Stolen Pixels #187: Operators Are Standing By

[Tharwen]

I don't think that the amount of time people spend looking for mounts is ever going to equal the amount of playtime they could pay for with the money they put into the Sparkly Horse.

Thus, Blizzard makes money. They're quite good at that, you know.

 

[Thor Doomhammer]

In answer to the question posed. The silly sparkling horse will not stop players sinking their gold/time, into getting other mounts in game. People don't have them just for practical reasons, otherwise the game would be full of people riding around on race appropriate ground mounts, and faction appropriate flying mounts. Everyone would buy the first available to them in each category, and that wlould be it. But go into any city and there are bears (of various colours), Mammoths (of various sizes), Motorcycles, Undead on Raptors, Trolls on Kodos, Dragons, Flying Carpets etc. etc. ect. In such issues players are interested in (deleted as appropriate) variety, asthetics, rarity, and, of course, just having the most. I think people buying this just so they'll never have to bother with another mount are going to be very, very rare.

 

[Rednog]

Which is still on my to-do list Sadly, I'm rubbish at PvP, so getting into the top 2% of worldwide arena teams is right out

Also, Netherdrake riders unite! I'm still considering getting this beauty. It'd suit my Paladin really well

I've been seeing a lot of these in my realm lately. I just shrug and bust out my Netherwing drake. I think mine looks better anyway.

Another thing to note: the celestial steed doesn't hand players the best mount in the game for $25. If you want that sucker to increase your speed by 310%, you have to actually earn a 310% mount.

Just wait until Cataclysm, 310% is going to be trainable.

 

[mechanixis]

"a transaction not unlike selling your imaginary friend into slavery."

I like this.

Really, what is Blizzard doing with all that money? Their net worth must be pretty fucking high by now.

 

[Chipperz]

I'm still considering getting this beauty. It'd suit my Paladin really well

See, that's another problem. My main is a big, hulking Tauren Death Knight (Shanoe, US Stormrage). It's bad enough that one of his professions is herbalism, the last thing I need is for him to have a glittery mount.

Well, I justified it on my Warlock by saying the rapidly-growing plants were a sudden surge of life around her as she drained the life force directly from the planet? Suddenly, it seems far less cute and cuddly

Which is still on my to-do list Sadly, I'm rubbish at PvP, so getting into the top 2% of worldwide arena teams is right out

Also, Netherdrake riders unite! I'm still considering getting this beauty. It'd suit my Paladin really well

I've been seeing a lot of these in my realm lately. I just shrug and bust out my Netherwing drake. I think mine looks better anyway.

Another thing to note: the celestial steed doesn't hand players the best mount in the game for $25. If you want that sucker to increase your speed by 310%, you have to actually earn a 310% mount.

Just wait until Cataclysm, 310% is going to be trainable.

You've just made my night, cheers

 

[FastFoot92]

So eh.....do I just give you my credit card number or what? It worked for that guy in my DAO Camp

 

[The Random One]

Buy now, before we release the new expansion, with twenty-three new areas and a new level cap!

 

[Korey Von Doom]

Sure give them more stupid ideas

Give them? I'm sure they already have this ready to go.

 

[samsonguy920]

Coming from someone who has the hardest time building up gold in WoW, even in Outland, I find this deal to be quite decent on Blizzard's part. It's a unique mount that you can't get any other way, is also just a basic mount so you don't get anything really special, and it provides additional revenue for Blizzard so they can continue giving us excellent product. And some have mentioned that it does put a ding on goldfarmers. And I see that as a win as well. What would add to the win is if you can gift one of these mounts to an ingame friend. That would make it all the more delicious.
If I was active on WoW my budget wouldn't let me get one, but I wouldn't have the slightest hard feelings for those who do, since it isn't as hard as it used to be to get your own basic mount anyway. Sure you may not have a sparkly pwetty horse of your own, but you gonna see plenty of them around. One trip to Goldshire, Crossroads, or Shattrath will fix your urge to see sparkly pwetty horse.
Shamus, admit it, you want a sparkly pwetty horse, too.

 

[MaltesePigeon]

I saw this thing today while I was waiting for a zeppelin at Orgrimar. The guy riding it was dancing around the platform and I thought,"Well he's just accomplished whatever new achievement there is and he is showing off. That mount sure is stupid looking but I guess he's proud to be one of the first to have it."

I can't believe he paid for it. I'm trying to find a word to describe it that won't insult anyone and effeminate is the best I can come up with. It's baby blue and it sparkles. I'm sure Bella Swan would fall in love with it immediately.

 

[8bitlove2a03]

Sometimes I feel bad for those sots who're stuck wasting all their free time running around grinding up their levels in WarCrack.

Then I hear that the Spies are sappin' mah sentry for the one thousandth time this week and forget what I was thinking about.

 

[Cody211282]

Well that's one way to deal with power leveling

 

[likalaruku]

That's funny, reguardless of whether you play WoW or not

 

[Yelchor]

I was fooled for a couple of minutes with that background picture. I guess alot of the core mechanics of the game would be removed by having such purchases available, but I wouldn't mind! That would perhaps let Blizzard focus on making things more entertainment-like instead of appearing like work.

They have the resources to make the best support for Roleplayers ever! If only they could stop pouring in raid-encounters and copy cultural references from every other part of the real world/gaming industry and try to be more unique with their product.

Stop being lazy and make an immersive setting like you did in Warcraft 3, Ruler of MMOs!

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

As I like to joke in the Trade chat every time someone says something stupid like "I hope Blizzard gives part of the money to charity":

"A portion of every Celestial Steed purchase goes towards the Blizzard Money Bin project."

But yeah. This gives you absolutely nothing you can't get with a bit of gold, except a different look. I think a lot of the people who are whining are the ones who put in tons of time for a special mount (or who got dead-on lucky, like with some of the protodrakes) and hate the idea that someone can get something nifty without sinking a whole bunch of time into it. And one of my characters has over 70 mounts, so it's not like I'm just making noise here.

Also, Netherdrakes are awesome. They make such a nice "FWOOSH" sound when they take off. And they have contrails!

[small]But seriously, Blizz. Where's my sporebat mount? Nether rays suck. <3 sporebats.[/small]

 

[Spectere]

See, that's another problem. My main is a big, hulking Tauren Death Knight (Shanoe, US Stormrage). It's bad enough that one of his professions is herbalism, the last thing I need is for him to have a glittery mount.

Well, I justified it on my Warlock by saying the rapidly-growing plants were a sudden surge of life around her as she drained the life force directly from the planet? Suddenly, it seems far less cute and cuddly

Whoa, that's dark. Very well played.

Just wait until Cataclysm, 310% is going to be trainable.

You've just made my night, cheers

Indeed!

On one hand, it kinda sucks for the people who invested buckets of hours on getting the 310% mounts (a friend of mine grinded heroic achievements to get his), but on the other hand, YAY, now I can have a swift nether drake without having to go back in time and get in the top 0.5% of the arena rankings.

 

[Aurgelmir]

The mount only takes out the "mount" part. One of each rank comes to... 261 gold before Reputation discounts. You still have to buy the training, which ammounts to 5260 gold before rep. There really isn't much that's been removed from the game...

Also, it can't carry passengers, and doesn't have vendors. They'll set you back another 8k minimum (I'm shooting for the 12k. It's roughly the middle). Still loads to do

EDIT - 5260 gold is actually wrong. There's another 1000 gold if you want to use that sparkly flying mount in Northrend, and that doesn't suffer from the indignities of "discounts".

This is more or less the thing.
Sparky the Wonder-horsie is only as wonderful as your skill level, so there is much in game gold-sinks to make it shine.

 

[Soods]

I would buy that, if it wouldn't cost too much and was legal.

 

[The Lizard of Odd]

http://static.wowhead.com/images/comic/022.jpg

 

[WastedHero]

I should have sold my Dark Age of Camelot character when I finally quit playing that game. I probably could have gotten a cool grand for it.