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  1. #1
    Brewmaster ACES's Avatar
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    The Blizzard Store and the Monthly Fee. What you need to realize.

    Every time Blizzard announces something new for the pet store we see the same threads come up about how a game with a monthly sub fee shouldn't have a microtransaction store. I get really frustrated when I see these posts because some people just don't get it.

    You pay a monthly fee to be able to log in to your account and play; nothing more, nothing less.

    Blizzard is a business and they have to do with that money whatever they feel will be most profitable. This can be anything from developing PvE and PvP content to developing items for the Blizzard store. The purpose of the former is to keep people subscribed to WoW and maybe even bring old people back/new people in. The latter is designed to bring in additional revenue to be able to develop more content.

    The most important thing to realize is that Blizzard will NEVER make Tier Sets or any current content gear available for cash; they are not stupid enough to do that and you can mark my words that it'll never happen.

    The Blizzard store is not a slippery slope, it is a smart business move to bring in more money for the company. The more resources Blizzard has, the more content they can develop and the better off we are as players.

  2. #2
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    As long as it doesnt give anyone an advantage in either PvE or PvP and is just for vanity stuff, i'm fine with blizzard store.

  3. #3
    Brewmaster Nemah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ACES View Post

    The most important thing to realize is that Blizzard will NEVER make Tier Sets or any current content gear available for cash; they are not stupid enough to do that and you can mark my words that it'll never happen.
    While I agree with most/all of your points, you can't really say this unless you're part of the design team or executive leadership at Blizzard (and even that would be debatable). Based on your first point, if at some point that route is the most viable revenue stream, that's what they'll do. That's the nature of enterprise, and it's fine, because it's their intellectual property to do with as they please.

    Otherwise, people are - as usual - blowing this whole thing out of proportion. The math of the situation is not difficult to understand, but people being threatened by it sure is.

  4. #4
    Couldn't have said it any better. Realistically if the people who are complaining about it don't like the microtransaction/in game store - DON'T USE IT. Guess what though? There are going to be hundreds of thousands of people who are going to use it. This concept isn't exactly new; there are lots of other games out there that use it and blizzard has been using it with their pet store for years now.

    People will complain about anything.

  5. #5
    This definitely needed it's own thread yeah..
    Quote Originally Posted by rogoth View Post
    I'm glad you brought up IQ, the last standardised IQ test I took I scored a 127, the threshold for 'Genius' is 140, and the threshold for 'Gifted Genius' is 165+, based on the fact the global average IQ is 84, and the fact you're likely Americanwhere the national IQ is BELOW the global average and falling consistently which has led to calls for global intervention in your abysmal education system, I feel you have VERY LITTLE room to talk about IQ levels, but thanks for trying.

  6. #6
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    As a world of warcraft & Blizzard fan I want to see Blizzard make more money. The more money Blizzard have the more funds they will have to develop WoW content and future xpacs and future games (Titan)

    If people are willing to pay money for in-game mounts, pets etc then good for them. If people don;t want to pay for in-game items then they won;t get the item. So stfu and stop complaining.

    Thats like seeing someone with a ferrari irl and saying 'OMG HOW DARE THEY SELL THOSE CARS FOR MONEY I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ONE' In-game items are a product, just like any other. If you want them, buy them. If not... go away please.

  7. #7
    You're ignorant if you think it'll stop at purely cosmetic stuff. You'll be seeing different sort of buffs to ingame currencies soon enough. Be that honor, conquest, valor, justice, charms - you name it.

    I unsubbed today, been playing since early 2006 - and this is where I get off. It's the principle and the lack of integrity on Blizzard's side - not the current content.

  8. #8
    The more resources Blizzard has, the more content they can develop and the better off we are as players.
    Yeah sure, thats why the tier gear looks so good.

    Oh wait, not, they look like fucking garbage, and these helms look good enough to be from a completely different game.

    Fuck you and your corporate apologies.


    [Infracted]
    Last edited by Radux; 2013-07-13 at 03:50 PM.

  9. #9
    I am Murloc! dacoolist's Avatar
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    Believe me when I say this... 15$ a month is pathetic amount of money for as much time, and fun I get out of WoW.

    All you haters need to understand how many billionaires are in the world, and find out HOW LITTLE 15 bucks is in 2013.

    Seriously..

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by neanoa View Post
    You're ignorant if you think it'll stop at purely cosmetic stuff. You'll be seeing different sort of buffs to ingame currencies soon enough. Be that honor, conquest, valor, justice, charms - you name it.

    I unsubbed today, been playing since early 2006 - and this is where I get off. It's the principle and the lack of integrity on Blizzard's side - not the current content.
    You're telling me you unsubbed for something that isn't even in the GAME yet...?? Dramaqueen

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by ACES View Post
    The more resources Blizzard has, the more content they can develop and the better off we are as players.
    Cause they have done such a great job of this as of late. Also remember Blizzard caters to casuals now who dont do content. So they might as well just pocket the cash rather than waste it designing stuff most players refuse to do.

  11. #11
    Yea guys, don't you get it.

    You bought the game, initially, you bought the xpacs, to play with your friends, and you continue to pay the sub every month.

    Like the OP said, you need to realize this still only qualifies you for blizzard silver membership to wow. You are still locked out of cosmetic upgrades. "They are only cosmetic upgrades" some will say "Most things in the game are cosmetic" intelligent people will retort saying "take out all the 'cosmetic' items in the game and see what it looks like".

    You wanna be a gold member and have access to everything WoW has to offer? Then fork over the money. Or wake up and realize this shallow game isn't worth it.

  12. #12
    Mechagnome lupii's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by neanoa View Post
    You're ignorant if you think it'll stop at purely cosmetic stuff. You'll be seeing different sort of buffs to ingame currencies soon enough. Be that honor, conquest, valor, justice, charms - you name it.

    I unsubbed today, been playing since early 2006 - and this is where I get off. It's the principle and the lack of integrity on Blizzard's side - not the current content.
    I hear SWTOR is a great game that uses the same paymodel as WoW USED to use. =D
    ---TransAwesome---
    A rainbow a day keeps the gloomies away.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by neanoa View Post
    I unsubbed today, been playing since early 2006 - and this is where I get off. It's the principle and the lack of integrity on Blizzard's side - not the current content.
    But it might be 2 more years before we see any of the gloom and doom you're guaranteeing that we'll see. You obviously don't really enjoy the game now, because if you did you would leave it when it actually becomes the evil you think it is going to become.

    And in all this Pay to win debate everyone seems to ignore the fact that enough people have to actually be willing to pay. The pet store is only around because it's worthwhile, if they never sold a single item on it, it would be gone.

    But pretending it does become the evil you claim, it would be funny in a couple of years to see the new hardcore players complain that Blizzard is letting the casual get access to the same gear they bought with hard earned real dollars.

  14. #14
    Stood in the Fire Phood's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Emophia View Post
    Oh wait, not, they look like fucking garbage, and these helms look good enough to be from a completely different game.
    If Blizzard's goal as a business is to make money (hey, pst, it is) then why would they create specific vanity items that are not top notch and highly desirable? I understand the frustration and worry that a game we like to play so much might have items for sale that could give an edge in game or that may have a better aesthetic quality. But I think it is a sign of the times and too soon to start jumping to conclusions.

    Quote Originally Posted by Emophia View Post
    Fuck you and your corporate apologies.
    Uh, that was a little unnecessary.

  15. #15
    Brewmaster Nemah's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lilly32 View Post
    Also remember Blizzard caters to casuals now who dont do content. So they might as well just pocket the cash rather than waste it designing stuff most players refuse to do.
    Newsflash, as the game evolved - let's say from the Badge of Justice system / Karazhan runs on - Blizzard has always catered to casuals. Why? Because that's who supports their business and who will likely always support it.

  16. #16
    Stood in the Fire Phood's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lilly32 View Post
    Cause they have done such a great job of this as of late. Also remember Blizzard caters to casuals now who dont do content. So they might as well just pocket the cash rather than waste it designing stuff most players refuse to do.
    Mind linking your Armory page so that we may see how hardcore YOU are?

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by ACES View Post
    Every time Blizzard announces something new for the pet store we see the same threads come up about how a game with a monthly sub fee shouldn't have a microtransaction store. I get really frustrated when I see these posts because some people just don't get it.

    You pay a monthly fee to be able to log in to your account and play; nothing more, nothing less.

    May sound a little harsh but do you have any source on that ? and no a blue post is not enough, well maybe if it is from Ghostcrawler.
    Last edited by User789; 2013-07-13 at 04:34 PM.

  18. #18
    Mechagnome lupii's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thneed View Post
    Mind linking your Armory page so that we may see how hardcore YOU are?
    He's ultra-hardcore.. He's so hardcore we aren't allowed to see it for fear of our eyeballs melting from our face.
    ---TransAwesome---
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  19. #19
    Part of being a business is respecting your customers and keeping them happy. When you disrespect your customers, they become unhappy. In the short term, they give you less money. In the long term, your brand identity suffers, meaning more people give you less money. There is more to profit than milking your customers dry. It's not so black and white.

    EDIT: I will give you a practical example. A few years ago, I had no second thoughts. Titan was an instant buy. The way things are going with WoW right now, I'm not as certain. I'm already hooked enough on this game to have a bunch of cool items flaunted behind a paywall. Do I need to go through that with another game?
    Last edited by hablix; 2013-07-13 at 03:39 PM.

  20. #20
    What you need to realize:

    Blizzard does not hire a new team to create premium items, they have old workers create them. What happens when people are spending more time on one thing and less on another? One of those things goes down in quality. Or, are we going to fool ourselves and assume that everyone is spending more time working to be able to create the same amount of "free" content along with premium items?

    You get frustrated because people don't get it? It's not quite so simple.

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