know, I'm one of them. I want to buy more Zen now, but I won't.. not at the current valuation. Every person who posts reallyw ants to give you their money even if they say they never will. I seldom walk into McDonald's just to tell them I don't want any fries today. The more times someone posts, the more revenue you are losing.

SECONDLY, you need to understand the psychology of mental ownership. Again, this is not an insult. I could be charging you big money for business advice, so take it if you see the wisdom. You have a F2P game. As long as my character is truly "free" I have very little that ties me to it except time in. That's powerful, but most of us have played other games, many games... and yet here we are at a new one.

Every dollar you take from us from which we customize and personalize our characters, we take mental ownership. As long as I am walking around in the same armor everyone else has.. well, if I'm gone, nothing unique is gone besides the person playing it. But, when I start wearing that special outfit in just the right color, or riding that special mount... well.. now I have taken not only my time but my money to carve out a place in your world that's mine. The more i put in, the more tied to it I am and the more I am likely to continue to support it.

These are reasons you should fix it now. You can continue to hold off thinking you'll find some trick to get a huge load of cash now before having to make changes. Yet, every day that goes by you are cheating yourself out of huge loads of cash. Time to let go of the original plan that you had and embrace a realistic one that will probably make you very cash-happy.

Oh, while I'm at it. IF you are going to fix this, you need to fix one more thing. Stop holding back on the Cash Shop options. We know the items are there and your logic in holding them back is flawed. We are not going to buy what's there just because those are the only choices, and then by more as you open them up one at a time.

Let me explain. I go to a cafeteria and I get to desserts and there is nothing but a bowl of jello and a piece of carrot cake. I choose the jello. As I walk away the cafeteria worker replaces the jello with a piece of chocolate cake. I don't really want jello and now I'm pissed because I was tricked into thinking there was nothing to choose from. I am unlikely to happily come back. Had all of the yummy desserts been out fro my choice I would have made my choice and then imagined what I would get next time since they all looked so yummy.

Offering choices and variety brings people back. Trying to sell a small amount and withholding choices makes people feel cheated.

Just my 2 cents.

PS I know there is more available than what you show because if you search the auction it has all of the items potentially available. So.. just turn them all on. had you done so I would have already bought the "dressy dress", but I won't settle for the few choices you left me. Your loss... my money.. take it from me... really...

Dagny