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Can a Dev confirm that C-store money actually goes back into STO?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Its obvious there are some in the community who dont really like the C-store. For me it depends on how the revenue thats generated by the store is "spent". If it actually goes back into STO and helps develop new content for the game, then thats cool by me. But if it just helps some suit get a bonus at the end of the year, well, thats not as cool. So can a Dev confirm that the C-store money actually goes back into STO?
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  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Who cares where it goes? Cryptic can do whatever it wants with its money; including wasting it all on blow and hookers in Vegas. No one is forced to buy anything they do not want to buy and no one should be forced to justify what they do with their income.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Its obvious there are some in the community who dont really like the C-store. For me it depends on how the revenue thats generated by the store is "spent". If it actually goes back into STO and helps develop new content for the game, then thats cool by me. But if it just helps some suit get a bonus at the end of the year, well, thats not as cool. So can a Dev confirm that the C-store money actually goes back into STO?

    That's a real good question.

    I'm working on the assumption it goes into keeping the servers up, and paying the devs to make new content. But we really don't know.
    Someday, maybe STO will make so much money the suits--who did make this game possible--can reasonavly ask for a hefty bonus. I don't think we're there yet, though. But when the time comes, I won't begrudge that bonus.
    Having said that, if the current C-Store $$ is indeed just going into a suit's pocket, I doubt Cryptic would be allowed to confirm it. "No, we're keeping it for ourselves, so we can afford 'Star Wars-The Old Republic' when it comes out" is probably not going to show up in a reply.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Who cares where it goes? Cryptic can do whatever it wants with its money; including wasting it all on blow and hookers in Vegas. No one is forced to buy anything they do not want to buy and no one should be forced to justify what they do with their income.

    If the C-store items are funded purely by the C-store, thats true. However, if some of my subscription money is funding the C-store items, and then that revenue ISNT going back into the game, then as a paying customer I have some right to know that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Having said that, if the current C-Store $$ is indeed just going into a suit's pocket, I doubt Cryptic would be allowed to confirm it. "No, we're keeping it for ourselves, so we can afford 'Star Wars-The Old Republic' when it comes out" is probably not going to show up in a reply.

    Then that will be an answer in itself. If the C-store money is going back into the game, theres no reason they wouldnt be able to tell us that as it would make them look good. But if they cant tell us anything, then we have our answer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Good luck on that :D:D:D:D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I still think the solution would be to add adverts to the launcher. As long as its opt in / out.

    Cryptic gets money from the advertisements, and if we choose to see them we get a small stipend of C-Points. Everyone gets something out of it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If the C-store items are funded purely by the C-store, thats true. However, if some of my subscription money is funding the C-store items, and then that revenue ISNT going back into the game, then as a paying customer I have some right to know that.
    As a paying customer you have the right to leave. You do not have the right to know the inner-workings of a company unless you are a shareholder; and even those are limited rights to know.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    As a paying customer you have the right to leave. You do not have the right to know the inner-workings of a company unless you are a shareholder; and even those are limited rights to know.

    Right. Well then allow me to rephrase. As a paying customer I have a right to ASK. And if YOU dont like my thread, then you have a right to leave ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If the C-store items are funded purely by the C-store, thats true. However, if some of my subscription money is funding the C-store items, and then that revenue ISNT going back into the game, then as a paying customer I have some right to know that.

    personally id love to know but no you really dont have any right to know anything about how they distribute their money.

    money is money, at the end of the day it all goes into the same account at atari's and they spend their money how they see fit. if you want to believe that your select money that you spend on the c-store goes to the game itself then your free to do so.

    i will gladly tell you that my money funds the office party if it makes you feel any better.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Right. Well then allow me to rephrase. As a paying customer I have a right to ASK. And if YOU dont like my thread, then you have a right to leave ;)
    I do not disagree with your right to ASK. That is not the same as having a right to KNOW. Two entirely different concept.

    HERE's one of Dstahl's posts about the C-Store items and why they are made.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Who cares where it goes? Cryptic can do whatever it wants with its money; including wasting it all on blow and hookers in Vegas. No one is forced to buy anything they do not want to buy and no one should be forced to justify what they do with their income.

    This.

    It probably goes into paychecks, expense accounts and bonus checks at the end of the year. Who cares where it goes? They offer a product or a service, you buy said product or service..... why is it any business of ours what they do with the their money?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    However, if some of my subscription money is funding the C-store items, and then that revenue ISNT going back into the game, then as a paying customer I have some right to know that.

    sorry, but no you don't.

    do you know where the money you put into the bank is?

    quick answer: not in the bank

    :eek:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Its obvious there are some in the community who dont really like the C-store. For me it depends on how the revenue thats generated by the store is "spent". If it actually goes back into STO and helps develop new content for the game, then thats cool by me. But if it just helps some suit get a bonus at the end of the year, well, thats not as cool. So can a Dev confirm that the C-store money actually goes back into STO?

    I would think that the money's from sub fees, box sales, and c-store items flows into a general operating budget were salries are drawn. A clever accountant could show you a spreadsheet and give you the answer you want, that C-Store money goes directly 100% back into the game, while another will show you that C-Store sales account for a portion of some suit's Christmas bonus. I would say however that I bet Cryptic transfers a standard % of money generated by STO in the above areas to an Atari account monthly. Really in the short version the answer to your question is yes, C-Store money does go to Cryptic and No it does not. Have a nice day.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    This post has been edited to remove content which violates the [URL=" http://forums.startrekonline.com/announcement.php?f=70&a=2"]Cryptic Studios Forum Usage Guidelines[/URL] ~InfoNinja
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Sunlight is the best disinfectant Marble Tiger. As paying customers (and yes, I may be lifetime, but to date I've bought everything on the C-Store), we have certain expectations, including an expectation of openness and return on investment beyond our passwords still working.

    The C-Store has made up a significant portion of the material released since launch, we know devs have spent months (collectively) working on those items. That time was paid for. If it came out of C-Store Revenue, that's fine and dandy on all fronts, but tell a Klingon player who has been waiting on leveling content and has been buying everything from the C-Store that his money hasn't gone to content, but rather, to an Atari suit..

    Well, let's put this in a different light, you know the bank bailouts? How the American government under Bush used the citizens tax dollars to ensure the banks continued survival, only to see the bank corporate execs give themselves multi-million dollar bonuses of taxpayer money? How that angered nearly everyone outside of the execs themselves?

    Using C-Store money for the suits is like that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    coruja_ wrote:
    stupid topic. grow up

    Stupid post. Take your own advice :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    coruja_ wrote:
    stupid topic. grow up

    I'm not a Merry Man"
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Stupid post. Take your own advice :)

    Its a business. They dont report to you. End stupid topic.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    The standard line has never been that it "goes back to STO" in the standard sense. It goes into having character artists and ship artists and environment artists on staff according to most dev comments... and they would simply go without new art assets and art improvements without a C-Store.

    It also clearly goes into keeping Atari afloat, which keeps Star Trek Online alive in that sense. Atari is millions in debt and relying mostly on Cryptic to pay creditors. This isn't a non-profit. Every sale has to go into paying off Atari's debts, paying CBS licensing fees and trying to pay investors, who would be well in their rights to dissolve the company and kill the game given what they're owed. No MMO reinvests most of its money (via any source) into the game, aside from the idea that failing to turn a big enough profit will kill the game.

    But, basically, the $15 a month you pay is for a game with no art additions or updates and the C-Store justifies continuing to build art and assets for the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    coruja_ wrote:
    Its a business. They dont report to you. End stupid topic.

    Its a forum. I dont report to you. End stupid post :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Allright kiddies, enough is enough.

    Calling each other stupid won't solve the debate.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Katic wrote: »
    Allright kiddies, enough is enough.

    Calling each other stupid won't solve the debate.

    Yeah! Don't make us turn this thread around :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Then that will be an answer in itself. If the C-store money is going back into the game, theres no reason they wouldnt be able to tell us that as it would make them look good. But if they cant tell us anything, then we have our answer.

    For once I think you may be wrong. There have been a few buisnesses I have worked for that wont disclose any financial information, even though they donated to several charitable groups and would make themselves look good.
    I do think I remember one of Dstahls posts stating that most of they money they make from C-store is spent on cool things like artist time and dev time for C-store Items.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    dstahl confirmed this ages ago. Without the C-store, they wouldn't be able to maintain as much staff as they do (STO has an aggressive update schedule compared to many MMOs).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Its obvious there are some in the community who dont really like the C-store. For me it depends on how the revenue thats generated by the store is "spent". If it actually goes back into STO and helps develop new content for the game, then thats cool by me. But if it just helps some suit get a bonus at the end of the year, well, thats not as cool. So can a Dev confirm that the C-store money actually goes back into STO?


    TBH, unless you're a shareholder of Atari Inc , you are NOT entitled to this information, and it's really none of your business where any C-Store money goes. If you want that information to try to justify you buying things fromt he C-Store - well, you're going to have to find another justification. As a player of this game, your $15 entitles you to play the game, that's it. You do NOT have any right or priveliedge to inquire about the business practice of a privately owned entity, which is what Cryptic is.

    So, retract your nose and deal with it. Don't expect any kind of detailed answer to you being a Nosy Nellie.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Its obvious there are some in the community who dont really like the C-store. For me it depends on how the revenue thats generated by the store is "spent". If it actually goes back into STO and helps develop new content for the game, then thats cool by me. But if it just helps some suit get a bonus at the end of the year, well, thats not as cool. So can a Dev confirm that the C-store money actually goes back into STO?

    It goes to the company, and the company decides what to do with it. I mean come on do you REALLY think all the money Blizzard gets from the World of Warcraft subscriptions and Blizzard WoW pet store goes back into server maintence, salaries, and furher development of WoW exclusively; and nothing goes to fund other Blizzard development projects like StarCraft II (Recently released); or their new, as yet un-named (at least publically) MMO?

    While I'm certain a good portion of the C-Store proceeds go to STO upkeep and development budget, to think none of it goes to other areas and projects withing the company is just a bit naive. And no company will publically announce where it's revenue streams are being directed UNLESS you hold stock in the company, and attend a shareholder's meeting.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Who cares were the money goes, do you ask were the money goes when you shop in your local shop ?
    The ingame store is there to support the game and Cryptic company as it is with all gaming companies.
    If one dont like the C store then dont use it, its that simpel.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    These threads seem like they're asking for the C-Store or the game to be a non-profit thing that supports a game community. Ultimately, if it was non-profit, Cryptic wouldn't do it and would do without whatever staffing advantages the C-Store provides.

    It's like a teetotaler asking the bartender at Applebee's if he gets a paycheck. If he didn't, he wouldn't be there. (Yeah, most waiters effectively don't get a paycheck. Most bartenders do. Minor quibble.) So, yes, when you as a non-drinker order a steak at a restaurant with a bartender, your money does wind up in a pool out of which the bartender is paid. At the same time, if that bartender is going to stay employed, he has to bring enough value to the restaurant to justify his position.

    So it's like that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    These threads seem like they're asking for the C-Store or the game to be a non-profit thing that supports a game community. Ultimately, if it was non-profit, Cryptic wouldn't do it and would do without whatever staffing advantages the C-Store provides.

    I think the core question here is where dstahl stated awhile back that C-Store sales go to funding more C-Store items. It sometimes seems like they're cranking the C-Store mill pretty hard for it to be just funding more C-Store items.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Hravik wrote:
    I think the core question here is where dstahl stated awhile back that C-Store sales go to funding more C-Store items. It sometimes seems like they're cranking the C-Store mill pretty hard for it to be just funding more C-Store items.

    Ah. Well, I think C-Store sales certainly DO fund more C-Store items, in that if something is profitable, they'll do more of it.

    I mean, if they made a killing on uniforms, why not hire an extra uniform artist and create twice as many? And if those are just as profitable, why not hire a third or pull some guy off another area or game to do some more designs for the C-Store?

    That's the only sense in which a "self-funding" C-Store makes sense in a subscription game.
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