Last week we had “Orb-gate.” SOE released colored light source orbs in the Trading Post for the price of 100 Station Cash for 10 light orbs. That works out to about 10 U.S. cents each (the rest of you can go look up conversion tables on the internet… You’re smart like that). Unfortunately, They neglected to mention that they were going to make those items craftable in game. This caused a HUGE uproar in the SOE Landmark forums, as a lot of people were upset that SOE had apparently broken their pledge to make every non-cosmetic item in the game available in game that it offered through the Trading Post.

As the debate was raging in the alpha forums, I was watching people streaming Landmark on twitch, and noticed at least two prominent developers lurking in the chat room of one stream where the debate over “Orb-gate” had spilled over. Within 10 minutes of those devs leaving the stream, an explanation was posted in the forums, and on twitter, that it had always been intended to make the orbs craftable, but that it had not been ready to put in game, and would be added the next week. I see no reason to disbelieve the SOE team. They have always been forthright and honest about this game… If a little (understandably) mysterious.

This morning, Dave Georgeson tweeted that extra inventory spaces (megapockets) and bank storage (vaults) were ready to put into the game with Station Cash, but wouldn’t be available in-game until currency was added (several weeks away). He asked the twitter community if Sony should add those items to the Trading Post now, or wait until the currency version was available. It seems that the overwhelming response was to allow them for sale for SC, but with LOTS of explanation that those items would be available for in game currency soon(tm).

Jeff the Boulder realizes that Landmark is a Free to Play game, and that ways MUST be found to monetize the game if we want to continue to enjoy it. Salaries must be paid, bills need to be paid, and I’m sure the home office would like to see some profits once in a while. Jeff the Boulder thinks early access to ANY item in game is a wonderful opportunity for monetizing Landmark. If people want to have something before everyone else, it’s not unreasonable to make them pay for that privilege, and it’s a plan that works. It works for midnight shows at the movie theater, it works for those selling the latest technological gadgets, and it even worked for those willing to pay for alpha and beta access to Landmark. It’s a brilliant strategy.

I do not say this only because I already have the megapockets and the void vault because I got them with my Trailblazer Founder’s Pack. I do not say this because I have money falling out of my pockets and am willing to pay for an advantage over others (I’m not, and I actually refuse to spend any more money on this game until I see combat. Building just isn’t enough to hold my interest for much longer). I say this because Early Access is a fair way to monetize the game without making it necessary to add any element that might be considered “Pay to Win.”

One word of caution I would give the development team: Please make sure that if you offer early access to any props or building materials or items, do not do so while there is a contest going on. Make sure there are time gaps between contests where you can offer early access monetization for these items, or people will complain that you are selling an unfair advantage to people able to pay for a leg up in contests. Other than that, feel free to monetize anything through early access… Once combat is added, I might even pay for a cool paint ball gun before my neighbors, so I can splat her pretty white outfit with pink paint.