Yes. BUT before DLC started being a thing, a lot of artists got laid off at the end of projects because they had nothing to work on and companies couldn’t justify paying them for doing nothing. DLC (and shop items) gives them something to do during downtime so they can keep working and getting paid.
I’m not sure I understand the question, but if you’re asking if artists get paid more if the items sell a lot, probably not. They might get some kind of bonus, but honestly only someone who works for Blizzard could tell you.
Since we have established that Blizzard doesn’t give a damn about artists whether their items sell well or not, NOW do you understand why people are pissed at the cash shop?
In their way, the people against the cash shop (not the ones being toxic about the artist) are doing more for the artists than your thread.
They aren’t, though? Without the cash shop, the artists wouldn’t have extra stuff to work on between projects and they’d get laid off like they used to before DLC became a thing.
They can’t. I already explained this. The game has a strict budget. If it’s not in the budget, it’s not getting made. Artists can’t just decide to make a fun transmog set and have Blizz put it in the game. Blizz asks them to make those when everything that’s in the game budget has been made and they have nothing else to work on until they start on the next project. They can’t use the game budget to pay them to make extra stuff like this transmog set. Whatever it costs to make these items is coming out of Blizz’s pocket, so they put them on the store to recoup the cost. That’s what the money they make from the store is for. Obviously, they probably make a profit, but that means more budget for future projects.
Would I prefer they had a bigger art budget so they could make more sets for the game? Yes, but even if that was the case, there’d still be downtime and they’d still make items like this for the store.
Because they can’t. I don’t know how many more ways I can explain this. Those items are not part of a project’s budget so Blizzard is using their own money to pay the artists to make them. They’re not a charity, they’re a business. If they spend money that’s not in the budget they have to make their money back. That’s why the items are put in the store.
But did we not establish a basic foundation that Blizzard controls their salaries and that these artists don’t get a dime of anything except their agreed salary?
They are still employed regardless of whether this is put in the store or in game.
You’re just refusing to understand at this point. How is Blizzard supposed to make their money back for these items if they don’t put them in the store? Game companies have extremely strict budgets. They can’t waste any money. They HAVE to make their money back if they spent money on something that wasn’t in the budget. It costs them money to make those items because they have to pay the artists working on them.
They’re not. I already explained why. If they didn’t have these side things to work on, they’d be laid off. That’s how it used to be in every game company before DLC became a thing. They can’t afford to keep artists around if there’s no work for them. That’s how strict the budgets are.
Blizzard makes money back by selling expansions and having a subscription price. It’s a pay to play game. Not a free game where Blizzard has to use the cash shop to make money.
No. Selling the expansions is to make their money back for the game’s budget. The subscription price is for server maintenance and patch content. Store items are outside the budget so they’re separate.
imagine writing out a post like this thinking you’re being nice and you have no clue how any of this works and don’t know what you’re talking about. And why would they want to work on their down time for a company who barely pays them.
But that’s just not how it works. I don’t make the rules. For every project (read: expansion), there’s a certain amount of art that needs to be done, and part of the project’s budget is allocated for that art to get done. Nothing more. It’s not a cash grab. The store is there so Blizz can make their money back for the side projects they give artists so they don’t get laid off.
Now do you understand why we are trying to tell Blizzard not to do this?
They are not doing it to help the artists in the slightest. We are telling them make us sub and keep the artists employed instead of pocketing the money reserved for them.
But every game company does it. What do you think DLC is for? It’s extra work for the artists (and other employees) between projects. DLC helps artists stay employed. But Blizzard is apparently evil for doing the same thing every other company does.
That’s a rather scary precedent to set if you think just because every game company does it, we should allow all companies to keep exploiting artists.
I’m sorry I completely disagree no matter what. Blizzard should keep artists employed REGARDLESS of DLC because without artists, the game would have gone to the sewers a long time back
