I totally misread the post at first.  Ugh!

On that note, I don't think blizzard is going to lose the chance to get subscribers by increasing the barrier to join the game.  Past trends show that they want to get the game in as many peoples hands as possible, because they have a very good retention rate.  The are not filling their coffers by selling game boxes, but instead by selling subscriptions.  If I remember right, during the burning crusade the original game was could be found for as low as $10 bucks?  Then the battlechest came out around the time lich king released.

If things continue along those lines we will see something marketed that allows players to buy 2 boxes.  One for the lateset expansion and one for everything else.  Though I would rather see an all encompassing 1 box gives everything approach, but the market is supporting 2 game box purchases for everything right now, so I doubt it will change.

Originally posted by Vestige360

So Cataclysm will be removing a lot of barriers for new people who may want to try the game for the first time. But how about what I will henceforth call the "4 Box Barrier". You can't tell me they are going to make folks buy 4 boxes to level a toon to the cap. I did not hear how Blizzard was going to address this at BlizzCon. Probably because they want to sell as many boxes as they can between now and Cataclysm. 

How do you think it will be handled?

 

 

Check the catalysm FAQ. i think it is already answered.

You don't need any expansion to see the new changed world. But you don't have access to L80-85 zones, plus a number of goodies if you don't buy the expansion.

Kind of nice playing a game with 10 free expansions and an 11th due anytime soon :)

Originally posted by Vestige360

So Cataclysm will be removing a lot of barriers for new people who may want to try the game for the first time. But how about what I will henceforth call the "4 Box Barrier". You can't tell me they are going to make folks buy 4 boxes to level a toon to the cap. I did not hear how Blizzard was going to address this at BlizzCon. Probably because they want to sell as many boxes as they can between now and Cataclysm. 

How do you think it will be handled?

 

 

prob same way eq2 did it

Originally posted by Vestige360

So Cataclysm will be removing a lot of barriers for new people who may want to try the game for the first time. But how about what I will henceforth call the "4 Box Barrier". You can't tell me they are going to make folks buy 4 boxes to level a toon to the cap. I did not hear how Blizzard was going to address this at BlizzCon. Probably because they want to sell as many boxes as they can between now and Cataclysm. 

How do you think it will be handled? 

Pfft, four boxes is NOTHING  after you played EQ.    I stopped playing around expansion number 11 and they're planning expansion 16 for around November this year, last I heard.

Four isn't even worth talking about.  Plus, you don't need to buy the whole lot in one go if you don't want to.

Smooth that molehill over - you'll never make it into that mountain you want.

Originally posted by Dibdabs

Originally posted by Vestige360

So Cataclysm will be removing a lot of barriers for new people who may want to try the game for the first time. But how about what I will henceforth call the "4 Box Barrier". You can't tell me they are going to make folks buy 4 boxes to level a toon to the cap. I did not hear how Blizzard was going to address this at BlizzCon. Probably because they want to sell as many boxes as they can between now and Cataclysm. 

How do you think it will be handled? 

Pfft, four boxes is NOTHING  after you played EQ.    I stopped playing around expansion number 11 and they're planning expansion 16 for around November this year, last I heard.

Four isn't even worth talking about.  Plus, you don't need to buy the whole lot in one go if you don't want to.

Smooth that molehill over - you'll never make it into that mountain you want.

Difference is if you by an EQ2 xpac you get everything with it.

This is why I still play Asherons Call.

You download the free trial and have everything in the game, if you want to sub you just start paying the monthly fee and that's it. Whole game included.

That's one of the reasons I never go back to other games like EQ2, it's ridiculous to have to buy a bunch of expansions just to start playing.

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

This is why I still play Asherons Call.

 

You download the free trial and have everything in the game, if you want to sub you just start paying the monthly fee and that's it. Whole game included.

 

That's one of the reasons I never go back to other games like EQ2, it's ridiculous to have to buy a bunch of expansions just to start playing.

You dont. You buy The Shadow Odyssey (EQ2 last xpac) you get everything, base game and all xpacs.

Hmmm...you may have a point there. I doubt they will change the system by any means other than a price drop, but at the same time, I want them to.

Originally posted by grandpagamer

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

This is why I still play Asherons Call.

 

You download the free trial and have everything in the game, if you want to sub you just start paying the monthly fee and that's it. Whole game included.

 

That's one of the reasons I never go back to other games like EQ2, it's ridiculous to have to buy a bunch of expansions just to start playing.

 

You dont. You buy The Shadow Odyssey (EQ2 last xpac) you get everything, base game and all xpacs.

You also get all 3 of the adventure packs as well, Bloodline, splitpaw and fallen dynasty.

So, for one price you get the game + 5 xpacs and 3 adventure packs.

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Originally posted by eagle4x4

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Originally posted by grandpagamer

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Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

This is why I still play Asherons Call.
 
You download the free trial and have everything in the game, if you want to sub you just start paying the monthly fee and that's it. Whole game included.
 
That's one of the reasons I never go back to other games like EQ2, it's ridiculous to have to buy a bunch of expansions just to start playing.

---

 
You dont. You buy The Shadow Odyssey (EQ2 last xpac) you get everything, base game and all xpacs.

---

You also get all 3 of the adventure packs as well, Bloodline, splitpaw and fallen dynasty.
So, for one price you get the game + 5 xpacs and 3 adventure packs.

---

Really, just about every MMORPG that charges for expansions re-releases the main set with all the expansions bundled in, at worst a few months after the expansion is released. FFXI, DAOC, they all do it.

The one thing that sets this expansion apart though is it is not only adding new content but it is changing a lot of old content.

I imagine the version of WoW that they start shipping as a battlechest after the Cataclysm will be a newer version of the base game with all the Cataclysm changes already in place. Why go through installing an old world to turn around and install a new one on top. It doesn't make sense if you are doing a fresh install of the game.

Of course the people that already have the game will get these changes via a patch.

The actual Cataclysm box will only enable the new zones, Path of the Titans, Archeology and increase level cap to 85. Most of the old world changes however will be free to everyone via a patch.

So in Summary, Cataclysm is really two things. It's new content (box) and a patch to the old content (free). I guess all expansions have been like this to some degree but the patch to the old content this time around is much larger.

Originally posted by eagle4x4

Originally posted by grandpagamer

Originally posted by SnarlingWolf

This is why I still play Asherons Call.

 

You download the free trial and have everything in the game, if you want to sub you just start paying the monthly fee and that's it. Whole game included.

 

That's one of the reasons I never go back to other games like EQ2, it's ridiculous to have to buy a bunch of expansions just to start playing.

 

You dont. You buy The Shadow Odyssey (EQ2 last xpac) you get everything, base game and all xpacs.

You also get all 3 of the adventure packs as well, Bloodline, splitpaw and fallen dynasty.

So, for one price you get the game + 5 xpacs and 3 adventure packs.

The adventure packs was soes attempt to monetize content updates.  They were charging $6-$8 for what other companies gave away in free content updates. 

I would prefer that wow was sold as a single buy one box get everything product, but right now the market is supporting the game being sold in two boxes.  Seeing that blizzard has the base game, battlechest and lich king all in the top 10 selling software list for the last several years I don't expect it to change unless that does.

Going off the post by Daffid011

Here are the results from July 2009 PC NPD sales(US only)

1. The Sims 3
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
3. Nancy Drew: Ransom Of The Seven Ships
4. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest
5. Spore
6. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
7. Spore Galactic Adventures Expansion Pack
8. Empire: Total War
9. Warcraft III Battle Chest
10. World Of Warcraft

WotLK, Battle Chest, Vanilla and WC3 all in the top 10.

WoW doesnt need to lower prices or give expansions away for free.

Also, if you have to install the data of the old world just to over write with Cataclysm, so what. It just means the installation process will be like 5 minutes longer than it needs to be. They arent changing everything from vanilla WoW.