Curse

fgarvin · Jan 26, 2009, 12:27 PM // 12:27

Wow, I had such high hopes for the game. I just can't see a game associated with a pyramid scheme being that good.

Where's Richard Dean Anderson when you need him?

Rocky Raccoon · Jan 26, 2009, 01:21 PM // 13:21

The Bernard Madoff of gaming.

zwei2stein · Jan 26, 2009, 01:24 PM // 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

Is this what desperate MMO development companies are turning to? Can you imagine Guild Wars 2 following a business model such as this?

This one? No. Similar? Yep.

Most p2p already give benefits for people who recruit new customers or make old ones resubscribe (i.e WoWs month free for resubscription of friend). Even f2p item-shop MMOs usually give some item shop credit for successful referals too.

I can very much imagine anet giving players incentive to recruit new players in similar manner with, for example, free expansions.

assassin shaun · Jan 26, 2009, 01:37 PM // 13:37

this is just a very big, get rich quick for the guy starting it, scam.

pyramid scheme = bad

Fril Estelin · Jan 26, 2009, 08:40 PM // 20:40

Wow, this is a pretty big story. And funnily Stargate's Goa'ulds have pyramids!

I can understand innovative business models (based on micropayments or rewards for bringing new players to the game) but that one crosses the line, and by a margin. It's illegal in many countries for a good reason.

Sir Skullcrasher · Jan 26, 2009, 09:04 PM // 21:04

It's like those time-share type deal. You invest in money in hope of getting it back from future returns.

Hopefully no one is dumb enough to actually pay this guy money for a game that isn't even coming out!

Raiku · Jan 27, 2009, 11:36 AM // 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

Whenever people come across some sort of pyramid structure/scheme, they should walk away.

The problem is that these pyramid scheme may have taken upon your friends, and these friends are willing to back stab you and drag you down to hell because of their stupidity or greediness.

The internet is a good to have when looking up information and seeing things are "too good to be true". Because when it is too good to be true, it is.

And thus, the line between friend and enemy can never be seen in the real world.

Sjeng · Jan 27, 2009, 11:55 AM // 11:55

Isn't the US government going to do anything about this? This is a scam plain and simple!
Sad story man.

daze · Jan 27, 2009, 12:02 PM // 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Pierson

Whenever people come across some sort of pyramid structure/scheme, they should walk away.

i wouldnt generalize like that. Personally i am in a pyramid structure and i'm finally to the point to where i am making more money than i put in. My high school buddy who introduced me is already paying all his bills with his business.

Most Pyramid businesses are in fact schemes. but that doesnt mean they are all bad.

Truthfully, i gave it about a year of hard work then lost all confidence because it wasnt paying off. So i quit grinding the business for a year until i saw the results from my High school buddy. I decided to give it another year of dedication and finally im starting to get satisfying results. I see growth every couple months with me putting in less and less effort.

From my point of view, i think the reason people are so skeptical against MLMs is because they take soo much exclusive dedication and the satisfaction is extremely delayed for the majority. But in the end, if you are with a good company, your business has the potential to grow with out you babysitting it anymore. Residual income is funny that way

zwei2stein · Jan 27, 2009, 01:15 PM // 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by daze

...

Aaah, good, old success story.

Fril Estelin · Jan 27, 2009, 01:28 PM // 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by daze

From my point of view, i think the reason people are so skeptical against MLMs is because they take soo much exclusive dedication and the satisfaction is extremely delayed for the majority. But in the end, if you are with a good company, your business has the potential to grow with out you babysitting it anymore. Residual income is funny that way

While it took you two years to start making interesting profits, someone got very rich at the top of the pyramid. I think the problem doesn't lie in the market structure of a pyramid, rather than the way it's commonly used to exploit people. In the same amount of time, you could have done a much more profitable work for yourself, except if you're sitting at the top of the pyramid (meaning you exploit of a lot of people).

Of course people will defend the concept by saying that it's "free economy" and no one is forcing you to do it. But it's like drugs or MMO grind, if you're not cautions, you're dragged into this quagmire and it's too late until you've realised what you've lost (they always mention the very little work that this requires of you).

It's not a baby you're talking about, it's a nasty sucker. As I said above, there are plenty of original market schemes, but pyramid schemes are terrible.

Rocky Raccoon · Jan 27, 2009, 01:29 PM // 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by daze

i wouldnt generalize like that. Personally i am in a pyramid structure and i'm finally to the point to where i am making more money than i put in. My high school buddy who introduced me is already paying all his bills with his business.

Most Pyramid businesses are in fact schemes. but that doesnt mean they are all bad.

Truthfully, i gave it about a year of hard work then lost all confidence because it wasnt paying off. So i quit grinding the business for a year until i saw the results from my High school buddy. I decided to give it another year of dedication and finally im starting to get satisfying results. I see growth every couple months with me putting in less and less effort.

From my point of view, i think the reason people are so skeptical against MLMs is because they take so much exclusive dedication and the satisfaction is extremely delayed for the majority. But in the end, if you are with a good company, your business has the potential to grow with out you babysitting it anymore. Residual income is funny that way

The thing with pyramid schemes is eventually they run out of investors to keep supplying the cash flow needed to support itself. The last people in will never get their money back and all comes crashing down.

edit: Fril you beat me to it.

zwei2stein · Jan 27, 2009, 01:53 PM // 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

While it took you two years to start making interesting profits, someone got very rich at the top of the pyramid. I think the problem doesn't lie in the market structure of a pyramid, rather than the way it's commonly used to exploit people. In the same amount of time, you could have done a much more profitable work for yourself, except if you're sitting at the top of the pyramid (meaning you exploit of a lot of people).

Even market structure itself is wrong, because it is based on exploiting people on lower tiers. Without incentive of "army of underlings that pay your bills", there goes incentive to grow pyramid. Making it useless if one hopes to actually sell stuff sales.

Anyhow, people reading what Daze posted also should read this: http://www.vandruff.com/mlm.html

HawkofStorms · Jan 27, 2009, 05:32 PM // 17:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

While it took you two years to start making interesting profits, someone got very rich at the top of the pyramid. I think the problem doesn't lie in the market structure of a pyramid, rather than the way it's commonly used to exploit people. In the same amount of time, you could have done a much more profitable work for yourself, except if you're sitting at the top of the pyramid (meaning you exploit of a lot of people).

Of course people will defend the concept by saying that it's "free economy" and no one is forcing you to do it. But it's like drugs or MMO grind, if you're not cautions, you're dragged into this quagmire and it's too late until you've realised what you've lost (they always mention the very little work that this requires of you).

It's not a baby you're talking about, it's a nasty sucker. As I said above, there are plenty of original market schemes, but pyramid schemes are terrible.

Bingo. Pyramid schemes create no social equity/utility. There is no benefit made as it is no real product, either a good or a service. In the amount of time it took to turn a profit off a pyramid scheme, you could have put that same amount of time into a real job that produced a tangible benefit to society.

*Darcy* · Jan 28, 2009, 04:29 AM // 04:29

This isn't even a real pyramid scheme. Most of them have some "real product" to entice buyers. This company has pie-in-the-sky to offer. Give me $250 up front and promise me $50/month and someday I will give you an MMO that will earn millions.

Considering the fact that every touted new MMO in the last few years has failed dismally, that's very expensive wishful thinking. No wonder they are marketing it to non-gamers who are unaware of the realities of the gaming world.

Rocky Raccoon · Jan 28, 2009, 02:44 PM // 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by daze

If society suddenly stopped growing and if people stopped breeding and aging, then this statement would be true.

Or when the economy goes bad and the money dries up.

Inde · Jan 28, 2009, 03:42 PM // 15:42

Everyone, I have moved the discussion of Quixstar to it's own thread in our Off-Topic forum. It was steering the thread away from its original topic of how this relates to gaming. So you can continue your discussion here:

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10352343

daze · Jan 28, 2009, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inde

Everyone, I have moved the discussion of Quixstar to it's own thread in our Off-Topic forum. It was steering the thread away from its original topic of how this relates to gaming. So you can continue your discussion here:

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10352343

Thanks Indy. I could see it becoming off topic.