Reaction to Sonys proposed MMORPG "Auction" site

[Lasraik]

http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.as...ection=feature

"one of the worst decisions in the history of the MMORPG industry" - Mythic Entertainment's CEO Mark Jacobs

"Will SOE have to consider now and forever the ramifications of every major change they make to the game based on the possibility that users will not only be dissatisfied on an 'entertainment level' but now will be angry from a 'financial level' as well?"

[RedMan]

SOE have just decided rather than combat, join the money making.

I believe Microsoft are planning a similiar scenario with the Xbox online, basically their hurdle is handling lots of small transactions. The idea is if you sit down at night and just for once WANT that sword, you buy it for 2$.

Now, I prefer that to what SOE does, that encourages farming. It would not be so bad if they just slapped a price on EVERYTHING in the game. A price that basically makes 'farming' it useless.

Sure, you could say that everyone about the place is going to buy a super rare, there are ways around that with not selling those and making them bind on pickup.

But in general the people that want to buy it now just go to Ebay or one of the companies that provide it. This just makes it more accessible.

Eitherway, I don't think SOE will handle it from "whats best for the gamers" perspective. Its been evidently clear that marketing and game production are two entirely seperate areas, half the time Marketing not having a clue about the game at all. Just how to make it look good.

And I think this decision, and its management will be in the hands of marketing. Leaving game designers somehow with a method to work with it. And tying their hands by not allowing them to work AGAINST it.

Blizzard and other companies will no doubt have to follow a similiar standard.

[RedMan]

Running through the news, I think the Mythic guy is wrong.
Other MMORPG will pick it up and law suites possibly attempted but will fail (i'd say SOE know they are safe from this).

But he is write in that an imbalanced item will have to be weighed up against
"10,000 people bought this for $100, oh well, they only bought the license.."

Just thinking they would accept that will cause bad communities, and not happy kiddies.
But, depends if you care about the community or marketing for new communities there wouldn't it.

Anyway, that point goes against my idea of setting a price... :/ And its a good point.