Frontier: Can you please define your understanding of "Limited"

[CMDR Sheehy]

A quick question. Did they sell you these paint jobs and say they will be exclusive to you for that stage of KS, etc.? If that is the case, then you have something to be upset about, and you should indeed be demanding and up in arms.

Well, you have something to be upset about if you paid for something "Limited Edition" but then saw it on sale cheaper later, but that happens all the time and it is really down to you to decide at which point to buy it or wait until it comes out again. So yes, you can be upset, and I understand that, but that's life and not down to trust or anythings else. Businesses do that. It sucks, but money is the lifeblood of business. Sorry.

 

[Titus Balls]

Welp - looks like I got my answer. They've since removed the limited text from the U.S. And UK skins this morning

So pure marketing bull poop.

Actions really do speak louder than words.

The only thing limited going forward for me is how much money I continue to give Frontier, if any.

 

[tucker]

Anyway to the posts that say it's only digital media and not worth anything.... Do you remember the time that Flappybird stopped selling and people were then selling their accounts and phones for stupid prices because they had the game on it.

Same thing here.

 

[Titus Balls]

A quick question. Did they sell you these paint jobs and say they will be exclusive to you for that stage of KS, etc.? If that is the case, then you have something to be upset about, and you should indeed be demanding and up in arms.

Well, you have something to be upset about if you paid for something "Limited Edition" but then saw it on sale cheaper later, but that happens all the time and it is really down to you to decide at which point to buy it or wait until it comes out again. So yes, you can be upset, and I understand that, but that's life and not down to trust or anythings else. Businesses do that. It sucks, but money is the lifeblood of business. Sorry.

With physical shop items where they need to clear stock for the next seasons goods - yes

For digital items that take up no space and an essentially infinite - thin edge of the wedge.

 

[RobinsonUK]

It's quite simple isn't it. If you want the skin, buy the skin. If you don't want the skin, don't buy the skin. But I get the general complaint: [redacted]

What Frontier really should do is create a new module only available to alpha backers called a Gimbled Status Symbol Beam. When you fire it space lights up with a picture of your own face that can be seen for literally several light seconds, or a light year depending on how big your face is.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

I agree. Making something limited gives it a bit of value. Think the marketing people have messed up on this one.

Still, I did end up picking up a nice skin for my Eagle as a result of all this.

 

[JeffRyan]

Recent developments have made me very very sad. I /am/ a business owner and I've run a couple of others for people in the past. And I believe in fair practise. That's partially because of a strange concept called ethics. And also more cynically it makes great business sense. People /trust/ me. They do business with me. A big part of business is trust in the company and FDEV is quite quickly eroding trust in their playerbase. You can get away with bad business practise if you're a big company with stuff that people want. Though even then a hit to trust can affect sales. But smaller companies (especially one which has basically one flagship product of its own) should be very very wary of eroding consumer trust.

I haven't met the guys from FD but from my interactions with them, they're a great bunch and I sincerely wish the best for them and for FDEV. I make a fine distinction between the guys doing the work, management, PR and marketing.

And right now my respect is getting reserved for the guys doing the work.

I don't get why people are objecting to the OP, business practise in this case shown to be cynical, which is in your favour today, might not be tomorrow.

Encourage good business practise, everyone will benefit.

 

[Titus Balls]

It's quite simple isn't it. If you want the skin, buy the skin. If you don't want the skin, don't buy the skin. But I get the general complaint: You want your trousers taken off, your knickers taken down and for someone to smack your bum with a rubber stamp that says Alpha Backer.

What Frontier really should do is create a new module only available to alpha backers called a Gimbled Status Symbol Beam. When you fire it space lights up with a picture of your own face that can be seen for literally several light seconds, or a light year depending on how big your face is.

Premium Beta backer here - so no, not expecting that.

What I'm asking is - should I pay £10 now for that skin, or wait 2 months and pay £5 and spend the other £5 on steam

 

[Mugshot]

It's quite simple isn't it. If you want the skin, buy the skin. If you don't want the skin, don't buy the skin. But I get the general complaint: You want your trousers taken off, your knickers taken down and for someone to smack your bum with a rubber stamp that says Alpha Backer.

What Frontier really should do is create a new module only available to alpha backers called a Gimbled Status Symbol Beam. When you fire it space lights up with a picture of your own face that can be seen for literally several light seconds, or a light year depending on how big your face is.

I think i read somewhere/sometime/someplace there is a backer skin for peeps at release ? Now selling that in the future for 50p would be amusing

 

[JeffRyan]

Premium Beta backer here - so no, not expecting that.

What I'm asking is - should I pay £10 now for that skin, or wait 2 months and pay £5 and spend the other £5 on <steam>

Oi......

 

[RobinsonUK]

I would pay £10 now for the skin if you want it now, else wait and either pay £10 in 2 months or £20, or £40 or £5, or £2.50 if you want it in 2 months. Choices, choices.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

My advice in all these circumstances: (Take this with you abroad too, seriously) You see something in the market, you value it and decide how much you want to pay for it. If the stall owner will haggle, fine, if not walk away when the price is not satisfying. If it is, then buy it and don't look back. Someone else is going to haggle them down to lower than what you want to pay for it.

Life's too short and all that. Enjoy!

 

[CMDR Byrt Makklin]

My advice in all these circumstances: (Take this with you abroad too, seriously) You see something in the market, you value it and decide how much you want to pay for it. If the stall owner will haggle, fine, if not walk away when the price is not satisfying. If it is, then buy it and don't look back. Someone else is going to haggle them down to lower than what you want for it.

Life's too short and all that. Enjoy!

Inherent problem with that - lots of markets the world over will quote a ridiculous price (given their local market) to people from outside that market. Locals will pay much less.

FD kinda look like they've been doing the same thing - they pitched a higher price with an implied suggestion that these were limited only to those who bought them at the time, then dropped the price in full view of those people 10 weeks later.

Not cool.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

Inherent problem with that - lots of markets the world over will quote a ridiculous price (given their local market) to people from outside that market. Locals will pay much less.

FD kinda look like they've been doing the same thing - they pitched a higher price with an implied suggestion that these were limited only to those who bought them at the time, then dropped the price in full view of those people 10 weeks later.

Not cool.

That why I said "You value it and decide how much you want to pay for it."

 

[Zalifer]

This sort of behavior seems self defeatist, in the long run...

View attachment 2816

I'm sure if we pour enough of this down here, some money might float up!

 

[deMangler]

Effect on profitability overall is not clear. If they are putting paint jobs back on sale that they were previously advertising at premium prices as a limited edition, they won't be able to play that trick again because nobody will believe them next time - all paint jobs from now on will have to be at the lowest price.

I haven't checked the store, but if this is true then it is deeply saddening.
I just spent time convincing myself that they were sincere with the off-line reasons thing. Now this?
What can be happening? Is it incompetence or real calculated cold profiteering by deception?
I want to believe good of people.
Hmmmm...

 

[chris5281]

Don't get me wrong - I had a chance to meet many of them, they do seem like great guys who appreciate their community, and I wish no personal Ill will to them, nor am I demanding a refund or threatening to sue them.

I'm just asking for clarification so going forward do I wait until sale periods to give my money or can I expect that when I spend £10 in the future I'm going get the value of that £10? Or will I have to accept that it would be devalued soon after?

By the way - a year - that would be value! 2 months later, that isn't.

Do you really need someone to come out and make a statement on this, though? The evidence is there before your very eyes. It has happened! There is absolutely no reason to believe that a sale will never, ever happen again. On the contrary, it almost certainly will happen again! And again, and again! Anything you buy on the store could go on sale at some point, perhaps as soon as a month after it has been released. Precedent set. If you don't absolutely need it right this second, might be worth waiting for a sale.

 

[CaptainKremmen]

Welp - looks like I got my answer. They've since removed the limited text from the U.S. And UK skins this morning

So pure marketing bull poop.

Actions really do speak louder than words.

The only thing limited going forward for me is how much money I continue to give Frontier, if any.

That's unbelievable!

12%?

CHARGE your battery, man!!!

 

[RGS]

Recent developments have made me very very sad. I /am/ a business owner and I've run a couple of others for people in the past. And I believe in fair practise. That's partially because of a strange concept called ethics. And also more cynically it makes great business sense. People /trust/ me. They do business with me. A big part of business is trust in the company and FDEV is quite quickly eroding trust in their playerbase. You can get away with bad business practise if you're a big company with stuff that people want. Though even then a hit to trust can affect sales. But smaller companies (especially one which has basically one flagship product of its own) should be very very wary of eroding consumer trust.

I haven't met the guys from FD but from my interactions with them, they're a great bunch and I sincerely wish the best for them and for FDEV. I make a fine distinction between the guys doing the work, management, PR and marketing.

And right now my respect is getting reserved for the guys doing the work.

I don't get why people are objecting to the OP, business practise in this case shown to be cynical, which is in your favour today, might not be tomorrow.

Encourage good business practise, everyone will benefit.

Well said.

 

[Stoo]

they pitched a higher price with an implied suggestion that these were limited only to those who bought them at the time, then dropped the price in full view of those people 10 weeks later.

^^ THIS ^^

A lot of people seem to have the wrong end of the stick. The point of Titus's post is this exactly.