Which I already noted, the cash shop arguably works against them in this regard because it set a precedent for unsustainable growth. The AAA game development industry as a whole is in a growth bubble nobody reasonable expects to maintain much longer, and especially with anti-loot box regulations becoming more and more popular among various world governments (with some, like Belgium, having already taken steps in that regard), that bubble is looking to pop sooner than later. Microtransactions were the definition of a short-term benefit that's going to have long-term ramifications, because what do you think happens when that growth bubble pops and microtransactions can't sustain the level of growth investors currently demand of companies like Activision-Blizzard and Electronic Arts, who are already starting to hit rough waters for other reasons?
And I already pointed out, they're in a problem of their own making. Increasing expansion box prices, very few people actually brought up issue with because inflation happens and the box sales generally lagged behind the rest of the industry's pricing strategies. Investors were perfectly happy with the steady growth Blizzard experienced prior to the explosion in sales from microtransactions; very few investor calls involved angry investors asking why their portfolios were growing.so again WHERE would you take the money?
and shadowlands is great example of the philosophy i already mentioned (if collector editions were not good enough proof) - instead of making EVERYONE pay more they make people pay less, unless they WANT TO...
Your primary mistake in all this is assuming that infinite growth is possible. It's not, and a bunch of overpaid, undereducated executives who thought they stumbled on a golden goose isn't going to change that. I think I peed a little laughing at the idea that a company that regularly brings in over a hundred million dollars annually is going to have any problem keeping a massive profit margin regardless of inflation unless there is massive financial mismanagement afoot (corporate debt bubbles are a thing, which we can see biting airlines in the ass now, but that's another thing where a bunch of overpaid idiots came across a 'brilliant' idea and never stopped to game out how it'd work in the long term), in which case all the microtransactions in the world won't save their profit margins when that comes a-knocking.
Okay. Cool, so I misread the EU one. UK still got a sub fee increase, happened back in Cataclysm if memory serves. But if you want to ignore me because I take umbrage with a pay-to-play game including a cash shop for things that should be attainable ingame, and because I don't buy the horseshit that they have to have microtransactions or poor Blizzard just wouldn't be making enough money otherwise, feel free. No skin off my ass.btw still waiting for you to tell me when they increased sub prices in EU as you already said twice and backed it with nothing... bcs i live and play in eu and still pay the same amount... but i wont get it i know, you dont want to accomodate reality, you just want to be mad even if you have to MAKE UP reasons... im not interesting in delusions though, so ill just ignore you, have a nice day