$25 World of Warcraft Mount Launches on Blizzard Store

[Angerwing]

In the context of the game, its meaningless. Just a bit of fluff.

In the context of the real world, people have spent more money on stupider shit.

Blizzard charges for monthly access to a game that wouldn't raise anything resembling an eyebrow were it not online. The only reason world of warcraft can be considered a good game is in the context of other mmos. Compared to other games, is a pile of crap... and its about as good as mmos can get before the telecommunications "light barrier" is broken. So we have an objectively bad game that functions as well as something released a decade ago, yet that "mmo" bit somehow justifies the monthly rate. I know all the persistent technical issues involved with running an mmo better than most the people who play them, they just don't do anything for the quality of the game. But I'm rambling a bit...

Judging from the quality of the product vs the money obtained from it, I'm surprised they didn't do this sooner. Now, I'd like to think there are real people working at blizzard. I'd like to think this was a calculated response to the amount of money zygna makes in a year from "200 million" people. As this would certainly prove theres nothing special about zygna's business model.

And... 80,000*25 is 2 million... not 50 billion...

"Objectively a bad game"? Bullcrap.

The boss fights alone are some of the most creative in any game I've ever played.

All the bosses are reskined

Irrelevant. They don't reskin mechanics on important bosses. And actually, most bosses aren't reskinned.

It really comes down to money vs. time. While $25 is quite steep, I am really looking forward to the day they bottom out the farming economy by offering you mini transactions to buy things in game you normally have to spend time farming materials or gold.

That is an awful idea. You want people to be able to gain an actual advantage because they have more disposable income? Fuck that. That would ruin the game, plain and simple.

 

[Something Amyss]

Someone had to trump the MW2 Stimulus package.

 

[ionveau]

In the context of the game, its meaningless. Just a bit of fluff.

In the context of the real world, people have spent more money on stupider shit.

Blizzard charges for monthly access to a game that wouldn't raise anything resembling an eyebrow were it not online. The only reason world of warcraft can be considered a good game is in the context of other mmos. Compared to other games, is a pile of crap... and its about as good as mmos can get before the telecommunications "light barrier" is broken. So we have an objectively bad game that functions as well as something released a decade ago, yet that "mmo" bit somehow justifies the monthly rate. I know all the persistent technical issues involved with running an mmo better than most the people who play them, they just don't do anything for the quality of the game. But I'm rambling a bit...

Judging from the quality of the product vs the money obtained from it, I'm surprised they didn't do this sooner. Now, I'd like to think there are real people working at blizzard. I'd like to think this was a calculated response to the amount of money zygna makes in a year from "200 million" people. As this would certainly prove theres nothing special about zygna's business model.

And... 80,000*25 is 2 million... not 50 billion...

"Objectively a bad game"? Bullcrap.

The boss fights alone are some of the most creative in any game I've ever played.

All the bosses are reskined

Huh, really? Wow, I wasn't aware that XT Deconstructor and Lord Marrowgar were just reskins. That's a really good reskin.

Yup, XT is reskined as lil XT
Lord Marrowgar is a bone dragons chest with 3 skulls

 

[Poomanchu745]

Looks like MW2 isn't the only game with crappy overpriced content for purchase.

BOOM!

you deserve it for that burn.

 

[Eri]

Looks like MW2 isn't the only game with crappy overpriced content for purchase.

You say that and yet you have no idea of the actual value to someone who actually plays.

 

[theultimateend]

Got two groups of people in this thread it appears.

People who are super excited about it and see that spending 25 bucks for a mount that can be used on 50 characters isn't too shabby.

Then you got the people who think they are better than everyone and are getting on a high horse of their own about how anyone purchasing this kind of thing is a fucktard because "It is not tangible". It is no less tangible than a movie, a sports game, or basically any other form of entertainment.

They've produced a product that makes folks happy, they charge a price on something entirely optional that you can basically get free in game, so why buy? Well perhaps you want to save some time, because you'd like to get straight to what you enjoy. Or perhaps you like collecting mounts. Or perhaps you are an autonomous being that doesn't need some stranger belittling their hobbies just because they aren't your hobbies.

At any rate, I don't know if I'm getting one, but my father in law is .

 

[Dastardos]

I hate that it's for sale, because it makes this amazing mount less impressive in terms of obtaining, but I'm sure as hell gonna buy it.

Currently in Queue...

Position: 61997 - Estimated time: 4 hours

/sigh

 

[ramox]

As someone who was pretty close to getting the 100 mount achievement (about 70 i think) before i stopped playing last year i can savely say that i would have bought the thing without thinking a second about it would i still play WoW...

Some complain that it's unfair that they had to grind for ages for their special mounts while any Joe Average can grab this just by spending real money. That's BS, Someone flying around on Algalons horse wouldn't lessen my pride and joy riding my Chopper [http://www.wowhead.com/item=41508] or my Black Proto-Drake [http://www.wowhead.com/item=44164].

I really don't see how this is bad in any possible way. You want it you buy it. You dont? You skip it.

EDIT: 50th post! Go me!

 

[Liberaliter]

Looks like MW2 isn't the only game with crappy overpriced content for purchase.

You say that and yet you have no idea of the actual value to someone who actually plays.

Quite a bit judging by the type of people who play WoW. Hurry up Blizzard and release a decent game.

 

[Bigeyez]

When you think about it, the people who got the TCG items probably spent a whole lot more than $25 on their respective mounts.

Edit: Also, that thing looks cool as hell. Kinda want.

Pretty much this. Besides getting one on every toon and future toons made it a definite buy for me, and I'm guessing many other alt-oholics as well.

 

[NeutralDrow]

That does seem pretty cool, and it would save a bit of in-game gold for my non-mounted characters, while at the same time not being a microtransation advantage.

I don't think I'll get one (I'm saving that money for a server transfer when Cataclysm hits), but it's still cool.

 

[Caliostro]

Oh come on, that's just taking the piss...

People actually buy this crap then wonder why the gaming industry approaches them with trousers down and lube in hand...

 

[ninjajoeman]

you know the fact that its just a mount that levels with you basically being a proto dragon slash griffin makes me kinda angry. If you would buy something I would expect something like a little boost but meh... Oh and cant you just get someone to get the skin and put that skin on your mount so you have it.. oh sure people wont see it but thats a good thing because they wont think your an idiot, in my opinion.

 

[Jaded Scribe]

I totally want one.

It's a pegasus. Made out of stars. Come on. The 9-yr old girl in me is squealing in delight.

As far as any controversy (and believe me, when they first opened the pet shop, there was a ton of it) my feeling is this:

(1) These are cosmetic items only. I gain no advantage over another player for having this. No instant 310% flier (I already have my violet drake anyways) or uber dps or anything like that.

(2) The related pet/mount achievements are still perfectly attainable without it.

So Blizz is cashing in on the side. No harm, no foul.

 

[Gasaraki]

I thought the whole point of a monthly subscription fee is that you don't have to pay for micro transactions like this :/

 

[dochmbi]

Microtransaction? More like macrotransaction.

 

[Eri]

I thought the whole point of a monthly subscription fee is that you don't have to pay for micro transactions like this :/

It is. You don't HAVE to pay for anything. Optional, 100%.

 

[Jaded Scribe]

you know the fact that its just a mount that levels with you basically being a protoss dragon slash griffin makes me kinda angry. If you would buy something I would expect something like a little boost but meh... Oh and cant you just get someone to get the skin and put that skin on your mount so you have it.. oh sure people wont see it but thats a good thing because they wont think your an idiot, in my opinion.

Quite nice actually seeing as you get a free mount for all your toons from level 20 up to 80. Even with the slash in mount prices, you're still saving a few hundred gold per character.

And no, you can't reskin it. Blizz will not let you mod the game to reskinning ANYTHING and if they catch you doing so, you get slapped with a banhammer pretty quick, and have since before BC. (Apparently some players started reskinning stealthed rogues to be easily seen, and Blizz didn't like that)

 

[The Thief]

Eh. Buying coin for MMO's kind of irks me, and this doesn't feel any different to me than purchasing gold from a gold farmer. I know that it is different, but it doesn't help the feeling that you are cheating yourself by purchasing rewards rather than working for them. Whenever I start cheating in a game I usually lose any sense of accomplishment from playing it, and will often lose interest in playing it any more, even without cheats. Don't get me wrong, I know that this isn't cheating, and I know that even though the player did not spend time in the game to earn the item you could say they earned the cash they purchased it with, but it still feels like cheating. Well, at least to me it does. I guess 80,000 WoW fans disagree.

Also, I'm not too familiar with Wow's artwork, but I think that horsie looks a tad gaudy. Though I guess when you pay that much for a virtual item you want others to notice.

 

[Jaded Scribe]

I thought the whole point of a monthly subscription fee is that you don't have to pay for micro transactions like this :/

It is. You don't HAVE to pay for anything. Optional, 100%.

^^This.

The monthly fee doesn't mean they will never try to sell you anything extra. It just means that you'll get free access to the servers, free updates, etc. You're paying to avoid seeing "The Secrets of Ulduar: Come kill Yogg Saron. Only $10 to download!".