NC items rant

[happybox22]

I find it so ridiculous how not ALL the items that exist in the database for NC isn't available all at once. I made an outfit at JellyNEO NC mall but what's the point if I can't purchase the item at the very moment? Can someone please explain to me why NC is so popular if you can only have a small selection of items monthly or am I browsing NC mall incorrectly? They would make MORE profit if they left all the data of the items they have on the mall rather then releasing a small x amount of items. Am I the only one that feels this way? I come from a different online game where EVERY update they have they KEEP it there and not discard it no matter what.

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[Xepha]

Actually... people buy more NC cards or the gift box capsules in the NC Mall in order to *trade* for retired items. Believe me, by having items available for a limited time, TNT is forcing people to spend more money than if all the items were available forever.

[Rebecca~]

Exactly what Xepha says. A lot of items that get retired increase in 'value' over time. Some, like a particular wig that used to be really highly sought after, was 'worth' over 100$. People would have to buy lots of the gift boxes, and trade over and over again until they could get that. When the item was re-released during the AC this year, it's worth dropped to only a couple of dollars, and people didn't have to trade for it at all.

 

I'm not saying it isn't frustrating, because it totally is. But as a business decision, it is way smarter than I originally gave them credit for.

[wakka9ca]

This is a way to get to your wallet.

 

My tip is: always keep in touch with new NC items as it gets released. Then buy the ones you really want.

 

Many of the cool items cannot be bought directly. They can only be obtained randomly by playing the NC games.

 

Also, many cool items are limited edition and can only be obtained with a small percentage of change by buying mystery capsules. For instance, to my frustration, I once paid more than 30$ and still didn't get the item I wanted. At the end it only turned out ok because I was able to trade for it.

[happybox22]

That's so ridiculous... LOL I was planning to by nc but with the system that TNT made I changed my mind. They ain't getting a single penny from me. I'm probably just gonna get NC for SSW and that's it tops. It's not worth the hassle imo to trade "cash" items that I already graciously spent the money for to work again and find the items that I want. That ridiculous.

 

They should be grateful that we're even spending money on a free to play game, why would they even take advantage of that and make a stupid system where we have to trade or whatever to get another item?!

[Rebecca~]

Just so you know, you can't use NC to get the Super Shop Wizard- you have to purchase a Premium account, rather than buying NC first.

 

They do that because it works for them. A lot of people seem to enjoy the trading, and the more or less realistic market economy it produces. There is no shortage of people spending money on NC, so they have little drive to change it.

[peabrain]

While it's a great business decision on TNT's part I have to agree with OP.. the trading of retired NC items has always seemed weird to me.

 

I mean, if you spent 17mil on a Krawk two years ago and now it's worth 400k at least at the end of the day you can say that it's only a game and you've not lost any real money but to spend $100 on something that becomes worth a few dollars later just doesn't.. sit right with me.

 

I feel kinda funny about the capsules too.. Making people gamble with real money to get the item that they want seems really wrong to me.

[siniri]

Frankly, I have not -- and most likely never will* -- buy NC. I have traded NC items, however -- free NC items that were long retired in exchange for new items that I really wanted and didn't have enough NC for, and I've gotten enough free NC (or NC game tokens) over the years to buy a few other things (and I have some generous friends who have given me NC items, too). Unfortunately, TNT has gotten stingy with their free NC gift boxes lately, so I only have one left to do a trade with, and then I might have to start spending my free NC on gift capsules (depending on what I want, how much NC I have, and the value of my old items vs. what I actually want).

 

I only look through the NC mall when I have NC about to expire, in late summer (when summer-themed items are likely to retire, since I have a beach-themed gallery, and I may as well try to spend that NC on items likely to appeal to me), or when new game prizes come out (if I have any free plays thanks to TNT). Otherwise, I just don't even look. I refuse to spend real money on Neopets, especially with all the horror stories of people getting their accounts stolen or frozen without actually having done anything wrong. I'd be mad enough at the time lost, never mind if I'd actually spent real money on the site. TNT has done a fairly good job of keeping NC as an extra thing separate from most site activities (things like the no-trade treasure chests and casks annoy me a bit, but I understand why TNT did it), so that it truly is an optional part of the site.

 

With all that being said, peabrain brings up some really good points, especially when you keep in mind that Neopets in its present state is geared towards children. Granted, you have to be 13 to use the Neoboards, but when you've created a shadow economy involving gambling (not just the mystery capsules, but also the various NC games -- for which TNT has often given out free tokens) and "black market" goods (since there is no legitimate TNT-controlled market for most NC items, and the only way to trade for them is through "honor system" gift boxes)... you're opening yourself up to some legal (and moral) issues. The no-trade need-NC-to-open items (with random prizes) also become more problematic in this context; it's one thing for me as an adult to see them, realize TNT is trying to get me to spend NC, and ignore them, vs. a kid thinking "I want to finish this plot, and I need money to open all these chests in order to do so -- Mommy!" Yes, NC is voluntary. But TNT is still responsible for the transactions that occur on its site, especially when children are involved.

 

*A friend found a $20 NC card on clearance at Target for less than $5. I might be tempted if I saw such a deal, but it's likely I still wouldn't be. More likely, I'd try to sell it for profit.

[wakka9ca]

The bottomline is:

 

If you have money to *throw away*, spend NC. This is not even gambling because you get zero return. Nada.

 

Same could be said of any online gaming with marketable options.

[KyokoHateshinai]

The only reason I would spend NC would be on my habitarium. Especially for coloring my storages, hospitals, etc cause those are so pretty!

 

Well I guess Neopets has to earn money in some way huh

[Rebecca~]

The only reason I would spend NC would be on my habitarium. Especially for coloring my storages, hospitals, etc cause those are so pretty!

 

Well I guess Neopets has to earn money in some way huh

If you ever do buy NC for your Habitarium, make sure you don't get the drops for your petpetpets- it only lasts as long as the P3 is alive- so no more than a week.

[happybox22]

The only reason I would spend NC would be on my habitarium. Especially for coloring my storages, hospitals, etc cause those are so pretty!

 

Well I guess Neopets has to earn money in some way huh

Really? I find using NC on Habitarium is the most wasteful next to clothes. o_O

 

I guess they need ways to make money but they shouldn't be using silly methods like what I was ranting about. Yeah sure it could reel the most profit but I feel like the service they are providing are no better than WalMart. Honestly, I found more joy when Adam and Donna was around, because right now this game feel more like a commercial game you'd get for your kids to make them stop bothering you rather then an actual genuine game.

 

Don't get me wrong I still love this game but it's alot less fun now since it became more commercial and business like with a crap load of children advertisement.

 

:/

[Rebecca~]

Hmm, I've never felt that. Before I bought Premium, I had a good adblocker, so I never saw any of the advertisements, and my play continued as it always had been. Even though I only buy NC for the Faerie Quest Cookies, everything else isn't really a bother to me because it is so optional. Buying things with NC is never a part of an event that you have to do.

 

If you find it less fun now, that's unfortunate. But it is definitely a necessary part of having a business- NC sells /so/ much better than the merch ever did, and I know that I, personally, am happy to financially support a site that I use on a daily basis, that helps keep me de-stressed, and has introduced me to so many awesome people.