Recent Action Against Real-Money Raid Clears

[ejpaints]

So much salt over blizz finally doing something about this. Group finder has been chock full of real $$$ groups to the point I avoid using the tool for anything but my WQ addon. Adding more reporting options will help greatly as well.

[Hotmail]

World of Warcraft: One of the most addictive games ever made. A game which, once upon a time, was meant to be played 6 hours or more per day.

Is it any surprise that some have managed to turn their favorite hobby into a source of income? Should this not be applauded?

Many PvP guilds would see their credibility shattered if their officer core couldn't buy ratings or achievements, and many top players are not going to offer the service for a mere fictional sum of pixels. Think about this one long and hard, Blizzard.

[Kendros]

What I thought was interesting is that they say "gold" runs are fine. Yet with the advent of the WoW tokens, gold has a real currency value. So really whats the difference there, if gold has has a $ value surely its pretty much the same thing?

Its their game, their rules and their profits that are being taken when someone buys a carry for real money. So yes theres a difference where and how you buy that carry, they are right to take actions on that matter just like any other company would take action when being ripped off by someone.

[Not A Cat]

Finally, damn.

It's so annoying when the premade group finder is full of "WTS AOTC BLAH BLAH" I don't care if people want to sell them for gold, but advertise that shit in trade and don't fill the premade group finder with that garbage.

[Sanguiris]

Thinking back about it I do recall posts last expansion complaining about streamers offering to sell runs for donations. Not surprised how brazen some got given the lack of action from Blizzard.

Time will tell if any streamers was targeted or if only those who advertised in game.

giving something for a donation is sellinng services with money whatever words they chose to use.

[hulkgor]

Good riddance.

So many "WTS , visit WOWSOMETHING.WTV" groups on the finder it was completely out of hand.

Glad to know all the reports accomplished something (wishful thinking?)

[Alayea]

"Hell, it's about time."

[araine]

excellent the faster we can get rid of these for money scams the better it is

[nekobaka]

giving something for a donation is sellinng services with money whatever words they chose to use.

I agree. Historically though Blizzard has had a history of not following the evidence trail past in game communication and logs aside from Overwatch. There has been a number of cases over the years of admittance of harassment and griefing on streams with no action from Blizzard. Admittedly there is more direct financial motivation for Blizzard in this case.

[TheRabidDeer]

While it's good, I wonder how Blizzard can take that position when WoW gold can be practically sold for real life money with the exchange over to blizzard store money.

[Socialhealer]

need the dirt on some top players getting banned.

[fizyx]

While real cash raid selling HAS been going on forever, I see a significant difference in the current iteration of it that hasn't really been present prior to this xpack: The proliferation of IN GAME advertising and spamming for real cash raid clears. Honestly, it's likely that if people had just kept that offline like they did for the better part of a decade, I don't think it would have been a problem, and we never would have seen anything like this (Especially because it would be very difficult to prove that something against the TOS was happening if all the transaction stuff took place offline). But with it all in game now... I'm glad Blizzard has taken action like this. I have no problem with someone buying a raid clear, tbh. Just keep that crap from mucking up communications and group finding in game.

[Mask]

gold has limited use. how many plushies or how much game time can you possibly use?

You must not know me very well.

[Polybius]

While it's good, I wonder how Blizzard can take that position when WoW gold can be practically sold for real life money with the exchange over to blizzard store money.

The WoW token you buy doesn't magically come from an AI. It is bought by a players for $20 ($5 for the permission to trade gold; $15 for the game time). The person buying the Token isn't getting free Blizzard money, it comes from another player's pocket.

In other words, money is still being put into the Blizzard store. It's not a bank or the auction house from Diablo 3. If it were, they'd have legal issues.

[Spotnick]

Well, you can buy gold with real money.. so it's just cutting the middle man isn't it? Wait, that middle man can be Blizzard now, that's why.

Anyways not like it's really a good source of income when you split it by 20-25 people.. 5 man carries (challenge modes) were where the profit was.. I don't know if Mythic+ are as profitable as the MOP CM were.

[Deiae]

You must not know me very well.

You are right. If I think about it some more ofcourse the sellruns will continue. I foresee a big plushy influx where plushies take the place of real currencies and you get groceries and pay rent in plushies. What a time to be alive. Gotta invest in plastics that are used to make plushies right now ^^.

[Soluna]

In other words.. "Some players were doing a job and getting paid on the outside and us, Blizzard, were not getting our due cut. Now we're going to more closely monitor these players to make sure the bads actually purchase WoW tokens from us so we get our money, then they can pay those players for their time with make believe digital currency"

I guess you are one of those people that got banned and are salty. If so, I am overjoyed to hear that
It will be much better for the game if stupid idiots trying to make a living out of WoW and spamming the hell out of trade chat are gone

[Waniou]

Blizzard gets the $$$ from WoW token, boosters get only gold. Blizz didn't get anything from these real money runs. That's the difference.

The other difference is it lets Blizzard keep a closer eye on potential scammers. People sell a run for gold, the buyer pays up and then the sellers take the gold and run? Blizzard can step in and take action. People sell a run for real money and the same thing happens? Suddenly it's a much, much messier situation.

[BellicoseAxe]

While it's good, I wonder how Blizzard can take that position when WoW gold can be practically sold for real life money with the exchange over to blizzard store money.

You can't withdraw money from your Blizzard store wallet which means that, once the money is in there, it will benefit Blizzard no matter what. Real cash exchanges made through services such as Paypal, on the other hand, don't benefit Blizzard in any way, shape or form.

need the dirt on some top players getting banned.

Wouldn't that be naming and shaming?

[PowerOfTwo]

Woooooooow you people are scary... wth? "The top guilds in the world were making a living off WoW. TO BAD! LET THEM STARVE!" - The WoW comunity O_o. You're endorsing the suffering of another human being you sick FUCKS!. Like this will pretty much kill the World First scene just because the GM's / Officers of those guilds COULD live off playing WoW thus could put the insane hours in to compete...

Also, the spin on this is... horrifying "something that was ok for the last decade is no longer ok because .... reasons. By the by it's still toooootaly ok guys if you pay us instead." Somewhere in the design document of Legion , written in golden letters with the popes piss is "just do the oposite of everything players were used to since vanila". I've seen blizzard do some questionable shit in the past but this .... ow this is in a whole new level... fuckin speechles.