Many fans of the popular MMORPG have been reacting negatively to the current state of the Crown Store. What can Elder Scrolls Online do to improve its in-game shop?
Elder Scrolls is one of the most beloved gaming franchises, spawning numerous popular titles such as Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. The MMORPG side of Elder Scrolls has also grown a decent fan base over the years, and it is still one of the most well-known massively multiplayer online games in recent times. Like any MMO, ES Online allows players to make in-game purchases via their Crown Store, which gives gamers access to tons of cosmetics and microtransactions without using ESO gold. However, some transactions in the in-game store raise eyebrows in the community.
ESO Crown Store Filled with Unnecessary Monetization
While the game is far from being a pay-2-win MMO, the Crown Store contains questionable items and offers. While ESO’s no subscription system ensures players can save money, the game tries to regain any potential profit via the in-game shop. Many fans in the community are very unhappy with the current status of the store, especially since ESO gold is not functional for this feature.
Most players are disappointed with the items offered in the Crown Store. The thing that the majority of ESO gamers would prefer something else is the Crown Crates. These loot boxes are what many consider mystery chests that contain various rewards when you open them. However, the content and drops are completely RNG, so you might have to buy multiple crates if you want a specific drop.
Unfortunately for fans, many coveted rare cosmetics in the game can only be acquired from the Crown Crates. If you have a collector’s habit, you will have to spend enormous amounts of money on them. One of the most desirable mounts in the game, the Radiant Apex, can only be obtained as a loot chest drop, and it has a drop chance of 0.28%. This means you would need to spend around $900 to purchase 120,000 Crown currencies to optimize your chances of getting this steed.
The Price of the Item in The Crown Store
Aside from the questionable sales in the Crown Store, the costs of the offers has also been a source of controversy. As many long-time players have stated, the price for the things offered in the store is absurdly high for a game that is relatively cheaper to play than most MMOs. Many of the wares available will require gamers to buy the 5500 Crown Pack, which costs around $40. This pack is already much more expensive than any expansion.
What makes the situation even more outrageous is that some things being sold are simply variations or re-skins of original cosmetics. For example, the Quasigriff is just a different re-skin of a mount introduced in 2021. Considering that you would pay an insane amount for it, you hope to get something more unique and original.
While these items should not be cheap to the point that they are unprofitable or unsustainable, reducing their overall cost to considerable levels would make the Crown Store healthier. Locking behind the best cosmetics and mounts behind a cash shop grinds players’ gears. It becomes even more frustrating when you realize that minimal aesthetic items can be acquired freely as loot or rewards from achievements or activities.
Potential Solutions to the Crown Store
Since the Crown Store is the primary source of many cosmetic items, the aim is to make it healthier and more player-friendly. The most obvious solution is to reduce the costs of things to a more reasonable level. Elder Scrolls Online promotes itself as an accessible game due to the meager price range of its expansions and the absence of forced subscriptions. Making items in the Crown Store a bit cheaper further reinforces this image that ESO is trying to portray.
Another alternative is to make some items in the shop obtainable through in-game actions. Adding some of the best cosmetics as rewards for achievements or drops from brutal raids would incentivize players to become more active in the game and give them something to strive for. If ZeniMax and Bethesda really wants a vigorous and healthy player base, then making rare items become easily collectible for ESO accounts is one of the best ways to go at it.