The in-game shop options are based on a terrible model. So here’s the situation, particularly for new players or returning players like myself. If you want to build a meta deck and actually have any chance on ladder you will definitely need different cards from different expansions. Problem is you can only purchase card packs associated with each expansion only. If you spend 20$ you get 15 packs, if you spend 10$ you get 7 packs. So there is incentive to spend more because you get more. But you cant just buy card packs from one expansion… so you’re forced to buy packs without receiving the bundle bonus (unless you have unlimited budget then it doesn’t matter). The other problem is having to divide up your budget among different expansion which then reduces the number of packs you can get from each expansion thus resulting in a significant decrease in your chance to get cards that you actually need. So here you have 2 reasons that discourage purchases.
When HS first came out and the first new expansions etc came out, at that time my first initial theory was to keep obtaining packs from the classic only. Because once you collected them all the duplicates you can convert to dust and then you can just craft the cards you need. It seems this theory is still the best way to do it financially to this day.
Why is there no option to put together your own bundles so at least you’re getting the minor bonus incentive. Why is there no option to buy packs that say for example include cards from the most 3 recent expansion combined. These are just 2 ideas to give people a slightly more reason to even waist their money or time on this game.
The other thing is removing options from the store. Pretty sure there has been combo bundles before… where are they now… why remove them. There has been plenty of other cool things on the store that have also been removed as well. Even the card backs that you earn monthly from playing the game, i get the process there but there is an argument to be had that there should be other ways to still obtain this content if you missed it. Same thing should go with the store. Point is you’re missing out on money because if i could buy an old bundle that has a hero I’m super interested in, guess what, I cant get it.
It is a psychological trick to create more $$ profit to have items “for a limited time” because it psychologically manipulates the existing customers being milked to spend money on it. These customers know based on their experience that “for a limited time” really means it, and so they feel pressured into buying it when they maybe otherwise wouldn’t have bought it at all. It’s due to the “fear of missing out” that we humans are all susceptible to
It also allows blizzard to control specific windows of time when their profits would increase, which I’m assuming they would use as part of their budgeting
I’m not condoning any of this. Hearthstone has a reputation for being greedy. The only flip side to the coin is that it does create sort of a seniority for older players who have something that is no longer available. This could feel special to those players
“The other thing is removing options from the store. Pretty sure there has been combo bundles before… where are they now… why remove them. There has been plenty of other cool things on the store that have also been removed as well. Even the card backs that you earn monthly from playing the game, i get the process there but there is an argument to be had that there should be other ways to still obtain this content if you missed it”
Well it really depends on how you look at it. The psychological model could also be hurting you. For instance people that are not currently playing the game are not checking the store nor feeling any pressure to get it cuz at that time they’re not even interested or even playing the game at all. But then they come back and are into the game again and if that old bundle was still available as a one time purchase then you have a chance to still earn that particular persons money.
Having this option would also in my opinion not really hurt the promotional aspect of trying to get income at certain times because when it does come out the hype is new and fresh and its just new in general thus resulting in most players still buying at that time for those that are interested. so they shouldnt really lose out to much on pressuring and removing.
Now for the seniority feeling yea no doubt there should be exclusive content to those that have been committed to the game. However I think they just took this to far. Some of the stuff I think should still be obtainable in some way
Yeah I think it makes sense to leave the big pre-order bundles up year round from a money making perspective too, maybe without the hero portrait to offer some sort of seniority to those that pre-ordered. And obviously it would be a one-time only buy to then force people to have to buy their poorly priced packs after
And to allow people to create their own 15 pack bundle, for example, rather than having to commit to one set. But I’m assuming that inefficiency is designed to milk more money, there’s no way Blizz is doing it because it’s too hard to code or some other reason
People who come back after I think 6 months away get the free deck when coming back, which is amazing value. People who were away less than that I guess get screwed
