Price Changes for Premium and Gold on Nov 28th

    • Being on a fixed income, I did not mind paying the 11.95 a month and buying gold for something special every so often. The price changes just ended me from buying gold. I enjoy the game but with other cost's going up and winter coming, I have been cutting spending on many occasions. Over the past two months, I have been looking at what I buy in-game and how much time I spend playing. Increasing the amount of time makes the game go from fun to a job.

      For me, gold just rushes my ability to buy items, when I could have just waited over time. The only issue I have with this being a auto pay each month, I at times, renew after it expires on m y account. I pay all the bills first and then see what I can spend on my game.
      Guild Leader Martlock Oath
      https://discord.gg/MQUAPjJwcQ

    • SvatDregual wrote:

      Being on a fixed income, I did not mind paying the 11.95 a month and buying gold for something special every so often. The price changes just ended me from buying gold. I enjoy the game but with other cost's going up and winter coming, I have been cutting spending on many occasions. Over the past two months, I have been looking at what I buy in-game and how much time I spend playing. Increasing the amount of time makes the game go from fun to a job.

      For me, gold just rushes my ability to buy items, when I could have just waited over time. The only issue I have with this being a auto pay each month, I at times, renew after it expires on m y account. I pay all the bills first and then see what I can spend on my game.
      im in the same boat, and second this. Things are already getting really bad for people like us (its bad for everyone but we are in the worst shape of all), and these price increases make it really difficult to support the game, especially in conjunction with all of the other changes that have harmed silver making lately. Big market taxes. A bunch of nerfed solo content. All the loot being sucked up by zone chests that are nearly 100% of the time dominated by large groups despite being intended for small groups and solos. How is anyone supposed to make money anymore? Our costs do nothing but go up and up and up, the silver faucets always get nerfed. SBI is really making it hard to be optimistic about the games future.

      I also want to just point out. If you dont have premium the market tax alone punishes you so badly. 10.5%... Kiss every last one of your market flipping activities goodbye without premium. Letting premium lapse for even a single month will make maintaining it far more difficult. If you just look at everything they have done recently it becomes actually just depressing how much they are squeezing us.

    • TheSlayer wrote:

      Ask CCP how spiking their prices 25% worked out for them :D

      jonottawa wrote:

      When did CCP buy Albion?

      I quit EVE after well over a decade and started playing Albion a few months ago to escape this kind of reckless 'Greed is Good' mentality from the developer. You are killing the golden goose.
      This ^ & This ^

      You're making a really big mistake Sandbox / Stillfront Group.. stop killing the game because you're greedy

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Dimmizer ().

    • Korn wrote:

      Abydon wrote:

      Eltharyon wrote:

      Note: if you have an existing auto-renewing subscription bought through our website or the native client or get Premium before November 28 through the website or native client, your premium prices will continue to renew at the old, cheaper prices as long as they remain active.
      Does this mean if we maintain active premium the gold price for premium doesn't go up in the native client? This wording isn't clear.
      Hey there,
      auto-renewing premium subscription means those that are bought for real money from the website or native client, either bought directly in the premium section, or as part of a starter pack / promo pack bought for real money.

      For example, if you get a new 30d premium subscription for USD 11.95 per month today in our web shop or through the native client (i.e. not through Steam!), it will continue to renew at USD 11.95 per month even after the price increase comes into effect in November. It's important though that you do not cancel it and keep auto-renew active throughout.

      Note that no matter on which device or platform you play: native, mobile, Steam - you can always access and make purchases on the web shop. This is not just good for premium, we try to offer the best deals and prices there in general. The reason is that the payment processing fees that we have to cover in our web shop are much lower than those at other platforms, and due to the money saved by us, we can offer better prices there.
      sad when you give a generic copy pasta reply.. you didn't even read what he said or you didn't understand.. you legit just replied and said HERE

      He wants to know if he keeps his sub active if it will also allow him to continue buying 22,000 Gold at $100 instead of getting 19,000 for $100 and the other older pricing packages n such as well.

    • Just started albion a month ago and bought my premium after grinding so long for 1 and half week and was enjoying my premium until this shit . I have less than 2 weeks of premium left and i started grinding again just for this shit? The gold prices today was insane and 28 nov hasnt even come yet. I really like albion but albion is becoming play to win slowly and its being so sensitive about the outside stuffs. I came to play albion to get a break from the outside world shitshow only to be accompanied with the same thing inside game? Players getting banned , guild names changing, RMT players getting banned while some favourite ones dont? Fk this shit , i aint playing albion no more

    • Ho-kay, Time to explain basic marketing principals to a company it looks like.

      All of this is very bad optics. None of it looks good from a costumers perspective.

      This first and foremost, just because I don't have to do any math to explain it.

      Eltharyon wrote:

      Premium subscriptions bought for real money through the web shop or native client will continue to renew at the old, cheaper prices as long as they remain active. You still have time to lock in the old premium prices via the Albion Online Web Shop or native client before November 28.
      While this is nice for established players, a smaller across the board increase would be far more fair to all players.
      It reeks of deception and exploitation towards any of the new player base that would join on from this point forward.

      Next lets tackle the double whammy of decreasing gold per purchase, whilst also increasing the cost of premium in gold.

      While I understand that the non native decreases might stem from store fees on Steam, Google Play, and the App Store, It would be better to also have an across the board increase to prices on the packages as opposed to decreases on the amount of gold that you are getting. People notice 'shrink-flation' as far much more of a ripoff that just a NORMAL inflationary price hike.

      This creates a value reduction of each of the Gold Packs.


      Gold Pack Devaluation
      OriginalDecreaseOriginalDecreaseOriginalDecreaseOriginalDecreaseOriginalDecrease
      Native Client/Website8000.00%1,90010.53%4,00012.50%10,50014.29%22,00013.64%
      Steam75020.00%1,75027.14%3,75030.00%10,00032.50%21,00032.14%
      App Store6000.00%1,60020.31%3,40022.79%9,00025.00%19,00025.00%
      Google Play Store75020.00%1,75027.14%3,75030.00%10,00032.50%21,00032.14%




      As this is what your 'whales' are currently throwing their money into, this could be a substantial loss or revenue to your company, should they become offended and either quit playing your game, or simply quit purchasing gold.

      This again compounds with the fact that you are also increasing the amount of gold that it takes to achieve premium using gold.


      Days Premium3090180360
      Gold % Increase125.00%142.86%141.82%146.94%




      While I understand that this is supposed to be a compensatory action for the players who DO buy Gold Packs, as it would give them more opportunity to offload more Gold on the Gold Market, it further dissuades Free to Play players from even attempting to purchase premium with gold. Thus negating the point.

      Lets look at this through the lens of USD$ to Gold at its current price.

      Native Client/Website
      Price USD$4.959.9519.9549.9599.95
      Gold Per Pack800190040001050022000
      Gold per $161.6162190.9548200.5013210.2102220.1101



      Steam & Google Play Store
      Gold Per Pack750175037501000021000
      Gold per $151.5152175.8794187.9699200.2002210.1051



      App Store
      Gold Per Pack60016003400900019000
      Gold per $121.2121160.804170.4261180.1802190.095



      This establishes that at minimum and maximum you get ~ 121.21 to 220.11 gold per USD$ at current prices.


      New gold per USD$

      Native Client/Website
      Price USD$4.959.9519.9549.9599.95
      Gold Per Pack80017003500900019000
      Gold per $161.6162170.8543175.4386180.1802190.095



      Steam, Google Play Store & App Store
      Gold Per Pack60012752625675014250
      Gold per $121.2121128.1407131.5789135.1351142.5713




      This establishes that at minimum and maximum you get ~ 121.21 to 190.10 gold per USD$ at the presented future prices.

      It does do a good job of consolidation of Gold per Pack in all Non-Native stores.

      I very much understand the wish to push people to buy from your native client as you get a greater cut of the purchase price.

      You are however, VASTLY underestimating one thing, customer convenience.


      Most people are going to purchase from where it is most convenient to do so.

      As I do not have access to your market data for purchases, I would assume that most Native Client purchases are of the $10 or $20 bundles.
      I could be wrong on this however. But, I will use it for the basis of my average of roughly 195.72 Gold per USD$ (Old) and 174.15 (New) going forward.

      The following table is an estimate of the effective costs of buying premium premium in real world USD$ using the native client.


      Days Premium3090180360
      Effective ~USD$ per Premium (Old)$15.33$37.55$70.25$125.17
      Effective ~ USD$ per Premium (New)$21.53$60.29$111.97$206.72
      % Increase40.49%60.56%59.39%65.15%




      THESE ARE MASSIVE INCREASES to the effective cost of premium to F2P players.


      So, a better solution...

      LEAVE THE COST OF IN GAME PREMIUM IN GOLD ALONE!

      Increase the price of gold by a flat % across the board.
      My suggestion is 10% as a recommendation, and up to 20% at MOST.


      Leave the Native Client Gold Packs as is.


      Gold Per Pack800190040001050022000
      10% Increase$5.45$10.95$21.95$54.95$109.95
      20% Increase$5.95$11.95$23.95$59.95$119.95




      Consolidate all of the Non-Native Gold Stores into the same Gold Packs bracket.

      Steam, Google Play Store & App Store

      Gold Per Pack60016003400900019000




      Increase Premium FOR ALL PLAYERS by the same flat percent.


      Days Premium3090180360
      Old$11.95$32.85$59.70$107.40
      10% Increase$13.15$36.14$65.67$118.14
      20% Increase$14.34$39.42$71.64$128.88




      I understand that inflation is a thing and Stillfront wants a ROI.
      However, these presented price/gold pack value changes are just asinine.

      Keep it simple. We as a community understand that you are facing rising costs as well.

      BUT, that is no reason to engage in predatory price change schemes!
      Guild Master of American Craftsman
      ~Discord gb5Xdpr~
      T8 Quarrier, Miner, Lumberjack, Skinner, Harvester, Fisher

      The post was edited 3 times, last by RenKatal: Formatting, dropped tables ().

    • Well do it like me, use some of your pvp earned gold and buy 10 years premium..

      No discussion on this anymore..

      Do this on all accounts and watch the discussion with some popcorn.

      Now the difference between pvp player/risk vs reward goes through the roof as normal activities force a lot on you, while pvp is still easy to make 10y sub for all of u alts..

      Basically this is a Deadshot for all not having solid income ...ingame

    • Trial_hard wrote:

      Well do it like me, use some of your pvp earned gold and buy 10 years premium..

      No discussion on this anymore..

      Do this on all accounts and watch the discussion with some popcorn.

      Now the difference between pvp player/risk vs reward goes through the roof as normal activities force a lot on you, while pvp is still easy to make 10y sub for all of u alts..

      Basically this is a Deadshot for all not having solid income ...ingame
      Not everyone is as good as you.
      I mean it, with all amounts of respect possible.

      This isn't something that will much fiscally affect the ultra wealthy in Albion like you and me.
      But, we aren't the only people who play the game, are we..?

      This effects new F2P players coming in, new subscribers, as well as any player that intends to purchase gold.

      Everything is obfuscated as to not reveal the true nature and magnitude of the increases, unless you are willing to do the math.

      Which I have.
      Guild Master of American Craftsman
      ~Discord gb5Xdpr~
      T8 Quarrier, Miner, Lumberjack, Skinner, Harvester, Fisher

    • The first thing i did after the announcement. Take some Billions and change them into Gold. I earned a lot of Silver already.
      Also i bought some years of Premium.

      Trias Hards hint: If you are homeless, just buy a house.

      Rens Maths seems right. I also think, that less players will buy. So SBI will make less money.

      But i guess thats what cames with Stillfront and their Bad Q3 report.

      I dont think we can influence SBI, its not their Company anyways.
      Stolzer WC Enten Reiniger

    • RenKatal wrote:

      Trial_hard wrote:

      Well do it like me, use some of your pvp earned gold and buy 10 years premium..

      No discussion on this anymore..

      Do this on all accounts and watch the discussion with some popcorn.

      Now the difference between pvp player/risk vs reward goes through the roof as normal activities force a lot on you, while pvp is still easy to make 10y sub for all of u alts..

      Basically this is a Deadshot for all not having solid income ...ingame
      Not everyone is as good as you.I mean it, with all amounts of respect possible.

      This isn't something that will much fiscally affect the ultra wealthy in Albion like you and me.
      But, we aren't the only people who play the game, are we..?

      This effects new F2P players coming in, new subscribers, as well as any player that intends to purchase gold.

      Everything is obfuscated as to not reveal the true nature and magnitude of the increases, unless you are willing to do the math.

      Which I have.
      It gets even worse when you analyze what this is going to do to the economy more broadly which does effect everyone. If these cost increases make focus completely and totally unprofitable then the entire economy will be damaged. Prices will get painfully high on everything because focus is not being used. SBI has said absolutly nothing about any of this and certainly have not done anything to ease some of those fears. These changes have the potential to cause a lot of things to just break, and It would be really nice to know that SBI has our back and wont let things remain broken.

    • Gnomead wrote:

      RenKatal wrote:

      Trial_hard wrote:

      Well do it like me, use some of your pvp earned gold and buy 10 years premium..

      No discussion on this anymore..

      Do this on all accounts and watch the discussion with some popcorn.

      Now the difference between pvp player/risk vs reward goes through the roof as normal activities force a lot on you, while pvp is still easy to make 10y sub for all of u alts..

      Basically this is a Deadshot for all not having solid income ...ingame
      Not everyone is as good as you.I mean it, with all amounts of respect possible.
      This isn't something that will much fiscally affect the ultra wealthy in Albion like you and me.
      But, we aren't the only people who play the game, are we..?

      This effects new F2P players coming in, new subscribers, as well as any player that intends to purchase gold.

      Everything is obfuscated as to not reveal the true nature and magnitude of the increases, unless you are willing to do the math.

      Which I have.
      It gets even worse when you analyze what this is going to do to the economy more broadly which does effect everyone. If these cost increases make focus completely and totally unprofitable then the entire economy will be damaged. Prices will get painfully high on everything because focus is not being used. SBI has said absolutly nothing about any of this and certainly have not done anything to ease some of those fears. These changes have the potential to cause a lot of things to just break, and It would be really nice to know that SBI has our back and wont let things remain broken.
      well, then it becomes vital to be able to craft and gather everything on your own..

      But my recommendation to SBI - adjust direct premium buy to country prices...

      While in western world this is no issue there are a lot of country's that have an issue with 10 bucks

      IP lock the cheap chars to the country gold was bought.

      If u roam worldwide u need full price

    • SvatDregual wrote:

      Being on a fixed income, I did not mind paying the 11.95 a month and buying gold for something special every so often. The price changes just ended me from buying gold. I enjoy the game but with other cost's going up and winter coming, I have been cutting spending on many occasions. Over the past two months, I have been looking at what I buy in-game and how much time I spend playing. Increasing the amount of time makes the game go from fun to a job.

      For me, gold just rushes my ability to buy items, when I could have just waited over time. The only issue I have with this being a auto pay each month, I at times, renew after it expires on m y account. I pay all the bills first and then see what I can spend on my game.
      I'm going to play devils advocate here.

      If you're already on a subscription for premium, nothing changes, you continue to pay what your plan was like devs stated.

      If you occasionally bought gold as a way to fund your ingame expenses then consider this: this update will drive the price of gold up meaning you get more silver for the gold you purchase.

      Don't believe me? Ok, time for math.

      Previous package of gold: 22k gold for 100 USD.
      Value of gold prior to announcement: 3400-3500
      Ratio: 74.8m - 77m

      New package of gold: 19k gold for 100 USD
      Value of gold after announcement: 3800-4300
      Ratio: 72.2m - 81,7m

      So, now we know, people who have subscriptions running under the old model remain unaffected.

      People occasionally purchasing gold actually stand to benefit.

      People who suffer:
      Those who dont use real money to fund premium or other gold expenses.

      The premium cost (per month) went from 10.2m-10.5m to 14.25m-16.125m

      The free to play grind just became a little more real, is it unreasonable so? I'm not sure yet. Compare it to other games that follow similar monetization models.
      Discord: Redsaw#4700

      Think before you speak, just because you feel a certain degree of emotion behind your opinion does not make it a fact.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Redsaw ().

    • Redsaw wrote:

      SvatDregual wrote:

      Being on a fixed income, I did not mind paying the 11.95 a month and buying gold for something special every so often. The price changes just ended me from buying gold. I enjoy the game but with other cost's going up and winter coming, I have been cutting spending on many occasions. Over the past two months, I have been looking at what I buy in-game and how much time I spend playing. Increasing the amount of time makes the game go from fun to a job.

      For me, gold just rushes my ability to buy items, when I could have just waited over time. The only issue I have with this being a auto pay each month, I at times, renew after it expires on m y account. I pay all the bills first and then see what I can spend on my game.
      I'm going to play devils advocate here.
      they are mercilessly punishing poor people from poor countries who play this game and provide the majority of content

      they are giving a small bonus to rich people from rich countries who play this game and provide the majority of funding

      that sounds great until all the content players leave which is a tide that is nearly impossible to roll back

    • Redsaw wrote:

      I'm going to play devils advocate here.
      If you're already on a subscription for premium, nothing changes, you continue to pay what your plan was like devs stated.
      Raising subscription prices over time to reflect inflation is fine, I would rather they do a smaller increase across the board that actually reflects inflation, than a big jump for anyone who is a new/re-subscriber.

      It just strikes me as predatory towards any new player-base or any returning players.

      Redsaw wrote:

      If you occasionally bought gold as a way to fund your ingame expenses then consider this: this update will drive the price of gold up meaning you get more silver for the gold you purchase.

      Don't believe me? Ok, time for math.

      Previous package of gold: 22k gold for 100 USD.
      Value of gold prior to announcement: 3400-3500
      Ratio: 74.8m - 77m

      New package of gold: 19k gold for 100 USD
      Value of gold after announcement: 3800-4300
      Ratio: 72.2m - 81,7m
      This is biased on the current gold price, which seems to be driven by people panic buying premium before it increases, there is no guarantee that silver will stay this inflated.

      And even so, in your example the upper bound does increase but there is a 2.6m decrease in the lower bound of gold sales.

      This actually creates more gold market volatility, and uncertainty.

      Redsaw wrote:

      The premium cost (per month) went from 10.2m-10.5m to 14.25m-16.125m
      This is a 39.7% increase on the low end and a 58.1% increase on the high end.
      In a matter of HOURS.

      Most 'Freemium' players, players who buy premium with silver, that I know either;

      Live in poorer parts of the world, where they CANNOT afford to buy premium with real life currency.
      Don't have extra money to spend on the game, due to their current financial situation (mostly collage students).
      Or, are already so stinking rich in the game, they might as well buy premium with their excess wealth.

      I personally fall into the last category when it comes to funding my alts. I pay a normal subscription for my main character.

      Redsaw wrote:

      The free to play grind just became a little more real, is it unreasonable so? I'm not sure yet. Compare it to other games that follow similar monetization models.
      So yeah the Freemium grind just got EXCEPTONALY more real, imagine if your employer TOLD you to do 39 to 58% more work without adjusting your compensation in any meaningful way.

      This isn't healthy for the game.
      Guild Master of American Craftsman
      ~Discord gb5Xdpr~
      T8 Quarrier, Miner, Lumberjack, Skinner, Harvester, Fisher

    • there is not even a mention in the financial figures about the price for a weekly premium which my best friend and i have been doing for 2 weeks now, yes we go through Steam which is how we do our weekly premium but the fact remains there's no mention of the weekly premium getting a price hike. any info on this?