Blizzard Entertainment, creator of popular franchises like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft, is beefing up its microtransaction efforts. The Irvine, California developer has posted a pair of new jobs on its "Strategic Initiatives" team calling for a director and manager for the company's new "Microtransaction Strategy" unit.
The language featured in the job listings suggests that Blizzard is aware that gamers have not been entirely won over just yet by the way which some games have employed micropayments.
"Do you want to help Blizzard Entertainment design monetization models that actually enhance the gameplay experience?" the requisition for Director of Microtransaction Strategy reads.
The person selected for this job will work to target the "intersection of revenue generation goals and quality player experience" with an overall aim of creating an enjoyable--and profitable--experience.
An ideal candidate will "have experience conceptualizing and iterating micro-transaction based game business models, and possess a deep understanding of player interactions with those models, both at the individual and community levels."
For the Director of Microtransaction Strategy position, eight years of industry experience and quantitative Bachelor's degree is required, while an MBA or quantitative Master's degree is preferred.
Blizzard's establishment of a "Microtransaction Strategy" unit is hardly surprising. The company has recently moved deeper into the world of free-to-play games through collectible card game HearthStone: Heroes of Warcraft and MOBA Heroes of the Storm.
And while World of Warcraft still requires a monthly subscription, Blizzard offers a range of virtual items for purchase, including mounts and pets for fees in the $10-$30 range. In addition, Blizzard launched a World of Warcraft in-game store just last month.
Come on guys, they need the money for ummm... their money pool?
It's like paying for HBO then having to sit through commercials. You pay for HBO to be free of the commercials, or you watch commercials to get free TV. If I pay a monthly fee to play a game...I don't want to be bombarded with "microtransactions." Microtransactions do not in anyway, shape or form "enhance" a gameplay experience.
yes I can help blizzard
sell your soul to the devil, and you make more money...
oh wait ... u already done that ....
assholes....
well it was fun while it lasted. no more blizzard for me
Paraphrasing - "Do you want to help Blizzard bleed gamers dry through pointless and unnecessary microtransactons after they've already bought your game? If so then please apply."
If you want to make the gaming experience more pleasurable, how about giving the players the content through playing the game... you know, like in the old days.
I used to think microtransactions were a bad thing, then I realised that if morons want to pay real money for a piece of cosmetic gear or whatever and the game im playing is FTP as a result, then I can live with it. These people pay to keep the game I want to play running whilst I enjoy it without spending a single penny.
And I will be fucked if i'm going back to subscription gaming, people seem to think if a game has a sub its automatically a cut above, ive found the reality to be that its generally not any different. Three titles I can name off the bat that are sub and are totally not worth it FFonline, Wildstar and ESO. Mark my words they are destined for FTP somewhere down the line, and not so very far into the future id wager.
Fuck you, Blizzard
unless if you announce Warcraft 4...
"Do you want to help Blizzard Entertainment design monetization models that actually enhance the gameplay experience?"
Really !?!
I hate microtransactions with a passion, it destroys the pace of any game, in metro last light you even have to pay for the hardest difficulty setting.
no way microtransactions will improve on gameplay experience, ever.
Will World of Warcraft get a Diablo 3 Auction House when it closes in Diablo 3 in March?
"mounts and pets for fees in the $10-$30 range" -- That is kind of the whole reason for why I generally dislike DLCs and all sort of microtransaction-stores: I do not want to pay the price of a whole fucking game just for nothing more than a new model for something that I already have. If the stuff cost something like $0.50 then it'd be a much more appealing proposition, but not for the price of a whole game, no.
what goes up must come down.. remember that people
And so these companies continue to tarnish their own names by implementing business practices that most gamers hate. Meh.
These second rate games with these microts are a major turn off. Good fantasy games are an immersive experience not full of sales pitches. I like the game and still play since 07. Some changes I have disliked. Think the raid system will be better with wod. Some of the changes they have made are marketed for kids. This game was made for my generation. I think bosses are still pretty difficult and loot is still not easy to get.
Sounds to me like they are desperately grabbing for new sources of income now that subscriptions are on the steady decline.
Was considering trying lords of draenor, but now i'm like yeah.... how bout' no.
Stahp. Stahp IT! Stahp killing video games!!! :(
http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/250x250/35171638.jpg
*Ew.*
The last wall is going down
There is nothing I would like better than to design monetization models that enhance gameplay experience.
If this is just about Hearthstone and their new tablet game, then that's fine. But if this is about WoW itself, they're sliding down the slippery slope and I'm not going to continue as a subscriber if they go beyond the cosmetic stuff.
So the monthly subscription fee isn't enough for these bastards?
What I hate is when P2P games are infested with lots of microtransactions. Especially when the game is already making lots of money,
NO! Why Do we as Gamers just sit here and let this happen? This Trend of publishers and developers pushing micro transactions and loads of in game DLC and acting like its a good thing NEEDS TO END!!!
its the end of the world as we know it..
They charge $15 a month fees and they also want microtransactions as well. Haven't they already made about 10 billion off of World of Warcraft by now? I don't play WoW anymore, but I do play Diablo 3. I don't plan on buying any in game content for any of these games.
Oh come on people. Just because you see this doesn't mean that World of Warcraft or StarCraft will be full of microtransactions. Are you kidding me?
Aren't they about to release a free to play game for tablets? You know... like Hearthstone?
Get your knickers out of twist for a few seconds and let's see what happens.
EDIT: And yes, microtransactions is a good model for Hearthstone. The central idea of TCG's is buying booster packs, and that's exactly what a microtransaction lets you do.
I don't support shoehorning microtransactions into their 3 existing games either, but I don't really think that's the plan. Except maybe in Asia for WoW, where the sub model is dying.
So they are not only one of the last online games left with gonads enough to charge a monthly fee, but they also think they can have micro transactions? LOL. Who even still plays that game? Suckers looking to spend money on pixels that will mean nothing even in the digital world by this time next year. Is Blizzard the new EA? Wait does EA even have a game that charges both a monthly fee and micro trans? Maybe Blizz just one upped them?
YAY!!!!!!!!!!YEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE BBBBBEEEEEEESSSSSSTTTTTT EEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I I LOVE MICROTRANSACTIONS!!!!!!!!! (SAID NO GAMER EVER!)
Awesome news, everybody knows gamers just love microtransactions!
I'm optimistic about what they can come up with. I don't play any of their games, but I'm interested in seeing if they come up with anything close to what they're looking to do.
The downfall of Blizzard. This company is basically garbage now.
Trying to cash out before you kill it?
They thought they lost players now... well RIP WoW Blizzard is slowly killing you off....
Oh please, Eddie is just fishing for clicks. He could have easily put Blizzard Entertainment instead of "World of Warcraft studio". Because as if at this point we don't know how that is?. While you are at it, try to make some news stories out of the job postings over at Ubisoft and EA.
The road to ruin
RIP Blizz.
@RELeon I highly doubt they are "desperately" doing anything lol you know how much they're worth?
@HiraishinGotta admit, this news doesn't make me feel hopeful about the future of WoW either.
@filthy__casualFeels real dirty just saying it, doesn't it?
@ToadstoolPeach Its for World of Warcraft
@ToadstoolPeach My guess, it is mainly for Heroes and Heartstone
@Mr_Big_BossThey're a company in a capitalist system...so no. Companies exist to make as much money as they possibly can, and with WoW's playerbase still shrinking, that means they need to explore other options.
@sirkibble2lol Aww, aren't you cute ; )
@nurnberg Really they aren't, they are doing what people want, most people that play still are those who will keep playing and it might not be a "hardcore game" and there is stuff there for the hardcore gamers just to much of the causal gets in the way. Casual gaming is the future. embrace it or live in a place of denial forever. Blizzard is first and foremost a business and if they want to make money they need to make decisions that is healthy for the company. Granted not all of them work out great but Blizzard has been around for a very long time and they are still growing . They are doing something right tho, they are making money.
@nurnberg Because they're trying to move towards microtransactions when the subscription model is clearly dying?
@nurnberg Blizzard used to be a company made up of gamers..now they are a company made up of executives that have never picked up a controller. RIP
@Led_poison Clearly, you didn't title your blog posts with the intention for people to read them. The first thing people see is a title. Of course he's going to play up the interest level to get more readers. But he didn't sensationalize it nor was he dishonest in the title. No harm done.
@randomkidlol Doubt it, the majority of .. anything is filled with fools.
Hearth Stone isn't even out of closed beta yet(or is it finally in Beta even thoe the game has been working near flawlessly for months) and its likely made a good sum of money, and will continue to do so.
People are fking suckers, and Blizzard wants some of that pie.
I don't support microtransactions, but the addicts, that make up the majority, certainly do.
@Xenro4@RELeonYes, Blizzard is worth a lot, but their expenses are also huge. You have to realize that right now they have about 5,000 employees. Compare that to 1,600 employees in 2007. So think about this: Back in 2007, Blizzard was operating with about 1,600 employees and WoW had 9 million subscribers. Today, they're operating with about 5,000 employees and WoW has 7.5 million subscribers.
@greaterdivinity@Mr_Big_Boss I hate it whenever I see people on forums repeating this same b.s. that they heard from someone else, which probably heard it from someone else. Boy, what a bunch of experts on business and finance you all are. Just shut up with this "companies exist to make as much money... blah, blah, blah" No, that's not the sole purpose of companies. If you had studies business in depth and were familiar with more companies, you would know better. Also, in terms of Blizzard exploring other options, I bet that you have no idea what other options they have in this situation. To you, "other options" means microtransactions, just because you've read that it is what they're now doing, and therefore in your lack of vision this is justified. But I'll tell you what other options exist, Mr. Big Boss business pro. Restructuring or shrinking (both of which are probably better for Blizzard long-term, since the microtransaction model is just a short-term band-aid).
I don't care what it MEANS. This "hobby" is financially spiraling out of control, for us *lowly consumers*. That might not mean much to you, but...oh well. It's just getting really stupid, with these microtransactions, and the rape potential of Net Neutrality being repealed. I'm just ready to walk into the sunset with my BC 60gb PS3, and not look back...*smh*
@sirkibble2@Led_poisonI agree. It's one of the very few times when I can truly say that Eddie did nothing wrong. He didn't go overboard with the sensationalism.