Neopets Becoming Biased?

[Josh]

I heard this on a podcast and then did some research. Neopets said that no matter what it would not give an unfair advantage to neo members with $money$, however premium members have features unavailable to regular members. Also, people that paid money to be able to visit Lutari Island can buy a paintbrush and normal users have to pay a ton of nps. If oyu would further like to comment please do with your opinoins and or questions!

[webpixie]

as far as i know the onlything a premium user gets is a specil free scratch card and a better shop wiz, for what they pay and how little this is i dont see this as being an unfair advantage at all. as far as the lutari item i didnt know oyu could buy paintbrushes on the island but i still dont see it as being too unfair, its just merchandiseing, its like rare item codes. sure it sucks to not be able todo it but its not like it messes with the whole site just the one item.

[Awesome_Paul]

I don't think its coming Biased

TNT are just giving more privileges to those who pay

Because they are the ones that are helping keeping the site up

So they need something special so they pay, they can't say, Pay fror a monthly and do exactly what you do now

[Matt]

Biased? No. Fulfilling their function as a business? Yes.

 

It's a very very simple marketing technique. You offer a free service, with added benefits to those who pay. Simple. They advance in-game, they pocket the dosh. :)

 

But considering most children won't be able to afford/purchase Premium, they'll get dwarfed out by the older players. But, if you think that the other 125 million or so (as a quick guess) who don't have premium outweigh the small 5 million (if that) that have premium. They'll want to appeal to the bigger market, and that being the free players means the average Joe will still get stuff no matter what.

[Samuel]

I think Matt's figures are a little off there, fo sho; there are around 19million active accounts in use, and I'm sure only around 50,000 of them maximum pay premium.

 

Technically, in the T&C, what you're paying for is the @neomail.com address. xD Its just, everything else comes part of the deal for the address.

 

It doesn't give such a big advantage over others. In the SSW, you can't search for PPPBs, lap map pieces, or anything like that; the big items ae restricted out of it. And Lutari Island is a mobile phone game that has no effect on your game online, and the online Lutari Island is not accessible to ANYONE - and you definately do not get any free paintbrushes, including the Lutari one.

 

If you want free prizes, Tarla is on every day. So it's hardly overly unfair. Premium doesn't have many benefits, really; and it's a service that they are right to implement, to gain money as a company. :)

[Josh]

I think Matt's figures are a little off there, fo sho; there are around 19million active accounts in use, and I'm sure only around 50,000 of them maximum pay premium.

 

Technically, in the T&C, what you're paying for is the @neomail.com address. xD Its just, everything else comes part of the deal for the address.

 

It doesn't give such a big advantage over others. In the SSW, you can't search for PPPBs, lap map pieces, or anything like that; the big items ae restricted out of it. And Lutari Island is a mobile phone game that has no effect on your game online, and the online Lutari Island is not accessible to ANYONE - and you definately do not get any free paintbrushes, including the Lutari one.

 

If you want free prizes, Tarla is on every day. So it's hardly overly unfair. Premium doesn't have many benefits, really; and it's a service that they are right to implement, to gain money as a company. :)

The lutari island paintbrush is available on lutari island so, they are able to buy it and then resell it for a huge price. Lutari Island is only available to Cingular Mobile phine owners and you MUST pay to get it.

[Ellie_Penguin]

I don't think it's becoming biased. If you look at it this way, having access to the Lutari Island could be used as a special goal. Let's say, you talk to your parents and make a deal that if you get good grades, they reward you with that special benefit. But to be honest, I think premium is a huge rip-off.

[Pancreatic dragon]

to death with premium ! like they don't get enough money already

[Samuel]

At the end of the day, it's just a game that you chose to play. It doesn't have - or shouldn't have - a major effect on your life. Politics is just the same; more people have power, and better stuff, than others. You have to deal with it, or join it; the choice is yours. It doesn't make your game WORSE. It does improve others' games, but it doesn't make yours worse ;)

 

And there are only around 5 known Lutari PB's known in existance, and they've only been found via the Alien Vending Machine.

 

(And Neopets Mobile is now on T-Mobile USA.)

[Josh]

Ok, thanks everyone for your opinons!

[Dillon]

its that You shouldget more stuff if you pay for it. Just like on runescape if your a member you get. more quests and member only worlds.

[kikaown]

Yeah, you really don't get anything that good if you pay for Neopets. Just a few perks that don't make much of a difference anyways. I don't think that its overly unfair.

[funkeh_renn]

Although I've never been a premium member...

 

Whenever I build up my nps, and become 'rich', I always win good items on the fruit machine, tombola etc.

 

It's probably just coincidence though.

[PauZai]

The premium is rather unfair for other neopians since they are richer and they get lot of other stuff. The important thing now is that the item mall is up and alot of nice things are only available there.

[fun_time_mathias]

Meh, don't really care about extra benefits or any thing you get from paying. It's like Samuel said, it's a game. You play a game to have fun and enjoy yourself, get a chance to relax when you may not have something else to relax with. Sure, some people are richer or luckier than others, and some of us think that winning a water muffin and 10k in neopoints from the fruit machine is like the lottery come early. I fall in the latter as you can tell, as the highlight of my Neopets career so far is getting a Tonu Transmogrification Potion from the trading post after 2 1/2 weeks of saving neopoints to reach 110k. I may just be speaking for myself, but you could draw the same argument for Neopets being biased towards Premium Members as they are towards NC Mall users, but neither person is to blame for getting stuff maybe a little easier or not normally accesible. The thing is, they're choosing to give up their real life cash for cash in a game to get stuff they can never really own and could be gone tomorrow if their acount is hacked or banned or Neopets closes down. Think about that and how easily the free users could be better off then as they had never spent a penny on the site while others are down hundreds of dollars. It's silly, yes, but it's a fact to consider.

[Yixzy]

I think premiums okay.

Because, i dont spend any money on neopets and its fine for me.

If people want to spend real life money on a bunch of pixels on a screen then thats up to them.

[RukarioBomb]

If you gave it to me, sure I'd take premium, but I'll never go out and purchase it, and I'll never complain about Premium users.