“Inflation” even in the virtual world? Ridiculous rising “prices” in Tanki

[jomama_tanker 117]

For those of you who’ve played long enough to know….the "1000 pack" of supplies is back in the garage.

 

Apparently those who set “prices” in Tanki felt the need to hike the cost of the pack from 99,999 to 104,999.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s still a decent deal if you buy supplies on a regular basis. But why the increase, even if it’s just 5%? Seriously.

 

These are virtual goods. They cost $0 to “manufacture” and $0 to “distribute”.  The marginal cost of making another 500 billion supplies is $0. There’s no impact from rising raw material costs.  Basically, there’s no good reason for increasing the cost of the kit. Yet there it is….another 5k bump in the price.

 

I’m sure if I looked hard enough I’d find other examples of the virtual price creep.

 

Shameful Tanki, just shameful. 

 

Ok I feel better now. I’m done with this morning’s rant….

Edited February 12, 2015 by jomama_tanker

[Maf 32,300]

You get a 70% sale for nothing. What more do you want?

[werty8763 1,483]

I guess he wants a whoppin 90% discount......

at least thats what i think

[jomama_tanker 117]

The fact that there is a sale is irrelevant. You both have either missed the point or chosen to ignore it. 

 

Have you never studied economics? Do you not understand how companies set pricing and price increases for goods and services?

 

This is a virtual game offering virtual goods. 

 

It’s one thing to set a price for a new virtual turret, hull or supply because there’s a cost in its development, distribution, marketing and sale, as well as any future enhancements to it.  

 

It’s another thing entirely to set a price for a virtual good, then raise the price of that good as if there’s a corresponding increase in the operational or capital expense associated with it.  The cost of a “producing” another virtual mine is zero. It costs Tanki nothing to “manufacture" another 500 million or 500 billion mines. It’s simply a numerical counter in your garage and mine. An additional 5k in virtual cost translates to around $3 US in actual cost for no additional value added…nothing…nada….zip. These aren’t enhanced supplies…they’re identical to the supplies that once cost 5k less.

 

The company is certainly free to set whatever prices it likes.  And free to offer whatever discounts it chooses.  But raising the price on a virtual item for which there is no marginal production cost and no value added…that’s just greedy no matter how you slice it. 

 

I’m not here to debate economics with you. If you view the world in the context of discounts rather than total cost of ownership, well, good luck with that.

Edited February 12, 2015 by jomama_tanker

[Nltobh 498]

dude its a virtual world the devs can do what they want to do :/ the supplies are still on sale right? no need to piss your pants because they added 5k+ to the price it dont really matter to all the buyers they still gonna buy it anyways

[DarkOperative 5,580]

I do see your point of how a virtual thing is not really having the "perfect" prices set in TO.

 

I'm afraid I disagree on that. If we were to get a "perfect" discount on items the garage contains, this wouldn't really be a game much. Basically the fun in earning crystals for purchasing one specific item available in the garage would pretty much end as almost all of us would've gotten the things we desire easily, or by earning a few amount of crystals for it. No fun in that.

 

So yeah, the lower the discount is, the more we have to earn to get it.. hence the more fun it is to earn the crystal amount, and the feeling(s) you get after purchase are distinctly awesome. ;)

[jokersus.cava 1,503]

I agree with jomama. The previous 100 supplies kit was perfect. The price was low and the amout was fine. But tanki replaced that kit with 2 new expensive kits that don't provide us with supplies properly. Both of them has unequal amount of supplies and it's horrible becsause all supplies are equally needed. According to the current system, if we want to save money (discounts of kits) by buying kits instead of buying supplies one-by-one, we have to buy both of the expensive kits which will end up on wasting money on the same supplies unnecessarily for getting one kind of supply with a discounted price.

[Batmode_ON 60]

Actually hes right, kits before used to contain 3 paints, m2's and m3's and the price was no more 300k, now new kits and supply kits are "seriously" not worth your money, i used to buy drug kits all the time after saving, now its not worth the money, but as said, we get discounts every now and again, so there is not much of a problem of affording' anymore

[jomama_tanker 117]

Those of you in disagreement repeatedly focus on one thing:  a sale/discount. Where in my post did I mention that the discount is not enough? Nowhere because I never suggested that the discount was not enough.

 

You completely miss the point of my post. It has NOTHING to do with wanting a deeper discount.  Absolutely nothing.  Are we clear on that? I even CLEARLY state in the very first post that "it’s still a decent deal if you buy supplies on a regular basis.”

 

I could not have been any more clear.

 

The new “70% off sale” price for the 1000 kit was raised from 99,999 to 104,999. A 5k increase (of the discounted price) for ZERO added value. 

 

If a non-virtual business decided to do the same thing, you can bet consumers would be upset (despite the fact that physical goods have very real marginal costs to produce). Inflationary pressures aside, prices generally trend downward over time, not upward in the “real world”. It’s the reason you could buy a 50” Samsung LCD TV 2 years ago for $2000 and today you can buy the IDENTICAL model tv for just $500 (that’s retail price, not “on sale”).

 

Yet here in virtual Tanki world, we’re subject to Alternativa’s bizarro economics. Prices trend upward, not downward, even before discounts are applied. This despite the fact that Tank deals in VIRTUAL goods that have no marginal production cost, and no external pricing pressures.

 

If you still don’t get it….well….I’m not here to explain basic economic principles to you. Once you’ve had sufficient education in both business and economics, and once you’ve spent some time in the workforce gaining practical experience about how the world works (outside the world of academics and gaming), then you’ll have a foundation upon which to base your opinions.

 

My suggestion, if you’re a relatively young person talk to your parents about what I wrote.  Ask them to read my posts and explain them to you. Ask them if they agree with me. I can guarantee you they will not share your opinion.

Edited February 12, 2015 by jomama_tanker

[Batmode_ON 60]

Those of you in disagreement repeatedly focus on one thing:  a sale/discount. Where in my post did I mention that the discount is not enough? Nowhere because I never suggested that the discount was not enough.

 

You completely miss the point of my post. It has NOTHING to do with wanting a deeper discount.  Absolutely nothing.  Are we clear on that? I even CLEARLY state in the very first post that "it’s still a decent deal if you buy supplies on a regular basis.”

 

I could not have been any more clear.

 

The new “70% off sale” price for the 1000 kit was raised from 99,999 to 104,999. A 5k increase (of the discounted price) for ZERO added value. 

 

If a non-virtual business decided to do the same thing, you can bet consumers would be upset (despite the fact that physical goods have very real marginal costs to produce). Inflationary pressures aside, prices generally trend downward over time, not upward in the “real world”. It’s the reason you could buy a 50” Samsung LCD TV 2 years ago for $2000 and today you can buy the IDENTICAL model tv for just $500 (that’s retail price, not “on sale”).

 

Yet here in virtual Tanki world, we’re subject to Alternativa’s bizarro economics. Prices trend upward, not downward, even before discounts are applied. This despite the fact that Tank deals in VIRTUAL goods that have no marginal production cost, and no external pricing pressures.

 

If you still don’t get it….well….I’m not here to explain basic economic principles to you. Once you’ve had sufficient education in both business and economics, and once you’ve spent some time in the workforce gaining practical experience about how the world works (outside the world of academics and gaming), then you’ll have a foundation upon which to base your opinions.

 

My suggestion, if you’re a relatively young person talk to your parents about what I wrote.  Ask them to read my posts and explain them to you. Ask them if they agree with me. I can guarantee you they will not share your opinion.

The drugs in the kit are discounted so they cost 99k crystals, this has a lot to do with discounts :p

[Batmode_ON 60]

Its not that much of a difference, i'd say crystals are easier to earn now so virtually it would make sense for these things to cost more and i can't see a problem with the price but what your buying for your money i'd say

[ELIZABETH1122 337]

5% is fine, The RU economy as has taken a bashing in part due to the reduction in world oil prices but also because sanctions must be uncomfortable and biting.  They could I suppose go the other way and make everything cheaper to attract more sales.  Just like Russian Seconda Watches years ago, excellent watches but very cheep to buy to bring in currency during the worst of the cold war. Basically it is a marketing decision.  I do not see 5% as being greedy just a question of is it the right thing for them overall.

[Promissory 569]

You know what's happening? Tanki's getting broke. 2 of my friends, one commander and a field marshall quitted tanki recently. Tanki is going downhill. The destructive updates they made, were good when they released, but got a BIG impact afterwards the update.

 

Just to tell you, look at this picture. It's been taken 40 minutes before server update.

Never in MY LIFE, I have seen RU1 so empty at those times. And wanna know something? I didn't even have lot of XP battles!

 

The destructive updates are taking a long term destruction to the game. I hope devs realise this soon. 

 

I've noticed they are pleasing gissimos a lot. They removed cry boxes, and now gismos have "proper" gameplay. But let me tell you something. The begginners, the players who'll grow someday don't find this game fun. This is why, the game is slowly going downhill. I can't even find the game fun anymore.

[CrimsonSaviour 40]

^No. I don't think so. It has to do with timing. Sometimes Russian servers are packed to the max....until I could'nt find a server to play in. Fun is different for everyone. Anyways back to topic: why can't TO have the same pricing as last time? Why pay extra?

Edited February 13, 2015 by CrimsonSaviour

[S.C.Y.T.H.E 1,072]

You know what's happening? Tanki's getting broke. 2 of my friends, one commander and a field marshall quitted tanki recently. Tanki is going downhill. The destructive updates they made, were good when they released, but got a BIG impact afterwards the update.

 

Just to tell you, look at this picture. It's been taken 40 minutes before server update.

Never in MY LIFE, I have seen RU1 so empty at those times. And wanna know something? I didn't even have lot of XP battles!

 

The destructive updates are taking a long term destruction to the game. I hope devs realise this soon. 

 

I've noticed they are pleasing gissimos a lot. They removed cry boxes, and now gismos have "proper" gameplay. But let me tell you something. The begginners, the players who'll grow someday don't find this game fun. This is why, the game is slowly going downhill. I can't even find the game fun anymore.

 

^No. I don't think so. It has to do with timing. Sometimes Russian servers are packed to the max....until I could'nt find a server to play in. Fun is different for everyone. Anyways back to topic: why can't TO have the same pricing as last time? Why pay extra?

Crimson Saviour is right... you can't expect many Russiansto be playing at 3:00 in the morning (which is around when the server updates go off) but during about 17:00 UTC Russian servers are completely packed. 

You are right, the number of players is definitely declining though. Every one of my real life friends has quit this game.

 

You can technically link the crystal inflation to actual inflation:

Tanki needs money --> Money is decreasing in its worth due to inflation --> they need more money than before --> more players need to buy crystals --> They increase prices.

But I don't think that this is the case.

 

You can tell that everything is becoming more expensive, I mean just look at the Christmas discounts. Yes, it was a 50% off everything, but the double battlefunds were only three days long... it was more than a week last year. And only 2015 crystal goldboxes, I remember a time for the world cup alone when they went up to 8,000 crystals ( I believe). 

Last year, there was like a 70% off sale every month... nothing so far. There may be a miniscule valentines sale. 

Tanki Online is annoying me right now..

[duck100101 965]

Here's what I thin, first of all you are right and why is tanki doing this? They have tons of new players coming form miniclip and they raise the prices?

 

[ThouShallNot 963]

HA LOL! 5k more for noob crystal buyers is nothing, they will still buy it.  :rolleyes:

[WarMonkey51Austin 68]

HA LOL! 5k more for noob crystal buyers is nothing, they will still buy it.  :rolleyes:

We are talking about none buyers -_- I might have bought the 1000 supply kit if not for that 5k increase

[ThouShallNot 963]

We are talking about none buyers -_- I might have bought the 1000 supply kit if not for that 5k increase

If your a non-buyer, i wouldn't waste crystals on a supply kit, i would save them for m3s and micro upgrades. (i allready did, just giving you some advice).

[jazz20 1,181]

I heard in the Unity version prices are going to shoot up again :/

[DonutsForLife 292]

I believe they raised it, because that's 70% off, before they took it away, it was 99k yes, which is not perfectly 70%.

[POWERFULLSOUL 78]

i am so happy they are increasing the price of KIT !!!

[robotbeep 22]

Its not that much of a difference, i'd say crystals are easier to earn now so virtually it would make sense for these things to cost more and i can't see a problem with the price but what your buying for your money i'd say

although i red arrowed your right they make crystals easier to get they increase prices AND downgrade it

[jokersus.cava 1,503]

Finally, right after the pigs managed to fly with some scientific experiments and changes in their DNA, developers listened to us and brought them back.

Edited February 13, 2015 by jokersus.cava

[jomama_tanker 117]

 

I heard in the Unity version prices are going to shoot up again :/

I would be completely okay with a nominal price increase with the release of the Unity platform.  From what I have seen it may be a huge advancement in gameplay with improvements across the board. As with any software development there i a great deal of upfront and ongoing investment to create the product, maintain it and incrementally improve it. If Unity devliers in the promises it’ll be worth a bump in cost.

 

What I don’t want to see is a pattern of price increases for existing garage items unless there’s an improvement that justifies the price.

 

As an aside...It’s bad enough when the development team “rebalances” turrets and hulls.  I bought an m3 railgun whose impact force is now dramatically reduced all in the name of “rebalancing”.  Rebalancing is a polite way of saying development might reduce (or increase) the effectiveness of our turrets and hulls but they’re not going to compensate us if there’s a loss. Imagine the amount of crystals and time it would take to microupgrade that turret…..a long time and many tens of thousands of crystals. Players aren’t getting refunds for the reduced functionality of a turret in which they’ve invested a significant amount of crystals. Another example...I paid quite a bit for my m2 shaft…..I didn’t ask for the ridiculous laser to be added months later. Instead, it was forced onto us….and now I have a weapon that I paid for that I would never have bought today knowing that it has a laser. It’s also why I’ve not upgraded to the m3 shaft. Another couple hundred thousand crystals wasted.

 

Anyway, I digress….

 

If there’s a price increase for an existing item, there had better be a corresponding improvement to its effectiveness or functionality. Otherwise, it’s a rip-off know matter how Alternativa marketing spins it.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2015 by jomama_tanker