Reason's behind disgust at 60$ for level 90 chars

[RickJamesLich]

lol, it makes me disappointed that some people out there actually think stuff like this is a good thing for the game. I can't wait for the day blizz starts selling gear and some of the guys on here surely will be like "WHOO HOOO!!!"

[PrairieChicken]

$60 should never be problem for anyone (unless you are an underage student)

[tristannarutofan]

Anyone who equates this feature, which was inevitable considering the age of the game and how long it would take for a new player to reach level 100 unassisted (anyone outside of high school cannot be reasonably expected to spend the 4+ hours a day it would take to reach max level at a reasonable time to begin gearing up to get into endgame content, whether it's pve (which it would most likely be) or pvp. WoW has become all about the endgame, which isn't bad - all games ultimately become about their endgame, it's not enough to have a little world to run around in anymore (at least not for a huge portion of the playerbase it seems).

My disgust behind the pricing is simple and honest - it's a blatant, slimy cash grab designed to hike up pre-orders of the expansion so that people can deceive themselves into thinking they'll be dodging the "extra" $60. Why do this? Because more pre-orders = higher stock prices for Activision shares = happy soulless corporate greed monsters. I can comfortably sit behind this argument because if Blizzard ever lowers this price (expect it midway or at the end of WoD), it will confirm it, and believe me Blizz will, because they will not make money off this model to the extent they would if it were, say $40. These kind of tactics are just disrespectful to the playerbase... but then again so is having a game sit around for 4 to 5 months with no content updates (the time it will take for the WoD Beta to wrap up... and that's optimistic). Oh and having people pay for the privilege to test your expansion, which they will then buy... and play all over again. Every day I feel better and better I canceled my subscription. /sigh

Or....blizzard could have just NOT let anyone ever get a lvl boost and no one would have been the wiser. But there are TONS of people who wont have gotten the new expansion and rejoined the game if this free 90 wasnt happening. There are Millions of people who have no interesting in buying one.

I mean...i dont even get it. How would them making this 60 dollars increase the rate of people preordering it? people are going to get it no matter what they do. Whether they buy it this fall, or buy it when the preorder happens.

[Mormolyce]

Blizzard is charging us money to skip content, instead of making leveling content people enjoy.

They invested a shitload of resources into making new leveling content in Cataclysm (which BTW was some of the best questing in the entire game). Their reward? Players bitch about it to this very day.

People want to skip levelling because it isn't endgame and in this day and age if it isn't endgame it's just filler to be skipped as fast as possible.

[tristannarutofan]

Anyone who equates this feature, which was inevitable considering the age of the game and how long it would take for a new player to reach level 100 unassisted (anyone outside of high school cannot be reasonably expected to spend the 4+ hours a day it would take to reach max level at a reasonable time to begin gearing up to get into endgame content, whether it's pve (which it would most likely be) or pvp. WoW has become all about the endgame, which isn't bad - all games ultimately become about their endgame, it's not enough to have a little world to run around in anymore (at least not for a huge portion of the playerbase it seems).

My disgust behind the pricing is simple and honest - it's a blatant, slimy cash grab designed to hike up pre-orders of the expansion so that people can deceive themselves into thinking they'll be dodging the "extra" $60. Why do this? Because more pre-orders = higher stock prices for Activision shares = happy soulless corporate greed monsters. I can comfortably sit behind this argument because if Blizzard ever lowers this price (expect it midway or at the end of WoD), it will confirm it, and believe me Blizz will, because they will not make money off this model to the extent they would if it were, say $40. These kind of tactics are just disrespectful to the playerbase... but then again so is having a game sit around for 4 to 5 months with no content updates (the time it will take for the WoD Beta to wrap up... and that's optimistic). Oh and having people pay for the privilege to test your expansion, which they will then buy... and play all over again. Every day I feel better and better I canceled my subscription. /sigh

Not to mention that Blizzard wants people to AVOID buying this, which is why the price is so high. I mean Blizzard is a giant cash cow and you think YOU are smarter than them and are all like "Well if they where as educated as me they'd realize they'd make more money if they lowered the price". Blizzard sold their current game (the whole thing) for 15 dollars last fall...or rather almost all the winter .

And pay to play in the beta? No one has ever done that. Or are you giving a corrupt pessimistic and unrealistic interpretation of people getting 3 free things for signing a paper that says they are going to buy stuff they are going to buy anyways?

- - - Updated - - -

Yep and tons of people still like many of the "old" zones

[lavaalamp]

But whats next? Buying Achievements/Gear/professions. Whats the point of an MMO if you can buy your way to the finish.

lol.....do you even play WoW? because if you had a brain you would know it buying a 90 isn't even close to "Beating the game"

[tristannarutofan]

Greg Street was the lead design for WoW for 10 years. Everything that made it into the game (or didn't more often than not) was entirely at his discretion. The massive decline in numbers and very large negative response towards decisions in the game is arguably why he does not work for Blizzard anymore, that and he likely doesn't want the potential twilight of a major game hanging around his neck for the rest of his career. I started playing in BC after following Classic through a friend, and I played a Shadow Priest. Greg Street informed us all he played a Holy Priest after he left. I remember the design template for Priests in WoW, and the attitudes of players and the developers. Pretty sure I (or we, I know a lot of fellow Spriests feel the same way) can confidently focus the blame for Shadow being such a let down for so long based on him and his ideas for how the game should have looked. Why they didn't replace him after cataclysm (or god forbid after Wrath - granted that expansion was a TON of fun, so I guess he gets a pass there) I have no clue - 5 years would strike me as long enough for any one man to lead the design team of a beast of a game like WoW. Some younger blood with a fresher perspective would probably have made a big difference. That's my 2 cents anyway.

He doesnt work for the company anymore because he got a cool opportunity.

You dont get fired by making your company millions of dollars and helping to create the biggest most popular experience in the entire Universe.

But hey, if you want to hang on to your tinfoil hat , go ahead.

[Mormolyce]

Greg Street was the lead design for WoW for 10 years. Everything that made it into the game (or didn't more often than not) was entirely at his discretion. The massive decline in numbers and very large negative response towards decisions in the game is arguably why he does not work for Blizzard anymore,

Mmm, stopped taking anything you say seriously right... about... there.

GC left Blizzard because he got a better job. Incidentally in my business the average time until someone moves on to a new role is more like 3 years, 10 years is a hell of a long time.

Oh and also, he joined in late TBC when Wrath development was already 99% finished IIRC. So more like 5 years.

[axolotls]

$60 for this is not a lot of money unless you're flat out poor.

[tristannarutofan]

He doesnt work for the company anymore because he got a cool opportunity.

You dont get fired by making your company millions of dollars and helping to create the biggest most popular experience in the entire Universe.

But hey, if you want to hang on to your tinfoil hat , go ahead.

I mean do you people even get that? Did you not see last blizzcon. The game company is INCREASING. dozens of "Wow killers" have come and gone and went out of business. It is the single largest entertainment community in the entire universe. The company is getting bigger and more independant. "normal" people are playing what has been regarded as the second most nerdy experience in existence.

If WoW dies it wont be for yet another 10 years. This company KNOWS what it is doing. Stop pretending like you people have the slightest clue.

[Mormolyce]

My disgust behind the pricing is simple and honest - it's a blatant, slimy cash grab designed to hike up pre-orders of the expansion so that people can deceive themselves into thinking they'll be dodging the "extra" $60. Why do this? Because more pre-orders = higher stock prices for Activision shares = happy soulless corporate greed monsters. I can comfortably sit behind this argument because if Blizzard ever lowers this price (expect it midway or at the end of WoD), it will confirm it, and believe me Blizz will, because they will not make money off this model to the extent they would if it were, say $40. These kind of tactics are just disrespectful to the playerbase... but then again so is having a game sit around for 4 to 5 months with no content updates (the time it will take for the WoD Beta to wrap up... and that's optimistic). Oh and having people pay for the privilege to test your expansion, which they will then buy... and play all over again. Every day I feel better and better I canceled my subscription. /sigh

You ARE aware that they're giving a free 90 boost to every single WoD account right? If it's just a cash grab why give it away free?

[Varjo410]

Who is this Reason you speak of and why is his behind disgusted at the 60$?

[ringpriest]

It is garbage, as the person is complaining about disliking a feature not marketed for him. Not blaming anyone for anyone elses shortcomings. The fact is that the developers have HEAVILY modified their game to make it more enjoyable easier.

FIFY. /char

[Clockwork Pinkie]

It's a reasonable price considering you get decent gear, a level 90, and two free level 600 professions. Me personally though, fuck that. I already have a 90 priest, was going to buy one because I didn't want to restart my professions and grind engineering but, I don't need it that much. I got other games to buy for that 60 bucks ><

Buy game, buy 5 expansions, pay 60 bucks to skip 4 of them.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

Who is this Reason you speak of and why is his behind disgusted at the 60$?

He sounds like a cool guy who isn't afraid of anything except this "buy-a-90" thing. Poor guy, wish he wasn't so disgusted at this poor innocent feature.

[Nurvus]

I think it's a good move from Blizzard to counter external leveling services.

I think that it should be:
1st Lv90 for free
2nd Lv90 for 60$
Increment of 5$ (65, 70, etc) per additional Lv90

One thing is helping players explore the world.
Another thing is encouraging players (even if not all) to massively skip content.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

You ARE aware that they're giving a free 90 boost to every single WoD account right? If it's just a cash grab why give it away free?

I feel majority of the people do not know this. This warning label should be posted in giant red letters in every thread that's about the level boost.

- - - Updated - - -

I think it's a good move from Blizzard to counter external leveling services.

I think that it should be:
1st Lv90 for free
2nd Lv90 for 60$
Increment of 5$ (65, 70, etc) per additional Lv90

All but 3rd is correct, last part is silly. If they have 60 bucks to blow, let them buy all the 90s they want. Who's going to notice or care if all the important stuff will be at level 100? More than plenty of time to "learn your class".

[Kanegasi]

This has probably been said already, but $60 is roughly equal to buying the battle chest, a copy of WoD, boosting one toon for free, then paying the transfer cost to bring it over to your main account. If the boost price was any higher than $60, people would ignore it and just go through the process I mentioned. The boost is just another QoL service this way.

[taheen74]

$60 feels pretty expensive for a level 90. Think about what $60 could get you elsewhere? I don't disagree with the price, but I personally thought it'd be closer to $30 / $40 which would also make it more accessible.

If it had restrictions on it and was 60 dollars, I could see the reason for all the bitching about it. Every other paid service has a cooldown to avoid constant use.

But it doesn't have a restriction and Bliz didn't HAVE to give in, so 60 is quite reasonable.

[Thage]

Are they still? I had heard today that it's only the pre-orders getting the free boost now, and it comes along with a free bump up for professions if the boosted character was 60. Well, if that's not true then huzzah, but I still think it's a bloody cash grab either way.

Still planning to let people get a free boost with expansion purchase. All told, the $60 price tag is, as another poster mentioned, around the sum total--less, actually--of buying a WoW battlechest, MoP, WoD, and the character transfer to put the boosted 90 on your main account (which Blizz acknowledged was going to happen anyway).

Rough math:
$20 for WoW (which now includes Cataclysm)
$20-30 for MoP (can't recall offhand which)
$40+ for WoD
Not even figuring any account transfer fee (I haven't used that feature so I dunno if there's a price tag attached), that's around $80 minimum if you buy standard editions and do the transfer off a dummy account, versus $60 to buy it through the ingame/online store.