Blizzard needs to be very careful here. Trust is a hard thing to re-earn after losing it. If Blizz introduces a full RMT model for things like gear, etc you will hear a "disturbance" that would make SWG NGE or Trammel to UO's outrage seem like a whisper. Players don't forget and seldom forgive. If something like that happens then Blizzard really should be worrying about the success of their next title.
I have already crossed off SC2, D3, and the next Blizzard MMO, unless this move is backed away from.
You and other like minded individuals comprise a TINY percentage of the player base. In the grand scheme of things, your presence and money will not be missed. This is trival, and if you allow it to deprive you of the enjoyment of the next few games, you have only yourself to blame.
Devil's advocate: Where is your statistical data that shows what exactly that percentage is? (Rhetorical question as you don't have any)
Fact of the matter is none of us know how this will affect those game sales until they happen and even then there isn't a way to measure how many people would have purchased the games but decided not to because of this move. A look can be taken by Blizzard internally comparing their average weekly or monthly loss of accounts and then compare them to the data gathered after this announcement. Of course, they aren't going to share that information with us if it's negative. If it's positive they will because companies (ahem, SOE) like to pat themselves on the back if a "controversial" move earns a profit.
So if we hear from Blizzard how well the shops do with lots of fireworks and faire, then it worked. Unless they lie to save face. If we don't hear from them, then they lost more account income than the shops could replace. Maybe, lol! Speculation keeps forums alive!
Kahl, I don't need hard data for this... The percentage of people who lapse into hysterics about something this trival has to be smaller than those who win the Darwin award... But yes, emo does keep the forums running...
Having looked around this earth at my "fellow" human beings I beg to differ, lol! If this were true we wouldn't hear from them, right?
But yeah, we'll have to sit back and see what happens. Some of the dramatic responses so generate a good giggle if you a) don't get emotionally involved about the topic and b) know that the other person really believes the sky is falling.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Originally posted by maimeekrai If you haven't noticed, the cost of living is constantly going up. Things are more expensive to produce these days, including software. Wrong. So, instead of jacking up the monthly sub fee and raising box prices, Blizzard is getting creative and adding new optional items you can buy and services you can use, to help game development. I guess you'd rather pay more per month?
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
i hate how people on these forums overreact especially to something as small as 2 pets that you don't need to purchase with half of the income from these going to a charity. Come on people do you have any idea who stupid you sound by making these wild claims and freaking out over something this trivial. If you don't want the pet then don't buy it. It doesn't change the game one bit if you don't or if someone else does. If another game company comes out to do this then sure bash Blizzard because the other company donated more. However, be lets be realistic. Blizzard is the only mmo company besides ncsoft that has enough income and player base to make this work. Be thankful they care enough to do this cause frankly they could have just as easily taken the full 100% of the sale for themselves but they didn't.
Originally posted by maimeekrai If you haven't noticed, the cost of living is constantly going up. Things are more expensive to produce these days, including software. Wrong. So, instead of jacking up the monthly sub fee and raising box prices, Blizzard is getting creative and adding new optional items you can buy and services you can use, to help game development. I guess you'd rather pay more per month?
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
Originally posted by Wraithone You and other like minded individuals comprise a TINY percentage of the player base. In the grand scheme of things, your presence and money will not be missed. This is trival, and if you allow it to deprive you of the enjoyment of the next few games, you have only yourself to blame.
I will have my self-respect, which is worth more to me than any game.
I don't stay in abusive relationships. You people in denial keep telling yourselves "it's okay because Blizzard loves me".
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Originally posted by Wraithone You and other like minded individuals comprise a TINY percentage of the player base. In the grand scheme of things, your presence and money will not be missed. This is trival, and if you allow it to deprive you of the enjoyment of the next few games, you have only yourself to blame.
I will have my self-respect, which is worth more to me than any game.
I don't stay in abusive relationships. You people in denial keep telling yourselves "it's okay because Blizzard loves me".
I don't really care to read far enough back into this pointless topic but did you quit due to this because honestly that's not a very good reason.
Wonderful article. But the vast majority of those who read it will have to first remove their head from their own ass before they are able to comprehend what it actually means. 99.9% of gamers are retarded. Protest charity! Idiots.
I don't think it's so much "protesting charity". I think it's more questioning why does a company that makes billions if not more in profit of an existing customer base feel the need to charge more for additional items in order to donate to charity. Couldn't they just do it from their existing income and the write it off as a tax break? Or better yet offer up 25% or 50% of 1 month's subscription fees as a charitable gift?
Why instead to they choose to offer up additional virtual items for purchase and offer a percentage of those sales (why not offer the entire amount generated from those sales?) so that they don't have to give up any of their standard subscription revenue. Sounds disingenuous to me at best.
For the record I don't play WoW and don't have anything against Blizzard personally. This store idea just seems a little..."not right" from the sounds of it.
Its all because they want to make more profit obviously. The 50% to charity is a PR move. Why on earth would they make the donations from existing income when they can introduce a pet store that has 0 effect on the game mechanics and is purely optional to generate more money and make the deductions from that, and still increase their profits at the same time?
i hate how people on these forums overreact especially to something as small as 2 pets that you don't need to purchase with half of the income from these going to a charity. I guess it's part of the Hymm of the Faithful to mis-state the details of this. Perhaps to deceive those who haven't read it carefully. It's 1/2 of the income from ONE of the two pets, and it's only for a couple of months. After that - all of it goes to Blizzard. Try to pay attention.
Come on people do you have any idea who stupid you sound by making these wild claims and freaking out over something this trivial. If you don't want the pet then don't buy it. It doesn't change the game one bit if you don't or if someone else does. It does change the game, as it is content that previously would have been added for no additional charge. We all know it won't stop with this.
If another game company comes out to do this then sure bash Blizzard because the other company donated more. However, be lets be realistic. Blizzard is the only mmo company besides ncsoft that has enough income and player base to make this work. Be thankful they care enough to do this cause frankly they could have just as easily taken the full 100% of the sale for themselves but they didn't.
Then, they wouldn't have idiots defending the change as some grand humanitarian crusade.
Blizzard is laughing at you suckers, not those of us who won't accept the sneaky tricks.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
So because we should expect companies to be greedy it is OK they are? Or is it because it's not "necessary" for playing the game so it's OK? Although, very little is "necessary" to play the game as I already had gear.
The point is it *does* add to the gameplay experience no matter how much you wish to claim otherwise. And the proof of that is the fact that people are willing to pay $10 for it. They would not pay $10 for something that did not enhance their play of the game at all.
My issue is two-fold. First is that I pay a subscription to get the benefits of the developers work in this virtual world other than large expansion packs. That was the tacit understanding. They added services, fine, that was outside the world. But this is a virtual item in exchange for cash. I feel that breaks my understanding of the agreement I had with Blizzard.
Second it broadens the acceptability of a shop alongside a monthly subscription. And while it may be vanity items now it won't be later either in this game or others. I refuse to support that model. As such I have ditched all SOE games that support it and now all Blizzard games that support it.
Their choice and my choice. Are they "evil" for deciding it? No. They are a business, as you said. And they made an informed decision KNOWING they would lose subscribers over it. And ultimately decided the income they would recieve was more important to them than those subscribers satisfaction.
i hate how people on these forums overreact especially to something as small as 2 pets that you don't need to purchase with half of the income from these going to a charity. I guess it's part of the Hymm of the Faithful to mis-state the details of this. Perhaps to deceive those who haven't read it carefully. It's 1/2 of the income from ONE of the two pets, and it's only for a couple of months. After that - all of it goes to Blizzard. Try to pay attention.
Come on people do you have any idea who stupid you sound by making these wild claims and freaking out over something this trivial. If you don't want the pet then don't buy it. It doesn't change the game one bit if you don't or if someone else does. It does change the game, as it is content that previously would have been added for no additional charge. We all know it won't stop with this.
If another game company comes out to do this then sure bash Blizzard because the other company donated more. However, be lets be realistic. Blizzard is the only mmo company besides ncsoft that has enough income and player base to make this work. Be thankful they care enough to do this cause frankly they could have just as easily taken the full 100% of the sale for themselves but they didn't.
Then, they wouldn't have idiots defending the change as some grand humanitarian crusade.
Blizzard is laughing at you suckers, not those of us who won't accept the sneaky tricks.
I doubt Blizzard is laughing, you seem to have this bizarre idea that their trying to trick people, as if they are doing something wrong.
Maybe it's Jon Wood that's been posting all of those racist posts in the general discussion. What, only western players have a problem with RMT? Give me a break.
"World of Warcraft is the perfect implementation of this genre." - Hilmar Petursson. CEO of CCP.
Originally posted by maimeekrai If you haven't noticed, the cost of living is constantly going up. Things are more expensive to produce these days, including software. Wrong. So, instead of jacking up the monthly sub fee and raising box prices, Blizzard is getting creative and adding new optional items you can buy and services you can use, to help game development. I guess you'd rather pay more per month?
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
From the looks of this recent article (dated today), no they definetly don't need it, lol.
Who gets to define who needs more of what? Blizzard has an obligation to its shareholders to make the best profit possible. Simply because they have made billions, doesn't remove that responsibility. Those who use emotional appeals to "greed" are entirely missing the objective of business.
Who gets to define who needs more of what? Blizzard has an obligation to its shareholders to make the best profit possible. Simply because they have made billions, doesn't remove that responsibility. Those who use emotional appeals to "greed" are entirely missing the objective of business.
Well, more the shareholders of Activision lest we forget that it was after that buyout that we saw more and more revenue streams for Blizzard.
Shareholders don't have "needs" they have "wants" and those wants are "As Much As Possible" which is why people say... it will not stop at this. And it won't.
I think what bothers a lot of people is deep down the tone has changed from "We will provide an accessible product with good quality for a fair market price" to "we are popular and have seen that people have even more cash and will pay it and so we want it, open your wallets."
PS. Companies do not have an obligation to shareholders to make the best profit possible. They like to, yes, but the obligation is to provide the best long-term value by making the company the best it can be. My personal opinion is alienating a portion of your base that will give you constant revenue of $15 a month and then some in exchange for a short term revenue stream of smaller one time purchases may look good on the books intitially but is a poor move over the long term.
My dear lord.... World of Warcraft is the intellectual property of Blizzard entertainment. You subscribe, and they grant you access to the game content. It is perfectly reasonable for Blizzard insert some worthless fluff for the handful of people who want something that marks them out as "leet" or whatever, and charge them actual money for it. If you don't want it, don't buy it. Your game experience will be exactly the same
My dear lord.... World of Warcraft is the intellectual property of Blizzard entertainment. You subscribe, and they grant you access to the game content. It is perfectly reasonable for Blizzard insert some worthless fluff for the handful of people who want something that marks them out as "leet" or whatever, and charge them actual money for it. If you don't want it, don't buy it. Your game experience will be exactly the same
And if they charged for every piece of new gear and content coming out from now on my game experience would still be exactly the same. That's not the point. The point is there was an unspoken "understanding" between Blizzard and a portion of the community and they chose to break it. Which is completely within their rights. As it is within people's rights to not like it and communicate such.
I didn't quit WoW because of this (I quit a couple of months ago), but I have quit Blizzard because of it. Of course it's a good reason. How much is your self-respect worth to you? I won't let anyone cheat or manipulate me.
They definitely are manipulating you. Look how they've gotten you all worked up. If that's not manipulation, I don't know what is.
Katsma is Lithuanian for 'he who drinks used douche fluid'.
My dear lord.... World of Warcraft is the intellectual property of Blizzard entertainment. You subscribe, and they grant you access to the game content. It is perfectly reasonable for Blizzard insert some worthless fluff for the handful of people who want something that marks them out as "leet" or whatever, and charge them actual money for it. If you don't want it, don't buy it. Your game experience will be exactly the same
No, it won't. If it was, no one would buy the pets.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
And if they charged for every piece of new gear and content coming out from now on my game experience would still be exactly the same. That's not the point. The point is there was an unspoken "understanding" between Blizzard and a portion of the community and they chose to break it. Which is completely within their rights. As it is within people's rights to not like it and communicate such.
ROFL an "unspoken understanding"?!?! That is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Why the hell should a multinational company adhere to something as imaginary as "unspoken understandings"? I'd LOVE to have to explain that to the shareholders.
"I'm sorry, I know this plan has the potential to increase profits, and would be a good PR move at the same time, but we're not going to do it because of an unspoken understanding that we have with the player base"
BAWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Ahem, sorry, but are a parodist?
ROFL an "unspoken understanding"?!?! That is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Why the hell should a multinational company adhere to something as imaginary as "unspoken understandings"? I'd LOVE to have to explain that to the shareholders.
"I'm sorry, I know this plan has the potential to increase profits, and would be a good PR move at the same time, but we're not going to do it because of an unspoken understanding that we have with the player base" BAWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Ahem, sorry, but are a parodist?
What a sad and mean little world you must live in.
It is possible to treat your customers with respect.
As for law, there are such things as expectation of service. Not everything is written down in black and white.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
While I agree the outrage went way too far. I don't think it was unfounded. (not that anyone is arguing that) My opinion is that this used to be a feature that we as players got for free, all vanity pets/mounts/whatever where attainable through gameplay and so where included in your subscription fee. Now those things which we used to get with our subscription fee are being moved to something we have to buy outside of our original fee.
So its not that its some crazy outrageous thing (although $10 is a bit steep if you ask me). It just that special mounts, vanity pets, and the like that aren't attainable through the game at this point seem like something that should still be included in our subscription fees as is was before. Just my opinion though.
ROFL an "unspoken understanding"?!?! That is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Why the hell should a multinational company adhere to something as imaginary as "unspoken understandings"? I'd LOVE to have to explain that to the shareholders.
"I'm sorry, I know this plan has the potential to increase profits, and would be a good PR move at the same time, but we're not going to do it because of an unspoken understanding that we have with the player base" BAWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Ahem, sorry, but are a parodist?
It's called developing a "relationship" with your customer and treating them with respect because, among other things, it is in the business' long term interest. Clearly treating people with respect is a concept beyond you so I won't expect you to understand.
Comments
I have already crossed off SC2, D3, and the next Blizzard MMO, unless this move is backed away from.
You and other like minded individuals comprise a TINY percentage of the player base. In the grand scheme of things, your presence and money will not be missed. This is trival, and if you allow it to deprive you of the enjoyment of the next few games, you have only yourself to blame.
Devil's advocate: Where is your statistical data that shows what exactly that percentage is? (Rhetorical question as you don't have any)
Fact of the matter is none of us know how this will affect those game sales until they happen and even then there isn't a way to measure how many people would have purchased the games but decided not to because of this move. A look can be taken by Blizzard internally comparing their average weekly or monthly loss of accounts and then compare them to the data gathered after this announcement. Of course, they aren't going to share that information with us if it's negative. If it's positive they will because companies (ahem, SOE) like to pat themselves on the back if a "controversial" move earns a profit.
So if we hear from Blizzard how well the shops do with lots of fireworks and faire, then it worked. Unless they lie to save face. If we don't hear from them, then they lost more account income than the shops could replace. Maybe, lol! Speculation keeps forums alive!
Kahl, I don't need hard data for this... The percentage of people who lapse into hysterics about something this trival has to be smaller than those who win the Darwin award...
But yes, emo does keep the forums running... 
Having looked around this earth at my "fellow" human beings I beg to differ, lol! If this were true we wouldn't hear from them, right?
But yeah, we'll have to sit back and see what happens. Some of the dramatic responses so generate a good giggle if you a) don't get emotionally involved about the topic and b) know that the other person really believes the sky is falling.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
i hate how people on these forums overreact especially to something as small as 2 pets that you don't need to purchase with half of the income from these going to a charity. Come on people do you have any idea who stupid you sound by making these wild claims and freaking out over something this trivial. If you don't want the pet then don't buy it. It doesn't change the game one bit if you don't or if someone else does. If another game company comes out to do this then sure bash Blizzard because the other company donated more. However, be lets be realistic. Blizzard is the only mmo company besides ncsoft that has enough income and player base to make this work. Be thankful they care enough to do this cause frankly they could have just as easily taken the full 100% of the sale for themselves but they didn't.
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6239235.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3
From the looks of this recent article (dated today), no they definetly don't need it, lol.
"Many nights, my friend... Many nights I've put a blade to your throat while you were sleeping. Glad I never killed you, Steve. You're alright..."
Chavez y Chavez
I will have my self-respect, which is worth more to me than any game.
I don't stay in abusive relationships. You people in denial keep telling yourselves "it's okay because Blizzard loves me".
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Wow, I have been at work for the past 16 or so hours and during that time the nerd-rage has not stopped.
So amazing it made this banana dance!
That Guild Wars 2 login screen knocked up my wife. Must be the second coming!
I will have my self-respect, which is worth more to me than any game.
I don't stay in abusive relationships. You people in denial keep telling yourselves "it's okay because Blizzard loves me".
I don't really care to read far enough back into this pointless topic but did you quit due to this because honestly that's not a very good reason.
I don't think it's so much "protesting charity". I think it's more questioning why does a company that makes billions if not more in profit of an existing customer base feel the need to charge more for additional items in order to donate to charity. Couldn't they just do it from their existing income and the write it off as a tax break? Or better yet offer up 25% or 50% of 1 month's subscription fees as a charitable gift?
Why instead to they choose to offer up additional virtual items for purchase and offer a percentage of those sales (why not offer the entire amount generated from those sales?) so that they don't have to give up any of their standard subscription revenue. Sounds disingenuous to me at best.
For the record I don't play WoW and don't have anything against Blizzard personally. This store idea just seems a little..."not right" from the sounds of it.
Its all because they want to make more profit obviously. The 50% to charity is a PR move. Why on earth would they make the donations from existing income when they can introduce a pet store that has 0 effect on the game mechanics and is purely optional to generate more money and make the deductions from that, and still increase their profits at the same time?
Well said, Mr. Wood. I agree 100%.
Do you know for certain?
Then, they wouldn't have idiots defending the change as some grand humanitarian crusade.
Blizzard is laughing at you suckers, not those of us who won't accept the sneaky tricks.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I didn't quit WoW because of this (I quit a couple of months ago), but I have quit Blizzard because of it.
Of course it's a good reason. How much is your self-respect worth to you? I won't let anyone cheat or manipulate me.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
So because we should expect companies to be greedy it is OK they are? Or is it because it's not "necessary" for playing the game so it's OK? Although, very little is "necessary" to play the game as I already had gear.
The point is it *does* add to the gameplay experience no matter how much you wish to claim otherwise. And the proof of that is the fact that people are willing to pay $10 for it. They would not pay $10 for something that did not enhance their play of the game at all.
My issue is two-fold. First is that I pay a subscription to get the benefits of the developers work in this virtual world other than large expansion packs. That was the tacit understanding. They added services, fine, that was outside the world. But this is a virtual item in exchange for cash. I feel that breaks my understanding of the agreement I had with Blizzard.
Second it broadens the acceptability of a shop alongside a monthly subscription. And while it may be vanity items now it won't be later either in this game or others. I refuse to support that model. As such I have ditched all SOE games that support it and now all Blizzard games that support it.
Their choice and my choice. Are they "evil" for deciding it? No. They are a business, as you said. And they made an informed decision KNOWING they would lose subscribers over it. And ultimately decided the income they would recieve was more important to them than those subscribers satisfaction.
Their choice, my choice.
Luckily there are many other options.
Then, they wouldn't have idiots defending the change as some grand humanitarian crusade.
Blizzard is laughing at you suckers, not those of us who won't accept the sneaky tricks.
I doubt Blizzard is laughing, you seem to have this bizarre idea that their trying to trick people, as if they are doing something wrong.
I don't stay in abusive relationships. You people in denial keep telling yourselves "it's okay because Blizzard loves me".
I have to admit to bursting out laughing at this line .... subbing to a Blizzard game =abusive relationship .... my oh my thats classic!!!!
Maybe it's Jon Wood that's been posting all of those racist posts in the general discussion. What, only western players have a problem with RMT? Give me a break.
"World of Warcraft is the perfect implementation of this genre." - Hilmar Petursson. CEO of CCP.
Yes, and that's the fair and honest way to raise extra income. IF they needed it, which they clearly don't.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6239235.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3
From the looks of this recent article (dated today), no they definetly don't need it, lol.
Who gets to define who needs more of what? Blizzard has an obligation to its shareholders to make the best profit possible. Simply because they have made billions, doesn't remove that responsibility. Those who use emotional appeals to "greed" are entirely missing the objective of business.
Well, more the shareholders of Activision lest we forget that it was after that buyout that we saw more and more revenue streams for Blizzard.
Shareholders don't have "needs" they have "wants" and those wants are "As Much As Possible" which is why people say... it will not stop at this. And it won't.
I think what bothers a lot of people is deep down the tone has changed from "We will provide an accessible product with good quality for a fair market price" to "we are popular and have seen that people have even more cash and will pay it and so we want it, open your wallets."
PS. Companies do not have an obligation to shareholders to make the best profit possible. They like to, yes, but the obligation is to provide the best long-term value by making the company the best it can be. My personal opinion is alienating a portion of your base that will give you constant revenue of $15 a month and then some in exchange for a short term revenue stream of smaller one time purchases may look good on the books intitially but is a poor move over the long term.
My dear lord.... World of Warcraft is the intellectual property of Blizzard entertainment. You subscribe, and they grant you access to the game content. It is perfectly reasonable for Blizzard insert some worthless fluff for the handful of people who want something that marks them out as "leet" or whatever, and charge them actual money for it. If you don't want it, don't buy it. Your game experience will be exactly the same
And if they charged for every piece of new gear and content coming out from now on my game experience would still be exactly the same. That's not the point. The point is there was an unspoken "understanding" between Blizzard and a portion of the community and they chose to break it. Which is completely within their rights. As it is within people's rights to not like it and communicate such.
They definitely are manipulating you. Look how they've gotten you all worked up. If that's not manipulation, I don't know what is.
Katsma is Lithuanian for 'he who drinks used douche fluid'.
No, it won't. If it was, no one would buy the pets.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
And if they charged for every piece of new gear and content coming out from now on my game experience would still be exactly the same. That's not the point. The point is there was an unspoken "understanding" between Blizzard and a portion of the community and they chose to break it. Which is completely within their rights. As it is within people's rights to not like it and communicate such.
ROFL an "unspoken understanding"?!?! That is probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Why the hell should a multinational company adhere to something as imaginary as "unspoken understandings"? I'd LOVE to have to explain that to the shareholders.
"I'm sorry, I know this plan has the potential to increase profits, and would be a good PR move at the same time, but we're not going to do it because of an unspoken understanding that we have with the player base"
BAWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Ahem, sorry, but are a parodist?
What a sad and mean little world you must live in.
It is possible to treat your customers with respect.
As for law, there are such things as expectation of service. Not everything is written down in black and white.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
While I agree the outrage went way too far. I don't think it was unfounded. (not that anyone is arguing that) My opinion is that this used to be a feature that we as players got for free, all vanity pets/mounts/whatever where attainable through gameplay and so where included in your subscription fee. Now those things which we used to get with our subscription fee are being moved to something we have to buy outside of our original fee.
So its not that its some crazy outrageous thing (although $10 is a bit steep if you ask me). It just that special mounts, vanity pets, and the like that aren't attainable through the game at this point seem like something that should still be included in our subscription fees as is was before. Just my opinion though.
It's called developing a "relationship" with your customer and treating them with respect because, among other things, it is in the business' long term interest. Clearly treating people with respect is a concept beyond you so I won't expect you to understand.