Blizzard: World of Warcraft is not going to become pay-to-win

[Brodeo]

And the inability to bypass the leveling experience was the single biggest hurdle for new players. Blizzard even stated themselves that most new players never made it to end game content and it became more problematic as more levels were introduced.

They were handing out a free 90 to begin with with WoD purchase so anyone who joins can get caught up and play with their friends. WoW's marketability right now is very reliant on players recruiting friends so making it easier to do so is in the best interest for the game. The $60 tag for extra purchases mirrors the price of starting from the bottom and buying the expansions back up during the plethora of Blizzard game sales. Otherwise, you would see players simply spending $60 total for a new account to attach to their main account for another "free" 90.

Leveling is part of the MMO experience. I understand they have shareholders to answer to, but it is not good for the game.

[Lastgope]

Good Article OP thanks for the link

[Pann]

Yet you won't acknowledge that he was talking about the revenue model, and not micro transactions as a whole. So it clearly doesn't mean exactly what he said.

That is because he was talking about micro-transactions as a whole.

Yet they've had micro transactions as part of the game since 2006. Actions point out otherwise.

They had server transfers at the time that had many drawbacks it was not until a year later that pets and mounts were introduced but you are correct Pardo was being a bare faced liar.

Yes you have, because you keep ignoring that the context of his response is talking about micro transactions as a revenue model in place of subscriptions. That one sentence, when combined with the rules of the English language, sets the tone and context for the following paragraph.

I have quoted the whole question and answer several times and I even wrote what he said in the first sentence that you are getting so hung up on so I have not left it out. Yes it does set the tone on the rest of the answer in so much as they do not like micro-transactions.

No it wouldn't. Because the subscription model is in effect, and wasn't replaced by micro transactions for power. They did have micro transactions in the game which doesn't contradict anything Pardo has stated. He further prefaced the type of micro transaction he was talking about as the level of buying gold. There is also the fact that by 2008 Blizzard already had a system in place for Server transfers and other paid services. Again a form of micro transaction.

What? You are not making sense. I think the problem is you do not fully understand what you read.

No Blizzard didn't support those services because you are missing a key point. Blizzard does not authorize power leveling and gold selling services. Jinx sells official Blizzard merchandise yet by your logic it could only be called official Jinx merchandise since Blizzard isn't directly offering it. However your argument is nullified because Blizzard sold Archive booster packs (no longer offered currently so only the cached version is available http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...ient=firefox-a) which contained a chance at the old loot cards. They directly sold you a lottery for the loot card.

And while Cryptozoic didn't get the TCG until around 2010, they were founded by Blizzard and several Blizzard employees (or their relatives) work for Cryptozoic. (The wife of Chris Metzen works for Cryptozoic)

None of what you have written contradicts what I wrote. I guess we can this to yet another thing you don't understand.

What has who produced the TCG got to do with anything?

It can't be Blizzard offering a micro transaction though, because it is offered by Net ease. So it has to be dismissed as much as the TCG Loot cards. Because applying your argument it isn't sold directly by Blizzard so isn't an example of Blizzard selling a micro transaction. So I'm by you willing to take me up on the bet I take that as a tacit admission that TCG Loot cards really shouldn't be dismissed.

Either that or you are willingly taking up a bet that you know you've lost, which is a little strange.

And? What is your point? You wrote the rather moronic statement "But I bet you claim the XP potion sold in China is a micro transaction, and not something to be dismissed." which had nothing to do with anything I had said. Apparently the experience potion is being sold in Korea, Blizzard operate WOW in Korea and Taiwan. Eh? Well that makes no sense and is not what I said.

I never said it was a post you made, and it is related to your undefined people. Because it is the same sentiment that you claim is only made up for the use of Blizzard apologists. But as you've stated earlier to me a person that made a statement can't be imaginary and is actually undefined. So why do you keep referring to them as imaginary when you yourself corrected me when I used imaginary? Its an argument that has been used in the past as a slippery slope, and is using the definition of you that is non specific.

So what was the point of linking it then? I have explained over and over again what I was talking about when I mentioned imaginary people and it has nothing to what you have written. Why do you keep mentioning it?

You said if someone said it of course they can't be imaginary, yet you continue to make statements that allude to them being imaginary. You even called them undefined rather then imaginary when I called you out on you incorrect usage of "made up" and "imaginary".

You called me out for something that had nothing to do with what I had written and I am not going to explain what I was talking about to you again, if you've not got it after the first five or six times I can't see any further attempts to explain it to you will be any more successful. I can only guess that you are replying to things you have imagined I have written.

If it isn't mentioned in the quote that they will never do those things then it is a possibility. Point out to me where he said they will never do any micro transactions at all? He only said they choose to go with a subscription model instead of a micro transaction model because they felt that type of model would lead to a betrayal of trust because it would be selling power for out of game resources (gold buying was the example of the type of micro transaction they felt was a betrayal).

Character services (server change and name change) existed in the game prior to 2008, and are micro transactions. But I'm sure you'll tell me that only items (and levels) are considered micro transactions. And of course the TCG loot. The CE and Convention pets are not the standard micro transaction but it is still paying blizzard "extra" for virtual goods.

I think when someone describes something as a betrayal of their customers it is clear that are not talking about them in a positive light.

Yes, as you keep saying so we have established that Blizzard have not changed their minds and he must have been lying?

Change their mind about the model used for the game, Subscription or Micro Transaction. He was never asked about it, but that is the answer he gave. Which is why the first sentence of his response that you keep ignoring sets the context for the rest of his answer.

Yeah of course it is much more likely that he was answering another question to the one he was asked and the answer he gave meant something completely different from the words he used.

[Giscoicus]

Its funny, other companies (EA) insist they arent P2W either.

Crazy how players realize they are wrong

[Deleted]

That doesn't make sense, not when it's pay2win. Pay2win stands for getting the best attire you can possibly get.

No it doesn't. Pay2Win stands for getting ADVANTAGES IN GAME PAID BY REAL MONEY and instant 90s are exactly that. They're an advantage over everyone who has to level the normal way. They're not the nastiest P2W out there but they're already an ingame advantage bought with real money and anyone thinking there wont be any follow up on this one is delusional.

[Littleraven]

and whats new about this ?

^this. most people who say its going p2w clearly dont know what that means. buying vanity items and level boosts are far from p2w. now if all the sudden you could buy gear better than heroic gear....we would have some problems.

[rhorle]

It's not advantage over ppl who already have all characters they want leveled up obviously. The advantage is over ppl who don't want to throw $60 bucks at Blizzard to skip boring content for every character they want to get to max level. And no matter how you spin it saving 60-100 hours of boring play time is winning.

A player that buys a boost has the same advantage over a player that doesn't buy the boost as existing level 90's have over that player that doesn't buy the boost. Because they are level 90. It is still an advantage over a player who doesn't buy a boost.

The main issue however is that Blizzard knows that leveling is boring, but instead of fixing it they are asking paying subscribers to give them extra money. The logic behind it is atrocious. We know parts of the the game suck, give us extra $60 on top of subscription and price of the game and expansions and we will let you skip it.

The problem is that it will always be boring when you've done multiple times. There isn't anything any one can do to keep something interesting when you are doing the same thing for the 11th time. Leveling is pretty quick, they just re did the 1-60 experience last expansion. The 60-85 experience can skip multiple zones (you can get to northrend by doing about 2 1/4 zones in outlands. The problem with leveling that people keep bringing up is a nebulous concept that is hardly ever explained beyond "its broken".

[Sam the Wiser]

Yeah it's not like Blizzard has said "never" to a bunch of other things and look where we are now.

Also, I still find it funny how almost this entire site can find buying level 90's NOT an advantage over others. Cause I'm sure this won't effect no body but themselves right?

[Skillslam]

The beaten wives in this forum just love the abuse of big blue daddy

[fengosa]

The beaten wives in this forum just love the abuse of big blue daddy

Yes, voluntarily paying for a server transfer is completely on the same level as domestic abuse /smh

- - - Updated - - -

1. It's an advantage over everyone who has to level the normal way and doesn't already have a level 90.
So that's like saying a store-mount is an advantage over everyone who cannot afford a Wyvern or Gryphon.

rofl, this is why this entire conversation is ridiculous. No one is going to buy a boost unless they already have a 90 and in the rare cases someone does want to drop$100+ on the game right away having never played it's likely because they have rl friends who already play and want to be on the same level as their friends. How horrible?

[wowaccounttom]

OP, you havent been around much, have you?

every time blizz says they wont change something..... well.. surely you can figure out the rest.

In case you cant, they will claim :

a ) wasnt working as intended
b ) needs to be hotfixed
c ) must have x number adjusted
d ) we wont give into to the masses and keep the game hard
e ) etc etc

all pretty much meaning the same thing.

[Skillslam]

"The bible is true because the bible says so." -Blizzard

[Sheltleth]

Allright! Good to know they won't go P2W.

Ive been preaching this since day 1 when they started selling mounts and pets in the store. But there are so many nay sayers it's pathetic and refuse to believe anything but their own opinion which they think is fact.

[iceberg265]

"The bible is true because the bible says so." -Blizzard

That is actually an excellent analogy to what is happening here, except you should have put Ken Ham instead of Blizzard.

[Skillslam]

That is actually an excellent analogy to what is happening here, except you should have put Ken Ham instead of Blizzard.

It's apt enough. The zealots consider anything from blizzard as holy text anyway, no matter how many times they get bullshitted.

[fengosa]

It's apt enough. The zealots consider anything from blizzard as holy text anyway, no matter how many times they get bullshitted.

Zealots and bullshit, eh? I'm pretty sure the 90 boost will have zero effect on my enjoyment of wod. If i don't want to buy one I wont and if someone else wants to more power to them. Apparently having a neutral stance on something is a cardinal sin because the forum drama queens says o.

[Skillslam]

Zealots and bullshit, eh? I'm pretty sure the 90 boost will have zero effect on my enjoyment of wod. If i don't want to buy one I wont and if someone else wants to more power to them. Apparently having a neutral stance on something is a cardinal sin because the forum drama queens says o.

Why so angry? Going to order a fatwa on us next?

Infracted, post constructively.

[Tojara]

Well look at it this way, subscription costs have stayed the same in basically a decade. Had they truly wanted to be greedy they would have kept up with inflation and raised the price by a couple dollars.

Even for example 2 dollars a month would probably cause a fucking shit storm, but with some of these micro transactions it's curbed the need for them to even do it.

Pay to win is giving an advantage beyond the subscription cost for doing the things that are perceived as competitive, PvP and PvE content. To some extent you can mold that to include the leveling experience, but there is nothing that remotely indicates that leveling is competitive or that it requires any bit of skill to perform.

The way I look at it instant 90s are done for multiple goals and not just one. Yes them making more revenue is clearly one of those goals, but there is a clearly a demand from consumers or else they wouldn't want to implement it. Blizzard wants your money, why would they give the option to skip content that can take some very casual players months and months to accomplish? Simply put it's because of the convenience factor. Whether you believe it or not the shear amount of time you have to put into the game to catch up after not playing for an expansion or two is actually fairly discouraging for returning players, not to mention players who want to play with their friends. I have friends that want to play but simply don't want to put in several weeks work of getting back to level cap.

I'm not going to buy boosts to 90, but I can see how it's beneficial on so many levels aside from just lining Blizzards pockets.

[fengosa]

Why so angry? Going to order a fatwa on us next?

Fatwa's a new one...I guess it's better than a Hitler comparison.

[fengosa]

There is a difference between getting bullshitted and believing you are being bullshitted.
But knowing the difference apparently makes you a 'zealot'.

Be careful, if your opinion differs from theirs you're going to get called a blind fanboy.