If you'd been here at the beginning then I suspect that you'd have made similar claims that Cryptic would never charge $50 for a C-Store purchase. Prices already grossly inflated with the transition to Zen. $25 wasn't enough for Cryptic for ships so they started producing these 3-packs for $50 (which is completely unnecessary - did we need a Sci Odyssey? No. No more than we need an Engineering Vesta).

These guys will charge whatever they think they can get away with - even the 'good' guys in the industry get greedy (the whole EVE $40 monocle thing) - Cryptic with PWE at the helm are quite possibly the greediest operation I've encountered in gaming (aside from maybe Zynga).

Anyway - I stand by my statement - $99 ships (or bundles) before this game close its doors and on the day they announce it, you owe me one.

Not in my C-Store - all I have available is the 3-pack. I'll check again though once the server comes back up.

*Edit* just checked and I stand corrected - the Vesta does indeed show up as separate purchases - not sure why I wasn't seeing that before (mostly been playing KDF so that might have had something to do with it) but irrespective I'm glad to see they haven't taken a 'bundle-only' approach - it says something of my apathy to their pricing/business tactics that it didn't surprise me in the least when I thought they had though...

you sir must not have read my post above or a page or to back the 50 dollar price tag is for those who must haz it now,while people like myself subsidize the cost with dil->zen cause i myself wasnt going to pay 50 dollars.so instead i payed 30 and converted the rest so in reality i got a great deal,buy one vesta get 2 free.but for those who are to lazy to save a bit of dilithum for zen conversion are the ones who will get hit hardest in their wallet.

If you think it's over-priced, don't buy it. Sell Dilithium for Zen instead.

I'm pretty sure most subscription MMO's have gear or items which you grind for months to get. Think of the Vesta in that same light - something you need to put time into acquiring without cash.

You hit the nail right on the head there, cheaper items will sell a whole lot more, hence drawing in more revenue in the long term, but it seems most people here are too stupid to figure that out.

People are spending 30+ bucks to see a stupid 3d movie once. $20 bucks for a ship you'll get to use every day as often as you like for however long STO remains a live game is a bargain.

And when you add in that Lifers and Subbers can reduce the price using their monthly stipends and other methods to get zen, the price is even lower.

There are folks who either don't have the time ( you know: other stuff in life ) or the inclination to do the entire dilithium>zen thing . Saying you don't have to buy them is a lame excuse for pricing policy . You also don't have to buy a CD with music ( after all: there's radio )

well speaking about people who dont have time to do it sir i go to tech school and have a job its just called time management skills.

And people that choose to ignore other methods that will reduce their out of pocket expenses and then complain about things being too expensive get ignored for being whiners with entitlement issues.

Just sayin.

I've been here since the second week of Beta.
Not Closed Beta. Beta Testing.
I remember when Klingon play had to be unlocked, and it was a PvP only faction and had to grind my way to Lt. General by beating everyone around me to a bloody pulp (it was a simpler time).
I remember when tricorders had a little glow light on them.
I remember the Borg before they could adapt.
I remember the first time a dev commented on a post of mine (it was about the Dyson sphere).
And I've never made any such claims because making such claims is foolish. Do I make reasonable assumptions or educated estimations? I like to think so, but I this does not preclude the fact that I can be proven wrong at any time because the STO devs have Captain's Prerogative: anything at any time can be subject to changes. They've said as much, and it says as much in the Terms of Service all players agreed to before playing the game.
And frankly, the prices of ships has only really significantly changed when the game fully converted to Zen. Rounded things out, but they've stayed at relatively similar prices.
And honestly, I'm not gonna "owe" you anything, because I am more confident in my ability to observe patterns and make reasonable predictions than I am of ill-informed, heat of the moment doom calling.

Oh gosh, is that a reasonable post with an enlightened point of view? Great Roddenberry's ghost, I do believe it is.
It would behoove many of you to take such words to heart.

The company will set the price based on the best return.

There will be a minimum price which will cover the costs.

There will be a maximum price that would not sell well.

In between these two is a sweet spot, the best price the market can stand with the best return based on the metrics of previous purchases.

They may indeed sell more ships at a lower price but there will be a price point whereby they sell the maximum number of ships to the maximum number of people. This is the price they currently use.

Therefore the price is unlikely to change unless market forces dictate a change. There will always be those that can't afford something and state if you lower the price I would buy it, but if they did that they would lose money because they are already selling the maximum number they can and the few extra purchases at a lower price would not make up for the less purchases at a higher price.

Sales 101