Gem store : Why can't i buy some outfit ?

( new player ) It looks like there is some kind of rotation or something right ? Im pretty sure the store gem change 1 time since i play the game and If it's the case, why they choose to do that ?

Because for exemple i want to spend real money on the game for an outfit, but i can't. And if rotation exist it's super slow so maybe i will have to wait 6 months to get access to the outfit i want. Until then, i will not spend money ... it's a lose/lose situation. So i don't understand the point.

I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money. Here's how...instead of removing things from the store, just raise the gem cost of it for awhile. Impatient impulsive people like me who decide they want that item now instead of waiting for it to go "on sale" again will pay more, like I would right now for the Golden Wings and Mursaat Outfit...but they don't want my money I guess.

@Davion Roth.6709 said:Impatient impulsive people...

Is exactly why they limit the availability of things...

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

Rotating inventory does a couple of things

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

There's a reason that artificial scarcity is used by retailers worldwide for, well, since there have been retailers.

Both posts conveniently cutting out the portion of my quote that explains how it would work. LOL

Ideally, we'd have 3 ways to get gemstore items:

• Sales, new releases and featured items in the gemstore for sales and showcasing the new stuff.
• BL statuettes, vouchers, guaranteed wardrobe unlockers and the like to have them also available in other ways and for in-game rewards.
• Clicking the items directly in the wardrobe and paying full price. That would open a confirmation dialog with the cost. You pay, you get the item, no hassle. A 1600 gem sale for a mount ends? You can still go to the wardrobe and buy it for 2000 gems. Want a separate mount from an adoption license without paying for the RNG, but the mount select license isn't available? Go to the wardrobe, pay 1200 gems, boom, the skin is yours to use.

We have the first two, but we are missing the direct purchase.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

As a physical and digital retailer of 20 years, this is not correct information. It can be correct, it can also be outright false. I'm not going to run through an internet debate on the pros and cons on each model and the psychology of shopping habits (which is way more diverse than made out above), however I'd ask outright statements like "companies make less money when items are always available" being labelled as fact be avoided, as it is simply isn't consistently true.

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money. Here's how...instead of removing things from the store, just raise the gem cost of it for awhile. Impatient impulsive people like me who decide they want that item now instead of waiting for it to go "on sale" again will pay more, like I would right now for the Golden Wings and Mursaat Outfit...but they don't want my money I guess.

This could partly work, but often it be as simple as how you promote the "face" of the gem store every cycle and how you archive or backlist the older items so they exist, but are out of sight.

Ultimately it is their shop run on their metrics. I do feel they could provide a better service from the store, but if they were unhappy with the result, it would have changed long ago.

There's also the issue of the Gem Store only being able to hold so many items (according to Mike O'Brien). UI work seems to be one of the more difficult things to complete, so it's not likely to change soon.

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:There's also the issue of the Gem Store only being able to hold so many items (according to Mike O'Brien). UI work seems to be one of the more difficult things to complete, so it's not likely to change soon.

If this is true, this will be the overriding reason and makes more sense

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

yah but it seems predatory and manipulative and negative.

@"Ahrijlaken.9541" said:( new player ) It looks like there is some kind of rotation or something right ? Im pretty sure the store gem change 1 time since i play the game and If it's the case, why they choose to do that ?

Strategy. Psychology.

1. When someone waits for a certain item to come back, they grow impatient as their "desire" grows and they are more likely to buy it than if it was available all the time.
2. If something says "Only available for 4 days!" or something similar, people are also more likely to go, "Should I buy this?? Hmm... Ah, heck, I'll just do it! Who knows when it will return!"

Two major pulses:Overstimuli. People in shops with thousands of products tend not to buy anything.Secondly, artificial scarcity. You induce impulse sales bevause you cant tell the next time itll be available

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

Pretty standard marketing.All businesses have a predatory element, even your local library

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

somehow that makes it ok? what you said?

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

Depends, its not a black and white issue.Without predatory behavior in marketing, no one would make a profit and he economy collapses.People have something to sell, so they try to convince you to buy.And its up tomyou whether or not you let yourself get absorbed by it.There are companies that actually aim at people with no resistance to impulse desires, but those i’d call evil companies, too.

No one is forcing you to buy anything, sometimes you just gotta stop and ask yourself “do i want to buy it, or do they want me to buy it?”

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money. Here's how...instead of removing things from the store, just raise the gem cost of it for awhile. Impatient impulsive people like me who decide they want that item now instead of waiting for it to go "on sale" again will pay more, like I would right now for the Golden Wings and Mursaat Outfit...but they don't want my money I guess.

That doesn't work and it can even have a negative impact on sales.

This is visible with any type of promotion which happens regularly. People become accustomed to the reduced price and start demanding the lower price constantly thus reducing sales at a regular price. There are extensive studies on purchase behavior and artificial scarcity has proven a very effective method to encourage buyers.

@Ashantara.8731 said:

@"Ahrijlaken.9541" said:( new player ) It looks like there is some kind of rotation or something right ? Im pretty sure the store gem change 1 time since i play the game and If it's the case, why they choose to do that ?

1. When someone waits for a certain item to come back, they grow impatient as their "desire" grows and they are more likely to buy it than if it was available all the time.
2. If something says "Only available for 4 days!" or something similar, people are also more likely to go, "Should I buy this?? Hmm... Ah, heck, I'll just do it! Who knows when it will return!"

Exactly, this can even lead to spillover and make the customer buy something else only to satisfy his desire to purchase something.

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

Depends.

In a game where a vast majority of goods sold this way are cosmetic, sure. The upside is that the increased revenue generated from this allows for less predatory or anti consumer practices in other areas. In the end, any person who spends money on something has to be fiscally responsible by themselves. I'd rather a developer use these kind of marketing strategies than force down way worse things down their customers throats. One need only take a look around and see what some other developers/publishers do (cough EA and Activision cough).

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

Yes because costumers are notoriously bad at guessing and willing to pay the fair price.

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

It makes it common and everyday because they’re using human psychology. Just watch commercials and you’ll see plenty of “buy now while supplies last” pitches. For example, just today I saw an advertisement for a holiday version of a brand name chocolate which was saying “hurry up and get it now. Supply ends at the end of the year.” That’s artificial scarcity right there as the only reason supply ends at the end of the year is to pressure people to “buy before it’s gone”.

@yann.1946 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

I know you mean customers, but the word costumers give a very funny twist to that sentence ;)

for me all it does is not buying it if it's not there, i never wait for something to be available.ether sell it or just don't, there is a reason why shops go bankrupt, one of the reasons is because they barely have anything available and when they do it's overpriced to begin with, making the customer look for an alternative shop that sells it all the time and cheaper to boot.

Oh I totally agree here and I don't understand why some of the things get removed, like outfits for example.I was late to buy the Haunted Armor outfit as I was unable to play, but now I badly want it and who knows how long will I have to wait until I can buy it again. It hurtsssss!

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@yann.1946 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

Wow I didn't realize . thanks for noticing. I'll let the typo remain for comedic purposes I guess

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

lol just because its common, doesn't make it right, or any less negative.

@Ahrijlaken.9541 said:( new player ) It looks like there is some kind of rotation or something right ? Im pretty sure the store gem change 1 time since i play the game and If it's the case, why they choose to do that ?

They do it because when things are there for a limited time, more people will buy it because they fear losing out for a period of time. Also this allows them to constantly change the content of the shop so you'll look more often just to see what's up and that increases your exposure to the shop and might get you to spend more often.Because for exemple i want to spend real money on the game for an outfit, but i can't. And if rotation exist it's super slow so maybe i will have to wait 6 months to get access to the outfit i want. Until then, i will not spend money ... it's a lose/lose situation. So i don't understand the point.Maybe that's true for you and maybe you'll stick to your guns. But maybe you do want some extra inventory space or bank space. And maybe those unbreakable gathering tools are handy after all. And then something else comes and you're like well actually I like that one too. And before you know it you're spending money left and right.

And if not, that's fine because for every person who doesn't there's someone who does. You care about you as an individual... ArenaNet cares about us as spending customers as a collective, not as an individual. And if they will make everything available all the time they really would make less money because there are fewer triggers to buy things.

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Just a flesh wound.3589 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Ayakaru.6583 said:

@Jumpin Lumpix.6108 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Davion Roth.6709" said:I agree, I think things should always be available to buy, and I think they'd make more money.

The fact is that companies make less money when items are always available. While plenty of people are blocked from purchasing, many more people will spend more time in game, look at alternative items, convert RL cash to gems in preparation, and otherwise spend more on the game.

• It reduces clutter, making items more noticeable
• It reduces "saturation," the "familiarity breeds contempt" problem, in which people start to take items for granted, and therefore feel they are less desirable.
• It creates artificial urgency: if know I can always buy something, there's less pressure to buy when it becomes available.
• It keeps people paying attention to the gem shop.

But is it a negative? That's an Interesting question in its own right?