Home’s Class Divide, and Why It’s Good For Business
by NorseGamer, HSM Editor-in-Chief
By now, you’ve read Aeternitas’ excellent summation of the dissenting opinions on the matter of the Mansion and its marketing strategy, along with the discussion which took place afterward. This is not a rebuttal of his argument, but rather an advocacy for a possible solution.
First, let’s start with a base assumption: that any “thou shalt not” argument against Sony’s approach with the Mansion will be contrasted against the giant pile of money that the Mansion generated. Thus, Sony will logically continue to exploit class division to move product, for as long as it is a viable business strategy with superior demonstrable returns. And this is a strategy that I encourage.
I encourage it for one very specific reason: Sony has demonstrated that they’re willing to experiment with premium pricing strategies in order to see what people will buy. What a golden opportunity to convince them to put their resources into stuff that I want to see in Home!
I panned the Mansion when it came out, and I stand by that assessment. Yes, I know the Mansion made a fortune. But still. All the gold is really over the top. A blinged-out tiger? Really? On a personal level, I find the Mansion about as aesthetically appealing as William Hung’s singing career. All I can do is stare with my mouth hanging open and shake my head at the record deals.
The Mansion, to me, is just gauche. You can dress a gorilla up in a Brioni suit, but that doesn’t mean he knows how to wear the suit. The only part of the Mansion that appeals to me is the pool deck, but aside from the gold tchotchke, it doesn’t really offer anything to set itself apart from the Tropical Escape (which is a fraction of the price). An argument can be made that the second floor offers greater value due to its high number of picture frames and built-in games, but that’s still a pretty high price if you don’t already own other parts of the Mansion.
Mansion owners demand the Chavalier for their garages.
Interestingly enough — and I must emphasize this is on a personal level, because I’m going to look at the business side of things in a moment — the Mansion honked me off because of whom it appealed to. By that, I don’t mean the demographic. I mean the psychographic.
Sony decided to create a high-priced estate and play off of exclusivity to sell it. Same strategy they used with the Gold Suit. Love it. Great idea. No, what bugged me was whom they went after with the Mansion. Someone really does have to be a chav with more chrome in his teeth than his car to think the Mansion is aesthetically appealing. It’s the worst case of prole drift I’ve ever seen in Home.
But this does raise a question: what if a personal estate which I liked was released and priced (and marketed) so aggressively? Let’s say, for instance, Sony developed a replica of the Powerscourt Estate and broke it into four distinct sub-estates to sell independently. Same pricing strategy.
I’d buy them all in a heartbeat. Right now. Because, aesthetically, it would appeal to me — and pricing logic be damned. I get to enjoy my brandy snifter with Alistair Cooke and listen to my personal orchestra recite all of the Brandenburg Concertos.
Yes.
I’m looking for Home to come out with a Patek Philippe, and instead it’s trying to sell me a blinged-up 44mm Rolex instead. I love the idea of a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” marketing strategy. But if you have sufficient data to discern whom Home’s truly affluent repeat-spenders are, you might discover that more people are willing to spend more money for a sense of culture than a desire to show off.
And this, I think, is why some people really have a hard time with the marketing strategy used to promote the Mansion — because it’s an estate that’s aesthetically displeasing to them.
Michael Flatley emerges from his helicopter onto the lawn of his Castlehyde residence
I get that. I totally get that. If Sony developed the Powerscourt Estate and then deployed the jeep and the helicopter in other estates to whisk me to Powerscourt, I’d love it. Because I sank a bunch of money (relatively speaking, compared to other estates) on Powerscourt, and not only would this help me logically justify the purchase (even though it needed no justification), but it would, if I’m honest, hit an emotional button.
“Of course I’m entitled to the helicopter and the jeep,” would be my reaction. “I paid way more for my space and the extra benefits it affords. If you want it too, then read some Bernhard Roetzel and pony up the money!”
I have to ask: is it really so much about Home creating a social class distinction to sell product, or is it more about not being able to be a part of that “class” because what’s required to join is aesthetically displeasing?
Please market to *class,* not *crass.* The money will flow.
From a business standpoint, I think the jeep and the helicopter are a good idea. It further promotes interlinked public spaces and that sense of a Robin Leach lifestyle. For someone who dislikes the Mansion, though, I can see how this would be adding injury to insult: I have an estate with a non-functional component, and the only way to turn it on is to buy an overpriced (in my opinion) personal estate that offends my aesthetic sensibilities.
Yeah, I get the frustration. Ironically enough, the one point that I didn’t see raised is that some people may actually refrain from purchasing the Tycoon Penthouse and the Winter Vacation Villa specifically because they wish to protest their connection to the Mansion.
But let’s examine what we’re truly frustrated at.
I don’t think it has so much to do with the helicopter and the jeep themselves; they’re remarkably well-engineered and I don’t think anyone dislikes the idea of being able to go from one personal estate to another without using the Navigator. But let’s face it: would the detractors be as vocal if the jeep and the chopper connected to spaces that they liked?
The one contention I disagree with is the notion that it is somehow inappropriate for Sony to manufacture class division in Home to sell product. Even if everything in Home was absolutely free, the community would still divide into various classes. Bench glitchers. High scorers. Text-bubble colors. People with proper grammar. Et cetera. I have no problem at all with Sony exploiting human nature to sell product, because that’s no different than how things work in the real world.
I’m sure Sony knew, going in, that the Mansion was going to result in some negative feedback on the Sony forum and elsewhere. Same goes with the Easter eggs added to the Tycoon Penthouse and the Winter Vacation Villa. Because Sony is exploiting a rather disasteful human behavior pattern to drive sales: they’re catering to people who will spend money just to show off, and thus elevating the “class” of people who perhaps have little to begin with.
Grace Kelly sees your blinged-out Escalade. Grace Kelly is not impressed.
There are times when I feel like I’m a driving an Aston Martin DB9 and wondering why Home is catering to the guy who bought the Cadillac Escalade and garnished it with so much tinsel that even Xzibit would arch an eyebrow. I can only surmise that Home’s marketing and sales data suggests that there’s more disposable income being spent that group. On a personal level I find it disappointing, but on a business level I can hardly blame Sony for chasing the money.
And perhaps that’s what irks some people the most: the concern that their voices are being marginalized because the almighty balance sheet says the ROIC is worth breaking a few eggs to make an omelette.
Here’s the thing, though: speaking as someone who’s worked in resort development for nearly a decade, sometimes you do have to break eggs to make an omelette. I was hired by Ritz-Carlton during their reinvention a few years ago, and some of the brand’s most loyal supporters cried bloody murder over the changes that were made. It was difficult explaining to them that while they had been very loyal to Ritz, there just weren’t enough of them to sustain the business. Where we gained traction was when we convinced them to stop screaming about what they didn’t like and start telling us what they were willing to spend money on.
So, instead of railing against Home’s class divide, I’d rather go in the opposite direction and encourage it by telling Sony what I want to buy, in the hopes that they’ll build it for me. If Sony’s smart, they’ll actually play up this class divide they’ve manufactured by offering a competing personal estate which aesthetically appeals to a completely different group (namely, people with taste), so that I can rally behind it and encourage everyone to vote with their wallets and strike a blow for Alistair Cooke.
And then, when the inevitable backlash against that estate happens, hopefully everyone will describe in detail what they’re willing to spend a premium on. Because people will pay a premium to make a statement against other people who did the same thing. It’s not moral or immoral for Sony to exploit this. It’s amoral.
And here’s the best part: it’s the consumer who wins. If a developer thinks enough people are willing to pay a premium for something, they’ll go full-tilt in designing it. The more they raise the development costs, the more incentive they have to pay attention to what the community is willing to spend money on.
I don’t begrudge the chavs who bought the Mansion and made a bunch of money for Sony. I’m just impatiently waiting for Sony to develop the response to the Mansion so they can sell it to people like me who thought the Mansion was a gauche piece of MTV Cribs trash, and are willing to pay a premium to prove that point. And by god, I want a helicopter, a jeep, a yacht and a private jet to go with it, along with a selection of subtly refined gifts (apparel, jewelry, furniture, etc.) I may give to my houseguests. All of which I will pay a premium for as well. Then we’ll see where the true economic strength is in Home.
Powerscourt Estate, Sony. I’m telling you. Powerscourt.
October 28th, 2011 by NorseGamer | 36 comments
NorseGamer is the product manager for LOOT Entertainment at Sony Pictures, as well as the founder and publisher of HomeStation Magazine. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and presently lives in Los Angeles. All opinions expressed in HSM are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sony DADC.
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Grace Kelly traded her Hollywood bling for Monaco’s bling.
Ladders! Ladder! Home needs more ladders.
I wouldn’t buy the gold suit not if James Bond & Pussy Galore came with it but I enjoy occasionally seeing someone wearing the funny looking money suit.
The mansion was accidentally on sale for $20 total if one counts the free garage in the mix and that’s why I bought it. It’s kind of neat. I must put some pictures up of Buddy Rogers and Mary Pickford.
Cheerio! Carry on and climb up high, way up high… or whatever puts you on.
Yeah I’m still not seeing the down side of this possible class creation on Home or having these classes trying to outspend each other.On Home there aren’t any of the nastier real world side effects of class warfare,no Tsars or Kings losing their heads and no starving multitudes while the rich eat Caviar and swill $8000 a bottle wines.In the end Sony,IMO,should try to make as many classes as they possibly can and try to profit from each and every 1 of them.Why? Because it increases the chances that Home will have a long life and it gives ppl like myself that don’t view themselves as being in any particular class the luxury of getting the best of all worlds.Nintendo just announced that they lost $250 million in a quarter(or maybe for the year I forgot which),Sony itself just recently had a very bad quarter themselves(around $250 million in losses).If Home has a steady supply of profits,which it may have already but no reason to be complacent,it should be low on the chopping block list if it comes to that at Sony.I don’t think they tried to create classes on Home with the Mansion,just increase their ROIC, but there is such a thing as “The law of unintended consequences” so they may have done so(I’m not entirely sure about this as I own the Mansion and all it’s parts but don’t see my fellow Mansion owners as being distinct from non-mansion Home users as a group).IF they have why not profit from it?Sure some things might get over-priced to an extent but IMO any item that doesn’t enhance my Home experience with other users is just not very useful pixelated fluff that’s 100% over-priced already(games excluded).I agree Norse,much better to tell Sony what you do want than what you don’t so that they can make it for us and then I can buy the best items,in my view,from every class.Like I said before I’m greedy,lol.
Good reasoning Norse. What you said here is very true. It is people who make class distinctions between themselves, not Sony. Whether I own the mansion or not doesn’t make me any better or less than anyone else in my sphere of friends.
We have to remember there is a lot of stuff that determines what people buy in Home, the economic ability to buy stuff is one big factor. I have a lot of friends who own almost everything and and every estate in Home. But they don’t lord it over the rest of us like we are peons or something, in fact I have found them to be some of the most generous people I know, because they realize that not everyone has the ability to use any of their income to buy things.
This whole class division idea is silly as far as I am concerned. But I agree that if we constructively criticize instead of just shout negatively about it, much more will be accomplished. This is true in everything.
When it comes to a space I would pay a premium for, a castle of any kind would fall into that category for me, one with taste as you have suggested. I think a castle with added areas like a stable with NPC horses and a mini-game, a kitchen with a cooking game or something, and there could be a first and second floor with attached mini-games as well, perhaps a castle defense type game. I think that having games attached to anything increases its worth in my eyes. These are things I would pay extra for.
I am a self confessed social climber in Home. I am not an elitist yet I do some thing that could be seen as elitist, but I would defend myself by saying I am going for non-conformity or originality. I tend to not bother myself with the free stuff because, and I use this phraseology reluctantly, it becomes common place. That sounds elitist at face value but what it means is that everyone would own it and it losses its value to me if there is a glutted market. Like many people my free t-shirt collection is in storage. I only pull one out and wear it if I am going to be doing some virtual yard work or climbing under a virtual car to change the oil. I am a woman, and like in real life, we don’t like showing up somewhere and having someone else wearing the same outfit.
As for the Mansion, it is way to Donald Trump meets Flava Flav for me. The marketing strategy didn’t bother me. If I felt it was worth the price, I would have bought it. Much like the DeLorean, apart from its novelty as a time machine and its gull wing doors and brushed stainless steal skin, it wasn’t much of a car. I would not put it on my car wish list. But to some it struck a cord and they had to have it… to each their own. I kinda like the Tycoon Apartment but haven’t bought it either. But if I did, I would understand that the helicopter wouldn’t be part of it and that’s okay, I would rather use the helipad as a place to do my sheet shooting (bet that sounds elitist to). Sony keep exploring what the Home market will buy. And keep mixing it up. Like Norse, I would like to see a castle with or with out add ons.Or maybe an awesome space station that orbits the earth and uses real satellite info to map the weather patterns. And lots of add ons like a weightless rec room or a mini game where you do experiments in space like growing gardens or have spiders building webs. And maybe the Easter egg could be a shuttle that does a flaming re entry to fly me back to my ever growing castle.
Or better yet, give us the tools and wherewithal to build our own private spaces… I would spend a fortune to be able to create my own space that would be of my own design and there for a one of a kind. Oh, and if you need more ideas Sony, I am available to telecommute and we can talk about my salary.
Norse, you don’t seem to have understood the meaning of my latest article. How many people are there in Home who want a blinged-out Tiger? Probably a lot more than would appreciate an Oriental rug. That’s why one of the few things I didn’t take Sony to task for is the demographic which they chose to pursue.
Sorry if it came across in that manner, but as I stated at the end of my article, my only “real” objection to the Mansion is the way in which Sony is trying to foist it upon everyone else. The fact that I personally find the Mansion vulgar just adds insult to injury. I don’t ever expect Sony to create a Rosslyn Chapel themed personal space, but if they did, I would still object if it was tied to other spaces through vehicular portals, or by any other means for that matter. As I also stated in my article, it’s the principle which concerns me.
In this respect, when I referred to a “class divide” I was not referring to any real-world social classes but rather to the practical effects of creating linkages between the Mansion and other Home spaces. Personally I thought Sony did a decent enough job with the Winter Villa, but I have never purchased it because of its linkage to the Mansion.
100% with you,and to add fuel to the fire:
I observed how sony HIDE the fact that there was an helico for the mansion s’ owner in tycoon tour,after the tempest of protestation generated by the jeep in winter vacation tour!
for me its like signing a confession! Hide the truth
to his consumers tell us a lot about the “ethic” of this kind of buisiness practices…SADLY!
I usually agree with your posts 100% too Sorrow.
I would so totally own a Home version of the Rosslyn Chapel.
Last night, I purchased the Winter Vacation Villa. I don’t own any parts of the Mansion. As a result, there’s no Jeep parked outside. Thus, it’s entirely feasible that the average consumer could happily own the Winter Villa, not own the Mansion, and have no clue that there’s even a Jeep to begin with. I’m not really sure how that constitutes a hard sell.
Here’s an idea: what if something like the Jeep and the helicopter were functional for everyone as a link to Central Plaza (or, soon, the Hub) — *BUT* if you own X-number of Mansion pieces, it also links you directly to the Mansion as well? Would that make a difference?
Yes, it would make a huge difference. My only complaint revolves around the forced linkage to the Mansion. If the items were functional as portals to other Home spaces as well, then I wouldn’t have an objection.
Yes it would make a difference if everyone who purchased the Villa and Tycoon apts had access to the jeep and the helicopter. And yes links to other spaces besides the mansion would at least be better than what exists currently – no jeep or helicopter period.
And relative to people not knowing that’s a cop out. Users will visit friends and see it. It is a hard sell plain and simple. Please step back and see it for what it is and don’t give Sony a free ride. I own 3 parts of the mansion personally and could buy these spaces but I won’t.
Sorry I’m not interested in pushing a class divide in Home based on some arbitrary purchase of a personal space like the mansion.
I’m really sorry to see HomeStation condoning this. AET hit the nail on the head with his article. Home Station should have stood up and agreed with what he had to say and not come out with something basically the opposite the following day.
Sure different people see things differently. I’m just curious if you think it’s ok to take this to public spaces as well? One can’t enter a certain area in a public space unless they own the mansion. Does that work for you too? Where does it end?
If the developers want more revenue I would suggest they localize it for the EU, Japan and Asia but don’t use it as a means of making those in North America who didn’t elect to buy this have to feel less that those who did.
Sorry there are those who have spent thousands of dollars on home and if they didn’t elect to buy the mansion I don’t think they should be made to feel like they don’t count or shouldn’t have access to things others who purchased the mansion do.
If you want to give mansion owners perks make an add on to the mansion. It’s pretty simple. They aren’t targeting owners. They are targeting those who don’t own it.
As far as public spaces go there is already a place that you must buy something to enter.In Sodium 1 there is a lounge that you can’t enter unless you buy the Salt Shooter game and I never heard anyone complain about that.As for Homestation backing Aeternitas33 on his opinions all I can say is that IF these differences of opinion are not about something unseen then I’m glad both sides have spoken as they see things.Open and honest debate is the best when there are different opinions on things IMO.Speaking truth to power and to friends is the best way I know of to make a difference.Maybe I’m missing something because this discussion feels like it’s about alot more than a jeep and a helicopter but I’m not sure why everyone on this magazine should have the same opinion on things or blindly back each other up if they feel differently about something.I also don’t see why ppl should feel differently about each other over expressed differences of opinion,so I hope this isn’t the case here.
Jo, Home’s social issues are the bread and butter of HSM. For the last year, we’ve pulled apart social issues and examined them, often from multiple points of view (hence why I tend to use “Firing Line” references when describing HSM). By default, not everyone is going to agree with everything that’s printed — and the stronger someone feels about a particular issue, the more that person will naturally only want their point of view supported. You clearly feel very strongly on this issue.
With regard to public spaces: there are presently two examples of public spaces which cannot be entered unless other products/services have been purchased. One would be the VIP lounge at the Sodium Hub. The other, in SCEE Home, is the lounge that’s available exclusively to PlayStation Plus members. To my best knowledge, there hasn’t been any uproar over this. If anything, my biggest criticism of those two spaces is that there isn’t anything to *do* in them. If Lockwood was smart, they’d extend the Scorpio’s bar music into the lounge, so that it could function as a semi-private dance floor.
Is it thus such a big leap to experiment with offering content in one private estate that’s only available if you own another? If I go to someone else’s Winter Villa and see they have a Jeep and I don’t, my logical action is to ask the Villa owner how he got that Jeep. Once I know that it’s available to me if I purchase enough pieces of the Mansion, it becomes a value proposition: is the Jeep worth the price tag?
Jo, you and I have both spent thousands of dollars in Home. For both of us, the value proposition in this discussion isn’t worth it. However, I certainly don’t feel like a second-class citizen as a result. If I’m interpreting your response correctly, it seems like you do?
If I’m wrong, then please forgive me for misreading your response; if I’m right, then it poses an interesting question: is it worth the price tag Sony has set for you to not have that feeling?
That’s why I love these sorts of stories: because they’re *interesting.* They’re newsworthy. And it’s fascinating to watch the ripple effects when Sony or a third-party developer tries something new.
If there was a public space that I couldn’t enter unless I owned the Mansion, and it was a space I really, really wanted to get into, then I’d have to reevaluate that value proposition. If I want into a first-class lounge at Heathrow, for instance, I have to purchase a first-class airline ticket. The house that I live in, the car that I drive, and the watch that I wear are all irrelevant to what’s required to get into that lounge.
The article’s opening paragraph states that it’s not a rebuttal of Aeternitas’ excellent article. He summed up the dissenting opinions against the Mansion’s marketing strategy extremely well, and focused on logic rather than knee-jerk emotion. He did the same thing with the glitching issue after the 1.55 update. Rather, I’m approaching the subject from a different perspective: namely, why not use Sony’s latest strategy and bend it to our advantage?
You mention that you’re not interested in pushing a class divide in Home based on some arbitrary purchase of a personal space like the Mansion. Fair enough. Neither am I. But what *would* interest you in pushing a class divide? If I’m Sony, what *can* I convince you to spend even more money on? And then, when people rail against that, what can I convince *them* to spend even more money on?
Again, as stated in the article, this is operating under the assumption that Sony continues to employ this strategy. What they’ll logically take into account are the sales results and insights from community feedback (both positive and negative) that they can use to maximize sales. If we don’t see further ventures in interlinked estates, that’ll be indicative that it didn’t help sales (at least sufficiently to offset negative feedback). I’m anticipating that we likely will see further experimentation with it, which is why I’m advocating that it’s a great time to tell Sony what we’re all willing to spend a premium on.
I don’t want to speak for Joanna, but I believe I know her mind on this issue, and so I believe she’ll forgive me for saying that you seem to be misunderstanding us. Joanna is *not* saying that the Mansion should not be used to create a class divide in Home, but that such a divide would be acceptable if it were created through some other means. She is saying, rather clearly in my opinion, that artificial class divides should *not* be created at all. That is also my position. If you and SCEA are determined to create such a divide anyway, don’t expect individuals such as Joanna and myself to help you.
::shrug:: Artificial class division takes place in Home anyway. Bench glitchers. Text bubble colors. Proper grammar. Et cetera. Why decry a developer for taking advantage of human nature to drive sales? We live in a capitalistic culture where such a tactic is utilized every day to drive prices. Hence why I used the example of a first-class lounge at an airport.
I find the Mansion distasteful. I don’t own any parts of it, and so I don’t even have a Jeep at my Winter Villa. Does this make me feel like a lesser citizen in some way? Not at all. If there was a public space I couldn’t get into because I don’t own the Mansion, that probably wouldn’t change my position, either — unless it was something so compelling that the experience alone was worth the price tag, and I happen to have the Mansion to go with it.
I spent a few bucks buying the Sodium racer outfit (which promptly went into storage) because it gave me 45 levels of Sodium One; the VIP lounge at the Sodium Hub is just icing on the cake.
Here’s a question: let’s say that the Jeep and Helicopter were available as for-purchase downloadable content for the Winter Villa and Tycoon Penthouse. That way, the client has the option to purchase the additional functionality. Would that make a difference?
It’s these sorts of insights which I personally think are very valuable; if Sony intends to continue with this as a sales strategy, I figure I might as well, as a consumer, try to steer it where I want it to go.
To put this as bluntly as I can, if Sony wants to create an “MTV Crib”, and people want to buy it, then let them. The only thing I care about is that Sony not try to shove said “MTV Crib” in my face and imply that I’m somehow less of a Home citizen because I don’t own it, because not only will I laugh in their face, I will also refuse to purchase any and all Home items created by SCEA.
For reference here: Some people complained that the Jeep was part of the Villa tour even though it was not there unless you owned 3 parts of the Mansion. Others here are complaining the helicopter was NOT part of the Tycoon tour, a decision that was made to address the concerns of the people complaining about the Villa. It is clear now that either is a red herring to what is being protested -- content (a Navigator Bar alternative) that is only unlocked by up-selling other spaces. My feeling is that the protestors will win and there will be no more Jeeps or helicopters. The reason will be that very few people are motivated to voice their support in the way that protestors voice their dissent.
The reality is that there is no class system set up by Sony. You can just as easily point to any item that is not free and use it as a symbol of class creation. Some people claim that the volume of clothing available creates a class seperation in that not everyone can own all the clothes. It is not true, but the claim is out there. It is a perspective.
Obi-Wan: “Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
Well I certainly support Navigator Bar alternatives,anything that saves me time is a bonus.I think what’s being protested isn’t the technology but the fact that you must spend cash on the Mansion to get it.Maybe it’s because I already had the Mansion that I don’t see the problem.I view it as a bonus to those that spent the cash on the Mansion,so ty to whoever thought of them.I don’t think they add much to the overall looks to the place but whenever I want to travel between these areas I use them to save time.Much like the way Lockwood put linking teleporters in the “Blaster’s Paradise” space to Sodium’s 1&2.I use those all the time when I want to go to the linked areas.
If the jeep and/or helicopter could transport the user to a self-configured list of personal or private spaces, then it would be far more practical. You could potentially place your 5 favourite spaces into the “jeep GPS menu” or the “helicopter auto-pilot” as a short-cut. “It’s time to race the dolphies, fly me to Hudson Gate” or whatever.
Another option could be a method for transporting all of your guests from one personal space to another. “Attention all Penthouse guests, we will now be boarding the helicopter for the Winter Villa”
As it stands now, the jeep and helicopter just seem like a method to coerce users into buying more personal spaces. I don’t like the idea of needing to buy more personal spaces to activate the full features of one that you already own.
“Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things…
I am tempted to think…
There are no little things.
-Bruce Barton
I struggled with what to say on this topic, so I’ll just ramble a bit..
For me, I am known to say I did not care about the price of something on here. I bought a dress that cost 10 dollars. I might buy the diamond bundle I don’t know yet. I am deciding if it has a return value for me. To paraphrase what Joanna Dark said before, when I buy something, it needs to have the ability to be multi tasked. I do not look at something and ask if I purchase it, will it demote me or elevate me to another tier on the HOME social ladder?
I have a tendency to look at the purchases I make as an investment into the video projects we produce. If I need it I will buy it. When I bought the Winter Villa and did not see the jeep, I went out and bought what I needed to acquire that jeep. I did not buy the Villa for the jeep or to be at a social class level. I would have bought the jeep if sold separately. I needed it for video shoot. Same as for the Tycoon space. I would love to have that helicopter waiting for me at my Tropical space, and if we could fly it to The Hub and land on the yacht moored at the Pier Park there, how epic would that be?
Are these two commodities used as bait to buy upgrades? Sony is a business that is in the business of making money. Yes they are an entertainment company but it is still about the bottom line. If they made more video making equipment/props for us machinamers to purchase, are they creating social class and would they attempt to exploit that? I would hope so, because I would if I was a decision maker at Sony.
I would not refrain from purchasing a commodity because of a person or group telling me on how it might personify me.
As a retail marketer my self, I can see a reason for that approach. Take the Sodium 2 solo racer machines.. To be competitive you are going to have to keep a supply of booster rockets. Eventually you will max out your level and the credits you receive will be less. Working at Scorpios hustling drinks gives you a small return on your labor and squishing scorpions is boring. At some point I needed decide how to get those boosters. I bought what I needed. Did Sony have this premise in mind from the onset? For me it does not matter. They are a business and I am a greedy consumer as well as a stock holder.
If there are indeed some type of social classes being formed on Home, well, we are a product of our environment. To me this is cause and effect. When Sony creates a commodity with a certain price point, I choose to believe they are very aware of the consequences their decisions have. As NorseGamer articulated earlier: artificial classes are already prevalent on HOME. The Nation of Avatars has been exploiting that since they started making “fams” on here.. Social classes are a way of life in the real world and I see how that can’t but find its way into the realm of HOME. My position is I am indifferent to it. To my surprise I was dubbed an elitist because of my affiliations on HOME. I scoffed at that notion. There was a adage that went something like: “It is their reality therefore it is real to them”.
HOME is what a person makes of it.
I see Sony as presenting many different options out there for the consumer. Not everything we like nor is everything is bad or “conspiracy driven”. I see Sony as making tremendous leaps and bounds by constantly responding to reader/player feedback. I would say if your gonna give me a jeep and a helicopter( which I use alot) maybe allow me some diversity in its use.
Darth Vader: Asteroids do not concern me,Admiral. I want that ship and not excuses.
The notion that buying any item on Home grants a user access to an upper class is laughable at best and pathetic at worst. The only thing that’s extraordinary about any of this gaudy, golden-pixel painted rubbish is the price. I had the same argument on the Playstation Forum a few months ago with some lad who was planning on buying the cheeseball gold suit for “bragging rights”. Ugh. I advised him to buy the suit if he liked it but not to believe it would impress anyone.
If someone can afford to buy an Alpine estate or Rolls Royce Phantom in real life, it certainly places the buyer among the socioeconomic elite class. The problem with the “Exclusive” merchandise on Home is that anybody can afford to buy it if they choose to do so. I could buy the mansion, villa and tycoon penthouse along with every other personal space without making much of a dent in my finances. So what? I’m sure that any 15 year old slinging burgers at McDonald’s could own them as well. I can hardly say the same thing about buying a 90-foot luxury yacht to cruise the Greek Islands in real life.
The perception of exclusive items and the supposed elite status to which they entitle the buyer is entirely fabricated by Sony for marketing purposes. I’ve chided Locust_Star and Glasswalls in the past for their use of the terms “elite class” and “exclusive” in the blogs. A free item that is only available for a week (Central Plaza souvenir) or a difficult reward to win (Golden VICKIE) are far more exclusive than anything available in the mall. If someone likes an expensive object enough to justify the price, then he/she should definitely buy it. Just don’t feel like the purchases are reserved for some high society of Home. As far as I’m concerned, the popularity of $15 pixelated suits and $35 virtual mansions just proves P.T. Barnum’s legendary maxim.
*SIGH* I have to say that assuming that everyone can buy whatever they want on Home is just wrong. I cannot afford the mansion (not that I would buy it if I could). I bought the Winter Villa and I hate that I do not have the jeep. I see enough class divisions in real life (yes, based solely on money). I HATE seeing it on Home, too.
Yes Liza. Someone with common sense and a realistic view of where we should be and where we should be going.
Just to clarify the discussion from earlier now that the Beta NDA is over I’ve made this video. Obviously the debate wasn’t just about a jeep and a helicopter. For those who support this separation as fine and dandy I will say I’m really disappointed in all of you. This was vehemently opposed in the Beta forum. That debate had little to no effect sadly with the launching of our New Home.
This is absolutely ridiculous in my view and for a Sony official here to seem to find this just find and dandy is extremely disappointing. North American Home needs to get a clue.
It’s a sad state of affairs and heaven only knows where it will end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecTGPvMhPM8&feature=player_profilepage
I’m done with this debate in this comments section. Supporting Sony at any cost seems to be the order of the day with some I’m afraid.
Obi-wan would have been opposed to this development I suspect. Money appears to be the only truth some are concerned about. That is really sad.
I just watched this video and all I could conjour up is that it is reminiscent of the Ea Fight Night space. Those who had a Diamond bracelet from the black poker tables were allowed access behind the ropes and on the stage. Someone please educate me for I am at a loss to see how that constitutes a social class separation. Anyone can find poo in a pot of gold if they just move the pieces around..
Well it creates at least 2 classes,those who have and those who have not,don’t need to move much poo to see that.When those that have not see what those that have possess they buy the item themselves if they like it,secretly or openly yearn to buy it but are unable to buy it for financial reasons or reject the idea of buying it(for w/e reasons).This could be seen as intentionally or unintentionally creating classes by Sony by some ppl.When it comes to other classes/groups I just don’t see class seperations created by users and voluntarily joined by all involved as a bad thing.Ppl generally flock to like minded others to spend their time with and to say that user created class distinctions on Home are universally a bad thing is just wrong in my view.I’m pretty sure that the whole idea behind Home was to make money right from the start,very few ppl go into business solely for the reason of making other ppl happy.There is almost always a profit motive,however,IF a company can make it’s customers happy while making cash it works out much better for all involved.Now IF there were a great outcry for supplying a group/class of ppl with certain items why would Sony refuse to make them happy?I don’t think Sony is in business to alienate it’s customers,not much profit there.Like I said before,I have no idea if they were trying to make a group/class of ppl on Home happy or not.What I’m trying to get across is this:Why shouldn’t Sony find out what these classes/groups are and give them what they want?After all,I believe that’s what brought the poker room back.I wish the jeep and helicopter did more too,heck I could make a very long list of things I wish we could do or have but I’m not gonna leave Home or stop buying things until my “wish list” comes true.These might be the 1st baby steps to some of the things I truly do want from my wish list.
The difference is that EA Fight Night space VIP’s had to earn those diamond bracelets by playing poker in Home. The people who played enough poker to earn the diamond bracelet were arguably deserving of their VIP distinction.
Sony was not trying to sell the bracelets with the attached VIP status.
Yeah the poker bracelets are a poor analogy but the VIP area in Sodium 1 is a closer analogy.What is the difference between having to buy Salt-Shooter in order to get into the VIP area and having to buy the Mansion in order to use the jeep or helicopter?(Other than price)
Ya, the poker bracelet thingy was more about what the video reminded me of. The Sodium and jeep/helicopter are a great reference. For me none of it matters I guess. I have the attitude that if I want something I will get it. As for the Sodium VIP area, When I asked people how come I did not have access and discovered what was needed, I went and got it. Just as I did with the jeep.
I still do not understand why that should divide people into classes as CTHULU93 referenced: the haves and have nots. I understand how it could evolve because that is something I believe to be emotionally based. But why should it? Why is to difficult for people just to relish in what they have and not be jealous of what others do? I see all three of the items as a great reward for purchasing all of the spaces. Sony gives out alot of rewards to people who choose not to spend alot if any money on here. I see it a balance. Am I out of touch and don’t see this as an issue like other people have chosen to be vocal about?
Why should purchased items create a class divide?It shouldn’t but it often does.What I’m talking about in references to Sony selling to classes are the classes we make ourselves based on mutual interests,you know things like a shared interest in art for example might indicate to Sony that they should sell things that would benefit art lovers if there were a class of ppl that asked for items based on that love.Classes are probably even broader than “fams” in definition but I believe that if Sony were to look into these class distinctions it would provide some good market research for them.Why are ppl jealous of what others do or own?Who knows but coveting our neighbors goods and being jealous of others are some very deeply ingrained traits of mankind.I’m not claiming these are good or bad things,like Norse pointed out business is often amoral,I’m just saying that I see no good reason why Sony shouldn’t use our faults to their profit advantage,after all they can play on these things but in the end we are responsible for what we buy.Neither is Sony responsible for how our purchases make us feel,as long as the purchases work and aren’t deceptively sold.
In my mind, the Sodium analogy does not necessarily apply either. The Sodium VIP room could be considered a pilot’s lounge and thus open to pilots, i.e. owners of the pilot jacket. The room never really had much to offer anyway that would give anybody the incentive to buy the jacket for access. People bought the jacket to play the game, period.
This theatre VIP floor, on the other hand, has absolutely nothing to do with the mansion. It’s just an attempt by Sony to boost sales of the personal space. I don’t know what lies beyond the velvet rope and, therefore, cannot comment on its value as a purchase incentive.
The part that irks me about the jeep and the helicopter is that buyers do not get full value for their purchase without buying another space. If the jeep is a feature of the villa then it should be there for anyone who buys the villa, likewise the helicopter. Just my opinion.
The funny part for me is that I didn’t know what that velvet rope in the theatre was all about. I thought that people were just glitching past it. Duh on me.
So just to be clear, anybody who owns part (or parts) of the mansion can access the upper floor?
Not that it matters much to me really. I don’t own the mansion, the villa nor the tycoon penthouse. Nor do I care much about the jeep, helicopter nor the VIP floor at the theatre. Let’s face it…the supposed VIP spaces on Home are all lame anyway.
Sodium VIP = always empty
Guitar Hero VIP = forgotten
EA Fight Night VIP = long gone
PS+ lounge in EU = tacky
VIP stairway to the second floor of the theatre = big whoop-dee-freakin-doo!
The silliest thing about this “rope” controversy is that if the rope didn’t exist, and I went up the forbidden stairs to the top, all I would find is some doors I can’t use because I don’t own the mansion. The rope is kind of redundant as it really changes nothing. I think that the area doors at the top would have been better used if they took you to the different floors in the mall, like a real theater, and maybe the Hub and if they wanted to keep one for the mansion with a built in option to choose which floor to go to,like the jeep and helicopter do, so be it. This makes everyone happy, without causing so much ruckus.
They should take the rope down and let people find that it changes nothing. Then the next debate will start about changing the doors instead.
When it comes to class divides in Home, it will happen irregardless of what Sony does it is human nature, but I agree they shouldn’t foment it with their marketing. Doing as I said above and making one door the access point to the mansion would have sufficed.
Well of course the idea of classes on Home based on purchases is silly,I don’t think that’s in question.What is in question is whether or not it’s successful in pushing sales.If it increases sales for Sony I don’t see a problem with the way it’s now being used.Is there potential for that way of thinking to go too far?Of course there is.I just don’t think it’s reached that point yet.If ppl want to believe they are upper class because they bought some gold items why should we destroy their fantasy?As long as they’re not harming others I support their right to be self-delusional.I also support my right to laugh in their faces if they take it too far.As for the marketing angle the truth is if it works it will stay,if it doesn’t work it probably won’t stay.Of course it could be more practical,many things on Home could be but from my point of view the jeep and helicopter was a unlooked for bonus content for nothing more than I had already spent.Coercion would imply that you are being forced to buy something against your will,I just don’t see that here.Sony can’t make you buy anything,only our wants,desires,greed,jealousies,fantasies,etc. can do that and I have no desire to disparage others purposes of buying something.Only when they flash it in my face and expect me to agree with their fallacious class assumptions will I question them about their reasons.Having to have the “right” reasons,in other ppl’s minds,to buy something just seems odd to me.We are free to be foolish with our cash for w/e reasons we see fit and I see no reason Sony shouldn’t play into the odd reasons as well as the “right” ones in order to hawk their virtual wares.
Put a stick in front of a group of people. Some will see it as a tool to move heavy things. Some will see it as a basis for a game. Some will see it as a weapon to conquer others.
The stick is, at once, all of these things and none of them. It is ultimately our individual perception of the stick that guides how we think about it.
The same goes for any sort of item-based class distinction, in Home or elsewhere. The only thing Home can ultimately offer us is a simulation of experience. What we bring to that simulation speaks volumes about who we are as individuals. Some will want to emulate the life they have, or aspire to, while others will see an opportunity to write the ills of the real world out of this reality. Those are the emotions that items like the Mansion and the Gold Suit prey upon, and they are dangerous emotions for marketers to toy with, because they generate visceral reactions on both sides.
I’ll criticize Norse for reading far too little into the emotional significance of these items. Glitchers, high-scorers and those who value grammar are nonstratified affinity groups. You earn your way into those groups by demonstrating a specific set of skills that the group finds appealing, whether it’s figuring out how to get on a bench or using punctuation as intended.
High-priced items come with no skill requirement, and no common bond among the buyers other than the ability to spend money. There is no intrinsic affinity among Gold Suit wearers or Mansion buyers, other than their decision to spend money on a particular item, something that anyone can do.
Yet there are those who will believe that these purchases place them in some rarefied social strata. Encouraging this behavior may put a few extra coins in the register, but it happens at the cost of those consumers who either don’t like these particular items or don’t believe they’re worth the money. To those consumers, the continual addition of perks for a subset of the community reeks of class separation, and in the long run will likely tend to inhibit sales more than grow them.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with Home rewarding its most loyal customers, it’s a matter of how its done. Why not go the Veemee route and add features to the Mansion spaces, as was done with The London Pub? Why not toss a special item to Mansion owners from time to time? Why must these rewards take the form of perks hidden in unrelated personal and public spaces?
I own all of the Mansion, so I’m a beneficiary of this largesse, but it doesn’t encourage me to buy anything. Winter Vacation Villa and Tycoon Penthouse joined my private spaces because of their merits and design, not because of some add-on.
As a professional marketer, this decision to create a “mansion class” in Home makes me shake my head, in part because it rewards fealty to a handful of spaces that not everyone wants to own, thus limiting participation, and in part because of the anger it engenders in a portion of the community. As a marketing experiment, it has not gone well.
Successful loyalty programs are broad-based and offer people some choice in how they participate. nDreams almost hit it right with their rewards program, but their failure to expand the qualifying items ultimately defines what the level of participation will be. If Home wants to reward users with a loyalty program, base it on spending, as Sony did with the $10 reward program in October.
Anything less is going to create a perception of a class divide, because a narrow portion of the user base is receiving special attention. That is the whole point of a loyalty program, but it should be based on broader criteria than ownership of a particular set of personal spaces.
Thank you for so clearly saying what I have been trying to say for weeks. Sony is alienating a large group of people who may individually spend as much as the mansion owners, by making a class divide between the have’s and have-not’s. I don’t believe this is a class divide that WE are making, but one that Sony is deliberately making for profit. I can only hope that this idea fails, as it should, so we can see an end to this.
Never having seen MTV, I can only guess what an “MTV crib” is. Spaces like the Mansion are much older than MTV: for examples, tour the waterfront mansions at Newport, RI and Saratoga, FL. The Mansion is a hoot, I enjoy it, but I bought the parts because I am fascinated by the idea of connectivity and add-ons for spaces. “Connectivity” turned out to be quite different from what I hoped but maybe some day… Can’t we suggest add-ons for existing spaces? How about a 2nd floor for the Harbour apt, w connections to the docks & a mooring for our yacht, whether it’s the Santorini or the Amaterasu? How about a connection to a beach or underwater scuba diving for a yacht? And I have more wants, as I’m sure most Home users have, for expanding my favorite spaces. That’s the real issue. People who want to sort others & themselves into groups will always find a way.
Another fine article.Sure getting my attention HSM.
Here,Here to Powerscourt !! Salute!
I need to get my Cary Grant on. Judy,Judy,Judy. Anyone for a spot of tea?
lol