[quote name='dothog']First, I know all about ATVI's supposed lack of involvement in Blizz's affairs.
Are you aware of ATVI's relationship with Blizz?
And AGAIN, how exactly will microtransactions disrupt the subscription base? Nobody's saying they sell off Tier pieces or gold. There's so much they can do with this to improve the early levels for new or existing subscribers. I cannot imagine that people who care about the endgame would raise too much of a stink about mounts, heirloom gear, whatever else so long as it doesn't infringe on hardcore lewts.
People clung to hard and fast rules that Blizz wouldn't allow character transfers, then changes in race, alignment, class, then whatever else. Somehow, it got done and Blizz made money off of it. It's a friggin business, there's money on the table, and they'd have to be retarded to watch millions in pure profit magically appear overnight for a few lousy unlocks.[/QUOTE]
I explained how micro transactions will disrupt it the sub base already if they started selling actual high end gear. The stuff you named is who gives a crap non game changing non end game stuff, that's why no one cares, it is just for show and in the case of a mount making the leveling up process a bit easier. Blizzard is also not going to want to offer gear up cause you take the carrot away you find people getting bored a hell of a lot quicker and leaving the game as well.
They are a business and they are playing the field perfectly atm. They are cashing in on these vanity type items that don't take away anything from the actual game while keeping their sub base from going down. In the long run, the sub base will win out in terms of money made cause every player is paying that where as only a small fraction are buying these virtual items. Sure the micro transactions are instant money in your hand, but if you start offering high end gear, you take away the carrot and people become bored a lot quicker since they can just buy it, subs canceled, then you have end game raid guilds that rather go to another game then deal with people just buying the best, and last the people that play the game to be with friends, when your friends are leaving you really think they want to hang around?
It is in Blizzards best interest not to sell gear as there are too many incentives to keep people playing to get it instead of doing a quick cash in. In the future this will undoubtedly change, most likely as I said earlier, when their new MMO comes out or when WoW is starting to steady decline.
