Why is WoW $15 a month?

[aceperson]

i used to assume it was meant to help keep the quality of the game high. it's apparent that is no longer the case.

[kranur]

- It pays for the content updates and maintenance
- It makes an amazing profit
- Keeps the in-game shop to a minimum of options (for reference go in swtor and see what a free game shop looks like)
- If a company makes a ton of money, that doesn't mean it should start offering its products for free.

I'd much rather pay 15$ than having most cool stuff in a shop and face all sorts of restrictions and no content (other than shop items) for a super long time ... and when it happens be super small.

When content updates take too long, the cancel button can be pressed.

Again I say this .. if all these subscription-less games are sooooooo cool and it's a great successful model, why are you not playing those?

[Tyris Flare]

Why does Disney + charge for a subscription? Why do movies charge for admission? Why does money exist?

[Meow]

To become an elite,

$15/month with huge amount of time, or
>$1,500/month without taking time

The common two methods of online games.

[korijenkins]

Because people are paying it.

The current in-the-toilet pop numbers scream otherwise.

[kaelix1]

That's interesting I didn't know it said that in the EULA. Have they ever explained why they charge $15 a month to access the game? Is it in the EULA that you know of?

I'm genuinely just curious what their rationale is. It seems impossible to find a clear answer and the community seems to lash out or say their own rationale when it asked, without really answering.

Why do they need to explain? you pay for a product, that product is the right to access the game server. its not really hard to get, i don't why you have problems? the community don't lash out, most are pretty annoyed for asking something so obvious

[Echo of Soul]

You don't think 9.1 was worth 120 dollars?

[cparle87]

That's interesting I didn't know it said that in the EULA. Have they ever explained why they charge $15 a month to access the game? Is it in the EULA that you know of?

I'm genuinely just curious what their rationale is. It seems impossible to find a clear answer and the community seems to lash out or say their own rationale when its asked, without really answering.

Because it's a business and their job is to make money? I wouldn't think a game requiring constant upkeep and development could sustain itself on a large infusion of cash every 2 years from expansion box sales. There's also salaries for everyone from devs to GMs to janitors, in Los Angeles, of all places, not cheap. Plus the cost of maintaining the dozen or so datacenters around the world we actually play the game through. Folks like to go "Blizz has bazillions of dollars why do we pay a sub" without considering these things.

[gobarj]

OP must be a massive troll, you might as well ask why everything isn't free. Why are you not working for free at your job, huh? Answer that and you'll answer your own thread.

[Bakis]

Cos its worth it for enough people in order for BLZ to make money of it and continue developing it?

[Kumorii]

It costs to provide content.
It's also because they can.

[bRighteyez]

yea, there will always be some morons who paying for this shit show.

You once upon a time I'm sure.

[dope_danny]

Once upon a time it was to avoid additional costs and micro transactions and to fund future content updates between paid expansion pack releases.

But then Maplestory came out and the industry went "boy, you can milk a LOT of money from cash shop whales" and like horse armour on consoles pc gaming was never the same. The temptation for money was too much.

[Adamas102]

Back in the day I might have preferred it be F2P, but without the subscription fee there almost certainly would be no token exchange for Blizzard balance which is now worth a lot more to me than WoW game time.

[Mojo03]

Does anyone have an official sales pitch or rationale from Blizzard? Or another credible source?

It seems like everyone has their own assumptions and rationale, but no official or clear answer.

[Orange Joe]

Why does the subscription exist? Does anyone really know?

I understand you don't have to play if you don't want to. But, I'm genuinely asking. I don't understand why it exists.

I understand it provides more income for them and people pay it. They're also not the only game doing it. FF14 does for example.

It made sense to me in 2004, when it was assumed it was helping to pay for the servers, which were "special" to accommodate the massive populations and remarkable for the time. It was also assumed it would be to pay for steady content updates.

But, they need content updates or no one will play, which makes it kind of weird that we're funding them monthly in part to make content, they need to make anyway to keep people playing to buy store mounts, services, and keep interest in the game for future box sales.

Am I missing something? Is it really just to access the game? Does it make sense?

Very simply because people will pay it.

- - - Updated - - -

Does anyone have an official sales pitch or rationale from Blizzard? Or another credible source?

It seems like everyone has their own assumptions and rationale, but no official or clear answer.

What answer are you looking for. They decided they wanted to charge $15 and people paid it.

[jellmoo]

Does anyone have an official sales pitch or rationale from Blizzard? Or another credible source?

It seems like everyone has their own assumptions and rationale, but no official or clear answer.

I'm not quite following what you're asking. Are you wondering why Blizzard charges specifically $15 a month, or are you wondering why they charge a subscription fee at all?

[Syegfryed]

Because besides the absurd price and low quality/state of the game, people keep paying, so there is no reasons to change.

[Aleksej89]

Cause they can

[Ivarr]

People are all giving the same answer but it's a fair question. Hosting rates have dropped drastically since WoW was released. The server maintenance is trivial compared what it used to be and it doesn't seem like WoW's network bandwidth per player has increased that much either.

"Because people are paying it" isn't exactly a satisfying answer when the subscription numbers are way down compared to what it used to be. Same supply, drastically lower demand.

WoW doesn't enjoy any competition from fellow MMO's, even FF isn't that much of a threat to its bottom line. But WoW does compete against a ton of other games, many of which are free to play. And aside from money, players also have to expend time.

People no longer consider this game worth their time.

So the answer isn't "Because people are paying it" but rather "Because lowering the price wouldn't result in more people playing."