This week both EVE Online and Final Fantasy XIV launched what I will call Valentine's Day sales in their respective cash shops. Neither CCP or Square Enix labeled the sales as such, but the theme is there. In the case of the EVE cash shop, the sale ends on Valentine's Day. For the FFXIV cash shop, all the items except one are connected to the in-game Valentione event. I think each sale says something about the games.
First is the EVE announcement.
Skilful capsuleers,
Now is the time to accelerate and focus your skill training, with a pair of Boost Bundle deals exclusively available in the EVE Store.
Head to the EVE Store between now and 14 Feb, and you’ll find the Expert Boost Bundle available with 25% off the regular price. Containing 1,500,000 Skill Points and an Expert Cerebral Accelerator that grants pilots +10 to all attributes for 10 days, letting you get even more out of your newly acquired SP.
Also available until 14 Feb is the new time-limited Basic Boost Bundle. Containing 500,000 Skill Points, a Standard Cerebral Accelerator that grants a +4 increase to all attributes for 4 days, and 10 Daily Alpha Injectors. Daily Alpha Injectors each provide 50,000 Skill Points. Use Alpha Injectors to top up on critical skills as you journey through New Eden in pursuit of your goals.
The Basic Boost Bundle won't be around for long, so make sure to pick up yours before 14 Feb!
What do EVE players love? Power. For this Valentine's Day, CCP is selling the power players cannot lose to others: skill points.
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| Selling the Expert Boost and Basic Boost Bundles |
CCP touts the training boost bundles as follows:
- Boost your training: Cerebral Accelerators temporarily boost all attributions to train faster.
- Train skills instantly: Unallocated Skill Points can be applied to any skill of choice.
In USD, the Basic Boost Bundle and Expert Boost Bundle cost $14.99 and $29.99 each. The FOMO factor is the indication the Basic Boost Bundle will disappear after Valentine's Day. The Expert Boost Bundle is $10 off until then.
How about Square Enix? What do FFXIV players love? Glamour and housing items alongside mounts. Oh, and music. Can't forget the music, although this post does not cover the release of the latest mini-album with songs from Endwalker.
The announcement on the Lodestone was rather bare bones:
New optional items will be added to the FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Store starting Thursday, February 9 at 2:00 a.m. (PST). We’re also hosting a limited-time sale on a selection of Valentione’s Day items, so don’t miss out!
Visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Store.
* The items featured above will be available for purchase after the scheduled maintenance on Thursday, February 9 around 2:00 a.m. (PST). Please visit the News section for detailed maintenance information.
* During periods immediately following the sale of new optional items, congestion in the delivery system may cause item deliveries to take longer than usual.
The three new optional items are a mount and the two items given out during last year's Valentione's event. Square Enix creates new items for each year's holiday events and begins selling them in the cash shop beginning with the next year's event. The Postmoogle Barding for player's chocobos and the Authentic Valentione Mobile for homes were earnable in the game last year.
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| The new items added to the cash shop |
What do the sales tell me about the games? That EVE Online is a pay-to-win game and CCP doesn't mind selling power to its players. And FFXIV? That the game has a not so serious side. Perhaps more importantly, Sqare Enix doesn't feel it has to embrace the try-hard side of the game all the time.
But perhaps I'm being unfair to both games. Are the sales really reflections of the games, or of the players?
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| The Dote emote in action |
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