On Test: Goblin Games for StationCash
Those Goblin Game Tickets we heard about are now available on the StationCash marketplace on the Test server. It looks like the ticket is only consumed after you succeed at one of the three mini-games and receive one of the prizes. Thus far, the prizes seem to be run-of-the-mill StationCash items.
From the EQ2 Test Forums:
Now in the Test server marketplace, under the Goblin Games category, you can buy a Gigglegibber Glockenspiel for 100SC which will allow you to play one of three games. You recieve a prize everytime you win, selected at random from the following list:
Gigglegibber Gear Gimlet
Potion of Vitality
Research Time Reduction I
Research Time Reduction II
Research Time Reduction III
Minor Potion of the Advanced
Greater Potion of the Advanced
Superior Potion of the Advanced
Extended Potion of the Advanced
Arasai Heritage Armor Crate
Barbarian Heritage Armor Crate
Dark Elf Heritage Armor Crate
Erudite Heritage Armor Crate
Gnome Heritage Armor Crate
High Elf Heritage Armor Crate
Human Heritage Armor Crate
Ogre Heritage Armor Crate
Ratonga Heritage Armor Crate
Magical Storm Whistle
Dark Harbingers Flight Wings
Nightmare Flight Wings
Pegasus Feather Flight Wings
Velium-Saddled Warhog
Health Potion
Power Potion
Scroll of Resurrection
Gigglegibber Glockenspiel
Majestic Pridewing
Ulteran Prowler
Sinister Prowler
Ethereal Prowler
Gigglegibber GoldNotes: Your ticket is only consumed after you recieve a prize, so if you lose you can keep trying until you win. Many of the prizes listed above may also be purchased for Gigglegibber Gold pieces, which you may choose to take as your prize when you win.
I guess it depends how much the tickets are as to whether it is worth it.
The tickets are only 100 sc from what I could tell.
This doesn't seem too bad. I will have to give it a few tries on Test Copy.
Great way to eat up all that SC that people are hoarding ... give them something to gamble with!
If you always get something for your SC, that sidesteps my concerns about gambling laws. Still probably not worth the time, but eh.
@Anaogi
I don't think the fact that you always get something for your station cash relieves ALL concern for gambling laws. I don't want to specifically say what I see that *might* run afoul of them. I'm going to wait for it to go live and if it does then report it to the proper authorities, I'm done giving feedback to that lot of asshats. Worst case certain states will demand residents be prohibited from playing this, best case scenario is that there will be enough outrage at this so called mini game and it's certain to be 'crooked' loot table, that it will die a quick painful death.
Wow Lempo, you sound like a pretty tough guy! I'm glad we have you on our side. Can you rally your team of lawyers please and take a shot at this once and for all? It's awesome that we have someone with as much pull as you do involved in this.
It is so great to see that you can get so passionate about this DIRE and PRESSING issue of virtual goblins and stupid lottery tickets for shiny bits of garbage.
All of Norrath will be saved! You're finally a hero! (And definitely not a pathetic loser.)
Only if it results in treble damages in our preferred mode of currency.
3...2...1...nerf.
Seems this is the only place to 'win' goblin gold and get unattuners? Making you have to play to be able to unattune.
@rugrat
no there are unattunes via LON
@Loch,
You are nothing short of a blathering little "See You Next Tuesday".
So the games are live, and as expected crooked as they can be, of course nothing short of this was expected. Snagged a few cards selling in level chat to test this out, prob will use some of my 500 monthly bonus too, I want to get 50-100 plays recorded to see how badly this loot table is skewed.
What makes me wonder about this:
With the strict law in the us about gambling ... this is even legal?
Literally you are buying gambling tokens with real money ... or am I missing something?
can someone shed some light on this for me, please? I am really interested how this works in the US - because so far I always get the impression it isn't that easy. And SC even has a fixed conversion rate US$->SC
In the very least Trevyn this is not legal in all States, that I can guarantee you. This is bigger than individual states with SOE though it is going across state lines which should put it into the hands of the feds.
Here is a link to file a complaintr with the FTC. Google "gaming authority [your state]" or "report illegal gambling in [your state]" if your state prohibits gambling and does not have a gamin board.
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
worldwide disco with my warlock on majestic pridewing
only played once
What makes this legal and gets around the State restrictions on gambling is the fact that you are paying $1.00 for an item. You have to play the mini game to receive your item, but you will get one. There is no gambling involved. You buy a ticket that gets you a random item. It's not much different than buying a pack of trading cards. There is no guarantee on what you will get inside that pack, but you will get something.
SoE wouldn't put something like this out unless their marketing and legal team had done research to make sure that it was ok. They are already hurting and couldn't afford a lawsuit over something stupid like that.
@Lempo
I guess what it really boils down to is that I won't be spending a penny on this stupid gimmick. But you plan on buying 50 - 100 of these things? Say it ends up being perfectly legal. Then what? All you've done is helped show them that this garbage is what players want and they'll dedicate even more dev time to it.
So, see you next Tuesday then?
Paying money for an item that is used to gamble does not circumvent gambling laws. What do you think casino chips are? The only thing that might save them is that you can't get "real" money or prizes out of the system. Then again, no one gives a rats ass because it's the exact same thing every token/ticket chucky cheese palace does as well.
@ SBJones
That's a good way to put it. Virtual chucky cheese. You put real money in to use a claw machine or skiball game. Out comes a ticket or prize.
You're paying a dollar for a virtual ticket with no cash prize. It's nothing like playing the lottery or gambling in a casino. You walk away with nothing.
You buy armor with SC..real money. You cancel your account and you have nothing to show for that money. Here you do the same thing, only you spin a wheel to see what you get.
The minigames aren't there to circumvent gambling laws. It's to distract you from the fact that you just spent a dollar on some random, useless crap. It's a 100SC grab bag mystery box. You might "win" something great or "win" something crappy. Either way you're paying for an item. Just because it's random does NOT make it gambling.
SOE is NOT the first to do this. Other F2P games have done the same thing.
The problem, Loch, is that certain people may have obsessive tendencies to continue purchasing the stuff. Gambling laws were intended to protect people from themselves, because otherwise their will is too weak to resist. Of course, money loves profiting on the misery of others; so, something with no stated chances of winning certain prizes may entice people to ruin their own lives (like if they reduced the mount to 2% win chance while everything else was 15% chance, knowing that people would keep playing only until they got that mount).
Of course, I pay rich people plat to buy SC cards and give me their codes; so, I'm really just trading my time for prizes, not money (unless your time is money, then you need to determine the going rate for your time).