I see this term thrown around a lot on this forum, generally incorrectly.

So I want to set some records straight.

This isn't about how you feel about any particular features of the CE or Preorder, but rather what the actual significance of Pay to Win is meant to encompass and what it actually is.

MMOs that contain cash shops tend to sell two of three things: Cosmetic Fluff, Time Savers, and Player Power.

Cosmetic Fluff is designed to simply give players further customization if they wish it. Appearance changes, additional options, alternate skins, and the like. These tend to be very reliable sellers because people love to look good. Additional Races ac

Time savers are things that reduce the time to complete certain grinding oriented tasks. Experience boosts being the most common in the realm of RPGs, but sometimes may also be items to reduce energy based cooldowns if the game demands it. (I,e, being able to only complete a certain amount of actions before having to wait a certain amount of time to recharge)

Then we come to the third-Player Power., Aka, "Pay to WIn"

This is the one thing that any MMO that wishes to remain alive for any period of time will never do-because it actively shortens the life of the game by giving them the carrot. Or worse-it offers players a level of power that surpases in-game sources, effectively making the shop the endgame and killing the Gear treadmill or any other similar grinds meant to extend game life.

I cannot think of any game in recent memory that has ever sold Player Power because of what it can do to a game's lifespan. And it's this category where the phrase "Pay to Win" was spawned from. Because you are quite literally paying for power that cannot be found elsewhere.

So please, before using this particular phrase to express disdain at having to pay for anything, keep this in mind. Calling anything and or everything "Pay 2 win" simply makes one look silly.