EVE-Mag.com

PLEX, the moral dilemma

Published on 15. Nov, 2008 ... written by Jacob Mei, Tags: Columns

by Jacob Mei … When Quantum Rise hit us earlier this week a new feature was added to game. Players could buy 60 day ETC codes, take them into the game, and then split them into 30 day blocks. Not surprisingly we are already seeing things like a 50 mill for ever 300 million. While those who have been able to afford ETC’s up to this point might not see the reason for a system that makes them pay more for a 60 day block of time, the system, while charging more for 60 days, this makes ETC more accessible to players in a lower income bracket by only requiring 350 million a month or so. However this is not the point of the article.

It would seem that there are two camps forming due to interesting, and some would say confusing, choice by CCP in that PLEX’s, being in game items, may be used to get individuals to part with their hard earned isk via dubious means. In short, CCP has stated they can be used for scams. Almost immediately there are WTB requires in the contract system using the little trick of making 450 thousand appear to be 450 million.

The pro scam camp in this situation argues, and CCP supports this, that because it’s an in game item, like everything else, it’s okay to try to scam people with it. There have not yet been any reports of people falling for any of these scams but the fact that this is allowed has naturally given rise to the anti scam camp.

The anti scam camp claims that, in not so many words, that CCP is doing a double standard. ETCs, prior to this new system, carried the very strict penalty of a ban for anyone caught trying to pawn off an already used ETC code, using false advertisement (such as claiming that the card was 60 when it was 30 days) and generally anything less then total honesty would mean a ban stick between the legs being flung upwards at great speed to the scammers netherds.

The issue seems to lay in the fact that the PLEX itself remains under the rules of any other in game item even though these items can never leave a station (basically a special item that is spawned from the direct result of spending real world currency but that has to obey the ordinary rules for all items). The Anti Scam camp feels that because actual money is involved in these tokens creation and use that CCP is siding with the wrong camp on this one. There are even some posts going so far as to question the legality of the issue, mentioning that some courts have made ruling in regards to the value of in game items and so forth. The pro scam camp however argues that, because the item is an in game item, regardless of how it was spawned into the game, they should be allowed to do with it as how they please because the EULA and TOS says they can.

CCP has stated that the policy is subject to change if they deem it necessary, which in my opinion means only if courts get involved or if scamming becomes so rampant or someone exploits the system in such a way as to effect CCP’s bottom line.

Regardless though, CCP needs to explain why this extra step of splitting a 60 day card into 30 day blocks negates the very strict rules that have up until Tuesday been in place, and are still in place, in the timecode bazaar forum.

In the end though many people are simply saying to check the price tags on the PLEX prior to buying or selling. Given that PLEX has its own unique icon, both in the market place and contract system the only thing one has to check is if the proper number of zeros are there. Only time will tell where the PLEX system goes for both CCP and the players who use ETC’s.

Tags: ETC, gtc, ISK, PLEX, Quantum Rise, scam