Billion Dollar Company Asks Players To Donate To Prize Pool For Its Own Tournaments

Community General Discussion
21

There’s an awful lot of people in this thread who think it’s normal that customers are being asked to pony up for prize money because Blizzard is too stingy to.

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22

I guess I am a minority who thinks this is ridiculous. Maybe it’s semantics? I “support” the SPCA, I “support” the Make a Wish Foundation - causes that do good things in my world. I’ve bought WoW pets to support the Red Cross and other charities here. But raising money to support esports’ prize money? What? Its like the NFL or NBA asking for donations, “Hey guys, we could use some help paying for that Lombardi Trophy this year”.

Blizzard has the money, (says my $25 realm transfers) so if they believe so strongly in esports, they should use their own money to support it. And if they don’t have the money, then they shouldn’t do it. No, I won’t be buying these.

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23

This isn’t a bad idea. Maybe poorly implemented.

Value has given players the option to up the prize pool for their events. Blizzard wanted to give the esports fans a way to contribute to the prize.

So instead of $250,000. It’s now $300,000 if the fans give 100,000. It just makes them feel involved in helping their favorite team.

24

You’re right, those major sports leagues don’t ask for money. They simply sell every piece of merchandise at a massive mark-up and don’t tell you how much of it actually goes to the athletes.

As usual, another GD thread displaying a poor understanding of economics in an effort to be upset about anything they can possibly twist to that purpose.

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25

Wait… A wealthy company wants MORE money?! Blizzard must be the first and only.

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There getting 75% of the profit even though wow is not a free to play game like lol

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Are they? They spend hundreds of thousands to put on these events, for not very much return.

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Interesting that the 25% part refers exclusively to player prize pool, rather than covering the expense of hosting the events. Curious. :thinking:

It’s almost like they don’t want to talk about the expense of the events themselves and just want people to support the players if they feel like it.

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I never said it didn’t.

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For a limited time, every purchase of the Transmorpher Beacon or Lion’s Pride and Horde’s Might Fireworks, 25% of the proceeds will contribute toward the year’s finals LAN event prize pool for the Arena World Championship (AWC) and the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI. Yes they are taking 75 percent of the proceeds. They money also only goes to final round meaning most participants won’t see a dime

31

You mean every participant goes into the event with the intent of winning the whole thing?!

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32

as long as it’s not required to play the game I don’t care what they try to sell. Elder Scrolls Online has tons of stuff to buy and it doesn’t bother me a bit. As long as I can play the game for my subscription price that’s all I care about

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But if he does that he wont farm all those delicious anti-blizzard likes.

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34

It’s 2019, man. Please stop this.

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35

Oh, c’mon. Topkek was stupid when it was first said. The years advancing on it have not made it more stupid.

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36

Oh 100% agreed.

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You seem to be a bit ignorant on how e-sport prize money works in the industry.

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38

…

Are we actually trying to find an equivalence between a small, cheap digital product and the 19th century fur trade?

I don’t even know where to begin.

There is no cost at all for Blizzard to stock this item, to get it across the country, or otherwise to sell it in any way. It’s pure profits, and 25% esports money if you want to take that angle.

Yes, business exist to make a profit, but pretending they’re being philianthropists, or otherwise ‘just doing business’ selling a cheap, fairly unremarkable toy for $10, and pocketing 75% of that, I don’t know what to tell you.

I don’t think it’s the biggest deal ever, but I do have a pet peeve for when people defend businesses as if they’re people. They’re not.

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39

I don’t get it.

Looks delicious.

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40

So again, this is what bothers me about the assumptions being made in this thread. 25% of the proceeds go directly to the prize pool for participants. The other 75% is unaccounted for, but that doesn’t mean it’s profit. It could very well be going toward the cost of running the events.

And let’s be real here – if the events themselves were profitable, Blizzard wouldn’t bother selling toys to increase the prize pools. They’re losing money hosting the MDI and Arena World Championships. They most likely always have been.

For those who enjoy either, this is a good opportunity to let Blizzard know that you care if these events for WoW stop, and you don’t want that to happen.

Does Blizzard have to come out and say, “Well, the other 75% goes to X, Y, and Z,” before they stop being demonized by those so eager to do so?

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