WoW, I think we're getting screwed in the US...

[Golgatha]

Harder to quantify is potential player loss as a result of the downtime. Close to half of World of Warcraft's 11.5 million users are Chinese -- but analysts such as Lazard's Colin Sebastian have estimated that, due to the Chinese business model and licensing structure, the region accounts for just 6 percent of WoW revenues.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-b..._index.php?story=25337

 

[SunnyD]

So write a letter to Bliz and ask for a refund. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[BladeVenom]

Of course you're getting screwed. You didn't think the monthly cost was anywhere near the cost to actually run the servers did you?

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
So write a letter to Bliz and ask for a refund. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Let me help you Sunny ...

Hahahahahahahahaha

 

[BassBomb]

Originally posted by: Golgatha
Harder to quantify is potential player loss as a result of the downtime. Close to half of World of Warcraft's 11.5 million users are Chinese -- but analysts such as Lazard's Colin Sebastian have estimated that, due to the Chinese business model and licensing structure, the region accounts for just 6 percent of WoW revenues.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-b..._index.php?story=25337

I wonder how much of that 6% is farming gold

 

[venkman]

Have you seen Blizzard headquarters? They have a giant orc fountain in front of the doors. That doesn't get purchased with a reasonable level of profit. WoW is close as anyone will ever get to a license to print money.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: venkman
Have you seen Blizzard headquarters? They have a giant orc fountain in front of the doors. That doesn't get purchased with a reasonable level of profit. WoW is close as anyone will ever get to a license to print money.

cash cow, kachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

 

[Dumac]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: venkman
Have you seen Blizzard headquarters? They have a giant orc fountain in front of the doors. That doesn't get purchased with a reasonable level of profit. WoW is close as anyone will ever get to a license to print money.

cash cow, kachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

there is no cash cow level

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: Dumac

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: venkman
Have you seen Blizzard headquarters? They have a giant orc fountain in front of the doors. That doesn't get purchased with a reasonable level of profit. WoW is close as anyone will ever get to a license to print money.

cash cow, kachiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

there is no cash cow level

Yes there is, you should have gone to Blizzcon

It's just like the lifer section, only the dedicated know.

 

[MStele]

Considering how insane the Chinese government in regulating gaming i'm surprised it isn't less. The Chinese version of World of Warcraft is highly censored. There are no skeletons in the game as well as many smaller changes mandated by the government. As of now, Lich King is still banned and the Chinese government has rejected two versions so far, the latest having complete omitted the Death knight class and missing some raid content.

We really shouldnt be fussing so much about money in this sense, considering that they are playing a much inferior version of the game. Their servers are also completely isolated from the rest of the worlds, so its not like they are affecting us in any way.

 

[Yukmouth]

WoW *SUCKS*

 

[Sureshot324]

The cost to run the servers is also considerably higher here due to higher salaries of employees and just generally higher costs all around.

 

[flexy]

and i thought all the Chinese guys are on the US/EU servers selling gold?

(Chatted with "my" chinese friend a few days ago..he told me he works 11 hrs a day selling gold..dont ask me how much he makes. 2000g is as low as $15 ATM...and those people will get commissions....so he's probably making SQUAD in those 11hrs.... just as a side note...)

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage

Originally posted by: SunnyD
So write a letter to Bliz and ask for a refund. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Let me help you Sunny ...

Hahahahahahahahaha

Oh lemme get in on this...

HaHAHAHAHAHAHahahah

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Where do I sign up for a Chinese account?

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx
Where do I sign up for a Chinese account?

China?

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

When you make as little as the average Chinese worker makes, then you can complain about the price of WOW in China.

QQ less.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: venkman
Have you seen Blizzard headquarters? They have a giant orc fountain in front of the doors. That doesn't get purchased with a reasonable level of profit. WoW is close as anyone will ever get to a license to print money.

Blizzard is in fierce competition with Nintendo and their Wii and DS money printing machines.

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
When you make as little as the average Chinese worker makes, then you can complain about the price of WOW in China.

QQ less.

Where do I file my complaint?

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Originally posted by: Barfo

Originally posted by: RyanPaulShaffer
When you make as little as the average Chinese worker makes, then you can complain about the price of WOW in China.

QQ less.

Where do I file my complaint?

Even if you make the federal minimum wage in this country, you are still making like 10x what the average Chinese worker makes.

 

[lupi]

Um, this isn't a new revelation and isn't reserved to blizz. Enjoy paying $100+ for your next OS while it's going for $9.99 over there.

 

[JTsyo]

Why does it matter how much they pay? You think the game is worth $15 a month? Keep playing, if you don't, stop.

 

[pmv]

I don't see what the big deal is. They charge what the market will bear. People in the US are richer, so will pay more. If they raised Chinese prices to US levels they'd lose all their customers there. If they lowered US prices to Chinese levels they'd probably go bust.

Better to have the Chinese paying a little than not paying at all. Presumably the company and whatever development work it actually does is paid for by the US consumer, but once they have an infinitely reproducible product, they might as well sell it for what they can get to lower income countries, rather than not sell it at all, as it doesn't cost them much to do so, the big costs are presumably the development ones.

Presumably some of the next generation of Chinese Communist party officials will be geeks who once played WoW. I wonder if that will lead to changes in attitude to internet gaming censorship there?

 

[BassBomb]

I am wondering how it is possible that they can have that many players but not much revenue

Aren't those people still paying the monthly fee even if they don't get to play it 24/7? So would that not then account for revenue equivalent to the amount of players?

 

[lupi]

From what I recall, they pay by the hour and it's quite literally in the amount of a couple pennies.