i think Blizzard should make us pay every time the raid wipes. Because they can.
i think Blizzard should make us pay every time the raid wipes. Because they can.
The trading card items were collectibles. Furthermore, they were not just profitable to the third party, but to Blizzard as well (because royalties).
It's basically a perk for people who love WoW so much that they're willing to even play a CCG in the setting (even if it's not that great, and the artwork is just crap).
Exclusive pets from the special editions and blizzcons also fall into the 'perk' category.
The cash shop items (all of them) are different because vanity-for-sale is typical of (better quality) F2P games. People have long since supported WoW because it was subscription based, which means (to most) that, even though you pay, you can get the same stuff as everybody else, if you try hard enough. Pretty much making everything you gain an in-game achievement.
F2P games, on the other hand, offer the basic stuff, that which you require, as in-game, and add 'special' exclusive vanity gear to their cash shop: If you want it, you need to buy it. That is their business model; that is how they make money. You can set yourself apart by paying more.
They are two completely different business models.
With the cash shop, Blizzard is pretty much still asking for a subscription, but your skill or in-game dedication and perseverence no longer dictates whether or not you can gain access to exclusive, unique-ish items. Instead, you will need to pay for them. So they're adding the F2P business model to a P2P game, meaning that they effectively use a double business model, and one that is unfair to proponents of either.
Did this explain the problems people have with this model? Well; yes. Do you now understand it? I doubt it... You don't want to understand, after all.
one of the few actually genuine and likeable comments in this thread so far. only reasonable thing at this point is quit this boring game and do something more useful with your time. and at this point anything is more useful than giving this sell-out company any money.
That's not for you or Blizzard to decide, that's for the consumer. If I think that I pay my subscription for access to the whole package and suddenly I stop getting that, it's solely at my discretion whether I keep paying or not.
You don't know that. While I doubt that we'll see current-tier gear for real money, I have no doubt that the Blizzard of five years ago wouldn't recognize the Blizzard of today. Blizzard once said they would never implement anything that gave you an in-game advantage, and here we are able to acquire gold and mounts without effort put into the game.
It may not be a smart business move if they lose more earnings through people quitting than they make in store sales.
I am skeptical that the money raised by the items in the Blizzard store will become retained earnings. I think it's far more likely that it's put towards bonuses for executives or dividends for shareholders.
The Blizzard store is a bad deal for players. I can only guess that the people defending it don't value money very highly.
I wish they would switch things up a little.
Personally I don't care what people spend their money on. Its THEIR money lol.
My thing is that I wish they would take that creativity they found crumpled up in a ball behind the couch in the Blizzard Lounge Room™ and use it when designing the tier sets. Because T16 Looks like sh*t all around. It's like no thought was put into any of it.
Then they come out with these magnificent xmog helms to sell for $15 a pop that would look amazing if they could be part of a tier set. Try to imagine a DK w/ the ice crown helm with a frost oriented set... the skeletal visage disappearing and reappearing. Now that would be awesome! Right?
Instead we get this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kQSM-ZzucI which in my opinion plays too much on the t14 armor. That's just my OPINION though. Keyword: Opinion. Google it.
15$ a month isn't just a monetary investment. It's also a time investment as well.
So TL;DR I wish we had tier armor the same quality as the xmog items on the blizzard store for the time investment we put in playing/raiding.
On the original cash-shop thread on US forums (now locked), Maldazzar posted these interesting ideas which I think summarizes very well the issues layered with this feature:
1. Your subscription is paying for content that you're literally incapable of obtaining without further payment.
2. XP-boosts and Charms of Good Fortune are "pay-to-win", because on some level, they provide an advantage to those with more money.
3. They is a serious, logical concern that these will lead to even more microtransactions, ranging from purchasing actual armor, to even charging to access new Dungeons, Raids, or Battlegrounds.
4. The transmog-helms were a missed opportunity to actually add more gameplay to WoW, as they could have very easily have been rare-drops or rewards for new, extravagant quests.
5. Transmogrification is "meaningful content" to some players, and the fact that Blizzard is now comfortable with charging for that content means that you can no longer count on having new, compelling Armor-designs to look forward to.
6. Like all cash-shop items, the transmog-helms will become meaningless; since there is literally zero effort put into obtaining them, they hold no sentimentality, and are destined to run the same gambit as the Heart of the Aspects, which leads into...
7. Many players frown upon Pets and Mounts being sold, because so many of them would have felt more satisfying as rewards for other feats. Sparkle-pony should have been a rare-drop from Algalon, which would have completely changed peoples' perception of it, Heart of the Aspects should have been a Fangs of the Father reward, and even the new Bat-mount, players have been asking for a bat-mount ever since Burning Crusade.
8. Every other MMO to attempt a cash-shop while also having a mandatory subscription has failed, which leads some to worry that this could hurt Blizzard financially in the long-term.
9. Another worry is that every MMO who attempted the same business-model also went Free-to-Play, which many players deem undesirable, and even fundamentally at-odds with what World of Warcraft used to be, since F2P games never have a "level playing-field".
On a personal note, I very much agree with the 4th topic; July to September you will not see much action happening since there aren't any world events or 5.4 any time soon; why not create something unique and fun and implement these helms as a reward for such content instead of just putting them for freaking RL cash?
if you think about it, Blizzard have a track record for this anyway. you pay for an expansion that you are literally incapable of playing without additionally paying for a period of subscription as well.
Blizzard are riding on the back of a customer base that appears to be unable to behave like normal consumers. instead you see people in this thread not only defending the actions of a corporate entity as it tries to suck its customers dry, but actually applauding them.
honestly, it makes me want to set up a business just so i can try and target these people with as many "money for old rope" business opportunities as i can think up. anybody want to talk to a nigerian prince?
When challenging a Kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.
Originally Posted by George CarlinOriginally Posted by Douglas Adams
Wrong! You are currently paying for whatever you are currently getting, whatever that may be. When any said thing changes for better or worse, you then may be paying for whatever that may be. You VOTE with your payment. Your monthly fee exists ONLY IF you keep paying it. People 100% should say whatever they want about something that they may have already paid 6 months in the future for!
This is as DUMB as saying.. "You eat in order to live; nothing more, nothing less." As if the kinds of foods will not have any effect on your future, or your end.
This is the single largest thing that Bliz still does not understand. Content sells WoW. They still have no idea what that word "content" is for the majority of their players. The lore and story involvement helped Wrath, as the newness and availability helped BC. Hopefully flex raids and proving grounds will help new players some. I've talked with many new players that have no idea what things do on their toon that have been playing for more than 2 years. This is because the need is gone, because LFR is just a sad mess for the game in all ways. LFR teaches nothing positive whatsoever. New players get yelled at because they have no idea what they are doing, but at the same time have nobody telling them what they should be doing. Older players are in endless LFR queues, then log out, especially if they must normal raid on top of this. Bad idea to add quest items in an endless LFR grind so that friends and guildies (the majority of the game) are not playing together most of their time spent online, and are getting burnt out in LFR.
Winning something together in the old days with your guild felt much better than winning something alone in LFR today.
Last edited by thatmikeguy; 2013-07-21 at 05:50 PM.
Why would anyone what to be wearing 1 of 3 things that hundreds of other players on your newly joined realms in 5.4 will be wearing? I just do not understand the thinking here. Also, the blue one is the only one that looks like it somewhat goes with "a" legendary cloak that can't be used for xmog anyway for 99% of people. This is so fail for people actually buying those items.. It's just like putting a big sign on your head saying "Hey I buy dumb stuff for real money, please sell me something".
Last edited by thatmikeguy; 2013-07-21 at 06:04 PM.
No matter how you turn it, there is NO difference between fluff items in WoW introduced by Cryptozoic and sold by a 3rd party and the new fluff items now introduced by Blizzard themselves.
I have my Tabard already since 2007 and nobody complained just like I had me a dance item or a "I owe you flag" .....but oh boy now that Blizzard introduces of few fluff items on a shop, they are the Devil.
Ridiculous arguments. These in game fluff items are just that: fluff merchandising stuff for the FANS.
You hate it simply because Blizzard makes money.
And you DID NOT CARE when others introduced it in the game AT ALL.
How more double standards do you want to display ???
What's next: take on everyone who buys a WoW mouse and A WoW themed keyboard or T shirt ?
I mean my tabbard shirt in the game is not related to my game achievements, neither is my T shirt.
Both are merchandising items for real fans. Both have NO impact on the game at all.
And Blizzard can sell to their fans in and out of the game what fans like.
It is typical that again non players (as always) spread the usual Blizzard hate with double standard arguments.
they poke around without even caring about the game they in fact hate with a vengeance.
Go burn WoW mice, keyboards and T shirts too because Blizzard makes MONEY by selling them too. just like my new fluff helmet, which absolutely has NO added value other than ...for me.
Last edited by BenBos; 2013-07-21 at 06:23 PM.
Shrug, as soon as they start affecting PVE progression by allowing people to buy gear, I will jump ship. Pay to progress is bad in any game, and I think they will shoot themselves in the foot if they go that route. Im fine with the store the way it is now. Im even fine with lesser charms and an XP bonus as long as it it doesnt affect end-game (PVE or PVP).
You mean a poorly thought out and childish attempt at a strawman argument?
Sure, you carry right on. We'll be right here giving actual reasons we're correct while you giggle to yourselves like Beavis and Butthead.
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You mean like old tier sets? No difference at all in terms of variety.
its have been the same sub fee for years now, atleast in norway. 15 bucks is nothing, and now you can buy some stuff that makes you look better? and you think the tier gear will end up in the same store? nope, why? well atleast blizz have been around for years now and they have seen how other games have fallen in the trap, they wont do that mistake.
Childish attempt? It's actual pretty logical and true. Do you really think people are just complaining because they can't afford it? Please. I'm not sure why the casuals can play the "Well I pay $15 a month so I better get to see all content" card but when it comes to us non-casuals who are saying "I pay $15 a month, I should have access to being able to obtain this item in-game without having to pay more money." you start throwing a huge fit.
I play casually now because LFR is better for my time schedule and I don't have much time to play anyway. But now when I log on it's a bunch of entitled little kids playing Pretty Little Princess with transmog gear and no one knows who anyone is on your server. There is no interaction between people. The community of World of Warcraft has gone to absolute shit.