Forum post of the day: For fun and profit
by Amanda Dean 
Sep 13th 2008 at 11:00AM
What does a spiffy rare mount cost? You can get a Spectral Tiger for about $900 (once sold for $2,000) on eBay. You could pay 20,000 gold for an Amani Warbear. BlizzCon 2008 World of Warcraft in-game polar bear mount with mounted, flag-waving murloc? $40 bucks. All you have to do is sign up for the DirecTV package and that fabulous bear is all yours. If I were a mount collector, I might persuade my friends to sign up for the package in my name.
Kothor of Skywall is ordering the video package even though he's planning on attending Blizzcon. He suggested that Blizzard should make all of the rare mounts available for purchase. This suggestion was welcomed by several who have spent countless hours grinding for their prized ponies.
Others mentioned that providing in-game items for real cash is a violation of the terms of service. Of course Blizzard makes the rules, and has the rights to distribute their intellectual property as they see fit. I never though I'd see Blizzard allow PvE to PvP transfers, but that has happened. Kurgan of Ragnaros believes that official gold selling is not that far off.
What would you be willing to pay cash for from Blizzard?
Filed under: Fan stuff, Blizzard, Mounts, BlizzCon, Forums, Forum Post of the Day
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zep Sep 13th 2008 11:10AM
On the one hand... it's nice for Blizzcon goers to show off their mounts as proof they went.
On the other hand... less scalpers if the mounts are $40 instead of a hundred... and there's infinite mounts.
My solution? Anything given away AT blizzcon should be linked to the Blizzard Account (WoW accounts will soon become blizzard accounts, as well as SC and WC), and only THAT account can get the pet/mount/whatever.
No more buying tickets to sell the mount (I know someone who did that... I feel defiled). More tickets for everyone who wants to go (I didn't get a ticket... /sad). You still get the unique mount/pet/whatever, but you can't sell someone the code; it's linked to YOUR account.
Matt Sep 13th 2008 11:21AM
". This suggestion was welcomed by several who have spent countless hours grinding for their prized ponies."
Thats pretty poor, personally im against all these real world money type of rewards, but blizzard is a big marketing company on its own so its understandable they use all sorts & types to get a bigger income.
I feel everything should be attainable ingame one way or another, though the Blizzcon/WWI/CE rewards would be an exception. And even then, as suggested above me, they should be bound to the account to avoid online sales.
The TCG sets are a prime example of a huge moneysink, those lootcards should be removed entirely.
Cowy Sep 14th 2008 12:27AM
Gotta agree on the Loot card's being more than a tad unfair in a lot of ways. Given wows popularity, its just a given than any lootcard worth having is going to come at a very steep price.
That Ethereal trader pet (Loot card) would have been a more appropriate Exalted reward with Consortium, than a $180-$200+ loot card.
But hey, at least I have this...consortium tabard.... :/
Cakaw Sep 13th 2008 11:31AM
My only problem are those silly cards loot.
They are really cool, pets tabards toys everything.
And the only way to get them is through a card game...or lots of rela money.
I could see some of those items fit profesions, reps,rare drops, in game events. Anyway that players could get them in game and they would still be more fun.
TotalBiscuit Sep 13th 2008 12:24PM
They're trinkets with no practical purpose. If they were giving away actual items then it would be a big deal. They are rewarding people for supporting WoW outside of merely subscribing to the game. It's fine.
This is the same argument I see wheeled out whenever something 'exclusive' is released. People complain that it's unfair because they themselves can't get it. Yeah y'know what? Big deal. The point of those items is that they are rare, they are something unique and cool that not many people have access to. They'd cease to be special if everyone and their mother had them. The movement against such things is just another effort to make the game even more boring and less varied because some people just can't stand to see somebody with something that don't have.
Hoggersbud Sep 13th 2008 11:39AM
OMG PONYS!!!!! PONYS!!!
sharkeater75 Sep 13th 2008 11:46AM
fail
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Hikaru Sep 13th 2008 12:06PM
Not for people outside the USA? Nice....
Drakkenfyre Sep 13th 2008 12:39PM
Considering DirecTV is a US company, and I don't know how their presence is in other countries, but people need to get over the "USA only? That sucks" attitude on everything. Lots of times laws prevent companies from doing cross-country promotions. Sometimes the companies themselves don't want to expend the extra money it would cost. Sometimes a company has a non-competition clause in contracts with businesses in other countries. Crap happens. Yes, it sucks if something comes up that is excluded in your country, but I don't see masses of people complaining when a UK-only contest pops up from whatever company, lol.
Hikaru Sep 13th 2008 12:52PM
Well... there is no way to get DirecTV in the EU. But it sucks hard that US people can buy this bearmount for 40$ and sell them on eBay for 1000€, we (stupid) european buy it...
stalePopcorn Sep 13th 2008 12:14PM
This is really the game jumping the shark as far as I can see... murlocs waving blizcon flags on a polar bear? Really? This is supposed to be a role-playing game, with an immersive world. Everything silly that's come before has been in the context of that world; there are steampunk engineers and Elite Tauren metal bands, but those still follow the rules of the world.
Everything that's happened since the Activision merger is game-breaking, immersion-breaking money schemes that make people who aren't willing to spend more money have a lesser WoW experience. My alts can't level as fast as your alts because I don't pay for a second account; I won't be able to find a group levelling on a PvP server because anyone with half a brain and $25 won't level there.
BS.
TotalBiscuit Sep 13th 2008 12:24PM
Conveniently ignoring the hundreds of pop culture references and ridiculous 'immersion-breaking' things that have been in the game since launch does not make your argument any more valid. Stop taking the game so seriously. I really can't stand it when people open up a huge can of assertions and whining without any basis in fact. Everything that's happened since the merger is 'game-breaking and immersion killing'? This is a joke right? It must be.
stalePopcorn Sep 13th 2008 12:44PM
Of course everything here is opinion, and I don't pretend to know everything that's happened since the merger. I just wrote as assertions rather than "I think that" to save space.
That said, the new company policies -the ones I know about, the ones that have been announced on major sites- all reward spending real money with in-game benefits that can make players who aren't willing to put out more money feel left out.
And yes, you're right, thinking about the mini-Diablo and mini-Tyrael(sp?) pets, those also don't fit in the world, but everything else, down to the silliest Larion and Muigin, Haris Pilton joyful fluff, still exists in the realm of "this is a world. It's a ridiculous and nonsensical world, but it's coherent." The blizCon flag is down the same path as seeing real world corporate sponsorship ads flashed magically through the sky in Dalaran. It doesn't belong in the game world.
Koarne Sep 13th 2008 2:02PM
Well they could just replace the blizzcon flag with a giant epeen, because that's basically what it is.
With the massive demand on tickets, and the foulup blizzard had with selling them - why are blizzcon attendees pissed that DirectTV subscribers can get it? The guys who want them will just ebay for them anyway. The DirectTV thing will probably just lower the ebay price, honestly. Personally, I'm going to listen to WoW Radio's coverage, because unlike directTV, they'll probably have hosts that actually know about the games.
If you want to really impress someone, show them a PvP Arena drake, or some loot from the top-tier raid boss. Whether or not this requires skill is a matter of opinion, but it still shows you've accomplished the top level of your chosen vocation, be it PvP or Raiding.
BillDoor Sep 13th 2008 1:52PM
Sadly, I can't get DirectTV in my area.
Lori Sep 13th 2008 2:04PM
The writing was on the wall when TCG started putting mount codes in card decks. Anyone want to bet companies aren't negotiating with Blizz to put in game item codes in cereal boxes and bottle caps for free food and mana juice from special vendors? What, 2 million North American WoW subscribers? Thats a lot of Cherrieos.
Would you switch from Coke to Pepsi if bottle caps might have a code for a free 12 pack of pop (restores 2000 mana over 20 sec)?
McDonalds drink cups with item codes attached? Ronalds Gloves of Stamina?
How about buy a pair of Nikes and get a code for Nike boots that increase run speed by 10%?
Buy a Smith & Wesson and get a code for the Make My Day .44 Magnum or a S&W Ammo bag.
Blizz started down that road with the TCG codes and there is no turning back now.
Tryst Sep 13th 2008 6:25PM
Quit giving them ideas!
Warbane Sep 14th 2008 12:13AM
Except unlike your examples, the WoW:TCG loot cards don't grant you any advantage over other players with regards to gameplay. The loot cards just give you things that are aesthetic. Blizzard know what they are doing, they're not about to put product placement items in WoW...
Cowy Sep 14th 2008 12:42AM
I am feeling two very contrasting emotions of love and hate for these ideas.
Part of me is appalled. The little Tauren hunter who marvelled at the beauty of Mulgore back at day one of release is sickened.
Part of me though... thinks that Ronalds Gloves of Stamina would be kinda sweet.