Even in the US, more than 40% of all borrowers pay their credit card in full each month and avoid interest payments. The banks can make enough of a profit off of the merchant fees to pay some rewards back, although obviously they don't make as much off of these accounts as the ones they can load up with fees. 

The real issue to me would be if they could come up with an attractive enough package to interest some gamers when they are competing with cards that give back cash that can be spent anywhere.

Personally I think having yet another institution that knows nothing about games that has an incentive to tell developers how to develop games and than target me, because I play games, to enlist in their service and create a middle man between how and where I spend my money and the game developers is just a horrible horrible idea.

Bad for games and bad for the consumer.

Venge

Originally posted by VengeSunsoar

Personally I think having yet another institution that knows nothing about games that has an incentive to tell developers how to develop games and than target me, because I play games, to enlist in their service and create a middle man between how and where I spend my money and the game developers is just a horrible horrible idea.

Bad for games and bad for the consumer.

Venge

Our discussion does not include game development, it does not have the banks instructing companies on how to produce their products.  

As for being targetted. You are part of a group of people, those people play video games.  When you are part of a group, you will be targetted.  Money is to be made in this industry, it hasn't even been tapped.  As the flow of money relating to the gaming industry explodes, it is important (and rewarding) for financial intermediaries to get involved and capitalize on the flows.  Added ability of cross selling other products and involving the gaming community further in their finances is a fantastic idea.

The ideas are great for games since they inscend you to purchase more of them or use your money in the industry somehow, this improves the industry as a whole.

To think that a bank giving a company money, potentially a lot of money, on behalf of their customers and then saying that that bank won't try to affect the development, or that the developers would ignore the bank (a potential huge amount of income) is patently rediculous.

Therefore the discussion would include game development, banks would consider themselves part of the community and attempt to impact it, probably with much much more success than anyone on these forums.

The point is I don't want to be targeted by my financial instiution for my gaming hobby.

I don't feel that introducing yet another level of bureaucracy , another level of marketing, another level of people who don't play games, who can impact game development choices would be good for anyone other than the banks.

Venge

Originally posted by Sovrath

Well, I voted no.

I don't/won't pick banks on any perks they can give me regarding video games. Even if they made the game free.

I pick my bank based on availability, what type of checking and savings accounts they offer, availability of ATM's, etc.

Basically I pick the bank based on the bank.

 End of Thread.

Originally posted by waynejr2

Originally posted by Sovrath

Well, I voted no.

I don't/won't pick banks on any perks they can give me regarding video games. Even if they made the game free.

I pick my bank based on availability, what type of checking and savings accounts they offer, availability of ATM's, etc.

Basically I pick the bank based on the bank.

 End of Thread.

The problem with discussion threads is that during them the OP becomes irrelevent.  We are no longer considering changing banks, but opening a credit card with one that offers a large rebate to be spent on computer games.

Originally posted by Divinefairy

Originally posted by waynejr2

Originally posted by Sovrath

Well, I voted no.

I don't/won't pick banks on any perks they can give me regarding video games. Even if they made the game free.

I pick my bank based on availability, what type of checking and savings accounts they offer, availability of ATM's, etc.

Basically I pick the bank based on the bank.

 End of Thread.

The problem with discussion threads is that during them the OP becomes irrelevent.  We are no longer considering changing banks, but opening a credit card with one that offers a large rebate to be spent on computer games.

 Saving a buck fifty is meaningless.  I spend more on something to drink everyday.

Originally posted by waynejr2

Originally posted by Divinefairy

Originally posted by waynejr2

Originally posted by Sovrath

Well, I voted no.

I don't/won't pick banks on any perks they can give me regarding video games. Even if they made the game free.

I pick my bank based on availability, what type of checking and savings accounts they offer, availability of ATM's, etc.

Basically I pick the bank based on the bank.

 End of Thread.

The problem with discussion threads is that during them the OP becomes irrelevent.  We are no longer considering changing banks, but opening a credit card with one that offers a large rebate to be spent on computer games.

 Saving a buck fifty is meaningless.  I spend more on something to drink everyday.

Alright, well I take this as you have either not read anyhting in this thread whatsoever, or are not planning on adding anything constructive, or both (likely) which is clearly the point of the discussion.

Thanks for the input though, have a good one.

Originally posted by VengeSunsoar

To think that a bank giving a company money, potentially a lot of money, on behalf of their customers and then saying that that bank won't try to affect the development, or that the developers would ignore the bank (a potential huge amount of income) is patently rediculous.

Therefore the discussion would include game development, banks would consider themselves part of the community and attempt to impact it, probably with much much more success than anyone on these forums.

Eh, yes and no. I don't see them interfering with development, in the same way that a bank would not sponsor Colgate and then turn around and say "You need to make a money-flavored toothpaste. Chop chop." However, if there was any kind of MMO scandal on par with Hot Coffee or Mass Effect's sex scenes, I could easily see a bank saying "Get that out of your game by Friday or we're pulling out", completely regardless of the actual offensiveness of the content.

Originally posted by Disdena

Originally posted by VengeSunsoar

To think that a bank giving a company money, potentially a lot of money, on behalf of their customers and then saying that that bank won't try to affect the development, or that the developers would ignore the bank (a potential huge amount of income) is patently rediculous.

Therefore the discussion would include game development, banks would consider themselves part of the community and attempt to impact it, probably with much much more success than anyone on these forums.

Eh, yes and no. I don't see them interfering with development, in the same way that a bank would not sponsor Colgate and then turn around and say "You need to make a money-flavored toothpaste. Chop chop." However, if there was any kind of MMO scandal on par with Hot Coffee or Mass Effect's sex scenes, I could easily see a bank saying "Get that out of your game by Friday or we're pulling out", completely regardless of the actual offensiveness of the content.

Possibly but there is less money to be made by enforciing cencorship. Remember, even Disney has companies within its umbrella that make movies for adults over kids.

What they could do is set something up like most credit cards that have perks. For instance, I have a card that gives me perks for having a car. Which I don't have. It just sort of evolved into that over the many years I had it. The one time I called them and said "hey, I don't own a car, what other sorts of perks could I get" I was politely referred to their website and found that everything else on that site was also useless to me.

Now, if I had a card where if I spent a certain amount of dollars I then got poitns that could be used with game companies then that would be a better deal.

As a poitn of note, American Express has a business card (and might have this for individuals) where you earn points that then can be spent with other major companies such as "Apple".

so it's not beyond the pale that they could set up a similiar thing with people who play games.

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Disdena

Originally posted by VengeSunsoar

To think that a bank giving a company money, potentially a lot of money, on behalf of their customers and then saying that that bank won't try to affect the development, or that the developers would ignore the bank (a potential huge amount of income) is patently rediculous.

Therefore the discussion would include game development, banks would consider themselves part of the community and attempt to impact it, probably with much much more success than anyone on these forums.

Eh, yes and no. I don't see them interfering with development, in the same way that a bank would not sponsor Colgate and then turn around and say "You need to make a money-flavored toothpaste. Chop chop." However, if there was any kind of MMO scandal on par with Hot Coffee or Mass Effect's sex scenes, I could easily see a bank saying "Get that out of your game by Friday or we're pulling out", completely regardless of the actual offensiveness of the content.

Possibly but there is less money to be made by enforciing cencorship. Remember, even Disney has companies within its umbrella that make movies for adults over kids.

What they could do is set something up like most credit cards that have perks. For instance, I have a card that gives me perks for having a car. Which I don't have. It just sort of evolved into that over the many years I had it. The one time I called them and said "hey, I don't own a car, what other sorts of perks could I get" I was politely referred to their website and found that everything else on that site was also useless to me.

Now, if I had a card where if I spent a certain amount of dollars I then got poitns that could be used with game companies then that would be a better deal.

As a poitn of note, American Express has a business card (and might have this for individuals) where you earn points that then can be spent with other major companies such as "Apple".

so it's not beyond the pale that they could set up a similiar thing with people who play games.

I didn't know that existed, it's a great idea if you could bring that to retail banking customers.  It's essentially an SPC for older folks.  Put 20 companies on the card, maybe 20 of the major corporate/retail customers for that particular bank, and provide rebates (above the regular cash rebates) to that company.

A) it entices people to buy from that company.

B) From the bank's perspective, if successful, it encourages their customers that are not on the card, but want to be, to provide more business.

C) you could add gaming companies to it to entice a new generation of money.  Gamer's are not targetted by the financial system at all.  At least to my knowledge.  And in coming years it's a great opportunity for mutual growth and initiatives.

This thread is reading more and more like those 'Earn Free Points' sections in PBBGs and F2P MMOs where you sign up for credit cards, netflix accounts, take surveys, etc. Have you considered just going that route, DF?

Originally posted by Loktofeit

This thread is reading more and more like those 'Earn Free Points' sections in PBBGs and F2P MMOs where you sign up for credit cards, netflix accounts, take surveys, etc. Have you considered just going that route, DF?

They don't have a rich enough consumer base, imo.

Sovrath's post was an interesting one as it goes back to reward points which have become rather common lately, so the offer of something like PlaySpan's Ultimate Game Card would have a very wide appeal and could even encourage cross-marketing and cross-promotion as people may obtain the card in one game solely to accumulate points for another.

Originally posted by Loktofeit

 

Sovrath's post was an interesting one as it goes back to reward points which have become rather common lately, so the offer of something like PlaySpan's Ultimate Game Card would have a very wide appeal and could even encourage cross-marketing and cross-promotion as people may obtain the card in one game solely to accumulate points for another.

I wonder though if the consumer base for the creation of a card just for gamers is a profitable venture.

It costs a lot more than believed to set up a card.