My personal opinions:
Yes, opinion
s with an "S", because there's so much to cover here.
First off, I'd like to thank MA (Planet Calypso Division) for their openness about this transaction. I see them being a lot more open with their actions, and I appreciate this a lot. Personally I am amazed to see this, as I've never before known them to buy back any ingame item for more than TT value.
I can only surmise that this was part of some agreement done either as an option agreed to when the initial 25k(?) was sold, or some agreement made after the fact. In any case, gratz to the seller. Many compare this to a company buy back of stock. I can see that point of view.
The main opposition seems to be the buy back price. Since it is/was below current auction values of 1,300 ped/CLD, many seem to be panicking, thinking their share prices are going to drop long term. Had it been at the 1,300 price, would folks be more worried or less? I bet more, because than folks would have complained that CLDs should now never drop below that price, or Ma should be forced to buy them back just as they did here.
Please recall why the prices of CLDs are so high to begin with:
They are the only source of passive revenue within this Universe, short of a mining-only land area. The price of CLDs (as with everything ingame) will always fluctuate, but this factor will make sure the price remains fairly high.
For those that bought their CLDs below 1150 each, you still make profit if you sell today. And regardless of what you paid, the market price on CLDs mean n-o-t-h-i-n-g, unless you had intentions of selling within the next 4-10 days. In which case, you simply adjust your plans and hold (again enjoying the weekly dividends) until the market is back to where you are happy selling again, losing those dividends.
Now, as for MS9 getting the news before official release:
For full disclosure, MS9 and I are friends. We also had serious arguments over previous actions taken by her. However case was while she was using this forum to market a competing forum. That issue is dead and buried now, but it does bear similarities to this case, and I want to explain very clearly why I support MS9 this time.
In this case, as I understand things, MS9, MA and 711 have reached arrangements allowing her to post official news to this forum. Thus 711 creating a specific area section her. It's been done before, for news writers, LA owners, etc. and will be done again, I hope.
I personally do not have a problem with her being part of an official news distribution pipeline. Had her role been made public on its own, (Thread Title: MS9 labeled as official news distribution) I bet folks would have had no real issue of it after the one-hour lead time was understood.
However, yes, it would have been nice to have been made aware of this fact in some more official statement.
From my point of view what I have seen is someone who does not understand what I do, or even how basic journalism is performed in the world, comment on my ethics while hiding her own agenda.
I believe TractionPR, that you are incorrect and unfair on this. Serica has only recently (2 days ago?) been announced to head the newly formed PCF news staff. And she has not tried to "hide" her standing on that level in any way shape for form.
If you read her misgivings, it is not that someone else is getting "the scoop" on her, but the concern that an ingame player has access to potentially profitable material before it's made public.
However, the fact she only has one hour lead, is not the only source contacted, plus your promise that ties would be severed upon learning of dubious transactions personally reassures me. With the way this community is, if MS9 were to place time-bombed items on auction within that time difference, or otherwise try to sell it ingame, it would be found out, recorded and reported almost instantly. I have no fear of this occurring.
I look forward to Serica's PCF news team writing up great reports about this and other ingame activities. I'll bet the writers have already started considering some great angles and little thought of, but well needed concepts to write from.
If I recall correctly, last year there was a settlement for some legal dispute, which was attributed to the SDS deal which fell through. Pretty much around the same time, the big investor announcement popped up.
Source please.
It simply undermines trust to company behind this game.
Um actually, as far as I'm aware, this is the first and only time Ma have bought back an item from within their own game for more than TT value. When has that ever happened before?
The issue is based on the community of PCF expecting to hear first, only fair I think.
As I understand it, MA sends news one
hour before making it public to MS9 and other news sources. She places on her site and then here on PCF, in fact placing it on this forum even faster than before it's actually been "officially released".
However, in the end I think Blackhawk said it best.
We could have never known that this ever happened from official sources unless they would have told us. Now we know.
They are trying to be more open about things. We can not jump down their throats every time that happens.
