CCP's Mystery, Mystery Code....

A few articles on the net have made me look back at the The Second Decade Collector’s Edition.
The longer I think about it the more I am angered by the way CCP has essential taken my money and not delivered on a key component of that collectors edition.
I've complained on this blog before in regard to the mystery code included with the collectors edition. I'm not the only one to do so online, but this time it's really peeving me off.
The longer there is a lack of content from the mystery code the more I feel like I was taken as such a fool.
I paid full price for the collectors edition not once but twice. One for both of my accounts.

What a disappointment.

Detailed here, the Second Decade Collector’s Edition included items are explained but it's the Mystery code that (in my opinion) is a key selling point. It promises to deliver in the future of the game. That you are investing as a player in that future and the game is going to give back to you on that second decade journey.

This extract, explaining the mystery code is clear:

"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect traveling companion."

Exciting and compelling words. Wow after reading that you'd think there was a ton of gifts heading your way. Codes to claim, preview items and shiny loots to add to your fleet or hanger collection.

So lets see what we got so far.....


Well it took month's of waiting but the first gift given was a skin for the Rorqual.
I was not informed by e-mail that it was given to me and it was about 3 month's after the fact that I found out about it. They did say they would e-mail when gifts were ready....
Thankfully it was still in the voucher system and I was able to claim it there. I don't see why it was done in this way, the normal redeeming system would have been much better. Not that the skin is much use to me anyway but its a nice hanger collection piece, I'm all for that.



So one gift down after about 5 month's since release.



After the Rorqual skin release and a year after the collectors edition was out (yes a year after it was released!) there was this post.

That dev post says:

"Okay, so I've been speaking with people internally about this and have taken on the mystery code as a project.

Going forward, the Community Team will be dealing with the mystery code and stuff that's awarded through it.

We'll be sitting down right after the holiday season at the start of January to talk about what we want to use to release, so if you have any suggestions on stuff you'd like to see, feel free to fire away in this thread "

Now excuse me but this post clearly shows that the mystery code was not an active part of CCP's ongoing customer care.....
Compare that post to the description of the Collectors edition mystery code...seriously WTF!


Two month's after that dev post there was this post.
Yay for some free stuffs.

It took forum thread postings to get a CCP employee to remind themselves that they need to make good on their promise.

That is a major concern!

And that's been it..... that's all there has been......

Six month's on from that again and CCP have done absolutely nothing else to further the mystery code.

Only that forum post and getting CCP Falcon to check on it delivered a single package of free stuffs.


People kept up the posts on that thread and got a few responses that are both alarming and annoying...


First of note is this reply:

"Not at all

The member of staff who was working on keeping stuff flowing with the mystery code has departed from CCP as of a few months back, and it hadn't been picked up yet.

It has now, and we'll see what we can put out for you guys next year."

Seriously.... how many times can I say "seriously"!!!!!!
There was a "flowing"? with the mystery code... let me count how many items there were.... 1 .... 2 .... 2  That is not anything near "flowing"!
Never mind the fact that the person left the company and nobody has gotten the job of keeping up the "flow"!!!!!!!!
What a joke!


Second of note was this reply:

"Most of the stuff that's going to be coming in future is going to be time exclusive to mystery code holders, rather than completely exclusive. We're aiming that you guys get stuff somewhere between 3-6 months ahead, so that you have the opportunity to enjoy it first.

In terms of ship skins, I doubt we'll be giving them away free once they become permanent, but maybe something can be worked out.

That said, we're also looking at stuff not directly connected to EVE in terms of gameplay too.

No promises on any of this stuff of course, but we're thinking of seasonal discounts in the EVE Store and New Eden Store, discounts on tickets to CCP hosted events, that kind of thing for out of game stuff.

Again, no promises, as we're still working out exactly what will be best and most efficient to deal with."

Wait a second.... wait one second... that whole reply is a reworking of the product sold.
It both limits the items that could be given as well as the time frame.
It changes those potential items so that they have nothing to do with any CCP game.
It acts like there was a free "flow" of items to people....
This is a complete bastardisation of the mystery code, what a backtrack....

Again compare that with the quote on the original mystery code statment!

"This is just the beginning of what the Mystery Code will unlock.  In the future, whenever we have big things happening—not just across the EVE Universe but across all CCP games—you will find a Mystery Code element to enjoy.
There’s much more planned we can’t discuss right now, but you can rest assured that as we continue our journey into the Second Decade with you, the Mystery Code will be your perfect traveling companion."

The last post of that thread #117 is very well said! But the topic got locked so people can't add any more and I presume CCP considers the matter closed....
There are other threads but none that have done much to further any more movement from CCP.


As players we deserve what we purchased yet CCP is ignoring a promise they made.

They made that promise by saying they would deliver a product and part of that product was the mystery code.
It was the only part of their product that they needed ongoing maintenance. To take the people that supported them, who purchased the collectors edition looking for a second decade of ongoing adventure and treat them a little bit better for their loyalty.
They failed to do so from day one.

Now the only mystery is that we as players, we as customers expected CCP to deliver.

Where is the team that are supposed to have the Mystery code as a project!!!!!!
How could a project as important as this slip away as if it never existed!!!!!!

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