When did FREE stuff become a slap in the face?

[Addiena]

Meh I just deleted the item, its useless to me in anycase.

[Aldrahan]

They gave out pets before and people (like me) log in every year expecting them to do it again and are disappointed. If they never gave out the pets before I don't think anybody would be complaining about the temporary tabard.

Pretty sure the pet was only for the 5th year anniversary. Expect something good next year like OP says would be my response.

[Steve the Sloth]

If I don't get a hand written letter from Ghostcrawler next year, I'm quitting the game.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure why an anniversary entitles me to get free stuff. It's nice if they do, but it's not something I demand.

"Oh look at me, I log in during a specific day and I get digital toys to play with"
"So how exactly does that differ from any other day logging into WoW?"

[Icaras]

They gave out pets before and people (like me) log in every year expecting them to do it again and are disappointed.

Yet they HAVE NOT given any out for the last few years. Expecting a pet (or something like that) and feeling disappointed if your own fault for having an unreasonable expectation.

It was reasonable the year after the Ony pet.

But the year after that, it was made fully clear that a pet with the anniversary was NOT the norm. get over it.

[cptaylor38]

You guys remember when we bought the game and got a free month? I sure do. I've now bought four expansions and not gotten a free month since. How would that be for customer appreciation? I don't feel like that's an unreasonable demand. I mean I'm sure most of the people defending Blizzard in this forum do. But they'd sell their soul just to be able to bend over for the janitors cleaning the Blizzard headquarters. I don't get it, but it's cute that you want to be a virtual cheerleader and rally the forces to support the business that makes more money than you and your entire family will see in a lifetime.

- - - Updated - - -

Yet they HAVE NOT given any out for the last few years. Expecting a pet (or something like that) and feeling disappointed if your own fault for having an unreasonable expectation.

It was reasonable the year after the Ony pet.

But the year after that, it was made fully clear that a pet with the anniversary was NOT the norm. get over it.

Spirit of Competition was always my favorite pet. Granted that was for the Olympics or whatever. But still.

- - - Updated - - -

The sense of entitlement in this game(and thread) is disgusting. Boo fucking hoo blizzard didn't give you a free pet. Let's look back on everything they've given you the ability to earn in the past year and tell me that they haven't done shit for you. Don't take this as someone who is up blizzards ass and thinks they're god or anything, take this as someone who understands that it is a video game. Tell me one other video game in the world past or present that gives players such a huge say in what happens to the design of the game they are playing? Be happy with what you get and stop feeling like blizzard owes you shit. They've already given you the best mmo this world has ever seen.

Last time I played Guild Wars 2 there was one of the many MANY constant 2 week event patches that actually let you choose a captain during the event. Each captain had specific perks associated with them, such as minigames and a few other things I can't remember. But it was actually the players voting in the game that decided what the development team chose for their recurring content. So, I mean, there's one pretty solid example if you've actually played GW2 and know what I'm talking about. They also had an in-game feature during the beta that was basically a survey you could fill out while playing the beta and rate the events or play and add a comment.

What does WoW have again? A forum that gets a blue post for every 100 posts? And it's usually on some useless joke of a post that should technically classify as trolling but for some reason doesn't get a ban. Oh, and they have an in-game suggestion feature that lets you enter some text into a big black box and sent electronically into whatever deep dark abyss it winds up in. (Kind of like online job applications.)

Oh, they also have snarky, sassy, witty, playful, oh-so-clever, representatives that will take the time out of their busy schedule to argue with you like an elitist 12 year old boy. (But they'll do it classy enough, they think, to seem like they're being professional.)

ANYway. That's beside the point. The point is I immediately thought of that example with Guild Wars 2 and wish WoW had something like that. I don't really know where you're getting that from. I've never heard Blizzard say, "Oh, that's a great idea let's do it." I've mostly just heard them say, "That could be neat" at best... followed by... "but that's not the direction we want to go in" or.... "but that wouldn't work because..." or "most players wouldn't want that" or some other generic bias response showing that they really have no intention of listening to their customer base or even find their opinions relevant in the slightest. Of course this is just what I've observed and cannot be listed as fact, so don't waste your time with that circular bullcrap logic.

For the Copper Iron Bronze Silver Old New Horde!





I also want to point out that I remember logging into Aion awhile back and getting a ton of free STORE money in appreciation of the fact that once upon a time 10 years ago I used to play. Keep in mind this is a free to play game. And sure they are trying to bring people back, but I never once had to pay a subscription fee. (Or was it that weird hourly subscription rate at first and then went free to play?)

[Saffa]

They gave out pets before and people (like me) log in every year expecting them to do it again and are disappointed. If they never gave out the pets before I don't think anybody would be complaining about the temporary tabard.

I got a pet for the 4th birthday and the 5th. That is 4 years without a pet, hardly a slap in the face. And the xp & rep on kills if a nice little buff given to all chaacters. If your one character is 90 with 63 exalted reputations, maybe make an alt?

[Thimagryn]

I got a pet for the 4th birthday and the 5th. That is 4 years without a pet, hardly a slap in the face. And the xp & rep on kills if a nice little buff given to all chaacters. If your one character is 90 with 63 exalted reputations, maybe make an alt?

Or I could wait till heirlooms are accountwide with the upcoming patch, then level alts even faster.

[Dominus89]

Nintendo gives me stuff for being a customer. I'm a Club Nintendo subscriber, and I get free shit for buying and registering their products and completing surveys on their newest games. I recently got A Link to the Past on Wii without paying a dime. I guess you're just not looking hard enough.

Im not getting shit from Nintendo because we dont have Club Nintendo where I live.. and even if I wouldnt be excited of getting A Link to the Past as I've already got it.
Im not crying like a baby just because Im not getting stuff for free from them, those who do need to grow up.

[Doktor Faustus]

I guess they got tired of people whining about them "wasting dev time" on pets for handouts.

As opposed to 'wasting dev time' on store pets?

Seems that is where our birthday pets have gone, lol.

[Thimagryn]

Im not getting shit from Nintendo because we dont have Club Nintendo where I live.. and even if I wouldnt be excited of getting A Link to the Past as I've already got it.
Im not crying like a baby just because Im not getting stuff for free from them, those who do need to grow up.

I'm glad you've grown out of your crying phase, maybe now you can participate in the conversation with the rest of us adults!

It comes down to what we value as customer appreciation. While I don't want to go down the route of 'if they're not gonna do something special, don't do it at all', I do think they could have set up something worth celebrating. Pilgrims Bounty offers more content than 'Customer Appreciation'.

[Deleted]

Watching some of these replies is like watching a junkie defend his crack dealer.

The sad part is the junkie doesn't even realize it.

[Tekkommo]

People are cheap, especially gamers. They feel like they are entitled to almost anything and think companies like Blizzard are more of a charity than an actual business.

[hutchzilla]

I got my achieve and I must say the temp tabard has pushed me to level my hunter from 85 - 90, no point is wasting that bonus xp

Happy, cheers blizz.

[-Superman-]

Watching some of these replies is like watching a junkie defend his crack dealer.

The sad part is the junkie doesn't even realize it.

Piss poor analogy. Truth of the matter is, some of us are ADULTS and realize this is just a game. Whether we get something or not is of little consequence.

[Ken_Silver]

Well, I see it this way. Sure, Blizzard doesn't have to give us anything for free, but most MMO's do and I mean I can't think of another MMO that doesn't do anything big or give away something for their anniversary. Considering that and that the players who aren't getting anything see that all of these other not as successful mmos are giving away stuff and Blizzard isn't... well can you blame them for not doing a double take?

Again, Blizzard will not give what it will not give. But people asking why is also going to be asked and is valid. Though the sad truth is because Blizzard didn't feel like it. Now this conversation SHOULD be going on in Blizzard's official forums as well. At least there, there is a chance someone will answer. (Though I'd bet my bottom dollar the answer won't be satisfying or that it will be: "development resources are being used for Warlords of Dreanor" which is again, also valid.)

[Tastyfish]

It's weird.
Out of game everyone is a horrible, degenerate because "Americans are whores for wanting free stuff, and are lazy bumbs"
In game everyone is enraged they are not getting free stuff.

Why is it so hateful both ways?

[Spastic_Dreamer]

Watching some of these replies is like watching a junkie defend his crack dealer.

The sad part is the junkie doesn't even realize it.

Perfect analogy.

People need to stop blindly defending Blizzard and start demanding more for their money. There are gaming companies out there who do MORE and get paid less. I play Rift now, and if you're subbed/play for a certain amount of time, you get special rewards. At 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, 2 years, etc. It's rewarding players for investing their time into the game. It keeps your interest. It shows that they appreciate you.

Meanwhile WoW puts overpriced pets in the store, charges 15 dollars a month when they can get away with 5, and they continue to release sub-par expansions >.>

[IKT]

If I don't get a hand written letter from Ghostcrawler next year, I'm quitting the game.

and Tigole has to return, recreate an entirely new tier of raids called 'original naxx hard', which take months to complete and it drops all legendaries, AND sends me an autographed hand written letter explaining why he's been gone for so long, what exactly they were doing over in titanville, and how he is begging for my forgiveness.

Only then will I be satisfied.

People need to stop blindly defending Blizzard and start demanding more for their money.

I play this game for 10+ hours a week, every week, for $15 a month. This is more value than I get from any other form of entertainment, I simply have no need to demand more when I get plenty as is, however I can definitely see why Rift would need to throw stuff at its subscribers who are still subscribed to the game after its been dead for 2 years now? They definitely don't have massive financial incentives to try and retain the few people who still play it. no sir.

[Deleted]

Perfect analogy.

People need to stop blindly defending Blizzard and start demanding more for their money. There are gaming companies out there who do MORE and get paid less. I play Rift now, and if you're subbed/play for a certain amount of time, you get special rewards. At 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, 2 years, etc. It's rewarding players for investing their time into the game. It keeps your interest. It shows that they appreciate you.

Meanwhile WoW puts overpriced pets in the store, charges 15 dollars a month when they can get away with 5, and they continue to release sub-par expansions >.>

Oh I expect worth for my money all right, I just fail to grasp what and artificially chosen date has to do with that. Every time I login I expect to get my money's worth of stuff to do and get. If a single moment in the year hands me more stuff, just because it's an anniversary, I'd feel short changed the rest of the year tbh. Besides, WoW does reward your playing time. Only a little while ago they gave me an entire new raid to do, how cool is that?!