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The “Pet Store” impacts your gameplay.
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367590
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150529
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Post by
Adamsm
Now, I’m not going to argue that it is a positive or negative impact because that is wholly based on multiple things such as your real world economic standing, what it is you enjoy in the game (are you a pet collector), and your personal preferences (do you even like the looks of the items in question) etc.
What I am going to argue is that regardless of what Blizz or others say about it, the “Pet Store” is and will continue affect your gameplay.
Let me put forth a hypothetical. Imagine if all your armor where completely flat grey, and devoid of any textures. Would you still care as much about working hard to get your t10 shoulders that looked exactly as grey and drab as your t9? The point I’m trying to make here is that we all care about the “looks” of the game, and so the way the game looks has a real psychological impact on us and our enjoyment of the game at an almost subconscious level. Farming for mounts, unique pets, and even armor is fun in part because of the reward of showing off how they look, both to ourselves and to others.
This brings me to point two. When you allow outside items (whether for free or for cash) to come into the game, even if they don’t have any actual impact on how the game plays, they still have a psychological impact on the player base.
WoW is for the most part completely separated from the real world. Things you do in the real world have little to no impact on the game and vice versa. When you introduce outside elements into the game for real world cash you are placing constant reminders in people’s faces of their real world social and economical standings. Basically, you are breaking the immersion. It’s on the same level (although not as harsh) as having a Coca-cola add plastered on the walls of Stormwind. It is a reminder that the real world is having an affect on your in-game existence. A celestial stead or little panda is a constant advertisement for an out of game, for cash, item, that you either can or can not afford. Either way, it is making you think of the real world.
Now you must understand that if it is having an effect on you, whether it be a positive one or a negative one, that it is having an effect on the player base as a whole. Some small portion will hate it and quite and another portion will love it and play when they otherwise might have quite, and still others will be indifferent, but in the end you wind up with an, at least slightly different type of player base than you would have otherwise.
Another hypothetical. Maybe you would have made a really great friend through WoW. However, you never meet this friend because he has a moral issue with the for sale items and quits the game. Well you can see how this ripples through the player base and changes the collective attitude of the player base, which in turn does have some effect on how the game is designed and the direction it heads in.
What it boils down to, once again, is:
Don’t kid yourself. The pet store is changing your game, and changing the attitudes of those you play with.
Um, I call bull crap? I know people who buy the pets from the store, and it doesn't affect there play style in the least. This is Blizzard's flagship game; but hey, in that same vein of thought; I'm guessing the Zergling, Grunty the Murloc Marine and the upcoming Thor mini pet are ruining the game too, as they are all from Starcraft, and don't forget Mini-D from Diablo.
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150529
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Post by
xaratherus
Would you still care as much about working hard to get your t10 shoulders that looked exactly as grey and drab as your t9?
Yes, because the stats would be better, thus allowing me to accomplish more.
I don't personally care if I look like a clown, as long as my gear lets me achieve what I want to achieve in the game.
The only portions of the game that I specifically focus on for "looks" or vanity purposes tend to be those items that do not impact the actual game play in any major fashion - for instance, pets, mounts, and non-combat gewgaws.
However, you never meet this friend because he has a moral issue with the for sale items and quits the game. Well you can see how this ripples through the player base and changes the collective attitude of the player base, which in turn does have some effect on how the game is designed and the direction it heads in.
Every change that they make will upset some player or another. Should Blizzard halt all progress simply because the changes they choose to make might upset someone and cause them to leave, and thus cause a ripple effect? This is the top of the slippery slope that leads to stagnation.
You are correct, in that the pet store impacts my game play. I stand by my opinion that it does not impact it in any negative way that logically results directly from the online store; the impact caused by the illogical "butthurtedness" of those who dislike it does not count, because their reaction is based on fallacious reasoning.
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234695
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278980
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367590
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Post by
xaratherus
In turn your viewpoints on WoW combined with the 11+ million other viewpoints help drive what direction the game goes in.
I think that's a bit of an optimistic point of view. We
influence
the people whose viewpoints help drive the game's direction. The amount of influence is arguable; the stockholders of Blizzard/Activision have far more influence than we do.
In essence the very notion of you responding, heck not even responding, just reading the headline of this thread, inherently shows that they are having an impact on the game.
Well, yes; the concept of the observer impacting the observed is well-known. I can't argue that point. I don't think that's what is under discussion when people talk about "impacting" the game. They are speaking of a tangible positive or negative impact, not just the impact that occurs from the very knowledge of a change.
My point, I guess, is that they are affecting the game more than what most people give them credit for.
Untrue; they are affecting the perceptions that
some
people have of the game more than others. For those of us who view this as a purely cosmetic change, this has negligible impact, and so far no one was presented any data to change my mind on that point (i.e., they've been unable to show that this item has any real impact on gameplay, other than from a sense of vanity).
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367590
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193873
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Post by
archmiffo
I don't personally care if I look like a clown
That so many came through TBC to Wotkl just proves this points. In TBC we all looked like clowns at one point or another (ahhh...sweet sweet eyeschreeching memories).
But, yes. It does affect the game in your own mind. It does not however give you any kind of advantage in the game, forcing you to buy it. If a player leaves because of moral issues with this, he would leave because of moral issues with anything at all (or starve to death because of moral issues with the supermarket), so in that respect, no. It doesnt change the game in anyway other than your own view of the game. All other possible effects this might have would happen of other reasons aswell, and can not under any circumstance be directly linked to the pet store
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303152
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367590
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Post by
Adamsm
Blizzard takes in the views(aka opinions) of its users and shapes the game to ensure those opinions are positive. I guarantee you if everyone was screaming to tear down the Pet Store it would be gone in an instant. Likewise the fact that it has done well has made them continue to pursue it as a means of income.
That's the point; they are a business, and what does a business do? Make money. So yes, if they can get more money out of us by offering extras like the pets and mounts... people will buy them, simple as that. But if anyone thinks eventually they will sell epics or leveling for money, your playing the wrong game.
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