How rockstar is (cleverly) scamming us

[Shaundi.]

Spent $90 for the PS3 version & got GTA O for free with free content updates. Spent $540 on a US PS4 & spent another $65 on GTA V again which comes with free content updates.

 

And you know what? I don't feel scammed at all.

 

I'm currently playing Far Cry 4 & Batman Arkham Knight and rarely GTA V/O but you must be so f*ckin' delusional to think Rockstar is scamming us.

[GeneralHasch]

It's like you are looking at every detail with a periscope OP. How fun was it playing when you only got invites for RR for like 3 months? I'm pretty sure that's not how this game was ment to be played. Get good at the game instead of just farm 1 sh*tty mission.

Edited July 8, 2015 by GeneralHasch

[Ender_Sai]

 

 

 

Rockstar isn't greedy. People are just lazy.

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

YOu don't need the f*cking car, you just want it.

 

Here's the thing - I wear an Omega Seamaster on my wrist. It cost £3000. What I did for that watch was I worked at a job, took home a salary, and apportioned funds for that watch until I had sufficient available balance to buy it.

 

Now, I'm not a sh*tbag millennial like your good self sir, so the notion of having to work to earn money to satisfy my economic wants was ingrained at an early age. If I want something in GTA I have two options:

 

1) I can hang out with friends and have fun and race and do missions and heists and earn money almost as an ancilliary benefit

1a) I could grind too, but by emphasising the social aspect over the monetary aspect I can derive greater utility

2) I can buy a shark-card by rationalising the cost of in-game time to earn money vs real world time, i.e. "is it worth more to me to buy the card than earn the cash in game?"

 

I don't have a Hydra or Valkyrie though both would be useful. I own not an insurgent, and armoured kurumas will find no safe haven in my garages. These are surplus to my requires but should that change I shall make sure to follow yours and the OP's enlightened lead and complain loudly that the game owes me it, and doesn't give me what I want.

 

...

"I waste my life grinding for overpriced items in real life. Why no do it in GTA?" Brilliant logic.

 

 

If you were a touch smarter - I say if intentionally, using that conditional because I know you're not especially sharp - you'd understand that's the basis of modern transactions.

 

i.e. "when the willingness of the buyer to buy intersects with the willingness of the seller to sell."

 

There's no expectation of instant gratification - if I want something, i work for it.

 

Because you're the offspring of a spectacular failure of parenting, you aren't aware of this and expect everything at once. This is why your stunted pituitary gland is dropping all those angry and confused hormones into your body, which you are in turn directing at Rockstar and a framework you cannot possibly comprehend or relate to.

[Presidential]

Rockstar is scamming me with free online service and free DLC and enough missions to make the money I want?

 

Seems legit.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Presidential

[Eggobites90]

 

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Then this game is not for you.

The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification. There's other games for that.

Then why do they sell shark cards?

[luisniko]

People are still seeing Updates as presents from Santa Claus, instead of basically something to make you buy Cash Card.

 

lol.

[Cavot]

I've paid $120 in total on this game, which was one copy for Xbox 360 and one copy for Xbox One. This isn't a pay to win game. You can get everything in this game without the use of real money. All it takes is time and patience.

[REDDICE]

Spent $90 for the PS3 version & got GTA O for free with free content updates. Spent $540 on a US PS4 & spent another $65 on GTA V again which comes with free content updates.

 

And you know what? I don't feel scammed at all.

 

I'm currently playing Far Cry 4 & Batman Arkham Knight and rarely GTA V/O but you must be so f*ckin' delusional to think Rockstar is scamming us.

I paid $60 for the PS3 and got GTAO with free content. I then spent $800+ for a gaming PC and another $60 for GTAV.

 

I paid $120+ for GTAV. I don't feel scammed at all because I got waaayyyy more than my money's worth because I got 1000+ hours worth of fun. Not to mention all of the free stuff Rockstar has given us.

 

If Activision, EA, or Ubisoft published GTAV, They would probably charge you $30 for every update or sell you stuff in increments ($5 Osiris, $10 Clothes Packs, $20 Gun Packs, $2 gun skins, $15 temporary money/RP boosters, $10 Mission Packs, etc.) Rockstar is really generous if you ask me.

 

People who complain that they're being pressured to buy Shark Cards are obviously lying.

[Shaundi.]

 

 

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Then this game is not for you.

The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification. There's other games for that.

Then why do they sell shark cards?

Shark cards are optional you f*cking mook. They're not pointing a gun to your head to buy them, however, buying them, which are optional, helps Rockstar develop the next GTA game.

[poley23]

You're right OP. How dare Rockstar provide us with an optional service with optional payments. The audacity of some companies.....But honestly, these 'Rockstar sucks' threads just seem to get more and more pathetic with each new one that is made. If you honestly think the payments suck on MP, go and play in SP and then you can have lots of money and be able to buy everything.

[Ender_Sai]

 

 

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Then this game is not for you.

The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification. There's other games for that.

Then why do they sell shark cards?

 

 

Sigh

 

Because money is basically a widget relative to time.

 

I have money. I may not have time.

Therefore, what is more precious - money or time? Entering into a rational transaction because I can't play 7 days a week because I have a job etc is why they added it.

Rockstar do not force you to use Shark Cards.

 

You have a right to buy one, but not an obligation, in transactional terms.

 

I mean... how does this elude and confuse people?!

[luisniko]

Yes. EA is a trailblazer in this regard. They catch a lot of sh*t for it too, but people buy and buy often. Until gamers stand up and demand not to be bilked these trends will grow. Gaming is not about pickpocketing or nickle and diming players.

 

A company will go to a direction towards how fans support them. Marketing department will make people think upside down so the image of the company isn't ugly in fans' eyes no matter what they're doing.

 

EA have gone that way because fans keep buying their sh*t. Rockstar know their fans and now they're putting one foot into the water. Seeing how successful they've been honeypotting and stupefying people who don't know, I can see they're going to get even worse, in a different direction from EA.

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

The pacific standard pays enough if you know the drill

[Ender_Sai]

Guys, I know idiotic speculation is, as Rick James would have put it, "a hell of a drug" but you realise there's actual information out there for you to actually read and actually understand?

 

Go and read Take2's annual report for the 2014/15FY.

 

"Our core strategy is to capitalize on the popularity of video games by developing and publishing high-quality interactive entertainment experiences across a range of genres. We focus on building compelling franchises by publishing a select number of titles for which we can create sequels and incremental revenue opportunities through add-on content, microtransactions and online play. We support the success of our products in the marketplace through innovative marketing programs and global distribution on all platforms and through all channels that are relevant to our target audience."

 

What the angry children here either forget or just didn't know is that back in Ye Olde Days, online games required an ongoing monthly commitment from players in the form of a monetary subscription.

 

This model has been abandoned so you no longer need to pay on a monthly basis. Now, I know the millennials have grown up not paying for films, television and music so the notion that there's a cost associated with a product they DESPERATELY WANT is foreign to them, but the reality is the cost of ongoing maintenance impacts on the company by keeping the opex high.

 

If, as Take2 (parent entity of R*) say, their intent is to put out quality games and sequels that people want to buy and they support those games with microtransactions then it stands to reason this model is keeping the game going. However, when you're completely sh*t you have no idea about anything beyond your own immediate desire for gratification and can't see this.

Guys, I know idiotic speculation is, as Rick James would have put it, "a hell of a drug" but you realise there's actual information out there for you to actually read and actually understand?

 

Go and read Take2's annual report for the 2014/15FY.

 

"Our core strategy is to capitalize on the popularity of video games by developing and publishing high-quality interactive entertainment experiences across a range of genres. We focus on building compelling franchises by publishing a select number of titles for which we can create sequels and incremental revenue opportunities through add-on content, microtransactions and online play. We support the success of our products in the marketplace through innovative marketing programs and global distribution on all platforms and through all channels that are relevant to our target audience."

 

What the angry children here either forget or just didn't know is that back in Ye Olde Days, online games required an ongoing monthly commitment from players in the form of a monetary subscription.

 

This model has been abandoned so you no longer need to pay on a monthly basis. Now, I know the millennials have grown up not paying for films, television and music so the notion that there's a cost associated with a product they DESPERATELY WANT is foreign to them, but the reality is the cost of ongoing maintenance impacts on the company by keeping the opex high.

 

If, as Take2 (parent entity of R*) say, their intent is to put out quality games and sequels that people want to buy and they support those games with microtransactions then it stands to reason this model is keeping the game going. However, when you're completely sh*t you have no idea about anything beyond your own immediate desire for gratification and can't see this.

[Starsky83]

Rockstar is a company of greed. Everywhere you look there are examples of it. A great example is the small bank in paleto bay in story mode paying a ton of money, BUT THE LARGEST BANK IN LOS SANTOS IN ONLINE PAYS 1,250,000 ON HARD?!?!?! I believe that heists are rockstars fools gold. They tempt you with promise of big pay and money but really they're just a load of crap. During heists 90% of the time you either fail or someone quits. so first off, rockstar is scamming you because their heists don't pay nearly enough. My second point on how they are scamming you is by inflating the prices from story mode to online. In story mode you can see that most prices are cheaper than online. They are hoping that by inflating their prices that you will buy a quick shark card to get cash and afford their outrageous prices (10k for a shirt? Cmon man!) a third way I believe they are scamming us is by making the jobs pay less. They knew rooftop rumble and coveted (remember those) were making us rich and I'll bet my a$$ that shark card sales were at an all time low so they figured hey if we make it hard as heck to earn cash they will have to buy money and if they glitch we can ban them! This really dissapoints me because I always thought rockstar was above this micro transaction bs but I was wrong. Anyway I felt this was necessary because as the ill gotten gains part 2 approaches we all need to be wary that the prices are gonna be beyond expensive because rockstar will just feed us some "special luxury item bs" do you feel the same way about rockstar?

So much immaturity I cant even begin to get my head round your statements.

 

So, Im going to over simplify it down as dumb as I can for you.

 

Firstly, do you or would you work for free? Secondly, would you never work towards increasing your pay packet? Thirdly, would you turn down any attempt at getting pay increases?

 

I suspect I know the answers to these question purely that most of us esp in the west are a product of utilitarianism. I would also like to point out and question have you done your research before making such a post? The last I read R* have paid out nearly 1 billion in legal fees and out of court settlements. I suggest you look up their financials so you get the picture of thier overheads and expendure.

 

I would then suggest that you pickout a few of your products and look up their financials. R* are extremely tame in regards to thier profit margins in comparision to other companies. One example are beats headphone. Here they cost about $700 but the total cost to make are less than $20. This is by no means and extreme example either.

 

So before mouthing off maybe live by what you preach. Those that live in glass houses cant afford to throw stones.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Starsky83

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

 

Rockstar isn't greedy. People are just lazy.

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Elegy, sultan...felon 4 door...

Strange....all for free and all great cars....only thing left to do is insure it.

[Eggobites90]

 

 

 

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Then this game is not for you.

The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification. There's other games for that.

Then why do they sell shark cards?Shark cards are optional you f*cking mook. They're not pointing a gun to your head to buy them, however, buying them, which are optional, helps Rockstar develop the next GTA game.

The reason I ask why R* sells shark cards is because if, as you said, "...The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification.", then selling shark cards objectively conflicts with the intent to delay gratification.

[Starsky83]

If you dont have time (most dont) buy a shark card. If you cant afford it then too bad, you just have to go without. I spent most of my adult life broke, so I went without. I didnt get all sh*tty cos I cant afford something. I then had a family to raise a house to buy etc. Now that I have plenty of spare money (through many years of Uni and setting up my life) I see no problem with spending a tiny amount of money to get stuff in a game I would like. I spend far more on coffee then on shark cards. People really need to build a bridge with this. This is the way forward for gaming so get over it

[Bxx]

"rockstar is da evil that h8s fun and only cares about kesh kerds" thread #654824815

[bad_news_21]

PS3? Find a modder there's one in every lobby

[Ender_Sai]

 

 

 

 

Forgive us for not wanting to play for a full 8 hours non stop to buy almost a full car.

Then this game is not for you.

The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification. There's other games for that.

Then why do they sell shark cards?

Shark cards are optional you f*cking mook. They're not pointing a gun to your head to buy them, however, buying them, which are optional, helps Rockstar develop the next GTA game.

The reason I ask why R* sells shark cards is because if, as you said, "...The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification.", then selling shark cards objectively conflicts with the intent to delay gratification.

 

 

Well, no, because most players - not like your good self with a parent's credit card - have to still earn $ somehow. Either they earn real world currencies like dollars, pounds, won, yen, Euros, pesos; or they earn virtual currency.

 

X hours work products $Y.

 

= X hours of in game work produces GTA$Y

= X hours of real world work produces real world $

 

US$19.99 = GA$1,250,000

 

Now, if X hours in game to produce the above $ result is, say, 7 hours but real world you can make $20 in half an hour, then why wouldn't you trade RW$ for GTA$? Especially if you're time poor?

 

The sharkcard basically helps people obviate the need to do hours of grinding by placing an in-game value on their real world labour. It's pretty f*cking basic, yet people think the sharkcard exists to force them to buy Osiris with stolen money.

[Guest]

Rockstar is a company of greed. Everywhere you look there are examples of it. A great example is the small bank in paleto bay in story mode paying a ton of money, BUT THE LARGEST BANK IN LOS SANTOS IN ONLINE PAYS 1,250,000 ON HARD?!?!?! I believe that heists are rockstars fools gold. They tempt you with promise of big pay and money but really they're just a load of crap. During heists 90% of the time you either fail or someone quits. so first off, rockstar is scamming you because their heists don't pay nearly enough. My second point on how they are scamming you is by inflating the prices from story mode to online. In story mode you can see that most prices are cheaper than online. They are hoping that by inflating their prices that you will buy a quick shark card to get cash and afford their outrageous prices (10k for a shirt? Cmon man!) a third way I believe they are scamming us is by making the jobs pay less. They knew rooftop rumble and coveted (remember those) were making us rich and I'll bet my a$$ that shark card sales were at an all time low so they figured hey if we make it hard as heck to earn cash they will have to buy money and if they glitch we can ban them! This really dissapoints me because I always thought rockstar was above this micro transaction bs but I was wrong. Anyway I felt this was necessary because as the ill gotten gains part 2 approaches we all need to be wary that the prices are gonna be beyond expensive because rockstar will just feed us some "special luxury item bs" do you feel the same way about rockstar?

 

I'll just keep this short with bulletpoints, so you can comprehend this easily, OP.

 

- The Paleto heist money was towards buying a Cargobob, for ANOTHER job. Not free spendng. At the end, the three protags only got around 450K, which you can make easily within a couple of hours in GTAO.

 

- Stop doing heists with randies and maybe you'll stop dying and failing. I did Pacific 5 - 6 times over the past two days with an awesome crew and have made close to $2M and $30M overall from from Heists since they came out. How, I say how in the high heavens could Heists possibly be a scam??

 

- People complained about not having anything to spend their money on in GTAIV, and now that they do in V, everyone's complaining about the prices?

 

- Actually work for your money and play the game, and Rockstar won't try and "force you to buy a shark card" (which they really aren't)

 

- You can get up to 30K on RR now if you don't rush it. Why should you be rewarded that kind of money for no effort at all?

 

No I don't feel the same way as you do about R* as I get on with it and make money the way it's supposed to be made. Stop expecting handouts. It amazes me how people still don't get that the IGG updates were mainly for wealthy players, not people that are still broke and complain about the prices like you do, OP.

 

I hate threads like this, ugh.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Guest

[Ruin]

"The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification.", then selling shark cards objectively conflicts with the intent to delay gratification.

Are they obligatory to advance? No...therefore they do not conflict with anything for the active user.

Shark Cards are meant for the very casual adult who wants to jump right in, for a price.

What, are you saying that because they added a way for people with little time to play and have the income to spend on cards, they should make it free for those who don't have time nor money so they don't feel bad?

 

 

The loophole is there, yes. But it's not designed to be the way to acquire things. Playing regularly will net you everything you could want in the game. But to some people, the idea of playing and saving up for something seems to be less a goal/objective and more of a hassle/chore, for some weird reason.

[Ender_Sai]

I will murder you in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Online.

 

I think this is an excellent example of you illustrating the gulf between reality and your basic understanding of it. However, since the thread is littered with such examples I would call this one "surplus to requirements".

[oleg_aka_djmeg]

z type costs 10 times less in online though.

[GamesBoy316]

Shark Cards are there for those who don't have the time to play GTA Online daily. Besides, they're completely optional. If you have nothing else to do, meaning you have no job, you're on vacation, or not in school, then you have no excuse as to why you have no money, you're just being lazy by doing nothing. If you're trying to make money, do heists with friends, do contact missions, do the random events, do daily objectives, sell vehicles, rob stores, and so on. If you keep it up, you'll have a good amount of money in a short amount of time.

Edited July 8, 2015 by GamesBoy316

[Starsky83]

 

"The online portion of the game is not meant to be instant-gratification.", then selling shark cards objectively conflicts with the intent to delay gratification.

Are they obligatory to advance? No...therefore they do not conflict with anything for the active user.

Shark Cards are meant for the very casual adult who wants to jump right in, for a price.

What, are you saying that because they added a way for people with little time to play and have the income to spend on cards, they should make it free for those who don't have time nor money so they don't feel bad?

 

 

The loophole is there, yes. But it's not designed to be the way to acquire things. Playing regularly will net you everything you could want in the game. But to some people, the idea of playing and saving up for something seems to be less a goal/objective and more of a hassle/chore, for some weird reason.

Such as myself who has a household to run, fulltime employment which requires large amounts of travel ie away from console time and general life commitments. I tend to get on daily but mostly only for 20-30mins. Weekends maybe a couple of hours. I havent even had time to complete the heists. Ive done one heist plus the first tutorial.

 

It would be a very different game for me if there was no cash card option. Which might have lead to me dropping the game long ago. I could save up, that is an option but can you imagine how long it would take for me? Ive had the odd day off whereby Ive had the option to grind missions. Trust me if you have the time its easy to make money. But I simply dont.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Starsky83

[Pyramid_Head]

Here's an idea; don't play the game.

[Guest]

z type costs 10 times less in online though.

 

Exactly. If Rockstar were REALLY trying to "push shark cards", then I'm pretty sure the SP price of the Z Type is one thing that wouldn't have changed in GTAO.

[LL Cool L]

lool op name is gta matt but he is a rockstar hater, yet he plays it and makes account on a forums dedicated to the game...

 

you sir are a sucker

 

 

 

 

I'm not gonna respond to all your points because they are down right stupid