A detailed piece, but I would point out that I kept my comments data-based, and I don't appreciate the attempts to undermine factual observation by trying to present me a whale trader, and indeed refer to me as "The author" which sounds quite ominous. I only joined the game 3 years ago and was a minnow for the first year, so I fully understand the challenges new players face.
In response to some of your points:
- Yes, major price swings in DEC will occur in future either due to natural market cycles in crypto or due to surges in demand for DEC due to events or land, followed by periods of less demand. So yes, 50% DEC discounts in future are quite likely. Your assumptions around this are quite funny. Yes, when I see DEC significantly away from peg and I can afford it, I buy DEC, that hardly makes me an arbitrage expert. FWIW I'd like to buy DEC right now, but I can't afford it this month.
- You also refer, once again to new players buying in Credits at a price of $4, despite us discussing this in chat on a number of occasions that new players can buy packs in credits of the secondary market in the game and that a link to those packs will be added to the main pack page too. So yes, new players would also be able to buy packs at around $1 if packs were 2K DEC and there was a 50% DEC discount. But the problems that pack price causes is from bulk whales buys not new players anyway.
- Your comments about new players finding certain cards less good or boring because they are only commons and rarer is also inaccurate. New players have no knowledge of these cards, they will have no idea what is good, bad or exciting when they first start playing. And whats more if there are a lot of new players, they would be mostly playing against each other with these cards.
- I'm also curious who these people are that "only buy packs for $2 and not $4", clearly they have bought no packs for the last 3 years, except for some discounted CL packs perhaps? There is no evidence this represents a significant number of people, which would be reflected when the RB price dipped below $2.50 for a while.
- Basic knowledge of business and pricing tells you that there is huge risk in halving the price and expecting to increase gross sales, as you need to shift twice as much product to do so. So clearly I just don't agree with your views on that point.
- I accept that the $25 pricing of CL packs was the result of a perfect storm for the game.
- I stand by my other remarks as factually correct
Just chiming in that I am one of the "would buy at $2 not $4 people" from your 4th point. Rain being that I spent thousands on REB, and literally had commons at 40bcx and most legendaries incomplete that resulted in even FURTHER expensive on my part. When it costs that much and you still don't have a competitive deck (aka diamond level), it's a real turn off and if nothing else just encourages renting over buying (at best) as that ends up much cheaper and you assume none of the risk of asset ownership that will inevitably decrease in value when it eventually rotates from modern.
It has become absolutely unbelievable how you simply refuse to acknowledge certain points above and literally ignore certain inconvenient objective facts.
Just hop in discord and ASK, you will find a significant amount of players who literally tell you they buy packs for $2 but not $4. I am one and there are literally dozens of others who come right out and tell you this but you literally choose to ignore this for some reason I cannot comprehend. Maybe because it does not fit your narrative? I won't list names here but your ignoring this is getting ridiculous. Actually, if you were to ask in discord, I wonder how many of those players are still here. Many have left and said they have been priced out of the game. Another inconvenient fact you seem to ignore.
Other points are also unbelievable, you really think new players will have 'no knowledge' of the other cards?? Have you talked to any players who try to play with just the ghost deck of commons and rares? It's a horrible experience, made worse by the lack of level caps and seasonal resets.
Same with point 2, I don't understand how you think players will or do see a $4 price tag but won't think packs are $4. This is also insanely important to consider when new players are looking around before diving in.
Also check out this video, you will see many points laid out about pricing you might want to consider before dooming our game to extinction: