Loyalty is inherently monetized. Everyone pays, it’s not an either or.
Not really. You play when you want to play regardless of the exact specific moment you drop your character into the content.
Only way this holds relevancy is if early access players gain a competitive advantage, but I’d argue they fundamentally don’t because everyone starts Season 1 on the same day.
No more worrying than the status quo, money hungry executive vampires are always here to monitize the content. A 3 day difference doesn’t amount to much imo.
I could flip that and say introducing early access benefits the game by helping to compartmentalize server loads during peak hours so that the game is at least playable for the majority of people regardless of whether they even have early access.
Oh I didn’t feel pressured to pay for Early Access. It’s completely inconsequential to me. The gryphon statue is ultimately what pressured me to fork over the cash lol
I think you bring up some interesting points and i don’t want my critique of those points to come across as passive aggressive.
Id say that there are things to criticize for early access for sure, as well as Tender bundles, but that goes without saying. All monitization is predatory and each having its own unique set of disadvantages.
That said, early access doesn’t affect me the same way it affects you or anyone else exactly. I play solo, so having that day 1 experience with all your friends together at the same time is just a luxury i never had.
I think they planned on having more down time.
Like the app the other day said it would be 12 hours maintenance today, but then it was corrected to just an hour.
I went with Epic not because of early access but because of the pet and toy. Plus when you consider it’s $15 for one month of sub time and Epic comes with 1 free month, then you are just paying $5 for a few pets and toy compared to getting Heroic expansion. Early access is just a bonus for me.
It is lame how you can actually level up now before other people can not fair. I just logged in and saw that I can level up. That is kinda an unfair advantage isnt it? Idk. I’ll go slow and steady anyways. I dont care about racing to the top. I’ll log in and have fun wen it’s time.
More of a community here on the forums than there is in game anyways. At least over here I get to talk to people…
100% agreed, though the main thing that irritates me has been story spoilers, and that’s not solely due to early access, but it’s worsened by it. Podcasters let slip months ago a major major plot point, and now today the official WoW youtube channel (EDIT: It was actually Wowhead that did this, so I’m mad at them instead!) posted a crapload of cinematics with major major plot points in the titles.
Hype videos are fine, just stop releasing in-game cinematics before everyone has had a chance to play through them.
ABSOLUTELY disgusting to do a fake “early access” and charge $50 for it. I am paying for the expansion, a monthly sub, and I still can’t play?? How on earth is that even a thing? I am truly shocked to open the game and see I can’t play unless I pay Blizzard an extra $50 for no reason. Shame on me for thinking I can play the expansion the same way they did it for the last 20 years. Horrible practice, shame on Blizzard for doing this. Just a disgusting money grab that I will never support, ever.
This isn’t EA. This is punishing the players who don’t want to or couldn’t pay the extra 40 dollars to buy the most expensive package. Blizzard is attempting to train their players to pay extra and feel comfortable with it by giving them a couple treats along with the release of a new expansion.
I see the people saying they find value in the package but in reality mounts and pets and toys are a dime a dozen. The likelihood they will use these specific items regularly are unlikely. Treats for their cats.
Blizzard has essentially taken 3 days of the paying (but not enough payed) customers subscription and thrown it out the window.
Most importantly, this decision has split the player base.
It’s sad to see how these types of greedy business practices have been normalized and how people feel the need to defend it because it “isn’t affecting them and they’re getting what they want”.
It’s so much fun to watch friends get new dungeon and delve achievements together, and see them sitting together in a discord channel, all while reading non-stop spoilers in trade chat. And they got away with this. People are actively looking for ways to justify the extra money they’ve spent, and the “value” they got out of it. You paid them to ruin the sacred launch day for half the community, now we get the normal launch and the poor launch. And you better BET your money, which you’re clearly more than happy to do, that the suits won’t stop with this. This is just the beginning, you’ve shown them they can get away with this. There will be even more expensive super ultra epic editions, more early access days, more premium currency packages. They’re just making sure to do it slow enough for most not to complain. And people will still defend it and glaze the suits that see them as little more than cattle.
Same, was going to buy the normal edition on the 26th but seriously reconsidering it now. Like, what’s the point?
The launch experience is already ruined, most people won’t even be there, most of my friends will have already seen most of the expansion, most people will be in on the jokes and the lore.
I have absolutely 0 interest in the expansion at this point.
As a dedicated World of Warcraft player, I’m deeply disappointed by the decision to charge extra for early access. This move feels like a betrayal to the loyal community that has supported this game for years. Monetizing access to content we’re already eager to experience tarnishes the trust and respect we’ve built with the game. I sincerely hope Blizzard reconsiders this direction.
Well, I have early access haven’t done much yet. I undeleted this character a few months ago, they didn’t have any gear. So just heirlooms. I did the event until every gear slot was filled. Doing that I leveled to 71. Oh, I’m not making gold at the auction house because I don’t have any professions yet. Beginning zone gear is 434 so just vendor trash. Haven’t made much progress in the new zone yet. Got bored and logged off.
