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Well, there goes the Economy.Follow

#1 Jan 22 2004 at 2:40 PM Rating: Good
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Check this link.

http://www.waterthread.org/news/107474916112769.html

IGE just bought out Yantis for a rumored sum of over 10 million bucks. Now, I don't begrudge the guy for his money. Obviously Sony doesn't care one way or another, so why should I. Frankly, it sounds like a reasonable price when you consider the obvious profits to be made. Howwever, the only thing we had going for us was the fact that there were two competing companies trying to manipulate the EQ market, so they often cancelled each other out. Now you may as well set your goals on no drop items or figure on paying IGE for the dropped ones.

Since IGE has complete control over the plat and items for sale market, expect bazaar prices to soar. Why? Well their business model relies upon people being so frustrated that they go to them to buy plat to get the items they want. The best way to frustrate people is to make the bazaar prices so high they can't buy anything through normal means. Since they now control an enormous amount of EQ's currency, they can manupulate the prices in the bazaar simply through buying anything that goes on sale at a low price and making sure those items are only sold at a premium.

Not convinced? Do some math. If you know item X is only created once a day, is in high demand, and normally sells for 10,000 pp, you can easily manipulate its prices if you have a couple billion plat. Just buy every item X that comes on sale for 10,000 pp and put them back up for 30,000. As they drop, those who get them will either sell them to you for 10,000 or realize the price has gone up. Keep buying them up to 30,000 yourself. It will take a lot of pp, but eventually those item X's will all sell for 30,000 each. You can now sell all the ones you bought at a profit (for either cash or pp) and you can profit more by selling people the 30,000 pp for cash that they need to buy that item, since most people will not be able to raise that amount of pp any other way.

Remember, they don't care if they make a pp based profit off those items, though that is nice. Their main goal is to drive the price up so that they can sell more pp for cash. It is not a game for them. It is a business. They do not play for fun. They play for profit. Pure capitalism means that whatever they can do to increase their profit, they will do, even if that decreases our fun.

The irony is that IGE is probably making more money off of EQ than Sony is at this point. And yet Sony sits and does nothing.

#2 Jan 22 2004 at 2:48 PM Rating: Good
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1,702 posts
So IGE owns PA's too ?

I don't pay attention, so I really don't know.

Truth be told, if it has any effect at all, it will most harshly affect the high-high-end crap. The stuff I wouldn't have been seeing anyway.

And thus I don't particularly care.

#3 Jan 22 2004 at 2:56 PM Rating: Good
Just refuse to participate, and pass the word - the games are more FUN when you actually play them instead of (here's what you're acutally doing when you buy plat) PAYING SOMEONE ELSE TO PLAY FOR YOU!

That's just plain ridiculous!
IMHO
#4 Jan 22 2004 at 3:01 PM Rating: Decent
Dalliance wrote:

Truth be told, if it has any effect at all, it will most harshly affect the high-high-end crap. The stuff I wouldn't have been seeing anyway.

And thus I don't particularly care.


I'm completely with you :)
#5 Jan 22 2004 at 3:14 PM Rating: Good
I saw it on the internet. it must be true!
#6 Jan 22 2004 at 3:16 PM Rating: Good
actually, browsing their sites, it looks true. same accounts listed, and same plat prices
#7 Jan 22 2004 at 3:17 PM Rating: Decent
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86 posts
Okay, assuming that the OP is correct and the EQ economy is going to hell in a handbasket, what do you think Sony should do, exactly?

Or, put another way, how would you fix this problem?
#8 Jan 22 2004 at 3:44 PM Rating: Good
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Actually one of the users of that websites forum offered a very logical explanation of whay SOE isn't doing anything.

- Edited for Content -

Quote:
How can they do this without getting sued? really EASY. No one and I mean NO ONE with any money to lose (i.e. Sony, EA) wants to challenge this stuff in court, because there are no winners if it goes to court. Even if they win, it will cost them a lot of money and frankly, bad press, to set a legal precedent. And the ripple effect that will have, the ripple effect of a legal precedent saying EULA's are enforceable laws or akin to a written contract, is just bad in general. However, if they go to court and LOSE, if the court says "These people who play DO own these virtual items, and have the right of transferrence" it gets even worse. Suddenly, lost items due to bugs, or database or design flaws means that someone has lost a tangible item that has a market value. They've suddenly lost money, money the companies will have to reimburse. All of a sudden, the companies have to support their stuff . As protectors of the digital property of someone else, every single bit that represents something with a monetary value is now a liability to the company who provides it. The effect would be monstrously bad, and would swirl the MMOG industry even farther down the toilet than it already is.
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#9 Jan 22 2004 at 3:50 PM Rating: Good
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This would only effect those who choose to pay RL $$ for plat and items.

You want uber item X? Either pay the high dollar or go camp it yourself.

Its simple really.
#10 Jan 22 2004 at 4:02 PM Rating: Good
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1,817 posts
just join a guild that doesnt buy their pp and gear. its not like they can camp all the uber items all the time. even if they could, there is plenty of fun and decent gear to be had (as well as advancement opportunities) through instance based encounters (like LDoN dungeons)..

I hope SOE creates more zones like LDoN zones..it will make it virtually impossible for pp sellers to own the market in anything. people will still be able to spend RL $$ for stuff, but everyone else can get it too.
#11 Jan 22 2004 at 4:05 PM Rating: Excellent
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491 posts
The record industry never had any qualms about going after people downloading music files. If a judge had told then to go f*ck themselves then they would be in the same situation that this poster (that Xythex is quoting) says Sony fears. That risk never stopped them. And they are not going after just one company, they went after thousands of little people. A much harder task than what Sony is up against. I don't think that Sony is scared of opening this Pandora's box.

Why is Sony not doing anything? Who's knows. They may be, just because we haven't seen it doesn't mean it not happening. But be sure of this, Sony is looking after it's own best interest.
#12 Jan 22 2004 at 4:07 PM Rating: Decent
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The simple fact is this:- 99% of the best items in the game are NO Drop or Quest therefore it doesn't matter if you have PP when you are 65 in a good guild since you can obtain everything you need by Playing.

You can at present twink a Cleric at lvl 1 to have 255 wisdom and 100 in all bar 1 stat for 20k on Druzzil Ro that is a grand total of 2000 silk swatches <10pp each> , at 100 swatches per day thats 20 day to do at lvl 25+ not so hard is it.
#13 Jan 22 2004 at 4:30 PM Rating: Decent
Well this might actualy 'help' the economy.

Now that Yantis and IGE joined forces they will no longer be in a price war as before. This means plat prices go up. This means plat value goes up.

This is good.
#14 Jan 22 2004 at 4:34 PM Rating: Decent
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Ummmm... Maybe I was misunderstood. I figured that this thread would end up as a general **** and moan session, so I thought I would try to divert it to something a bit more entertaining and maybe even just a touch more constructive.

So let me ask it again: Making the assumption that the original poster was correct in predicting the downfall of the Norratian economy (I know that is not at all certain, but assume it for the thread), and assuming that you have suddenly found yourself in the position of being able to effect any change in the game you wanted (legal repurcussions notwithstanding), what would you do?

Note that I'm not assuming that you would want to stop IGE from controlling the market. Perhaps you think that's a good thing. Perhaps you have some other radical change in mind. Or perhaps you have something subtle and devious you'd like to implement. Whatever. Just wondering what, exactly, you would do if you could, as opposed to complaining about it on the message board.
#15 Jan 22 2004 at 5:09 PM Rating: Decent
File charges against IGE and PlayerAuctions for violation/assistance in violation of the SOE EULA.
#16 Jan 22 2004 at 5:10 PM Rating: Good
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1,817 posts
tarv wrote:
You can at present twink a Cleric at lvl 1 to have 255 wisdom and 100 in all bar 1 stat for 20k on Druzzil Ro that is a grand total of 2000 silk swatches <10pp each> , at 100 swatches per day thats 20 day to do at lvl 25+ not so hard is it.


this is assuming you don't work and/or have a ton of time to play..also that noone else is trying to get swatches.

if you've got the money and want a quick boost to your stats (which in turn gives you an extra edge for your level in game) then I say go for it. if not, sit back and enjoy the game.
#17 Jan 22 2004 at 5:12 PM Rating: Good
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Hey Emprye...

How come you never post in OOT anymore?

/taps foot
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#18 Jan 22 2004 at 5:13 PM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
File charges against IGE and PlayerAuctions for violation/assistance in violation of the SOE EULA.


you joking right? where do you live exactly because as far as i am aware not following a gaming licence is NOT AGAINST THE LAW!!
yes we all agree Yantis and IGE are the devil incarnate for ******** with our precious game, but come on it a freaking game for crying out loud it's not like he murdered a 5 year old and ate his liver! He provided a service for people who wanted it no matter what we think about him.

and Emp i didn't say do it all at once Smiley: smile it was a hypothetical point saying that you can make your own pp if you choose to.

Edited, Thu Jan 22 17:16:39 2004 by tarv
#19 Jan 22 2004 at 5:23 PM Rating: Good
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Tare wrote:
How come you never post in OOT anymore?


cuz you guys are meanies over there! j/p...not much time lately cuz people been breaking into my car and i haven't had much online time. i'll come back when i get bored with work again >)

its cool tarv..i agree with you. i wish people would just enjoy doing "whatever" in game more...including myself. it would eliminate over half the problems we all complain about. "Life is simple, its the people that make it complicated."
#20 Jan 22 2004 at 5:24 PM Rating: Good
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1,817 posts
double post..no extra charge, your welcome. :\

Edited, Thu Jan 22 17:25:29 2004 by Empyre
#21 Jan 22 2004 at 6:03 PM Rating: Decent
This is gonna sound like i'm saying join a guild and beg,but i'm not. I recently joined a guild (Dragon warriors of feydwar) and they are the nicest people ever, if you join a guild that isnt dumbasses you wont need to buy pp,they will help you camp uber item x that your want. My friend recently hit 65 and him and a 65 shaman and my guild got my a SotBS and it is awesome, all i'm really saying is all the pp companies or whatever buying each other out doesnt matter, its a game and whatever is happening outside the game shouldnt be posted here,it should be posted in the OOT forum thats why it is here. STOP WORRYING ABOUT PP. LEVEL UP AND FARM AND JOIN A GOOD LEVEL 40+ GUILD.

8~D
#22 Jan 22 2004 at 6:22 PM Rating: Decent
Know what would be hilarious? If EQ shut down for ever right now and made Yantis and IGE or whatever lose all that money they could be making in this seemingly huge platinum business


Edited, Thu Jan 22 18:23:19 2004 by herkupoveluclinserver
#23 Jan 22 2004 at 7:16 PM Rating: Decent
Re: Reference to music industry.

Plat and item selling is NOT losing Sony money like it did the music industry. Matter of fact it may be making them money as people who dont understand how to play the game can twink out and thus stay alive, thusly they keep their subscriptions w/Sony(would you subscribe if you died all the time?). Yea I know this is a somewhat broad statement to say about plat/items buyers, but SURELY some of them this would apply to(remembers in HORROR the lvl 40 SK in ldon group who didnt know how to do ANYTHING).
My point being the music industry had much to lose with file sharing, were Sony has nothing to lose with plat/item selling....Think about it...chew it up...spit it out.

#24 Jan 22 2004 at 10:06 PM Rating: Good
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1,817 posts
what if? .. dun dun DUUUUUNNN..sony WAS ige? what if IGE was a dummy company ran as a front by sony to rake in some extra cash? hmmm? ludicrous right? or is it? Smiley: wink
#25 Jan 22 2004 at 11:19 PM Rating: Decent
1 way to fix this is i herd a roumer from a firend who doesn't even play eq, he checks post to se what game will be bast to play by year end. we played Asheron's call for many years. i came here to eq for quest and tradeskills. not that tadeskills are fun any more loosing money and all. any ways the roumer was sony might be planing on selling pre-made characters at verious levels, and equiping them, plus selling platinum them selves.
is sony started doing that then everyone else trying to make a profit by killing the economy in our game will have a huge compition on there hands...
although if sony did this it could start to kill the game as we know it now. but if their smart, they would do this but only on 1 or 2 new servers, and not alow transfers. ...
not sure, an idea. if anyone else has hard of this romour or know a post URL for it please post it hear. i've been trying to find it.
#26 Jan 22 2004 at 11:45 PM Rating: Good
this did happen. got curious so I emailed them and asked.
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