Defending the "Cash Shop"

Hi, seekers
This was originally intended as a reply in the Forsaken World Forums, but it kept getting cut off, so I posted it here.

Yes we all know that Forsaken World is F2P, and will have a cash shop/item mall. Already, the comments have begun *against* such practices, so I'm going to play "Devil's Advocate", and rephrase a post I did, long ago, (for another game) on the subject.

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Let me start off by stating that I am in no way affiliated with PWE, the Forum Moderators, or any other entity ”in authority” with Forsaken World. I am just another player, just like you.

Well, maybe not exactly like you. I am a Cash Shop Warrior.

I have seen a lot of hate and flame against the Cash Shop, in different games I’ve seen web sites shut down “in protest”. (The prices, and gameplay balance are an entirely different discussion altogether, so I’ll instead defend the general "Cash Shop" practice instead).

“Oooh! You’re a cheater!” I’ve heard *so* many times before. Hey, at least I’m not a botter, or a Hacker. My “cheating” is endorsed by the game, and herein lies my point. PWE is an IRL Company, with leases, servers, employees, and ISP costs to pay. They are not a charity. I’d bet my crosses that they do not pay their dev’s salary in in-game gold. Even a billion in "soul gold" won’t buy you a cup of coffee, and it certainly won’t put dinner on the table at night. Go online a price check a rack server, they don’t sell for Zen. Gaming is serious business. Ask QforQ if he'll take his paycheck in "soul Gold". I'm betting the answer is "no".

And yet, PWE lets players play for free. You don’t have to pay one red cent to explore, fight, and level up. You can get to the level cap on pure force of will, (and many of you will). Good for you. They still have bills to pay, and who’s going to pay for the air our avatars don’t breathe? A Cash Shop Warrior. The more we pay for, the more longevity FW will have. If PWE is losing money on Forsaken World, how fast do you think the plug will get pulled? Then we ALL lose out on “What might have been”.

“It’s not fair”. Is it fair that I have to compete with Grinders that can dedicate 12-14 hours a day? I once saw a sig pic of a player (of another mmo) who's put in 61 hours, in one week alone. That's a full work week with extra extra "overtime". Some of us have commitments IRL that require our time, (and I’ll bet that there’s a lot less grinding when school is in session.) But, to compensate that, I can *buy* stuff. And I do.
Every advantage is, by nature, “unfair”.
To those of you who are able to commit ½ a day, every day at grinding, I salute your tenacity. And it is those same Grinders that can turn around to the Exchange Market and sell their hard earned rare drops. ESO let you trade RL $ for in-game money, which others could exchange for their own Item Mall purchases. Who do you rely on to sell that? A Cash Shop Warrior. It’s a symbiotic relationship. You grind, we buy. I’ve yet to encounter a player that in one breath denounces me as a “cheater”, and yet refuses “Free Gold”. I will buy that uber-rare Vamp Cross that you’re selling. You get gold for your main, I get a decent weapon. Win/win. And if the PWE wants to auction uber-rare items, guess what? If you don't buy it, I will. It's the competitive nature of commerce. PvP is the usually largest source of cash shop purchases, thanks to the high demand need to survive the battlefield.

So, in essence, the only people I see complaining are the ones that don’t want to grind, and refuse to pay. Well, to those in that category, I say “You get what you pay for”. You pay in sweat, or you pay in cash. “But I don’t want to have to pay to play a game!” You don't have to. Nothing worth having is ever free. "I shouldn't have to pay to play a game" Oh, really? Try walking out of a gaming store, with some new cd, without paying..how well does that work? Just because a product is "digital", doesn't mean it has no real life monetary value.

Think of Forsaken World like a night out at a Family Restaurant. Some of us get Steak, some get burgers. The only reason you get to “eat for free” is because the Cash Shop Warrior next to you is picking up your tab.

Enjoy your meal.

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