So I stumbled upon the store and saw this:
500 Gold for $9.97
1000 Gold for $19.95

Now wouldn't it be cheaper to buy 2x 500 Gold for $19.94? Now I know saving a penny isn't much, but it seems like it's cheapest to buy the minimum 150 gold each time @ $2.99, because the system simply adds 2 cents per gold.

I know we are talking pennies here, but this seems counter-intuitive.

This got me thinking. Perhaps there should be a discount for bulk gold purchases. This could perhaps get more gold purchased, which I think would be a good thing for the game.

Also, there is a slight chance this could get more people into the game? My thoughts run along something like maybe a group of real life friends split the cost to get a large amount of gold that would cost less than if each of them bought the amount separately. This may seem far-fetched but I don't know. I guess I'm just rambling at this point...

Anyway, my suggestion would be to perhaps include some sort of discount for bulk gold purchases. Your (especially the people who run things, Jed?) thoughts?

you're right, I never understood that myself.
but I also don't understand why you'd buy from the store when you can just buy from me.

I agree completely. Make people WANT to buy more gold. Give me a discount. For every 500 or 1000 gold increase i get like 10-15% off.

500 10$
1000 18$
1500 27$
2000 36$

so forth. also do one big thing like

6000 100$

At the very least I suggested to Jed that there be short term promotions that encourage people to buy gold in bulk a couple times a year.

I got to disagree. The point of having a promotion is to increase sales yes?
If every 3 months, you give a 10% discount on all gold bought that week, NO ONE will buy gold at any other time. In fact, you may not atcually sell more gold than you are discounting. And if you stop it, people will groan and moan, and maybe even buy less.

Discounts should either be conditional, a unexpected+random suprise, or when you need sudden influx of cash.

Consider the following promotion as opposed to the original one:

When a member buys USD50 worth of gold(is that alot? can you buy much with that?), they get a one time 10% discount on their next gold order.

Or say, if you buy usd30 gold one shot, you get a 5% coupon to give to ANOTHER member, who can use it for one order, up to usd30. (same for other landmarks like 50 or something, and can use it up to the said landmark amount.)

Hell, how about, for every USD10 you spent this month, you get one "ticket" to enter this month's mystery card lottery. It is a random uncommon or rare or odd card. Winner gets the card for free.

That's a brilliant idea! It would also make people more inclined to spend the little extra it takes to buy from the developers rather than players.

_________________

Altren wrote:

I agree with Keyser, and that's what I'm planning to implement actually.

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Guild -> | Platypus Rising|

Your disagreement is noted, but your explanation isn't valid. I agree, if there were three periods consistently designated for sales out of every calendar year, yes, people would wait for those periods. So I would agree that the "specific annual period" strategy would be a VERY bad idea. But that's also NOT what I said.

It would make the most sense for short term offers to coincide with major promotional activities... i.e. if they do a lot of advertising when they release new sets, that would be a good time to lower gold prices in an attempt to get more new players "on the hook". Once a person makes an investment in anything, they're much more likely to take it seriously, more likely to stay longer, and more likely to invest more time/money. Existing players would benefit from events like this as well, but no one would "wait" for them if they weren't at consistent times (and not announced in advance). Buying is all about one's ability to afford something in conflict with the desire to have it. If you have disposable income and you need gold to do something in the game; if your desire is strong enough, you'll buy the gold. Lowering prices just makes it easier for the "desire" side to overcome the opposing "afford" side.

All that said, I think you had some great ideas in your post. Especially the random card sweepstakes. Perhaps your "entry" into whether you get an uncommon, odd, or rare is dependent on the amount of gold you purchased?

No ones going to invest more money over a chance to get a rare a month, there should be amount tiers for spending money. I've spent about 100 bucks on the game, i spent 15 of that recently the rest i did when it was first about and havent spent a penny since, i have cards enough to build solid decks, i can trade around for rares i need, i spent that money so i could burn on uncommons and some rares to get 3 of sets, and i still havent spent all of it. Theres little incentive for me to spend any significant amount on the game. I've been waiting on this expansion they say is coming out this month but havent seen anything on it. (hence why i'm poking around here) but if its just new clans im not going to buy anything more i like what i have for the most part.

Chill, i didnt say you said it.

you did say:
"short term promotions"
which i assumed would be many promotions for a short period. Hence the statement we are addressing.

Good point, i forgot that.


Haha, true, but some, like me, would wait if i knew one would come.


As in a single sweepstakes(is that the right word?), but if you buy more you will get a better card?
Well, true it will give incentive to spend more, or save up and spend one shot. Most will aim for rare or uncommon, as common is... well not usually worth much.
But will tfw lose more if people started buying enough to usually afford rares? It would have to be set high enough based on the average value of a rare card(idk the values)

Probably, but it may be enough for people to spend that little more if we go by Sunyaku's modification.

Mine, i was thinking to make people spend a bit more often, as they may want a chance each month.

Yeah, I'm much more chill today. Some days I just get the "troll itch".