What Sony OUGHT to do...

[SiegeTank]

Just kicking this around in my mind while exercising...

Sony should lower the price of expansions to $19.95, but do them twice a year. Reduce the content, obviously, but put some work into stuff they don't do anymore, like brand-new types of spells and discs. Maybe have an expansion just add some new zones, or add new content to old zones, such as the collection stuff they're doing now, to motivate people to explore older zones. But randomize the damn spawn points so everyone doesn't have them marked on their maps two days after the expansion goes live. Hell, randomize the whole damn zone every day so maps are useless and every visit is like a new day, kinda like ducks wake up to!

Reinstitute being able to buy expansions with Staion Cash. Even if they continue to have occasional short-term discount sales on SC cards, they'll make out because if they commit NOT to reversing this, people will go back to stocking up a shitload of SC during sales. But some people buy too much, others buy and then quit playing, players die off (since we're all getting to be older fucks now), some of you sick drug-users (!) go to prison; others get deported back to their homeland (well, at least for a few more months until Obama issues amnesty to every one) so all that extra saved-up SC will never get spent. FREE MONEY FOR SONY!

I've sent this advice to Sony but I betcha I'll never hear back...

 

[Noah3]

I really can't believe they didn't see a significant loss in sc sales just since expansion (that was promised to be bought with sc) was said to no longer be available for purchase with sc. I would also imagine when subs were available for purchase with sc (even before the triple and dbl and half off sales) the sc purchases were pretty high.
So I really don't see why they cannot find a way to make it so there is no real loss on their part and reinstate the subs/expansions purchase via SC!!??
I also feel this would restore a great deal of faith in them coming from their customers.
I for one would buy ROF with sc, and the next expansion and all future expansions, and I would resubscribe all of my accounts after they lapse, instead of figuring out how to make my important characters stay subbed when that time comes, and use FTP in my advantage on all my others.

 

[JimJohnson]

I really can't believe they didn't see a significant loss in sc sales just since expansion (that was promised to be bought with sc) was said to no longer be available for purchase with sc. I would also imagine when subs were available for purchase with sc (even before the triple and dbl and half off sales) the sc purchases were pretty high.
So I really don't see why they cannot find a way to make it so there is no real loss on their part and reinstate the subs/expansions purchase via SC!!??
I also feel this would restore a great deal of faith in them coming from their customers.
I for one would buy ROF with sc, and the next expansion and all future expansions, and I would resubscribe all of my accounts after they lapse, instead of figuring out how to make my important characters stay subbed when that time comes, and use FTP in my advantage on all my others.

They probably ran the hard numbers. They were giving 2k(sc)x3 for 15$ giving it basically a 4/1 ratio. So 1 month paid 3 months lost. That is 1/4 revenue keep and 3/4 lost. Its lose lose for them and everyone playing the game.

Now if they did allow it to be bought with station cash, it would have to be higher then a 1:1 Ratio to decrease the lose they would receive if the keep the failed promotion going.

 

[supertimmy]

stationcash let me sub and add expansions to non us accounts that i've bought over the years. that's what i really miss. i'd pay a significant premium for that privledge again.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

stationcash let me sub and add expansions to non us accounts that i've bought over the years. that's what i really miss. i'd pay a significant premium for that privledge again.

Yeah. I do like that they've added a Paypal feature though. I mean as far as dummy funds go, that's an option. SC was for those intentions good, but with their deals going off as frequently as they do and the marketplace having everything else to boost sales, it's not surprising they axed it. If anything, they could incorporate something with loyalty... I mean, you use time cards to sub an account, gain loyalty, perhaps when expansion comes around you can buy with loyalty. It would guarantee sub on their end, plus a small incentive for expansion.

Loyalty points + 1 prepaid card valued at $15. Or, make cost of expansion say $60, that would be four SC cards worth ... albeit currency conversions and such aren't taken into account, but they can force USD.

 

[JimJohnson]

stationcash let me sub and add expansions to non us accounts that i've bought over the years. that's what i really miss. i'd pay a significant premium for that privledge again.

Yeah. I do like that they've added a Paypal feature though. I mean as far as dummy funds go, that's an option. SC was for those intentions good, but with their deals going off as frequently as they do and the marketplace having everything else to boost sales, it's not surprising they axed it. If anything, they could incorporate something with loyalty... I mean, you use time cards to sub an account, gain loyalty, perhaps when expansion comes around you can buy with loyalty. It would guarantee sub on their end, plus a small incentive for expansion.

Loyalty points + 1 prepaid card valued at $15. Or, make cost of expansion say $60, that would be four SC cards worth ... albeit currency conversions and such aren't taken into account, but they can force USD.

Yea something like this would have to go into effect. The problem is the cost to develop something like this is probably not easy or cheap.

They could retroactively sort the station cash and split it evenly making one store credit(the 15 physical $ already invested) + the bonuses game credit(basically what you can do with sc now).

Might just be stoned.