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[JaseC]

I have a strong suspicion we are going to see eSports team insignias released as "official team merchandise" products, with proceeds from spray sales going directly to fund those teams. The reason for making that sort of product consumable is for fans to provide ongoing support - literally - not with a single product that then lasts forever.

That's actually a neat idea, but even assuming it's the case, it doesn't demand that the limited lifetime factor apply across the board. I'd imagine players would accept some sprays being temporary items in the case of them acting as a method to directly support their favourite player/team.

I don't believe their next game will consist solely of MTX consumables [if sprays remain unchanged].

Well, neither do I, to be clear -- they'd be the rule to which there'd be some notable exceptions (I realise you disagree with this as well, but I figured I'd clarify).

 

[Whompa02]

50 sprays is a joke honestly...and no custom sprays...they'll milk this for awhile and then scale it back and claim they made a miscalculation in the reaction to introducing sprays into the game.

 

[Bluth54]

I'm okay with sprays returning as Valve-controlled drops rather than being entirely up to the user as it reduces the likelihood of encountering explicit/gross sprays to zero, however they absolutely should not be limited-use items. If Valve refuses to budge, then I suspect its next game will have degradable or otherwise temporary microtransaction items as the norm.

TF2 has had degradable dueling minigames and noisemakers for years. The noisemakers are rarely used though (aside from the unlimited use birthday one you can only use on the anniversary of the TF franchise) but I see dueling minigames used a a decent amount of the time.

 

[LordRaptor]

That's actually a neat idea, but even assuming it's the case, it doesn't demand that the limited lifetime factor apply across the board. I'd imagine players would accept some sprays being temporary items in the case of them acting as a method to directly support their favourite player/team.

Sure, but in terms of making things clear to a customer, "all things [x] are consumable, all things [y] are permanent" rulesets are easily understandable and minimise the risk of trade scams ("Buy my super rare non-consumable spray!").

It's all part of creating different values within a system that by its nature has zero inherent value.
Consumables inherently hold less worth than Permanence, because they require an ongoing maintenance cost.
Things only released once and if you missed out you missed out forever (outside of the resale market) are more valuable than things everyone gets as a daily drop every day.

If custom sprays had been a thing in CS:GO from day one, that had then been removed, and that had then subsequently reintroduced as valve-created-only and consumable only, backlash would be warranted.

e:

and no custom sprays...

If I'm right and they are doing this as a lognterm means to start directly funding pro teams, then by necessity you have to prevent custom sprays, because otherwise people will just "counterfeit" sprays.

 

[JaseC]

Sure, but in terms of making things clear to a customer, "all things [x] are consumable, all things [y] are permanent" rulesets are easily understandable and minimise the risk of trade scams ("Buy my super rare non-consumable spray!").

Oh, sure, but the matter of clarity doesn't strike me as insurmountable in the hypothetical scenario that both consumable and permanent sprays are to exist.

It's all part of creating different values within a system that by its nature has zero inherent value.

The motivation is clear. I simply don't agree with broadly making sprays consumable items.

e:


If I'm right and they are doing this as a lognterm means to start directly funding pro teams, then by necessity you have to prevent custom sprays, because otherwise people will just "counterfeit" sprays.

Categorically ruling out custom sprays is undoubtedly the goal here, at least in part, regardless of whether or not this is the foundation of a grander plan.