Is Blizzard charging too much per a sub?

[ComputerNerd]

So, while i was searching which game i should get next, i came across a thing called Origin Access; Long story short, it offers couple AAA games for 4$/month, which got me thinking, is Blizzard charging too much on a monthly basis for a single game?

None of those games charge a subscription, so your point is what ?
Nothing.

It is not comparable in the slightest.

Realistically, considering what you actually get for your money, your sub gets you access to the game, that's all, you think they'd use this money to actually release a steady stream of content like they used to do but alas, all you get is social media integration for your facebook game, ironic.


Other F2P games have released way more content than blizzard has for free, in fact, MOST F2P mmos have released more content than WoW has since WoD but WoW still somehow has the most subs, as well as the token bringing in MORE money for them while less players than ever, so less servers to maintain.

There's not really any financial reason for them to keep the game as a sub based game, if they added a cash shop and VIP with XP boosts, pets, loot boxes akin to other mmos, and a lot more VISUAL things like transmog sets, character slots for F2Players, etc, you know the drill, it's likely a lot more people would still have the game installed. I mean look at hearthstone, look how many people buy crap like character portraits for £10 and "adventures"

As far as the current cost, yes it's too high considering you get no new content for a year+ but people stay subbed so if legion flops hard they'll probably start the F2P option up.

The same f2p move that has been "imminent" now for years ?
No.

The point is you cant accept people who aren't you getting value out of it, because you deem it not to be value for YOU.
What is a lack of relevant content for you doesn't universally apply to everyone.

[TeeZed]

The same f2p move that has been "imminent" now for years ?
No.

The point is you cant accept people who aren't you getting value out of it, because you deem it not to be value for YOU.
What is a lack of relevant content for you doesn't universally apply to everyone.

I don't care if people get "value" out of it, i'm looking at it as a comparison to what the other options are, such as FF14, charging less and actually updating their game regularly, shows they're doing something with it.

Nice assumption though, ironic with your sig eh?

[Deleted]

If you don't get £10 of fun out of WoW a month, you should quit.

That's 1.5 hours of work, on the minimum UK wage. It is completely acceptable.

To a lot of people this will instantly come across as "omg blizz fanboi omg".

However, I wish they'd actually increase sub and scrap the entire store. Pets, Mounts, XRealm/XFaction Services(perhaps add a cooldown like they used to have).

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Other F2P games have released way more content than blizzard has for free, in fact, MOST F2P mmos have released more content than WoW has since WoD but WoW still somehow has the most subs, as well as the token bringing in MORE money for them while less players than ever, so less servers to maintain.

I hate to be that guy, but other MMOs are trying to break into the market so they have to try harder, WoW is established, rightly or wrongly it can get away with less.

[Deleted]

However, I wish they'd actually increase sub and scrap the entire store. Pets, Mounts, XRealm/XFaction Services(perhaps add a cooldown like they used to have).

Considering just how much I am spending on those, I'd be more than willing to pay a higher sub if it would mean having those services available for free.

[Deleted]

If I wanted to move a main and an alt, xrealm and faction it's £78, that to me is overpriced.

[FobManX]

$15/month in the grand scheme of things is really nothing. You go out for a meal at Chipotle its damn near $10. Movies + popcorn is probably $20+ easily. If you enjoy WoW you'll get way more out of it then one Chipotle burrito or one 2 hour movie.

[Deleted]

If I wanted to move a main and an alt, xrealm and faction it's £78, that to me is overpriced.

I have purchased more than a few dozen faction/race changes by now. Not so much in the recent time, but I could always change that again.

[wych]

sub price hasnt increased in 11 years, we're already paying less than we did, next question

Wrong, they increased UK prices about a year or 2 ago

[Laerrus]

Consider yourself lucky that you still get to pay only 14.99 per 30 days of gametime. If Blizzard adjusted sub costs based on 2004 value of the Dollar, we would all be paying $18.82 per month.

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

[aerosyne]

Go on, red herring. Back to the coast with you.

It really helps to know what terms mean before you use them. You know, to save face instead of looking extra stupid on top of the stupid you already look since you have no counter-point.

Are you calling me a homosexual now?

My god mate, 0/8 horrible bait. Put some effort in.

There's not really any financial reason for them to keep the game as a sub based game, if they added a cash shop and VIP with XP boosts, pets, loot boxes akin to other mmos, and a lot more VISUAL things like transmog sets, character slots for F2Players, etc, you know the drill, it's likely a lot more people would still have the game installed. I mean look at hearthstone, look how many people buy crap like character portraits for £10 and "adventures"

It works in F2P games because the game is designed from the ground up with that in mind. You don't ham-fist critical game design choices in at a later date to get more people to hopefully install your game, which is a shitty metric to measure since installation doesn't equate to currently playing.

[Maybach]

They screwed the UK with a price hike last year that wasn't done to any other country

Robbing b'stards

[Deleted]

$15/month in the grand scheme of things is really nothing. You go out for a meal at Chipotle its damn near $10. Movies + popcorn is probably $20+ easily. If you enjoy WoW you'll get way more out of it then one Chipotle burrito or one 2 hour movie.

WoW is a program that you've already paid for not a physical location with limited carrying capacity serving perishable products, packaged,transported,processed,cooked and served from the direct labour of some people.

Consider yourself lucky that you still get to pay only 14.99 per 30 days of gametime. If Blizzard adjusted sub costs based on 2004 value of the Dollar, we would all be paying $18.82 per month.

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

WoW has not inflated it's value relative to inflation. EVE online is $14.99 too.

[PingPong]

if anything they are charging too much on is race change and server transfer and I hate how there is no mass transfer,you have to pay each time for one character and if you want to transfer multiple character could easily add up to over $100,it suck.

[Mormolyce]

They've been bleeding us dry for years man.

How would you feel if Blizzard discounted its sub price by 25%? Would that be better?

Because that's actually what they've done by not adjusting the sub cost for inflation in 10 years.

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

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WoW has not inflated it's value relative to inflation. EVE online is $14.99 too.

I strongly suspect that WoW's continued $15 sub price prevents its competitors from even considering a higher one. It'd be pretty bold to try to launch a sub based MMO with a higher cost than WoW. If you launch an MMO today you get 25% less revenue from subs than WoW did when it launched. That must make it hard to compete.

Of course the other factor is the slow demise of sub based MMOs.

[Bullettime]

I don't think so, especially when you take into account how much $15 is and how much people drop into F2P games per month. RL friends who will complain about a 15 sub but drop 50 bucks in Riot Points for League of Legends.

15 is basically 2 drinks at a bar but for a month of entertainment that's there whenever you want it.

The only thing I would say is that I do think expansions could serve to be discounted or free to people who stay subbed.

[Tart]

How would you feel if Blizzard discounted its sub price by 25%? Would that be better?

Because that's actually what they've done by not adjusting the sub cost for inflation in 10 years.

http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

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I strongly suspect that WoW's continued $15 sub price prevents its competitors from even considering a higher one. It'd be pretty bold to try to launch a sub based MMO with a higher cost than WoW. If you launch an MMO today you get 25% less revenue from subs than WoW did when it launched. That must make it hard to compete.

Of course the other factor is the slow demise of sub based MMOs.

I'm going to clear this up now. If WoD was free I wouldn't play it. It's not because I can't afford it, it's because I refuse to give them anything.

[MagicMert]

Yeah for sure, They even thought WoD was good enough to increase the sub price in the UK by a quid. Not really an issue since its just a quid but still.

[Mormolyce]

I'm going to clear this up now. If WoD was free I wouldn't play it. It's not because I can't afford it, it's because I refuse to give them anything.

Then all this talk of price is irrelevant to you.

[Flower Milk]

I think the sub drops show that what they're charging, a lot of people agreed was not worth paying for the game anymore and left. But there are still enough people around who are willing to pay that price for them to keep charging it. So until that changes, I don't see them changing the price at all.

[Deleted]

Blizzard charges zero. You can pay with assets accrued from within the game. Of course this is in part why carries have sky rocketed in price. Why should uber guilds ever have to pay for content again. Just sell a couple carries which are little or no sweat off their back for more gold than anyone has a reasonable need for and voilla.

If the social and server situation wasn't messed up then there wouldn't be as much of a market for carrying people.