[Suggestion] Cheaper Items in the Dota 2 Store

[dt4ngy]

Yes, you read the title and think I'm a jew/selfish bastard without a job. (The last part is true)

Anyway, to get down to business,

Valve's store is going to fail eventually because of the rising prices. With so many sets in store, it's hard for people to choose which set they like better, or which set has higher quality etc.. Hence, people are going to judge by price. People want value for money, not paying a ridiculous $12.99 for a Common PA set (http://www.dota2.com/store/itemdetails/20173), I mean really? To quote Luminous, "What...in the actual fuck". I can't see many buying that PA set because of it's tag itself.

Before the Polycount, the item sets were reasonable. We had good looking, nice effected Mythicals for $11.99! (http://www.dota2.com/store/itemdetails/20002). It was glorious, and I have no doubt many people bought from that.

I understand that this is a free game, that these cosmetics are used to partially fund the game, but this is just plain stupid. Look at the compendium! Look at it's amount of value and it's demand in the market! It's freaking amazing! $10 for an amazing Battle-Bonus, courier with now a potential unusual effect, and the ability to make predictions and such. For just $10!!!!! And it sold like hotcakes! It's earned you thus far a profit of $1,697,346 upwards. From 1 good value item! A million bucks and rising! I cannot stress this enough, good value = good sales, just look at IT!

So how do we go from here? Do we insult the people who've bought the items by lowering it's price? Maybe, maybe something drastic like that is needed. However, I urge you guys, if you come across this post, to just make 1 patch of items, just 1 patch, lower in price and higher in value for money, and see the change in the profits you guys have.

Some notes in case people get weird:

• The makers of the items do not set the price, ask any of them if they do.
• This plan doesn't diminish the quality of items because of it's low price. Items will get afforded the same quality to money ratio. This is just a general lowering of items across the board.
• My suggestion doesn't apply to non-cosmetic items, like Tournaments and Pennants, just the items for heroes, couriers and other like items.
• Yes I know the Compendium was a tournament example, but the market remains the same, people want value for money.

tl;dr: Valve's business model isn't working as efficiently as it could, a lower price range across the board would help induce and increase sales and profit.

[Mig_]

not paying a ridiculous $12.99 for a Common PA set (http://www.dota2.com/store/itemdetails/20173),

One of the many bugs in the patch, if you look at the actual items its 2 rares + 3 uncommons, which would label the bundle as rare due to it being based on the rarest item.

[xdarky]

What's more disturbing is the price if you only want to buy 1 part of the set and not the whole one. I mean I got the old lycan set and I only wanted to buy the summoned units and the ulti modifier, but that would cost me 9.5 euro for the ulti and 4.75 for the summmoned units, while the whole set costs 13.49 (Which is fucking ridiculous, coz valve didn't even design the set...).

I hope they reconsider their marketing way, because right now they just see that we are buying and their are just trying to milk us...

[dt4ngy]

One of the many bugs in the patch, if you look at the actual items its 2 rares + 3 uncommons, which would label the bundle as rare due to it being based on the rarest item.

I concede that point, but compare the latest rubick set and the one before it. (http://www.dota2.com/store/?hidecaro...634838168&h=86), I don't know about you, but that rare set isn't going to get much attention if there's a mythical that has a lower price.

It's just incredibly...weird from valve that they would do it this way.

[glodar]

Well u have point

+1 for this thread

[lucifekit]

+1
I love the way when the market arrived, only about 5-7$ for really cool set ( Like lina, nature prophet )

[kotlt]

And one more thing, new item from new set do not drop....it mean we only can buy it from store.

[LuigiBianchi]

Ye i agree prices are seriously high. I mean new CK set is 12 € and for the same price i can buy a whole game... Ive bought some from store when prices were ok (like 4-5 € for a set). I understand cooler items have higher prices, but going over 10 € is surely too much.

[SeivousBeast]

People have been paying so they've continued raising prices. Once people quit buying they'll lower them again until they find that "right price." It's just like any business, this is part of the beta testing as well.

[dt4ngy]

People have been paying so they've continued raising prices. Once people quit buying they'll lower them again until they find that "right price." It's just like any business, this is part of the beta testing as well.

Not many betas allow you to buy items, much less items at over $20 USD each. Valve has already stated that they do not consider this game a beta any more, and it just plain doesn't make sense when mythicals are worth less than rares, when you release items that bug the game up for profit and still price them high. It's not ethical nor smart to charge so much yet do so little to make it worth it.

I understand your point of view, but to me, Valve has already crossed over so much and done so little to make these items work that they just cannot place the items' value so high without giving something. The people that make the items MAKE the items, and all Valve/ Icefrog chooses is to put it into the game and put a number on it. They're not doing a lot. They're doing less than the bare minimum (making the items work as they should) and charging far past the maximum for it.

[xDeXTeRx]

+1

Totally agree with you, I realy want to buy some new sets, but they are too much overpriced compared to the old ones. When I realize, why would I pay that much of money to a simple Cosmetic Itens, it's pretty cool, yes it is, but you can buy some new good games, new good hardwares if you count how much you spended in these things. If they get more lower, of course I would be problably spending 20$ a month buyin like 2 or 3 new sets.

Believe Valve, just like this Compendium, you would be getting even more money if the new sets was lower price. I know a lot of people who wants to buy them, but are stoped by the price.

Sorry for my english.
\o

[ChocolateWaffle]

Adding to this as well, today's new items are even more proof that prices are getting ludicrous. I don't "care" if quality of items in the workshop has gone up, some of these prices are starting to get silly. Either lower older ones when you introduce new ones, or set fixed prices per rarity of the item or a set's contents (not whatever arbitrary rarity you assign the set, like an all uncommon set + 1 mythical making the whole set mythical and worth 14€). Rethink the whole rarity-pricing system, make more simple models common and worth say, 50 cents, increasing by 1€ per level of rarity, or something like that, otherwise prices will only increase in the future. Last few months it's been all rare or higher, with very high prices and it's starting to get annoying.

Just replan the whole item and store system. Rethink what items deserve which rarity and what prices would be fair for each rarity. Hold periodical item and set sales on the store (Like, each week 1 set + 5 random individual items). And perhaps, even lower a bit the bar on the workshop. Lately we mostly see things from the top 5-6 workshop contributors because their models are the best (or tend to atleast), they get ingame, have rare+ qualities and are expensive in the store. Give a chance to other contributors as well, there's a ton of good items out there that may not be as godlike as the ones that get in, but are still nice enough to make the cut. Give those items and sets the common-uncommon rarity and fairer prices, like 3-6€, early sets did that a lot, sets since polycount don't.

One last suggestion would be to keep items across a set on the same rarity, unless a piece has a special effect, like TA's veil. Let each hero atleast have 1 full common set, 1 full uncommon, 1 full rare and 1 full mythical. Not 4 mythical sets, all with common bracers and perhaps a couple rare/uncommon pieces. I know the community may rage, like with all the fiddling with the Dragonclaw Hook, but I'd still encourage a one time switcheroo of rarity/prices/avaliability across the board and shrug it up until people adapt, this is a beta after all.


As a final TL;DR of what I'd consider the most important: Keep rarity-price relation consistant. spread rarity around more, for entire sets, I'm sick of getting a thousand common bracers and not a single weapon because they are all rare. And lastly, add more items at once. Try to add to every rarity, give chances to minor workshop contributors with not-so-crisp models by giving them cheap prices and common rarities, instead of just accepting the elite amazing sets that become mythical and $10+.

[Animalgreed]

+1 we really need item sets and courier to be cheaper.

[NoSe_SenS]

+1
price today is ridiculous

[NoSe_SenS]

BTW : is it will come store discount just like on last summwer when shittil summer box existed, so many discount including courier, fireborn odachi just $2.99 that time