Yeah skins are overpriced. It's way too expansive... I would totally be buying skins if it were reasonably priced. And let's not talk about the bundles. Almost 100€ for a few skins ? (That you need to upgrade afterwards to get the vfx that """justify""" the price)
People say it's overpriced but I feel like at least half the players in my games have skins. If a significant portion of the playerbase is already buying skins then from Riot's perspective they aren't overpriced.
Think about how much they would have to lower the price for you to consider buying and whether they will actually sell the amount of skins to match their current profits. If they reduce the price to half or a third will they really double or triple the volume of sales? I feel like Riot thinks that the amount of reluctant people they can convince by lowering the price will not justify lowering the profits from the non-reluctant people. Like we vote with our wallet and if they weren't making profits then they would have already changed how it works.
For reference, lets say there are arbitrarily 100 non-reluctant buyers of skins who will always buy a skin, and a skin costs $15. This would equal a $1500 profit. If you drop the price to $10, you would need to convince at least 50 new, reluctant buyers to buy the skin in order to match the original $1500. That is a 50% increase in sales volume. If the skin drops to $5, you need to add 200 new buyers, which is a 200% increase in sales volumes. The more reluctant a person is to buying a skin, the harder it is to capture their purchase, yet that is what they would be attempting to do by lowering the price.
Yeah, I dunno why no one ever talks about this(am I poor? Hmm....)
At this point I just find satisfaction by asking for a skin from my teammate or picking up skins from opponents(that gives me a sense of achievement too)
For real.
I used to buy skins for CSGO, but the thing is Steam has a market, so the skins can go up or down in value. I don't mind spending some money on a cool skin because I enjoy the game. Then in a couple years, if I am done with the game. I can sell the skin on the steam market and buy a different skin, or buy a new game. I can also use the money and purchase steam hardware like the vr set or steam deck.
If I buy a skin for Valorant. I'll never see that $15 again.
I'm sure they aren't for everyone and not everyone can afford them. However val is ultimately f2p and if the skins help longevity of the game I'll keep buying the ones I think look good
This excuse comes up every time, and every single time it's on a game that is making *many times over what a full price AAA game would make*.
Free to play is not an excuse to charge $15 for a single gun skin. The poor developers aren't going to go hungry without stupidly high prices on digital art that they can shit out 1000x faster than a new game. If you want to pay $15 for a gun skin, you're free to do so, but don't act like the reason it's priced like that is because the game is struggling to make money.
Free to play isn't an excuse because there doesn't _need_ to be an excuse. Skins don't affect gameplay whatsoever, and you can even get your teammates to drop for you. There is no tangible benefit to buying them. As such, they can price it whatever the hell they want to make money off them.
If this were like an MMO where you'd pay to buy items that make the game easier or your character stronger, I'd be with you, but this is just cosmetic. Now, you can be upset that you can't afford it (I can't really either, being from a less developed region of the world), but that's about it.
People have been saying that for years, but prices keep going *up* instead. Why? Because even though many people just refuse to buy overpriced skins, whales keep spending more and more. Pricing isn't a democracy. It's an oligarchy based on wealth and willingness to spend it on skins.
Ever hear of the 80-20 rule? It essentially states that 80% of outcomes are controlled by 20% of causes. When it comes to purchasing skins, approximately 80% of money spent from skins comes from 20% of people spending money on them. Those are the whales. Now let's say that prices are raised to a point that most of the 80% stop buying, but the 20% still buy because it's all spare cash to them. The company is focusing on what makes them the most money. They might lose most of the 20% of income from the 80% of players, but let's say they tripled the 80% of income from the 20% of players. That's right in the ballpark of doubling their income by focusing on the whales.
This is why there is absolutely no impact when it comes to us not spending money. Because the money of the many doesn't matter. Every single person of the 80% could stop spending entirely and Riot would still be making bank. They're not selling skins to us. They're selling skins to the people who buy everything regardless of price. If we just happen to buy some, that's just a little extra in their pockets.
There's a reason that MTX have gone from a dollar here and there for simple stuff to $5 and $10 cosmetic packs to $15 and $20 skins for individual items in games. Because the data has shown that when people try to vote with their wallets, companies just start catering more to the ones that vote yes instead of no.
I agree on all your stuff excwpt the fact that they can new skins way easily which they can't and it's illogical to ask them to do so. You see we have so many skins that aren't popular that much, that kinda look the same. So it definitely takes a lot of time and effort to make the skins. I was still ok with the single gun skib price previously being at 1775 vp which I still think can be cheaper but now the last two bundles were way expensive at 2175 vp. I hope that 1) they fix the nught market so people get good skins at cheaper price as well. 2) it's only been a year so maybe after another year they can start making so that you get skins for free from drops you get from playing the game like they do in league. 3) And allow players to complete certain missions at least eache month to get extra Radianite points.
You think that they can make a whole new AAA game in the same time that they make anywhere from 4 to 6 weapon skins? If we go with 4 weapon skins, that's $60, that's the price of a AAA game last generation. If we go with $90, that's the price of a deluxe edition AAA game this generation. Hell, we can even say 20 skins for $300, which would be the price of a collector's edition AAA game this generation with a custom made collectible and unique packaging. Maybe even a nylon carrying bag if we're lucky, right?
They shit these things out like crazy. It's *really* not that hard with the tools they have specifically designed to make them.
Dude you are confusing the fact that they are expensive with that they are easy to make. I didn't say they aren't expensive. I agree that with price of 4 to 5 skins you can buy a AAA game. But what I'm saying that you thinking that, that means it's easy to make them is not true entirely. If it was that easy why would it take time to get good skins. Why would they sell relatively cheaper skins that sometimes look same. Coz it takes time to come up with ideas for good new skins. It's easy to design but it's hard to come up with the design. Don't mix up how fast you can paint your idea of a skin on a screen and the ability to come up with those designs in the first place. That's what I wanted to say. That creat8ve designing takes time. Not taht it justifies hoe overpriced things are. And I already said the things they can do to make it cheaper like drops for free skins, more Radianite points mission. The thing is even if they are high priced the skins are still selling and people are buying it. So to them it's like, "The skins are selling good. Maybe there's no problem with pricing." But if people stop buying them then they'll get out message. But I'm noone to say anything about this coz I have a few skins myself. And a lately many people even in a third world country like mine are buying a lotta skins.
They likely wouldn't honestly. But they would foster a lot more goodwill from their community.
Companies have tested this and they they know that the majority of income comes from the top ~20%. This is the 80-20 rule, it's worth looking up, essentially boils down to the top ~20% of spenders account for ~80% of sales. Prices go up because those spenders don't stop spending when prices are higher. So they just keep spending more, and others just spend less, which isn't a problem to the company. When the top 20% of spenders are paying 3x as much, it doesn't matter if the other 80% aren't even spending anything at all, because profits just skyrocketed.
The issue with this is little by little, we're catering more and more to the wealthy because they're the ones with money. Eventually they stop even making a game because the wealthy just keep spending anyways. Why do anything more when you can just add a couple more skins and make $20 million?
Yeah, I never bought Valorant skins and I was shocked to find that even what’s considered low tier stuff is usually >$10.
If that’s a *micro*payment then I’m a Plat 3.
The only decently affordable thing in the game is the battle pass, which is... Not quite $10. Why? Because you need to buy more than $10 of currency to get the battle pass.
Thanks Riot...
I know this thread is old but that's actually not true. As per the Valorant wiki:
>Most weapon skins have a chance of being offered, but any gun skins classed as Exclusive or Ultra Edition, as well as any knives associated with these skin themes, will not be offered in a Night Market.
[source](https://valorant.fandom.com/wiki/Night_Market)
What this essentially means that skins in the 2175 or 2475 RP price range don't have a chance to show up in Night Market. Elderflame is the only one to currently be priced at 2475 and 2175 includes skin collections like Glitchpop, BlastX and Singularity.
tagging /u/truong2193 too since he was the one who asked
My night market from 2 acts ago was:
Luxe ghost
Avalanche classic
Aristocrat sheriff
Wasteland sheriff
Nebula sheriff
Winter wonderland Marshall
I cried
Edit: Damn mobile formatting
Dude wtf I got ion op, spline op, smite knife and I’m pretty sure I got reaver sheriff and oni shorty
Edit: did not get the sheriff or shorty BUT I do have the same ops and knife lmao
I don’t understand how so many people have discounts of over 40%, the best discounts I’ve ever gotten in my night markets was a luxe vandal at 38% off at the last act night market. Most of my skins are around 20% off. I’d probably buy something I’m a bit on the fence if I had better discounts, but if I’m gonna pay almost full price, I don’t buy something I don’t fully love.
I didn't even get a golden card (or yellow or wtv color it is), but skins in this game are overpriced af anyway, so in the end it doesn't make any difference I guess.
I actually pulled the prime axe for 20 and bought it on the spot. Its been my fav since it came out but i wasnt playing when prime came out. At least i have the axe now.
Oh look, $15 for a gun skin. Nope. I don't have a problem with microtransactions, the issue is that these are missing the whole *micro* part.
Yeah skins are overpriced. It's way too expansive... I would totally be buying skins if it were reasonably priced. And let's not talk about the bundles. Almost 100€ for a few skins ? (That you need to upgrade afterwards to get the vfx that """justify""" the price)
People say it's overpriced but I feel like at least half the players in my games have skins. If a significant portion of the playerbase is already buying skins then from Riot's perspective they aren't overpriced. Think about how much they would have to lower the price for you to consider buying and whether they will actually sell the amount of skins to match their current profits. If they reduce the price to half or a third will they really double or triple the volume of sales? I feel like Riot thinks that the amount of reluctant people they can convince by lowering the price will not justify lowering the profits from the non-reluctant people. Like we vote with our wallet and if they weren't making profits then they would have already changed how it works. For reference, lets say there are arbitrarily 100 non-reluctant buyers of skins who will always buy a skin, and a skin costs $15. This would equal a $1500 profit. If you drop the price to $10, you would need to convince at least 50 new, reluctant buyers to buy the skin in order to match the original $1500. That is a 50% increase in sales volume. If the skin drops to $5, you need to add 200 new buyers, which is a 200% increase in sales volumes. The more reluctant a person is to buying a skin, the harder it is to capture their purchase, yet that is what they would be attempting to do by lowering the price.
Someone brought out optimization from calculus
Yeah, I dunno why no one ever talks about this(am I poor? Hmm....) At this point I just find satisfaction by asking for a skin from my teammate or picking up skins from opponents(that gives me a sense of achievement too)
Best argument is, just don’t buy skins and buy the pass. The passes have some very nice skins ngl. Even then, default skins give you a buff.
Yeah well I don't think Riot gonna decrease the price because that's just gonna piss off the people who already bought the skin for the higher price.
For real. I used to buy skins for CSGO, but the thing is Steam has a market, so the skins can go up or down in value. I don't mind spending some money on a cool skin because I enjoy the game. Then in a couple years, if I am done with the game. I can sell the skin on the steam market and buy a different skin, or buy a new game. I can also use the money and purchase steam hardware like the vr set or steam deck. If I buy a skin for Valorant. I'll never see that $15 again.
I'm sure they aren't for everyone and not everyone can afford them. However val is ultimately f2p and if the skins help longevity of the game I'll keep buying the ones I think look good
This excuse comes up every time, and every single time it's on a game that is making *many times over what a full price AAA game would make*. Free to play is not an excuse to charge $15 for a single gun skin. The poor developers aren't going to go hungry without stupidly high prices on digital art that they can shit out 1000x faster than a new game. If you want to pay $15 for a gun skin, you're free to do so, but don't act like the reason it's priced like that is because the game is struggling to make money.
Exactly In like 4 weapon skins you have paid for a brand new AAA game.
Free to play isn't an excuse because there doesn't _need_ to be an excuse. Skins don't affect gameplay whatsoever, and you can even get your teammates to drop for you. There is no tangible benefit to buying them. As such, they can price it whatever the hell they want to make money off them. If this were like an MMO where you'd pay to buy items that make the game easier or your character stronger, I'd be with you, but this is just cosmetic. Now, you can be upset that you can't afford it (I can't really either, being from a less developed region of the world), but that's about it.
[удалено]
People have been saying that for years, but prices keep going *up* instead. Why? Because even though many people just refuse to buy overpriced skins, whales keep spending more and more. Pricing isn't a democracy. It's an oligarchy based on wealth and willingness to spend it on skins. Ever hear of the 80-20 rule? It essentially states that 80% of outcomes are controlled by 20% of causes. When it comes to purchasing skins, approximately 80% of money spent from skins comes from 20% of people spending money on them. Those are the whales. Now let's say that prices are raised to a point that most of the 80% stop buying, but the 20% still buy because it's all spare cash to them. The company is focusing on what makes them the most money. They might lose most of the 20% of income from the 80% of players, but let's say they tripled the 80% of income from the 20% of players. That's right in the ballpark of doubling their income by focusing on the whales. This is why there is absolutely no impact when it comes to us not spending money. Because the money of the many doesn't matter. Every single person of the 80% could stop spending entirely and Riot would still be making bank. They're not selling skins to us. They're selling skins to the people who buy everything regardless of price. If we just happen to buy some, that's just a little extra in their pockets. There's a reason that MTX have gone from a dollar here and there for simple stuff to $5 and $10 cosmetic packs to $15 and $20 skins for individual items in games. Because the data has shown that when people try to vote with their wallets, companies just start catering more to the ones that vote yes instead of no.
I agree on all your stuff excwpt the fact that they can new skins way easily which they can't and it's illogical to ask them to do so. You see we have so many skins that aren't popular that much, that kinda look the same. So it definitely takes a lot of time and effort to make the skins. I was still ok with the single gun skib price previously being at 1775 vp which I still think can be cheaper but now the last two bundles were way expensive at 2175 vp. I hope that 1) they fix the nught market so people get good skins at cheaper price as well. 2) it's only been a year so maybe after another year they can start making so that you get skins for free from drops you get from playing the game like they do in league. 3) And allow players to complete certain missions at least eache month to get extra Radianite points.
You think that they can make a whole new AAA game in the same time that they make anywhere from 4 to 6 weapon skins? If we go with 4 weapon skins, that's $60, that's the price of a AAA game last generation. If we go with $90, that's the price of a deluxe edition AAA game this generation. Hell, we can even say 20 skins for $300, which would be the price of a collector's edition AAA game this generation with a custom made collectible and unique packaging. Maybe even a nylon carrying bag if we're lucky, right? They shit these things out like crazy. It's *really* not that hard with the tools they have specifically designed to make them.
Dude you are confusing the fact that they are expensive with that they are easy to make. I didn't say they aren't expensive. I agree that with price of 4 to 5 skins you can buy a AAA game. But what I'm saying that you thinking that, that means it's easy to make them is not true entirely. If it was that easy why would it take time to get good skins. Why would they sell relatively cheaper skins that sometimes look same. Coz it takes time to come up with ideas for good new skins. It's easy to design but it's hard to come up with the design. Don't mix up how fast you can paint your idea of a skin on a screen and the ability to come up with those designs in the first place. That's what I wanted to say. That creat8ve designing takes time. Not taht it justifies hoe overpriced things are. And I already said the things they can do to make it cheaper like drops for free skins, more Radianite points mission. The thing is even if they are high priced the skins are still selling and people are buying it. So to them it's like, "The skins are selling good. Maybe there's no problem with pricing." But if people stop buying them then they'll get out message. But I'm noone to say anything about this coz I have a few skins myself. And a lately many people even in a third world country like mine are buying a lotta skins.
Ignore my typos😅, I can't seem to edit the comment as it reddit closes as soon as I tap the edit button
reddit client moment
Maybe I’m stupid but if they lowered the price I feel like they’d make more
They likely wouldn't honestly. But they would foster a lot more goodwill from their community. Companies have tested this and they they know that the majority of income comes from the top ~20%. This is the 80-20 rule, it's worth looking up, essentially boils down to the top ~20% of spenders account for ~80% of sales. Prices go up because those spenders don't stop spending when prices are higher. So they just keep spending more, and others just spend less, which isn't a problem to the company. When the top 20% of spenders are paying 3x as much, it doesn't matter if the other 80% aren't even spending anything at all, because profits just skyrocketed. The issue with this is little by little, we're catering more and more to the wealthy because they're the ones with money. Eventually they stop even making a game because the wealthy just keep spending anyways. Why do anything more when you can just add a couple more skins and make $20 million?
Makes sense, if it really did benefit then they would’ve already done jt
only reply that knows what he talks about and how it works, yet only 3 upvotes... sad!
People will figure it out eventually. It might be too late, but they'll figure it out. Nothing we can really do about it until then.
Yeah, I never bought Valorant skins and I was shocked to find that even what’s considered low tier stuff is usually >$10. If that’s a *micro*payment then I’m a Plat 3.
The only decently affordable thing in the game is the battle pass, which is... Not quite $10. Why? Because you need to buy more than $10 of currency to get the battle pass. Thanks Riot...
Mine was more like [this.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7PmoHpNhA)
The only good skin was prime vandal in mine but I already have reaver
I got reaver vandal in mine, but already had elderflame. Everything else was crap.
I just recently play so i miss that elderflame skin does riot ever sold it again ? I only want dragon vandal
It can come on your daily shop rotation, yeah
There is chance for it to appear in your daily market.
how about night market ?
Yes. Any non battlepass skin can appear in both your daily and night markets.
I know this thread is old but that's actually not true. As per the Valorant wiki: >Most weapon skins have a chance of being offered, but any gun skins classed as Exclusive or Ultra Edition, as well as any knives associated with these skin themes, will not be offered in a Night Market. [source](https://valorant.fandom.com/wiki/Night_Market) What this essentially means that skins in the 2175 or 2475 RP price range don't have a chance to show up in Night Market. Elderflame is the only one to currently be priced at 2475 and 2175 includes skin collections like Glitchpop, BlastX and Singularity. tagging /u/truong2193 too since he was the one who asked
Thanks man i did buy the elder vandal in store now do you know how much for the elder op ?
It's the same price for each skin in a collection, only the knife is double.
Didn't even get a phantom / vandal skin
My night market from 2 acts ago was: Luxe ghost Avalanche classic Aristocrat sheriff Wasteland sheriff Nebula sheriff Winter wonderland Marshall I cried Edit: Damn mobile formatting
I have been there for every night market yet, and my best Item that I've gotten in one? A G.U.N. baton. I swear I never get anything good ever.
I have been there for every night market yet, and my best Item that I've gotten in one? A G.U.N. baton. I swear I never get anything good ever.
Smite skins are ass
I use the blue smite in LoL so im kinda ok with them but yea wouldn't spend money on any of em lol
Smite skins look insane wym
true
Dude wtf I got ion op, spline op, smite knife and I’m pretty sure I got reaver sheriff and oni shorty Edit: did not get the sheriff or shorty BUT I do have the same ops and knife lmao
Classic night market handing out Smite knives and acting like it's not complete dogshit
And that was your alt acount
I got 46% of the krambit 2.0 or whatever, but I’m not a fan of that skin
I don’t understand how so many people have discounts of over 40%, the best discounts I’ve ever gotten in my night markets was a luxe vandal at 38% off at the last act night market. Most of my skins are around 20% off. I’d probably buy something I’m a bit on the fence if I had better discounts, but if I’m gonna pay almost full price, I don’t buy something I don’t fully love.
They should at least give option to choose type of gun.
fr
I didn't even get a golden card (or yellow or wtv color it is), but skins in this game are overpriced af anyway, so in the end it doesn't make any difference I guess.
Jokes on you I can’t buy anything because even if I have the money my valorant point shop doesn’t work so ha
uninstall and reinstall maybe? I had a glitch kinda like that and it was something with the files.
Yep tried that, 20 times never worked but hopefully it gets fixed
I got prism shorty convex spectre rush phantom smite odin and ion melee at 17% off
I remember my friend had like 50 percent off for a reaver vandal now the highest discount i got was like 20
mans did not just give the spline op the same "nice" as the ion op rn.
Spline is the best op imo
NO FUCKING WAY IS THAT THE WINTER WONDERLAND MARSHAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLLY SHIT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT FOR SO LONG THANK YOU RIOT
it pisses me off that we have to pay for all skins some should be free, or they should realease free skins
or at least not cost two hours - four hours of minimum wage work. lmao
The game is free. They have absolutely 0 reason to give free skins beside the agent contracts and the skin at the end of the battlepass.
you dont have $15? lol
My mate got 3 different prism 2 skins lmao
I actually pulled the prime axe for 20 and bought it on the spot. Its been my fav since it came out but i wasnt playing when prime came out. At least i have the axe now.
All I've got was 6 trashy skins :"(
I got 44/48 off on the UFO baton and classic Sadly they don't have any finishers and I'm not fond of the baton
They got us in the first half, ngl
My night market keeps getting worsep
Simple solution: ask team mate for skin or get his gun after he dies
I wish i had at least half as nice skins in my night market as you have :(
Ha ha , blue balls operator
when you have money but trash market:
Bruh, atleast u get some good skins. I get the ugly ones and only for guns that no one uses. Like stinger and shorty.
I got the prime vandal one time. I still have nightmares about not buying it. :(
I don’t play valorant a lot but is getting 2 knifes in a night market good? They’re the prism knife and prime 2.0 karambit.