In a nutshell - there are two edge types of products/services to sell. To keep it simple, with a lot of things in between missing, since I'm not in a mood to write pages of terminology:
1. What people actually need, and that cannot be re-used once consumed/used. For example, food or specific legal services, etc. Once any product/service like that is consumed customer needs to buy another, repeat.
2. What people might want/desire, but don't actually need, and it is re-usable.
These two groups are very different in sales tactics they require to have profits. In between those, there are products/services with various degrees of need/want/re-usability, these utilize combination of fundamental sale tactics of those two groups. For example, a washing machine doesn't have the same need as food, but has a desire for comfort, it could irreparably break and you would need/want another, etc. All that in between is not relevant for our discussion, as any mixed sales tactics from all that do no apply for infinitely re-usable products with all sales potential of which is based on a wants/desires.
Digital products, such as Paintjobs for ships - are products with a sales potential 100% dependent on wants/desires, with no actual need, and they are infinitely re-usable.
Since the dawn of time (or sales of something people don't actually need), to sell products with low or no 'need' for them - the most fundamental tactic is - utilization of a combination of limited availability, exclusivity, prestige and qualities that people potentially find desirable. Proportions in such a combination depend on a specific product/service.
It doesn't matter how anyone feels about it, simply because that is how all sales work. Any company wants to make profit, to cover costs/expenses, to have a safety net, to grow - for all of that company needs money, the more the better. Creating new products requires additional expenses, so when companies are selling infinitely re-usable products they also have to think about the liquidity of their older products, since there always a potential for new customers.
Now, Paintjobs are basically 'colours to paint something' that exists in many games. With this type of product, company has three main ways to go about it:
- Skew tactic more in the direction of limited availability / exclusivity / prestige.
- Or make the product non-reusable (all these games with 1-time use dyes).
- Mix of the two above.
There is also the fourth one, like a meta for any digital products combination - a loot box.
For example, all those sports games that released every year to re-sell the same stuff again and again - utilize the second and third option. Lootboxes (with how you can get doubles) do this too but with a different flavour.
Or, another example, of the first this time - Limited availability of Paintjobs.
Now, with how scamming of options 2-4 works I think everybody is very familiar, no need to go into details here.
First option is the least manipulative, and also the oldest trick - yep, it is also has a manipulative component, albeit a small one (comparatively). For majority of people desires have a degree of flexibility. For example - someone wants a Void Black badly - part of that desire is Black, so by not having Void Black that person can go for a substitute, a Midnight Black. If all of these products were present - that second sale would not happen. The same goes for any other substitution of options. On top of that - there is a "new" factor (potentially desirable category), when something is absent for a long time, when it is back it has a potential to create a partially "new" feeling about it. There are also a few factors of much lesser impact, and not that relevant.
Majority of customers also have a limit to their budget - the thing about this budget is that it is reoccurring. By trying to tap into it all at once - sales potential actually goes down. By playing a longer game (limited availability, substitutes, battle passes, etc) - potential goes up. Ofc, if company what's to maximize from all sides - it can use all of it at once.
It is important to note here - nothing like that happens to us, as there is huge different between variety to sell and aggressive manipulation that the Store doesn't have even in a slightest.
For customers that are rigid in their wants/desires - this manipulation is nothing but annoying. Customers with more flexile wants/desires - can have their joy with substitutes and are going to generate additional profits, which in this case - practically no harm done. I think anybody can understand of which types of customers there are always much more, since the fundamentals work since the dawn of time, plus people and circumstances do change.
Main thing about all that - it is impossible to have good sales of products/services that are infinitely re-usable and have all their sales potential based on wants/desires without a manipulation. Simply because that is how emotion/impulses work in human beings.
As
Archvillain said - ppl will argue until blue in the face - I don't care how anybody feels about it or what grand strategy of convenient conditions they want to fantasize about. As long as there are people, money and success depends on them - there will be specific fundamental principles of how things are done, from how they start to how they need to be changed to progress further or even just to continue.
With that - I don't think FDev does a best job it can in this regard. They could do a more open limited availability strategy - year-seasons themes + holidays specials for each season, with all ever created PJs on a steady rotation with constant additions of new ones on each season switch plus with new ships releases, with occasional sales of lower liquidity items for the season - and it would be more effective and enjoyable for everybody.
I'm not going to discuss it any further, and not interested in agree/disagree/whatever replies.
