So there is a little contest to open some boxes and some people have seen fit to spend tons of CP to try and get the ship.

This is all on the players.. in no way, no how is there any reason to blame Cryptic... if you want a chance at the loot you can run the race once per day with each toon... if you don't get the ship oh well. the choice to spend $$ is totally on the player.. if you get it, you get it so what?

Cryptic is evil? sheesh, they release preorder versions and people buy the game 7 times to get the loot and complain they spent $300 buying the game.... NOBODY IS BEING FORCED TO BUY BOXES FROM C-STORE buyer beware.... you could end up with $300 of worthless junk.

I had about 3 paragraphs to say, but I decided I wasn't going to convince anyone, and it would just make me more upset to see people's responses. I will say that I agree with OPs point of view. There's plenty of free items to be had, and even a small chance that you will win that yellow Lamborghini that you wrote to Santa about. But you know what? Can't have it all.

(This was my reply in another thread. Just as relevant here, if not more)

People's lack of self control has never (and wont for a long *** time) prevented any company from designing/selling products specifically geared to entice people.

These grab bags are no better/worse at exploiting people's lack of self control then junk/fast food, sugar candy, or the 100s placebos sold and advertised daily... And are only PIXELS instead of products that have potential to damage your health. And wont, someday, cost billions in extra health care every year...

...
If you want to talk about law and hope to make a real difference, you need to start with something real (NOT PIXELS). I highly doubt any court is going to act against Cryptic while other companies make billions in profit from selling ADDICTIVE products KNOWN to CAUSE CANCER! Other then add a tax, so your government can get in on the fun too.

If they lose enough players over it then they made a mistake, it's as simple as that. The question is how many will leave & how many are just full of hot air.

I still don't see how it's Cryptic's fault, if players spend money on these items that's their choice. Cryptic is not forcing anyone into buying them. I've purchased about 10 boxes, I opened 6 and got nothing great, the rest I sold on the exchange. Again my choice. Am I angry I didn't get the ship, no. Would I have liked to get it, sure. Oh well that's the way she rolls.

The result is the same no matter who you assign blame too. Either way, it hurt Cryptic, something for them to avoid in the future.

I don't think this hurt Cryptic at all.

Yeah one more stupid green box with anodorian sleigh bells, yay... Like you're really gonna get a ship from that race

This was never really Cryptic fault, this was a human issue. People felt a compulsion to have something rare, and have it first. People nowadays just want instant gratification, its pathetic what this generation is coming to. Same applies to the STF rewards, it wasnt Cryptics intention for you to grind these out like crazy. Its supposed to keep you playing, do 1-3 STFs a day instead...if the game is F2P they have to find some way to keep people playing in the long term. You do not HAVE to have these items to be efficient. But again, people abuse these ideas, so they dont work...and then the people go and complain.

The majority of the people complaining aren't complaining because they've spent hundreds of dollars on boxes. In fact, the majority of people complaining have spent none, and will continue to spend none. They aren't blaming Cryptic for them spending money (since they haven't), they're blaming Cryptic (and PWE) for engaging in this grab bag bull ****, something they chose to do and is very much their fault. Trust me when I say the player is not to blame for Cryptic deciding to engage in practices that are pretty much universally vilified (go take a peek at the CO forums, not gonna find a lot of grab bag gambling fans there either).

Decisions like this bother people, and many of those people will then take their money elsewhere.