World of Warcraft: When neither subscription or services are enough...

[Northerner]

It really is an interesting social phenomenon though and a part of how MMOs are changing. Think back if you will and imagine the stigma instead of praise you'd get from owning an RMT-only weapon or even cosmetic in EQ of '00.

I mean, kudos to Blizzard for monetizing the whole thing. Of course though it is indeed undermining the whole process and they will be dancing on the edge of that for a long time.

Hell, to me it really just was another sign that I'm probably done with the genre. Nothing personal to Blizzard as they have given me incredibly fun MMO experiences and all but once it is all about this, then it isn't the hobby I once enjoyed. No regrets at all though, that's for sure.

[Itzena]

Originally Posted by Rayne

Don't believe everything you read.

This may have been somewhat true in earlier mmos, but I think its more likely to be around 20-25 at this point.

{Citation required}

But as others have stated around this board countless times in the past, time is really no excuse. If you don't have time for an mmo, theres a hundred other things you could do with the time that you do have, and likely save some money to boot. Time has been the universal excuse for whats happened to this genre thus far since the beginning.

If you don't have the time, don't play mmos. You can't "pause" an mmo. Your lack of time is not the problem of an entire genre. It yours, and yours alone.

Time is money, friend. Therefore money is also time. So you're saying that people with more money should have an advantage in MMOs i.e. you support RMT/microtrans/etc.

I mean, assuming you'd applied even the slighted bit of logical thought to your post and suchlike.

[Clericnon2boxed]

Since it works so fantastic in WoW to squeeze extra money out of the subscribers, will Blizzards next MMO come with a whole slew of mini diablos/sheep/panda vanity pets as well ? Blizz becoming synonymous with the pussification of MMOs.

[Delores Mulva]

WoWHead shows 151 pets in the database (some are dupes, like the two Brown Kingsnakes, and some aren't actually pets like the goblin weather machine). Of those:

Blue Murloc Stone, Diablo Stone, Panda Collar, Zergling Leash, Heavy Murloc Egg, Tyrael's Hilt, Fortune Coin: rewards for attending various events, like Blizzcon.

Frosty's Collar, Netherwhelp's Collar, Lurky's Egg: collector edition pets.

Pandaren Monk, Lil' K.T.: the new store pets.

Soul-Trader Beacon, Dragon Kite, Hippogryph Hatchling, Tuskarr Kite, Spectral Tiger Cub, Banana Charm, Rocket Chicken: TCG pets.

So even prior to the store, over 10% of the pets in game came from some source completely external to the game, a source that required payment of some kind (buying the collector's edition, buying a ticket to a Con, buying TCG cards). There wasn't any screaming and gnashing of teeth over that. Is it because you're not getting something else with the money, so you can pretend that the money is for the something else and the pet is "free"? One more list, for those who like lists:

Ghostly Skull, Darting Hatchling, Deviate Hatchling, Gundrak Hatchling, Leaping Hatchling, Obsidian Hatchling, Ravasaur Hatchling, Razormaw Hatchling, Razzashi Hatchling, Giant Sewer Rat, Nurtured Penguin Egg, Pint-Sized Pink Elekk, Spring Rabbit's Foot, Unhatched Mr. Chilly, Warbot Ignition Key, Ammen Vale Lashling, Argent Gruntling/Squire, Curious Oracle Hatchling, Curious Wolvar Pup, Dun Morogh Cub, Durotar Scorpion, Elwynn Lamb, Enchanted Broom, Kirin Tor Familiar, Little Fawn's Salt Lick, Mechanopeep, Mulgore Hatchling, Reeking Pet Carrier, Sen'jin Fetish, Shimmering Wyrmling, Strand Crawler, Teldrassil Sproutling, Baby Blizzard Bear, Cobra Hatchling, Tickbird Hatchling, White Tickbird Hatchling, Proto-Drake Whelp.

There's the 37 pets released in WotLK that are obtainable through in-game means or (Warbot, Mr. Chilly) through free outside-of-game promotions. There's more coming in the very near future, like the 5th anniversary whelp. If Blizzard is making pets purchase-only, they're doing a really shitty job of it.

[Cybsled]

Diablo Stone, Panda Collar, and Zergling Leash are all CE pets (1st CE). Lurky's Egg was an event pet.

[Grizzlebeard]

Originally Posted by Clericnon2boxed

Blizz becoming synonymous with the pussification of MMOs.

Just means we're due another genre now the big corporations have destroyed the spirit of MMOs. Here's hoping some people will come along and make something new and fresh that will last a good 2-3 years before the SoE/Blizzard cancer eats away at it.

[Mad Jacq]

Originally Posted by Itzena

Oh hey, weren't you one of the rabid WAR fanboys? How'd that work out for you?

Worked out great! I don't play MMOs of any kind anymore.

Currently enjoying Dragon Age and awaiting Silent Hunter 5.

Cheers!

[Warrik]

Originally Posted by Clericnon2boxed

Blizz becoming synonymous with the pussification of MMOs.

No, they are becoming synonymous with a successful business model. The golden ago of MMO's is dead and gone. Its a new world now, and most hard core gamers are going to start hating every minute of it.

[Usha Starchild]

14.99 a month will quickly turn into 89.00 a month if people let blizzard get away with this. The next step will be +1 to a stat for a dollar, max +10 per stat. Blizzard will say 10 points is not game changing but, the hardcore people will need that extra .01 crit. Then will come custom titles, the ability to add a glow to your name.

[Itzena]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

14.99 a month will quickly turn into 89.00 a month if people let blizzard get away with this. The next step will be +1 to a stat for a dollar, max +10 per stat. Blizzard will say 10 points is not game changing but, the hardcore people will need that extra .01 crit. Then will come custom titles, the ability to add a glow to your name.

{Citation required}

[Xequecal]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

14.99 a month will quickly turn into 89.00 a month if people let blizzard get away with this. The next step will be +1 to a stat for a dollar, max +10 per stat. Blizzard will say 10 points is not game changing but, the hardcore people will need that extra .01 crit. Then will come custom titles, the ability to add a glow to your name.

The second they add an item that has any kind of actual impact on game content, I'd agree with you. That hasn't happened yet.

[Ennya Dragonslayer]

Originally Posted by Warrik

No, they are becoming synonymous with a successful business model. The golden ago of MMO's is dead and gone. Its a new world now, and most hard core gamers are going to start hating every minute of it.

Whether or not he golden age of MMOs is over depends on how you view what's good about an MMO. If you post on these forums, you're likely to be in that hardcore set, or at least that mentality. (A point that has been made countless times over the last 6 years I've been reading.) If the idea that you have better pretties and get to cockblock the other guy trying to get them is how a good time is measured, yes, the golden age is over.

If you measure fun the way a vast majority of gamers do by simply being satisfied at beating the game (Note: I didn't not say, "winning.") then the golden age is live and running.

Right now WoW has raid content stacked up in such a way that the non-hardcore are effectively locked out of the top end content because of gear check staging. There are only a few ways to fix this problem, Emblems help but take too long for non-hardcore players. Enter another solution, $5 for a level 232 chest item, and $3.50 for a decent trinket. Sure, I might not have farmed 25 days in a row for the Emblems to prove my muster, but my gear rating is high enough to pass the mouse-over or wowarmory check. Lord knows no one who hasn't farmed 25 daily heroics can't possible know how to play.

PS: It's not up to the person to says "micropayments wont ruin a game" to prove it; it's up to the person who says they will to prove their point. If you need me to explain why, spend more time learning and less time (virtual) schooling.

[DavivMcD]

Originally Posted by Usha Starchild

14.99 a month will quickly turn into 89.00 a month if people let blizzard get away with this. The next step will be +1 to a stat for a dollar, max +10 per stat. Blizzard will say 10 points is not game changing but, the hardcore people will need that extra .01 crit. Then will come custom titles, the ability to add a glow to your name.

You skipped the slippery slope argument and went straight into a fucking cliff dive.

There is an obvious giant line between buying frill and buying stuff that improves your gameplay, even by just .01%. However evil and greedy Blizzard may get, they are smart enough not to cross that line.

p.s. LOL at "if people let blizzard get away with this". They're a company, not "the man". They'll do what the fuck they want as long as they keep getting money. You don't like it? Fine, quit whining and trying to rally up some kind of revolution, just quit.

[Soriak]

Pretty sure Usha was being sarcastic...

[Gaige]

Originally Posted by Itzena

{Citation required}

You could look at how EQ2 has progressed from the exchange servers, to LoN to SC.

LoN now offers a loot card which unlocks an in-game instance which rewards stat'd items.

Its not that hard to see how micro transactions will evolve in a game like WoW.