Many EVE Online players were shocked at the high prices for virtual goods in the Noble Exchange store that launched with the Incarna expansion. We recently attended a press conference with Senior producer Arnar Gylfason and CSM Chairman Alexander "The Mittani" Gianturco regarding the issue, and Gylfason promised to release a dev blog that explaining their pricing strategy. That blog has arrived! Here are the details on the three main pricing tiers:

"The items in the Noble Exchange come in several price ranges. Normally, an outfit will all come from one pricing tier. An affordable tier outfit can be purchased and assembled for roughly the value of one PLEX in total - slightly cheaper if you are fortunate enough to time your purchase well.

Mid-tier outfits will be priced such that an outfit will total approximately 3-4 PLEX, depending on individual elements.

Deluxe tier outfits are aimed at flamboyantly rich capsuleers regardless of whether they measure their wealth in ISK, Aurum, PLEX, or currencies from Earth. While price is of little concern for these players, they could find themselves spending two or three times the price of an affordable outfit on a single piece for their ensemble. An exceptional tier is rumored to exist that represents a very special and rare investment for the wealthiest members of the EVE community."

CCP also reminds players that these items can and will be available for ISK as long as someone puts them up for sale. That means there is a way to get the items without using real cash.