# Nice joke, CCP

**URL:** <https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [July 1, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479 "2020-07-01T20:41:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mattrim\_Kouton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mattrim_kouton/32/216232_2.png) [@Mattrim\_Kouton](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mattrim_Kouton)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/21 "2020-07-01T21:17:10Z")

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> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> EVE does have multi-month discounts.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/original/3X/9/6/96c82e6803c4baa3d1bd72f9a476abef23dc8319.jpeg)

4499 Eve vs 2694 Wow - for 6 month

That is not normal!

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**Author:** ![tutucox\_Khamsi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/tutucox_khamsi/32/430743_2.png) [@tutucox\_Khamsi](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/tutucox_Khamsi)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/22 "2020-07-01T21:22:53Z")

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im out, i had this discussion so many times I’m tired , but i wan to say what i said so many times, there is A LOT of Brazilians playing wow , eve not so much , i can make a plex in 10000000 eve activities EZ because I’m a vet and i know my way in the game,i don’t care , CCP should care , 200 MILION people …

edit:  
e see people typing let me give you something to think , I’m so poor that i live in a BIG ASS apartment , i have a mac , i have a iPhone , i have 700 games on steam,i don’t pay for eve, the price os outrageous compared to anything game related in my country , maybe CCP is in the wrong here

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**Author:** ![Mattrim\_Kouton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mattrim_kouton/32/216232_2.png) [@Mattrim\_Kouton](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mattrim_Kouton)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/23 "2020-07-01T21:47:24Z")

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@CCP_Dopamine Could you pass the link to the discussion to the CFO?

* * *

Thanks to everyone, you are all very friendly and helpful.

Sorry for my poor English.

From Russia with love.

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**Author:** ![Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/manweru_cemenotar/32/230368_2.png) [@Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Manweru_Cemenotar)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:51pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/24 "2020-07-01T21:51:59Z")

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> [@tutucox\_Khamsi](#):
>
> CCP should care , 200 MILION people …

and apparently those 200 milion people did not give a flying when EvE costed half the price.

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**Author:** ![Foggy\_Bernstein](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/foggy_bernstein/32/407887_2.png) [@Foggy\_Bernstein](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Foggy_Bernstein)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/25 "2020-07-01T21:52:32Z")

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> [@Zoiie](#):
>
> 17 years and clowning on, Eve, the joke that keeps on giving

2 years under new ownership.

> [@Zoiie](#):
>
> Russia has gold so… ummmm… their currency has to be worth something

The gold standard is ancient history.

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**Author:** ![Destiny\_Corrupted](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/destiny_corrupted/32/411527_2.png) [@Destiny\_Corrupted](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Destiny_Corrupted)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/26 "2020-07-01T21:56:34Z")

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> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> Russians were paying SIGNIFICANTLY less than other countries after currency conversion, that’s why. This makes sure all countries pay approximately the same amount after currency conversion.

They weren’t paying significantly less once you account for purchasing power parity. In fact, they were already paying more.

The average Russian salary is around R45,000/month, and the average US salary is about $4,100/month.

If a month of EVE in the US is $15, that’s about .37% of gross income. In Russia, at R1,000, it’s about 2.22%. And with this change, Russians are now paying US rates for their EVE subs, despite an almost 600% difference in purchasing power parity.

While there are other considerations in play (such as the fact that the housing picture is different in Russia, with less renting and fewer mortgages because families pass down their apartments through the generations), it’s objective to say that CCP is ripping them off.

To put things in perspective in layman’s terms, I don’t give two shits about $15. I wipe my ■■■■■■■ ass with $15 and then set it on fire. Where I live, a single pour at a bar costs that much. I can’t even buy **lunch** for $15. Meanwhile, in Russia, spending R600 (equivalent to the **old** EVE pricing) on something is an expenditure that isn’t taken lightly - it’s equivalent to a whole night out for two people, or 2-4 days’ worth of supermarket food.

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**Author:** ![Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/archer_en_tilavine/32/461718_2.png) [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Archer_en_Tilavine)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:02pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/27 "2020-07-01T22:02:26Z")

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CCP lowering their prices won’t attract more people, the game is too niche for it to be attractive for most people, and raising their prices to a universal-level won’t cause them to lose too many players. They earn more money while maintaining crudely the same-sized player base. Alphas can very easily make enough to PLEX to Omega through casual gameplay, so this isn’t murderous.

> [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
>
> They weren’t paying significantly less once you account for purchasing power parity. In fact, they were already paying more.

I agree with you 100% without objection in terms of local economics, but CCP only cares about the value of money in terms of the global economy. They want all players to pay approx the same in global terms, not relative to their cost of living (particularly when the player base is so damn tech savvy many of them know how to use a VCC or some other mechanism by which to pay in a different currency). CCP doesn’t have enough of a current or future potential player base by which to give some players a discount over others like WoW can.

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**Author:** ![Foggy\_Bernstein](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/foggy_bernstein/32/407887_2.png) [@Foggy\_Bernstein](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Foggy_Bernstein)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/28 "2020-07-01T22:04:00Z")

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> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> CCP doesn’t have a quarter as many players subbing the game, though.

That’s what happens when you go F2P. They’re making a bundle off of micro-transactions, though.

They’d be fine leaving sub prices where they were, but they got greedy.

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**Author:** ![Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/archer_en_tilavine/32/461718_2.png) [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Archer_en_Tilavine)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/29 "2020-07-01T22:04:51Z")

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Not really. EVE just isn’t palatable to most. It’s the caviar of MMOs. Most gamers wouldn’t play it if the Omega experience was free.

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**Author:** ![Mattrim\_Kouton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mattrim_kouton/32/216232_2.png) [@Mattrim\_Kouton](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mattrim_Kouton)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/30 "2020-07-01T22:10:12Z")

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Are you a player or developer?  
If you are a forum warrior, then you do not have analytics data for such results.

Project metrics are available only to developers.

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**Author:** ![tutucox\_Khamsi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/tutucox_khamsi/32/430743_2.png) [@tutucox\_Khamsi](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/tutucox_Khamsi)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/31 "2020-07-01T22:13:19Z")

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its so naive to think that a VPN can obscure your country for the end consumer  
edit:  
make the price regional as steam do any shenanigans collect the money and bam , more money

> [@Manweru\_Cemenotar](#):
>
> and apparently those 200 milion people did not give a flying when EvE costed half the price.

yes they did i even got some free stuff in the "affiliate program " , nowadays i don’t even try , don’t want people thinking I’m mad

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**Author:** ![Destiny\_Corrupted](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/destiny_corrupted/32/411527_2.png) [@Destiny\_Corrupted](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Destiny_Corrupted)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/32 "2020-07-01T22:15:08Z")

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> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> CCP lowering their prices won’t attract more people, the game is too niche for it to be attractive for most people, and raising their prices to a universal-level won’t cause them to lose too many players. They earn more money while maintaining crudely the same-sized player base. Alphas can very easily make enough to PLEX to Omega through casual gameplay, so this isn’t murderous.

This game has a _lot_ of international players. Look at these forums, they’re a melting pot. We have Americans, Germans, Brazilians, Russians, Australians, Canadians, people from different Balkan states, etc., all posting here together. It’s not like there’s a core US or Western European group, with a few “rabblers” mixed in. Granted there _will_ be more westerners here, but the primary reason for that is that they’re more able to afford to be here.

> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> I agree with you 100% without objection in terms of local economics, but CCP only cares about the value of money in terms of the global economy.

If that were the case, then they _would_ account for purchasing power parity.

> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> They want all players to pay approx the same in global terms, not relative to their cost of living

But that is _literally_ how all other major game publishers operate. Steam has had regional pricing since day one. Even _Nintendo_ does it.

> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> (particularly when the player base is so damn tech savvy many of them know how to use a VCC or some other mechanism by which to pay in a different currency)

This can be controlled. A very small percentage would be able to play the proxy game in perpetuity, but most would slip up. I’m actually intimately familiar with this (I used to be a big Steam trader, and have played various MMOs with a profit motive).

> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> CCP doesn’t have enough of a current or future potential player base by which to give some players a discount over others like WoW can.

It’s not a discount. If anything, it’s merely being less of a rip-off.

MMOs are business ventures with very high sunk costs. As such, it’s the desire of any MMO maker to have as many conversions as possible, even if it’s a Western company selling its product in Eastern Europe.

PS: for what it’s worth, I have an economics degree.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mattrim\_Kouton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mattrim_kouton/32/216232_2.png) [@Mattrim\_Kouton](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mattrim_Kouton)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/33 "2020-07-01T22:18:20Z")

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Meme:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/original/3X/d/1/d1818d9f194247283866afe44d02faf782497698.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tutucox\_Khamsi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/tutucox_khamsi/32/430743_2.png) [@tutucox\_Khamsi](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/tutucox_Khamsi)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/34 "2020-07-01T22:23:20Z")

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no bro, we don’t want charity  
iff ccp could sell eve for 1 dollar a month to 1% of Brazilians , Chineses , Russians , they would wet their pants,  
most companies can do regional prices  
ccp cant  
its their problem

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/manweru_cemenotar/32/230368_2.png) [@Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Manweru_Cemenotar)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/35 "2020-07-01T22:38:45Z")

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> [@tutucox\_Khamsi](#):
>
> yes they did i even got some free stuff in the "affiliate program " , nowadays i don’t even try , don’t want people thinking I’m mad

if they did CCP would not have raised the pricetag.

You don’t upset a consumer base this big. And if they did make decision that was very likely to upset russian playerbase, then, bear with me, russian eve (paying) playerbase was insignificant.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mattrim\_Kouton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/mattrim_kouton/32/216232_2.png) [@Mattrim\_Kouton](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Mattrim_Kouton)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/36 "2020-07-01T22:43:46Z")

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Do you have reliable data? What are the conclusions based on?

For my example, find my name at [https://www.eveonline.com/monument](https://www.eveonline.com/monument)

I was a payer. And now I can’t (do not want to) pay, as it is too expensive.

And it’s not just about Russians

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/archer_en_tilavine/32/461718_2.png) [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Archer_en_Tilavine)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/37 "2020-07-01T22:48:08Z")

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> [@Mattrim\_Kouton](#):
>
> Are you a player or developer?  
> If you are a forum warrior, then you do not […]

🙄

Anyway, I’m sure CCP is going to take your concerns very seriously and will respond accordingly 😉 .

And if pigs fly and horses sprout unicorns on their heads and prices are lowered again, gamers will have their VPNs+VCCs ready.

> [@tutucox\_Khamsi](#):
>
> its so naive to think that a VPN can obscure your country for the end consumer

Um… are you a certified IT Security specialist? I am - and no, this is not naive.

> [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
>
> PS: for what it’s worth, I have an economics degree.

I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said. I fully understand the concept of purchasing power parity and the delicate balance between regional pricing and earning revenue in global terms. There are two sides to this and I’m just defending CCP’s side. It’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” kind of a thing. I think it is in CCP’s best interest to raise prices - I think the pros outweigh the cons.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Destiny\_Corrupted](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/destiny_corrupted/32/411527_2.png) [@Destiny\_Corrupted](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Destiny_Corrupted)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/38 "2020-07-01T22:49:32Z")

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> [@Manweru\_Cemenotar](#):
>
> > [@tutucox\_Khamsi](#):
> >
> > yes they did i even got some free stuff in the "affiliate program " , nowadays i don’t even try , don’t want people thinking I’m mad
> 
> if they did CCP would not have raised the pricetag.
> 
> You don’t upset a consumer base this big. And if they did make decision that was very likely to upset russian playerbase, then, bear with me, russian eve (paying) playerbase was insignificant.

If the player base was insignificant, then they _wouldn’t_ have made the decision, because the very minor gains wouldn’t have offset the negative PR.

The more likely situation is that they had a board meeting, and no one there knew about or understood the world differences in purchasing power parity - just a bunch of jowly old men grumbling to each other about how it’s “ridiculous” that [some group] hasn’t been paying their share this entire time, and it’s about time they fixed that.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Destiny\_Corrupted](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/destiny_corrupted/32/411527_2.png) [@Destiny\_Corrupted](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Destiny_Corrupted)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:53pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/39 "2020-07-01T22:53:13Z")

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> [@Archer\_en\_Tilavine](#):
>
> > [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
> >
> > PS: for what it’s worth, I have an economics degree.
> 
> I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said. I fully understand the concept of purchasing power parity and the delicate balance between regional pricing and earning revenue in global terms. There are two sides to this and I’m just defending CCP’s side. It’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” kind of a thing. I think it is in CCP’s best interest to raise prices - I think the pros outweigh the cons.

If I had to _guess_, CCP isn’t banking on Russians paying more, but Russians _playing_ more, and subscribing via ISK-to-PLEX transactions, with Western players picking up the tab.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/manweru_cemenotar/32/230368_2.png) [@Manweru\_Cemenotar](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Manweru_Cemenotar)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/nice-joke-ccp/252479/40 "2020-07-01T22:57:46Z")

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Surely dear sir, You alone are customer so important to be considered “significant portion of global playerbase”

As for reliable data, it’s simple logic and knowledge of how gaming industry operates - you can see it celarly by just observing not only ccp but other gaming companies as well. And I can guarantee to You that team or person responsible for this decision did in fact have all the “reliable data” to decide that total income from Russian region is not sufficient to justify the “lower” price.

> [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
>
> If the player base was insignificant, then they _wouldn’t_ have made the decision, because the very minor gains wouldn’t have offset the negative PR.

On the contrary my friend. if specific region provides for insignificant portion of your global playerbase you have virtually nothing to loose by raising prices - some players may get upset, whales will keep whaling, but in big picture nobody will care.

And even as You can see in all three of the threads upset over it. Couple of guys going how outrageous it is, a big chunk of players going “you had it cheap lulz suck it” and a small handfull that actually try to discuss economics in here.

> [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
>
> The more likely situation is that they had a board meeting, and no one there knew about or understood the world differences in purchasing power parity - just a bunch of jowly old men grumbling to each other about how it’s “ridiculous” that [some group] hasn’t been paying their share this entire time, and it’s about time they fixed that.

And You have seen exactly no board executives in your life if you believe that.

> [@Destiny\_Corrupted](#):
>
> If I had to _guess_ , CCP isn’t banking on Russians paying more, but Russians _playing_ more, and subscribing via ISK-to-PLEX transactions, with Western players picking up the tab.

That is actually interesting point to be made, if grand most of russian playerbase was plexing with isk, they would be unlikely to even notice the price change, while the price change would cut losses on western smartasses exploiting regional prices.

But I would still stand by my point that since they decided to raise that price, then the amount of people who were actuall paying customers was insignificant.

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