Maybe it's "our" fault the Blizzard Store exist ...

[shanthi]

Blizzard is more or less soulless now. They are literally a machine that blindly chases money. No "thought process" required. Just crunch the numbers and pick the one that is the largest.

I'm not using the term just as rhetoric.

Just because you pretend your opinions are fact doesn't make it so. And just because you end a bunch of rhetoric with "I'm not using it as rhetoric" also doesn't make it so. You're entitled to your opinions, even when you can't substantiate any of it with evidence or even good arguments, but that doesn't mean it's compelling.

[Pann]

Conviniently ignoring the fact that you pay the same sub for eigh years despite rising salaries and inflation. Milking and greedy indeed.

Just stop subscribing if you want to put an end to that greed. I know ppl like you love that suggestion.

Hmm, when I bought both TBC and Wrath they cost me £19.99 from a shop when I bought Cata and MOP directly from Blizzard, so there are no costs in physical distribution, less need to produce and distribute Point Of Sale nor is there a need for shop's profits to be deducted, they both £29.99. I am pretty sure that UK inflation is not high enough to account for a 50% rise.

And in all honesty the argument that they have not increased the price despite inflation is beyond idiotic they have not kept the price the same out of some form altruistic gift to the players the simple fact is that the current price point is the maximum they can charge without losing masses of customers.

[SodiumChloride]

Yeah, but I don't agree with you. While I didn't love the pandaren race, technically and artistically, MoP has been as or more high quality than any other expansion. The leveling zones are gorgeous, the raid zones have been spectacular, I think the Elegon mount and challenge mode phoenixes are cooler than any of the store mounts and some of the ideas Blizzard has tried for story progression (the solo scenarios, the Barrens stuff) have been quite interesting, and Proving Grounds looks pretty great to me.

So, from my perspective, quality hasn't been lacking at all (and the store has existed since the backend of Wrath).

Well, hope you will enjoy the future of paying on the store for all the "leveling zones are gorgeous, the raid zones have been spectacular, I think the Elegon mount and challenge mode phoenixes are cooler than any of the store mounts and some of the ideas Blizzard has tried for story progression (the solo scenarios, the Barrens stuff)".

No money because you are just Joe the Plumber and not William Henry Gates. Well, sucks to be you. Enjoy your second class citizen status in WoW. THAT'S WHAT'S WOW IS GOING TO LOSE. THAT'S WHAT BLIZZARD IS SACRIFICING FOR THE SAKE OF MORE $$$.

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Just because you pretend your opinions are fact doesn't make it so. And just because you end a bunch of rhetoric with "I'm not using it as rhetoric" also doesn't make it so. You're entitled to your opinions, even when you can't substantiate any of it with evidence or even good arguments, but that doesn't mean it's compelling.

From my point of view, it is fact.

So instead of out of hand dismissing my points, I would like to see you offer some countering argument.

[Kickbuttmario]

Why are people making a big deal out of this? Play the game without buying anything from the blizzard store or buy things from the blizzard store or!! you could always just gtfo.

[CaptainArlong]

Nope, it's all Blizzard's fault. They're losing subscribers because their game is old and outdated, and they won't redo character models or the engine, so they need to make more money. I quit playing WoW because of the ancient character models making it not worth paying $15 a month, and the hilariously overpriced expansion. $40 for an expansion to such an old game? No. I can go buy Skyrim and all it's DLC right now for less money.

Meanwhile, I started to play TERA, and I paid $20 for in-game items and decided to pay the monthly fee since it gives you so much extra stuff. Just by paying the monthly fee, I get experience and gold boosts? Hell yes.

If they make WoW free to play, or at least give you something extra for $15 a month like a new mount every month, I'll be back to playing it.

[Buxton McGraff]

The fact of the matter is:
We'll now have to pay extra if we want to get the most out of our play experiences.
Not everybody plays the game to down hardcore content. Some of us enjoy cool looking characters, role playing, pet collecting, etc.
From here on out what incentive does Blizzard have to make great looking items free, when they can sell them on the store and make money.
This is a very negative road they're taking, that goes nowhere but down.

[NotValidAnymore]

The question is... why does things like in-game stores work in the first place?

Obviously a company wants to make money, but they wouldn't make money if things like in-game stores weren't used. But they are.

[SodiumChloride]

You sound like a 14 year old who recently got into Che Guevarra, anti-imperialism and exploitation critique. Your banter is ridiculous and you're really making a fool out of yourself. What the hell are you talking about. Reading your post, one could think you're talking about Enron, Nestle, BP, BAE, Scientology or some other company that profits off of people's misery, exploitation of labour, war, destruction of the environment and walking over corpses. Give me a break.

You're talking about Blizzard Entertaintment, who's offering you a fancy glowing helmet for your online game character in exchange for a few measly dollars. Yeah, truly the epitome of despicable greed at the "expense of society at large". Do you even listen to your own thoughts?

I can only repeat myself - grow the hell up.

Not at expense of society. Don't be an idiot. Blizzard is a luxury goods company.

But it is at the expense of the game. I hope your reading comprehension is sufficient to enable you to understand this point.

PS: You are the one that should grow up. Your posts are laced with ad hominem attacks. I see no reason to be civil with you in return.

[Deleted]

But I believe companies can survive and prosper without being soulless machines of unrestrained corporate greed. Lets be clear here, companies are "allowed to exist" in order to provide "good and services", not solely to "grab money" - and definitely not at the expense of society at large. Being a bunch of greedy bastards is not being a "good corporate citizen".

Companies can earn as much as they want, as long as it's legal.

[shanthi]

Well, hope you will enjoy the future of paying on the store for all the "leveling zones are gorgeous, the raid zones have been spectacular, I think the Elegon mount and challenge mode phoenixes are cooler than any of the store mounts and some of the ideas Blizzard has tried for story progression (the solo scenarios, the Barrens stuff)".

Okay, so in the absence of having any arguments, you've decided to enter the land of fantasy.

No money because you are just Joe the Plumber and not William Henry Gates. Well, sucks to be you. Enjoy your second class citizen status in WoW. THAT'S WHAT'S WOW IS GOING TO LOSE. THAT'S WHAT BLIZZARD IS SACRIFICING FOR THE SAKE OF MORE $$$.

lol. I'm starting to wonder if you're just a deep-cover comedian.

From my point of view, it is fact.

Classic.

From my point of view, blue being the best color of them all is fact.

[Luko]

lol "Maybe."

Tell you what. Let the store come out into full bloom. After a couple months, if they've made almost no sales, you can blame them and their viscous corporate greed. If, however, they've sold tons of stuff and made gagging bagfulls of money over it, you can assume that it's our fault. (Like pretty much everything else people constantly whine about in this title.)

[Xeh.-]

People can complain about this when they sell items that actually benefit you in game. For now is xmog gear.

Blizzard already knows all your opinions about this so its time to shut this topic down

IMHO.

[Pull My Finger]

Not at expense of society. Don't be an idiot. Blizzard is a luxury goods company.

But it is at the expense of the game. I hope your reading comprehension is sufficient to enable you to understand this point.

Quoted your own exact words. My reading comprehension served me enough to do that. Onward, comrade, into battle against THE MAN.

[Pann]

Companies can earn as much as they want, as long as it's legal.

No they can't, companies can earn as much as their customers are prepared to pay for their goods or services.

[SodiumChloride]

Companies can earn as much as they want, as long as it's legal.

And I can disagree with their decisions.

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Okay, so in the absence of having any arguments, you've decided to enter the land of fantasy.



lol. I'm starting to wonder if you're just a deep-cover comedian.



Classic.

From my point of view, blue being the best color of them all is fact.

Again you attack me and my posts - "Your posts are fantasy" ... etc. But offer no argument of your own.

[shanthi]

And I can disagree with their decisions.

Of course you can. No one's suggested differently.

[ImpalerEU]

All companies exist and release new products because they sell. Doubt anyone would wake up and go to work every morning for free. If you don't like what you see don't buy it.

[Thimagryn]

So bizarre how people who "don't care" about items in the cash shop are so adamant about defending Blizzard.

According to Blizzard: if they're not complaining then they don't care and are happy.
So why don't you all just do the same?

But now aren't you complaining about people complaining about people complaining? Just pointing that out.

[Luko]

And I can disagree with their decisions.

So then quit. Seriously, I'm not even being "that guy" right now. The only way people are going to speak their language is to protest giving them ANY more money. If someone goes onto the official forums and states a brilliant anti-shop post, then proceeds to switch tabs and pay their monthly fee, it's going to mean diddlyshit when the numbers hit the books.

[SodiumChloride]

Quoted your own exact words. My reading comprehension served me enough to do that. Onward, comrade, into battle against THE MAN.

That was illustrating a general principle. In case you haven't noticed, it's "and definitely not at the expense of society at large".

L2Read.

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So then quit. Seriously, I'm not even being "that guy" right now. The only way people are going to speak their language is to protest giving them ANY more money. If someone goes onto the official forums and states a brilliant anti-shop post, then proceeds to switch tabs and pay their monthly fee, it's going to mean diddlyshit when the numbers hit the books.

So you dump your friends over every minor disagreement?

I trying to talk them out of it, yes they do read 3rd party forums. Failing that. Time to move on I suppose.