Valorant Skin Prices Are Absolutely Criminal.

Summary

In this video, the creator expresses frustration with Valorant's VCT knife pricing strategy, particularly focusing on the inflation of skin prices and deceptive bundle-only deals. They argue that Riot Games' pricing manipulations, like artificially inflating values and restricting single-item purchases, are misleading to players. Despite still enjoying the game, the creator questions Riot's business practices and hints at moving away from buying skins in the future. They also touch on the issues with radianite and strategic pricing, hoping for future changes to improve the player experience. The video ends with a brief plug for Marvel Rivals content creation.

Takeaways

• 😀 The price of the VCT knives has increased from 5440 VP to 5850 VP, which is seen as a significant price hike.
• 😠 Despite the price increase, the user acknowledges that Riot Games might have intentionally kept the price under 6000 VP to limit inflation.
• 💸 The user is frustrated with the pricing system, particularly with bundles where items like knives are bundled with less desirable items, making the bundle cost more.
• 🛑 The user highlights that the pricing of the knife at $32 (claimed value) as part of the bundle is misleading because the knife is only available through bundles, not individually.
• ⚠️ The bundle’s '40% discount' is seen as a deceptive marketing tactic, as the knife cannot be purchased individually for the claimed discounted price.
• 😡 The user believes that this pricing strategy is a form of false advertising and feels that Riot is misrepresenting the value of the items within the bundles.
• 💡 If the knife were priced individually, the user feels it would likely sell more, as players would be willing to pay for a $32 knife without unnecessary add-ons.
• 📉 The user expresses concern over Riot's inflation tactics, suggesting that strategic pricing forces players to purchase higher VP amounts than necessary.
• 🤔 Despite the criticism of pricing, the user still appreciates the artistry and effort of Riot's developers, though they separate the game's business side from the art.
• 💥 The user hints that they may stop purchasing limited edition skins if pricing continues to be frustrating, despite enjoying the skins themselves.
• 🔄 The user hopes Riot can adjust its pricing strategy and be more transparent about its decisions, but remains cautious about future purchases.
• 🕹️ The user mentions diversifying their content by exploring other games like Marvel Rivals and promoting a Discord community for it, signaling a shift in focus.

Q & A

What is the main issue being raised about the VCT knife pricing?

The main issue is that the VCT knife prices have inflated, with the price increasing from 5440 VP to 5850 VP. The frustration comes from the pricing strategy, where bundles are priced misleadingly with fake discounts and forced purchases of additional items, which adds to the overall cost.

How does the pricing for the VCT knife bundle appear deceptive?

The bundle shows a supposed discount of 40%, but the knife can only be purchased through the bundle. The individual price for the knife is artificially inflated to make the discount appear larger than it really is. The buddy and card items also have inflated values that make the deal seem better than it is.

What does the creator suggest would make the knife more appealing to buyers?

The creator suggests that if the knife were priced individually at around 3200 VP, it would sell much better, as buyers would be more inclined to purchase it without the unnecessary bundled items.

Why does the creator feel the pricing strategy is misleading?

The creator believes the pricing strategy is misleading because the claimed 'discount' is based on inflated prices for items that cannot be bought individually. This leads to false advertising, as the discount can't actually be realized unless the customer purchases unnecessary items in the bundle.

What comparison does the creator make with previous VCT knife prices?

The creator compares the current price of 5850 VP to the previous price of 5440 VP. They note that even though the price increase is not as large as some feared (over 6000 VP), the inflation is still present, and it feels like a strategic move to maximize profits.

How does the creator view Riot's pricing tactics as strategic?

The creator sees Riot's pricing tactics as carefully planned to take advantage of leftover VP from players purchasing VP packs. Riot seems to account for this leftover VP when setting prices, ensuring that players spend more to buy skins or bundles.

What is the creator's opinion on the use of Radiante for upgrades?

The creator criticizes the Radiante system, calling it scummy. They explain that players are often forced to spend Radiante, which costs real money, to upgrade skins, and this system is seen as a money-grab tactic.

What does the creator think about the limited-edition skin pricing model?

The creator expresses frustration with the limited-edition skin pricing, noting that they have always purchased every limited edition skin. However, the inflated prices for skins like the VCT knife may make them stop purchasing these skins, even as a content creator.

What does the creator suggest could improve the situation for Riot's pricing model?

The creator hopes that Riot will take criticism to heart and adjust their pricing strategies. They mention that Riot has backtracked on past pricing models, such as forcing players to buy all variants of skins, and they hope that they will do so again to make the game more accessible for players.

What is the creator's overall stance on Riot despite their criticisms?

Despite the frustrations with the business side of Riot, the creator still expresses admiration for the game's art team and their work. They acknowledge that they enjoy the game and have a good relationship with Riot but remain critical of the pricing model.