B.net to be monetized

[benx_x]

Blizzard's Wilson: Some Battle.net features to be 'monetized' - Joystiq

Opinions on this anyone?

Edit : Here is what the link says

Speaking at yesterday's Diablo III Gameplay panel, Blizzard's Julian Wilson was asked one of the questions that's been hiding in the back of all of our brains, "Is Battle.Net going to remain free?"

His response probably wasn't what you'd want to hear. "We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features," said Wilson. "We kind of have to." He went on to say that they do recognize that everyone loves having it as a free service, and that they don't have a strong desire to make a subscription-based game.

What does that mean for our beloved free online gaming service? We're hoping to find out when we talk to Blizzard bigwig Rob Pardo later this afternoon.

 

[TheDivineBoss]

Then it would be really greedy of them while they earn 10.000.000 players x $15 p/m x 12 months (what's equal to 1 year) = $1.800.000.000 a year.

 

[Wolle]

As far as i have undestood it, you dont have to pay to use Battle.net's regular features. They are however including new services that will require a certain cash flow in order to keep up and running.
And a Battle.net subscribtion is propably going to be like Xbox 360 where you pay for all your games. In this case SC2 and Diablo3 and perhaps Blizzard's unamed fourth project.

And to all those people that keeps complaining about Blizzard being greedy: Blizzard are ''greedy'' to some extend, but that is understandable seeing as they are a company that have to make proffit in order to survive and to expand.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Unlike WoW this would most likely be a very cheap monthly, if not bi-monthly fee. If they made regular BNet related stuff cost WoW prices its popularity would drop immensely, it would not be a very smart move. But a cheap and only bi-monthly fee on the other hand would be something that even kids can handle.

 

[wugiboy]

but if that was the case
I think a lot more people would settle for alternatives

 

[chenlimin]

but if that was the case
I think a lot more people would settle for alternatives

I have to agree, if I ever have to pay for b.net, I would just quit it.

 

[Squiggy]

I have to agree, if I ever have to pay for b.net, I would just quit it.

Seconded

 

[Steel_Stallion]

I'm not paying to play Battle.net

If this is true, I won't be getting star craft.

 

[Ash]

And on this day, I never play WC3 online again.

 

[frostwhisper]

If they do that kind of crap, I'm not buying any of their games. I'll go pirate on their asses.

 

[En_Fuego]

Everyone would just start using Hamachi and Garena, lol

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Yeah, people cried like little babies like you guys back when it was announced that WoW would cost a monthly fee, didn't really decrease popularity, now did it?

With a BNet that costs a tiny fee it would also mean we would get regular updates for it, it would be properly monetized like WoW is, perhaps even having GM's around. It wouldn't be this outdated bot paradise with updates once a year like it is now.

 

[En_Fuego]

WoW always costed money.

 

[Hakeem]

As long as the normal stuff is free, and only the extra frills cost money, there should be no problem.

All else fails, private servers FTW.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

WoW always costed money.

Are you stupid or something? Ofcourse it always costed money, but when the game was first announced it is not like they said "New Warcraft MMORPG - Will cost money!!!"

People thought it would be free and when they found out it would cost a monthly fee they went on a bitchfest like people are doing now about Sc2 BNet costing money. It's not like it comes as a big surprise, keeping up such servers costs money, updating things costs money, you need to have some sort of income aswell and the ads on BNet currently doesn't seem to cover it, as hardly anyone advertises there.

 

[kewlthis]

paying for bnet would be ridiculous. As for most players play custom games and make maps there for free, why the heck we have to pay for blizzard then?!

its not like you can compare bnet and wow, they are so differend. (i havent played diablo, so i dont know the bnet system there. but meh it would suck to pay for it)

 

[En_Fuego]

Are you stupid or something? Ofcourse it always costed money, but when the game was first announced it is not like they said "New Warcraft MMORPG - Will cost money!!!"

People thought it would be free and when they found out it would cost a monthly fee they went on a bitchfest like people are doing now about Sc2 BNet costing money. It's not like it comes as a big surprise, keeping up such servers costs money, updating things costs money, you need to have some sort of income aswell and the ads on BNet currently doesn't seem to cover it, as hardly anyone advertises there.

Wait, you're telling me people actually expected WoW not to cost money?

Damn, I must really have been gone for that.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Yes they did. The whole MMORPG concept was new to masses at that point and one of the only other popular MMORPGs were free.

 

[benx_x]

Well if you're right wolle I probably won't be paying for the extra features then, however if regular service costs I probably will.