Microtransactions starting in/for WoW?
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...77775733&sid=1
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I can't say I'm terribly surprised, but after speaking with a CSR during the Addon policy debate concerning in-game ads and a connection with battle.net/microsoft(ad dept), I really thought it would never happen. |
Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of an item shop for WoW either... Like you, yesterday I would have said, "they'll never do that."
Though I am finding myself trying not to spend $20... :( |
95% of this game's development path since vanilla wow is about vanity. Are any of you actually surprised by this? I'm not. With each expansion, the game moves further away from what it once was.
This is not your father's orc, for it was once a gnome. Warcraft has become Storecraft. |
Wow, it only took two posts for a rep from the "sky is falling" crowd to show up. Shocking.
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Only two, I'm more surprised lurking for a few days did not occur first :p
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I hoped to post this here to see feedback from both sides of the pond, while also getting the usual 'community' type behavior you just rarely see on oForums. There are plenty of sky is falling comments made on oForums, but only a little cynicism, doubt, and general disdain here, so far. Somehow, I can manage to find myself in all three categories. I don't see a direct implication that "Storecraft" was derived from this latest announcement, but has been an escalating factor in the development of paid services and items. Maybe you jumped to that conclusion by misinterpreting "Storecraft" to imply this announcement was the sole reason for his cynicism? In any case, I don't see kneejerk reactions yet... which would mean the sky is fine. I guess I just don't see the point in mocking individuals in a thread, until there's real reason to (first blood). And btw.. in at least two versions of Chicken Little, the sky actually did fall. Not that it will in this development. |
Meh, it's a way for Blizzard to add some additional revenue however it's likely to be only for "vanity" items. In my PoV it's not any different than the WoW TCG items just not as random. It's possible we may see some of the older TCG items in a slightly "reskinned" form show up there, since Blizzard knows that not everyone has access to the WoW TCG or does not want to spend a bunch of cash hoping to get one item.
I am ambivalent either way. I don't see myself ever purchasing anything from the "Pet Store", then again, if Blizzard ties in the purchase of a in-game vanity pet or other vanity itme with a donation to a charity (as in the case of the Panderan pet), then I might more inclined IF I have the spare cash. However in general, I tend to resistant to most "micropayment" type of transactions. |
As long as stores will only offer optional/cosmetic bonus crap, like they do now - pets, and stuff no one really needs in terms of "no impact to actual gameplay!" - I'm fine with it. If people like to spent money on things like that, it's their problem. But if it will ever happen that you NEED to buy basic things like a Tier Set or something similar, I'm done with them. :rolleyes:
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I know my wife and I both bought one :) |
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But, we all have to realise this is a game and to react accordingly. It is one thing to spend $5 for an in game item or $20 for 1m gold ( if that ever happened ) but its another thing entirely to pay $50 for a vanity pet in a game if you really cannot afford such luxuries. Think before you buy is the obvious thought here. |
The problems that come with gold and item selling for real cash are way different than selling cosmetic things for real money. While the later doesn't influence gameplay for others, but yourself. The former really hurts a game, especially when it has not been part of the game since the beginning. There are games that don't have a monthly fee and get the money via an item store. Which has never ever attracted me for several reasons. If you put such an option in WoW, people will definiately start to feel like they have to buy things to compete. Just like they are flipping out over gearscore, dps and other **** already.
On a sidenote, I really don't think this will ever happen to WoW, they WILL offer more optional/cosmetic features, maybe even class change in the future - well, I highly doubt that, too. But, I don't believe in WoW having item stores at some point - hopefully not even hairlooms. |
Don't press the panic button yet.
When you start seeing different kinds of items than you can already get via the TCG loot cards, then you can press the panic button. So each of these is fair game: - Pets - Mounts - Toys (Disco balls, rocking horses, etc) Also, if they do something like making a 310% mount buyable (without needing to do something substantial in-game to be able to ride it at that speed), you may press the panic button then too. |
They're not going to sell gear, gold, or 310% mounts. Blizzard is smart, and they know they'd just ruin the game if they did start selling those kinds of items.
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Eh, this game has had microtransactions since you could pay to transfer servers. I'm not worried at all. Anything that affects game balance won't be sold.
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I want one of each!
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/agreed |
I already bought mine, along with other things. In fact, my office at work is dressed up in WoW stuff. The students actually love it and gawk over my figurines throughout the day. Then again, I am a Director of Technology so it's quite "natural" for me to spend my money on game items.
I see no shame in this at all, in fact if they made mounts or otherwise gold available; why not? It's about making money and to them it's a revenue generator. Those who cry and whine are the ones who didn't think of it first and therefore have nothing better to do then say "zOMG THE SKY IS FALLING!" Now get back in the game and game on. I'm a veteran of "vanilla" WoW and I say each x-pac has made it that much more fun to play! |
All I can say is... My Panda is so awesome next to me when I'm wandering in Northrend!
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Mounts - yes. Gold - no. Then the sky really would be falling. Most of us are OK that cash-for-items exist, so long as said items do not impede the competitveness of those that do not have them. In other words, I'm not going to be left out of a raid because I didn't have $10 to buy a panda. On the other hand, gold purchasing would result in a skyrocketing economy, such that the only way anyone could compete for gems / BoEs / etc is if they were purchasing gold themselves. It then becomes a requirement to play the game, and missing $10 might cause me to be left out. Not good. |
And Blizzard has a stance against gold sellers - not only because of "purchasing in-game stuff for real world money" but also because of its effect on the economy (noted in the post above).
"Buying gold makes baby murlocs cry." ~Eyonix |
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