NC Mall Survey Discussion Post!

[hrtbrk]

TNT has been sending out a survey regarding the NC Mall. Not everyone got it, but it basically asked questions about what types of items you usually buy, additions you'd be interested in and what changes you would like to see so you become a more frequent shopper.

 

Of course, I've already submitted my survey, but I have more to say!!! So what do you think...

 

What types of items do you usually buy?

What additions would you be interested in?

Additions you liked this year?

What changes would you like to see?

 

Please keep it constructive. If you never plan on using the NC Mall than this topic may not be for you.

 

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What types of items do you usually buy?

I find myself usually buying seasonal prizes or game tickets now-a-days. I used to buy caps but feel like the chance of getting the LE is still way too low, despite them upping the probability, and so it's just a waste of money. I also just wait until the daily items are on sale at the end of the year (if I'm even interested in them)

 

My favourite, and biggest purchases, are seasonal items and events (like Neggstravaganza and Halloween) or from games. I think you get the most bang for your buck there. They usually offer a nice variety of items and styles.

 

What additions would you be interested in?

The survey mentioned NC only map areas, and the only way I'd support this if it was Lutari Island. But I do wish there would be some sort of way for users to win neocash, or boxes, or SOMETHING. Getting a 50nc item from the money tree is cool and all, but not that exciting. It's not going to make people who don't get neocash that often go out and buy neocash for the first time.

 

I think frequent Mall users should be rewarded somehow. The gift of NC is too small and only once a year. Future Fashions isn't really a 'reward' either. There should be some sort of wheel or something that allows users to have a chance at free NC or gift boxes or SOMETHING to keep them spending, but also offer something they want/use. No one wants 40 hair bows. If you spend 500 nc in a month, you get a spin (or whatever). Keep the amount needed to spin reasonable.

 

Additions you liked this year?

Adding the Archives wheel, flashback passes and colour specific wearables was a giant step in the right direction. Keep inflation down. Keep colour specific owners happy. TWO FOR YOU!

 

What changes would you like to see?

- Even greater chance of getting LE items.

- LESS chance of getting doubles from games (I spent a 5 pack and got 3 of the same item in a row. These low tier items are given out the most and very difficult to swap/trade. Plus, who wants to eat a gift box for something that has little to no value due to its supply? No one.)

- Lower ticket prices for games/events. I want a deal, especially if I have to buy more than one ticket pack for the same event (lookin' at you GMC/ AC!) Additionally, I would be more willing to buy two 10 ticket packs for games if there was a greater deal. I'm a frugal kau.

- Upcycle cookie is way, WAY too expensive and the prizes need to be changed on a frequent basis.

- Lower GBC prices. I get it's a cash cow but COME ON!!!!! It's our only chance at being able to move items. Why gouge us.

- Boxless item transfer between side accounts.

- Boxes for buying neocash online

- MORE MALE CLOTHES. FOR THE LOVE OF FYORA. MORE MALE CLOTHES.

- If you add a skirt to a set, put a matching shirt/top with it. Somewhere. Somehow.

- MORE sales. I wanna go buckwild and indulge. LET US DO IT! Even if it's a flash sale from 12 am - 12pm.

[Angeló]

i thought it was spam or someone trying to scam me !! this is Legit ? it had a google docs link !

[leverhelven]

i thought it was spam or someone trying to scam me !! this is Legit ? it had a google docs link !

 

If it's sent from TNT's account (theneopetsteam) then it's legit. Just completed mine, but I didn't have much to say, honestly.

[hrtbrk]

i thought it was spam or someone trying to scam me !! this is Legit ? it had a google docs link !

Yes, it is legit. They even confirmed on the boards.

http://www.neopets.com/neoboards/topic.phtml?topic=155180067

[Zephyr]

A survey! Finally!

Lots of things I'd like to say. Firstly is of course about BOXES. That aside, I also have lots about customization, some of which I had discussed in PMs with other members.

I saw people talking about it on the board yesterday. Some had speculated that one receives them when there is a change in the spending habit. So glad you posted it here & open it to discussion :)

 

Unfortunately I didn't receive one: I have quite a bit to say about the BOXES.

But from what I saw on the board, a lot of people ("everybody to their grandma's hairdresser") have already brought it up :D

I'll take a look at the questions again & organize my thoughts into something more coherent.

[Angeló]

I don't really use the NC Mall so I have nothing much to say myself :)

[Emily]

What types of items do you usually buy?

I love Spring and Christmas items, so I tend to buy the most of those. Then there's the occasional FQ cookie. If a set of prizes from one of the games catches my eye, I'll often go for those too. I prefer to try to get them myself rather than trade, mostly because of the Gift Box conundrum. I also will often buy things when a new feature/game is released so I can test it and screenie it to help write TDN's Customization guides.

What additions would you be interested in?

Would LOVE if Lutari Island would be made accessible through an NC plane ticket or something. It was a pay-to-play area before (you needed to subscribe to Neopets Mobile service to have access to it), so I don't think it would be unfair to make it a paying area again if it were re-opened. Would also like to see some additions to use up small bits of NC people have. Those who play Monkey Quest for the 5 NC per level, or won the occasional NC from a site event may end up with 5-50 NC left over. There's nothing to spend that little amount on,so you either have to buy more to have enough to use it, or let it expire, which kind of sucks. Something like an NC Wheel would be super cool. You pay 5 NC to spin a wheel, and the prizes could be a few NC spaces (you win varying amounts of NC from each of these. Maybe 50, 100 and 200), a few losing spaces (they can't all be winners!), a few Gift Box squares (awards 1-5 GBs), a perks square (you get access to Future Fashions for a month), and maybe an LE square where there would be a Limited Edition item exclusive to the wheel that changes monthly.

Additions you liked this year?

I really liked the Shenanigifts game addition, as I feel that, with the powerups, you get the most choice out of all the "random prize awarded" NC Games, which means it's easier to get the specific exclusive items you're after. Bringing back some of the older, retired prizes is also fantastic, as some of the trade values on things were getting ridiculous. I hope they continue to do this, as I really don't think bundles of pixels are worth $50 (lookin' at you, New Years in Faerieland Background) in Gift Box Caps (not to mention the boxes to send them!) in trade value. Colour specific items are also awesome. Gives people with those pets more options and more incentive to buy NC.

What changes would you like to see?

• Gift boxes should be given with online NC purchases. I have no idea why they're not. It costs less for the company for you to purchase NC online because they're not paying for the manufacturing, shipping, and retail overhead of the physical cards, so you'd think they'd want to encourage online purchases. Unless they bank on clueless family members wandering the game card aisle looking for a gift and randomly grabbing NickCash cards off the shelf. Which is actually probably plausible...

• NC items need to fit pets properly. I know that different pets have different head and body shapes, and not everything is going to look good on every pet. However, some things are completely avoidable, like wigs not replacing/covering the manes of the pet that's wearing them. When the wig is applied, have the mane be removed (this is done for many hats/wigs already, so it seems like it was just forgotten in some). It seems like a half-done job, and if I'm paying real money, I want the item to be coded properly.

• Shoes should go on all 4 feet of a pet. If you want to wear shoes AND gloves (as you need to now if you have a 4-legged pet, or they'll have 2 naked feet), the gloves can restrict the front 2 legs once they're applied. I have mostly unis on my main where I buy almost all of my NC items, and I refuse to buy shoes because they only cover 2 feel. Lost revenue that TNT would be making from me, and I'm sure others.

[Zephyr]

What types of items do you usually buy?

Non-chance event items like GMC tickets where there's a chance for me to preview the items and in the case of Negg enlarger, the freedom to choose the items I like. I'm not a gambling kind of girl.

 

And then of course there is the GBC to facilitate trading and the occasional limited edition KQ tokens if I like the item.

 

What additions would you be interested in?

More facial modifications :D

As it's already possible to modify the eyes, how about moving on to the mouth to complete the facial expression?

 

It's odd to see all these pets always, constantly grinning away even when they have a Scarred Pirate Eye or burning a hole through you with Angry Meepit Eyes.

 

Additions you liked this year?

The re-releasing of older, retired items.

I know this is bad news for traders/investors and those who paid a hefty price for them. But still I'm glad to see them made more accessible to the public. In the instance of the AC wig it was previously going for about 80-100 caps but the caps used may amount to 160-200 for someone who doesn't have access to the Nick Cards. That would add up to about $320-$400. Even in the case where the person offered a custom, it would still add up to about $200+. For just a wig. For me, that would be way, way out of my budget.

 

In all honesty, I heaved a huge sigh of relief (ok, I actually wipe away tears of joy) when I can finally get the look (& wig) I want without breaking my piggy.

 

What changes would you like to see?

BOXES. Seriously. BOXES.

BOXES FOR ONLINE PURCHASES.

 

Before my 5-6 year hiatus, TNT was already looking for users to help them translate their site content in a number of languages. And before that, Neopets collaborated with MacDonald's to sell their merchandise n a number of countries. So Neopets had plans to expand their reach way back then.

 

So now, fast forward to half a decade later. Globalization is getting common and online shopping is more popular and gaining momentum, (not to mention that I've encountered a number of players from other countries) why is Neopets penalizing international users this way? When they had already had plans to expand? When interconnectivity is so common nowadays?

 

Moreover, why is Neopets penalizing US players too? From what I had gathered, the cards are not always that easy to find. Especially during this time of the year when TNT rolls out so many new items, it's only natural that there would be more trading activities so it's frustrating when one is stranded without boxes. And ironic with the Gift of NC and all.

 

Why are online purchases being penalized? Users pay the same amount of money for the same denomination, the NC, so why no boxes? Why do these users end up paying more for boxes when they're cutting down the cost of producing and shipping the cards?

 

Other notes on customization (they aren't exactly on NC items as a whole, but as the mall contains mostly wearables, I'll leave them here):

 

• More layers: Hats can go on wigs. And maybe head accessories + hat + wig. Things are slowly improving: jackets can now go on dresses so I'm hoping to see more layering in the future. I think this will open up more dress-up possibilities. And for some reason, Stunning Moon View background doesn't get along with garlands. More sartorial options = more purchases = win-win. C'mon allow me to spend the NC to pile on the items already!

 

• Left? or right?: The ability to choose to hold the handhelds in the left or right hand so that this won't happen: http://wardrobe.jellyneo.net/app/?outfit=21826AAAAA113529 Dear TNT that is a pan, not a mirror. A bit more far-fetched dream will be the ability to choose different hand poses eventually.

 

• No more anti-gravity please: Some of the dresses/gowns like the Dark Princess Gown just hangs off the peophin's body instead of following the curve of the tail & looks downright awkward on a flotsam's shorter body.

 

• Alignment problem: I find that a lot of the wings have that problem. Very often I'll find the pet staring at one direction while the wings seem to face at a different direction. That's a pity as otherwise a lot of of the wings are really pretty.