Fancy Horse Makes Blizzard $2 Million in Four Hours at $25 a pop

[CPA]

IMO, they should be giving something back to the community - not new smash-hit games (though those are nice, but let's face it, they're going to make more cash off of those as well). They really should pick a charity, and if they have, be more vocal about it.

WTF? Do you know why a business is created? Profit. Period. Jeebus, get off your high horse.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Although I agree that this sort of thing is lame, what is the difference in buying a $25 "virtual" horse and buying a $100 sports jersey for a team that you don't own or play for...? I.e. why is is socially acceptable to worship professional sports franchises, but a nerd behind a computer can't worship his character that HE has spent the time and effort into building. Again, to me, both are pretty lame... but I fail to see how one gets a pass and the other is somehow unnacceptable.

Because the computer game is tuned to trick your brain into thinking you've accomplished something, whereas the sports team has actually accomplished something and you're ingrouping with them.
Beating a boss who's designed to be beaten so you can get better armor to reduce the chance of fictional death, then spending hours trying to gather fictional money so that your fictionally damaged armor can be repaired just so that it doesn't break in a fictional battle and leave you fictionally dead -- the only effect of said death is to fictionally damage armor leading to more grinding for fictional gold so that you can afford to repair it so that you won't fictionally die and have to grind for fictional gold to repair it?

Being trapped in that loop is not an accomplishment akin to the UConn Lady Huskies' back-to-back perfect seasons and 78 game winning streak.

It's not real. Blizzard could make everyone invulnerable and give them a 10 billion yard 30 sextillion DPS AOE attack at level 1 with a million flying ponies tucked into their 64bit addressable inventory. That's far more than any level 80 has now. It that worth celebrating?

 

[Aikouka]

Because the computer game is tuned to trick your brain into thinking you've accomplished something, whereas the sports team has actually accomplished something and you're ingrouping with them.

So you're relishing in someone else's victory in which you had absolutely no part in other than drinking yourself into oblivion and yelling at pretty light emanating from a screen?

 

[BladeVenom]

Wow, that's absolutely insane. I had to check the stories date to make sure it wasn't an old April fools joke.

If people will buy this, then maybe Blizzard/Activision will start charging for every weapon, spell, armor, level a player can get.

 

[Aikouka]

Blizzard stated that they wouldn't sell anything that gave a specific advantage to someone. A mount or an in-game pet don't mean anything other than, "I like to collect shit."

 

[ThorofThunder]

I've read through all 3 pages of this thread and I'm still laughing about the delicious-turd-covered-in-peanuts mount idea. The skid mark response on the first page made it golden.

If they made a mount like that I would be incredibly tempted to resubscribe and buy one.

 

[I4AT]

Wow, I can't believe Blizzard would charge $25 for this. I thought they were better than that. They used to be such a generous fan loving developer, supporting games like SC and D2 for free to this day, and now we're seeing $60 PC games and $25 virtual pets... I'm both excited and scared to see what they're gonna do with SC2 and D3.

 

[Sylvanas]

Wow, I can't believe Blizzard would charge $25 for this. I thought they were better than that. They used to be such a generous fan loving developer, supporting games like SC and D2 for free to this day, and now we're seeing $60 PC games and $25 virtual pets... I'm both excited and scared to see what they're gonna do with SC2 and D3.

Everything is worth what the purchaser will pay for it

That's the capitalist system and that's how Blizzard make money, nothing wrong with that.... If anything I think it'll make D3 and SC2 awesome as they'll be swimming in cash so they're not going to skimp on anything (you'd hope so).

 

[blurredvision]

Although everyone has a right to spend money the way they feel is right, I can voice my opinion that these people are short sighted, borelined retarded and will end up paving the way for encouraging this type of behavior from game developers.

I find it absolutely sick that Blizzard is selling these items. Sure, no one is forcing anyone to get the horse, but they know that people out there, mostly those with plenty of disposable income will be purchasing these.

I know it's your opinion, and I respect that, but this "type of behavior" has been going on for years now. Blizzard isn't paving any new paths with this. Frivolous DLC has existed for a while, dating all the way back to the infamous horse armor.

I guess I just don't feel that affected by it, nor do I envision it being the downfall of games. It's merely another revenue path in a business model where it has been shown that people are willing to spend money. It's a smart business move.

 

[Anubis]

Although everyone has a right to spend money the way they feel is right, I can voice my opinion that these people are short sighted, borelined retarded and will end up paving the way for encouraging this type of behavior from game developers.

I find it absolutely sick that Blizzard is selling these items. Sure, no one is forcing anyone to get the horse, but they know that people out there, mostly those with plenty of disposable income will be purchasing these.

TBH 25$ for a mount or 10$ for a pet is no more or less stupid then having to pay 15$ for 4 new maps in an FPS game

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I love reading idiots trying to justify why their useless/stupid hobby/fandom is better and more justified than someone elses. Newsflash: Yours isn't and the only reason you think it is is because you like it, but you're too dumb to realize that.

That said I think the Blizzard store is an abomination, and a showcase of what I think Blizzard is going to become. If people want the stuff though more power to them. I actually have the monk/kt because my wife bought them for me without asking.

 

[ArchAngel777]

I know it's your opinion, and I respect that, but this "type of behavior" has been going on for years now. Blizzard isn't paving any new paths with this. Frivolous DLC has existed for a while, dating all the way back to the infamous horse armor.

I guess I just don't feel that affected by it, nor do I envision it being the downfall of games. It's merely another revenue path in a business model where it has been shown that people are willing to spend money. It's a smart business move.

You are right, but the difference is this: Blizzard is a giant when it comes to market penetration and sales. So if Blizzard simply kept its mouth shut, didn't give people the ability to deduce how much in sales it has generated from this little paid DLC, then other companies would not know just how successfull this was. This money, is as close to pure profit as you can get. There is no 'box set', there is no distribution system other than bandwidth.

But, I also agree with many of you when you say a hobby is a hobby. I enjoy playing an MMO, but paying for my service (I look at it as paying for bandwidth, honestly) is all I will do. I won't be spending money on their little gadgets ever. In fact, once an MMO starts doing that, I typically exit.

I also feel that going to a movie is a waste of money, especially in the evening. You can blow $20 bucks for 90 minutes (oh wait, 120, I forgot about the 30 minutes of previews) of viewing.

But these are just 'my opinions' and 'my hobbies'. Others are different and I respect that. but I don't respect Blizzard charging $25 bucks inside a normal MMO billing model. Again, I understand no one is forcing people to buy the horse, but they prey on people's "I gotta have it!" addictions. :-(

 

[Fingolfin269]

Who cares? I spent close to $20 on TWO beers the other night. Granted, Rogue Hazelnut Nectar is as close to heaven as you can get as far as beers go, but after I drank them they were gone. $20 was gone. Etc.

I've never understood why some of you get so bent out of shape over what others choose to do with their money.

(I did NOT buy the Celestial Mount... but now that the OP advertised for Blizz I may have to look into it! )

 

[smackababy]

I purchased the mount as soon as I got home. And guess what? It is awesome. I love the response about the economy. I guess, unlike most people, I have a steady income and can afford to do things like buy stuff I like.

 

[blurredvision]

But these are just 'my opinions' and 'my hobbies'. Others are different and I respect that. but I don't respect Blizzard charging $25 bucks inside a normal MMO billing model. Again, I understand no one is forcing people to buy the horse, but they prey on people's "I gotta have it!" addictions. :-(

That's completely fair.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Maybe I should get the SC2 collector's edition after all, and then ebay the included pet. I managed to ebay the FF13 chocobo XBox live avatar pet for $30.

 

[Anubis]

Maybe I should get the SC2 collector's edition after all, and then ebay the included pet. I managed to ebay the FF13 chocobo XBox live avatar pet for $30.

you can prob sell it, the blizzcon pets were ebaying for 50$ or so, might have been more IDK, some of the card game mounts ebay for 1000$ and yes people actually buy them, if you actually have a orig WoW CE mini diablo you can ebay that thing for a fuck ton

 

[smackababy]

you can prob sell it, the blizzcon pets were ebaying for 50$ or so, might have been more IDK, some of the card game mounts ebay for 1000$ and yes people actually buy them, if you actually have a orig WoW CE mini diablo you can ebay that thing for a fuck ton

The Swift Spectral Tiger goes for like $800. There was one on the AH of my server for 195k the other day. I attempted to buy it and got the "item is no longer available" message... I was a bit upset.

 

[VashHT]

I don't really care if they sell cosmetic stuff like this.

I would care if they started selling stuff that increased performance in the game, but considering this stuff is purely optional and won't make your char better or worse I don't care really.

To me it's like buying a PPV movie or something, you're already paying for a monthly service, and you can pay more one-time fees to access special content.

 

[paperfist]

Who cares? I spent close to $20 on TWO beers the other night. Granted, Rogue Hazelnut Nectar is as close to heaven as you can get as far as beers go, but after I drank them they were gone. $20 was gone. Etc.

I've never understood why some of you get so bent out of shape over what others choose to do with their money.

(I did NOT buy the Celestial Mount... but now that the OP advertised for Blizz I may have to look into it! )

You need a drink to survive though, a Celestial Mount you do not

 

[Golgatha]

Next up...horse armor!!!

Oh wait...been done.

 

[invidia]

When was Blizzard-Activision a non-profit, private company? They have stock and investors......

Not defending anyone except people trying to run a business. It's the people who bought the mount that should be ridiculed.

 

[rivan]

When was Blizzard-Activision a non-profit, private company? They have stock and investors......

Not defending anyone except people trying to run a business. It's the people who bought the mount that should be ridiculed.

I haven't bought one, but I don't see any reason to ridicule people who buy them. They're no more or less fleeting than, say, a round of drinks. Depending on who your friends are and what they drink, it might be far less expensive than that round of drinks.

Edit: I obviously didn't read the thread. Someone else made almost the same exact analogy.

 

[smackababy]

I haven't bought one, but I don't see any reason to ridicule people who buy them. They're no more or less fleeting than, say, a round of drinks. Depending on who your friends are and what they drink, it might be far less expensive than that round of drinks.

Edit: I obviously didn't read the thread. Someone else made almost the same exact analogy.

I've spent far more on tickets to a concert, gas, and beer at the concert to have nothing but a memory. At least this horse will be on my WoW account until the WoW servers close their doors. Ridiculing people for spending their money however they please is completely stupid.

I am sure every person in here bitching has blown more money on dumber things.

 

[crownjules]

I'd personally never spend $25 above and beyond the monthly fees for a simple in game customization, no matter how glitzy it looked. Those with the disposable income are free to do as they please, though my personal bias obviously makes me think them foolish. The value isn't there to me but I guess I should be of the mind that people have differing values when it comes to what entertains and amuses them.

Anyone spending $25 they don't have (not to mention the monthly fees as well) to feed their gaming addiction are irresponsible and need help.