Potential Delay to v44.1 Launch
We are currently working through some issues that may affect the release window of v44.1. This means that the update may not release on Monday as it usually does. We are working to resolve the issue holding us up as quickly as possible, but will keep you all updated, especially if the delay results in any changes to the content release schedule.
We are currently working through some issues that may affect the release window of v44.1. This means that the update may not release on Monday as it usually does. We are working to resolve the issue holding us up as quickly as possible, but will keep you all updated, especially if the delay results in any changes to the content release schedule.
Options
Comments
Never mind the fact that, as pointed out very well above, everything in the game is rented from Kabam, that we dont own it, means again no odds are needed
Apple take 30% at least of every purchase in the game, many hundreds of millions of dollars, they wont want to stop that. And they want the no1 app (thats this game) in their store, so literally no chance at all that they will kick Kabam even if they wanted to, which they dont
Equals nothing at all will change re this
I would say a good % of higher tier players have moved to Apple products, but from my experience, only 1 of the 4 people I personally know that play MCoC does so on an Apple device, and even then, it wasn't specifically bought because of MCoC. Plus, the people who are invested enough in the game to switch are more likely to switch back if they have to.
Disney is also a potential wild card in all this. They could pressure Kabam to cave if push comes to shove to keep the game in Apple's stores, or they could put pressure on Apple to back off of Kabam. Or, they could do nothing.
Kabam still has untapped revenue streams, like a Kindle version for Amazon's app store, Steam, XBOX Live Arcade, etc. And again, I hope they do release the odds. I just don't see that as being a slam dunk just yet.
When it comes to expressing my opinion, it has everything to do with it. I was asked how I can argue with their decision. Simple. I don't agree with it, and I'm not obligated to accept it or intimidated by the idea that Apple can do what they want.
My personal view is that it’s a long time coming that kabam have to publish drop rates. I also believe they are currently either changing drop rates before publishing or doing everything they can to avoid disclosing. There is literally zero argument one can make from the player’s side regarding publishing drop rates. Will people still open crystals if they know the drop rates? Absolutely. People know the approximate odds in Vegas yet people still gamble.
But if it turns out that rates are being manipulated based on player spending and that horrible champs are much more likely to drop that desirable champs (which certainly seems like the case), I hope we start hearing some crow eating by certain kabam defenders about how it’s all RNG and that everyone who thinks otherwise are just conspiracy theorists. It also may hurt kabam if some people learn that drop rates are much lower than even they anticipated and decide, based on the newly gained knowledge, that it’s just not a wise use of units/money.
So it will end it with this. Who cares about the red herring that some people will still open crystals even if they know the drop rates? You should be focusing on better transparency and considering the individuals who might not use units on crystals if they know the rates.
Can you not see what apple are doing is best for the gamers?
This is a win for gamers, like an unbelievable one at that.
Apple should be praised to the high heavens for implementing this for developers to follow.
How you don't agree with it, well I have no idea.
This is all predicated on the notion that things are indeed on the up and up.
https://www.google.com/patents/US20150352436
I messaged Kabam Miike last week asking if it was wrong to post this in a comment and received no response, which makes me think this does not violate the forum rules. Does the community have any comments on this?
I don't agree with it. Not at all. It's not about the information. It's about what Apple is doing, how they're doing it, and the implications of it. The whole thing is shady tactics on their part. I'm sorry, I don't support it. I've already said I don't care if the rates are released because it doesn't change my habits. It's about the principle for me. I won't be praising Apple anytime soon, for many reasons. As for the rates, we will have to see what comes out of this.
That's already been commented on. There are many Patents that are outdated and not in play, as per the Moderation.
1. This has been posted several times before. Kabam has commented that this patent does not cover technology currently in use in MCOC.
2. Pretty much everyone posting this patent aren't actually reading it. Patents are generally dense, so that's partially understandable, but everyone seems to be picking out one element of the patent: changing odds based on prior purchase history. They aren't apparently reading the *entire* patent, which actually covers a method for revitalizing old loot boxes that aren't selling as well as they initially did by allowing players to improve the value of the loot boxes by doing certain activities such as buying a certain quantity of them. The idea is to encourage players to purchase loot boxes by making them more attractive. A key component of the patent is a mechanism to signal to the players when they are doing the things that will improve the odds of the loot boxes, so they know what they need to do.
This tends to respond to the question I keep asking: why give some players better odds than others when they do certain things and not tell them that. That's ludicrous. The patent explicitly mentions providing feedback to the players to tell them that doing X or Y will unlock better odds, because that's the whole point of making a system to encourage spending on lootboxes. You have to *tell* the players what you're doing. You can't secretly encourage players to spend.
As discussed in this thread, the fact that you use units to buy crystals is not a magic loophole to trick Apple with. Then every game could get around the rule. Apple knows his and knows every game has its own currency which is purchased with real dollars. So all the amateur lawyers out there who think they have found a brilliant loop hole should stop thinking this. Real lawyers reviewed and possibly wrote the regs. They are well aware of what goes on in games. There is no way that they get around it using this false logic.
As RUN477 stated, they are either going to revise drop rates or try to avoid disclosing. Apple will make them disclose and they will almost certainly revise drop rates. If there is any manipulation on drop rates towards **** heros, new players, spenders, etc.... that will have to revise drop rates. Either way the transparency is welcomed and anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish.
As I mention above, the patent itself states as part of its functionality a method for signalling to players that the odds have changed (for the better) when certain triggers occur. Actually telling players that the odds for a particular loot box have improved seems to be mostly consistent with the Apple loot box requirement to disclose odds to the player prior to purchase.
Drop rates help to provide transparency; this is a fact. Your "conspiracy" and "witch hunt" nonsense is just your biased opinion.
It's not conspiracy. It's based on the reactions. The implications are conspiracy. Thread upon Thread implying that they alter drop rates, the rates are rigged, outside factors affect what you spin, spenders get better drops, the list goes on. Every single one of them begins with someone being dissatisfied with what they're getting. Even in this discussion, it never ends. Nor will it. Regardless of what numbers are potentially released, it will continue. Skepticism about honesty and transparency. The word is thrown around a great deal, but it's become a catch phrase whenever people feel entitled to know every aspect. Transparency also requires trust. Of which there is very little in a discussion such as this. The simple fact is, whether they release the numbers or not, we're going to have drops we don't like. That won't change. That's something we will have to accept.
The blurb from Apple's app store review guidelines reads as follows under section 3.1.1...
"Apps offering “loot boxes” or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase."
That's it. This is not something that Apple hired an expensive lawyer to write out to be bulletproof. In fact, the way it's written, if Kabam has to release odds based on this, people will be really disappointed. It says nothing about the odds of receiving a specific item, or even the odds of getting an item of a specific rarity. "Champion" is a type of item. Your Premium Hero Crystal has a 100% chance of giving you a Champion. We would logically get the odds of getting a Kang out of the Greater Gifting Crystals, or Punisher out of Arena Crystals, but that only goes so far.
Again, I would love to know the odds, but I'm not believing it til I see it.
How in the hell is this shady tactics by Apple? By APPLE? The only shady ones in this whole sorry mess are the ones who are deliberately withholding information - Kabam. There is literally no sense in your post.
I'm not commenting on conspiracy.
Just because it's Apple doesn't mean I can't disapprove of their business tactics. I could get into a number of their practices that are questionable at best, but this isn't the place for it. Companies protect their processes all the time. That's not shady to me. When they say it's a rare chance, it's a rare chance. That doesn't mean we need a numerical value on that.
Apple is trynna stop apps with big ass scams, when they do you start ****. Explain the reasons why you don't agree with it, it doesn't affect you, what are you gonna quit if they release the drop rates? Are you scared of change, old man?