WoW Token Alternative

[Aori]

So instead of the WoW Token working for game time, it would instead deposit the $20 into your battle.net balance. Which then could be used for anything Blizzard.

Or if you don't like the idea of WoW gold funding other Blizzard gaming hobbies then if they had a way to lock the deposited funds to only use for WoW services, mounts and pets.

Or would you rather just have the token removed altogether?

This would likely get more gold for people paying for it and let those selling gold have a bit more freedom. You can only need so much game time.

[Serissa]

Where's "I don't care as long as I can use gold for sub" option?

[Aori]

Where's "I don't care as long as I can use gold for sub" option?

If you want it for sub then keep the remain the same option as the gold per dollar would remain much lower.

[chazus]

There's a very specific reason that this will never happen.

Server transfers.

If you could buy server transfers for gold, economies and gold sellers (the chinese kind) would spiral out of control quickly. Charging for that is the only bastion right now preventing much wider scale gold markets.

Now... If you could do it for -just- things like mounts/pets... Then that might be okay.

Notably, it would also have the bad side effect of lowering the gold cost for subscriptions, as a number of people would likely rather get mounts/pets than stable subscription.

[Aori]

There's a very specific reason that this will never happen.

Server transfers.

If you could buy server transfers for gold, economies and gold sellers (the chinese kind) would spiral out of control quickly. Charging for that is the only bastion right now preventing much wider scale gold markets.

Now... If you could do it for -just- things like mounts/pets... Then that might be okay.

I don't think so. If they flood the market the gold per dollar value spirals out of control. They would be selling gold for amounts likely less than what they want too. They don't look at gold like a virtual item, they convert it into dollars. If they have to spend $20-40 worth of gold to transfer to sell gold at a price thats even lower to beat out Blizzard it seems like a waste.

You also have to remember they use stolen credit cards for a lot of those things anyways. Nothing really changes other than people get even more gold for their dollar via Blizzard.

Do you mean increase the gold cost for subscriptions?

[Vladrek]

I made a thread with this exact poll a week ago, although the results may be slightly different as it felt a majority of the 30 No's in my thread where for a completely remove token option but I only had to options.
I called it the "Blizz Token"
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-A-Blizz-Token


Of course 20 dollars is just foolish, that's no extra profit for blizzard from the system and 5$ extra over a sub to do with as you want.

[chazus]

Do you mean increase the gold cost for subscriptions?

No, I meant a decrease.

Basically, there is a 'finite' amount of gold in players pockets, of those willing to actually spend it on stuff.

Lets say there's 100 people who might spend gold on stuff/services. Right now, 100/100 of them will spend their limited gold on subscription tokens.

However, if pets/mounts/whatever open up to gold purchase, some of those people may end up buying those, instead of subs (alternatively, some might spend it on pets/mounts/etc but not on a sub... But those are few and far between, I imagine)

So now we have the same amount of tokens available, but less people buying them. Less people buying means the gold cost will go down on tokens for subs alone.. (Of course, if it goes down enough, it may entice new people who wouldn't have bought anything before at all, to reconsider).

[Vladrek]

There's a very specific reason that this will never happen.

Server transfers.
If you could buy server transfers for gold, economies and gold sellers (the chinese kind) would spiral out of control quickly. Charging for that is the only bastion right now preventing much wider scale gold markets.

This is the first solid point against the concept I've heard, very interesting thank you.

[Aori]

No, I meant a decrease.

Basically, there is a 'finite' amount of gold in players pockets, of those willing to actually spend it on stuff.

Lets say there's 100 people who might spend gold on stuff/services. Right now, 100/100 of them will spend their limited gold on subscription tokens.

However, if pets/mounts/whatever open up to gold purchase, some of those people may end up buying those, instead of subs (alternatively, some might spend it on pets/mounts/etc but not on a sub... But those are few and far between, I imagine)

So now we have the same amount of tokens available, but less people buying them. Less people buying means the gold cost will go down on tokens for subs alone.. (Of course, if it goes down enough, it may entice new people who wouldn't have bought anything before at all, to reconsider).

I don't quite believe it'll work that way. There is a lot of gold in WoW more so than ever. You can only buy so much game time. So people with excessive gold can now use it to buy mounts or pets or name change, gender change, faction change services. They would eat up tokens to take advantage of said services, thus increasing demand. The gold per dollar won't go below what it averages at now, it would make no sense as you can still buy sub time with it if you so desired.

Also one might think Blizzard has no benefit in the manner but it gets a lot more people buying tokens as you'd get more gold for your dollar. I think at most Blizzard will do is a flat $1 transaction fee like on D3. Them pocketing $5 would be absurd. The money still stays within Blizzard.

[dacoolist]

Omg! Great idea OP - 20$ blizz credit would be freaken stellar! At least 15$ would be awesome too

[MrExcelion]

I believe this thread was made about a week ago, and player reception was generally positive. Here's what I posted in the last thread:

"While I'd love it as a player, I don't see them extending it past the sub fee right now. They just want to get us in the door at the base level, and from there we can engage in RMTs. Maybe we'll get this sort of thing down the line, but wouldn't say anytime in the next year. At present, I think the WoW token is meant as sort of a gateway to RMTs rather than trying to supplant them"

[Aori]

This is the first solid point against the concept I've heard, very interesting thank you.

They'll be more likely to use a stolen credit card for said transfers.

[endersblade]

Where's "I don't care as long as I can use gold for sub" option?

This is my vote.

[Ssateneth]

"So instead of the WoW Token working for game time, it would instead deposit the $20 into your battle.net balance. Which then could be used for anything Blizzard. "

Sounds a bit like money laundering IMO. money being sent from one person to another, then you have to involve taxes, and report to IRS, and all that nonsense. No, terrible idea.

[Aori]

"So instead of the WoW Token working for game time, it would instead deposit the $20 into your battle.net balance. Which then could be used for anything Blizzard. "

Sounds a bit like money laundering IMO. money being sent from one person to another, then you have to involve taxes, and report to IRS, and all that nonsense. No, terrible idea.

It isn't money laundering.

For one you get charged tax if your state taxes for online goods. Which now that I think about it could lead to being that same $20 being taxed twice in some circumstances. Person A is paying for a service, the money stays within the service.

Blizzard has already done similar before with D3's RMAH anyways.

[hulkgor]

EVE Online has expanded the PLEX usage immensely throughout the years. Started with 30-day extension of game time and now works for a plethora of features (dual character training, etc).

WoW store stuff and services should have a WoW token equivalent. Boost to 90? 3 Tokens. Faction Transfer? 1 Token. Name Change? 1 Token. Store Mount 1-2 Tokens. Store Pet? 1 Token. Etc etc etc.

Prices on the token would be higher (with higher demand\usage). More people would be willing to purchase them for high value of gold. Huge sinks of gold, bla bla.

I'd be down for that.

[dacoolist]

EVE Online has expanded the PLEX usage immensely throughout the years. Started with 30-day extension of game time and now works for a plethora of features (dual character training, etc).

WoW store stuff and services should have a WoW token equivalent. Boost to 90? 3 Tokens. Faction Transfer? 1 Token. Name Change? 1 Token. Store Mount 1-2 Tokens. Store Pet? 1 Token. Etc etc etc.

Prices on the token would be higher (with higher demand\usage). More people would be willing to purchase them for high value of gold. Huge sinks of gold, bla bla.

I'd be down for that.

Hulkgor, best idea I've seen all day. You win a golden cookie!

[Louisa Bannon]

If you could buy server transfers for gold, economies and gold sellers (the chinese kind) would spiral out of control quickly.

I think you make a very good point, but I also think that Blizzard doesn't care. I can easily see them implementing the credit idea instead of just the game time.

[Deleted]

So instead of the WoW Token working for game time, it would instead deposit the $20 into your battle.net balance.

So basically turn it into a gift card?

[Deleted]

Where's "I don't care as long as I can use gold for sub" option?

That would be my option as well