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A new low in MMO
Salio69
Member CommonPosts: 428
Wow I think I've seen a new low in mmo companies I honestly thought I'd never. I know how companies try to put cheesy crap out, especially these F2P companies, but I never thought I'd see out right scamming and fraud commited so openly.
Theres a company called Aeria Games that specializes in the F2P market. Their strategy is the same as that of a casino. I have been to serveral casinos and played the slots, theres really no difference from what they do. Almost everything they do is based on casino style business. I have even been tempted to report this company to the US Justice Department. Online gambling is illegal in the US.
Now this company has reached an even new low.
This is a screenshot of their current promotion. This is right off their website. This picture is before highlighting everything.
Heres what it actually looks like. The Highlighted version.
As you can imagine, this is a seriously sick. Most of you have a LCD screen, even if the angle was just slightly out of place, you wouldnt even be able to see that text. Hell, even just having a slightly darker screen is enough. Hell my screen is just a normal LCD and I can't even see it without focusing really hard.
This crap is pretty disturbing, If this is how low companies are starting to go now just to scam others out of money, this genre is pretty much fucked.
Comments
Kinda reason I stay away from games like that.
Have enough of crap in real life to manage floating and changing cash shop model and it's influence on my game. Counting , hunting for promotions , watching out for scams like that + uncertainity what kind of crap game publishers can / will put in CS at any time.
Too much to manage in my leisure time.
Aeria Games is know for that kind of things. Saddest is that they are not alone.
There is very little difference between this and and companies like Bigpoint who sell something and then a month later sell something that make the previous purchase obsolete.
This business model needs to be rejected by the community and left on the garbage heap.
Sorry, maybe can you explain a little bit better? I am guessing that if you buy that box or whatever from their for that item, you have a chance of getting a crappier item? I don't know the difference between a Mysterious Succubus rainment and a Naamah Succubus Rainment lol.
But yeah, I have never heard anything good about what Aeria game does. It is gambling, not sure how it would apply though because you are not gambling to earn more money, you are gambling for intellectual property. I don't know the law well enough.
Unfortunately, I think they are legal. Players are paying for a chance to win random...pixels. If they had a chance to win real money, then it would be gambling.
Undoubtedly, they are appealing to the same stupidity that real life casino gambling appeals. However, the house always wins 100% here.
[mod edit]
Now back on topic. That first screenshot shows how clearly things are stated as much as if it were written on a piece of paper infront of you in invisiable ink. Its down right deciteful.
As long as people support this kind of business, it will continue. I dont support cash shops in subscription games, I think it is nuts to pay a box price, a monthly fee and then have to buy the cool armor and pay 2 win stuff. Sadly, as long as others keep throwing money around with no thought or care, it will only get worse in the online gaming industry.
Thanks Salio69 for sharing, it has been a while since I have played any of Aeria games. Now with them trying to scam gamers, I will never play, nor support any Aeria games. As gamers we need to unite and stop supporting Pay to Win games, if not, Aeria will not be the only company taken advanage of players.
This is nothing new. Atlantica Online has been doing this for months/years. I've seen people drop $100 on boxes just so they can get the newest item in the game. I'm certain there are people out there that will pay even more. I've said this a couple of years ago, The new MMORPGS are going to cash shops and will operate like this. Since that comment was made I've seriously slowed on my gameplaying and actually got into fitness and eating healthy. Seems like I made the correct choice. None of the MMO's today are worth anything. They are being severly watered down for profit only. Free to play games are dominating and destroying at the same time the MMO industry with these types of games.
It's rather telling that when the gambling authorities invited the games companies to show them their win/loss ratios they ALL declined to respond.
It's a rip-off practice & really should be brought under gambling legislation with clear guidances for players & warning about becoming addicted to this underhanded form of unregulated gambling.
Right now the players are being exploited by these kinds of practices & that needs to stop.
1500 USD rig used for gmail as I cant be arsed to play anything.
Got bored with Tera, ToR was crap, managed to play aion for a few hours, guess MMOS are at the moment crap.
Id only see my self really having fun in a massive sandbox FPS Fallout MMO, with out the stupid tab target ofc.
Online gambling is illegal in the US? Say what!?
Aeria games is notorious for their hyper-monetization through chance items.
Short of sicing the authorities on these shysters, there's nothing to be done other than a boycott by the players themselves. Given that the majority of them are in the 14-18 demographic, this is really a case of parental neglect/apathy.
What you call casino, in any other game is called a loot table. Every item in the table has a chance of dropping but is not likely to drop every time, so it is random. Aeria Games is making players pay for access to the loot table. I assume these items are not otherwise available in game, except for the cash shop? When you pay your monthly subscription you can go on a raid and have a chance of a loot drop, you may also compete for it with other raid party members. It is in fact no different than any subscription model game.
Boy: Why can't I talk to Him?
Mom: We don't talk to Priests.
As if it could exist, without being payed for.
F2P means you get what you paid for. Pay nothing, get nothing.
Even telemarketers wouldn't think that.
It costs money to play. Therefore P2W.
For the cost of a few of these Aeria items, one could pay a standard yearly MMO sub.
It's like night and day here; hardly comparable.
THIS
is why I prefer to play quality free to play titles...
FEEL THE FULL
FREE-TO-FLAME
FANTASY.
I had a real nice paragraph expaining the difference to this person. I decided WTF is the point. Better off to just say " this is the type of player that keeps the FtP games going" and be done with it.
I don't see anything wrong with this.
If youa re stupid enough to play a crap game like that and spend your hard earned money on it...oh well. Buyer beware.
Me I would not waste my time on such a game with cash shop items that change game machanics
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