I'm rather amused by all the hysterics of people who seem to think that Blizzard is some sort of non-profit. I liked the article.

Vanity pets are not really an issue. I don't really see what all the stinking fuss is all about. I mean sure.. $10 bucks for a vanity pet is kinda expensive..they're there as an option for people who wanted them and collects this sort of thing..if you don't want it.. don't buy it....  I'd save up all the fuzzing if when Blizzard starts selling purple/legendary epic weapons for RL cash.

Regardless of whether or not the reaction is justified, it is interesting how something as innocuous as two measly little pets have stirred up such a fuss. That tells me that people are VERY touchy about RMT in subscription games. Not to take anything away from this article, but I'd love to see a MMORPG columnist take a real in-depth look at RMT in subscription games and what it means for those games and for players.

Originally posted by Stradden

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood uses his column this week to look at the recent announcement that Blizzard will be offering in-game pets for real life money and the fan reaction, or over-reaction to the news.

Yesterday, Blizzard announced that they would be adding an in-game shop where players could buy vanity pets, and in characteristic fashion, the MMO world went bat dung crazy. Even my Facebook, which is loaded with MMO folks, was taken over by posts about Blizzard moving to microtransactions.

I swear, the way people react to these things you'd think that item stores were Godzilla and Western players were the poor residents of Tokyo just trying to get away from the damned thing, wrecking everything they know and eating everyone they love.

For the record, they're not, but we'll leave my personal opinions about item mall based games for another rant entirely. Instead, we'll focus on this particular announcement. Comparing this announcement, by the way, with microtransaction revenue models games, is like comparing apples and zebras. It just doesn't make any sense.

Read Wood: WoW Pets and Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Lame, old arguments combined and transformed into a semi-fancy worded article by someone who does not matter at all.

Anyone could write the same, in fact, they did, but their opinions don't shout as loud as those of a guy whose job is to write for an MMO website in boring and uncatchy English.

Now he would think that his reference between micro-transaction and zebra is smart, but it's a horrible analysis. People don't compare the announcement to the micro-transaction, they assume that the announcement LEADS to transaction, this guy is writing a column here for a reason, and it might just be too obvious for me to even talk about.

Sorry if the focus of this post is shifted, what I want to say was, it's obvious that people over-reacted to the announcement, but on the other hand, this guy is no genius, anyone could have figured this out without his awesome column. On the other hand, who is he to disprove the other argument without further proof? Continuously comparing components of WoW to movie tickets and apples and zebra doesn't prove that your argument is any more accurate than the opposing reasoning, so this mighty Jon Wood is just another forum poster, in my goddamn opinion. SORRY "MY FRIEND".

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

Yea, and now they are allowing people to get some non-essential extra fluff easier by just paying a little extra. Big whoop.

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

Players said they would pay for stuff, so blizzard put stuff for them to buy, its the players fault not blizzards.

Originally posted by Astralglide

Originally posted by Euphoryk

Charging players 2/3s of the monthly sub fee for a single pet is absolutely ridiculous.

Again, who cares about how other people spend their money? If Blizzard wants to charge a $100 for a mini Bill Gates pet, people will buy it and you will get to see who has more money than brains. All this does is point out the suckers

No, it has another effect - it encourages more and more of the content which used to be included in the GAME to be put in the SHOP instead.

Originally posted by Yamota

Originally posted by Drakonus

Originally posted by Euphoryk

Charging players 2/3s of the monthly sub fee for a single pet is absolutely ridiculous.

 

THEN DON'T BUY THEM...NO ONE SAID YOU HAD TO...GEEEZ!!!

Noone said you have to play WoW or MMORPG either, that is not the point. The point is that MMORPG devs are now starting to introduce subscriptions and RMTs and the only ones getting screwed will be us customers.

Only if you allow it. Unlike the government, who have legions of well armed enforcers to back up their dictates.  If a given game, or industry doesn't suit you, take your time and money to one that does.

Seems like something Zorndorf would write. I think its insane that Jon does not see what the problem is and the popcorn anology is really stupid.

Charing $10 for a stupid pet in a game where you pay for the box + expansions + a monthly fee is beyond greedy. And when one of the most loved companies does it, its even worse. That the pets are just cosmetic is irrelevant.

And trying to justify it by giving away 50% of ONE of the pets for charity makes it even worse.

Took awhile for me to realize it but Blizzard does no longer exist :(

Originally posted by Scalebane

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

Players said they would pay for stuff, so blizzard put stuff for them to buy, its the players fault not blizzards.

You know, I've always wondered when they asked us WoWers if we would pay for stuff, cause I definitely never got a memo about it.

Originally posted by Uronksur

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

 

Yea, and now they are allowing people to get some non-essential extra fluff easier by just paying a little extra. Big whoop.

Yes and tomorrow you gonna be able to buy a full set of T8 Epic Armor.

This is a movie already seen somewhere else, it starts with fluff stuff and it ends with the real deal.
Wake up will ya?

Originally posted by Cursedsei

Originally posted by Scalebane

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

Players said they would pay for stuff, so blizzard put stuff for them to buy, its the players fault not blizzards.

 

You know, I've always wondered when they asked us WoWers if we would pay for stuff, cause I definitely never got a memo about it.

They didn't ask, people on the official boards are always saying they will pay for this and that, i blame them.  if they are willing to pay i can't blame a company for saying okay!

Originally posted by Simiel

Originally posted by Stradden

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood uses his column this week to look at the recent announcement that Blizzard will be offering in-game pets for real life money and the fan reaction, or over-reaction to the news.

Yesterday, Blizzard announced that they would be adding an in-game shop where players could buy vanity pets, and in characteristic fashion, the MMO world went bat dung crazy. Even my Facebook, which is loaded with MMO folks, was taken over by posts about Blizzard moving to microtransactions.

I swear, the way people react to these things you'd think that item stores were Godzilla and Western players were the poor residents of Tokyo just trying to get away from the damned thing, wrecking everything they know and eating everyone they love.

For the record, they're not, but we'll leave my personal opinions about item mall based games for another rant entirely. Instead, we'll focus on this particular announcement. Comparing this announcement, by the way, with microtransaction revenue models games, is like comparing apples and zebras. It just doesn't make any sense.

Read Wood: WoW Pets and Boy Who Cried Wolf.

 

Lame, old arguments combined and transformed into a semi-fancy worded article by someone who does not matter at all.

Anyone could write the same, in fact, they did, but their opinions don't shout as loud as those of a guy whose job is to write for an MMO website in boring and uncatchy English.

Now he would think that his reference between micro-transaction and zebra is smart, but it's a horrible analysis. People don't compare the announcement to the micro-transaction, they assume that the announcement LEADS to transaction, this guy is writing a column here for a reason, and it might just be too obvious for me to even talk about.

Sorry if the focus of this post is shifted, what I want to say was, it's obvious that people over-reacted to the announcement, but on the other hand, this guy is no genius, anyone could have figured this out without his awesome column. On the other hand, who is he to disprove the other argument without further proof? Continuously comparing components of WoW to movie tickets and apples and zebra doesn't prove that your argument is any more accurate than the opposing reasoning, so this mighty Jon Wood is just another forum poster, in my goddamn opinion. SORRY "MY FRIEND".

 

Your first sentence applies to you as well... Neither do I for that matter. Blizzard is a multi BILLION dollar corporation at this point. They have demonstrated that they have a very keen sense of what makes them money.  Losing a small percentage of players over something trival like this, isn't even going to show up above the normal churn for them.

Originally posted by Stradden

Originally posted by streea

But no. Instead you spent all that time going "STOP QQING!" by... QQing. No insight into the industry aside from "the more you yell, the less they'll listen to you" (which is only true of companies that honestly don't care about their playerbase). Not actually adding anything to the massive 200+ string. Instead, it was a giant nerdrage where you're right and they're wrong and those against this should shut up.

Welcome to the world of columns and opinion pieces.

And for the record, the entire article revolves around the encroachment of a different revenue model into the Western MMO market, and how in some cases people over-react to them. This over-reaction to harmless additions is indeed making it easier and easier for those powers that be to ignore the voices of their players. This, in turn, will make it easier for companies to get away with less scrupulous behavior. Who's going to listen to the boy who cried wolf when a wolf actually appears if they've pointed at every house dog that's walked by and screamed bloody murder?

But yeah, it was probably just an un-thought out nerdrage.

 

No ,i did not se anything helpfull implementation about "new revenue model " what i see is blizz doing a charity it is harmless dont discuss and STFU approach ,if you think adding a new revenue model and harmless additions opposite things .Make your mind is this a new revenue model for blizz or not.

Like or not there are alot people dont like any kind of RMT/micro transactions at subscription games (excluding F2P micro transactions game ,they have more haters) on mmorpg.com and every time when something like this happened it discussed to hell and beyond ,do you remember SOE item shop or SWG :TOR micro transaction rage ?

Question is why  suddenly there is a column and opipion pieces ,why this came when  blizz  announced their shop but not for other companies?Double standards ,hypocrisy? Or why is this column defending blizz  (i would not mind if other games defended before) ?

Originally posted by Cursedsei

Originally posted by nkryptik

Originally posted by Stradden

MMORPG.com's Jon Wood uses his column this week to look at the recent announcement that Blizzard will be offering in-game pets for real life money and the fan reaction, or over-reaction to the news.

Yesterday, Blizzard announced that they would be adding an in-game shop where players could buy vanity pets, and in characteristic fashion, the MMO world went bat dung crazy. Even my Facebook, which is loaded with MMO folks, was taken over by posts about Blizzard moving to microtransactions.

I swear, the way people react to these things you'd think that item stores were Godzilla and Western players were the poor residents of Tokyo just trying to get away from the damned thing, wrecking everything they know and eating everyone they love.

For the record, they're not, but we'll leave my personal opinions about item mall based games for another rant entirely. Instead, we'll focus on this particular announcement. Comparing this announcement, by the way, with microtransaction revenue models games, is like comparing apples and zebras. It just doesn't make any sense.

Read Wood: WoW Pets and Boy Who Cried Wolf.

 

I find it weird how this gets ripped on and it is going to a charity but yet there was no big press blow out when you had to buy trading cards to get the in game items, or the Pepsi / Mountain Dew robots and I have never seen it blown up how you have to pay all that cash for Blizzcon tickets to get a murloc or a bear with a murloc on it's head so why does it have to be a charity event to get the press and start everyone hating on it?

 

I DEMAND A RETRACTION AND AN APPOLOGY TO THE CHARITY!

 

Some people did moan about the TCG, but then again, the TCG is a stand-alone product, that they chose to incorporate some things (mainly fluff like biscuits, fiery steps, and the like) to try and get WoW players to try the card game out, I dont need to play WoW to like a Warcraft-based card game.

The Battle-fuel bots were part of the promotion for the WoW-inspired Mountain Dew Horde and Alliance drinks, it cost NOTHING to get the pet bot.

Blizzcon tickets are also a stand-alone thing. YOU dont have to go to Blizzcon, its just Blizzards way of saying "thanks for spending the money to come here", on top of EVERYTHING else that comes with the tickets.

 

 

Money spent to obtain in-game items is money spent I just do not understand why all this hate is drawn towards something that is going to help a charity when  none of the other were blow up to be this big of a deal.   You "spent money" to buy the Dew to get the robot in game, you "spent money" to buy the Trading Cards to get items in game, you "spent money" to buy the Blizzcon tickets to get the murloc or bear mount.  It is no different here you are "spending money" BUT instead of Blizz pocketing all of it the Make A Wish Foundation gets some, so I still cannot understand the hate being show so much towards this and not towards the other things.  Is it the fact that all these people actually hate the fact a child who may die at a really young age may get a wish granted to them that is causing all this hate to be shown or is it jealousy that is driving this hate fiasco?  The fact that I have a son with Autism I will proudly show my support for the Make a Wish Foundation by displaying these on ALL my accounts, I am not afraid to show in public that I supported a charity and no we never used his Wish option as there are many more children out there who will die that the funding will go towards giving them their wish, we are just fortunate our son's illness is chronic not terminal.

I do want to thank the haters because publicity for a non-profit organization like Make-A-Wish is getting by keeping this thread moving is awesome and all the money being raised  by this hate by people who never knew about these pets but now know and are buying them is worth millions.

Originally posted by ste2000

Originally posted by Uronksur

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

 

Yea, and now they are allowing people to get some non-essential extra fluff easier by just paying a little extra. Big whoop.

Yes and tomorrow you gonna be able to buy a full set of T8 Epic Armor.

This is a movie already seen somewhere else, it starts with fluff stuff and it ends with the real deal.
Wake up will ya?

if they do i'll just go play something else, see no drama at all, woot!

Originally posted by Cursedsei

Originally posted by Scalebane

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Dracondis

If you don't want to spend the money, don't.  Just don't expect them to hand the pets over for free.

 

Nothing in the game is 'free', because the players are already paying for it - with their subscription fees.

Players said they would pay for stuff, so blizzard put stuff for them to buy, its the players fault not blizzards.

 

You know, I've always wondered when they asked us WoWers if we would pay for stuff, cause I definitely never got a memo about it.

When you bought the game. Blizzard is a frickin for-profit business, with investors, and a bottom line. If you don't like their product, you are free to cancel your subscription to their product.

Christ, where do you get the impression that Blizzard has EVER been some kindly studio that cares more about being cheap for you then their own profits? How naive.

Originally posted by Wraithone

Your first sentence applies to you as well... Neither do I for that matter. Blizzard is a multi BILLION dollar corporation at this point. They have demonstrated that they have a very keen sense of what makes them money.  Losing a small percentage of players over something trival like this, isn't even going to show up above the normal churn for them.

Oh, we'll see how small the percentage is. We'll see.

In the early '80s, the bottom dropped out of the home video game industry. It CAN happen here.

Blizzard needs to be very careful here.  Trust is a hard thing to re-earn after losing it.  If Blizz introduces a full RMT model for things like gear, etc you will hear a "disturbance" that would make SWG NGE or Trammel to UO's outrage seem like a whisper.

Players don't forget and seldom forgive.  If something like that happens then nevermind about WoW, Blizzard really should be worrying about the success of their next title.

Originally posted by Ruyn

Blizzard needs to be very careful here.  Trust is a hard thing to re-earn after losing it.  If Blizz introduces a full RMT model for things like gear, etc you will hear a "disturbance" that would make SWG NGE or Trammel to UO's outrage seem like a whisper.

Players don't forget and seldom forgive.  If something like that happens then Blizzard really should be worrying about the success of their next title.

I have already crossed off SC2, D3, and the next Blizzard MMO, unless this move is backed away from.

 Best editorial I´ve read on this site!! Keep ut the good work!

Originally posted by Ruyn

Blizzard needs to be very careful here.  Trust is a hard thing to re-earn after losing it.  If Blizz introduces a full RMT model for things like gear, etc you will hear a "disturbance" that would make SWG NGE or Trammel to UO's outrage seem like a whisper.

Players don't forget and seldom forgive.  If something like that happens then nevermind about WoW, Blizzard really should be worrying about the success of their next title.

well i see some people upset about it around here and a few on the official forums, but by the amount of lil kt's and pandarans running around the servers now, especially mine, there were a lot of them, i think its safe to say its a success for blizzard.

Hmm I wonder if its a cultural thing if you accept what Blizzard is doing or not.

Maybe its harder for us Europeans, who are more socialists, to accept that companies are just motivated by greed. And for you Americans its not a big deal since capitalism is more natural for you.

(sorry this was just a thought dont want to turn this into a political debate ;))

Originally posted by MMO_Doubter

Originally posted by Wraithone

Your first sentence applies to you as well... Neither do I for that matter. Blizzard is a multi BILLION dollar corporation at this point. They have demonstrated that they have a very keen sense of what makes them money.  Losing a small percentage of players over something trival like this, isn't even going to show up above the normal churn for them.

Oh, we'll see how small the percentage is. We'll see.

In the early '80s, the bottom dropped out of the home video game industry. It CAN happen here.

Oh please. If you think the average casual gamer cares at all that Blizzard is setting up a way to buy some useless bonus pets, your kidding yourself.