It is another 'option' for players who wish to take it up, they aren't forcing people to buy it, they aren't making an extra charge on the sub for it, it is an optional extra that you may purchase if you want it.
I dont understand people taking it up their ass like you sir. You paid for the game, you pay a sub fee, and still it's okay to have huge price tags on some "optional" stuff? By your logic they could add two hundred new services into the game and smack a 20$ price tag on each one because, hey, they are not forcing you to pay it.
...and i, sir, will never understand those that get so emotional about what is purely business!
Blizzard run a business with this game, not a charity (although i will come back to that in a second) and as such are entitled to produce as much or as little content as they see fit and charge for it in any way they see fit. Up to now they have produced non-essential items in tiny amounts compared to the in game content and decided to charge for it and in some cases also use some of that money to bolster various charities in the process (told you i would get back to that).
As a gamer, my choice is to decide whether the sub they charge for their game is worth the entertainment value i get from it and in my case i think it is and the store has no effect on my gaming experience in any way at all, so doesn't even factor in to that decision. I find it stranger that someone would get butt-hurt over something that makes no real difference to them in terms of the gaming experience, but that is just me.
As i have said already (if you have read the whole thread that is), if they started to produce more items for the store than in game and also started to give people a real advantage in the game by spending there i would have some reservations, but this isn't the case.
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
Bottom line? Yeah, I think it's getting a bit carried away now. I could write a bit on the subject but most of it has already been said. I don't like the idea of purchasing level 90's one bit.
Pointless drama. Did / do I enjoy playing my character all the way to level cap? Yes. Will / does everyone else? No. Should I be angry there's an option for people other than myself? Nope.
It's like getting pissed that mounts are so easy to get these days, even though I played at release where they were a chore to get. The fact they're so easy to obtain now does not in any way, shape, or form diminish the sense of pride I felt upon getting one, "The hard way". I know I worked my ass off for it, and that's all that matters. Go ahead and let the scrubs pay with mom & dad's money, makes little difference to me.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
Originally posted by Bruhza Originally posted by GeekyWhy do I want to continuously play though the content I've already been through multiple times before? Give me an option to be max level (if I already have a max level toon) and I'd be more than happy to drop a buck or two for that rather than wasting my time running through the same old content I've seen a hundred times.
I guess that brings me to the point of why they couldn't have added something in-game to obtain these lvl 90s. Remember BoA's? I suppose what I'm getting at is why they didn't just add a means of obtaining a new character lvl 90 by simply playing the End-game. Granted they would have to make it somewhat difficult to do, but I feel it would come off better in the long run. sounds to me like ur just wanting a way to obtain lvl 90's for free. bottom line is either pay the money or dont.
Originally posted by GeekyWhy do I want to continuously play though the content I've already been through multiple times before? Give me an option to be max level (if I already have a max level toon) and I'd be more than happy to drop a buck or two for that rather than wasting my time running through the same old content I've seen a hundred times.
I guess that brings me to the point of why they couldn't have added something in-game to obtain these lvl 90s. Remember BoA's? I suppose what I'm getting at is why they didn't just add a means of obtaining a new character lvl 90 by simply playing the End-game. Granted they would have to make it somewhat difficult to do, but I feel it would come off better in the long run.
sounds to me like ur just wanting a way to obtain lvl 90's for free. bottom line is either pay the money or dont.
Not really the case at all. My thought is that people pay to play this game for a reason and they should probably be entitled to the same feature as others without having to pay extra (Minus expansions ofc). When it's something directly effecting gameplay in a way that matters (Other than just cosmetic). The amount they will ask for I'm sure is an affordable thing, but its starting to "Feel" like a F2P mmo rather than a P2P, maybe its their intention. Money is not the issue, it's the principle behind it.
I do not expect things for free and WoW most certainly is not that. If this is your argument then what is the other $15 a month and expansion price for? That's what I'm referring to.
Well, the next expansion takes you into the past. I could see that being a one-way trip. Then any new characters you created would also be in the past not the present.
Some people have done the content so many times they can justify their wants to pay to have a 90 on another class they don't feel like doing the content for. When the games primary focus is end game, paying to have a max level isn't really a bad idea. Personally I doubt I will do it ever, but if someone wants to skip the content to play the endgame I'm not going to stop them because it doesn't affect me. Just like it doesn't affect me that they have mounts in the shop. They aren't mounts you can farm in game, so if I farm the mount in game I want, people can tell I farmed it, rather than just buying it in the shop which they cannot do yet.
Blizzard hasn't taken it too far, they are setting up for free to play, which will happen eventually and WoW's numbers will be incredible once again.
The one thing I hope they add is a progression server like EQ did, start with vanilla, go into bc, wotlk, cata, pandaria and draenor once it comes out.
Go ahead and let the scrubs pay with mom & dad's money, makes little difference to me.
Can you imagine how bad some of these insta-90's are going to be in battlegrounds and arenas?
Have you played the game in the last 5 years? There are people in all aspects of end game who have no clue as to even the most basic function of their class in both PvE and PvP, people who have, in fact, leveled said class from the get-go. Again, allowing people with more disposable income than myself to waste it on max level characters makes no difference to me. Furthermore if you need to worry about those people in arenas / battlegrounds (presumably screwing up your team), then find yourself a group or guild to play with like anyone else who's even the slightest bit serious about PvP.
There's enough bad players at endgame that a few more will make little difference. Hell, the prospect of spending money on something might actually cause people to do some research into how a class plays before taking the plunge, creating a player who WANTS to play the class correctly at least.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
WAR did the same thing with their RvR Packs and Progression Packs. They sold access to endgame content and it was the nail in the coffin for a lot of veteran players that, at the time, I was playing with. I'm aware that Mythic's revenue stream is absolutely incomparable to Blizzard's but it is still the same idea.
In terms of the path that Blizzard has been taking with WoW, this isn't too far for them. They know they have a large audience that would much rather purchase an endgame toon than take the time to run through the game again. They also know that they are non-subscribers that will probably jump in now that this is implemented.
WoW died for me when, as someone else has mentioned, Blizzard thought it would be a good idea to add a cash shop to the game.
Putting in that feature should tell you that nothing is too far for them because they know WoW is still a cash cow.
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
I sort of understand where you are coming from, i just don't see it the same way because it is just a company and just a game, I grew up with Woolworths stores all over my high streets as a child and they made bad choices and closed down, was i a little shocked, yes, did i lament and moan about it, no, i shopped at Argos and Wilkinsons instead.
On the charity front you can look at it in a number of ways, you could say that they are conning everyone by trying to look nice, you could say that they did it for the tax breaks or you could say that they decided to use their power as a world wide large company to do some good for people in need, i guess it depends on your slant.
The one thing that has not been mentioned in here is how Blizzard have been doing this since before the online store opened, but no-one was pissing and moaning about "collector edition" expansion packs, all those little extra's you get when you pay a little extra or the official strategy guides, trading cards with in game codes for mounts and pets how is any of that any different from the online store?
Again, it comes back to the same thing in many of these discussions, if you don't like the game or you have that strong a feeling about the direction the company is taking and you feel that you cannot continue then pack up and walk away, that is your right as a person and consumer, but to throw around insults and childish digs at the people who still enjoy the game for what it is, well, that just smacks of bitterness.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
It's not about if people have done the content several times, it's the fact billzard are CHARGING people for this. They know the content is dull and boring, they know many vertran players can't be asked with the content, so there taking advantage of the situation and giving a solution that you have to pay for. Why not make vetaren rewards? 1 free 90 every month and many other things. Why don't they FIX low level areas and add interesting content that makes you enjoy re-leveling. Instead of seeing players as players, they just see them as "cash cows".
Also find it odd when people say "it's just business" it might be business, but it's bad business. Not sure why in the mmo world it's alright and acceptable for a company to rip you off or abuse problems they caused to make money. (silkroad all over agian)
Blizzard are playing a game, there seeing how far they can go before the playerbase call them out. This expansion alone they have introduced 10 items, added an in-game store and on the verge of selling level 90s. That's the same amount that they've released over 3 expansions. If players are still acceptant of this then there's no hope lol
Don't take this the wrong way, the game i love and will remember the years i put into it. Blizzard? God knows anymore
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
I sort of understand where you are coming from, i just don't see it the same way because it is just a company and just a game, I grew up with Woolworths stores all over my high streets as a child and they made bad choices and closed down, was i a little shocked, yes, did i lament and moan about it, no, i shopped at Argos and Wilkinsons instead.
On the charity front you can look at it in a number of ways, you could say that they are conning everyone by trying to look nice, you could say that they did it for the tax breaks or you could say that they decided to use their power as a world wide large company to do some good for people in need, i guess it depends on your slant.
The one thing that has not been mentioned in here is how Blizzard have been doing this since before the online store opened, but no-one was pissing and moaning about "collector edition" expansion packs, all those little extra's you get when you pay a little extra or the official strategy guides, trading cards with in game codes for mounts and pets how is any of that any different from the online store?
Again, it comes back to the same thing in many of these discussions, if you don't like the game or you have that strong a feeling about the direction the company is taking and you feel that you cannot continue then pack up and walk away, that is your right as a person and consumer, but to throw around insults and childish digs at the people who still enjoy the game for what it is, well, that just smacks of bitterness.
I guess the main reason is due to the fact that everything has just been a "visual only item" up to this point, they served no purpose and this will serve some purpose. I don't know about others but when I see someone riding around on a mount that was purchased, it simply doesn't mean all that much to me. Its just kind of there. However this is more of "Here is a shortcut, but only if you pay." Subscribers and expansion buyers have already paid a fairly decent sum of money.
As for the last paragraph. Many people do not like being told to just leave the game they have played for years due to just possible greed out of a company. While many might leave for this reason only time will tell if it was the best business decision. Granted I think regardless of what they do at this point will not matter due to the fact that if their mmo starts dying all they need to do is switch to F2P, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Some have guessed $20, $30, or $40 for this service. I personally think they could sell this for $40-50 and have many purchases. At one point, that seemed to be the going rate for those who sell their accounts.
Go ahead and let the scrubs pay with mom & dad's money, makes little difference to me.
Can you imagine how bad some of these insta-90's are going to be in battlegrounds and arenas?
Have you played the game in the last 5 years? There are people in all aspects of end game who have no clue as to even the most basic function of their class in both PvE and PvP, people who have, in fact, leveled said class from the get-go. Again, allowing people with more disposable income than myself to waste it on max level characters makes no difference to me. Furthermore if you need to worry about those people in arenas / battlegrounds (presumably screwing up your team), then find yourself a group or guild to play with like anyone else who's even the slightest bit serious about PvP.
There's enough bad players at endgame that a few more will make little difference. Hell, the prospect of spending money on something might actually cause people to do some research into how a class plays before taking the plunge, creating a player who WANTS to play the class correctly at least.
I last played 3.5 years ago. Before that I played since launch. Even when I last played there were horrible, horrible players at the level cap. I mean let's be honest: There was when the level cap was 60, as well.
The more I get back into the game here I guess the less the insta-90 bothers me. I just think that you're underestimating how many new players are going to take advantage of this. Now, of course, that could be a double edged sword in that it might just reinvigorate the player base and the population could surge again but at the same time it's not going to be a handful of players with new 90's standing around in WoD. It might be droves...at least initially. It's going to be an utter fiasco.
What worries me more is that the path from 90-100 could be a total care bear fest in anticipation of how bad these players are going to be. Blizz might not want to make the transition too tough on them and therefore water down the 90-100 experience for all of us. Even worse - Endgame would wind up even easier than it is today.
I have no problem making the game even more accessible to casuals and noobs a like than it already is today. As long as there is still a way for a good player who researches, learns his class, practices tactics, and generally cares about their performance to separate themselves from the pack.
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
I sort of understand where you are coming from, i just don't see it the same way because it is just a company and just a game, I grew up with Woolworths stores all over my high streets as a child and they made bad choices and closed down, was i a little shocked, yes, did i lament and moan about it, no, i shopped at Argos and Wilkinsons instead.
On the charity front you can look at it in a number of ways, you could say that they are conning everyone by trying to look nice, you could say that they did it for the tax breaks or you could say that they decided to use their power as a world wide large company to do some good for people in need, i guess it depends on your slant.
The one thing that has not been mentioned in here is how Blizzard have been doing this since before the online store opened, but no-one was pissing and moaning about "collector edition" expansion packs, all those little extra's you get when you pay a little extra or the official strategy guides, trading cards with in game codes for mounts and pets how is any of that any different from the online store?
Again, it comes back to the same thing in many of these discussions, if you don't like the game or you have that strong a feeling about the direction the company is taking and you feel that you cannot continue then pack up and walk away, that is your right as a person and consumer, but to throw around insults and childish digs at the people who still enjoy the game for what it is, well, that just smacks of bitterness.
I dont think the shopping example work real well here, only Blizzard can offer Blizzard games to me with their prices and bullshit "pay here here and here" - I cant go to Mythic and buy Blizzard games with more reasonable terms. I can go to whatever shop though and buy the same stuff, I personally use most of the time 2 different rival distributers and I can get the same stuff from both with either the exact same product or the same product with just a different name.
I dont find collector's editions comparable all that well either, it's a bit different when you make a one time purchase into a new expansion pack to give that extra boost of hype for your self and kinda show "I really like this game" - When I buy CE I pay what, 20$ extra and get a pile of stuff!
I played WoW + other Blizzard games for years, I handed them money for a long time, and instead of getting a loyalty point store to perhaps get some of those "optional" stuff as a "thank you" for supporting the company a long time, instead get a "fuck you" in terms of cash shop. It would be reasonable to start accumulating somekind of veteran points after the first year, that you could use for race changes and mounts once a year, make long time customers happy, but no, just add more monetization.
But sure, it's just business, it pisses me off a bit since I'm not a greedy person, I offer a round for the friends, and I buy games from steam holiday sales into my secondary computer just so a friend of mine who cant afford shit gets to play too. Sometimes I expect to get something my self, at least a "thank you" if nothing else, but when I get a slap in the face instead, damn right I steer clear of the asshole who acts like that.
PS. I'm not raging, it's just the way I type stuff does not suit internets as well as a vocal conversations where you can see that A.) the face is not all that serious B.) often a sentences ends with a smile or a chuckle (which looks a bit silly when typed tbh) - Apologizes if I come out as an asshole, my personality and fail typing skills are not delicate enough for internets.
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
I sort of understand where you are coming from, i just don't see it the same way because it is just a company and just a game, I grew up with Woolworths stores all over my high streets as a child and they made bad choices and closed down, was i a little shocked, yes, did i lament and moan about it, no, i shopped at Argos and Wilkinsons instead.
On the charity front you can look at it in a number of ways, you could say that they are conning everyone by trying to look nice, you could say that they did it for the tax breaks or you could say that they decided to use their power as a world wide large company to do some good for people in need, i guess it depends on your slant.
The one thing that has not been mentioned in here is how Blizzard have been doing this since before the online store opened, but no-one was pissing and moaning about "collector edition" expansion packs, all those little extra's you get when you pay a little extra or the official strategy guides, trading cards with in game codes for mounts and pets how is any of that any different from the online store?
Again, it comes back to the same thing in many of these discussions, if you don't like the game or you have that strong a feeling about the direction the company is taking and you feel that you cannot continue then pack up and walk away, that is your right as a person and consumer, but to throw around insults and childish digs at the people who still enjoy the game for what it is, well, that just smacks of bitterness.
I played WoW + other Blizzard games for years, I handed them money for a long time, and instead of getting a loyalty point store to perhaps get some of those "optional" stuff as a "thank you" for supporting the company a long time, instead get a "fuck you" in terms of cash shop. It would be reasonable to start accumulating somekind of veteran points after the first year, that you could use for race changes and mounts once a year, make long time customers happy, but no, just add more monetization.
The loyalty point store is actually a great idea. Would you be more open to the idea of a cash shop if loyalty points and cash were options?
I played WoW + other Blizzard games for years, I handed them money for a long time, and instead of getting a loyalty point store to perhaps get some of those "optional" stuff as a "thank you" for supporting the company a long time, instead get a "fuck you" in terms of cash shop. It would be reasonable to start accumulating somekind of veteran points after the first year, that you could use for race changes and mounts once a year, make long time customers happy, but no, just add more monetization.
The loyalty point store is actually a great idea. Would you be more open to the idea of a cash shop if loyalty points and cash were options?
Sure, why not. The items and services could have 2 different price tags each, one for money and the other for LP. I'm not saying you should be able to buy piles of items and services from the store with LP as soon as you hit 1 year mark, but a system that given enough time you could every now and then use the services or buy some mounts etc as a long time customer.
It's not like Blizzard would lose any of that box+sub fee cash anyway, perhaps got even more if people felt like valued customers to make them stick better with the company. Getting a LP coin each year, that you could use on a single cash shop service/item sounds reasonable to me. Ore perhaps get 1 coin for each month since the monthly fee, and stuff could cost say, 6-12 coins depending on how "big" service or item is in question.
I played WoW + other Blizzard games for years, I handed them money for a long time, and instead of getting a loyalty point store to perhaps get some of those "optional" stuff as a "thank you" for supporting the company a long time, instead get a "fuck you" in terms of cash shop. It would be reasonable to start accumulating somekind of veteran points after the first year, that you could use for race changes and mounts once a year, make long time customers happy, but no, just add more monetization.
The loyalty point store is actually a great idea. Would you be more open to the idea of a cash shop if loyalty points and cash were options?
Sure, why not. The items and services could have 2 different price tags each, one for money and the other for LP. I'm not saying you should be able to buy piles of items and services from the store with LP as soon as you hit 1 year mark, but a system that given enough time you could every now and then use the services or buy some mounts etc as a long time customer.
It's not like Blizzard would lose any of that box+sub fee cash anyway, perhaps got even more if people felt like valued customers to make them stick better with the company. Getting a LP coin each year, that you could use on a single cash shop service/item sounds reasonable to me. Ore perhaps get 1 coin for each month since the monthly fee, and stuff could cost say, 6-12 coins depending on how "big" service or item is in question.
Once again...not a bad idea. I'm kind of surprised something like this doesn't already exist. If you're going to pay direct cash for things at this point, might as well be rewarded for all of the cash you've paid in subscription fees over the years.
I guess the main reason is due to the fact that everything has just been a "visual only item" up to this point, they served no purpose and this will serve some purpose. I don't know about others but when I see someone riding around on a mount that was purchased, it simply doesn't mean all that much to me. Its just kind of there. However this is more of "Here is a shortcut, but only if you pay." Subscribers and expansion buyers have already paid a fairly decent sum of money.
A shortcut to what though? To where everyone else is in the game already with no advantage in skills, armour or weaponary.
People have been doing this already for many years, just without paying for it, they instead got their friends or guild mates to boost them, again, this is just a different route to the same result.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I guess the main reason is due to the fact that everything has just been a "visual only item" up to this point, they served no purpose and this will serve some purpose. I don't know about others but when I see someone riding around on a mount that was purchased, it simply doesn't mean all that much to me. Its just kind of there. However this is more of "Here is a shortcut, but only if you pay." Subscribers and expansion buyers have already paid a fairly decent sum of money.
A shortcut to what though? To where everyone else is in the game already with no advantage in skills, armour or weaponary.
People have been doing this already for many years, just without paying for it, they instead got their friends or guild mates to boost them, again, this is just a different route to the same result.
But you could say the same about gear if they start selling it in the store, just get boosted by your guildies through the dungeons you want gear from, not a big deal, just a different route to the same results.
Comments
I dont understand why it is hard to understand someone getting a bit emotional when one of their favourite companies turn to crap in their eyes, I'd call it perfectly normal. It's not nice when things you like becomes twisted in your eyes.
You actually went and mentioned they dont run charity when we are talking about a company that has 2 mandatory payment plans for their game + 1 optional. Sure, some of that money goes into charity, it's an excellent way for a demon to hide in plain sight, simply pretend to be a saint.
The whole idea of adding these "optional" services that costs extra in an already box + sub fee game stinks, how many payment methods and ways will they find? Will their next big online game come with box price + sub fee + cash shop + some new amazing ninja payment method the fanboys cant even dream of yet? But yeah, it's just business, if there's enough fools paying or ppl who just dont care, go ahead and milk them.
Bottom line? Yeah, I think it's getting a bit carried away now. I could write a bit on the subject but most of it has already been said. I don't like the idea of purchasing level 90's one bit.
Pointless drama. Did / do I enjoy playing my character all the way to level cap? Yes. Will / does everyone else? No. Should I be angry there's an option for people other than myself? Nope.
It's like getting pissed that mounts are so easy to get these days, even though I played at release where they were a chore to get. The fact they're so easy to obtain now does not in any way, shape, or form diminish the sense of pride I felt upon getting one, "The hard way". I know I worked my ass off for it, and that's all that matters. Go ahead and let the scrubs pay with mom & dad's money, makes little difference to me.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
#IStandWithVic
I agree all cash shops are a cancer, but as long as the fools keep using them developers will keep adding items to them.
sounds to me like ur just wanting a way to obtain lvl 90's for free. bottom line is either pay the money or dont.
Not really the case at all. My thought is that people pay to play this game for a reason and they should probably be entitled to the same feature as others without having to pay extra (Minus expansions ofc). When it's something directly effecting gameplay in a way that matters (Other than just cosmetic). The amount they will ask for I'm sure is an affordable thing, but its starting to "Feel" like a F2P mmo rather than a P2P, maybe its their intention. Money is not the issue, it's the principle behind it.
I do not expect things for free and WoW most certainly is not that. If this is your argument then what is the other $15 a month and expansion price for? That's what I'm referring to.
Can you imagine how bad some of these insta-90's are going to be in battlegrounds and arenas?
Well, the next expansion takes you into the past. I could see that being a one-way trip. Then any new characters you created would also be in the past not the present.
Some people have done the content so many times they can justify their wants to pay to have a 90 on another class they don't feel like doing the content for. When the games primary focus is end game, paying to have a max level isn't really a bad idea. Personally I doubt I will do it ever, but if someone wants to skip the content to play the endgame I'm not going to stop them because it doesn't affect me. Just like it doesn't affect me that they have mounts in the shop. They aren't mounts you can farm in game, so if I farm the mount in game I want, people can tell I farmed it, rather than just buying it in the shop which they cannot do yet.
Blizzard hasn't taken it too far, they are setting up for free to play, which will happen eventually and WoW's numbers will be incredible once again.
The one thing I hope they add is a progression server like EQ did, start with vanilla, go into bc, wotlk, cata, pandaria and draenor once it comes out.
Have you played the game in the last 5 years? There are people in all aspects of end game who have no clue as to even the most basic function of their class in both PvE and PvP, people who have, in fact, leveled said class from the get-go. Again, allowing people with more disposable income than myself to waste it on max level characters makes no difference to me. Furthermore if you need to worry about those people in arenas / battlegrounds (presumably screwing up your team), then find yourself a group or guild to play with like anyone else who's even the slightest bit serious about PvP.
There's enough bad players at endgame that a few more will make little difference. Hell, the prospect of spending money on something might actually cause people to do some research into how a class plays before taking the plunge, creating a player who WANTS to play the class correctly at least.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. FEAR THE OLD BLOOD.
#IStandWithVic
WAR did the same thing with their RvR Packs and Progression Packs. They sold access to endgame content and it was the nail in the coffin for a lot of veteran players that, at the time, I was playing with. I'm aware that Mythic's revenue stream is absolutely incomparable to Blizzard's but it is still the same idea.
In terms of the path that Blizzard has been taking with WoW, this isn't too far for them. They know they have a large audience that would much rather purchase an endgame toon than take the time to run through the game again. They also know that they are non-subscribers that will probably jump in now that this is implemented.
WoW died for me when, as someone else has mentioned, Blizzard thought it would be a good idea to add a cash shop to the game.
Putting in that feature should tell you that nothing is too far for them because they know WoW is still a cash cow.
I sort of understand where you are coming from, i just don't see it the same way because it is just a company and just a game, I grew up with Woolworths stores all over my high streets as a child and they made bad choices and closed down, was i a little shocked, yes, did i lament and moan about it, no, i shopped at Argos and Wilkinsons instead.
On the charity front you can look at it in a number of ways, you could say that they are conning everyone by trying to look nice, you could say that they did it for the tax breaks or you could say that they decided to use their power as a world wide large company to do some good for people in need, i guess it depends on your slant.
The one thing that has not been mentioned in here is how Blizzard have been doing this since before the online store opened, but no-one was pissing and moaning about "collector edition" expansion packs, all those little extra's you get when you pay a little extra or the official strategy guides, trading cards with in game codes for mounts and pets how is any of that any different from the online store?
Again, it comes back to the same thing in many of these discussions, if you don't like the game or you have that strong a feeling about the direction the company is taking and you feel that you cannot continue then pack up and walk away, that is your right as a person and consumer, but to throw around insults and childish digs at the people who still enjoy the game for what it is, well, that just smacks of bitterness.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
It's not about if people have done the content several times, it's the fact billzard are CHARGING people for this. They know the content is dull and boring, they know many vertran players can't be asked with the content, so there taking advantage of the situation and giving a solution that you have to pay for. Why not make vetaren rewards? 1 free 90 every month and many other things. Why don't they FIX low level areas and add interesting content that makes you enjoy re-leveling. Instead of seeing players as players, they just see them as "cash cows".
Also find it odd when people say "it's just business" it might be business, but it's bad business. Not sure why in the mmo world it's alright and acceptable for a company to rip you off or abuse problems they caused to make money. (silkroad all over agian)
Blizzard are playing a game, there seeing how far they can go before the playerbase call them out. This expansion alone they have introduced 10 items, added an in-game store and on the verge of selling level 90s. That's the same amount that they've released over 3 expansions. If players are still acceptant of this then there's no hope lol
Don't take this the wrong way, the game i love and will remember the years i put into it. Blizzard? God knows anymore
I guess the main reason is due to the fact that everything has just been a "visual only item" up to this point, they served no purpose and this will serve some purpose. I don't know about others but when I see someone riding around on a mount that was purchased, it simply doesn't mean all that much to me. Its just kind of there. However this is more of "Here is a shortcut, but only if you pay." Subscribers and expansion buyers have already paid a fairly decent sum of money.
As for the last paragraph. Many people do not like being told to just leave the game they have played for years due to just possible greed out of a company. While many might leave for this reason only time will tell if it was the best business decision. Granted I think regardless of what they do at this point will not matter due to the fact that if their mmo starts dying all they need to do is switch to F2P, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
not just blizzard
I last played 3.5 years ago. Before that I played since launch. Even when I last played there were horrible, horrible players at the level cap. I mean let's be honest: There was when the level cap was 60, as well.
The more I get back into the game here I guess the less the insta-90 bothers me. I just think that you're underestimating how many new players are going to take advantage of this. Now, of course, that could be a double edged sword in that it might just reinvigorate the player base and the population could surge again but at the same time it's not going to be a handful of players with new 90's standing around in WoD. It might be droves...at least initially. It's going to be an utter fiasco.
What worries me more is that the path from 90-100 could be a total care bear fest in anticipation of how bad these players are going to be. Blizz might not want to make the transition too tough on them and therefore water down the 90-100 experience for all of us. Even worse - Endgame would wind up even easier than it is today.
I have no problem making the game even more accessible to casuals and noobs a like than it already is today. As long as there is still a way for a good player who researches, learns his class, practices tactics, and generally cares about their performance to separate themselves from the pack.
I dont think the shopping example work real well here, only Blizzard can offer Blizzard games to me with their prices and bullshit "pay here here and here" - I cant go to Mythic and buy Blizzard games with more reasonable terms. I can go to whatever shop though and buy the same stuff, I personally use most of the time 2 different rival distributers and I can get the same stuff from both with either the exact same product or the same product with just a different name.
I dont find collector's editions comparable all that well either, it's a bit different when you make a one time purchase into a new expansion pack to give that extra boost of hype for your self and kinda show "I really like this game" - When I buy CE I pay what, 20$ extra and get a pile of stuff!
I played WoW + other Blizzard games for years, I handed them money for a long time, and instead of getting a loyalty point store to perhaps get some of those "optional" stuff as a "thank you" for supporting the company a long time, instead get a "fuck you" in terms of cash shop. It would be reasonable to start accumulating somekind of veteran points after the first year, that you could use for race changes and mounts once a year, make long time customers happy, but no, just add more monetization.
But sure, it's just business, it pisses me off a bit since I'm not a greedy person, I offer a round for the friends, and I buy games from steam holiday sales into my secondary computer just so a friend of mine who cant afford shit gets to play too. Sometimes I expect to get something my self, at least a "thank you" if nothing else, but when I get a slap in the face instead, damn right I steer clear of the asshole who acts like that.
PS. I'm not raging, it's just the way I type stuff does not suit internets as well as a vocal conversations where you can see that A.) the face is not all that serious B.) often a sentences ends with a smile or a chuckle (which looks a bit silly when typed tbh) - Apologizes if I come out as an asshole, my personality and fail typing skills are not delicate enough for internets.
The loyalty point store is actually a great idea. Would you be more open to the idea of a cash shop if loyalty points and cash were options?
Sure, why not. The items and services could have 2 different price tags each, one for money and the other for LP. I'm not saying you should be able to buy piles of items and services from the store with LP as soon as you hit 1 year mark, but a system that given enough time you could every now and then use the services or buy some mounts etc as a long time customer.
It's not like Blizzard would lose any of that box+sub fee cash anyway, perhaps got even more if people felt like valued customers to make them stick better with the company. Getting a LP coin each year, that you could use on a single cash shop service/item sounds reasonable to me. Ore perhaps get 1 coin for each month since the monthly fee, and stuff could cost say, 6-12 coins depending on how "big" service or item is in question.
Once again...not a bad idea. I'm kind of surprised something like this doesn't already exist. If you're going to pay direct cash for things at this point, might as well be rewarded for all of the cash you've paid in subscription fees over the years.
A shortcut to what though? To where everyone else is in the game already with no advantage in skills, armour or weaponary.
People have been doing this already for many years, just without paying for it, they instead got their friends or guild mates to boost them, again, this is just a different route to the same result.
It must be Thursday, i never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Blizzard has all the rights to conduct their business as they see fit.
it's PLAYERS that need to re-evaluate their experience. don't like, don't play it.
But you could say the same about gear if they start selling it in the store, just get boosted by your guildies through the dungeons you want gear from, not a big deal, just a different route to the same results.