Race change discounts coinciding with Zandalari release

[Mister Cheese]

Of course they knew that people were going to throw money at their screens for race changes. But would the steep cost keep people from doing it? Maybe. That 30% cut could make them more money in the long run. Seems pretty shitty to me.

[Eleccybubb]

If you think the company is so bad, by all means, don't play anything of theirs. There's tons of other games out there. Why you're in here obsessing over a game you obviously don't like anymore is mind-boggling to me.

I do like the game.

I just dislike the direction the game and company has been going in as of late.

I've said countless times WoW is one of my top 10 games. Doesn't mean I have to accept everything it does or can't be critical.

A good fan knows how to be critical of a product they love. Least in my opinion. Rather than seeing either just one side or the other.

[Sanguinerd]

Seems pretty obvious that's the plan.. bit like this post is trying to get people riled up.

But if the OP didn't try someone else would've.

[Eleccybubb]

Yeah, I agree.

All these people who think they're the CEOs, not the players and/or customers.

The company builds the product, and prices the product.

If you don't like the product or the prices, by all means, don't buy it!

If you do like it, then buy up and play the game!

Why does this have to be so hard?

And all these people who think being remotely critical means you hate the game....

[Eleccybubb]

I hate to tell you this, but, you're not the CEO. You don't get to set the prices, or the direction of the game.

You, the player and consumer, can play the game, or not play the game, and you can also pay money for the game or not pay for the game.

Anything else is just whining.

And you don't get to decide what people post on a forum. Deal with it. You are on a public forum. If you take issue with what people are posting then use the handy little feature known as ignore. Otherwise tough luck I guess.

The consumer has every right to be critical. So /shrug I guess. But since you dub any criticism "whining" it's safe to say this won't go anywhere productive fast so I'll just end it on this.

No point trying to have a debate with anyone who dubs anything remotely critical "whining". It's just one side of the extreme that exists on this forum sadly.

[Mardux]

Anyone else feel like the timing of these race change discounts is far too convenient?

It seems like a ploy to try and boost Q1 2019 revenue after a tumultuous quarter by luring people into subscribing to take advantage of the racial discounts with the release of Zandalari Trolls and Kul'Tiran Humans.

Do you think this strategy will be effective?

Its almost like companies have sales when new products come out. Crazy.

[Maquegyver]

They aren't dumb.

They lowered it just enough so that a $20 token on the AH covers the tax and cost. They want tokens moving and people buying.

Sure they have to make money but to not include a free race change with an xpac all about race changes is pretty insulting. Add onto that the release being perfectly so closely timed to come right after the 6 month runs out on the mount its pretty disgusting. Add onto that the delay on something heavily advertised in the BFA materials not coming until 6-7 months into the xpac... There was a time when the content of the actual game kept the money flowing. Now its the same as any other game. Just enough content to ride you out to the next cash grab.

That doesn't even touch the fact that there is just about 99% markup on these services. The labor is nearing 0 as its all automated by code paid for hundreds of time over over 12 years.

[Eapoe]

Anyone else feel like the timing of these race change discounts is far too convenient?

It seems like a ploy to try and boost Q1 2019 revenue after a tumultuous quarter by luring people into subscribing to take advantage of the racial discounts with the release of Zandalari Trolls and Kul'Tiran Humans.

Do you think this strategy will be effective?

So would you rather everyone who was planning on race changing since the announcement of these 2 races pay full price?
Literally giving a discount to people that have waited months for these races, but yeah, let’s focus on only the negative side of it. Who cares if it’s to get more people to buy a race change? Chances are, the people who were going to still would without the discount and people sitting on the fence and would like to probably will now. Those that don’t give a shit, like myself, aren’t going to race change.
Guess things like Classic WoW, any future xpac, and all future content are just cash grabs, right?

[arkanon]

Anyone else feel like the timing of these race change discounts is far too convenient?

It seems like a ploy to try and boost Q1 2019 revenue after a tumultuous quarter by luring people into subscribing to take advantage of the racial discounts with the release of Zandalari Trolls and Kul'Tiran Humans.

Do you think this strategy will be effective?

There is no way to know if the strat will be effective, because we have nothing to compare it to - any discrepancy between these races and others could just come down to the races popularity.

If they REALLY wanted to be smart they would offer 1 x free race change per account, and use that as bait to get people resubbed in the hope they would stick around.

Personally i think there should be services included in the Sub - 1 free race change, 1 free faction change. Just whatever, 1 x free service per month per account. But thats just my opinion/.

[RaZz0r]

it makes perfect sense for them to do this its basically free money.
People where going to race change regardless of the sale or not but with the added sale it probably pushed a good amount people who where on the fence about it.
Or for people like me i bought a race change just to hold on to it when they come out with a allied race im actually interested in.

[arkanon]

They aren't dumb.

They lowered it just enough so that a $20 token on the AH covers the tax and cost. They want tokens moving and people buying.

Sure they have to make money but to not include a free race change with an xpac all about race changes is pretty insulting. Add onto that the release being perfectly so closely timed to come right after the 6 month runs out on the mount its pretty disgusting. Add onto that the delay on something heavily advertised in the BFA materials not coming until 6-7 months into the xpac... There was a time when the content of the actual game kept the money flowing. Now its the same as any other game. Just enough content to ride you out to the next cash grab.

That doesn't even touch the fact that there is just about 99% markup on these services. The labor is nearing 0 as its all automated by code paid for hundreds of time over over 12 years.

This is all pretty accurate. Obviously it is intended to make money, and the fanbois will say "hur dur they are a company they should be trying to make money" but the more level headed will realise short term gains is not the best way to increase overall profits, and customer satisfaction is extremely important. It is no coincidence that as large game companies reputations fall, so do their profits - and blizzard is FAR from the only company seeing this.

[Magnagarde]

Nope, it entices a player to buy a 20$ token to pay 15$ for a race change...

If it entices a player to do so, it means the player wanted to rechange to a Zandalari in the first place. This then makes it more accessible to them.

Making something someone wants cheaper to get is not a bad thing.

Someone who doesn't wanna racechange any of their characters into a Zandalari or Kul Tiran because they're not them into them won't do it now either. Meanwhile, someone who is badly into either of these two allied races will have changed one or multiple characters without the discount too.

[Vrinara]

I honestly could care less about the discounts, since I am just gonna level my Zandalari. I don't plan to switch any of my toons tbh. almost every mmo does this kind of thing. It's called business for a reason. *Shrugs*

[threads]

wow they release new races and give people race change discount, is this supposed to be a bad thing? people just complaining about anything at this point.

[pinkz]

just as the title states, blizzard also has 30% off faction change, and 30% off race change services. sure many will rage, but keep in mind, blizzard did not have to offer these discounts.

i find this well timed, and helps consolidating players with the patch changes incoming tomorrow.

[Azerate]

This is all pretty accurate. Obviously it is intended to make money, and the fanbois will say "hur dur they are a company they should be trying to make money" but the more level headed will realise short term gains is not the best way to increase overall profits, and customer satisfaction is extremely important. It is no coincidence that as large game companies reputations fall, so do their profits - and blizzard is FAR from the only company seeing this.

There is absolutely nothing level headed about complaining that a company gives a discount on a paid service. It's literally whining that you can buy something cheaper. It's as far from being rational as humanly possible.

[Melsiren]

It also coincides with the new 50 char realm cap. The discount applies to transfers as well as race changes.

Is it a shity business practice? Absolutely.

Blizzard knows what they're doing, but they also did not have to discount anything.

[Fabled]

Well timed for Q1 earnings, sure.

[arkanon]

There is absolutely nothing level headed about complaining that a company gives a discount on a paid service. It's literally whining that you can buy something cheaper. It's as far from being rational as humanly possible.

What on earth are you talking about? did you even read the posts you are replying to? The amount of crazy hyperbole in your post is amazing to me.

[glowpipe]

why would people rage ?