Blizzard don't ban boosting because THEY are the boosters...crazy

[Lochton]

First Mike Ybarra gloats about raid boosting in retail, and now lead WoW Classic dev Brian Birmingham admits to doing GDKP runs with his guild and enjoying it.

We are all aware that Blizzard profits from boosting via wow tokens, but it genuinely never occurred to me that key figures in Blizzard were actually just...also boosters. I wonder if any of them engage in RMT on the sly?

(I can't post the source because I haven't posted much - but its in an interview posted on Wowhead.)

First of all, Mike boosts as a private player, not in the name of Blizzard.

Blizzard profits from token sales, anything you buy really, not only on players boosting players - they've done so for over a decade.

If you have an article to share, tell me which one or someone else, make a broken link or something and we can fix/repost it?

[User517849]

I suggested in LookingForGroup only a few days before I quit WoW that the game was p2w since the introduction of tokens. I was laughed out of the chat. They don't have a clue.

It's not P2W since you have the option to go farm the gold, too. Additionally, the fact that boosting is supported by the player base, not by Blizzard.

If it was actually P2W, Blizzard would have a shop where you could just buy the items (haha, I mean lootboxes) directly and not raid at all.

- - - Updated - - -

First of all, Mike boosts as a private player, not in the name of Blizzard.

Blizzard profits from token sales, anything you buy really, not only on players boosting players - they've done so for over a decade.

If you have an article to share, tell me which one or someone else, make a broken link or something and we can fix/repost it?

I believe he's referring to this:

This conversation goes through many topics, as they are all tied together in some way. Brian answered in a surprising way, even going so far as explaining that the guild he is in on Classic did do GDKP runs and Brian actually enjoyed it. Blizzard does understand how this issue impacts Classic and is looking to make a change about the ban duration for gold buying, increasing it from 3 days to something longer.

https://classic.wowhead.com/news/bri...podcast-325022

That said, the ban for gold buying should probably be 5 to 7 days. It probably should just keep escalating, 3d, 5d, 7d, 9d, etc.

[EyelessCrow]

Anyone with half a brain cell knew this would come to pass when they brought the token to the game. Why would Blizzard stop something making them a lot of their current WoW revenue at this point?

[MKGulantik]

It's not P2W since you have the option to go farm the gold, too. Additionally, the fact that boosting is supported by the player base, not by Blizzard.

If it was actually P2W, Blizzard would have a shop where you could just buy the items (haha, I mean lootboxes) directly and not raid at all.

If you can circumvent the gameplay and get the raid kills and KSM and all that jazz with real money, then that's p2w.

I don't care if you can ALSO elect to go down the route of earning it normally - being able to circumvent that at all with a payment card makes the game p2w. The sooner you realize this, the better it'll be when you realize none of your achievements have any meaning even in the context of the game.

[User517849]

Anyone with half a brain cell knew this would come to pass when they brought the token to the game. Why would Blizzard stop something making them a lot of their current WoW revenue at this point?

Boosting existed well before the token.

[Lochton]

I believe he's referring to this:

This conversation goes through many topics, as they are all tied together in some way. Brian answered in a surprising way, even going so far as explaining that the guild he is in on Classic did do GDKP runs and Brian actually enjoyed it. Blizzard does understand how this issue impacts Classic and is looking to make a change about the ban duration for gold buying, increasing it from 3 days to something longer.

https://classic.wowhead.com/news/bri...podcast-325022

That said, the ban for gold buying should probably be 5 to 7 days. It probably should just keep escalating, 3d, 5d, 7d, 9d, etc.

Aha.. But.. GDKP isn't anything new? A little confusing.

As for the gold buying, no, should be harsh, else you open the backdoor for the RMTs as well, and they are already on the markets just not as bad as they used to be.

[pewpmeiser]

I got banned for paying for boosting.

[T-34]

Retail boosting just encourages the purchasing of wow tokens - noone is buying boosts with gold they've earned lmao.
Classic boosting just encourages RMT.

Both are bad for the game.

You are complaining about something that not only has existed since the dawn of WoW, but also complaining about something that always has and still is allowed to do in-game.
As long as you boost/carry/trade for gold or services done in-game then you are, and have always been, following the rules.
From Blizzard's point of view it onlystarts getting "criminal" when you pay someone with RL money for "helping you".

From Blizzard's point of view there is no difference between you buying 1000 bear asses from someone or you buying a run through Molten Core, just as long as you pay with gold or other in-game stuff.
Whether you use your gold that you have farmed, earned by playing the AH, doing ERP in Goldshire or exchanged with another player through the token on a carry, transmog, bear asses or ERP in Goldshire doesn't make any difference from Blizzard's point of view.
And Blizzard's point of view is the only thing that counts.

[Relapses]

Anyone with half a brain cell knew this would come to pass when they brought the token to the game. Why would Blizzard stop something making them a lot of their current WoW revenue at this point?

When compared to Blizzard's cyclical revenue from subscriptions and box sales, the token is a drop in the bucket. This isn't nearly as huge of a concern as people on internet forums repeatedly make it out to be.

[Mardux]

First Mike Ybarra gloats about raid boosting in retail, and now lead WoW Classic dev Brian Birmingham admits to doing GDKP runs with his guild and enjoying it.

We are all aware that Blizzard profits from boosting via wow tokens, but it genuinely never occurred to me that key figures in Blizzard were actually just...also boosters. I wonder if any of them engage in RMT on the sly?

(I can't post the source because I haven't posted much - but its in an interview posted on Wowhead.)

Why would they ban people for something that doesn't violate the EULA?

[User517849]

If you can circumvent the gameplay and get the raid kills and KSM and all that jazz with real money, then that's p2w.

I don't care if you can ALSO elect to go down the route of earning it normally - being able to circumvent that at all with a payment card makes the game p2w. The sooner you realize this, the better it'll be when you realize none of your achievements have any meaning even in the context of the game.

But you can't circumvent all of it. You still have to have guilds that are willing to do it for gold, etc.

Even if you removed the WoW token, more RL money still buys you a lot of benefits in game. You can have multiple accounts, farm nodes with multiple characters, have multiples of each profession, etc.

I just don't agree that the WoW token = P2W, especially since someone getting boosted is getting boosted by other actual players.

Actual P2W means that Blizzard would have a Sanctum of Domination cash shop and charge you $50 for a loot box for each boss that you could buy once per week. That doesn't exist.

[T-34]

If you can circumvent the gameplay and get the raid kills and KSM and all that jazz with real money, then that's p2w.

I don't care if you can ALSO elect to go down the route of earning it normally - being able to circumvent that at all with a payment card makes the game p2w. The sooner you realize this, the better it'll be when you realize none of your achievements have any meaning even in the context of the game.

No, it isn't because you are paying people that did the content long before you, and with no help from others, to carry you through that content.
So you are at best paying players who are much better than you to do stuff that those good players did long before you.

It isn't P2W - it is pay to be mediocre.
Imagine being jealous of mediocre people...

[Ludek]

So you want to tell me that we have a community made problem, and the only solution is to prohibit the activity so people will be forced to participate in a way which created the problem in the first place?

Never boosted, but puged many times. I can imagine why people are willing to pay for an easy clear instead of the "wonderful" alternative of the PUG world.

Yes we can argue that if "go find a guild" is valid alternative, yet I don't think people willing to buy boost want to have a guild group in the first place.

[Mardux]

I got banned for paying for boosting.

Either you're lying about getting banned for paying for boosting, or you're choosing to leave out that you paid with RWC.

[MKGulantik]

When compared to Blizzard's cyclical revenue from subscriptions and box sales, the token is a drop in the bucket. This isn't nearly as huge of a concern as people on internet forums repeatedly make it out to be.

I'm sorry, but I just don't trust the opinion of someone who is a religious WoW player with 11,000 posts, many of which are defending WoW's each and every flaw - including by saying that introducing Classic WoW would destroy retail because you were terrified you were playing the inferior game (you were). Not to mention the unnecessary FFXIV player bashing in your signature. You're a fanboy through and through.

WoW has ALWAYS had boosting. WoW only became LFG Finder Boosts R Us since the token came around.

So you want to tell me that we have a community made problem, and the only solution is to prohibit the activity so people will be forced to participate in a way which created the problem in the first place?

Never boosted, but puged many times. I can imagine why people are willing to pay for an easy clear instead of the "wonderful" alternative of the PUG world.

Yes we can argue that if "go find a guild" is valid alternative, yet I don't think people willing to buy boost want to have a guild group in the first place.

God forbid you have to play the game to do things?

[Mardux]

Retail boosting just encourages the purchasing of wow tokens - noone is buying boosts with gold they've earned lmao.
Classic boosting just encourages RMT.

Both are bad for the game.

Objectively false. I've never bought a token to pay for boosts. I've paid for boosts on alts using money i have *earned* by boosting others.

[User517849]

Objectively false. I've never bought a token to pay for boosts. I've paid for boosts on alts using money i have *earned* by boosting others.

This is generally more often the case than not. It's mostly a giant favor system, not Jimmy WoWBucks spending $400 (the max you can buy each week) for 20 WoW tokens.

When SoD launched, a full mythic clear was close to ~80 WoW Tokens ($1600).

At the end of the day, when most Americans can't afford an unexpected $400 expense, are we really expecting the majority of the WoW community is buying boosts week after week?

[MKGulantik]

Nice ad hominem. Page me when you've got a real argument.

In my view this was 100% a real argument. You dismiss "people on internet forums" despite being a prolific MMO-C poster, rabidly defending every little criticism thrown against your favorite game. I was you once, afraid that I'd sunk 1000s of hours into a game where my achievements meant absolutely nothing and got worse by the day. It gets better, I promise.

[Mardux]

I'm sorry, but I just don't trust the opinion of someone who is a religious WoW player with 11,000 posts, many of which are defending WoW's each and every flaw - including by saying that introducing Classic WoW would destroy retail because you were terrified you were playing the inferior game (you were). Not to mention the unnecessary FFXIV player bashing in your signature. You're a fanboy through and through.

WoW has ALWAYS had boosting. WoW only became LFG Finder Boosts R Us since the token came around.



God forbid you have to play the game to do things?

I'm sorry, but I just don't trust the opinion of someone who barely plays the game with less than 20 posts, many of which are condemning WoW's each and every characteristic.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

First Mike Ybarra gloats about raid boosting in retail, and now lead WoW Classic dev Brian Birmingham admits to doing GDKP runs with his guild and enjoying it.

We are all aware that Blizzard profits from boosting via wow tokens, but it genuinely never occurred to me that key figures in Blizzard were actually just...also boosters. I wonder if any of them engage in RMT on the sly?

(I can't post the source because I haven't posted much - but its in an interview posted on Wowhead.)

lmao how is that "crazy"

The whole point is to normalize boosting, because it generates profits for Acti-Blizz. Of course Blizz employes would be encouraged to boost and speak positively about it, and to not talk shit about it either.