Blizzard Employ "Forced Scarcity/Temp Availability" Tactics on Digital Goods Now...

[Mazinger-Z]

All these games are either BUY ONCE TO PLAY or FREE TO PLAY.
Microtransaction have no place in a pay to play model.

"Why yes, you may buy a xerox of my lovely pet/mount... but you gotta keep paying me money to look at it. By the way, the real good stuff is in 8.2."

But seriously, the issue is the attempt to trigger "Fear of Missing Out" not the idea of a sale.

That combined with the already negative perception that the company has become desperate to improve their Q4 numbers that they're resorting to this stuff, while the game's appeal hangs by a thread.

[Lochton]

Why? Because the items are taking space?

No?

But it is common to remove stuff from stores, even digital, to make it appear freshened up. Nothing new at all in that.

[Lazuli]

This is what a free to play game does.

Well BfA is F2P quality so it makes sense

[RundinO]

Understand that you shouldn't encourage the worst habits of immoral big businesses. Buy stuff if you truly have to. But if it actually brings you nothing (like these cosmetics), you don't need to buy anything, simply pass, and you won't miss anything. After all, it's irrelevant cosmetic trash.

Simply put, don't give Blizzard (or any other business) reasons to think that such a scheme is a viable way to create profit, as that is ALL they care for.

It's the exact same reason you wouldn't buy BFV if you're against some of its practices. Of Star Wars Battlefront II if you're against P2W and exploitative practices. Of Fallout76 if you're against deluded publishers that think they can make an asset flip game, ask a full price, still put microtransactions, and still use the worst engine of 2018 in a AAA.

It's basically taking a moral stand and learning self-control. Punishing corrupt big businesses financially is of incredible importance, and should be an obligation for customers.

So...I should take a stand against getting something I want because I like the way it looks? Should I get rid of my clothes (that I buy partially due to looks) and only buy those that come from local markets and meet my most basic of needs. Should I stop watching movies/tv shows all together; I mean, they don't contribute anything other than visual effects and/or acting, right? Should you even be on here, as your presence (contribution to this topic and on MMO-Champion) alone constitutes the same thing you are speaking against.

If I was against the Blizzard store, I might agree with you to some extent on the "practices" part, but I am not. And my purchasing from the store (or any other) has nothing to due with issues with morality or self-control. I know when I want something AND I can afford to get it.

[Deleted]

If you don't buy the item, it does not affect you. By your logic they are removing the item because it was not selling...so how does it affect you. If you were going to buy it you would of bought it 8 years ago, if you were not going to buy it yesterday, you have no reason to be upset its being removed. They are removing it from the shop because it likely has reached its maximum saturation, and they were not expecting any more significant sales. They could of just removed it and said nothing about it, other games do that. Instead they are like, lets retire a nonselling product, and on the off chance someone might be interested, we give them a quick flash sale.

Basically....this hurts no one, and no one should be outraged, except the people who are outraged over everything. Which now i realize i am talking to shadowpunkz and realize nothing i said will change the outrage he feels....

Then why not just make a promotion?

Why REMOVE the items from the shop?

Its as clear as day that it is to take advantage of people with OCD and collectors and kids.
The whole thing is cheap in my eyes because there is no reason to remove them from the shop.

[Chuckadoodle]

Don't like scarcity as an economic tactic, overthrow the capitalistic system which encourages the tactic. Otherwise people running to a forum complaining about standard business practices or throwing out terms like morality are just basement dwellers feigning outrage.

[Coffeh]

The desperation at Blizzard is becoming very evident.

[dope_danny]

Then why not just make a promotion?

Why REMOVE the items from the shop?

Its as clear as day that it is to take advantage of people with OCD and collectors and kids.
The whole thing is cheap in my eyes because there is no reason to remove them from the shop.

Thats exactly what they are doing. Its a textbook play from mobile gaming. You create artificial scarcity to hold digital goods ransom with a thread of it going away to catch whales only to bring back later. Often done in desperation when a quarterly earnings report is going to be abysmal.

shit with Hots Dead, Hearthstone running out of steam and Overwatch not being the massive mainstream darling it used to be after the shift to the esports meme don't be surprised if enough whales with a problem buy this and not long after they start the same tactic with stuff in other blizzard games.

[The One Percent]

What a coincidence, my subscription also had limited availability.

[iamthedevil]

A bunch of AAA game studios are trying this bullshit and all the same studios market value is dropping dramatically. The higher ups in those companies need to be fired and they will be soon enough. A lot of these studios are going to start laying people off because of the greedy mistakes of the suits.

[Kyphael]

"Why yes, you may buy a xerox of my lovely pet/mount... but you gotta keep paying me money to look at it. By the way, the real good stuff is in 8.2."

But seriously, the issue is the attempt to trigger "Fear of Missing Out" not the idea of a sale.

That combined with the already negative perception that the company has become desperate to improve their Q4 numbers that they're resorting to this stuff, while the game's appeal hangs by a thread.

Can't quote this enough.

[Lochton]

Yes, to create artificial scarcity and drive urgency in buyers, not to make it appear freshened up. They're digital assets, if you want to make them feel "refreshed" you replace the texture on the fly. You don't actually have to take it "off the shelf". They didn't retire Worgen while they were waiting to refresh the model.

First of all, you can't compare Worgen with digital optional products.

Secondly, the urgency driven is by the person who believes he/she 'must' have it. Yet this technique has been done for decades to make a sale on low cost and then 'freshen' up by removing some of the old products and slowly fill up with new.

[Stardrift]

Haha, this. So much this.

It seems like a lot of people are taking personal offense to this for some ungodly reason. It's a sale. Want the items at a discount? Great, buy them while they're cheap. Don't want to? Don't buy them and move on with your life. Don't have the money right now? Cool, wait for them to come back and maybe you'll have the money then.

That's right. It's a pretty damn good sale too.

But I mean, if you don't care about these items then don't buy them lmao

I see all these people getting mad at cosmetic microtransactions and what not and it's like.. just don't buy them?

Let companies make money off those who will. It isn't hurting you.

[bloodwulf]

Then why not just make a promotion?

Why REMOVE the items from the shop?

Its as clear as day that it is to take advantage of people with OCD and collectors and kids.
The whole thing is cheap in my eyes because there is no reason to remove them from the shop.

Read the subtext, it literally says the items may return at a later date. People think there isn't clutter because "lolpixels" but there is clutter if they want to have high fidelity newer store items, advertised right next to the low detail ones like the Hippogryph. It's called visual clutter, it exists in other digital marketplaces. It is ultimately a marketing technique, and ultimately Blizzard is a business.

[SupBrah]

Yeah it's weird huh.

Now if you'll excuse me I should go browse the Steam Sale for those sweet sweet 66% off cash grabs.

Show me where any of those games claim to be "going away soon!" while having a little disclaimer saying "These items may return at some point in the future. "

Go ahead, i'll wait.

[Deleted]

Thats exactly what they are doing. Its a textbook play from mobile gaming. You create artificial scarcity to hold digital goods ransom with a thread of it going away to catch whales only to bring back later. Often done in desperation when a quarterly earnings report is going to be abysmal.

shit with Hots Dead, Hearthstone running out of steam and Overwatch not being the massive mainstream darling it used to be after the shift to the esports meme don't be surprised if enough whales with a problem buy this and not long after they start the same tactic with stuff in other blizzard games.

Im just cringing at the tactic...and laughing a little bit but mostly cringing.
This is a virtual world...and this tactic is mostly used in the real world when shit products serve no purpose anymore.

The whole thing is cringy.

Now...where is the godamm HellVSBabyface video on this?

[Arrashi]

No?

But it is common to remove stuff from stores, even digital, to make it appear freshened up. Nothing new at all in that.

Yeah, wow store is so ripe with products that they definately need to do that.

[Dug]

Not really outraging to me but yeah still gonna be a yikes from me. I really dislike temporary/limited digital items and this is just a very blatant cash grab.

[Deleted]

Read the subtext, it literally says the items may return at a later date.

Which is even more cringy and more purpose to laugh about it...

[Vineri]

A bunch of AAA game studios are trying this bullshit and all the same studios market value is dropping dramatically. The higher ups in those companies need to be fired and they will be soon enough. A lot of these studios are going to start laying people off because of the greedy mistakes of the suits.

I have a suspicion that the higher ups are doing this to save their overpaid positions at Activision-Blizzard.

If it's successful, they can justify their jobs .. if they can't .. well their days are numbered anyways.

Actually, whether successful or not, they may be fired, or forced to resign "to pursue other interests". The next earnings call is not anticipated to be very overwhelming (hence stock price plunge).

The steak is being trimmed as we speak. Thus far all we've seen is good portions of delicious meat get cut away. Eventual trimming of the fat benefits everyone who actually enjoys playing games - yet to be seen though.

So far, only game quality or features are being stripped away. It's a bloated system just waiting to crumble.