In regards to the new Mount in the Cash Shop

[Lochton]

That mount is already on my shopping list. Don't like the store, don't look at it, done. It is optional, the mounts on the store would by 96% not be in game if there was no store.

[Deleted]

Because disagreeing with a greedy decision is 'nonsensical'. Yeah. How stupid of the consumers. How dare they. Aren't they thankful?



You like spending $25 on a single, baked model of a Moose?

I paid something like £40 for Wrath, and it was slightly more valuable than that.

But hey, go ahead. I attacked your preferences as a consumer. Shoot me and start yelling like everybody else who feels personally trodden on when we say you're fucking over the game by splurging on a virtual moose.

Not sure why it bothers you so much? These threads are made only to spew salt and vitrol. Let people spend their money on whatever they like. People spend 100,000$ on a funky Vertu cellphone with diamonds on it.

[unfilteredJW]

Going to purchase. Enjoy your silly boycott.

Go mow a lawn or two.

[Coconut]

They just added a mount for getting the 300 mount achievement that looks insanely epic. If people want get that mount they need to play and it gives them a reason to. If people want to spend their own money on a different mount, they can too.

They added mounts for timewalking too, and Winter's Veil (we'll have to see how rare it is though). That's cool of them, but I doubt the average player will resub for a recolored dragonhawk alone, or be too excited if they farm all winter's veil for the yeti and get nothing but snowballs.

As far as the cloud serpent goes, I'm not sure if you're an in-game only mount collector, but I am, and I can tell you that goal is very far away for me, even though I own 8 currently retired mounts. If anything, it's more incentive to buy "easy" store mounts to pad up your numbers, because otherwise you have to aquire pretty much every mount in game, including the 0.1% Sha of Anger, Galleon, Nalak and Oondasta mounts. Good luck with that, average subscriber disillusioned with the game!

And to be fair, the mount is a MoP creation, one of the best expansion for mounts and cosmetic rewards in general. I'm happy it made it in the game, but it's one of the last unused mounts cool enough to be used for such achievements. Soon, they'll have to make them from scratch...

[Deleted]

Sadly the cash shop still makes a shitton of money for them. I don't understand why people don't say "no, I wont support this kind of behaviour" and actually do it.

But people complain on the forums and the moment they see a new shiny Shopmount "oh, shiny. Want to buy!"

Its just a waste imo. There are so many shop mounts out there but you see almost non of them after the first few months. Just because everyone and their grandma has them. Its a bummer.

And no, it's not about the people not having any money for those mounts. It is just how cynical the timing is. Again. We've got so many Shop Mounts over the last year but the content got worse and worse. Still people give Blizzard money for this shit. Thats so saddening.

[Raelbo]

It's far less apparent and a lot more sneaky on Blizzard's part - because unlike them, and no matter how you put it, Nexon isn't triple-dipping on their games - they're F2P - no buy, no subscription, just microtransactions. Whereas Blizzard incorporates all three of those elements. Buying the game, subscribing, and paying for cosmetics - simply because they have access to a brand that has such a deep and intrinsic connection with the average player, that they can essentially do whatever they want and make money off of it

Would you prefer they charged $5 extra per month of subscription? Would you prefer it if they went F2P and set it up so that on average you'd have to spend $25 per month to get the same game experience you currently enjoy?

Please, stop talking about double or triple "dipping" as if it's some objectively bad thing. At the end of the day you need to look at the value proposition as a whole.

Personally I like Blizzard's revenue model: They divide the costs to the consumer in what I regard as a sensible manner:

1) You pay a big cost for new IP. If you don't like the new IP, then don't buy it
2) You pay a subscription cost to participate on an ongoing basis. In return you get support, both in terms of Blizzard actively maintaining and running their servers as well continued improvements and addons to the game. If you decide to take a break from the game, you don't pay.
3) You can pay an optional extra cost for absolutely optional cosmetics - or put another way - you can opt to ignore that particular cost by simply electing not to buy the purely optional cosmetics

In short: You pay for what you get. You get to tailor how much you pay. I would far rather see them getting 25% of their revenue from the cash shop than see a 33% hike in the subscription fees, or alternatively 25% reduction in content output/support.

Now maybe there is an argument to be made that Blizzard are overcharging for what we as players get out of the game. But that really has nothing to do with their revenue model so much as how much they are making from it.

I reckon you are simply upset because for some reason you perceive that Blizzard should be able to deliver exactly the same product without their shop revenue. And you may even be right, but it actually has absolutely nothing to do with "triple dipping".

[McNeil]

Usually when another company tries to do something like this with something like extra DLC (not day one), they get crucified for it. Yet here Blizzard gets praised, its the complete opposite world in here.

[Deleted]

Not sure why it bothers you so much? These threads are made only to spew salt and vitrol. Let people spend their money on whatever they like. People spend 100,000$ on a funky Vertu cellphone with diamonds on it.

Because if people are going to freely splurge on anything, that brings down the standards that are set forth by the developer in terms of the game we all get.

We can all choose or not choose to buy store items - that's agency. But we all play the same, one game. And we all suffer or gain from the decisions made by the developer in regards to what they focus on - that has a major influence from how they market things and what they profit off of. Right now, as a result of their current financial model, the game is a lot less important due to the amount they're making off of MTX and services - more than ever, as reported in the official figures in Q2.

They're making more than ever on services and products attached to the brand - and less than they have done since December 2005 from the money the base game brings in on its own. The game is on a 9-year low - the products attached to it are sky high. Where do you think their priorities lie? Exactly.

People can do what they want - the problem is, being ignorant of having any semblance of standards when it comes to wanting a better WoW, makes the game worse and worse, as we have been witness to over the past few years.

Would you prefer they charged $5 extra per month of subscription? Would you prefer it if they went F2P and set it up so that on average you'd have to spend $25 per month to get the same game experience you currently enjoy?

Uh, no. I'd like it if they actually listened to their players and made for a quality base game experience, brought people back, had content with natural retention and entertainment value that lasted, and a design philosophy that doesn't promote 'cyclical' play. But yeah, you're right, they'd only be making a measley $150 million USD per month if they stuck to that model, excluding services and box sets. Poor Blizzard.

Please, stop talking about double or triple "dipping" as if it's some objectively bad thing. At the end of the day you need to look at the value proposition as a whole.

Uh, it is a bad thing. It's a blatant 'Fuck you' when you're essentially forcing players to pay for the box, the subscription fee and then saying 'Oh, nope, you have to pay extra for this unique thing'. It's a direct Fuck You and it's borderline extortion.

Personally I like Blizzard's revenue model: They divide the costs to the consumer in what I regard as a sensible manner:

1) You pay a big cost for new IP. If you don't like the new IP, then don't buy it
2) You pay a subscription cost to participate on an ongoing basis. In return you get support, both in terms of Blizzard actively maintaining and running their servers as well continued improvements and addons to the game. If you decide to take a break from the game, you don't pay.
3) You can pay an optional extra cost for absolutely optional cosmetics - or put another way - you can opt to ignore that particular cost by simply electing not to buy the purely optional cosmetics

In short: You pay for what you get. You get to tailor how much you pay. I would far rather see them getting 25% of their revenue from the cash shop than see a 33% hike in the subscription fees, or alternatively 25% reduction in content output/support.

Now maybe there is an argument to be made that Blizzard are overcharging for what we as players get out of the game. But that really has nothing to do with their revenue model so much as how much they are making from it.

I reckon you are simply upset because for some reason you perceive that Blizzard should be able to deliver exactly the same product without their shop revenue. And you may even be right, but it actually has absolutely nothing to do with "triple dipping".

No, I'm upset because the game suffers from their design philosophy and their marketing priorities. I don't care what people do with their money, however, I do care if it impacts what I'd like WoW to be, other than a shell of its former self.

People spend 100,000$ on a funky Vertu cellphone with diamonds on it.

Here's the catch - I can buy a phone that's actually competitive, and doesn't include an idiot tax. I can't do that with MMORPGs.

[Deleted]

I actually bought an apple watch worth 10k, it is the same, but different metal, I don't even regret it.

[Morthulo]

Damn, all these cry babies come out when they release a new mount to the store. Don't buy the mount if you don't want to, but then don't come to the forums to cry about it, because now you look like an idiot and pathetic.

[Calotron]

Any excuse to justify your low standards, Cal.

That's actually a viable strategy, though. Getting the players to turn against eachother on issues like this, and make the financially weak-willed amongst us even more willing to splurge, if they get their jollies off of 'sticking it to the man', those horrible, nasty players who actually argue for a quality game, not just quality mooses.



Couldn't have anything to do with the billion or so they make annually off of simply double-dipping on their customers, from a single IP, right? And the fact that their base game, at this particular iteration, is dull, boring, and lacking in multiple content departments. But sure, screw the game, at least I get a cool Moose!

In fact, screw the expansions, let's just forget raids and new zones and classes, let's just patiently wait around in our capital cities for Blizzard to release new store mounts, so we can all buy them and race eachother to the 'payment confirmed' screen so that we can get a quick spark of extra ego on top of our general ignorance to what a 'game' is meant to be.

Oh give me a break... You honestly think that because a few people on the art team at Blizzard makes two mounts that go on the Store in the course of the Expansion that it lowers the quality of the entire game.

And my low standards? Because I have a strong opinion apposing yours have to call me out personally by saying I have low standards, your taking this very seriously over an IN GAME mount, that adds nothing to the game but LOOKS. If people want to buy these mounts and support Blizzard so that they can continue to make their games then let them.

[Deleted]

Damn, all these cry babies come out when they release a new mount to the store. Don't buy the mount if you don't want to, but then don't come to the forums to cry about it, because now you look like an idiot and pathetic.

Thank you, lets be friends

[Calotron]

And to be fair, the mount is a MoP creation, one of the best expansion for mounts and cosmetic rewards in general. I'm happy it made it in the game, but it's one of the last unused mounts cool enough to be used for such achievements. Soon, they'll have to make them from scratch...

I agree with you there Coconut! Maybe it is a little daunting to get those mounts. But if the Moose were in game, looking as cool as it does, I doubt it would be an easy feat to obtain it. You know? I get where you're coming from though, and respect that you're posting in a greater tone than most.

Sorry if I came off as harsh in my last reply.

[MechaMoose]

More moose for me...

[Tyranitar]

As long as there are people preparing their throats for a load whenever Blizzard announces another way to milk WoW, the monetarisation of WoW will proceed.

[Deleted]

Oh give me a break... You honestly think that because a few people on the art team at Blizzard makes two mounts that go on the Store in the course of the Expansion that it lowers the quality of the entire game.

And my low standards? Because I have a strong opinion apposing yours have to call me out personally by saying I have low standards, your taking this very seriously over an IN GAME mount, that adds nothing to the game but LOOKS. If people want to buy these mounts and support Blizzard so that they can continue to make their games then let them.

No, I think their attitude stems from the fact that they can effectively grow money on trees with store mounts, and that extends to the point where they're less incentivized to make new content because they make less profit off of making the base game attractive, and far more profit with less workload off of simply releasing mounts and making money off of services and under-developed expansions.

Blizzard does not 'need' to be supported, they're fucking rolling in it, ergo their current design philosophy. The people who need to be supported are the fans, because as of right now, we're stewing and about to undergo yet another content drought, and the community is essentially on life support from the small glimmer of hope brought forth by 'Legions of Ambiguity'.

And if you are going to support them, support them in a way that promotes the base game as being what you want to be their biggest, most important focus. You aren't supporting World of Warcraft in any sense by buying store mounts, you're simply putting it into a deeper comatose state of being a dead, anti-social game, living off of conceptual fan service and moose hype.

[Coconut]

I agree with you there Coconut! Maybe it is a little daunting to get those mounts. But if the Moose were in game, looking as cool as it does, I doubt it would be an easy feat to obtain it. You know? I get where you're coming from though, and respect that you're posting in a greater tone than most.

Sorry if I came off as harsh in my last reply.

No problem, man.

The cloud serpent mount will be easier to get once Legion arrives. I always hope it will get more people interested in collecting so that Blizzard will cater to us more... preferably in game )

[Baneador]

I will instabuy the Moose Mount 10 times only to bother you (and because its awesome).

[Candy Cough]

I don't see any problem with Store mounts. While I personally don't spend money on them. (This is the case will all mounts, but I tend to get tired of them after 20 uses or so). Just because you don't like it, it should be removed? It's optional, an easy mount for people that don't want to grind 250,000 K apexis crystals, do 100 BG's, Do same raid every week or do Mythic raiding. Store should stay honestly. I haven't really spent anything on the store aside from Lil ragnaros since it was portable cooking.

People that get angry because they purchase things in the store (Talking about the case where people were kicked for buying store helmets)
should just unsubscribe and fuck themselves. It's none of your business what people spend their money on, just because you can't afford it doesent mean you have to be a bitch about it.

[Calotron]

No, I think their attitude stems from the fact that they can effectively grow money on trees with store mounts, and that extends to the point where they're less incentivized to make new content because they make less profit off of making the base game attractive, and far more profit with less workload off of simply releasing mounts and making money off of services and under-developed expansions.

You're obviously a Blizzard fan (I think at least), you have to know that they are passionate about their games and want them to succeed. I understand they are a business, but you really believe that because a hand-full of mounts you have to buy will take THAT much away from the quality?

I can see the point your making and respect it, and realize now that it's not all over this one moose but different tactics they are using in a course of time. I just don't think mounts will spoil the quality of an expansion. You think WoD failed because of some real money mounts?