The Line Between Pricey and Predatory | Cold Take
Added 2024-07-08 15:02:25 +0000 UTCThis week's episode of Cold Take is now available!
Comments
Gotta say, as someone who exclusively plays his single player games and sometimes local co-op games from yesteryear (recently discovered Left 4 Dead 2 for instance) I enjoy these occasional glimpses into the lives of multiplayers. And immediately feel better about my gaming choices, because this is both some scummy business and some very petty outcry, good job Frost.
Tim Wilson
2024-07-09 12:35:06 +0000 UTCMy issue with the skin's price point is that it's only good for one game. What happens when the game is shut down? Does the skin get transferred to the sequel? If you buy it in this game, do you get a similar skin for other games by this publisher? It's a virtual item, the only costs are from the initial development. At least a lambo is a physical object that can be driven down any street.
Jason Youngberg
2024-07-08 22:24:49 +0000 UTCLoved the video Frost. You actually caused me to soften my stance against the skin's price point. I was always of the opinion that if this pricing worked then maybe it would lead to more overly expensive items. But you helped remind me that maybe I'm in the vast minority that buys skins when they're a lower price, but is not a whale.
Half Tangible
2024-07-08 22:02:32 +0000 UTCWell I would say artifical scarsity via limited sales windows is somewhat more immoral because you also add time pressure to a financial decision. Comes off as more pushy. "Buy now or your chance is gone" in contrast to "Yeah it´s pricey but it´s gonna stay here. Just save up."
Skujat
2024-07-08 21:51:07 +0000 UTCReasonable video, but I think the "artificial scarcity is immoral" point is carrying a lot of load for the argument and it's not clear why exactly it's bad. Or, at least, if we're going to say that the artificial scarcity of limiting a sales window is immoral, why is the artificial scarcity of making it expensive not?
Zach Sheffler
2024-07-08 17:09:57 +0000 UTCI've gotta admit I think the whole idea of paid skins/cosmetics in games wades into morality that, while perhaps not questionable given our current ideas around Capitalism, at least not particularly virtuous. I miss the days when all monetary transactions between game devs/publishers and me were limited to "BUY THE GAME". But I'm old and crotchety so don't mind me :)
Christopher
2024-07-08 15:56:03 +0000 UTCFlensing 🐋
Sven F.
2024-07-08 15:17:54 +0000 UTC
