Info from blizzard devs themselves: Source mmo-champion
Is Remote AH an ingame advantage?
First off, no correlation can be made here between the idea of releasing a Remote Auction House feature and that of releasing epic equipment for sale. The ground is still quite firm on that slope.
Second, a player who has more time in a week to play the game than you has an advantage over you by this same standard. Someone that has an hour or more a day to use the Auction House than you do has an advantage, and they're not even charged extra for it.
It is the charging forit that is the major issue.
Sure, players who have more free time have an advantage in the game, but Blizzard isn't making money on that.
The Remote Auction House provides no in-game functionality that isn't already available to every single player as often as they can or want to use it.
That is a lie. People using the app can use the AH away from their PC - which is an advantage.
The only difference now is that, for an additional monthly fee, players can use the Auction House in a remote fashion without having to log into the game client.
Yeah. There is the advantage.
I'm not sure how many time Blizzard has to say they won't sell gear before people will believe them.
It's a legitimate concern. I'd share it if I weren't confident about our commitment to our players and our ultimate goal of creating epic games with incredible support and bonus features. Some players fear this happening so much though, that they almost wait for it to happen. With nearly any announcement we make about additional features or flavor items which have a cost associated, this is then seen as a sign of the slippery slope, no matter how large the leap to an adequate assertion may be.
Blizzard has had so many cases of saying "we will never" and then breaking that promise, that they have no credibility left.
Our core philosophy has not changed and we feel we're being very reasonable about the products and premium services we're offering. They allow us to maintain a strong company, afford and maintain state-of-the-art tools and hardware, keep some of the most talented staff in the gaming industry around, and continue making great games.
The core philosophy is to make as much money as possible.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Please explain to me HOW it is such an advantage to check the AH? Are people playing the market really that much of a pain overall? They charge, for something you can do freely, and that's a problem? I see it only to those who will pay.
Wow, talk about griping about little to nothing...
Its more of a grasping at straws argument over advantage of the actual tool itself. Given that the economy of wow is pretty terrible, the actual need for a mobile auction house is quite small. Given that gold doesn't have the same value it once did where most of the items that cost gold on the auction house are vanity Its hard to make a case of advantage.
Given that most items are bop and not boe the accumulation of large amounts of gold doesn't truly do much for you to make you superior then a specific player.
Even if this app was free people would still cry advantage over people who don't have an iphone. This argument is nothing more then grasping at straws. Everything blizzard charges for becomes an advantage by the same logic, expansions namely since they provide a clear advantage over people who don't have them for money.
Pff. I already posted arguments about this in the other AH thread, not gonna bother here.
People aren't grasping straws, they're noticing a trend, a course that Blizzard has laid in, and they don't like it. It makes them suspicious of Blizzard slowly becoming just as money hungry as big companies as EA and Activision. And yes, companies are about making money, it's their business. But it's what rank making money has in their list of priorities and what things they're willing to take a backseat for that, that makes the difference from company to company.
But think of it what you like, believe what you want to believe, that's everyone's free right. Personally, I'm just curious to see with what payable services or items Blizzard will come up with next in the next 6 months. It'll make an interessing guessing game, seeing if they will come up with merely sortlike stuff, or if they'll take it another little step further.
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."
Pff. I already posted arguments about this in the other AH thread, not gonna bother here.
People aren't grasping straws, they're noticing a trend, a course that Blizzard has laid in, and they don't like it. It makes them suspicious of Blizzard slowly becoming just as money hungry as big companies as EA and Activision. And yes, companies are about making money, it's their business. But it's what rank making money has in their list of priorities and what things they're willing to take a backseat for that, that makes the difference from company to company.
But think of it what you like, believe what you want to believe, that's everyone's free right. Personally, I'm just curious to see with what payable services or items Blizzard will come up with next in the next 6 months. It'll make an interessing guessing game, seeing if they will come up with merely sortlike stuff, or if they'll take it another little step further.
Of course it`s a trend, and it`s where the money is. You may not like, just like many here post more often than necessary TBH. However, dislike it as much as you want, it`s being installed BECAUSE they see a demand for it. If, for any reason, in the near/distant future we see a pendulum shift then the players will have spoken.
Blame the company, blame the current playerbase and their wants, blame society for it's 'need everything right now' attitude. It's here and it'll stay so long as it is wanted.
I would never buy a mount, pet, item for real cash, that's just me. I don't have a problem with those that do, whatever their reason. I am also curious to see what will be next in the RMT evolution. The fact remains that as long as people want in and there's money to be made, they'll stay.
Our choice to support or disown said company is ours to choose and ours alone. Having an opinion is one thing. Having thread after thread of 'indignant cries for justice' is unproductive and akin to the QQ-ing of 'Bring back old SWG' or 'Bring back the Good Ole mmo days'. Time's gone, look forward not back.
Sure, they're entertaining, but old real quick when it's the 100th thread about the crap with nothing new (Not implying you as one of those, just saying).
The problem is this really hurts new-player experiences. Very few on each server may end up having this, but they will be able to manipulate the Auction House all day every day now. Experienced players who have alts and have gold and access to professions are not hurt by this at all. It's new players who want to get something useful/needed off the AH who will suffer most.
So now you're going to have a few sick people with lots of gold spending their commutes, bathroom breaks, even time at their desks buying stuff on the AH and relisting at prices that new players can't afford.
The only people in-game that this benefits are AH manipulators. They're adding this "feature" so a few people obsessed with accumulating pixellated gold coins and get more of them, largely at the expense of other players who use the AH simply as a means of buying needed goods and/or selling unneeded ones.
This goes sooo against the idea of immersion that it makes me queasy. How does it enhance gameplay of people who actually, you know, just play the game as a game? The idea of "playing the AH" to me is pathetic to begin with. Now Blizzard is telling it's player-base: we want to encourage you to see our game as a way to accumulate pixellated wealth. It encourages mercantilist behavior at the expense of others.
To me, this is a sign that Blizzard knows it is having a hard time on retaining new players who are years behind others already in terms of experience and content. I guess they figure that their future is getting more and more money from hardcore pixel-obsessed veterans. Catering to them, even at the expense of new players, is now Blizzard's strategy.
Beginning of the end, which I must confess I'm not too sad to see.
EDIT: I have no problem with Blizzard finding additional revenue streams that their customers are willing to pay for, and that don't unbalance the game. Another 2.99 / month for instant Flight Point to Flight Point transit? Sure, I'd be for that. But stuff like this is just sad.
wait a second here...
you suggest that WoW is catering to the 'hardcore' player base and ignoring the 'casual' and 'new-player'?
thats a new one for me... at least on the threads on this particular site...
Pff. I already posted arguments about this in the other AH thread, not gonna bother here.
People aren't grasping straws, they're noticing a trend, a course that Blizzard has laid in, and they don't like it. It makes them suspicious of Blizzard slowly becoming just as money hungry as big companies as EA and Activision. And yes, companies are about making money, it's their business. But it's what rank making money has in their list of priorities and what things they're willing to take a backseat for that, that makes the difference from company to company.
But think of it what you like, believe what you want to believe, that's everyone's free right. Personally, I'm just curious to see with what payable services or items Blizzard will come up with next in the next 6 months. It'll make an interessing guessing game, seeing if they will come up with merely sortlike stuff, or if they'll take it another little step further.
Of course it`s a trend, and it`s where the money is. You may not like, just like many here post more often than necessary TBH. However, dislike it as much as you want, it`s being installed BECAUSE they see a demand for it. If, for any reason, in the near/distant future we see a pendulum shift then the players will have spoken.
Blame the company, blame the current playerbase and their wants, blame society for it's 'need everything right now' attitude. It's here and it'll stay so long as it is wanted.
I would never buy a mount, pet, item for real cash, that's just me. I don't have a problem with those that do, whatever their reason. I am also curious to see what will be next in the RMT evolution. The fact remains that as long as people want in and there's money to be made, they'll stay.
Our choice to support or disown said company is ours to choose and ours alone. Having an opinion is one thing. Having thread after thread of 'indignant cries for justice' is unproductive and akin to the QQ-ing of 'Bring back old SWG' or 'Bring back the Good Ole mmo days'. Time's gone, look forward not back.
Sure, they're entertaining, but old real quick when it's the 100th thread about the crap with nothing new (Not implying you as one of those, just saying).
You know, I actually kinda agree with all that you say.
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."
1.If I am on lunch break at the job the last thing I'll be wanting to do is use my mobile to see if my herbs sold on the WoW auction house.
2. If I'm in school learning the last thing the teacher wants me to do is use my mobile so I can check to see the stuff I tailored sold.
3. If I am with my girlfriend in the heat of the moment the last thing I am going to ask her to do is stop just so I can use my mobile to see if the weapons I made sold.
4. If I am at a movie the last thing I will be wanting to do is use my mobile to check to see if my clothes I made sold on the WoW auction house.
5. I f I am on vacation basking in the sun, the last thing I will want to do is check the WoW auction house to see what the going rate for frost lotus is.
The point is that there is never a legitimate reason to use this application unless maybe you are a goldseller or maybe you are one of those ceo's of a large business and do nothing all day but sit in the office and check the WoW auction house.
You see, there is never a legitmate reason to even have a cell phone...
Who are you to decide whether a "player" wants to play or not the game he loves on his cell phone.
Playing the Auction House is now made possible on an I-Phone, a new platform, of course you pay, as each new platform game is paid for.
Considering people pay for much worse games on their cell phones, I can't see why a fan would not find a "legitimate reason" to use it.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
you suggest that WoW is catering to the 'hardcore' player base and ignoring the 'casual' and 'new-player'?
thats a new one for me... at least on the threads on this particular site...
Yes, of course. It's all because of this site, and the people visiting here.
... this sounds awfully much as the 'playing victim' card being played again, the 'boohoo, we're the largest group of players but they hates us and our precious game on mmorpg.com, boohoo' kind of argument.
But I can be wrong, and misinterpreting. I haven't had my daily dose of coffee yet.
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."
This feature will be offered as a subscription service for $2.99/month.
Yes, of course, but why?
Thinking it over you come to the conclusion that WoW is slowly (and already to a large extend) changing from a mmorpg into a game belonging to a different genre. Or redefining the mmorpg genre depending on how you look at it.
Thinking it over you come to the conclusion that WoW is slowly (and already to a large extend) changing from a mmorpg into a game belonging to a different genre. Or redefining the mmorpg genre depending on how you look at it.
I believe it has to do with the immense popularity of games like Farmville and the sheer volume of apps that are both available and in demand. Blizzard is testing the waters to further expand the potential of money-making. Good, bad...,money will dictate their future decisions.
Thinking it over you come to the conclusion that WoW is slowly (and already to a large extend) changing from a mmorpg into a game belonging to a different genre. Or redefining the mmorpg genre depending on how you look at it.
I believe it has to do with the immense popularity of games like Farmville and the sheer volume of apps that are both available and in demand. Blizzard is testing the waters to further expand the potential of money-making. Good, bad...,money will dictate their future decisions.
From my perspective Blizzard does not seem to respect their game in any way as an mmorpg.
For this one, I might have to side with the people crying wolf just a little bit. Being able to counter-bid other people's offers and re-undercut at a moments' notice is a pretty large advantage. On top of that, they are trying to milk 2.99 per MONTH on a feature like this. Yeah, this is getting to be a bit extreme and that is offering a form of in-game advantage since a MMO's economy is a significant portion of the game, no matter how simplified it might seem. Now in order for anyone to stay competitive, we're all going to need to run data plans and buy smartphones?
That's kind of B.S., I don't think this should be implemented. Armory fine, Auction House, no. I really hope Blizzard starts burning to the ground on many of their decisions because it definitely is taking the advantage of its products and customers' loyalty and trust.
Comments
The core philosophy is to make as much money as possible.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Please explain to me HOW it is such an advantage to check the AH? Are people playing the market really that much of a pain overall? They charge, for something you can do freely, and that's a problem? I see it only to those who will pay.
Wow, talk about griping about little to nothing...
Its more of a grasping at straws argument over advantage of the actual tool itself. Given that the economy of wow is pretty terrible, the actual need for a mobile auction house is quite small. Given that gold doesn't have the same value it once did where most of the items that cost gold on the auction house are vanity Its hard to make a case of advantage.
Given that most items are bop and not boe the accumulation of large amounts of gold doesn't truly do much for you to make you superior then a specific player.
Even if this app was free people would still cry advantage over people who don't have an iphone. This argument is nothing more then grasping at straws. Everything blizzard charges for becomes an advantage by the same logic, expansions namely since they provide a clear advantage over people who don't have them for money.
Pff. I already posted arguments about this in the other AH thread, not gonna bother here.
People aren't grasping straws, they're noticing a trend, a course that Blizzard has laid in, and they don't like it. It makes them suspicious of Blizzard slowly becoming just as money hungry as big companies as EA and Activision. And yes, companies are about making money, it's their business. But it's what rank making money has in their list of priorities and what things they're willing to take a backseat for that, that makes the difference from company to company.
But think of it what you like, believe what you want to believe, that's everyone's free right. Personally, I'm just curious to see with what payable services or items Blizzard will come up with next in the next 6 months. It'll make an interessing guessing game, seeing if they will come up with merely sortlike stuff, or if they'll take it another little step further.
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."
Of course it`s a trend, and it`s where the money is. You may not like, just like many here post more often than necessary TBH. However, dislike it as much as you want, it`s being installed BECAUSE they see a demand for it. If, for any reason, in the near/distant future we see a pendulum shift then the players will have spoken.
Blame the company, blame the current playerbase and their wants, blame society for it's 'need everything right now' attitude. It's here and it'll stay so long as it is wanted.
I would never buy a mount, pet, item for real cash, that's just me. I don't have a problem with those that do, whatever their reason. I am also curious to see what will be next in the RMT evolution. The fact remains that as long as people want in and there's money to be made, they'll stay.
Our choice to support or disown said company is ours to choose and ours alone. Having an opinion is one thing. Having thread after thread of 'indignant cries for justice' is unproductive and akin to the QQ-ing of 'Bring back old SWG' or 'Bring back the Good Ole mmo days'. Time's gone, look forward not back.
Sure, they're entertaining, but old real quick when it's the 100th thread about the crap with nothing new (Not implying you as one of those, just saying).
wait a second here...
you suggest that WoW is catering to the 'hardcore' player base and ignoring the 'casual' and 'new-player'?
thats a new one for me... at least on the threads on this particular site...
You know, I actually kinda agree with all that you say.
+1
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."
You see, there is never a legitmate reason to even have a cell phone...
Who are you to decide whether a "player" wants to play or not the game he loves on his cell phone.
Playing the Auction House is now made possible on an I-Phone, a new platform, of course you pay, as each new platform game is paid for.
Considering people pay for much worse games on their cell phones, I can't see why a fan would not find a "legitimate reason" to use it.
Its embarrassing when an NPC compliments you in an MMo, the only relevant, cool and epic things come from players whispering you Grtz, mate, we did it. copyright Pilnkplonk
And I can totally understand where you're coming from. It's late in the morning and I sometimes ramble, I'm glad this time it actually made sense.
Yes, of course. It's all because of this site, and the people visiting here.
... this sounds awfully much as the 'playing victim' card being played again, the 'boohoo, we're the largest group of players but they hates us and our precious game on mmorpg.com, boohoo' kind of argument.
But I can be wrong, and misinterpreting. I haven't had my daily dose of coffee yet.
@Whisperwynd: yep, it did
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."
Yes, of course, but why?
Thinking it over you come to the conclusion that WoW is slowly (and already to a large extend) changing from a mmorpg into a game belonging to a different genre. Or redefining the mmorpg genre depending on how you look at it.
--
Delanor
I believe it has to do with the immense popularity of games like Farmville and the sheer volume of apps that are both available and in demand. Blizzard is testing the waters to further expand the potential of money-making. Good, bad...,money will dictate their future decisions.
From my perspective Blizzard does not seem to respect their game in any way as an mmorpg.
--
Delanor
Not any more, for sure. It's all about the Benjamins.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
For this one, I might have to side with the people crying wolf just a little bit. Being able to counter-bid other people's offers and re-undercut at a moments' notice is a pretty large advantage. On top of that, they are trying to milk 2.99 per MONTH on a feature like this. Yeah, this is getting to be a bit extreme and that is offering a form of in-game advantage since a MMO's economy is a significant portion of the game, no matter how simplified it might seem. Now in order for anyone to stay competitive, we're all going to need to run data plans and buy smartphones?
That's kind of B.S., I don't think this should be implemented. Armory fine, Auction House, no. I really hope Blizzard starts burning to the ground on many of their decisions because it definitely is taking the advantage of its products and customers' loyalty and trust.