Character Sale Discussion

[Chad]

SOE would make money aside from subscriptions if it allowed people to sell characters in between accounts, in a way that is moderated and taxed by SOE.

For example, it would give players a forum where they would put up their character for sale, and put the price for that character...

Someone would see it, and agree to buy it for that price, say, 15-100$+...

SOE would then get a percentage of that money, 20-50%, and it would be on their record whom the new owner of the character is.

There would be of course as with any transaction, ways to insure personal identification of ownership.

This would allow SOE to make additional money off of people who quit the game, and would no longer subscribe to the game.

This would allow players who no longer have a desire to play to get some, all, or more of their money back from their time they have devoted to playing, like how you are paid to go to work.

This would allow players who don't have the time, or don't wish to spend the time to level up a character to have one without sacrificing their time, and it would allow SOE to profit additional money from these people who are willing to pay more money to the game than their subscription.

More money for SOE means more money they can spend on patching/updating the game, and paying for staff members.

A way for players to be able to have the game pay for itself, or even make money off of the game, whilst still making money for SOE (MORE money than they would make from subscriptions alone, mind you), couldn't possibly hurt anyone.

The option of being able to sell and buy accounts without any risk of punishment could draw more attention to the game, and possible increase the player base... attracting people who might be interested in the game, if, and only if, they could play with the same advantages as everyone else, having the option of gaining those advantages with money, instead of gaining them with time.

Time is more valuable than money, life is short.

The only down side is the same down side that comes with any transaction, like paying for a subscription - there will be people who claim someone stole their info and sold their character, and that they want it back.

This can be prevented as can any prevention of anything similar, and carries no further risk than the risks already associated with any possible transaction.

Thoughts anyone?

P.S.

I just resubbed my account because I moved to the Philippines to be with my wife, and I needed something to play while my wife is at school.

After I paid the 15$ to sub this account, I found out my touchpad laptop doesn't have what it takes to play the game... the video card is equal to a 64mb video card from 10 years ago.

What better way to get rid the account, then to give it to someone here, and get some money out of it as well?

I'd be willing to sell my account just to get my money back from paying 15$ for something that I can't use.

(BR21 CR5 NC)

[Raymac]

I know this one. You are that Nigerian prince, right?

[Hamma]

First off selling existing accounts is against SOE's terms for PlanetSide. So if someone were to buy your account they would be at risk of losing it. Plus it is not to hard to level, its not worth buying an account.

That kind of goes along with whatever the next PlanetSide is, it's not like EVE or something where you can never get to whatever level. It's not really worth setting up an account selling thing.

[Nephilimuk]

i can't see accounts going for any money its not like EVE

[Firefly]

Selling of accounts encourages little Chinese guys named Fang Baolan and Wang Danian to slave away for 12hrs a day at the going rate of $10 renminbi (that's China-dollars for nimen buhui shuo de ren), working in shifts to make a BR9000 CR9000 character and then sell it off. Which in turn encourages a bunch of fucking spam in broken-ass Chinglish to the effect of:

"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"
"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"

... followed by a thousand lines of pissed-off players responding in public chat, thinking the little spambot actually cares or reads what's being typed in return.

[Sentrosi]

Originally Posted by Firefly

"YOU BUY POWERLEVEL ALL LEVELS ALL PRICES $10USD HAPPY FUN FRIEND!"

This shall be my first global post once PS:N comes out. But I won't do it until Firefly logs in.

[Firefly]

Better hope we're all BR1/CR1 because I will find you and OS you, rez you, and knife you.

[Ghryphen]

Sony does however support selling accounts somewhat, http://stationexchange.station.sony.com

[TheRagingGerbil]

Why would SOE want deal with all that bullshit when they could just sell a squeaky clean new character at whatever BR/CR they wanted? Also, by buying someone else's character you are also buying their reputation...

[Hamma]

This is also very true, and probably more often than not that reputation is bad.

[Firefly]

I dunno about SOE's Customer Support policy (as in, CSR... the guy that bans you when you're bad), but at least one major MMO company has a rule that says, it doesn't matter who does it on your account, you're responsible and you inherit that account's disciplinary history. So if you purchase an account with a bad reputation, and that person got a suspension before, and then you slip up and do something to get a suspension... provided they have some sort of escalation matrix, you could end up with harsher disciplinary action for a minor offense. And the excuse of "I just bought this off someone else" isn't going to cut it, either - especially if they don't support that type of feature.

[Baneblade]

Anyone who can get me an Asian buffet harem (that means FEMALES incidently) can have my entire SOE account.