[Prediction?] Blizzcon WoW Announcement - Tiered Subscription Model?

[Yukionna]

Hello

I haven't played WoW in a while, but have been keeping up with Blizzard because of ROS. I also occasionally still check in on MMO-Champ.

This is just a humble "what if" that popped in my head from a number of things. I'm sure a lot of you would know much better about things to say whether or not it's a possibility or if I'm waaay off base.

First - I don't know their current American/Europe subscribers. I have heard many people say in the past that most of the subscribers in the millions that they report quarterly are actually from Asia. I also don't know the rate at which they have been losing American/Europe subscribers, or the forecasted rate they might lose them over the next expansion.

Why it *could* be a possibility, weighing heavily on what I just mentioned:

* This expansion is more expensive than previous ones. It's also more expensive than Reaper of Souls. Why?
* I've heard many people saying that they really have nothing important to announce for WoW at Blizzcon.
* Blizzard Store in-game interface, and the level 90 boost they recently started selling.
* It would give WoW an incredible marketing boost.

All of this could mean nothing, and there's probably a 99% chance that I'm wrong.

But here's how they could do it... Tier 1 - $15/mo. Tier 2 - F2P.

For everyone subscribing, you still pay your $15/mo and nothing changes. Most people subscribing now have way too much invested into their accounts and alts (raiding, mount hunting, professions, bank alts) to only get by with 1 character. Most of these people probably wouldn't drop their sub.

For people paying $0, they would have 1 character, would have to buy additional character slots if they wanted more, and would still have to buy the expansions. They could also limit sales on the auction house and other little money grabs like other F2P MMO's do.

People making multiple accounts to try to get around the limit would still be hit with buying all expansions for ~$100 - nearly a year's worth of subscription money.

What do you guys think? These are just the thoughts of someone that casually keeps up with WoW news. Am I way off?

[RaenavenBlacksun]

I highly doubt this sort of model would come to pass. The current free accounts already exist, in the form of only being able to level to 20, with no access to most of the chat features. What you're talking about is the model I saw with D&D.

What I WOULD like to see, is the ability to pay single months, non-recurring. This is the only game a play, yet I'm strapped for cash. Most of the time, I can buy time on payday, but the end of the month falls between checks. Using a non-recurring model, I could always insure I bought game time on payday (after I paid everything else).

[Affiniti]

* This expansion is more expensive than previous ones. It's also more expensive than Reaper of Souls. Why?

They raised the price $10 for the "free level 90". So basically "free for $10 90".

[Yukionna]

They raised the price $10 for the "free level 90". So basically "free for $10 90".

Ah I see, lol.

The current free accounts already exist, in the form of only being able to level to 20, with no access to most of the chat features.

They could get around this by making people buy Vanilla (It's around $5~$10 now, isn't it?) to open up the regular game past 20 for Vanilla. So I guess in essence it would still be Buy to play, but without subscription.

[RaenavenBlacksun]

After some time in Wrath, they made it impossible to "just" get vanilla. They stopped making the basic game in the box and the download version included BC (and then Wrath, and then...)

They'd still lose a lot of money (they might regain numbers, but numbers don't equal revenue when the majority of those regained numbers don't shell out subscription money). It would not be a smart move in their part. It would be admitting defeat and WoW would die off (as in we probably would not see anymore major expansions and updates would be even slower coming).

[Deleted]

I've heard many people saying that they really have nothing important to announce for WoW at Blizzcon.

I wouldn't see the reason for a Blizzcon if there weren't any great announcements to make.

[Normie]

I wouldn't see the reason for a Blizzcon if there weren't any great announcements to make.

I hear it's called BlizzCon not WoWCon.

[manypillars]

What I WOULD like to see, is the ability to pay single months, non-recurring. This is the only game a play, yet I'm strapped for cash. Most of the time, I can buy time on payday, but the end of the month falls between checks. Using a non-recurring model, I could always insure I bought game time on payday (after I paid everything else).

You can buy a single month, three months or six months off the webstore as a one time purchase- https://us.battle.net/shop/en/produc...raft-game-time
I've used it a couple times myself. It's more convenient than trying to find a store for a physical card, and it doesn't involve setting up a sub, then cancelling it and filling out the exit survey.