The Daily Quest: Starpony edition
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 16th 2010 at 10:30PM
TDQ's back from an unplanned Cataclysm-news-overload hiatus! And what better topic to come back to than the epic debate currently raging over Blizzard's new
- Want to see the rest of the above comic? Of course you do. It's from Wowhead's latest comic by Noxychu. Wowhead also speculates on the number of Celestial Steeds sold.
- WoW.com's sister-site Massively has an opinion on this latest addition to the world of microtransactions.
- The 'mental Shaman talks sparkuls.
- Mystic Chicanery thinks this is more than a micro-payment.
- Big Bear Butt says it's superficial.
- Life in Azeroth has a thing or two to say about slippery slopes.
- Leafshine thinks this changes everything and asks: am I a beautiful and unique snowflake?
- Dechion's Place talks on Blizzard's marketing genius.
- Ixobelle explains how to create demand.
- Oh look, an alt! is happy.
- Matticus is ashamed.
Filed under: The Daily Quest
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Justin Apr 16th 2010 10:33PM
No flowcharts?
Sadness.
GrumblyStuff Apr 17th 2010 5:37AM
Will this do?
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/8917/flowchartt.png
Doma Apr 16th 2010 10:43PM
Replace Gearscore now wit TRH!
Down with GS, Up with TRH!
Blizzard's best addition to the game since the dungeon system. I approve of this thing with all my heart. I can even get over my hatred of Micro-transactions. TRH > GS. Thanks, Blizzard!
Dreyja Apr 16th 2010 10:57PM
you go ahead and run with that. Enjoy kicking some of the best raiders out of your groups. :) No skin off my nose. ;-p
prenden2 Apr 16th 2010 10:47PM
Mike Schramm's take on the Celestial Steed was pretty much my favourite analysis of the new mount; I'm not saying that I totally agree with it, but I love the point he brings up about Blizzard's legacy - "the only reason you can even pull off a scam like those pets is because of the hard work people did years ago".
http://www.mikeschramm.com/general/the-slippery-slope-20100415
Sterdoker Apr 16th 2010 11:38PM
Couldn't agree more with you, especially on the part you quoted.
Unexpected EOF Apr 17th 2010 2:37AM
Well, that was the dumbest thing I've ever read.
trefpoid Apr 16th 2010 10:53PM
that comic is genius.
Dboy Apr 17th 2010 3:26AM
I agree - with all the changes being announced, I am just getting sick of all the whinging going on. It's draining.
*doesn't want to see wow.com turn into the trolly whiny QQ-fest that is the wow forums*
Dreyja Apr 16th 2010 10:59PM
I'm going to have to link that comic to my guild site, STAT! XD
Moonkinmaniac Apr 16th 2010 11:09PM
I think its understandable for people to be a little apprehensive about micro transactions. People can laugh at them all they like. Yes its a cool mount and its a reasonable price, but you're still paying more for what you used to get for less. The way the pricing is going now its not really so bad compared to free to play games. It might be too early to tell if it'll get out of hand or its just another cool thing for the game. All I know if like other games these extra frills reach the price of actual console games it'd be time to start buying them instead.
Cyanea Apr 16th 2010 11:09PM
I imagine that in the depths of the pit that is Bobby Kotick's office, a decision was made:
"Blizzard, you need to make us some more money. We need you to release Cataclysm now."
"But it's not done yet."
"Don't care. We need some more money coming from your division."
"What if we did something else?"
"Like what?"
"Well there was that pet store we had going a little while back. That was pretty successful, and we do still have a lot of models and textures sitting unused in the data files..."
Cyanea Apr 16th 2010 11:21PM
Hell...you can even think of this as a good thing. As the one blog up there pointed out, Blizz just made MILLIONS today, and will probably make MILLIONS each day for the next week until the craze dies with almost no overhead.
If there's something better to keep money-hungry execs off your back for a period of time while you put the Blizzard Polish on a game, I can't think of anything better.
As for the slippery slope argument, I don't know. I guess it's just the optimist in me, but I really doubt Activision is SO shortsighted that they'd run the risk of poisoning their longterm cash cow just for a couple of quick bucks now. And if Blizz does start offering purples for cash a few years down the road, well...then...I'll admit that I was wrong.
Vandersveldt Apr 17th 2010 12:31AM
"but I really doubt Activision is SO shortsighted that they'd run the risk of poisoning their longterm cash cow just for a couple of quick bucks now"
You mean like releasing 7 guitar hero games in one year and then realizing they killed it? Yeah, they'd never do something like that.
Cyanea Apr 17th 2010 12:35AM
But Guitar Hero isn't a long term cash cow the same way WoW is.
WoW: You buy a 40 dollar expansion once, but then continue to pay 15$ a month to play it.
GH: You pay 120$ (or whatever high number it is, I don't know, never bought one) once...and then don't do buy anything again until Guitar Hero X is released the next year.
Oni Stardust Apr 16th 2010 11:16PM
If only my Sparkle Pony puked rainbows like the one in Noxys' comic. That would be the only thing that could make it more awesomer than it already is.
Doma Apr 17th 2010 12:15AM
not to belabor the point, and not to say people can't spend money on whatever they want, but...
Portal: $20
Celestial Steed $25.
And Portal comes with cake. Think about that.
Falcon6 Apr 17th 2010 12:26AM
I already own Portal.
And the steed does come with cake. He just ate it already.
....it's very odd to see him eat. It's like some sort of x-ray.
Artificial Apr 17th 2010 2:39AM
Yeah, sorry, you've fallen for the "false dilemma" logical fallacy.
Portal and Celestial Steed: $45. You can have your cake and... fly a pretty pony too. :)
tim Apr 17th 2010 3:07AM
Personally, I see spending $25 for something relatively so trivial as difficult to justify given everything else $25 could do. What I try to do with these types of purchases is to simultaneously donate (ideally an equal amount of) money to a charity...
So I just gave Smile Train $25. I know it's not ideal but, hey, works for me.
http://www.smiletrain.org/site/PageServer