Pearl Abyss, the developers of Black Desert, want to combat inflation in the MMORPG. To do this, the prices for Cron stones will be adjusted. A YouTuber took a closer look at the numbers and found: The costumes for real money will become more lucrative.
What exactly is changing? The developers explain that Black Desert is struggling with a strong inflation. The average silver earned per player per day is 5.06 times higher in North America and 6 times higher in Europe in 2023 compared to 2019.
At the same time, there was only a small price adjustment at the merchants in 2019 and the last one in May 2022 for the costumes. This is supposed to change now:
- The price of Cron stones at NPCs will be increased from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 silver – an increase of 50%.
- At the same time, the received Cron stones for premium sets will increase, while the prices for selling these costumes in-game will also rise.
The YouTuber Pansy took a closer look at the numbers. Due to the changes, the prices per Cron stone for the costumes will rise from 1.35 million to 1.64 million silver. So, there is an increase, but it is not nearly as strong as with the merchant.
When will this change take place? The release is planned for Wednesday, September 13.
The latest expansion for BDO, Land of the Morning Light, was released this May, and you can watch the trailer here:
“As much as I hate Pay2Win, the game needs to make money”
What does the YouTuber say about the changes? In his video, Pansy explains that he can fundamentally understand the decision to adjust prices. The inflation in Black Desert is noticeable, and the increase in merchant prices is correct.
He views the adjustments to the costumes more critically, as it moves more towards Pay2Win.
Although it was cheaper in the past to buy costumes for real money and then destroy them to get Cron stones, the gap between 1.35 and 2 million silver was small. Now, it lies between 1.64 and 3 million, which is already more noticeable.
In the video, he says that Pearl Abyss needs to make money and that is probably why they decided on this step:
It’s something that needed to be done. As much as I dislike Pay2Win and any kind of this idea, the game needs to generate revenue, otherwise there will be no game anymore. It is what it is. I don’t think it’s a drastic or game-breaking change.
What is the purpose of the Cron stones? Cron stones prevent an item from losing levels or getting destroyed during upgrading. The rarer the equipment and the higher the level, the more Cron stones you need. As the chances of upgrading are also decreasing, you need several thousand or even tens of thousands of them.
Cron stones are easiest to obtain by buying costumes for real money and recycling them. Since the costumes can also be bought and sold directly in-game on the marketplace, others can spend real money and earn silver – the in-game currency.
Otherwise, there are the smithing NPCs who sell Cron stones directly for silver, but at significantly higher rates.
Another way to earn Cron stones is through the codes that are regularly activated: Black Desert Codes: All current coupons for BDO in September 2023.
What do you think about the change? Is it really that small or do you mind the larger advantage for real money users?
