Blizzard's Evolution

[Maeleena]

PVE to PVP server transfers, race changes and faction changes. I'm neutral on this topic, I just wanted to add this tidbit to the discussion.

They never said they wouldn't do this, and doing any of those doesn't improve your toon in-game, but rather is a personal preference on what race and server you want to be/play on.

[Cusco]

They never said they wouldn't do this, and doing any of those doesn't improve your toon in-game, but rather is a personal preference on what race and server you want to be/play on.

The OP didn't say anything about it improving your toon in-game, so that's not relevant.

[Velyndina]

Ya but Blizzard is a soulless company that just wants to make money, shit like that doesn't matter.

Doh! My bad.

I forgot we shouldn't mention the countless hours and devotion put into WoW, espeically cataclysm and the awesome community events blizzard organizes for US such as blizzcon and stuff. Nope, they only want profit.

[Deleted]

I cannot believe people still whine on Blizzard being greedy, do not people understand that a largely growing company needs to make more money? To get out all the epic new features and content they need to hire more staff and make more PR for their games. Still, they have never raised the monthly fee or made things that make your character better purchaseable.

I would rather say that Blizzard is one of the companies who value their consuments the very most. They dont mass out games (HINT FIFA 07,08,09,10 etc etc. The changes made to these games in order to ship a new one would be called "minor patches" in WoW if not for the graphical changes) just to max out their profit.
They hold Blizzcon once a year just to be able to meet and interact with their consument peers IRL.
Mike Morhaime got the question this year that since the tickets to Blizzcon sold out so fast, wouldnt it be time to start expanding? He answered that it would be good because more fans would be able to come, but bad because the "cosy" feeling would be gone, and many fans would not have the chance to even meet employees of the company.

I am actually amazed how much epic content Blizzard can get out WITHOUT being greedy. For all you haters out there, stop playing the game or reconsider. A big SHAME ON YOU ALL.

Thank you.

[tankytanktank123]

you're point about them being greedy is based on what now? what the hell is the basis of your argument? god i hate people...

[Corvos]

They never said they wouldn't do this, and doing any of those doesn't improve your toon in-game, but rather is a personal preference on what race and server you want to be/play on.

You shouldn't speak in absolutes when you're not 100% sure of what you're saying. Here's a link to the blue post that they released indicating they had changed their minds on PVE to PVP transfers. Should I dig up some other blue posts to reference it?

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...952959&sid=1#0

[5648945621]

Blizzard is the best game company in the world.

nope

[Maeleena]

You shouldn't speak in absolutes when you're not 100% sure of what you're saying. Here's a link to the blue post that they released indicating they had changed their minds on PVE to PVP transfers. Should I dig up some other blue posts to reference it?

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...952959&sid=1#0

Show me the quote where they said they would NEVER allow this to happen. You won't be able to, because the closest you will come is something along the lines of they don't plan on doing it, not that they won't do it.

[Valiel]

Where this metamorphosis began, we can only speculate but you can not deny a change.

Where?
Irvine, Ca

When?
1991

ITT: amagawd, a corporation is trying to make moneh.

[Blitzkrieg Says]

You're right, the goal of the company itself is to be profitable. But to be profitable they need their customers; they aren't going to do something that is going to cause an uproar in the community because they know people will leave because of it. Take, for example, when they were going to put your real life name on the avatar on the official WoW forums. Massive unrest, Blizzard folds.

If you know any simple calculus, you'll know that the optimal point of a function is the tip of said function. Take "Customer Unrest" as your X axis, and "Profits from Blizzard Store Purchases" to be your Y, which will form a parabola. If they increase the Y axis, the X axis will increase. They're going to push their Y axis as far as possible without making people mad. Sure, a few people will quit, but not very many.

Simple economics

[Maeleena]

The OP didn't say anything about it improving your toon in-game, so that's not relevant.

Let me quote it for you, so that it is clearer for you:

Changes that were said to never happen began to appear with price tags on them...
They have traded happiness for more profit.

How is getting a cosmetic item trading happiness? That's what I thought. The OP is referring to things that improve your character in-game.

[Tonystark]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blizzard_Entertainment

Here you can see the games they have release + expansion packs (9)

[Duskmourne]

There is one little development that concerns me a bit.

Timeline:

1. Activision busts out the big cash
2. Bliz workers mention for the first time that they are working under a hard deadline. (on SC2)
3. Bliz releases their first game that I don't fall in love with (SC2)

Any of us who have followed Bliz know that they have never worked under the shadow of a hard deadline. They have always been perfectionists and I am concerned that this might be changing.

[Mijen]

Let me quote it for you, so that it is clearer for you:
How is getting a cosmetic item trading happiness? That's what I thought. The OP is referring to things that improve your character in-game.

Actually he/she is correct. I was not referring to anything giving an advantage.

[pauly]

Blizzard didnt know much about money making until acitivision became partners with them. Think about it; blizzard didnt really start doing the race changes and faction changes (the biggest thing people wanted b4 the xfer) until the merge. Acitivision really inspired new ways for blizzard to make money in different ways aside from subscriptions.

[Maeleena]

Actually he/she is correct. I was not referring to anything giving an advantage.

Then how do you lose happiness if it is just a pointless cosmetic item? I think you need to re-word it to make more sense.

[Tonystark]

Acitivision really inspired new ways for blizzard to make money in different ways aside from subscriptions.

Amazing how much money they make off simple SQL statements (faction change, race change, character customization)

[Oneirophobia]

Last time I checked a sparkly horse and couple of vanity pets didn't help anyone win the tourneys or get first kills faster.

I dunno my Lil' KT certainly rakes in the kills.

---------- Post added 2010-11-30 at 08:41 PM ----------

There is one little development that concerns me a bit.

Timeline:

1. Activision busts out the big cash
2. Bliz workers mention for the first time that they are working under a hard deadline. (on SC2)
3. Bliz releases their first game that I don't fall in love with (SC2)

Any of us who have followed Bliz know that they have never worked under the shadow of a hard deadline. They have always been perfectionists and I am concerned that this might be changing.

See: Female goblin animations, Gilneas accessible in the shattering but with no NPCs (quite nonsensical), overly buggy patches (more so than past years), lore slip ups, etc.

Most of these, I believe, is due to the staff being so freaking rushed. I always get this picture in my mind of a big horrible demon in an Activision shirt standing behind Metzen and Alex with a whip.

[General Vezax]

I'd like to see some real evidence that blizzard is a terrible company. Everything stated is a matter of opinion.

[WReck]

Activision bought blizzard that's when they became profit based.