Paradox of Cash Card Justifiers

[scaldy78]

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

[JuniorChubb]

I thought this thread was about me for a second.

 

Rockstar stated before in their Asked and Answered article that allowing an option for players to gain money through shark cards allows them to release updates without splitting up the player base each time one is released.

 

http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/52366/asked-answered-gtav-first-person-experience-online

To save people clicking the link

 

 

What is the point of Shark Cards, apart from to make you greedy bastards lots of money? Tim (via Mouthoff)

 

The reason we included optional in-game currency in Grand Theft Auto Online, rather than directly selling DLC, was because it was the only way that we could distribute DLC without dividing the player base each time we brought out a new content pack, which would destroy the online community very quickly by splitting players up. Thanks to Shark Cards, we have been able to give away every piece of DLC so far for free in order to keep the community whole and give people options as to whether they want to earn new content by playing the game, buy new content with Shark Cards or simply dont get new content and still keep playing the game.

Optional

Edited January 6, 2016 by JuniorChubb

[JAKEBAB]

Idk why this is so hard for people to understand, shark cards are to fund development for a 3yr old game (name a AAA dev who does that these days) so for them to make money they need to have the prices high enough for people to buy them while not so high items are unobtainable by grinders. Nothing to do with how fun the game is.

[MajorVienna]

Making game money hard to get in GTAO, and funding running the service by paid shark cards created one simple problem: Time spent doing nothing, is money lost.

I'd like to try all the game modes out, and play them countless times, but we can't afford to do that because making money is the prime priority- and that's because Rockstar made it the prime priority, not because I say it is.

It's because of this that it's hard to build a match for lots of things, because everyone's off making sure they don't waste time on poorly-paying activities.

 

Fortunately I don't think we'll have to worry about this when GTAO moves to GTA6, as the writing is on the wall - Shark Cards (and warping the GTAV world/environment for online in ways that push you towards them) is unpopular and won't work next time. It was a nice idea to try back in 2013 but there were already strong rumblings back then in the crowd-funded multiplayer scene.

Quite a few games are using and have proven that a 'regular item drops, pay-to-unlock-containers & trading market' setup is the way to go. It's for everyone's benefit that GTAO will move to this system for the next GTA city.

[_PANiC_]

 

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

 

No I don't own one, nor do I particularly want one. It could be argued players with yachts now have an advantage in that they can run certain VIP missions which I cannot!. But that's not my point really, Im getting more at the extortionate pricing when you look at how much you would actually need to spend on Cash cards for single high priced items. They are an underhanded way to rake in/extort more money that these digital items are actually worth.

 

It would be better value if they charged for the updates, but hey! why bother when cash cards can do the job I guess. Because think about it!

VIP Update (inc new cars , a Yacht , exclusive clothes) what coul dyou really charge? Lets say at most £19.99?...compare that again with what it woudl actually cost to buy just the Yacht with cash cards?..... (£65!!)

Edited January 6, 2016 by PANiC ATTACK3R

[Locce]

Most people who defend shark cards as a way to fund GTAO believe these two statements:

 

The game is inherently fun to play, so "grinding" isn't something to complain about.

 

The game wouldn't be fun if everything were handed to you, so the high prices are justified.

 

HERE IT COMES...

 

If the game is inherently fun to play, then R* doesn't have to lock items behind a playing time wall or a shark card wall.

 

They would have nothing to worry about. The game is so fun, why would having all the fun items quickly ruin it?

I will just assume that you are just trolling with your straw man argument and that you already know that there are much better reasons for shark cards and that you can thank the people buying them for your free downloadable content.

[JMemphis]

Do you really have nothing f*cking better to moan about op ?

Edited January 6, 2016 by LogoPablo

[scaldy78]

 

 

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

 

No I don't own one, nor do I particularly want one. It could be argued players with yachts now have an advantage in that they can run certain VIP missions which I cannot!. But that's not my point really, Im getting more at the extortionate pricing when you look at how much you would actually need to spend on Cash cards for single high priced items. They are an underhanded way to rake in/extort more money that these digital items are actually worth.

 

It would be better value if they charged for the updates, but hey! why bother when cash cards can do the job I guess. Because think about it!

VIP Update (inc new cars , a Yacht , exclusive clothes) what coul dyou really charge? Lets say at most £19.99?...compare that again with what it woudl actually cost to buy just the Yacht with cash cards?..... (£65!!)

Better value for who? I'll be getting a Yacht one day and I won't be paying a dime of real money for it. If I had to start paying for every update they came out with I would've stopped playing a long time ago.

 

Just imagine having to pay $19.99 for the LTS update, or the Halloween update. Want knew freemode events? Pay them $19.99? Want to enjoy the X-Mas update with snow? Pay them $19.99? Cmon man

Get out of here with that B.S.

[dlow]

Most people who defend shark cards as a way to fund GTAO believe these two statements:

 

The game is inherently fun to play, so "grinding" isn't something to complain about.

 

The game wouldn't be fun if everything were handed to you, so the high prices are justified.

 

HERE IT COMES...

 

If the game is inherently fun to play, then R* doesn't have to lock items behind a playing time wall or a shark card wall.

 

They would have nothing to worry about. The game is so fun, why would having all the fun items quickly ruin it?

 

I cannot imagine someone wasting time thinking about this subject........

 

I can say i have never purchased a sharkcard....

 

But since your post got me thinking about Paradox's

 

here is a Paradox or maybe a Dilemma for you to think about

 

for 3 years every DLC Drop has been free to download and install and to buy/use with ingame cash

for 3 years sharkcard sales has kept the money train where Rockstar wanted it to be (after sale of game profits)

 

If it was not for the people buying Sharkcards or the Sharkcard Ideal had flopped, then ALL of us would be paying real money for the DLC that we have gotten

so would we then love the game and much as we do

[JohnMcClainNYPD]

The game is inherently fun to play, so "grinding" isn't something to complain about.

 

The game wouldn't be fun if everything were handed to you, so the high prices are justified.

So what do you want? For Rockstar to make stuff more 'affordable'? Sorry but I don't agree with this. Rockstar puts in a LOT of time and effort into creating these DLC's for us. They deserve to receive compensation for their work. That's the bottom line for me.

Edited January 6, 2016 by JohnMcClainNYPD

[jollythecat]

Wow, some people.

Boohoo, I have to actually play the game to afford things.

 

What if a Fallout 4 player would say, I want that maxed out gauss rifle when I'm lvl 3.

But I actually have to play the game to lvl up and make the caps to buy it, boohoo Fallout 4 sucks.

[Xie Deathangelz]

2016

Still thinking R* can into logic

Rockstar and logic? Mr Spock would be turning in his grave.

[_PANiC_]

 

 

 

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

 

No I don't own one, nor do I particularly want one. It could be argued players with yachts now have an advantage in that they can run certain VIP missions which I cannot!. But that's not my point really, Im getting more at the extortionate pricing when you look at how much you would actually need to spend on Cash cards for single high priced items. They are an underhanded way to rake in/extort more money that these digital items are actually worth.

 

It would be better value if they charged for the updates, but hey! why bother when cash cards can do the job I guess. Because think about it!

VIP Update (inc new cars , a Yacht , exclusive clothes) what coul dyou really charge? Lets say at most £19.99?...compare that again with what it woudl actually cost to buy just the Yacht with cash cards?..... (£65!!)

Better value for who? I'll be getting a Yacht one day and I won't be paying a dime of real money for it. If I had to start paying for every update they came out with I would've stopped playing a long time ago.

 

Just imagine having to pay $19.99 for the LTS update, or the Halloween update. Want knew freemode events? Pay them $19.99? Want to enjoy the X-Mas update with snow? Pay them $19.99? Cmon man

Get out of here with that B.S.

 

Actually is those updates inc the items for that price , it would make it fairer and cheaper,plus optional, so if I didnt want the sh*tty freemode update I wouldn't have to have it cluttering up my gtao experience, so far from being B.S. its would actually be preferable, and cheaper

[Aznknight]

This crap again

[JuniorChubb]

 

 

 

 

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

 

No I don't own one, nor do I particularly want one. It could be argued players with yachts now have an advantage in that they can run certain VIP missions which I cannot!. But that's not my point really, Im getting more at the extortionate pricing when you look at how much you would actually need to spend on Cash cards for single high priced items. They are an underhanded way to rake in/extort more money that these digital items are actually worth.

 

It would be better value if they charged for the updates, but hey! why bother when cash cards can do the job I guess. Because think about it!

VIP Update (inc new cars , a Yacht , exclusive clothes) what coul dyou really charge? Lets say at most £19.99?...compare that again with what it woudl actually cost to buy just the Yacht with cash cards?..... (£65!!)

 

Better value for who? I'll be getting a Yacht one day and I won't be paying a dime of real money for it. If I had to start paying for every update they came out with I would've stopped playing a long time ago.

 

Just imagine having to pay $19.99 for the LTS update, or the Halloween update. Want knew freemode events? Pay them $19.99? Want to enjoy the X-Mas update with snow? Pay them $19.99? Cmon man

Get out of here with that B.S.

 

Actually is those updates inc the items for that price , it would make it fairer and cheaper,plus optional, so if I didnt want the sh*tty freemode update I wouldn't have to have it cluttering up my gtao experience, so far from being B.S. its would actually be preferable, and cheaper

 

Maybe preferable to you but this thread shows you are in the minority with that opinion.

 

BTW there is nothing cheaper than free (which the DLC's are) and they are all optional, you can turn off free roam event notifications if you wish, you do not have to buy the new cars, you do not have to play the new game modes, you do not have to do heists and you do not have to wear the Halloween masks if you do not want to.

 

A paid DLC also does not give you the option of 'earning' it in game which is possible with all of the GTAO content.

Edited January 6, 2016 by JuniorChubb

[Shaytan]

I don't exactly agree with the first premise: for me the game is really fun, probably one of the most enjoyable games I ever played and between my all time favourites; but I don't like grinding, it's not my idea of enjoyment, I prefer to play heists time to time, even if I don't get much profit, but anyways owning a garage filled only with T20s or a yacht is not my ultimate goal on this game. For me, grinding is a repetitive waste of time.

 

Anyways, you're forgetting the fact changing something on a game, mainly some major system changing feature like changing the price of everything, can make people not enjoy the game as before, meaning if it is fun now, it could not be after something like that.

 

You have to keep in mind after 3 years Rockstar still invests on this game and on it's players, by a time any other company would be releasing already GTA VIII, and not supporting the game for not even a year. The constant development of new DLCs require designers, programmers, etc. that surely don't work for free. Rockstar can either make you pay for every DLC like almost every other company does, or give all of them for free and find an optional source of profit, that is totally optional to buy, and that the only thing it does is to save the time of players of grinding missions. What do you prefer?

[degas93]

I agreed with everything until the point where they released the lowrider dlc. Like sure, Mclaren can cost that much. Gold plane costs even more irl, but whatever. Those were some seriously premium vehicles and were priced as such. All the classics having prices like that were true too. Let's say Stinger GT costing near a million- yes, that's fair, that's how it is in real life too. But a f*cking 1964 Impala cost me 800 grand to mod. I could only justify insanely expensive upgrades if they would be performance, like make the buick GNX faster than mclaren in a straight line for 200-500 grand. I would do that. They regained my ''work for my cars'' thing with the ''executives'' dlc (ok, I asked for yacht money, but not cars), around 200k for an AMG mercedes is a fair price.

[SkylineGTRFreak]

 

 

 

 

Cash Cards are fine, they are simply just not fair/good value

 

In game digital pretend Luxury Yacht = More than £65 in real money to get it via Cash Cards!!!

 

Cash Cards are worse than micro-transcations, but more profitable for R* . If it was a proper micro-transaction store, how much do you think they could actually ask for an in-game yacht ? think about it?...£65?? nope! £50 ?? £40 ?? nope....see where this is going? Now how much do think is really reasonable if it was a micro transaction store for high class GTAO items??

Again is it absolutely necessary that you own a Yacht? Do players with Yachts own an unfair advantage over you? Does the gameplay suffer cause you don't have a Yacht?

 

No I don't own one, nor do I particularly want one. It could be argued players with yachts now have an advantage in that they can run certain VIP missions which I cannot!. But that's not my point really, Im getting more at the extortionate pricing when you look at how much you would actually need to spend on Cash cards for single high priced items. They are an underhanded way to rake in/extort more money that these digital items are actually worth.

 

It would be better value if they charged for the updates, but hey! why bother when cash cards can do the job I guess. Because think about it!

VIP Update (inc new cars , a Yacht , exclusive clothes) what coul dyou really charge? Lets say at most £19.99?...compare that again with what it woudl actually cost to buy just the Yacht with cash cards?..... (£65!!)

Better value for who? I'll be getting a Yacht one day and I won't be paying a dime of real money for it. If I had to start paying for every update they came out with I would've stopped playing a long time ago.

 

Just imagine having to pay $19.99 for the LTS update, or the Halloween update. Want knew freemode events? Pay them $19.99? Want to enjoy the X-Mas update with snow? Pay them $19.99? Cmon man

Get out of here with that B.S.

 

Actually is those updates inc the items for that price , it would make it fairer and cheaper,plus optional, so if I didnt want the sh*tty freemode update I wouldn't have to have it cluttering up my gtao experience, so far from being B.S. its would actually be preferable, and cheaper

So what if I just wanted one car of a DLC pack? Either I pay 20 bucks for one car, which I would probably also have to buy with ingame money anyway after unlocking the DLC pack or just suck it up and never get the car.

 

Seriously, it's damn fine the way it is. A few weeks ago I was playing with friends, wenn played DMs, LTS modes, races, etc... IT was fun and when we were done I was like: the f*ck? Where'd all the money came from. Play for fun and Not with the grind for everything mentality

[scaldy78]

I've said it before. Make playlists people, you'd be surprised how much you can make. I've made lists where once I'm done I came away with 80k.

[Shaytan]

If everybody had to pay for the DLCs everybody would complain that R* is capitalistic and wants to charge gamers for everything and how much you want a yacht but you must have to pay 20/30 real life bucks for the whole DLC.

 

Ending the only source of profit from the company besides the actual price of the game is not an option because we don't live on Utopia, and the way things are now are the best for both players and devs, you can either get everything you want for free with some effort or pay go skip the effort. Some people here are either suggesting to make instead everybody have to pay, or expect everything is given to them on a gold plate with no effort at all (because a game the minute you begin playing you can get everything for free makes all the sense of even playing).

[Mattoropael]

 

 

They are arguing the game is fun, not the game was fun.

Did you ever think maybe part of the reason it's fun is because having to work for things balances it? Maybe if everything was unlocked quickly it wouldn't be fun?

You could never know unless they actually did lower the prices for things.

Everyone who enjoyed the billionaire days raise your hand.

Now imagine were have 5x the vehicle storage, yachts, lowriders, and dozens more PV and Pegasus vehicles to blow your money on.

And tons of free roam activities.

I don't know what the mythical land of 2013 GTA online was like, but it's changed a lot since then. So I'm not sure if it would be the same.

 

People wouldn't care nearly as much about yachts or lowriders if they were dirt cheap. They'd realize how little they actually do and they wouldn't hold any value. Furthermore money is a motivator for free roam activities. Take that away and they'll probably end up almost as unplayed as captures or most of the adversary modes.

 

 

I don't know about you, but the "I AM MORE SUPERIOR THAN YOU ALL LOL" attitude and pride worth far more than the rubbish pay that freemode activities give.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Mattoropael

[Zoolock]

Why all the hate for Shark cards when they pay for all the free DLC's we all get. You can't begrudge people buying them or Rockstar for selling them & just imagine the alternative nightmare if Rockstar follow the EA or Ubisoft business model & charge us for everything.

[.Vooodu.]

Why all the hate for Shark cards when they pay for all the free DLC's we all get. You can't begrudge people buying them or Rockstar for selling them & just imagine the alternative nightmare if Rockstar follow the EA or Ubisoft business model & charge us for everything.

 

 

The success of Cash Cards just means that MORE game devs will start trying to milk players in the same fashion. And they are both horrible IMO.

 

I miss the old way of how they did things. Made a great game...releases a proper HUGE DLC or expansion for 20-30 bucks..

 

Instead they have went this route on GTA O. And its too late to go back now. Take two is making HUGE profits off basically small updates and mods every few months.

 

Looking at the difference between single player and online make it easy to see how much more EXPENSIVE and restrictive online is compared to single player.

 

 

In single player we can steal and keep ANY vehicle.. even cop cars. In GTA O we can only steal and keep a handful of good vehicles, everything else costs money.

 

 

People can say what the want about cash cards. Infact i don`t mind that game devs try to make extra on the side. But when controlling MONEY is their main goal, then its a problem that effects the over all game and annoys the sh*t out of people.

[LeAuxChord]

Wow, some people.

Boohoo, I have to actually play the game to afford things.

 

What if a Fallout 4 player would say, I want that maxed out gauss rifle when I'm lvl 3.

But I actually have to play the game to lvl up and make the caps to buy it, boohoo Fallout 4 sucks.

Fortunately the fallout community has grasped the concept of having to work for what you want. You'd think it'd be even easier to understand with a game that has always revolved around the rags to riches theme.

 

OT:

This thread feels like a response to someone or another thread that initially had gotten ignored, so this is OP's way of being heard. But anyway, I personally don't agree with the pricing of shark cards. However, I'd rather have the option to buy more cash, rather than to be revoked of access to a certain feature just because I didn't want to buy DLC.

[Furry_Monkey]

Some people here are either suggesting to make instead everybody have to pay, or expect everything is given to them on a gold plate with no effort at all (because a game the minute you begin playing you can get everything for free makes all the sense of even playing).

 

[El-Gaddafii]

People really have to start understanding that yes, Rockstar is a company for profit, therefore the game will always be designed in a way to net them more cash through micro-transactions.

 

That being said though, you in no way are forced to buy a shark card (I've been playing GTA since it came out and I only know these cards exist through this forum) THE FUN IN THIS GAME COMES FROM PLAYING IT and so does the money, I hate when people refer to it as 'grinding' money is so easy to come by with the right group of friends and right mentality. I made 200000+ last night from just playing the game, no heist included.

 

I'd also like to add that people think the fun in this game is to own everything there is to own, if this is your mentality you will get bored quick.

[Zoolock]

 

Why all the hate for Shark cards when they pay for all the free DLC's we all get. You can't begrudge people buying them or Rockstar for selling them & just imagine the alternative nightmare if Rockstar follow the EA or Ubisoft business model & charge us for everything.

 

 

The success of Cash Cards just means that MORE game devs will start trying to milk players in the same fashion. And they are both horrible IMO.

 

I miss the old way of how they did things. Made a great game...releases a proper HUGE DLC or expansion for 20-30 bucks..

 

Instead they have went this route on GTA O. And its too late to go back now. Take two is making HUGE profits off basically small updates and mods every few months.

 

Looking at the difference between single player and online make it easy to see how much more EXPENSIVE and restrictive online is compared to single player.

 

 

In single player we can steal and keep ANY vehicle.. even cop cars. In GTA O we can only steal and keep a handful of good vehicles, everything else costs money.

 

 

People can say what the want about cash cards. Infact i don`t mind that game devs try to make extra on the side. But when controlling MONEY is their main goal, then its a problem that effects the over all game and annoys the sh*t out of people.

 

 

I agree I would love a large offline DLC & access to online content & would't mind paying for it but company's like Rockstar are a business not a charity & those online servers & online DLC's still cost money & a lot of effort to maintain & make plus you get one every 3 months or so. Totaled up those DLC's are a huge amount of content so imagine having to pay for all the cars, clothes, extra missions ect they have released since the game came out you would have spent $100's. At least with Rockstars model you get free missions /heists & have a choice to buy extra in game items. No one is forcing you to buy them so you can't accuse them of milking people. Online has an active economy & nothing is out of reach, you can earn everything with a bit of effort just by playing the game & for me that's part of the attraction that keeps the online game alive.

 

Out of all the business models Rockstars is by far the best one

 

Rockstars model - Game, Free Online variant, 20+ free online DLC's & Cash cards available for those who wish a short cut for extra in game items.

Ubisoft model - Game, purchasable DLC's & purchasable in game items.

Blizzards model - Game, remove parts of the game then force people to upgrade with purchasable DLC's & make them buy all previous DLC's if they want to play the latest version.

CDproject Red Game, a few small free DLC's & purchasable larger expansion pack DLC's.

EA Model - Limited Game, one or two free small DLC's then purchasable larger DLC's that really should have been part of the original game.

[nWo_Y2J_2015]

Did you ever think maybe part of the reason it's fun is because having to work for things balances it? Maybe if everything was unlocked quickly it wouldn't be fun?

It stops being fun if you have to work day and night for a month just to buy one thing. Lower the prices a good bit and then it'd be balanced.

[A Maned Wolf]

 

Did you ever think maybe part of the reason it's fun is because having to work for things balances it? Maybe if everything was unlocked quickly it wouldn't be fun?

It stops being fun if you have to work day and night for a month just to buy one thing. Lower the prices a good bit and then it'd be balanced.

 

Or maybe you/others are aiming too high?

People need to set realistic goals in regard to GTA V. Are you really gonna be able to afford the yacht in a timely matter if your income per hour is sub 100k?

[jatiger13]

I would agree if it were truly free, but you have to buy it in game for hours worth of earnings.

So you would want everything to be free?? Makes no sense. You'd have to pay for it somehow. Rockstar wouldn't still be adding stuff if it wasn't for shark cards. And if they didn't have income from shark cards, all the DLC would have to be paid for by each player.