Riot, why are you still overcharging for old "legendary" skins?

DustyBronco·Jan 21, 2015·92 votes·5,762 views

Two years ago, you established guidelines for skin prices. At the time, several old legendary skins did not belong in the 1820 tier, most of them not even belonging in the 1350 tier. I brought this up on the old boards, and my thread received over 300 upvotes, 26 pages of discussion, and not a SINGLE Rioter jumped in the discussion.

Nothing has changed since. Riot has not addressed this in any way, shape, or form, none of the old legendaries have received updates to make them into what their price point requires, and they continue to be sold in the shop as is. That's not right.

You owe your players and paying customers more than this. Please speak up.

64 Comments

AikidoLawnNinjaJan 21, 20157 votes

As long as people continue to pay legendary prices for lackluster skins, Riot has no incentive whatsoever to change the pricing structure. Quite the opposite, in fact. Once people stop buying said skins, they'll consider adjusting the cost.

DustyBroncoJan 21, 20155 votes

Additionally, the problem is that they need to refund people whenever the skin changes in price (even if it's temporarily put on sale). I think this is a defining factor in Riot's choice to be mute over it.

CindikleJan 21, 20151 votes

Legendary's never go on sale. They never start on sale(like Ultimate do) either.

Far as I know, ones that got reduced in price did give a refund.

RoyaiChaosJan 21, 20151 votes

Legendarys do go on sale actually, errr at least the overpriced one he's talking about.

CindikleJan 22, 20152 votes

I've never seen a Legendary on sale.

RoyaiChaosJan 22, 20151 votes

When the legacy vault opens they go on sale like all the other legacy skins.

CindikleJan 22, 20151 votes

O_o I think you are right. I do believe I remember Alien Invader being at a reduced price at 2013's Snowdown. And i was mad myself because I forgot about it and to pay the full price.

FLY SlotmachinerJan 22, 20151 votes

Legendary never go on sale like the other skins such as Epic or such; however, if Riot feels like a skin price needs to be adjusted downwards, not just Legendary, they typically give a refund to those who payed full price, this however has not happened in a while and I am not sure if they will reduce skin prices anytime soon.

Kroda13Jan 21, 201519 votes

[{quoted}](name=Dusty Bronco,realm=NA,application-id=A8FQeEA8,discussion-id=Al5ZERH9,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2015-01-21T20:17:03.313+0000)

Additionally, the problem is that they need to refund people whenever the skin changes in price (even if it's temporarily put on sale). I think this is a defining factor in Riot's choice to be mute over it.

if a skin goes on sale Riot doesn't owe you any kind of refund. Thats like saying Walmart or some fucking place like that owes you a refund if they decide to put something on sale you bought 2 weeks prior

DustyBroncoJan 22, 20151 votes

Check your attitude. That's common sense. In the past, they HAVE given out price-match refunds for legendaries. People have seen RP given to them when Alien Invader Heim and Firefighter Trist were retired to legacy and placed in a 50% off sale. Also, because legendaries are price-protected, they will do that EVERY time a legendary skin sees any kind of price reduction, which is why that has happened exactly once since League has been released.

43161549_DELJan 23, 20151 votes

This generally has happened due to those summoenrs buying those skins full price the night before the sale has happened or a day before not realizing the sale was going on.

DustyBroncoJan 24, 20151 votes

Then they can contact support, who sometimes honors the "I bought it right before a sale" excuse. That's why they forecast the larger sales in advance now.

43161549_DELJan 25, 20151 votes

which is why I said what I said the way I said it. Sorry for not adding in the "contact support" part. I just assumed it was a given

The ChoochJan 22, 20152 votes

Some establishments, many in retail, will price match you or refund the difference if you provide proof from the purchase of the original price. Of course, there is usually a time frame you must do so within.

BeatzBoyFTWJan 21, 20157 votes

Annie in Wonderland.

Seriously, you overcharge this shiet because the bear is in a bunny costume?

Grouchy PoroJan 21, 20156 votes

They have plans to puff up legendary skins with Champion VUs as far as I've heard. The champion VUs are far off, yes, but when they happen it'll be glorious.

DustyBroncoJan 21, 20152 votes

Right, but it's been two years since the price points were laid out. I don't think "when it happens, it will" is good enough for them to continue to contradict themselves.

CindikleJan 21, 20152 votes

Alien Invader Heimerdinger is the same quality as the rest of them. The VU's really are not updating much.

I've been told they will never reduce it's price to 975(it's quality price IMO) because it's a legacy skin.

I look at Final Boss Veigar and think how cool those effects are. And look at Heimerdinger and feel like it's mostly recolored.

I love the skin an all. But currently I wouldn't even know I was using a Legendary skin if it wasn't or the fact his head looks like a brain. Everything else feels exactly the same.

Tapu FiniJan 22, 20159 votes

As far as Tristana goes, Firefighter is definitely a big upgrade from where it was, but it's still barely in line with 1350 skins, imo. While the particles are awesome (Those autos, that jump!) some custom VO for the skin would be pretty awesome...

The VU definitely helped the skin, but I still feel like it could use a little more oomph to be considered truly 1820.

AmightyTJan 22, 20153 votes

they didn't when they gave TwistedFate a VU

BresnJan 21, 20156 votes

Kitty Kat Katarina needs some spooky meows or something like that, or maybe a cat jumping out during her ult. Dumping a white costume for a 975 legacy skin on her with no skill change is just a damn scam.

I actually almost suggested having her ult shoot kitties.

ImHerVoiceJan 22, 20153 votes

kat needs to worry about not getting gutted for the 5th time since her release more than what she's looking like atm.

BresnJan 22, 20151 votes

She's alright for now. She isn't like "Get fed or be trash", she's okay.

ImHerVoiceJan 22, 20151 votes

shes one of the worst feast or famines in the game wtf are you talking about lol. riot completely gutted her late game when they reworked her entire kit in season 2 or season 3. Every scaling is lower Every base stat Everything. Even her CD's are higher. She is a complete and udder shadow of her former self. AND shes about to get gutted AGAIN. Lmfao.

BresnJan 22, 20152 votes

She has insane ult damage Facepalm

Wtf did you think her passive was for?

ImHerVoiceJan 22, 20152 votes

LLMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

u think a katarina gets more than half her ult off(AT BEST)? LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

ok ok okLOL

BresnJan 22, 20152 votes

You're level 25, I been playing for three years.

Shut. Up.

Kat's combo is almost a ensured ace.

ImHerVoiceJan 22, 20152 votes

lol.

http://www.op.gg/summoner/userName=Jungle http://lan.op.gg/summoner/userName=TenSlashTen

And theres also some of my original accounts from alpha/beta testing that I forgot the password to, or don't play anymore or gave away to a friend who then quit soon after because they wanted to try league and were DOTA veterans who were curious at the time. Some of these include JungleOrLose "ToryJJ(i think was the name,.. or was it ToryJ) Swtestmem0ry Swtestmemory and a bunch of random plat-diamond accounts or pre 30's which I used to test the tribunal and how badly it was designed as proof to myself I could've just laughed at you and let you think you know anything.. but..Yeah...I'm an asshole. Sorry kiddo.

ShadowParkerJan 22, 20151 votes

I dunno bout you. But it's pretty easy to look up lvl 30 accounts and say they're yours. Where you from? Because in the U.S. it's incredibly easy to do this.

On a sidenote, kat is a shell of herself, and she's still insanely good. That pretty much just shows how overpowered she used to be. Kat's fine.

AreJan 22, 20153 votes

They reworked her because baddies didn't understand how to play her, "omg kat only has two damage skills, and her ult is impossible to use". She took a lot more skill and had more potential.

New Katarina is a button masher. The play style is significantly different outside of "time your ult correctly"

She was never overpowered back then (she's not overpowered now), just a very in depth champion not many people knew how to play.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

The SoulforgedJan 22, 20151 votes

I've been playing for 3 1/2 about. Nevertheless, kat is a champ who is actually decently balanced at the moment, due to her counterplay. Against smart opponents, going in facefirst will end up with you getting cc'ed and killed. You have to time your entrance into a fight, or you'll die, so you're both mostly wrong. Saying her combo is an ensured ace tells me that you know little about her. Until she gets to go in, her team is in a 4v5 situation, and going in doesn't auto win you the fight. Even when your entrance is timed properly, you can still somehow be cc'ed or have the enemies dash away from you.

Edit: also, they're gutting her even more with a mini rework... screw u rito

AreJan 22, 20151 votes

Her ult did more damage pre-rework as well. Her passive pre-rework was also better than what it is now.

Did you even play pre-rework Kat?

disregardableJan 21, 20155 votes

I skimmed over the champions you listed in your post. None of them were mispriced per the guidelines, except possibly Gentleman Cho, who should get a bit of leeway for being such an original and defining skin.

DustyBroncoJan 21, 20152 votes

You skimmed it and you're going to try and argue with me? I broke down, skin by skin, what qualified it as a legendary or non-legendary skin. Also, "original and defining skin" isn't in their price breakdown.

disregardableJan 21, 20155 votes

You know what else isn't in their price breakdown? You "feeling like the skin is worth 1850 RP". It matches the price requirements. Maybe not as much as you personally want them to. That's cool. You don't have to buy them. But they don't need to reduce the prices that they followed because you personally think they could've done a better job.

DustyBroncoJan 22, 20151 votes

Do you have a specific example in mind? I don't know how I'm supposed to respond to vague arguments.

OleandervineJan 22, 20152 votes

Firefighter Tristana is "Legendary" too. And if you look at the new model and VU for her, there's nothing that makes it worth more than 975. I believe Riot threw those old Legendary skins on Annie, Tristana, Heimerdinger, and others into the vault to freeze the price so they wouldn't have to deal with them. They're not in circulation anymore, so I personally don't see it as that big a deal, especially since most usually go on sale whenever they pop back up.

Sneak DogJan 22, 20151 votes

It has many new particles and I believe animations, which makes it a 1350 skin.

Raja ChachkiJan 22, 20152 votes

IDK if Black Frost Anivia is old......but it is a beautiful skin, it is my favorite by far :)

DustyBroncoJan 22, 20151 votes

Blackfrost Aniv isn't old by my standards, but you're right - it's a gorgeous skin.

BlainezyJan 22, 20152 votes

Annie in Wonderland is one. I own it. I got it from a 490RP mystery gift, but still.. It's definitely not legendary skin material. In fact, I don't believe any of Annie's are even worth 975.. They stay too basic.

DustyBroncoJan 22, 20151 votes

Yeah, it's boggling that Wonderlannie was EVER considered that tier. I have to say though, Pandannie and Goth Annie are worth the price. Goth Annie is 950ish if you own all of the champs in the bundle already (which was a controversial change).

BlainezyJan 22, 20151 votes

Same with Katarina.. None of her skins should be over 750... Like, they look nice, but the way she is designed you can't see any of the effects other than the blade above the head is changed. Like, Sandstorm Kat should at least swirl around sand when she ults or something, but not even that.

macromiteJan 22, 20151 votes

I'm pretty sure that the reason Annie in wonderland was so high was because of the Tibbers changes in the skin, to memory it was the first skin of hers to do that, I'm not saying your wrong to think its too expensive, I'm just saying that that is the reason why its so highly priced.

1st HanarSpectreJan 21, 20151 votes

Because if they lowered the price, people who own them would bitch. Were you not there when they sold the old, old legendary for half price before removing them? The shitstorm was massive.

Personally I don't care, I paid 1820 for them and enjoyed my usage, if they were to lower the price it would change absolutely nothing for me, but some people might decide they are worth it for them at 975 and buy it, So while I personally support you OP, it's extremely unlikely that they will do it.

That and Hippalus would probably set his own mother on fire before "lowering profit" on those skins.

BresnJan 21, 20151 votes

So it's a matter of "I brought it when it was more costly, fuck making it cheaper for millions of other players."

People who brought it - Whines unfair for them People who argues for change - Rito priced incorrectly!

Whose the wrong one here?

1st HanarSpectreJan 22, 20151 votes

{quoted}

So it's a matter of "I brought it when it was more costly, fuck making it cheaper for millions of other players."

People who brought it - Whines unfair for them People who argues for change - Rito priced incorrectly!

Whose the wrong one here?

No one is really in the wrong, both are just different opinions.

OJ191Jan 22, 20152 votes

[{quoted}](name=1st HanarSpectre,realm=NA,application-id=A8FQeEA8,discussion-id=Al5ZERH9,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2015-01-21T22:19:42.093+0000)

Because if they lowered the price, people who own them would bitch. Were you not there when they sold the old, old legendary for half price before removing them? The shitstorm was massive.

Personally I don't care, I paid 1820 for them and enjoyed my usage, if they were to lower the price it would change absolutely nothing for me, but some people might decide they are worth it for them at 975 and buy it, So while I personally support you OP, it's extremely unlikely that they will do it.

That and Hippalus would probably set his own mother on fire before "lowering profit" on those skins.

the shitstorm was massive because they said they would bring up the quality bar for those skins not because they sold them half off.

Instead they just deleted them from the store after everyone got hyped for old legendary revamps

DustyBroncoJan 22, 20151 votes

I was there for that, actually. And you know what I remember? GD being flooded with threads of "Hey, 900 odd RP just showed up in my account." "I was just given 1800 RP?!" "Riot, thanks for the RP!"

You know what that was? Riot refunding the difference that people had paid because legendaries are price-protected.

GuiltyGeckoJan 22, 20151 votes

They did explain this. Legendary skins are now price protected. When you buy those old Legendary skin, you're not only buying the skin itself. Like it or not, you're also buying the prestige and exclusivity of that skin. I'm NOT saying I agree or disagree with this approach, I am just here to give the reasoning.