Subscription? Yes or no?

[Deleted]

Included with the sub fee. Although I would like to see an option for people who just want to play classic at one third of the price of the current sub fee, but then is it really classic?

[Ielenia]

I didn't say it would be 100% free and if you got that from the entirety of my post you need to work on your comprehension skills.

Stop projecting.

Repeating what I originally posted, I wrote simply that if WoW Classic is bound to the original game's subscription fee, then it'd be leeching off the sub fee like a parasite.

Nothing Blizzard makes is 100% for free. It will have a way to get its investment back. It will either have a sub fee or have micro-transactions. That's almost a given. If we go with your idea of "free if you have the main game's account" then we go back to what I said about Classic leeching off like a parasite.

It has to stand on its own. So it stands to reason that Classic will either have micro-transactions, or it will have its own sub fee, that might get a discount if you have active accounts for both the Classic and the main game.

It's going to cost everyone something other than those currently playing live, who will get it as an added bonus in the hopes that it keeps them around during lulls paying a sub fee they normally wouldn't.

It doesn't work that way for any of the other Blizzard games, why should this be any different? They're two separate games with their own separate server hardware and their own support and development teams.

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It costs X to access World of Warcraft servers.
Why complicate shit and make it cost less than X or nothing at all to access World of Warcraft: Classic servers...?
Why put people wanting to play Live off from playing Classic by charging a separate fee to access those servers?

Why should they? I mean, that's how it goes for each and every Blizzard game. You don't get any discounts on loot box prices in Heroes of the Storm or card packs in Hearthstone if you already have an active WoW account. You don't get any discounts on the box price of Overwatch if you have an active WoW account, etc.

[VyersReaver]

Yes, there will be a requirement of a subscription. Not sure if they have the balls to make it a separate sub though, so probably just an active retail sub + you have to buy the game itself (again, not sure if they have the balls to make it a separate fee, or it will be included in BfA, or whatever expansion is next). My guess is that one of the two is almost a given. Both at the same time - unlikely.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Why should they? I mean, that's how it goes for each and every Blizzard game. You don't get any discounts on loot box prices in Heroes of the Storm or card packs in Hearthstone if you already have an active WoW account. You don't get any discounts on the box price of Overwatch if you have an active WoW account, etc.

You're comparing entirely different games.
Where does the certainty stem from that they'll regard World of Warcraft: Classic as a separate game rather than simply an alternative which falls under "access to WoW content"...?

[Ielenia]

You're comparing entirely different games.
Where does the certainty stem from that they'll regard World of Warcraft: Classic as a separate game rather than simply an alternative which falls under "access to WoW content"...?

Because they are different games: separate servers, separate clients, separate hardware, separate support teams, separate development teams, etc.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Because they are different games: separate servers, separate clients, separate hardware, separate support teams, separate development teams, etc.

I still don't see why they'd split the WoW playerbase by having separate access fees when both games will still be called World of Warcraft, just with a different name following in terms of Classic/X current expansion.

And we don't exactly know if there's going to be separate support teams either.

[Ielenia]

I still don't see why they'd split the WoW playerbase by having separate access fees when both games will still be called World of Warcraft, just with a different name following in terms of Classic/X current expansion.

The playerbase is already split: current game and classic game so that's a meaningless concern. If Classic won't have a subscription fee, then it most likely will have micro-transactions. I sincerely doubt Blizzard is going to make it 100% free. They're not a charity organization

And we don't exactly know if there's going to be separate support teams either.

They've specifically said they're hiring a new team to take care of WoW Classic.

[evogsr]

At this point, I've changed my mind.

If Classic goes forward as a relaunch sans all of these ridiculous non-vanilla suggestions, I'd be more than happy to repurchase a license and pay a separate sub fee.

[DrStiglit]

As a stockholder I want there to be a box fee and a monthly subscription.

It’s already had a box fee...

[Armourboy]

They've specifically said they're hiring a new team to take care of WoW Classic.

No they said they were hiring a separate development team, there shouldn't be a need for a service team because they will likely integrate classic into the current infrastructure that live uses, which is one reason why they use the terms " close as possible " they know that stuff will likely change to be able to run on battle.net


There won't be micrtransactions, it would basically be dead on arrival if they did. The other reason I think it will be one sub fee is that both games will use one portal, Classic will just be a server type like PvE, PvP, and RP currently are.

I think they will reuse lots of systems the major new cost will be the devs which won't take much to recoup. I still don't see them having separate fees for access, and it seems through different polls and things most people don't think they will either. WoW classic while separate isn't reslly separate and is a reboot, not a new game. How they handle Overwatch, HotS and Hearthstone don't exactly match.

[Scottyjscizzle]

Should by a 5-10 dollar add on fee, then 15 a month.

[Ielenia]

No they said they were hiring a separate development team,

"No, they're not hiring a new team. Instead, they're actually hiring a new team."

There won't be micrtransactions, it would basically be dead on arrival if they did.

I never said they will. I just said it's a valid way to monetize the game.

The other reason I think it will be one sub fee is that both games will use one portal, Classic will just be a server type like PvE, PvP, and RP currently are.

Just so I know I got this right: you think WoW Classic would just be a different set of server types in the main game's server selection screen?

[Armourboy]

"No, they're not hiring a new team. Instead, they're actually hiring a new team."


Just so I know I got this right: you think WoW Classic would just be a different set of server types in the main game's server selection screen?

Hiring a new development team is different than also hiring more CM's, and all of the other pieces that go along with it. They won't need those because they already currently exist with Wow.

And yes it's possible it is just a different server type, if I remember correctly they plan for it to run on the same infrastructure as live.

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

If Blizzard were smart, they would make it 100% free. If not, then they will have done nothing to combat private servers. This whole Classic WoW/Private server thing exists from people too cheap or too poor to pay a sub.

What Blizzard will get out of it, is that Classic WoW will be the ultimate trial game to get people to buy the real thing.

I'm surprised at those saying there will be a box fee. If anything, there may be a sub fee, but there definitely won't be a box fee. We already bought the game.

They can make it bug free and actual fully script everything... Some people already bought the game and they can see that through battle.net most likely.

[Ielenia]

Hiring a new development team is different than also hiring more CM's, and all of the other pieces that go along with it. They won't need those because they already currently exist with Wow.

They will need different customer support team because WoW Classic behaves differently than the current game. Different rules.

And yes it's possible it is just a different server type, if I remember correctly they plan for it to run on the same infrastructure as live.

I doubt it'd just be a different server group because I feel that it's just look like an emulation of the real classic game instead of actually being the classic game itself.

[Armourboy]

They will need different customer support team because WoW Classic behaves differently than the current game. Different rules.


I doubt it'd just be a different server group because I feel that it's just look like an emulation of the real classic game instead of actually being the classic game itself.

There reslly isn't much to customer support these days, it's mostly automated and I look for that to work the same for classic.

If it was just going to be emulated this thing would have been running a long time ago. That's why they didn't want to do it for so long, it's going to run on Blizzard servers just like live does. That's what is going to take a new development team, they are trying to get Vanilla WoW to run on and work with the newer infrastructure that exists today, the old one has been long gone.

[Schmeebs]

There reslly isn't much to customer support these days, it's mostly automated and I look for that to work the same for classic.

If it was just going to be emulated this thing would have been running a long time ago. That's why they didn't want to do it for so long, it's going to run on Blizzard servers just like live does. That's what is going to take a new development team, they are trying to get Vanilla WoW to run on and work with the newer infrastructure that exists today, the old one has been long gone.

and hook it into modern Battle.net infrastructure. i guarantee you that blizzard wants classic wow to have full Real ID capability.

[Talsar]

Overwatch funds itself through microtransactions, and i somehow doubt you want those added to classic.

I'd bet that they'll roll access to classic into the regular wow sub, so you pay one sub and have access to both. I doubt they'll even increase the sub cost. Also i don't expect (or want) every Classic raid to be open at launch. Staggered content release will be better for the game and it's community imo (and gives them less work to do before being able to release the server thus hopefully meaning we get it quicker).

[hulkgor]

Overwatch funds itself through microtransactions, and i somehow doubt you want those added to classic.

Nothing to do with the 35 million boxes (or digital copies) sold at an average ~$50 (as of October), ok.

[Chakah]

A subscription for WoW: Classic puts it into competition with mainline WoW. Some people will choose to drop one of the subscriptions. I think this is unlikely to be implemented. If they can boost the WoW sub numbers by offering it with only a box cost or even as a free benefit to the current sub, I think they just might do that.

Reducing friction between the games is a good thing as all of the current financial metrics are measured not just in dollars of raw revenue, but also in total hours engaged in Blizzard products. Since Classic will be a much more grindy game then mainline, the number of engagement hours should be relatively high per player. Keeping people from dropping their subs could be a huge motivation for introducing WoW: Classic or classic realms. And enough income to cover a small development team