Is blizzard becoming like capcom?

[Shadowbane]

What do blizzard charge for from world of warcraft right now? Well

- Cost of the physical/downloaded game
- Cost of every single expansion
- Cost of subscription fees
- Cost of every kind of additional service like race/appearance/realm transfer
- Cost of mini pets and mounts
- Cost of transmogrifiable armor.

Last time I checked it costs nothing to download the game, you just need an account to actually be able to play it.

Burning Crusade and WotLK are now free.

Subscription fees are nothing new, really.

Additional services, mini pets and mounts and store bought moggable armour are all optional and hardly mandatory.

As for those other games you mentioned, they're really not that nice to play imo. They don't feel polished. they feel clunky.

[Deadraline]

As much as I don't really like the way blizz has been over the past couple years if they DO start charging for new raids, dungeons, etc. (Like making you purchase an instance/raid pack for say $15 for 4 new dungeons and maybe an additional $5 for the raid) I would like to point out that blizzard (as greedy as they are...as ANY company is) is not full of people who do not know how to market properly. What will happen is the game will have a sub fee dropped...possibly with the option to keep paying the $15 a month with a guarantee of the new content being given to you whenever it appears as well as a few other perks (like ALL other games that give you the option of maintaining a sub fee) and for those who just want to play the game at their own pace without worrying about the sub fee can play forever for free but will obviously have to pay for any added features.

I do not have any problem with a game charging per expansion (though I do think blizzard xpac prices are higher because they know they will make MILLIONS of sales day one and anyone who actually waits a few months to a year when they decide to do their 50% off all xpacs discount will be in the lower end so they make the majority money day one...again smart marketing technique...common sense really...)...

I personally am more disappointed in the way game development has gone vs. the things they charge for. I feel the development doesn't speak for the players as well as they used to and are a bit detached and possibly arrogant really when it comes to the way they act towards the consumer. I feel that way about MOST companies these days and not just blizzard to be fair. It seems to be a growing trend I suppose. Either way, if I don't like something (especially something that is meant to give me enjoyment) I simply quit supporting the system until improvements are made. If none are made, I find something else preferably by a company that does things the way I feel is directed at bringing me the enjoyment I pay for.

The thing that honestly bothers me most about blizzard is they do no reward veteran players. Even a simple thank you and maybe a few fun fireworks or a silly party hat or other in game vanity only item would be nice...or perhaps a free voucher to change the way your character looks or something like that after you sub for a year etc. Just something to say thanks. Other games have started doing things like this, rewarding mounts, free character re-customization, pets, vanity outfits, etc. just to say thanks to the players for subbing. It would be a good direction for WoW to take in my opinion to make people feel appreciated at the very least.

[Wildmoon]

Wanna bet that they will make you pay for player models or not? I bet on free and I am 100% confident.

[Darsithis]

Yet vanity is one of the pillars of WoW, its arguably one of the most important aspects to the game.

I won't disagree with that. I would say that Blizzard knows this and plans new mounts/pets for the store on that. But that's not a terrible thing like the OP is portraying. There is still tons of content that is purchased via your subscription that is just as good.

[Hexian]

Transmog stuff isn't gear IMO.

For all I care they can sell an armor set that makes you look like Cthulu and I still wouldn't consider it gear.

Gear is stuff that makes my character hit harder, heal harder, and live longer.

They are going to be selling items that makes you gain experience faster.

Just sayin...

[Trassk]

That's not an excuse.

They could've easily done these two things:

1. Made the gear for ANY class.

2. Sold it specifically for Shamans.

Do you have an actual reason or is that it?

*cough* sorry say again? oh right, you didn't want to accept that as a reasonable argument and dismissed it, well hooray for you.

its no wonder they get to do things like this, they've got joes like you to help them

The best part of this is, when blizzard introduces the next pay for service/feature into wow, i can subtlety sit back and say 'told you so'.

[Wildmoon]

Yet vanity is one of the pillars of WoW, its arguably one of the most important aspects to the game.



Might be because of the outrage that they saw from just the helmets. Might be because they dont want to, I dont see what this pointless question is ever going to prove? Go riddle yourself a better argument.

It proves that they will do what makes sense as far as micro-transection goes?

[Troggdor]

blizzard without a doubt makes/made money from the d3 AH ... and yet they actually came out and said the system sucks and are shutting it down completely ... blizzard sure is greedy for shutting down a service that made them money

[Okacz]

No, Blizzard isn't becoming like Capcom. They have a long way to go to get to their level of assholeness. Yes, Blizzard is charging money for many things, but

1) Those things are not dlc that you have to get to fully experiance the game
2) They do not rip you off when you're buying them
3) They don't consider you trash if you're a PC user (self explanatory, WoW is a PC game)

Basically, Blizzard would be like Capcom if Death Knight and Monk were DLC classes, Worgen, Panda and Goblin were DLC races, and each raid patch was another DLC. And, in most cases, you wouldn't be able to get the DLC when you want to because of server fail. And yes, the DLC patches would cost 1/2 the price of the expansion at least.

[McNeil]

Wanna bet that they will make you pay for player models or not? I bet on free and I am 100% confident.

Bet accepted. There's no way in hell that Blizzard is gonna slip this huge opportunity to milk out the cow this bad. I don't see them as the nice guys giving cool stuff for free as they once were

[wariofan1]

Eh, I couldn't care less. If people buy all those cosmetic things, it's because they want the stuff, and it's their own fault for falling into the trap. It doesn't affect me, so I don't care about Blizzard being super greedy, that's just business and you gotta deal with it, I assure you that if other games knew they could get away with this, they would also be doing it. Call me once they handicap normal play in order to sell stuff on their store.

[Trassk]

No, Blizzard isn't becoming like Capcom. They have a long way to go to get to their level of assholeness. Yes, Blizzard is charging money for many things,

thats why I said 'like' capcom, as in heading that way.

[Raidboss]

What do blizzard charge for from world of warcraft right now? Well

- Cost of the physical/downloaded game
- Cost of every single expansion
- Cost of subscription fees
- Cost of every kind of additional service like race/appearance/realm transfer
- Cost of mini pets and mounts
- Cost of transmogrifiable armor.

Transmog armor is the only thing new here. The rest of this has been going on for years now.

[Immitis]

They are going to be selling items that makes you gain experience faster.

Just sayin...

in asia, where they pay per hour. getting more out of your time gives them an incentive to keep playing when lol and age of wushu are quickly eating away at their profits in the east. not to mention some cafes had already been hacking the games to provide their customers with similar benefits anyways, also the fact that blizzard doesnt really run the game over there they liscene it out to netease (or whatever their name is)

wow in asia is pretty much a different game anyways.

[Hubbl3]

Bet accepted. There's no way in hell that Blizzard is gonna slip this huge opportunity to milk out the cow this bad. I don't see them as the nice guys giving cool stuff for free as they once were

What cool stuff did they give for free?

[Wildmoon]

Bet accepted. There's no way in hell that Blizzard is gonna slip this huge opportunity to milk out the cow this bad. I don't see them as the nice guys giving cool stuff for free as they once were

like they make you pay for new spell graphic like? lol

[McNeil]

For some reason comparing EA to Blizzard makes EA look like Santa Clause. Their huge DLC cost as much as a pet from Blizzard...

[MinTDH]

Am I the only one that's tired of this guy? He has nothing good to say about Blizzard, nothing they do can be positive to him. Anyways, I remember this guy had posted a thread PRAISING blizzard, him feeling bad for them with all of his heart, then this thread pops up. Besides that, are you being forced to buy these items you've listed off? Because I don't recall blizzard ever stating that you HAD to buy them or you'd suffer a permanent ban or you'd be committing a crime. The reason why they've PRICED the Race/Server/Faction change is because they discourage it for obvious reasons, Server pricing being server population obviously, faction balance is horrible at the moment on PvP servers, and race is just cause. Fun Fact: You're not forced to buy the new expansions either, the more you know. And also, would you rather WoW go F2P? I'm pretty sure that's what would be the death of WoW. You'd see a huge peak, then a GINORMOUS drop. (Blizzard has also stated they wont go down that "buy transmogrification armor" route again, so why bother?)

[Deleted]

as long as i have an enjoyable experience in the game and still only pay the same priced monthly sub and the price of new expansions i couldn't give a shit what else blizzard charge people for, and i don't think they will up the price of the monthly sub or charge me to experience stuff i already am experiencing with the monthly fee, such as raids.

i probably couldn't even give a shit if they let people buy heroic gear, i definitely could understand how it would piss some people off, but for me i play for fun, i don't play to compete so doesn't bother me.

[wariofan1]

in asia, where they pay per hour. getting more out of your time gives them an incentive to keep playing when lol and age of wushu are quickly eating away at their profits in the east. not to mention some cafes had already been hacking the games to provide their customers with similar benefits anyways, also the fact that blizzard doesnt really run the game over there they liscene it out to netease (or whatever their name is)

wow in asia is pretty much a different game anyways.

Furthermore it's very unusual in Asia that MMOs don't have these kind of benefit stores where you can get the edge over other players by putting more real money on it. It's completely normal that they've begun selling XP flasks or w/e it is in Asia, in fact, they're one of the companies that do this kind of thing the least over there.

And even if the XP flask got over here, it's just a matter of patience to level your own character the right way, and as I said before, it's people's own fault if they fall for it.