Indeed they have typically cost roughly this amount. It seem directly inline that this one would as well until you think about it for a moment in full context.
There is a central point that I have not seen well articulated most places. Collectors editions have always included the base game in the package. Saving you from having to buy the game separately and therefore eliminating an external to the collection cost of the collectors edition of ~$40.
As TBCC is being offered at no up front box cost the value of the collectors edition is significantly lower than previous ones have been. This is, in and of itself, a Digital Deluxe edition. Prior versions of this have been priced at about $20. I don’t think it was reasonable/rational to expect that price given no boxed game sales. However…No matter how much I love the game and the devs this is most definitely well over the line for how much it should have cost.
This pricing is not the product of the developers of the game but a marketing and financial team that failed to analyze beyond “pretty straight lines on charts show this price point is fine” and there are peoplethat have shown gross incompetence for not realizing that.
I’m frankly would be amazed if the marketing team did not realize this and were overruled by the financial team or senior management trying to ensure that next quarters numbers are good.
This has been going on for a while now. Various different Deluxe and Epic packages to increase the average sale price. And every expansion has had a “Collector’s Edition.”
Could be worse. The Ashes of Creation presale packages start at $75 for the basic package and increase to $500.
I’d never pay $500 for an unproven title/franchise You have to looooove gambling to do that. I’ve played wow for 14 years, I’ll always play wow so preordering there’s no risk in that, IDC if SL or 10.0 sucks because I still have my legacy content. But Ashes of Creation, what if they shutdown 6 months after the game launches
TBC Classic is FREE. You just need a subscription like on Retail and TBC Classic would be free. You just join the TBC server. Make a new toon… start from level 1 and it’s FREE.
What then are those fees?
TBC Classic would be on a NEW SERVER, a clean slate server different from Classic-Vanilla server. If you played Classic-Vanilla and you have toons from there, you can play those toons for TBC Classic. However, becoz the TBC Classic would be on a new server, you need to transfer those toons. And the transfer service is not free. You have to pay for the transfer service fee.
What is then this called BC deluxe edition?
Before I answer that, let me explain the process of leveling a TBC toon from level 1. You would start at Level 1 starting area according to your race. You would start with Weapon Skill of ZERO… Sword, Axe, Mace, Dagger, Wand, Staff… You need to skill them up. You would also need to acquire Riding Skill and you would need to grind gold for your mount. You need to level up to level 58 becoz Outlands is for level 58 toons.
Now, this BC Deluxe Edition, this is an option that allows you to skip leveling, skip weapon skill leveling, gold grinding for mount and riding skill. Deluxe edition would allow you to boost your level 1 free toon to level 58 with starting green item gear with some decent gold, with appropriate weapon skills, with Class-specific mount with bonus Phase-Hunter mount with Riding skill. The deluxe edition skips the grind on Classic Vanilla so you would start your adventure straight to Outlands in TBC. Of course, Deluxe edition is not free.
Probably not, but I suspect that’s because Blizzard works hard to upsell us on stuff all the time now. Store items, service transactions, sub packages, deluxe editions, etc. The monetization of Classic is proof of that. They couldn’t even get past TBC before full blown monetization took place.
If I was a betting man I’d say the majority of their profit comes from sources outside of the sub
Absolutely, there is a reason they really try to keep sub prices the same, any rise would really cause a giant exodus IMHO. These outter sources of profit helps to pay for increases in wherever those sub prices would go.
I don’t get it,
The prices are in line with any other expansion if you want the delux (including when I bought TBC back in 2008)
Difference is this time you can also get it free.
The fact that Classic and TBC have both costs players a total of $0 says it all. they didn’t charge for classic and are not charging for TBC.
They’ve just recently increased sub prices drastically (up by 30% or more) in a whole range of countries that aren’t the USA. Don’t think for a second they’re not weighing up the pros and cons of a US hike.
People thinking the BC Classic boost and clone and Deluxe Edition pricing is “fine” are just helping to add to the “pros” column…
You are wrong, those were increases in purchasing game time via bnet balance.
They have weighed the US hike pros and cons and don’t think for a second you’d think a company would be so deaf, and blind to the reprecussions.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that they have numbers, statistics etc as well as a team of psychologists to understand the human reactions to their moves.
The price is kinda insane no doubt about that but yes, people have the option to not buy it. Thing is, people do, they see that, so they continue doing these tiered products and price points.
You have to looooove gambling to do that. I’ve played wow for 14 years, I’ll always play wow so preordering 
there’s no risk in that, IDC if SL or 10.0 sucks because I still have my legacy content. But Ashes of Creation, what if they shutdown 6 months after the game launches 