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World of Warcraft: Blizzard: $60 for Level 90 Boost Explained

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129

Speaking to Eurogamer, Blizzard's Ion Hazzikostas explained why the cost of leveling a single character in World of Warcraft will cost $60, a price many feels is too high. Blizzard wants to allow players to boost more than one character without, he said, the need to purchase a second copy of the Warlords of Draenor expansion. The $60 price point, however, was chosen so as to "not devalue the accomplishment of leveling".

"If our goal here was to sell as many boosts as possible, we could halve the price or more than that - make it $10 or something. And then hardly anyone would ever level a character again.

"But levelling is something that takes dozens if not over 100 hours in many cases and people have put serious time and effort into that, and we don't want to diminish that."

He added: "I am not an economist, I'm not the one setting the dollar value myself, but it's not the profit maximising price. That was not our aim here."

Does this new information and explanation assuage concerns over the $60 price tag? Leave us your thoughts in the comments after reading the rest of the interview at the link above.

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Comments

  • muffins89muffins89 Member UncommonPosts: 1,585

    they've got a good thing over there. a subscription game with millions of subscribers. and a micro-transaction shop that probably makes more money than all f2p titles out there.

    but selling lvl 90 boosts does just what he said he didn't want to do. it devalues leveling. no matter the price.

  • MpfiveMpfive Member UncommonPosts: 308
    If you have a few level 90 characters and you're sick of leveling, I can understand it. Still makes you wonder what the cash shop will be selling in a couple of years time
  • Abuz0rAbuz0r Member UncommonPosts: 550

    This is why I don't play WoW anymore.  Everything that happens in WoW is aimed at nullifying or diminishing all accomplishments at least once a year.

    Every expansion the same people would work hard for the best gear and dedicate serious time and effort to their choice niche in WoW.  Then along came something 'to create an even playing field' aka 'help the bads catch up' and you'd spend the next 6 weeks trying to figure out who these new guys are who don't pay attention or cooperate or anything.

    The best and most challenging dungeons in WoW are still Vanilla BWL and MC and AQ20/40 and ZG.  I never got done with AQ40 before it was replaced with more kid friendly content in BC that allowed everyone to get a trophy.

    That's what's so fun about WoW, everyone gets a trophy.

  • MpfiveMpfive Member UncommonPosts: 308
    Originally posted by Abuz0r

    This is why I don't play WoW anymore.  Everything that happens in WoW is aimed at nullifying or diminishing all accomplishments at least once a year.

    Every expansion the same people would work hard for the best gear and dedicate serious time and effort to their choice niche in WoW.  Then along came something 'to create an even playing field' aka 'help the bads catch up' and you'd spend the next 6 weeks trying to figure out who these new guys are who don't pay attention or cooperate or anything.

    The best and most challenging dungeons in WoW are still Vanilla BWL and MC and AQ20/40 and ZG.  I never got done with AQ40 before it was replaced with more kid friendly content in BC that allowed everyone to get a trophy.

    That's what's so fun about WoW, everyone gets a trophy.

    To be fair I think that all started in WotLK

  • BetaguyBetaguy Member UncommonPosts: 2,627
    Perfect price point imo. Doing what they do best, running a floating ship.
    "The King and the Pawn return to the same box at the end of the game"

  • PAL-18PAL-18 Member UncommonPosts: 844

    it sure makes GW2 cash shop look like a harmless gingerbread house in the rainbow island.

     

    cant wait whats Blizzards next cash shop item.

    Ps.they really should raise their sub fee a bit since they have invented so cool new item that people can play with.

     

    So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.By Ryan Getchell on April 02, 2014.
    **On the radar: http://www.cyberpunk.net/ **

  • KuinnKuinn Member UncommonPosts: 2,072
    I call that Blizzard reply complete bullshit. If they wanted to do what he claims they did, they would have this boost feature tied into gameplay, somekind of reward token for leveling your char to 90 that you can then use to boost up an alt. If they think 60 bucks is the value of manually leveled up character, then why dont they award 60 bucks worth cash shop money when ever someone levels up a char to 90 manually (manually = plays the game).
  • crysentcrysent Member UncommonPosts: 841
    Honestly only time will tell how the lvl 90 boost will work.  To be honest, if your a new player and buy one, then you are simply handicapping yourself because you won't know your character and will be grossly under-geared and under-expereinced.
  • MpfiveMpfive Member UncommonPosts: 308
    Originally posted by Robokapp
    Originally posted by Mpfive
    Originally posted by Abuz0r

    This is why I don't play WoW anymore.  Everything that happens in WoW is aimed at nullifying or diminishing all accomplishments at least once a year.

    Every expansion the same people would work hard for the best gear and dedicate serious time and effort to their choice niche in WoW.  Then along came something 'to create an even playing field' aka 'help the bads catch up' and you'd spend the next 6 weeks trying to figure out who these new guys are who don't pay attention or cooperate or anything.

    The best and most challenging dungeons in WoW are still Vanilla BWL and MC and AQ20/40 and ZG.  I never got done with AQ40 before it was replaced with more kid friendly content in BC that allowed everyone to get a trophy.

    That's what's so fun about WoW, everyone gets a trophy.

    To be fair I think that all started in WotLK

    Do we count 3.0 as BC or WolK? Technically WolK hasnt launched yet, it was the pre-wolk patch.

    I'm not on about that. I'm saying WoW was toned down alot after TBC, why do you think it was at it's peak in Wrath? Because welfare gear was thrown at the player base

  • GatlanGatlan Member UncommonPosts: 141

    /nvm

  • SanguinelustSanguinelust Member UncommonPosts: 812
    Not to devalue the effort of leveling eh? Well how about I hate leveling in WoW so much anymore that I'd rather play something else than shelling out 4 months worth of sub costs than re-sub and do it myself. Price yourselves right out of re-subbing players so as to not offend current subscribers...dumbasses.
  • WingedNazgulWingedNazgul Member UncommonPosts: 10

    Hahahahahahahahahaha!

     

    Blizzard, you wanna know what really devalues the accomplishment of leveling?  Selling max characters does.

  • mbrodiembrodie Member RarePosts: 1,504
    sounds like WoW is overvaluing their leveling speed.. last time i leveled a character to 90, it was just over 3 days played... thats hardly hundreds of hours lol
  • Path4Path4 Member Posts: 35

    I have 11 90's and I'll tell you leveling get really old really fast.

    Devalues the exp rofl, it saves your sanity of playing old content that no one does.

    It's another cash grab by a failing game.  The game is still strong, but its on it's last legs I think.

  • seafirexseafirex Member UncommonPosts: 419

    WoW 11 characters at 90, now i know why you are tired of leveling. Gratz in a sense. But why should all the new players or the ones that just came back or will be coming back should feel like putting 60$ to get instant 90 just because some like you have 11 x 90's.???? 

     

    That's the point they are trying to make. It is not the altoholic they want to feed here, that wants them at 10 or 20$ they want to help those that barely have a toon or none at all get into the new content. Thats what a mmorpg is about to level up

    Edit : thats why it is 60$

    I think buddy it is time to change game in your case because the new xpac is 10 level not 5 like the last 2 : cata and mop.

    You are barely gona make 1 or 2 to 100 this time to that level. Otherwise you might end up playing another 1 to 1 and a half year to have all those 90 to 100 :) Or you might be able to pull it off quick but to gear them all good luck

    Edit 2 : 1 other thing if you are in a guild it is possible easily to levelup those characters to 100 inside a week by grouping 5 people together and quest + dungeons or quest and pvp all the time . Makes you more socialize at the same time . So why make the price so low. to raid faster and listened to people complain a few months after again that there is no content end game???

  • marsh9799marsh9799 Member Posts: 100
    Originally posted by Mpfive
    Originally posted by Robokapp
    Originally posted by Mpfive
    Originally posted by Abuz0r

    This is why I don't play WoW anymore.  Everything that happens in WoW is aimed at nullifying or diminishing all accomplishments at least once a year.

    Every expansion the same people would work hard for the best gear and dedicate serious time and effort to their choice niche in WoW.  Then along came something 'to create an even playing field' aka 'help the bads catch up' and you'd spend the next 6 weeks trying to figure out who these new guys are who don't pay attention or cooperate or anything.

    The best and most challenging dungeons in WoW are still Vanilla BWL and MC and AQ20/40 and ZG.  I never got done with AQ40 before it was replaced with more kid friendly content in BC that allowed everyone to get a trophy.

    That's what's so fun about WoW, everyone gets a trophy.

    To be fair I think that all started in WotLK

    Do we count 3.0 as BC or WolK? Technically WolK hasnt launched yet, it was the pre-wolk patch.

    I'm not on about that. I'm saying WoW was toned down alot after TBC, why do you think it was at it's peak in Wrath? Because welfare gear was thrown at the player base

     

    The difficulty was getting nerfed a lot even before TBC.  Molten Core was nerfed multiple times so that random guilds could do it that shouldn't have been able to.  I knew one guild that was able to clear it despite having a tank and raid leader who insisted that Onyxia didn't have an agro table (and they wondered why they struggled to clear her). 

    The difficulty was getting butchered even without Blizzard directly nerfing it.  I cleared much of MC before any raid add ons and before decursive.  Decursive, by itself, changed Lucifron from a pretty difficult entry level fight due to the amount of planning and organization required to a fight any retard who could download an add on could easily clear.  They nerfed pretty much every raid after it was released so that guilds could clear it with minimal effort.

    On another related side note, I think it's interesting that so many people have railed against large scale raids.  MC was the most populated instance according to Blizzard up until the release of TBC.  MMOs are social games and non-trivial objectives that require larger numbers of players promotes a more social environment largely through making guilds and a friend list relevant.  Remember the time you ran UBRS or Dire Maul and no one said anything the entire run?  Neither do I.  Dire Maul required some coordination, UBRS was largely a snooze fest until it required coordination.  Random group / raid I get stuck in from Raid or Group finder does not require coordination or communication.  Maybe a few words get uttered once a blue moon, but for the most part, it feels like drones going through the motions.

  • OziiusOziius Member UncommonPosts: 1,406

    I think deep psychological issues and mmo gamers go hand and hand. Can someone explain to me how someone paying $60 and boosting to 90 diminishes my sense of achievement from leveling to 90? It only can if I let it. If I really enjoyed the leveling process, the quest, the stories, the zones, how could it all go to shit cause some other player I've never met chose to spend $60 and skip it all? How? Please explain it to me.


    The problem is that everyone is too damn concerned with what people they don't even know are doing. The value of playing MMOs at all is something personal. Trust me, employers and teachers don't give a turd about you're raiding gear.


    Just enjoy yiurself. That's the purpose.

  • OzmodanOzmodan Member EpicPosts: 9,726

    Bash it all you want, it is a good business decision and lets not forget that this is a business, employees get paid to make these games.  For people that don't have a lot of time to level a character this is a good deal.

    Actually compared to many f2p games this is cheap.  Heck it is easy to spend $30-50 for a mount in many PW games.

    The only thing that I disliked in the story was the indication that the new expansion will cost $60, that is rather high for an expansion cost and none of their expansions have been that encompassing lately.  This one had better be a dozy.

  • NephelaiNephelai Member UncommonPosts: 185
    Value in leveling? that's the most stupidest thing I've heard. I have over 12 chars all leveled the hard way but I couldn't care less if someone wants to skip leveling I just happen to enjoy the journey. Why don't they just be honest and say the cash cow has found another way to extract more money just like re-used content zones in WoD, scenario's, LFR etc. is to reduce costs. They must think consumers are stupid. Leveling is nothing but a time sync and they know it that's why they want their $60 for it as opposed to the sub cost over that same period.
  • OziiusOziius Member UncommonPosts: 1,406
    Originally posted by Kuinn

    I call that Blizzard reply complete bullshit. If they wanted to do what he claims they did, they would have this boost feature tied into gameplay, somekind of reward token for leveling your char to 90 that you can then use to boost up an alt. If they think 60 bucks is the value of manually leveled up character, then why dont they award 60 bucks worth cash shop money when ever someone levels up a char to 90 manually (manually = plays the game).

     

    This is just a shot in the dark here... But I assume they don't do that due to the fact that they are a business. I believe they may need money to pay people and whatnot, and giving away free boost to 90 everyone someone hits 90 would be an epically bad business decision.
  • OziiusOziius Member UncommonPosts: 1,406
    Originally posted by Ozmodan

    Bash it all you want, it is a good business decision and lets not forget that this is a business, employees get paid to make these games.  For people that don't have a lot of time to level a character this is a good deal.Actually compared to many f2p games this is cheap.  Heck it is easy to spend $30-50 for a mount in many PW games.The only thing that I disliked in the story was the indication that the new expansion will cost $60, that is rather high for an expansion cost and none of their expansions have been that encompassing lately.  This one had better be a dozy.

     

    Then what you said doesn't really make sense. You're OK with the $60,to boost a character, but not OK with the expansion price if $60. You get a character boost with the expansion, which is a $60 value on top of the $40 expansion. Therefore, you're actually getting a $40 discount in their eyes lol
  • Nickhead420Nickhead420 Member UncommonPosts: 251
    So, a free 90 with the purchase of a $40 expansion doesn't "devalue the accomplishment of leveling" but charging less than $60 without the expansion does?  Where did that logic come from?  I'm so glad I don't give Blizzard money any more.
     
    Edit: Curious, where is the indication that the expansion will cost $60?
  • fascismfascism Member UncommonPosts: 428
    I think that at this point if somebody really wants to check out WoW, 60 dollars for a lv 90 is a better option than pressing Tab+1,2,3 for 75-100 hours with no chance of dying and no challenge, this isnt the same game we all quit years ago guys, its an instance dungeon game with a massive lobby added in.
  • jesteralwaysjesteralways Member RarePosts: 2,560
    We have come to a point where there are millions of people who loves to hate world of warcraft and blizzard. no matter what they do or how many new features or how many more content they add to the game, these haters will continue to hate them. it is high time blizzard just completely ignore negative press and go on with their decisions. if it doesn't take, let it be so. don't release any game for 2 years and then people will beg them to release a game. 

    Boobs are LIFE, Boobs are LOVE, Boobs are JUSTICE, Boobs are mankind's HOPES and DREAMS. People who complain about boobs have lost their humanity.

  • TekaelonTekaelon Member UncommonPosts: 604
    WoW really has become a joke! Then again so are the people who would pay to max level a character. The game and character alike will mean nothing!
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