World of Warcraft Auction House App Detailed

really smart on their part actually. good business sense.  i have NEVER even seen someone play WoW. I have never ever even looked at it. smart on my part too, or else my phone would have this app i am sure.

Matt you are so hilarious the way you post news stories, it's like were having an actual conversation! Innovative!

Thank you Activishit.
 
And thank you to those who buy this crap. Thanks for ruining this once great hobby by supporting the nickel and diming on a regular basis.

" Why do people like Blizzard again? "

People laugh at this shit but they don't realize how much money blizzard is going to make from this. Shady or not, you can't really blame blizzard. If you could make millions selling something like this, you would.
 
Also, nice article Matt.

I know it's only $3 a month, but still, it's not even worth it. Blizzard can do these sorts of things because they know the idiots who play it will actually pay for it. I'm really glad I got away from this game, it's ridiculous now.

"Monthly fee."
PAHAHAHAHAHA, get the fuck out of my house.

Why do people like Blizzard again?

Just good businesspractice to charge for everything as long as you can.
 
I played WoW, I don't see how so many can get hooked on a game where you progress no matter what you do.

Wow that's expensive! But I can see addicted people paying for this. It's a smart move from Blactivision.   
Next they'll let you chat and trade with your guild through your phone and soon after, you'll be able to run raids.  All text based.
 
Also, funny post Matt.  I think I quite like you.

First I was like, AWESOME, and only 3 bucks!! Was gonna buy it. 
 
But yeah. 3 dollars a month? That's just fucking stupid, what the hell.. No way I'll pay for that, pointless. 
 
Regarding Celestial Steed, that's an ugly ass horse.

" @daggity1 said:

WHAT.  That's so pathetic, how can gamers be this stupid.  140k people waiting hours and hours to be able to purchase a virtual item, and for 10-20 bucks!  Come on.  "

3$ a month for auction house or some pizza.... 
 
 
Pizza.

" To everyone astonished by people who would pay 3 dollars a month for this: Celestrial Steed. 
 
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28129/Over_140000_Users_Queue_For_WoWs_Virtual_Items.php "

There's something wrong with you if you pay money every month to be able to buy and sell virtual items for virtual money.

I would stick my head in a bucket of vipers before I spent 3 bucks a month for this shit. I like WoW just fine (Don't play it but it is a good game) but this is just sad.

" @carlthenimrod:  That's like 24 dollars less than XBL Gold...  That means WoW mobile AH is like %60 percent of the cost of XBL.  Aka not close. Unless they lowered the price and I didn't know about it?  I renewed like 2 weeks ago though so I doubt it. "

Blizzard is a money making machine. I still won't buy it though.

I don't like or play WoW, but this seems pretty cool. Anyone who has ever gotten addicted to an MMO knows that even when you can't be playing, you are browsing websites and forums about the game, so this will sell very well.
 
I gotta say though, $3 a month is pretty insane. It will still sell insanely because people are addicted, but its highway robbery.

This is how much Activision Blizzard cares about its fans. Extra 3$ a month.

I wonder if you can sell stuff from your bag without paying the regular WoW sub but only the app sub, that would be some crazy economics/gold farming shit ;D

 Who in the world would pay a monthly fee to access non-gameplay portions of a video game? 

Non-gameplay? There are people who spend most of their time "playing" the AH. Just like people who spend all their time buying low and seeling high on eBay, it happens in WoW aswell. I know this sort of thing is what alot of people have wanted for a long time. I wont be paying for this but TBH, its not alot of money. Since the Internet has got popular people seem to think charging extra for convenience is wrong, but i still do for many things.

Whoever you are who wrote this story, you are crazy.  Still, pretty interesting stuff.  As someone who doesn't own an iPhone nor a WoW subscription (never again), I could care less, but I appreciate the info.

there are some players that once they hit 80 they just play the auction house until they're ludicrously, virtually, rich.

I'm not going to pretend I don't play WoW... I don't right now - but will be back for cataclysm. 
 
I would never pay for this - I would think about using the free version - but I wouldnt wouldn't pay to do this outside the game. 

Nobody is making you buy this. Don't like it, fine then don't subscribe to it.

Anyone that actually pays a subscription for this should be committed for life.

I'm so impressed by this.  And by that I mean completely shocked that I didn't see it coming.  I let out an audible "No..." when I saw this was going to have a subscription fee.  
 
So ballsy, so brilliant, so Activision-Blizzard.

To everyone astonished by people who would pay 3 dollars a month for this: Celestrial Steed. 
 
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28129/Over_140000_Users_Queue_For_WoWs_Virtual_Items.php

Getting taken squarely from behind by Blizzard: There's an app for that.

so glad i quit wow.  

ever since the activision merger it seems blizzard only sees dollar signs anymore.  
 
the drop in quality from burning crusade to wrath, cataclysm being just a rehash, starcraft 2 coming in multiple parts, and now this?  
 
cant wait for call of duty: modern warcraft.

$3-a-month subscription fees? That sounds...bad. A $10-20 flat fee sounds more reasonable. Hell, a $40 flat fee sounds more reasonable.
 
@fwylo said:

" @carlthenimrod:  That's like 24 dollars less than XBL Gold...  That means WoW mobile AH is like %60 percent of the cost of XBL.  Aka not close. Unless they lowered the price and I didn't know about it?  I renewed like 2 weeks ago though so I doubt it. "

at least it looks like a quality product

" @carlthenimrod:  That's like 24 dollars less than XBL Gold...  That means WoW mobile AH is like %60 percent of the cost of XBL.  Aka not close. Unless they lowered the price and I didn't know about it?  I renewed like 2 weeks ago though so I doubt it. "

All I did in WoW was crafting and playing the Auction House game until I quite a few weeks ago. This makes me excited but, I don't know if I want to go back playing WoW right away again.

Wow... I didn't know much about Matt.... when I clicked on that link and scrolled through that seemingly endless list of WoW achievements I felt like Shelley Duvall in Shining when she is flipping through Jack Nicholson's "novel" just to see the same thing written over and over again on each page....
 
I never got that into WoW, and I'm a little scared by all of this.

The community has been asking for this forever. 

great article :)
 
but i would never pay for this in a million years if i still played WoW

The fact that people will actually pay for this is what surprises me. Blizzard wouldn't make it if they didn't think there was money to be made.

They talked about this a while ago and it sounded awesome.
 
It's pretty awesome.  If I wasn't just a casual WoW player and I would buy it for sure.
 
I feel like this might mess up the economy now though on some servers.  You are going to have people owning the auction house.  If you have enough gold you can just BUY everything that goes up.  Then re-list it at a higher price so you make money off of it.  Some servers are going to have people that run the AH.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat... 
 
Well, I guess if people pay for it... =\

I'm interested

What benefits does the normal subscription fee come with these days?

Does it surprise anyone anymore? If the same World of Warcraft fanatics can spend $25 USD on a mount, clearly they'll spend an extra $3 USD a month on an Auction House app.