Some are for and others against but it’s certainly a ”burned at the stake” issue for players, admits lead game designer Kristoffer Touborg. Too right?
Touborg says he thinks it’s a ”brilliant” idea, ”but our players don’t. We’re going to face an uphill struggle, and the reason many of us never talk about this publicly is that we’d be burned at the stake by the players.” He wants more than just vanity items on sale.
”Does this mean I’m an evil capitalist that, unless stopped, will cause the entire company to catch fire and be buried at sea by a secret team of Navy SEALs?”
”Let ‘s hope not, although that’s the impression I get sometimes when interacting with our customers. There is a pretty overwhelming perception amongst Eve players that these changes are bad,” he continued. Touborg also wants loyal subscribers rewarded.
”I think we should be giving money away too. Giving people small amounts of micro-currency for being loyal subscribers, or even as a reward for high level gameplay like taking sovereignty should be just as legitimate a part of the business model as charging players.”
CCP’s John Turbefield is a naysayer for micro-transactions.
”When we’re adding additional things into the game that enable users to gain an advantage over other people for real money in a way they simply wouldn’t be able to if we hadn’t done so, then it becomes an issue,” he contributed.
”I feel that if people have already paid a subscription fee then unless there is a good reason for the overall community to introduce a gameplay-affecting virtual goods sales (such as with PLEX), then gaining an in-game advantage isn’t justifiable.”
”More revenue is of course an aim, but making our customers feel like they are being ‘double billed’ to be able to play on the same level as others is just a step too far.”
Ships, ammunition and faction standing have been mentioned as possible candidates for real-world currency purchases, and the EVE Online community isn’t happy. CCP hasn’t confirmed the authenticity of the ‘leaked newsletter’ but a member of the player-run Council of Stellar Management says it appears very similar to others seen at the CCP HQ.
The most recent update to EVE Online - Incarna - allows for a greater expansion of player designed avatars as well as lets users ‘leave’ their spaceships for Captain’s Quarters.
