The space simulation Star Citizen is now selling land rights in space. Fans are asking: Please don’t freak out. Read this carefully.
Star Citizen has no release date, is still far from being a real game, but has already earned over 167 million US dollars from the sale of virtual spaceships. Players are already making microtransactions before the game is truly live.
- To put it mildly: Some are critical of the business model. They see it as the height of arrogance.
- Others defend the model and want to support the developers in creating a fantastic game that does not have to adhere to the rules of a conventional AAA production.
There is a lot of explosive discussion about the game.
How do I buy a piece of land in the virtual space of Star Citizen?
A blog post has now been released that answers the question: “How can I acquire rights to a piece of land in Star Citizen?”
Fans of the game can already guess what kind of reaction this will provoke: not a very nice one. They are already going into defense mode after the announcement and demand: “Please don’t freak out.”
They fear: Opponents of the game will now take to the barricades because CIG is literally selling “properties in space.” A similar business model of selling “land on the moon” exists in the real world. Many are also quite critical of that. For critics, this is just another escalation of this business model.
Many indications say: “No, this is not Pay2Win”
However, it must be said fairly that the blog post describing the “Claim Licenses” is filled with hints stating: “No, we are not Pay2Win. Everything here can also be purchased in the game later. There are no real advantages if you buy now.”
You can read the complete post in English.
Nevertheless, the action is of course water on the mills of the critics of Star Citizen. For them, it is a sign that the monetization frenzy knows no bounds.
The land is not cheap:
- A license for a 4km x 4km lot costs 50 US dollars.
- An 8km x 8km large plot is available for 100 US dollars.
However, these plots are said to be purchasable later for in-game currency as well.
License buys protection by the Space Agency UEE
A license grants the owner ownership of a small piece of land on a planet, moon, or asteroid owned by the UEE (United Empire of Earth).
Currently, a license does not grant ownership of a specific plot, but only the right to secure any piece of land later. The license ensures that one has a legal claim to the land within the universe and can count on assistance from the UEE.
If you violate the rights of another, there will be trouble with the space authorities. However, you can also operate in areas outside the influence of the UEE without the license. However, there will be no protection then.
Money is a sensitive topic in Star Citizen:
