Blizzards genius surprises me and ability to milk the maximum from their sheepish player base keeps amazing me.
Essentially what Blizzard has done is increased the subscription price from $15 to $20 a solid increase of 33% for the clueless people out there. Before you reply to this use your brain for a minute and realize that every token that get's bought will be used for a subscription. It's a fact, deal with it. Nothing else matters.
For those that will surely come and say that this is a counter measure for gold farmers, let me fill you in on a little secret: It's not! People will still buy from gold farmers if it's cheaper. Just that now people will buy gold if they get more for $20 than they get from the token on the AH. On the flip side they will buy gold if it's cheaper than the monthly subscription. Either way, the gold sellers can adjust prices as they see fit and even manipulate the market to their favor creating swings in either direction.
To simplistic.
Will people still buy from gold sellers? As you say if they can get more gold from gold sellers than they can from the AH I agree they probably will.
However by the same logic if they can get more gold via an AH token they will do that.
So - as you say - the key is the price.
Now can the gold sellers manipulate the market? Sure they can - but at a cost.
Let's say that gold sellers have been offering 30k gold for $20 and they start offering 30k gold for $15. They can do that but unless the cost of then making gold goes down they will take a hit on profits. If their pockets are deep enough they may well survive but - assuming the number of people looking to buy gold stays "the same" then every token sold is $20 less revenue.
Now your comment about buying gold if it is cheaper than a monthly sub merits a comment. If this happens it means people are buying tokens for $20 and accepting X gold for that they could buy from a gold seller for $15 max. This runs counter to your - and my - assumption.
I also think that this is why Blizzard have set the price of a token at $20 not $15 - although I still feel that lower value tokens would be a more powerful tool (six 5 day tokens say) as it would increase the number of people who might buy them.
So I think it is fair to call this a war on gold sellers; could be a very long war as well.
So in other words,they are adding a RMT idea to their game that is ONLY a win for them because there are no tokens unless someone buys one with real money and at a price higher than a sub fee.To me it never makes sense that anyone would support such a system,but somehow they will show up in game.
Eve is an even worse operation to be doing something like that because with insurance it creates a huge RMT operation inside and outside the game.You would THINK by the year 2015 devs would be trying to remove blemishes on games but nope GREED makes it so they couldn't care less and some how spin it like they are doing something good.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
People still need to pay the initial prices of the game and expansions, as well as $15 for a month, then they can start playing free after that, granted that they farm around 20k gold... so it's not technically free.
So in other words,they are adding a RMT idea to their game that is ONLY a win for them because there are no tokens unless someone buys one with real money and at a price higher than a sub fee.To me it never makes sense that anyone would support such a system,but somehow they will show up in game.
Eve is an even worse operation to be doing something like that because with insurance it creates a huge RMT operation inside and outside the game.You would THINK by the year 2015 devs would be trying to remove blemishes on games but nope GREED makes it so they couldn't care less and some how spin it like they are doing something good.
What you call GREED many call a service they are willing to pay for.
So in other words,they are adding a RMT idea to their game that is ONLY a win for them because there are no tokens unless someone buys one with real money and at a price higher than a sub fee.To me it never makes sense that anyone would support such a system,but somehow they will show up in game.
Eve is an even worse operation to be doing something like that because with insurance it creates a huge RMT operation inside and outside the game.You would THINK by the year 2015 devs would be trying to remove blemishes on games but nope GREED makes it so they couldn't care less and some how spin it like they are doing something good.
You have an abundance of gold in game but you recently hit on some hard times money-wise irl. You'd be forced to stop playing the game which can act as a huge stress relief because you just can't afford it budget wise. Now, you can use your abundance of gold to purchase game-time from someone else who has an abundance of money irl but not an abundance of gold in-game.
How is this ONLY a win for Blizzard again? It's a win for everyone and a lose for RMT chinese websites.
Some players I talked to hate the thought of gold selling on the AH so much they might leave. They have threatened to leave many times before and didn't but there's an edge to their conversation this time, they may actually leave for good. Will this only leave grinding gold sellers and gold buyers left in a spiralling pay to win death for WoW?
Thanks ActiBlizz, your greed is alienating your hard core rapidly depleting WoW fanbase.
Blizzards genius surprises me and ability to milk the maximum from their sheepish player base keeps amazing me.
Essentially what Blizzard has done is increased the subscription price from $15 to $20 a solid increase of 33% for the clueless people out there.
Find me any one who is paying a monthly subscription at a $20 price. Not anyone who is using a token. Everyone who has a subscription still pays $15. And Everyone who pays a subscription understands that.
Before you reply to this use your brain for a minute and realize that every token that get's bought will be used for a subscription. It's a fact, deal with it. Nothing else matters.
No one will buy a token and pay their subscription with it. In no token based game does a subscriber pay their monthly subscription with tokens. Other games that have tokens, also have systems in place to prevent this. A player can’t buy a token and use that token to pay for their own subscription at the inflated price. I am not here to describe what is done and who does what. But steps are in place.
For those that will surely come and say that this is a counter measure for gold farmers, let me fill you in on a little secret: It's not! People will still buy from gold farmers if it's cheaper. Just that now people will buy gold if they get more for $20 than they get from the token on the AH. On the flip side they will buy gold if it's cheaper than the monthly subscription. Either way, the gold sellers can adjust prices as they see fit and even manipulate the market to their favor creating swings in either direction.
The price of tokens has systems in place that other AH sales do not. The price of tokens can only be controlled by Blizzard. Any outside efforts will be met by caps or pulled.
$20 == ~30,000g on a Farming Website. The starting price on the WoW AH is will greater than that. $20 == 1 Token > 30.000g (possibly 60,000). The Websites won’t be allowed to under sell.
Well done Blizzard!
PS: This also has nothing to do with pay 2 win. That is complete nonsense.
So what you are saying is that Blizzard does not get $20 instead of $15 when a token gets redeemed for a subscription which is what will happen with every single token. You seem to have problems understanding this very simple concept.
1 Token = 1 Month subscription = $20
It does not matter who redeems the token or what happens to the token between the purchase and the activation. FACT is that when it gets activated on any account Blizzard got $20 instead of $15 for 1 month subscription.
If you can't understand this simple concept then i fear any further conversation with you on this topic is pointless.
This is why Blizzard are brilliant. They know their player base do not understand simple concepts like this and think Blizzard did them a favor and is fighting Gold Sellers.
So in other words,they are adding a RMT idea to their game that is ONLY a win for them because there are no tokens unless someone buys one with real money and at a price higher than a sub fee.To me it never makes sense that anyone would support such a system,but somehow they will show up in game.
Eve is an even worse operation to be doing something like that because with insurance it creates a huge RMT operation inside and outside the game.You would THINK by the year 2015 devs would be trying to remove blemishes on games but nope GREED makes it so they couldn't care less and some how spin it like they are doing something good.
You have an abundance of gold in game but you recently hit on some hard times money-wise irl. You'd be forced to stop playing the game which can act as a huge stress relief because you just can't afford it budget wise. Now, you can use your abundance of gold to purchase game-time from someone else who has an abundance of money irl but not an abundance of gold in-game.
That's all perfectly fine but it does not change the fact that Blizzard just got $20 for a $15 subscription. I do agree with your example that this is very convenient for the person you described but it does not change the fact that someone paid $20 instead of $15 for a subscription.
How is this ONLY a win for Blizzard again? It's a win for everyone and a lose for RMT chinese websites.
Comments
To simplistic.
Will people still buy from gold sellers? As you say if they can get more gold from gold sellers than they can from the AH I agree they probably will.
However by the same logic if they can get more gold via an AH token they will do that.
So - as you say - the key is the price.
Now can the gold sellers manipulate the market? Sure they can - but at a cost.
Let's say that gold sellers have been offering 30k gold for $20 and they start offering 30k gold for $15. They can do that but unless the cost of then making gold goes down they will take a hit on profits. If their pockets are deep enough they may well survive but - assuming the number of people looking to buy gold stays "the same" then every token sold is $20 less revenue.
Now your comment about buying gold if it is cheaper than a monthly sub merits a comment. If this happens it means people are buying tokens for $20 and accepting X gold for that they could buy from a gold seller for $15 max. This runs counter to your - and my - assumption.
I also think that this is why Blizzard have set the price of a token at $20 not $15 - although I still feel that lower value tokens would be a more powerful tool (six 5 day tokens say) as it would increase the number of people who might buy them.
So I think it is fair to call this a war on gold sellers; could be a very long war as well.
So in other words,they are adding a RMT idea to their game that is ONLY a win for them because there are no tokens unless someone buys one with real money and at a price higher than a sub fee.To me it never makes sense that anyone would support such a system,but somehow they will show up in game.
Eve is an even worse operation to be doing something like that because with insurance it creates a huge RMT operation inside and outside the game.You would THINK by the year 2015 devs would be trying to remove blemishes on games but nope GREED makes it so they couldn't care less and some how spin it like they are doing something good.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
What you call GREED many call a service they are willing to pay for.
You have an abundance of gold in game but you recently hit on some hard times money-wise irl. You'd be forced to stop playing the game which can act as a huge stress relief because you just can't afford it budget wise. Now, you can use your abundance of gold to purchase game-time from someone else who has an abundance of money irl but not an abundance of gold in-game.
How is this ONLY a win for Blizzard again? It's a win for everyone and a lose for RMT chinese websites.
Some players I talked to hate the thought of gold selling on the AH so much they might leave. They have threatened to leave many times before and didn't but there's an edge to their conversation this time, they may actually leave for good. Will this only leave grinding gold sellers and gold buyers left in a spiralling pay to win death for WoW?
Thanks ActiBlizz, your greed is alienating your hard core rapidly depleting WoW fanbase.
So what you are saying is that Blizzard does not get $20 instead of $15 when a token gets redeemed for a subscription which is what will happen with every single token. You seem to have problems understanding this very simple concept.
1 Token = 1 Month subscription = $20
It does not matter who redeems the token or what happens to the token between the purchase and the activation. FACT is that when it gets activated on any account Blizzard got $20 instead of $15 for 1 month subscription.
If you can't understand this simple concept then i fear any further conversation with you on this topic is pointless.
_________________________________________________________________________
This is why Blizzard are brilliant. They know their player base do not understand simple concepts like this and think Blizzard did them a favor and is fighting Gold Sellers.