Black Friday Deals!

[lelaina752]

I agree...the sale was rather lackluster. Good pricing, but I already had most of the items. I didn't even buy gems this Black Friday which is a first in the three years I've been playing. Honestly, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up about this sale since it wasn't great last year either. Since TL didn't have an after-Christmas sale last year, I guess that's it for this year.

On the bright side, TL has had some beautiful LTOs recently with the ballet theme, safari and this week's LTO. I'm happy to have those items. I would like the others I've been pining for, but it seems that they're just not going to be offered. I'm a bit disappointed, but I'm just going to be happy with the items I already have in my shop. However, if TL brings back items I want and gives a big sale, I will gladly purchase!

[jewelfang]

I agree...the sale was rather lackluster. Good pricing, but I already had most of the items. I didn't even buy gems this Black Friday which is a first in the three years I've been playing. Honestly, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up about this sale since it wasn't great last year either. Since TL didn't have an after-Christmas sale last year, I guess that's it for this year.

On the bright side, TL has had some beautiful LTOs recently with the ballet theme, safari and this week's LTO. I'm happy to have those items. I would like the others I've been pining for, but it seems that they're just not going to be offered. I'm a bit disappointed, but I'm just going to be happy with the items I already have in my shop. However, if TL brings back items I want and gives a big sale, I will gladly purchase!

Yes some beautiful LTO's lately, at double the price of LTO's from summer and before, so we can only buy half as many, or else buy double gems if you are a gem buyer.

I expect to have enough gems to buy ONE LOT (If I farm the heck outa the new catalogues for the next week or 2) item this entire Christmas season, and I'm not buying gems and falling into their greedy trap to get anything else.

TL, lower your prices to what they used to be, or lose some customers. Please.

[jojopeanut]

That message to come back for Cyber Monday is just irritating because we all know that we'll get the same items again and again! I wonder if TL thinks that more people would buy gems to get the same items offered for BF in higher prices than if they offered different items, and mostly box items.
The good thing is that now I'll keep my gems for Christmas and won't have to buy more.

Exactly my point won't have to buy more GEMS business wise for TL a big fail, then again maybe their bank accounts are so full they'll take the whole lot in the office on Hawaii vacation or something all expenses paid. Business stand point I don't understand the thinking. My GEM bank is well stocked no need to purchase more well after Christmas with wise spending. And given the outrages prices latley or silly camping theme i.e. They make it easy for me to save. Where normally I'm purchasing GEMS not always on sale at least twice a month.

[jewelfang]

The thing is, you still bought gems on BF, they don't care if you spend them on Bf items or on later LTOs. They made their holiday money.

Sadly their business model of higher gem item prices and misleading ads seems to be working. Those people who buy gems will still want the high priced LTO's as they come out, and will buy gems to get them, as demonstrated by the recent safari, ballet and chinese ones. If you bought gems for black friday, all it takes is one good Christmas update ot box to get you to spend those gems that are now burning a whole in your virtual pocket. And will you really not buy gems again the next time you love an LTO or box? So far I see angry people who continue to buy gems a while later, when new shinies cstch their eye. And the few buyers who actually do get fed up and quit are replaced by new players who are willing to buy gems.

My point is, you cant say you bought the 500 gem pack and in the same breath tell TL what a bad business decision they made. They did this same thing last year, if it had actually hurt them in their pocketbooks they would not have repeated the performance this year. If you want them to lower gem item prices, or release better items, then you have to stop buying gems.period.until they do those things.

As it is right now TL is laughing all the way to the bank with tons of BF gem purchases in their pockets!

[andromedablack]

The thing is, you still bought gems on BF, they don't care if you spend them on Bf items or on later LTOs. They made their holiday money.

Sadly their business model of higher gem item prices and misleading ads seems to be working. Those people who buy gems will still want the high priced LTO's as they come out, and will buy gems to get them, as demonstrated by the recent safari, ballet and chinese ones. If you bought gems for black friday, all it takes is one good Christmas update ot box to get you to spend those gems that are now burning a whole in your virtual pocket. And will you really not buy gems again the next time you love an LTO or box? So far I see angry people who continue to buy gems a while later, when new shinies cstch their eye. And the few buyers who actually do get fed up and quit are replaced by new players who are willing to buy gems.

My point is, you cant say you bought the 500 gem pack and in the same breath tell TL what a bad business decision they made. They did this same thing last year, if it had actually hurt them in their pocketbooks they would not have repeated the performance this year. If you want them to lower gem item prices, or release better items, then you have to stop buying gems.period.until they do those things.

As it is right now TL is laughing all the way to the bank with tons of BF gem purchases in their pockets!

I understand what you're saying but the thing is, if they offered us more items I for example would have probably spend most or all of my gems so I would have to buy more for the upcoming updates. But now I bought the packages I wanted with 40% discount and won't have to buy more for Christmas. Is that good for them?

Also I'm not an often gem buyer and I haven't bought any of the recent extremely expensive LTOs and I hope those prices won't continue because even if I wanted I can't afford them and not being able to buy new LTOs and avatar items will probably make me quit the game although I love it!

[jewelfang]

This is not, btw, a condemnation of all people who buy gems, after all they keep the game free for the rest of us. And there is nothing wrong with spending your own money however you want. I bought gems myself for the first time this BF, though only $6 worth, just enough to let me get the actual items I wanted that day plus the LTO. If LTO prices had been lower, I would have spent $12 so I had some for future Christmas updates, but now we know 50 gems probably is not enough for even just one LTO, so I did not.

I refuse to buy gems in the future for overpriced LTO's, and will show it by actually not buying more gems, until prices come back down. Period. If they DO come back down for Christmas updates, I hope to buy another gem pack with my holiday money stash, but ONLY IF PRICES COME DOWN! Until then, they will not see another dime from me. That is the only way to get them to change.

[jewelfang]

I understand what you're saying but the thing is, if they offered us more items I for example would have probably spend most or all of my gems so I would have to buy more for the upcoming updates. But now I bought the packages I wanted with 40% discount and won't have to buy more for Christmas. Is that good for them?

Also I'm not an often gem buyer and I haven't bought any of the recent extremely expensive LTOs and I hope those prices won't continue because even if I wanted I can't afford them and not being able to buy new LTOs and avatar items will probably make me quit the game although I love it!

They also have to consider not upsetting their long term, big buying customer base. To offer first prizes out of boxes or old items that people are proud to have earned has, in the past, really made some of those people angry, and those people are their bread and butter, they pay their salaries.
So they offered this years nicer LTOs. Not a great sale, but most people bought at least one item they had missed out on, or a few small things like the godess or jewelry display. Enough that the majority are content enough, amd their big spenders get to keep their rare, coveted items.

So it is a balancing act. They still got us small spenders to buy gems. But the big spenders who buy gems and then spend tons on boxes or multiple LTOs will use their pile up and need more in no time. Those unused gems wont last 2 updates before they find something new they like or go back to try old boxes they still want something out of. Then mid December they will need more gems.

It is those people this game economy is designed around, not the free player or the occasional gem buyer like you or me. So my post was adressed to those people, the big spenders. Sadly for us, we purchased a pack on BF and beyond that they dont care. As long as the big spenders keep spending the rest of us are just along for the ride.

[jojopeanut]

I agree jewelfang But how does it make good business sense after the first business quarter of 2015 when TL shows a profit margin loss. Yeah they have fat pockets now it doesn't last forever. I only purchased ONE of those listed expensive LTO the Chinese one. This year my GEM purchasing is going to be less. I'm not falling for the crazy prices. I work in a retail environment I know this game is different than an actual retail environment cost v.s. retail markup . But still IMO bad business move on TL part. 40% off GEM great but if your regular buyer like me and nothing to spend on or reasonable price LTO in future how is that helping their bottom line. Like I say business is all year next BF if I'm playing seriously not buying GEMS unless they actually have something I really really want to buy. Oh and I guess you consider me one of their Big Spenders or was. I won't need GEMS mid December or January. So again profit loss.

I know a great deal about profit margin and I scratch my head over their business tatics.

[jewelfang]

I agree jewelfang But how does it make good business sense after the first business quarter of 2015 when TL shows a profit margin loss. Yeah they have fat pockets now it doesn't last forever. I only purchased ONE of those listed expensive LTO the Chinese one. This year my GEM purchasing is going to be less. I'm not falling for the crazy prices. I work in a retail environment I know this game is different than an actual retail environment cost v.s. retail markup . But still IMO bad business move on TL part. 40% off GEM great but if your regular buyer like me and nothing to spend on or reasonable price LTO in future how is that helping their bottom line. Like I say business is all year next BF if I'm playing seriously not buying GEMS unless they actually have something I really really want to buy. Oh and I guess you consider me one of their Big Spenders or was. I won't need GEMS mid December or January. So again profit loss.

I know a great deal about profit margin and I scratch my head over their business tatics.

I hope you are right about the new higher prices being a mistake, but only TL knows if their profit margin is going up or down because of it. The tiny number of people who post here isn't enough to gage.

I don't know if you are one of the big spenders Jojo, it is no way a bad thing if you are. My hubby is a programmer, and knows quite a bit about how these games that are funded by what are called "microtransactions". The game is usually free to play, and much of the content may be accessed for free, but premium stuff costs real money. There are many games like this, not just these little apps. Guild Wars Online MMO is a good example, though you have to pay for the game initially, almost all content is free. After that, how do you think the company keeps making enough money to make updates for the 90% of people who never buy anything beyond the game itself? The item store, where you get what they call "vanity" items, like clothes or exp potions, or in this case, gems to buy the best displays and avatar items. People who buy a lot of stuff in these sorts of games are referred to in the industry as "whales" or "superfans", they support the majority of free or small paying players. This model works so well that even the largest game companies are starting to adopt it. It's interesting that you work in retail, but indeed these gamers are not behaving the same as people who are buying regular goods and services.

We don't work at TL and can't see how their business model is working. We can however view their business behavior. They did this exact same thing last Black Friday. Their item offering was mediocre and repetitive, but they tricked people (or people knew and bought anyway) into buying gems with the "new exciting items all weekend!" pop-up and 40% off. If it had actually hurt their profits last year, then they would not have done the same thing....ONLY WORSE....this year. This model clearly works for them. Why? Google "whales and microtransactions" and read some articles on the behaviors of this demographic of gamers. They know the psychology and behavioral and spending patterns of these types of players.
I'd link here, but we aren't allowed. It might be especially interesting to you if you think you might be one of these gamers.

Although I personally think it's bogus and am unhappy with the change just like you are, we cannot assume it is a bad business decision. Just like with Black Friday, it clearly seems to be working for them even if we aren't happy about it. If it doesn't work for them, then they will drop prices.

For every one person who posts an unhappy post here, there may be 100 eagerly buying germ packs to buy the new boxes and LTO's.....TL might make poor business decisions, and if they do they are likely smart enough to change back and not keep those bad decisions in place. I can only hope that the higher prices are a mistake and the big spenders do spend less money and the prices drop again. But I can't say if it IS bad business for TL, just yet, only time will tell.

[jojopeanut]

Thanks jewelfang I enjoyed reading your post. And about your husbands profession insightful. Thanks for sharing. Let's just hope for decent priced Christmas content and that TL incorporates some of our suggestions.