Meh, we as a player-base have been doing it to ourselves for years through IGE, Ebay or what have you. Sure Blizzard may set an official precedent with this. However, it's us who showed these developers we're willing to pay RL cash for in-game goodies or gold.
Actually I think we told them this with the card game, I am positive many people bought it for the chance at loot cards. If people would do that then of course they would pay for a sure thing. I think the mount is beautiful and I am sure it took a lot of work to create it, I kinda see it as an art print, why not own one?
And thats why companies nickel and dime. And I bet some of the people who complained here about it on blizz forums. Went right online and got them one lol....
Exactly Silentstorm. They the first ones to complain but yet the first ones to be on line for the pet. This is why microtransactions will be the superior business model now.
At this point in time, I really feel that my MMO days are nearly at an end. I have played these games since 1998 (I am 35 years old) and in the last 3-4 years the indistry has shown almost no innovation in GAMEPLAY but lots of innovation in finding new ways to charge people for content ABOVE AND BEYOND a monthly.
I feel the same way. It's hard to have hope that things will get better when the players defend it.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Meh, we as a player-base have been doing it to ourselves for years through IGE, Ebay or what have you. Sure Blizzard may set an official precedent with this. However, it's us who have shown these developers we're willing to pay RL cash for in-game goodies or gold.
Not US, because I have never bought any in-game item. For any game. Other than that , I agree. It IS the player's fault for buying these things.
I didn't mean us in a literal sense heh, as I don't do it either.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Actually I think we told them this with the card game, I am positive many people bought it for the chance at loot cards. If people would do that then of course they would pay for a sure thing. I think the mount is beautiful and I am sure it took a lot of work to create it, I kinda see it as an art print, why not own one?
When you buy a print - you hang it in your home. You don't carry it around with you and shove it in everyone's face.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
It's unfortunate that so many feel their own in-game accomplishments are trivialized by someone purchasing a mount via a microtransaction or that this will somehow compel companies to charge for everything. It's not a healthy mindset and also not supported by the data that exists.
Microtransactions and/or paying additional fees for some optional service aren't going away and Blizzard has already made, and continues to make, significant income from the precursors to this (server transfers are obviously the biggest of them). How do you think they arrived at the decision to straightaway sell something in their store for in-game use only? The market exists and they'd be remiss if they didn't attempt to utilize the opportunity at increasing their revenue. WoW is not a philanthropic undertaking; it's business.
It's optional and, frankly, not for anyone else to tell others how to spend their income and/or their time.
If people vilified you for eating at a particular restaurant, deciding to upgrade to first class on a transcontinental flight or buying a new BMW would you even care the slightest bit? No? Then why would you rant on an internet forum about someone doing something you wouldn't do for whatever reason?
It's well within my budget to purchase a mount (or 50) but I don't see the value in it, personally. That said, it has no bearing on my in-game or out-of-game life if someone else has deemed it worthy enough to spend $25 on it. If they enjoy it, I'm happy for them.
I'll close with a vague reference to a quote from Frank Leahy about egotism...
The internet is an amazing platform for some people to showcase their deficiencies as a person.
Meh, we as a player-base have been doing it to ourselves for years through IGE, Ebay or what have you. Sure Blizzard may set an official precedent with this. However, it's us who showed these developers we're willing to pay RL cash for in-game goodies or gold.
Actually I think we told them this with the card game, I am positive many people bought it for the chance at loot cards. If people would do that then of course they would pay for a sure thing. I think the mount is beautiful and I am sure it took a lot of work to create it, I kinda see it as an art print, why not own one?
On a personal level I really don't care what you purchase. As it doesn't affect me really, however it could be argued by supporting these practices, you are opening pandoras box. Who's to say what's to come of this? If they can make 25 bucks off a worthless mount, what could they make off a nice epic?
On the plus side I'd much rather see people paying the companies for these things, rather than third party sites.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
If she bought a WOW T-shirt, she should feel guilty wearing it because you couldn't buy one?
you are missing the point
It's merchandise, you aren't forced to buy it.
you are missing the point
If someone has the funds to get what most players have the time to get, then so be it.
you are missing the point
My wife is a mom, an employee and a volunteer. She can pull off getting this mount with out being a child living in their parent's basement playing 12 hours a day to get all the cool things.
ok so here is my point..... i hate this game more and more because of this crap because:
it used to be a great game, and EARNING things like mounts gave you a sense of accomplishment. I grinded my ASS off earning money to get my mount, and now they basically just give them away 20 levels lower, or in this case you can just pay real money for it and they give it to you. Where is the challenge in that? How much longer till you can just buy gear off the website and have the upper hand just because you make more money then some of the players?
the game used to be fun untill tons of noobs started whining that everything was too hard... now they just hand you everything on a platter. Including levels.
That is my point, and i do not care if you don't agree with it. I'm sure the fanboi's will just flame away anyways cause they are in denial.
You are missing the point. You said it yourself..You grinded your ass off getting your epic mount...Some of us do not have the time for that. It is just a mount a vanity item not a game changer. You assume that since they sell a mount now that weapons and other items will follow. You dont know that you are just making an assumption. You hate WOW thats fine play something else no loss
Why not stop banning goldselling but legalize it?
I can see that very well as the next logical step as this kind of itemshopping proves to be profitable in the eyes of Blizzad Activision. The same arguments used to defend the sales of a celestial steed apply to expanding itemshopping into selling items or gold: if people want to buy it and have the money for it, why not? It's just a fun game not an exam or test, some people gain an advantage by spending time and some will by spending extra money. It'll even be better, because if item or goldselling will be done by Blizzard Activision itself, it will be safer and more dependable. Of course, Blizzard will have to offer cool but slightly different items, nearly but not quite as good as epic gear. Maybe high celestial armor...
It's called milking the game for what it's worth.
Nothing wrong with that. Enough other companiesare doing the same. All the merchandise and food and drinks that you can buy at a Disneypark or cinema. You don't have to, if you don't want. Or having to pay a license for software that you already bought like Microsoft - something that burdens companies more than common folks. It's up to a company to determine up to what cash limit their customers are willing to pay for their product, and how far a company is willing to go to seek that border. Seeing how much such a simple virtual product gains Blizzard will show them that that limit isn't reached yet by far.
Heck, if I was a branch manager at Blizzard or Activision and I saw those figures, I'd love to introduce more items to the shop, even more if my bonus was influenced by it. Of course, I'd be doing it gradually, gradually pushing that line further and further.
Nothing wrong with that, that's business. But let's skip all the fluffy excuses and justifications, and call it what it is: it is good old fashioned capitalism and milking.
In case you wondered, I don't like this sort of stuff becoming a trend, even though I think this will very well be the path of the future.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Actually I think we told them this with the card game, I am positive many people bought it for the chance at loot cards. If people would do that then of course they would pay for a sure thing. I think the mount is beautiful and I am sure it took a lot of work to create it, I kinda see it as an art print, why not own one?
When you buy a print - you hang it in your home. You don't carry it around with you and shove it in everyone's face.
Just so you know when I got mine I ran to dalara's launching pad and flew off it. Right past the guy on the rusted drake who was sitting there and flew around for a bit, then I landed and left game and went and watched a movie. If everyone that purchased one went and did that you likely would have a hard time navigating dalaran. Some people buy things for their own enjoyment. I am one of those people.
As voluntary forum mod for the day, since intelligent ones seem to be in short order, I'm going to find all the posts I feel aren't conducive to a proper forum environment and point them out so that others may know and understand what is and is not acceptable under my iron-fisted regime.
This post is unacceptable because it says WoW is a drug, and everyone knows that drugs are bad. So they are basically saying that WoW is bad. Since WoW is the unquestionable savior of the MMO universe this is obviously not only wrong, but misleading to others who may have not had the opportunity to experience the wonder that is World of Warcraft. We can't have this kind of thing in our fair forum.
It is damn ridiculous to get mad at a company for making a profit that harms no one. The fact is most companies have premium items for an extra fee. The other thing is, it is a costume piece, it does not give any special benefit, it is not the sword of a thousand truths. I do not see Blizz crossing that line, so let those that want it buy the pretty pony, let those who want the challenge of earning it, earn it and let those of us who don't give a rat's ass about costume pieces keep enjoying the game.
wow plenty of people to make easy money off , I should start gathering some cat poo to sell to wow players
As I asked yesterday, anyone want a pink or purple elephant avatar or sig? Only twenty bucks and you can be the coolest kid on MMORPG.com. I'll animate them for an extra $5.
Blizzard makes becoming rich look easy, lol.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
i just don't see the problem. If they start losing subs because of this it will have been the wrong choice. If the items sell and they keep the subs it will have been the right choice. there is no right or wrong in this, it's the natural evolution of the genre and none of us will stop or change this because we don't like the path it has taken.
I have a feeling all these people with time restrictions in real life are going to mess up the MMO genre as we know it kinda already have. If you don't have time to do things don't complain. Either make time for the games or don't play them, I make time to play games so why can't you? Obviously you think other things are more important and you'd rather spend money on mounts than actually play a game an earn them. Just face it MMO's are time consuming if you dont have the time you're in the wrong genre.
Yeah Im a jerk, but most games now days, are ment for people that can't play for long and its the people who can play that get the short end of the stick every time because we are the minority. Its these casuals that bring in the cashflow as you can see 2 mill in 4 hours is a crazy profit. Blizzard sure did make a game that makes a shitton of money that is for sure, but its just as watered down as a song by some famous pop star.
This is what happens when MMO's sell out people, If more games start doing this type of thing and favor the casuals It looks like I'm going to quit mmos. Games just aren't like how they used to be, people used to say oh wow look at that mount, mad props for all the hard work you did to get it. Now its just like wow look at that mount, oh yeah I just bought one too for me, my brother my little 5 year old sister too.
The problem is these people value time over money, which IMO is a bad thing for games. I bet you that they could make time to play the game but they are just lazy. But they'd rather go spend 25 bucks on a mount instead of actually taking the time to play the game.
Originally posted by Dauntis I do not see Blizz crossing that line, so let those that want it buy the pretty pony, let those who want the challenge of earning it, earn it and let those of us who don't give a rat's ass about costume pieces keep enjoying the game.
Sounds fantastic, except Blizzard left out the part where you can go through in game challenges to earn the mount. You simply flash your dollar bills and they'll excrete the mount in a timely fashion.
There is a bonus to this mess. If even half of the people riding these mounts maintain the same "backbone" as those exhibited in threads on the internet then I can easily spot a sucker. Maybe I can sell 'em some goblin popcorn.
Comments
Actually I think we told them this with the card game, I am positive many people bought it for the chance at loot cards. If people would do that then of course they would pay for a sure thing. I think the mount is beautiful and I am sure it took a lot of work to create it, I kinda see it as an art print, why not own one?
Exactly Silentstorm. They the first ones to complain but yet the first ones to be on line for the pet. This is why microtransactions will be the superior business model now.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I didn't mean us in a literal sense heh, as I don't do it either.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
When you buy a print - you hang it in your home. You don't carry it around with you and shove it in everyone's face.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
It will be well over $20 Million after this weekend. The WoW community loves shiny stuff that take zero effort and their parents credit card.
It's unfortunate that so many feel their own in-game accomplishments are trivialized by someone purchasing a mount via a microtransaction or that this will somehow compel companies to charge for everything. It's not a healthy mindset and also not supported by the data that exists.
Microtransactions and/or paying additional fees for some optional service aren't going away and Blizzard has already made, and continues to make, significant income from the precursors to this (server transfers are obviously the biggest of them). How do you think they arrived at the decision to straightaway sell something in their store for in-game use only? The market exists and they'd be remiss if they didn't attempt to utilize the opportunity at increasing their revenue. WoW is not a philanthropic undertaking; it's business.
It's optional and, frankly, not for anyone else to tell others how to spend their income and/or their time.
If people vilified you for eating at a particular restaurant, deciding to upgrade to first class on a transcontinental flight or buying a new BMW would you even care the slightest bit? No? Then why would you rant on an internet forum about someone doing something you wouldn't do for whatever reason?
It's well within my budget to purchase a mount (or 50) but I don't see the value in it, personally. That said, it has no bearing on my in-game or out-of-game life if someone else has deemed it worthy enough to spend $25 on it. If they enjoy it, I'm happy for them.
I'll close with a vague reference to a quote from Frank Leahy about egotism...
The internet is an amazing platform for some people to showcase their deficiencies as a person.
Regards,
Sarethor
Whats going to be next selling epic gear to those who have no time but plenty of money?
On a personal level I really don't care what you purchase. As it doesn't affect me really, however it could be argued by supporting these practices, you are opening pandoras box. Who's to say what's to come of this? If they can make 25 bucks off a worthless mount, what could they make off a nice epic?
On the plus side I'd much rather see people paying the companies for these things, rather than third party sites.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
WoW is one hell of a drug.
Quick question, does WOW even cost $25 today?
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Why not stop banning goldselling but legalize it?
I can see that very well as the next logical step as this kind of itemshopping proves to be profitable in the eyes of Blizzad Activision. The same arguments used to defend the sales of a celestial steed apply to expanding itemshopping into selling items or gold: if people want to buy it and have the money for it, why not? It's just a fun game not an exam or test, some people gain an advantage by spending time and some will by spending extra money. It'll even be better, because if item or goldselling will be done by Blizzard Activision itself, it will be safer and more dependable. Of course, Blizzard will have to offer cool but slightly different items, nearly but not quite as good as epic gear. Maybe high celestial armor...
It's called milking the game for what it's worth.
Nothing wrong with that. Enough other companiesare doing the same. All the merchandise and food and drinks that you can buy at a Disneypark or cinema. You don't have to, if you don't want. Or having to pay a license for software that you already bought like Microsoft - something that burdens companies more than common folks. It's up to a company to determine up to what cash limit their customers are willing to pay for their product, and how far a company is willing to go to seek that border. Seeing how much such a simple virtual product gains Blizzard will show them that that limit isn't reached yet by far.
Heck, if I was a branch manager at Blizzard or Activision and I saw those figures, I'd love to introduce more items to the shop, even more if my bonus was influenced by it. Of course, I'd be doing it gradually, gradually pushing that line further and further.
Nothing wrong with that, that's business. But let's skip all the fluffy excuses and justifications, and call it what it is: it is good old fashioned capitalism and milking.
In case you wondered, I don't like this sort of stuff becoming a trend, even though I think this will very well be the path of the future.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
The base game, no. BC was around the ballpark of $25 last I checked and WotLK was still rocking solid at $40 on rough average.
Just so you know when I got mine I ran to dalara's launching pad and flew off it. Right past the guy on the rusted drake who was sitting there and flew around for a bit, then I landed and left game and went and watched a movie. If everyone that purchased one went and did that you likely would have a hard time navigating dalaran. Some people buy things for their own enjoyment. I am one of those people.
ROFl, there are so many levels of wrong in this.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
It sort of puts things into better perspective, for sure.
Dang, Algalon must be carrying hundreds of these, not to mention non-rogues getting 'em.
wow plenty of people to make easy money off , I should start gathering some cat poo to sell to wow players
*BZZZZZZZZT!* UNACCEPTABLE!
As voluntary forum mod for the day, since intelligent ones seem to be in short order, I'm going to find all the posts I feel aren't conducive to a proper forum environment and point them out so that others may know and understand what is and is not acceptable under my iron-fisted regime.
This post is unacceptable because it says WoW is a drug, and everyone knows that drugs are bad. So they are basically saying that WoW is bad. Since WoW is the unquestionable savior of the MMO universe this is obviously not only wrong, but misleading to others who may have not had the opportunity to experience the wonder that is World of Warcraft. We can't have this kind of thing in our fair forum.
((See you guys in a couple weeks.
))
It is damn ridiculous to get mad at a company for making a profit that harms no one. The fact is most companies have premium items for an extra fee. The other thing is, it is a costume piece, it does not give any special benefit, it is not the sword of a thousand truths. I do not see Blizz crossing that line, so let those that want it buy the pretty pony, let those who want the challenge of earning it, earn it and let those of us who don't give a rat's ass about costume pieces keep enjoying the game.
Help support an artist and gamer who has lost his tools to create and play: http://www.gofundme.com/u63nzcgk
As I asked yesterday, anyone want a pink or purple elephant avatar or sig? Only twenty bucks and you can be the coolest kid on MMORPG.com. I'll animate them for an extra $5.
Blizzard makes becoming rich look easy, lol.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
i just don't see the problem. If they start losing subs because of this it will have been the wrong choice. If the items sell and they keep the subs it will have been the right choice. there is no right or wrong in this, it's the natural evolution of the genre and none of us will stop or change this because we don't like the path it has taken.
played WOW - AION
Next in line, get you XP potions! XP potions!
I guess people were right, WoW is going to kill itself.
"I went to the store to buy a candle holder. They were out, so I bought a cake." -Mitch Hedberg
I have a feeling all these people with time restrictions in real life are going to mess up the MMO genre as we know it kinda already have. If you don't have time to do things don't complain. Either make time for the games or don't play them, I make time to play games so why can't you? Obviously you think other things are more important and you'd rather spend money on mounts than actually play a game an earn them. Just face it MMO's are time consuming if you dont have the time you're in the wrong genre.
Yeah Im a jerk, but most games now days, are ment for people that can't play for long and its the people who can play that get the short end of the stick every time because we are the minority. Its these casuals that bring in the cashflow as you can see 2 mill in 4 hours is a crazy profit. Blizzard sure did make a game that makes a shitton of money that is for sure, but its just as watered down as a song by some famous pop star.
This is what happens when MMO's sell out people, If more games start doing this type of thing and favor the casuals It looks like I'm going to quit mmos. Games just aren't like how they used to be, people used to say oh wow look at that mount, mad props for all the hard work you did to get it. Now its just like wow look at that mount, oh yeah I just bought one too for me, my brother my little 5 year old sister too.
The problem is these people value time over money, which IMO is a bad thing for games. I bet you that they could make time to play the game but they are just lazy. But they'd rather go spend 25 bucks on a mount instead of actually taking the time to play the game.
There is a bonus to this mess. If even half of the people riding these mounts maintain the same "backbone" as those exhibited in threads on the internet then I can easily spot a sucker. Maybe I can sell 'em some goblin popcorn.
Keep riding those astral dollar bills, y'all.