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Friday, September 15, 2006
Haves and Have-nots
A player named Schwick keeps a very exhaustive FAQ on everything there is to know about the Burning Crusade on the European World of Warcraft forums. One thing that is particularly interesting is what will happen to the players who do not buy the expansion. Priced the same as the full game at just under $40, it is conceivable that not everybody is going to buy the expansion. And that will create two distinctive populations of haves and have-nots.
Now the expansion does two things: It changes rules, and it adds content. So at first I had assumed that the rule changes applied to everybody, expansion or not, while the added content would be available only to the people who paid up. Unfortunately it isn't quite that simple. Some rule changes have to be applied to everybody. For example the PvP honor system is going to change, with the old relative ranking system going out the window, and a new cummulative system being installed instead. It is simply not possible to keep a part of the population on the old system, thus everybody will benefit from this change. Also changes to the user interface, like a rumored new LFG system, are going to be available to everybody.
But the major rule change of lifting the level cap is *not* going to apply to everybody. If you don't pay, you will be stuck at level 60. And it is unclear whether you will be able to use the new talents (which costing only up to 41 talent points you would be able to afford even at level 60) if you didn't buy the expansion. Somebody without the expansion will be able to use socketed items and gems from jewelcrafting, but he won't be able to become a jewelcrafter himself, and obviously the best socketed items are bind on pickup items found in the Outland zones, which the have-nots can't even enter. Without the expansion you will be able to *see* fellow players running around as Blood Elf or Draenei, but you won't be able to create one yourself. You won't even be able to enter the new starting zones for these races, although I'm not quite sure how that is going to work, as WoW normally doesn't have "zoning" between zones on the same continent.
In summary, if you don't buy the expansion, World of Warcraft technically remains pretty much as it is. Unfortunately as a have-not you will be in a minority. So if you are level 60, you have a big problem. Most other players will have leveled on, and finding enough level 60 players to go to places like Molten Core will be really difficult. You could theoretically try to organize a guild where all players don't have the expansion, but such a guild wouldn't be very stable, with many people buying the expansion sooner or later and moving on. The whole environment is set up in a way that you will be strongly encouraged to give Blizzard your $40.
Of course all this is only true if you are not Chinese. The biggest group of have-nots is the millions of players on the Chinese servers, which won't be seeing the Burning Crusade expansion before 2007, if ever. Blizzard is currently earning very little for each of the millions of Chinese players, much less than they earn from the rest of the world, and so they are negotiating for a bigger share of the pie with the Chinese distributor, holding the expansion as hostage. But even without the Chinese, Blizzard will probably sell about 2 million copies of the expansion before christmas, at $40 each, which makes a nice little stash of money.
- posted by Tobold @ 7:04 AM Permanent Link
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Very interesting, Tobold!
In the U.S. and Europe, I see two camps:
1) Noobs: people who have not yet leveled a character to 60.
2) Experienced: people with one or more level-60 characters.
For group 1, the expansion doesn't matter at all. They can level to 60, experiencing the loads of content for their first-time WoW experience. They will see people running around as Blood Elves with socketed weapons, but that's not so different than my first level 50 human paladin seeing people run around in MC epics. Sure, the PvP and honor system will be hard for them, but PvP has always been tough for newbies.
For group 2, people are drooling over the prospect of paying $40 for the expansion. I bet demand is near 100%, maybe over that if you count the folks who are coming out of retirement to check it out.
So the have and have-not divide falls neatly along those lines. Everyone should be happy, unless you're playing on a Chinese server.
In the U.S. and Europe, I see two camps:
1) Noobs: people who have not yet leveled a character to 60.
2) Experienced: people with one or more level-60 characters.
For group 1, the expansion doesn't matter at all. They can level to 60, experiencing the loads of content for their first-time WoW experience. They will see people running around as Blood Elves with socketed weapons, but that's not so different than my first level 50 human paladin seeing people run around in MC epics. Sure, the PvP and honor system will be hard for them, but PvP has always been tough for newbies.
For group 2, people are drooling over the prospect of paying $40 for the expansion. I bet demand is near 100%, maybe over that if you count the folks who are coming out of retirement to check it out.
So the have and have-not divide falls neatly along those lines. Everyone should be happy, unless you're playing on a Chinese server.
I don't think *everybody* with one or more level 60 characters will get the Burning Crusade, at least not immediately. Not everybody has $40 instantly available. There will most probably be kids who will get the expansion only as a christmas present, and who will be have-nots for at least a month. Other people on tight finances and lots of christmas/end of year outlays might have to wait until early 2007 before they can afford to buy the Burning Crusade.
What I found interesting about the split in haves and have-nots was that previously (unless you count the illegal RMT), WoW was very egalitarian from the money side. How far your character got depended on how much time you spent on him, not on how much money you spent. In fact that is one of the eternal arguments always quoted by people condemning RMT, that money shouldn't play a role.
But with the Burning Crusade, money *does* play a role. Only those who pay will be able to level to 70, only they will be able to get all of the good loot. The reason why you all imagine that 100% of the people will buy the expansion is that not buying it is kind of a disqualification from the "normal" WoW society. If you don't spend those $40, say goodbye to your guild and online friends, as well as to all meaningful in-game progress.
Imagine Blizzard would have charged you $40 extra for patch 1.12, you would have been outraged. But "patch 2.0" is doing exactly that, being not really optional and costing you extra. I know it makes perfect sense from a business point of view, but it is at least an interesting way to make money.
But with the Burning Crusade, money *does* play a role. Only those who pay will be able to level to 70, only they will be able to get all of the good loot. The reason why you all imagine that 100% of the people will buy the expansion is that not buying it is kind of a disqualification from the "normal" WoW society. If you don't spend those $40, say goodbye to your guild and online friends, as well as to all meaningful in-game progress.
Imagine Blizzard would have charged you $40 extra for patch 1.12, you would have been outraged. But "patch 2.0" is doing exactly that, being not really optional and costing you extra. I know it makes perfect sense from a business point of view, but it is at least an interesting way to make money.
$40 bucks really isn't that much. That's less then the cost of an new console game. That's less then the cost of a night out with the wife. Heck that's a tank of gas anymore. The value people are going to get is insane.
As far as people being 'entitled' to new content, that's rediculous. They're paying 15 bucks a month to play the game that came in the box. All the additional content has been free of charge, so be thankful rather than feel that all additional content should be free.
As far as people being 'entitled' to new content, that's rediculous. They're paying 15 bucks a month to play the game that came in the box. All the additional content has been free of charge, so be thankful rather than feel that all additional content should be free.
I think that the release of the expansion pack may actually herald the end of WOW's growth period. Prospective new players could be put off by the fact that it will cost double to buy the original game plus expansion pack even if they don't really need the expansion. Blizzard will probably anticipate this and offer some kind of bundle deal but there is still a psychological block. The existence of the expansion underlines the fact that the game is now old. It's too late to start. Other people are already too far ahead.
Will Burning Crusade attract back all those players who have quit WOW? Speaking personally I don't think I will return. I left the game long before I had exhausted all the existing content. I left because I didn't want to put any more time into the game. Burning Crusade is not going to change that so I can't see myself going back. I have thought about it and the one thing that might attract me back would be a mechanism that would allow casual players (which is what I want to be) to participate and interact meaningfully with non casuals and old timers. And while they are at it - introduce a pay as you go subscription model for casuals who don't want to pay a fixed fee every month. Can't see any of that happening though.
Will Burning Crusade attract back all those players who have quit WOW? Speaking personally I don't think I will return. I left the game long before I had exhausted all the existing content. I left because I didn't want to put any more time into the game. Burning Crusade is not going to change that so I can't see myself going back. I have thought about it and the one thing that might attract me back would be a mechanism that would allow casual players (which is what I want to be) to participate and interact meaningfully with non casuals and old timers. And while they are at it - introduce a pay as you go subscription model for casuals who don't want to pay a fixed fee every month. Can't see any of that happening though.
# posted by 
: 15/9/06 18:34
: 15/9/06 18:34
This is really nothing new. Every game has had this, and I'll say some worse than others. The 'have nots' in Dark Age of Camelot were those without Trials of Atlantis. RvR against those who had progressed through the trials by those who hadn't was an exercise in frustration.
Irregardless, anyone who has a level 60 they're still playing is going to be invested enough in the game to want the expansion. Someone who doesn't have a level 60 doesn't need BC, and won't be a "have not" by not having it. The fact that its coming isn't a secret, there's plenty of time to save up $40 to get the xpac for those in the position to 'need' it.
The real question of haves vs. have nots though, is availability of the xpac at release. I sincerely hope they offer digital distribution somehow, by partnering with direct2drive or something (lord knows blizz doesn't have the infrastructure to do it). It took me 2 1/2 months to find a box when WoW released, and demand on launch day is going to be insane.
Being in the position of wanting BC and having $40 but not being able to find a retail box for months -- now that's a have not.
Irregardless, anyone who has a level 60 they're still playing is going to be invested enough in the game to want the expansion. Someone who doesn't have a level 60 doesn't need BC, and won't be a "have not" by not having it. The fact that its coming isn't a secret, there's plenty of time to save up $40 to get the xpac for those in the position to 'need' it.
The real question of haves vs. have nots though, is availability of the xpac at release. I sincerely hope they offer digital distribution somehow, by partnering with direct2drive or something (lord knows blizz doesn't have the infrastructure to do it). It took me 2 1/2 months to find a box when WoW released, and demand on launch day is going to be insane.
Being in the position of wanting BC and having $40 but not being able to find a retail box for months -- now that's a have not.
# posted by : 16/9/06 01:45
: 16/9/06 01:45
I don't think it works like that Brian - Gold farmers have accounts on the lucrative US and European servers whether they live in China or not. You cannot earn gold on a chinese server and sell it to a US server.
# posted by : 18/9/06 18:07
: 18/9/06 18:07
About availablity of the BC expansion: a friend and I have it pre-ordered on Amazon, where it is the #1 on the games sales list. :) Hopefully all those pre-orders will entitle Amazon to have a nice inventory!
Why are so many of us disgruntled about the fact that a game is charging for an Xpac?
Many, many games have done this before so it is nothing new. I for one will be ordering the Xpac just for the fact that I love playing the game and enjoy all of the content we have been offered so far. If you want to get technical being that blizzard is a company they could have been charging us a little more every time a patch came out but didn't, and I appreciate that.
You have to remember that your $15/month doesn't only go to game development it also goes into hardware upkeep (though it doesn't always seem like it), and wages for people doing the work to keep those servers up.
Also for those of you concerned about the "new" players after the Xpac comes out they will only have to pay $60 considering I was just at the store and seen the Original game for only $20. $60 IMHO is a small price to pay for a game that has as much content as this one.
Many, many games have done this before so it is nothing new. I for one will be ordering the Xpac just for the fact that I love playing the game and enjoy all of the content we have been offered so far. If you want to get technical being that blizzard is a company they could have been charging us a little more every time a patch came out but didn't, and I appreciate that.
You have to remember that your $15/month doesn't only go to game development it also goes into hardware upkeep (though it doesn't always seem like it), and wages for people doing the work to keep those servers up.
Also for those of you concerned about the "new" players after the Xpac comes out they will only have to pay $60 considering I was just at the store and seen the Original game for only $20. $60 IMHO is a small price to pay for a game that has as much content as this one.
# posted by : 18/9/06 23:35
: 18/9/06 23:35
I don't mind Blizzard charging for the expansion. I'd rather pay for additional content than not get any at all.
What my post is about is not the fact that services cost money. It is about the expansion creating two different populations of players on the server, with different privileges, depending on real world money. As your status in WoW previously depended only on time spent, not money spent (unless you count RMT), that is an interesting break in the social order of the game. Imagine sending a tell to a level 60 priest, inviting him to a 5-man group to one of the lower new dungeons, and getting the reply that he can't come, because he hasn't bought BC. Imagine what some people not buying the expansion does to guild life. Will people found non-BC guilds? There are a lot of interesting questions arising from this split.
What my post is about is not the fact that services cost money. It is about the expansion creating two different populations of players on the server, with different privileges, depending on real world money. As your status in WoW previously depended only on time spent, not money spent (unless you count RMT), that is an interesting break in the social order of the game. Imagine sending a tell to a level 60 priest, inviting him to a 5-man group to one of the lower new dungeons, and getting the reply that he can't come, because he hasn't bought BC. Imagine what some people not buying the expansion does to guild life. Will people found non-BC guilds? There are a lot of interesting questions arising from this split.
i play several games that have changed due to upgrades, and it's usually the same, 99% upgrade, while the diehard 1% is left in the cold. trust me, the majority will upgrade. Blizz knows this.
# posted by : 19/9/06 13:54
: 19/9/06 13:54
I agree that there may be some "changes" in the game between people with and without BC and I'm sure a couple guilds will split. If anything though it may help the diehards because diehards will probably be more likely to split off and demand that you can't join thier guild without BC.
For those of you that have said that the money shouldn't be a problem think again. I know of one person already that has his first kid on the way and he's struggling. He doesn't plan on buying BC for awhile just for the fact that he needs to find a better job and get money put away for his child. So situations like this are going to affect the game and could cause some problems. Luckily for him he is in a good guild and has good friends and I wouldn't put it past any of them to just buy BC for him and send it to him.
Also another thing to consider are the "kids" that play. 8-15 yr. olds that probably don't have a job and their parents pay for them to play. Whose to say that thier parents won't make them wait until Christmas to get the game.
I think all in all the first month or so is going to be strange with people not have the Xpac and with the bugs that will arise during that time. I guess all we can really do is just sit back and see what really happens.
For those of you that have said that the money shouldn't be a problem think again. I know of one person already that has his first kid on the way and he's struggling. He doesn't plan on buying BC for awhile just for the fact that he needs to find a better job and get money put away for his child. So situations like this are going to affect the game and could cause some problems. Luckily for him he is in a good guild and has good friends and I wouldn't put it past any of them to just buy BC for him and send it to him.
Also another thing to consider are the "kids" that play. 8-15 yr. olds that probably don't have a job and their parents pay for them to play. Whose to say that thier parents won't make them wait until Christmas to get the game.
I think all in all the first month or so is going to be strange with people not have the Xpac and with the bugs that will arise during that time. I guess all we can really do is just sit back and see what really happens.
# posted by : 19/9/06 16:12
: 19/9/06 16:12
I saw the same thing with Guild Wars once the Factions expansion dropped: there were people that immediately went out and purchased the X-pac and those were the people you saw with faction reps and the new gear; then there were people like me, who didn't buy the X-pac and just kinda stood around Ascalon City picking their noses. I still like to log into that game everynow and then just to give some lucky winner one of the many Epic items that I have in my bank account, but my character is clearly one of the "have nots". WoW is going to be no different, there will be people with epic slotted items, jewelcrafters spamming their services, and many level 70's looking for groups, and then there will be those who sit around and pick their noses or try to get PUG's for MC with a couple of level 70's to make the instance that much easier. As for myself, I will be purchasing the expansion as soon as I can get my sweaty hands on a box, and I don't care one bit that it will run 40 bucks; what I do care about is being able to participate on a level playing field for the first time-I was one of the late bloomers who joined WOW over the past 6 months. I am sure that 80% of our guild will do the same and we will all be able to group up for all the dungeons together; should be fun.
It is unfortunate that some people won't have the money for the X-pac but as someone already pointed out, news of BC is nothing new; even if I was fifteen years old I would have had 40 dollars saved up by now-and my family growing up was far from wealthy- so I have no sympathy for a kid who can't save his lunch money to play.
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It is unfortunate that some people won't have the money for the X-pac but as someone already pointed out, news of BC is nothing new; even if I was fifteen years old I would have had 40 dollars saved up by now-and my family growing up was far from wealthy- so I have no sympathy for a kid who can't save his lunch money to play.
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