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

[Joemonkey]

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

wow really? I haven't played in a few years but my account is an original WoW CE account where you can pick the Panda, Zergling, or mini diablo pet. Should I sell my account?

 

[smackababy]

wow really? I haven't played in a few years but my account is an original WoW CE account where you can pick the Panda, Zergling, or mini diablo pet. Should I sell my account?

That would violate ToS, but if you're okay with that, go ahead and try.

 

[Scotteq]

I'm waiting for actual gear to go for sale, like if shadowmourne(really good sword) was to be sold. I'm sure they could sell it for $100 easy and thousands would easily pay for it.

You can buy a "real" Frostmourne:

http://www.weaponmasters.com/shopping/FROSTMOURNE-p-17293.html


..and FWIW, Blizzard's public stance on the matter is they would never sell any item that gives any player an advantage over another. So mounts and vanity pets? Yes! Weapons and Armor? No.

 

[TehMac]

This is why I have no faith in humanity, not murderers, not politics, millions of people willfully spending exorbitant amounts of money on nothing and dedicating massive amounts of time to the pursuit of nothing.

If it makes you feel any better, Americans in 2009 alone donated 300 billion dollars to charity. That's more than twice the sum they spent on iphones and stupid shit like this.

Cheer the fuck up and get some fresh air.

 

[smackababy]

You can buy a "real" Frostmourne:

http://www.weaponmasters.com/shopping/FROSTMOURNE-p-17293.html


..and FWIW, Blizzard's public stance on the matter is they would never sell any item that gives any player an advantage over another. So mounts and vanity pets? Yes! Weapons and Armor? No.

Never sell any item maybe, but how long before we see "now buy a level 80 race / class / server of your choice" or "leveling potion that instantly grants you x numbers of levels"...

Not that I'd have a problem with these, as there are leveling "services" if you trust someone with your account information (and I think most people end up getting hacked using this).

 

[kehlsi]

we're all a sum of our memories. none of you are in a position to legitimately ridicule anyone for making memories, whether or not they are created with tangible items. and to those stating that you "can't believe blizzard would charge $25 in their normal billing model," please read and re-read that statement. blizzard isn't charging anyone $25 in their billing model other than those willing to subscribe to that service. your arguments against people who choose to spend their money on items they seem reasonable and fit are naive and somewhat childish. are you jealous because they choose to spend money on items you can't afford? probably not. you are bitter about something, though. i will not purchase a celestial mount, nor will i purchase an in-game pet. it's not because i can't afford it, but instead is because i choose not to spend money on an item that doesn't improve my character as well as so many people already have the DLC that it would be anything but unique or rare. shame on all of you ridiculing others for being different than you or for making decisions and purchases that you wouldn't.

 

[shortylickens]

It makes sense, video gaming is a service. MMOs provide a service, STEAM does, IMPULSE does and Blizzard wants us all buying things from their service and promoting BNet.

The payoffs can be felt down the line when they expand their market base by appealing to many different types of players and have them hooked on the service they provide.

Maybe even rolling up all Blizzard gaming under one banner and one monthly fee to access BNet, WoW or the next games coming down the line.

I'm sure they have a plan to get more pennies from us and not just this one initial purchase cost from us.

Agreed.
Constant inflow of money is much better than sporadic purchases.

I wonder how long before we can no longer buy cars, just rent them with flexible plans.

 

[Fingolfin269]

This is why I have no faith in humanity, not murderers, not politics, millions of people willfully spending exorbitant amounts of money on nothing and dedicating massive amounts of time to the pursuit of nothing.

So you think the money just disappears upon clicking proceed with transaction? Blizzard doesn't do anything charitable with their money? Their stockholders don't do anything charitable with their money?

And yet here we are, you and me, posting away about 'nothing' on a message board when we could have been outside doing something productive for the environment or our fellow man.

 

[shortylickens]

So you think the money just disappears upon clicking proceed with transaction? Blizzard doesn't do anything charitable with their money? Their stockholders don't do anything charitable with their money?

And yet here we are, you and me, posting away about 'nothing' on a message board when we could have been outside doing something productive for the environment or our fellow man.

It doesnt change the fact that people do ridiculously stupid shit with their money.
Yes, its entirely possible that money will eventually work its way around to something useful, but thats a huge gamble. Not a promise. And its not a good argument by itself. Its the same justification the government uses for shitting massive money on projects. Almost like trickle down economics.

A better argument would be "do they get their money's worth of entertainment?" If yes, then it was money well spent, even though to me it seems like a not so good use of money.
Then again, some people piss away 950,000 dollars on an Enzo Ferrari and I honestly doubt they got their money's worth of entertainment from it. So I suppose 15-25 dollars a month really isnt so bad. If they dont mind, let them.
I sure as hell wouldnt, but I acknowledge we all have our own little personalities.

 

[Fingolfin269]

It doesnt change the fact that people do ridiculously stupid shit with their money.
Yes, its entirely possible that money will eventually work its way around to something useful, but thats a huge gamble. Not a promise. And its not a good argument by itself. Its the same justification the government uses for shitting massive money on projects. Almost like trickle down economics.

A better argument would be "do they get their money's worth of entertainment?" If yes, then it was money well spent, even though to me it seems like a not so good use of money.
Then again, some people piss away 950,000 dollars on an Enzo Ferrari and I honestly doubt they got their money's worth of entertainment from it. So I suppose 15-25 dollars a month really isnt so bad. If they dont mind, let them.
I sure as hell wouldnt, but I acknowledge we all have our own little personalities.

You're right, every dollar of that $25 will not make it towards something useful. But who are any of us to judge anyone about how they spend $25? Ever spent $5 at Starbucks? Ever spent $10 for a beer (I'm guilty of that one)? How much is that cell phone bill? Cable bill? How big is that house/apartment? How big is that TV? Really need that V6? Any wasted square footage? Etc. etc. etc.

None of us are innocent. We point fingers at others without noticing all the stupid shit we all spend our money/time on.

And I'm with you... I wouldn't spend $25 on that thing either. At least I don't think I would.

 

[zinfamous]

Because one is tangible and you can touch and feel it and so can others and one is umm fake.

that, and there is a real difference between idolizing a real athlete--a model of what a living, breathing human can actually become with work and dedication and maybe a bit of talent; and idolizing what someone can not become--a Dream Elf with +10 mental ability against water pixies....or whatever the fuck they have in WoW.

 

[Nintendesert]

that, and there is a real difference between idolizing a real athlete--a model of what a living, breathing human can actually become with work and dedication and maybe a bit of talent; and idolizing what someone can not become--a Dream Elf with +10 mental ability against water pixies....or whatever the fuck they have in WoW.

Considering how many games have been fixed and how many players cheat to get where they are, I'd argue current professional sports are every bit as fake as anything created digitally.

 

[PepePeru]

well to be fair to blizzard they did spend approximately $6,000,000 in R&D to develop this flying mount...

 

[Jschmuck2]

I too have an original (and TBC) collectors account that I haven't touched in years.

Hmm.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Ya'll is some cheap ass motherfuckers.

BTW, I wonder how many of you slapped down 10-20 extra dollars for the "special edition" version of whatever game you like.

 

[KaOTiK]

I hope the few people that actually made it get a bonus for it. Can only imagine how I'd feel making that in under a day probably and seeing it turn around this kinda of cash in under a day.

 

[VashHT]

that, and there is a real difference between idolizing a real athlete--a model of what a living, breathing human can actually become with work and dedication and maybe a bit of talent; and idolizing what someone can not become--a Dream Elf with +10 mental ability against water pixies....or whatever the fuck they have in WoW.

Why do people keep acting like sports and games are mutually exclusive, you know you can find interviews with pro athletes who talk about their WoW chars. Apparently they think both pursuits are worthwhile. I play a lot of games but I still exercise enough to keep in good shape, it's not like you have to completely sacrifice athleticism to play games.

 

[ixelion]

After all, how many of us have spent similar amounts to take a few people out to a movie?

I really hope your not comparing real human interaction with what is basically virtual cocaine.

People need WoW to fill a psychological void, $25 virtual horse is just a symptom of underlying social problems.

 

[sadhappyrunner]

I really hope your not comparing real human interaction with what is basically virtual cocaine.

People need WoW to fill a psychological void, $25 virtual horse is just a symptom of underlying social problems.

Why do you go out to a movie? to socialize with people
Why do people play MMOs? to socialize with people

In the end playing a video for entertainment is the same as wasting money watching sports for entertainment. Both are cash sinks without any value

 

[Onita]

I really hope your not comparing real human interaction with what is basically virtual cocaine.

People need WoW to fill a psychological void, $25 virtual horse is just a symptom of underlying social problems.

Thank you armchair psychologist.

I wouldn't spend $25.00 for this, but I'm sure I've wasted a lot more money than $25.00 on shit probably more worthless.

 

[Feneant2]

Quite the discussion but this is hardly a new concept.

I remember seeing an amusing photoshop back in oh, maybe 2001 or something about Everquest. It was when they were discussing adding items for money or something, I forget what exactly. Anyways, the image was of Nagafen's corpse with ALL the different drops available and you clicked the one you wanted and entered your credit card information to loot the item.

When I look at this Blizzard horse or the Everquest 2 market (same thing on a much smaller scale as they aren't as popular), I don't see it only as a way to make money but as an experiment in marketing. In the long run, this might be the best thing to happen to MMORPGs. Once they see and study how much people are willing to pay and for what, it could open up a whole new market.

Would it not be more fun to get a game for free and then pay for additional content? It would benefit the casual gamer in that they would be able to play for free and then those who want to be uber could spend 100$ on their 'sword of godliness' and support the development that way. This could be for so much more than items... you could pay for a level cap increase, housing, new instanced zones, etc. It would allow someone to play the game to the level they want and not feel like they are in a contract.

(I'm aware that Dungeons and Dragon online uses this method but it doesn't count. Turbine has no impact on the gaming industry whatsoever due to their small size and high level of incompetence.)

 

[Juddog]

Gotta love nerd rage. I bought one, and like it.

 

[ibex333]

Who gives a shit what people buy? I love it when you guys judge other people for buying a $25 digital horse. You're in the PC forum, it's quite probable that you've spent more money on digital bits yourself.

And no, I did not buy the thing, it's too damned expensive for what you get. Not only that, but everybody has one. Even on my podunk server, there are 50 of them running around Dalaran.

Wrong. You should give a shit about what people buy because this shows you what people are like nowdays and what humanity is like as a whole. This in turn directly affects YOU because you live in this world and you deal with these people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to ignore the rest, because I feel like ranting a little.

Let's get one ng straight. Off course the pathetic beings willing to spend $25 on a virtual horse do not harm me or my life in any way. If anything they are helping me, because while they spend their time in WoW I use this same time to build muscle, educate myself/learn new things, get women and advance myself in this life. (How succesful I am in doing that is another story, but at least I am trying)

HOWEVER, it's pretty sad to know that money is being wasted in such ways. With $25 you can buy a whole lot of food... A large jar of protein powder, a nice shirt, a pullup bar, two tickets for a movie, a computer mouse, a book... I can keep going and going. But do you know what the difference is? All these things will STAY with me unlike virtual crap that will remain on the account I cannot sell. Hell, even food stays with me "in a way" because I consume it to give me energy which in turn will allow me to do other thigns. That's a lot more value than a friggin' "celestial horse"!

See.. this crap right there.. This damn WoW game.. Is a part of the problems our society has today. Obesity.. Sedimentary lifestyle.. Deseases.. Etc...

Again, I am not blaming video games as a whole. I love em! I play them myself. But online games are a big problem IMHO. These online fees, digital pets and items is a big waste of money which is better spent elsewhere. And you should care about that!

Remember, every time you spend $25 on a Celestal Horse, an underfed animal or a child dies somewhere when the $25 could have saved them. I am overexxaterating off course.. probably by far, but hopefully you get the point.

Ya'll is some cheap ass motherfuckers.

BTW, I wonder how many of you slapped down 10-20 extra dollars for the "special edition" version of whatever game you like.

WRONG. That "special edition" STAYS with me. I can keep getting entertainment from it again and again as long as there are PCs in this world. I can rESELL it too, and get some of my money back. When it comes to WoW I need to keep throwing $15 away every month to continue looking at my virtual horsey!

That being said, I never buy special editions. They are a waste of money unless they provide truly unique and special gameplay elements not found in a regular version.

Whenever I want ot buy something, I ask myself. Do I "WANT" this or do I "NEED" this? 90% of the time the answer is "want". Whenever this happens, I know I cannot spend that money.
Off course I am just a regular mortal, I make stupid purchases too, but at elast I recognize my mistakes and try to fix them later by selling my useless crap.

 

[Juddog]

Wrong. You should give a shit about what people buy because this shows you what people are like nowdays and what humanity is like as a whole. This in turn directly affects YOU because you live in this world and you deal with these people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to ignore the rest, because I feel like ranting a little.

Let's get one ng straight. Off course the pathetic beings willing to spend $25 on a virtual horse do not harm me or my life in any way. If anything they are helping me, because while they spend their time in WoW I use this same time to build muscle, educate myself/learn new things, get women and advance myself in this life. (How succesful I am in doing that is another story, but at least I am trying)

HOWEVER, it's pretty sad to know that money is being wasted in such ways. With $25 you can buy a whole lot of food... A large jar of protein powder, a nice shirt, a pullup bar, two tickets for a movie, a computer mouse, a book... I can keep going and going. But do you know what the difference is? All these things will STAY with me unlike virtual crap that will remain on the account I cannot sell. Hell, even food stays with me "in a way" because I consume it to give me energy which in turn will allow me to do other thigns. That's a lot more value than a friggin' "celestial horse"!

See.. this crap right there.. This damn WoW game.. Is a part of the problems our society has today. Obesity.. Sedimentary lifestyle.. Deseases.. Etc...

Again, I am not blaming video games as a whole. I love em! I play them myself. But online games are a big problem IMHO. These online fees, digital pets and items is a big waste of money which is better spent elsewhere. And you should care about that!

Remember, every time you spend $25 on a Celestal Horse, an underfed animal or a child dies somewhere when the $25 could have saved them. I am overexxaterating off course.. probably by far, but hopefully you get the point.



WRONG. That "special edition" STAYS with me. I can keep getting entertainment from it again and again as long as there are PCs in this world. I can rESELL it too, and get some of my money back. When it comes to WoW I need to keep throwing $15 away every month to continue looking at my virtual horsey!

That being said, I never buy special editions. They are a waste of money unless they provide truly unique and special gameplay elements not found in a regular version.

Whenever I want ot buy something, I ask myself. Do I "WANT" this or do I "NEED" this? 90% of the time the answer is "want". Whenever this happens, I know I cannot spend that money.
Off course I am just a regular mortal, I make stupid purchases too, but at elast I recognize my mistakes and try to fix them later by selling my useless crap.

U mad.

 

[blurredvision]

Wrong. You should give a shit about what people buy because this shows you what people are like nowdays and what humanity is like as a whole. This in turn directly affects YOU because you live in this world and you deal with these people.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to ignore the rest, because I feel like ranting a little.

Let's get one ng straight. Off course the pathetic beings willing to spend $25 on a virtual horse do not harm me or my life in any way. If anything they are helping me, because while they spend their time in WoW I use this same time to build muscle, educate myself/learn new things, get women and advance myself in this life. (How succesful I am in doing that is another story, but at least I am trying)

HOWEVER, it's pretty sad to know that money is being wasted in such ways. With $25 you can buy a whole lot of food... A large jar of protein powder, a nice shirt, a pullup bar, two tickets for a movie, a computer mouse, a book... I can keep going and going. But do you know what the difference is? All these things will STAY with me unlike virtual crap that will remain on the account I cannot sell. Hell, even food stays with me "in a way" because I consume it to give me energy which in turn will allow me to do other thigns. That's a lot more value than a friggin' "celestial horse"!

See.. this crap right there.. This damn WoW game.. Is a part of the problems our society has today. Obesity.. Sedimentary lifestyle.. Deseases.. Etc...

Again, I am not blaming video games as a whole. I love em! I play them myself. But online games are a big problem IMHO. These online fees, digital pets and items is a big waste of money which is better spent elsewhere. And you should care about that!

Remember, every time you spend $25 on a Celestal Horse, an underfed animal or a child dies somewhere when the $25 could have saved them. I am overexxaterating off course.. probably by far, but hopefully you get the point.

Your first problem is assuming anything in life matters. Your second problem is assuming only what you care about is all that matters. You remind me of a friend who attributes everything they disagree with as the "problem with humanity" or the "downfall of the human race". Seriously?

Then you generalize all WoW gamers as having obesity, a sedimentary lifestyle, diseases (whatever the fuck that means), etc. Please, share more of your immense wisdom with us.

Also, the fact that you counter a $25 virtual item with your list shows that you probably have never really had an original thought in your head. Protein powder? How about eating a balanced diet and quit wasting money on specialized product. A nice shirt? Buy an average shirt and donate the rest to a starving kid. Two movie tickets? How does that "stay" with you?

Point being, not one person on this earth with disposable income only buys what a person needs. Just because you "want" different things doesn't make everyone pathetic. I don't care about muscles personally, but I don't think it's lame that you work out for that sole purpose. I still think you're a douche though.