$25 WOW horse makes millions

By Oli Welsh Published 22 April, 2010

More of a macro-transaction, really.

Blizzard has had unprecedented success with virtual item sales on the release of the Celestial Steed - a special in-game mount for World of Warcraft that costs the princely sum of $25, €20 or £17.

According to WOW.com (via GamesIndustry.biz), a seven-hour queue of 140,000 people had formed within three hours of the mount's release last week.

That already represented revenue of $3.5 million - or more than a million dollars an hour - on sales of what is, essentially, just an art asset for the subscription game. The translucent flying horse leaves trails of stardust behind it as it gallops across the sky.

It's the first time Blizzard has sold an exclusive mount for the game, although it had previously tested the micro-transaction waters with cosmetic pet characters, costing £9 or €10, in its Pet Store.

There's no limit to the amount of money Blizzard can make from the item, either; its numbers won't be restricted.

"The number of available mounts is limited in the sense that there is a fixed number of codes available in the store," explained a spokesperson on the WOW forums. "These codes are not generated automatically with each purchase, instead they are generated separately and then added to the store in batches."

"The Celestial Steed is not supposed to be a limited time offer only, so we will of course add more codes in case the current batch of codes gets sold out."

Four years ago, Bethesda caused uproar among gamers when it charged 200 Microsoft Points, or £1.70, for a set of horse armour for its RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. We've come a long way, baby.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (118) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • Bitkari #1 2 years ago

    Srsly. WTF.

  • sneetch #2 2 years ago

    It's a nice horse.

  • RedSparrows #3 2 years ago

    Fucking hell. I loved playing WoW and felt the draw for silly investments of time, but always drew the line at stuff like this.

  • CaptainFantasm #4 2 years ago

    I suddenly feel 100% cooler while I'm sitting here eating peanuts in pyjamas.

  • Gearskin #5 2 years ago

    Well... people pay for maps and stuff.

  • Metalfish #6 2 years ago

    "Four years ago, Bethesda caused uproar among gamers when it charged 200 Microsoft Points, or £1.70, for a set of horse armour for its RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. We've come a long way, baby."

    You know, horse armour actually did something. This is a horse that is directly linked to your riding skill and is therefore, presumably, just as good as any other horse. Can a WoW player explain the appeal?

  • MrFlump #7 2 years ago

    [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCjuFpQ3EeA
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCjuFpQ3EeA
    [/link]

    Sums it up nicely...

  • sneetch #8 2 years ago

    @Snakehips76
    Only a matter of time before you can pay cash for the Epics etc.

    Can't fault Blizzard for their business acumen though

    I wouldn't be surprised if you can buy emblems (the currency you use to buy a lot of Epics) for cash in Cataclysm.

    I bought this on a whim two nights ago, like I said, it's a nice horse (especially for gnomes) and it works across all the characters on your account.

  • PearOfAnguish #9 2 years ago

    "The translucent flying horse leaves trails of stardust behind it as it gallops across the sky"

    is possibly the gayest sentence on EG.

  • altitude2k #10 2 years ago

    Mugs.

  • phAge #11 2 years ago

    WOW'ers. Cool customers indeed.

    /veal

  • Crunchers #12 2 years ago

    @MrFlump
    Heh. Funny.

    Humanity is in grave crisis...

  • chrisjm #13 2 years ago

    it prints money!

  • Mkwone #14 2 years ago

    It makes CoD maps seem like a bargain.

  • BigJonno #15 2 years ago

    I have no problem with this. Not my thing, but I'd buy it for the missus. If they started making anything that actually affected the game available for cash, I'd quit.

  • chrisjm #16 2 years ago

    do you have to pay stable fees too?

  • phAge #17 2 years ago

    "It's a nice horse"?

    What the fuck? Are you an 11 year-old girl?

    I thought buying new skins for your Bad Company 2 characters was lame, but paying actual, real-life monies for a transluscent horse that sparkles when it runs just beggars belief. Seriously.

    Edited by phAge at 22/04/10 @ 12:07

  • RobertFoster #18 2 years ago

    "The translucent flying horse leaves trails of stardust behind it as it gallops across the sky."

    I've never played WOW, but that sounds awesome. Unicorn awesome.

    I know it's more like Pegasus, but it's got the glitz of Unicorn.

    :p

  • Dylbot #19 2 years ago

    I see WoW is still pioneering new methods of taking huge amounts of money from the terminally stupid.

  • sneetch #20 2 years ago

    @Metalfish
    You know, horse armour actually did something. This is a horse that is directly linked to your riding skill and is therefore, presumably, just as good as any other horse. Can a WoW player explain the appeal?

    A lot of WoW players, myself included, are collectors I currently have 60 something mounts and about the same in companion pets in the game and I'm working on getting more, why? I'm just a natural collector. The thing about mounts and pets in general is that you keep them, armour and equipment is always replaced but the mounts remain.

    As for what this does that other mounts don't: it looks pretty. ;)

    Sure it's expensive for what it is but you know what you're getting and them's the breaks. The standard "you don't have to buy" it defence of all DLC springs to mind.

  • Hamflank #21 2 years ago

    Indeed, WTF. Then again, if you consider the days of grinding involved for getting a non-sparkling horse that flies, time wise this seems a lot cheaper. In the end, it still feels silly, though.

  • sneetch #22 2 years ago

    @phAge
    What the fuck? Are you an 11 year-old girl?

    Christ, what an asshole. :D

  • Dylbot #23 2 years ago

    On a side note, anyone that considers buying this, I will draw you a picture of a sparkly horse for £15. Hell, I'll even make it a unicorn. You can stick it to your monitor and achieve the same effect. £2 saving!

  • phAge #24 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    I noticed you didn't answer my question. ARE you an 11 year-old girl? Because in that case, I fully understand the attraction of having a nice horse that sparkles as it gallops.

  • menage #25 2 years ago

    Duh, I'm not against DLC but 20 bucks??????

  • udat #26 2 years ago

    Nobody ever lost money underestimating the stupidity of the general public...

  • McBradders #27 2 years ago

    I'm a pretty staunch believer in paid DLC but you will never convince me that this is worth £17 to you or anyone else. That's what, 2 months subscription in cost for a stupid trinket that anyone with a wallet has access to? If you've paid money for this you are setting a dangerous, dangerous precedent for every gamers future. I never thought I would ever say that, but man, you're all being taken for a ride by this and there is zero justification for its cost or the fact you coughed up for it.
    Edited by McBradders at 22/04/10 @ 12:24

  • cyacomini #28 2 years ago

    Is there a donkey for the cheapskates?

  • airjoca #29 2 years ago

    Sparkling vampires, sparkling horses...

    Seriously, bring back the 20th century...

  • giant_frying_pan #30 2 years ago

    "I want to shower you with sugar lumps, and take you to the horse...DENTIST."

  • sneetch #31 2 years ago

    @phAge
    I noticed you didn't answer my question. ARE you an 11 year-old girl? Because in that case, I fully understand the attraction of having a nice horse that sparkles as it gallops.

    No, I'm not.

    Aesthetics aside it's a single mount that works across all characters on all realms and will save people with multiple characters a ton of gold (which takes time in game to acquire).
    Edited by sneetch at 22/04/10 @ 12:18

  • lordofthedunce #32 2 years ago

    More of a cash cow than a horse then.

  • pbz #33 2 years ago

    ....look at my horse, my horse is amazing

    :)

  • M83J01P97 #34 2 years ago

    Pretty much like every business does... They have found a way to make money and they are going to exploit. Seems fair enough to me, they are not forcing people to buy the horse and it doesn't effect game play in any way...

  • Fab4 #35 2 years ago

    Just goes to prove how much money you can save whenever you never leave the house ;)

  • spudsbuckley #36 2 years ago

    I'd just like to thank the few thousands idiots who actually paid money for this.

    You've played a part in justifying Blizzard's new 'pay real money for items' strategy. If this carries on we'lll be playing what amounts World Of Second Life/Farmville in two years time. Everything decent will only be available through micro-transactions and when that happens WoW is dead to me. DEAD TO ME I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • darkmorgado #37 2 years ago

    This is ridiculous. As a massive player of WoW, I can't see the appeal in this whatsoever. It's a mount that goes NO FASTER than any other mount in the game, costing 17 quid.
    On my server already, a lot of people (read: kids) bought their mount thinking it would make them look "different." As soon as they became commonplace and every man and his dog ridiculed them for paying 17 quid for a mount, a lot of people are too embarassed now to even use it.

    Not only that, but it's not even a new mount. It's a reskin of Invincible, which is a rare mount that drops from the Lich King. I would much rather have a mount that says more about my skill as a player, than a mount which just proves that I can punch in credit card details.

    Blizzard saw them coming a mile off, and if Bobby Kotick isn't behind the recent DLC bollocks for WoW, I will eat my hat.

  • YenRug #38 2 years ago

    Geeze, I used to play Runes of Magic and pretty much all mounts were bought, but even they didn't have the cheek to charge £17 for them and that was a transaction funded game!

  • Eraser #39 2 years ago

    My kingdom for a horse, wasn't it?

  • VibratingDonkey #40 2 years ago

    The MMO model is an ingeniously devious one. Some think this horse model is worth the asking price as it saves you the time you'd otherwise have to spend at acquiring similar perks for your characters. Is it not fun to actually spend time playing the game? Are these people playing purely for the rewards you get after having unfun for a multitude of hours which you pay for?

    I don't really understand these types of games.

  • jonfon #41 2 years ago

    Have we had this yet?
    [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYzVMcgWhg&feature
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYzVMcgW...[/link]

    Just because (god bless The Divine Comedy)

    Other companies are currently looking at this and weeping softly, meanwhile Blizzard have a vast money fight.

    Personally I've no issue with any paid MMO releasing DLC like this which actually has little to no ingame advantage. If someone wants it go for it, if not then ignore it. 25 quid is steep though, way too much for me.

    Edited by jonfon at 22/04/10 @ 12:45

  • aliki #42 2 years ago

    And people actually thought that Blizzard was the innocent half of Acti-Blizz...

  • kangarootoo #43 2 years ago

    Christ, its a different f*cking world.


    I bought a monster truck in Just Cause 2 rthe other day for 79p, and that wasn't bloody worth it because I fly everywhere.

  • Eraysor #44 2 years ago

    I may be a WoW player but I'd never buy that. I'd rather spend the money on playing the actual game for two months instead.

    EDIT: Also, the mount saves you very little effort as you still have to get enough gold together to pay for the flight training to get it at its maximum speed, and epic mounts are easy to come by these days.
    Edited by Eraysor at 22/04/10 @ 12:53

  • Kami #45 2 years ago

    Actually it's £17, and it's not as if it's gamebreaking I suppose. It scales with your riding skill so it's never faster than your maximum riding skill, which had led to some QQ but meh.

    The problem is the lack of exclusivity of it. Back in the day we worked hard on rare mounts - running Strat deadside for the Baron's Deathcharger, or Zul'Gurub in the vain hopes of hordies getting the saber mount. Everyone with a little pocket change can get this horse and there're so many with it, it's lost any sense of awe and respect.

    Still, fair play to Blizzard. People clearly want it... I just think it's a bit silly...

  • Rubarack #46 2 years ago

    I'm not totaaly convinced this is anything but Horse Armour on a larger scale,I'd be surprised if it didn't take at least ten times as much to create this as it did the Horse Armour. That is to say this is as bad value as Horse Armour, not as good of course.

  • mowgli #47 2 years ago

    "That already represented revenue of $3.5 million - or more than a million dollars an hour - on sales of what is, essentially, just an art asset for the subscription game. The translucent flying horse leaves trails of stardust behind it as it gallops across the sky."

    That's it. I'm going to have to give up gaming agains aren't I.

    One step forward, two motherfucking steps back...

  • linksdad #48 2 years ago

    The wedge is being driven deeper. What next I wonder? Glad I got out.

    Poor Blizzard, must be tough trying to make ends meet with only 11 million subs coming in monthly. Why not rinse your audience for a few extra mill?

  • BobsUncle #49 2 years ago

    So it's effectively a £17 skin.

    What

    the

    Fuck

  • sneetch #50 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado
    This is ridiculous. As a massive player of WoW, I can't see the appeal in this whatsoever.

    Therein lies the root of the DLC issue. If you see the appeal you'll get it, otherwise it's baffling to you that people buy it.

    Take game pics on Live, avatar clothes, or t-shirts in PS Home, I can't for the life of me imagine myself buying anything like that, similarly I don't understand paying for a map pack but this? This I looked at and said, "ooh nice". I like mounts in WoW though, I've put a lot of effort into getting them in the past although, practically speaking, you don't need them after the first.

    Edit: some people feel the same about the very idea of paying a subscription to WoW or even Live, no doubt we all have family or friends who are similarly baffled at the fact that we pay for computer games. As in pay real money to buy games.
    Edited by sneetch at 22/04/10 @ 13:04

  • darleysam #51 2 years ago

    Should probably leave out the saxophone solo.

  • BigJonno #52 2 years ago

    As for the Second Life comparison, I'd love to see MMOs adopt a similar model for player-created content. I have absolutely no issue with paying a creative individual a small amount of money for the result of their hard work. In fact, it makes you realise how most companies have completely missed the point of the whole micro-transaction business model. (Sell virtual goods in very large quantities for very low prices, because there is no reproduction cost.)

  • sickpuppysoftware #53 2 years ago

    It's like 80s girls toys never died. What next a ride that's a cross between a lion and a bumble-bee?

  • UncleLou #54 2 years ago

    To each his own etc., but that's pretty crazy every way I look at it.

  • Buenos_Estente #55 2 years ago

    My lovely horse, running through the field
    Where are you going, with your fetlocks blowing in the wind?

    I want to shower you with sugar lumps, and ride you over fences
    Polish your hooves every single day, and bring you to the horse dentist

    My lovely horse, you're a pony no more
    Running around with a man on your back, like a train in the night

  • wizlon #56 2 years ago

    The world is doomed if this sort of thing can go ahead, DOOMED I SAY!!

  • UncleLou #57 2 years ago

    some people feel the same about the very idea of paying a subscription to WoW or even Live, no doubt we all have family or friends who are similarly baffled at the fact that we pay for computer games. As in pay real money to buy games.

    I see where you're coming from, sneetch, we obviously all have our own limits, preferences, and whatnot, and always like to think that our point of view is the reasonable one - while, as you correctly point out, other people are baffled on how much we spend on gaming, subscriptions, or whatnot.

    Still, I think this is a bit of a special case here, taking what was seen as acceptable so far to an entirely new, rather impressive limit, and while it's all a matter of offer and demand, it's fair enough to worry for us who don't quite "get" it about where this might lead us when people pay so much for stuff like this.
    Edited by UncleLou at 22/04/10 @ 13:24

  • Tangled #58 2 years ago

    Only $25? Pshaw. People pay millions of dolars to get items that do nothing but are pimp in the real world...

  • butler` #59 2 years ago

    Good job Blizzard as always. Not so good job the retards that actually pay for this shit.

  • fiery_jackass #60 2 years ago

    I'm with the "what the fuck" poster.

    ...and like others I fear for the future. a future where people stop moaning that "the DLC is not worth £17" and start moaning that it's not worth playing the game unless you've shelled out £17 for whatever the DLC is.

  • Gunzberg #61 2 years ago

    Milk the suckers dry

  • speed182 #62 2 years ago

    If you think the mount is cool, start questioning your sexuality.

    Sparkly my little pony? No thanks.

  • Yeevle #63 2 years ago

    My Little Pony strikes again.

  • optimusprym8 #64 2 years ago

    Fucking idiots - the people who buy it
    Fucking geniuses - the people who priced it

  • Talbot #65 2 years ago

    I'm quite jealous of the Blizzard whizz kids now, all the ground work has been done and thus they are able to make pots of money just for doing things like this. You cannot but admire them though. They've sculpted a market and are milking it like a well grazed cow.

  • Entity #66 2 years ago

    "I'll buy that for a dollar!"

  • VicViper #67 2 years ago

    Clearly its the end of the world... of warcraft

    I won't be getting it as I much perfer the drakes I spent so much time getting and look cooler (onyx nether drake goes well with locks) but I can't defend those who got it, thats half the price of catacylsm probaly, the cash to value maths here are very confusing.

    Well played Blizzard, well played.

  • Davinnicus #68 2 years ago

    It's almost the full price of Cataclysm, a few places have it up for pre-order at £17.99.

  • Haloboy #69 2 years ago

    My 79p monster truck in Just Cause 2 saved my skin a few times already. That £17 shiny dildo on legs couldn't save your dignity if it tried.

  • VicViper #70 2 years ago

    @Davinnicus
    Really? Goddamn, well then my cash to value maths is very skewed.

    Shiny sparkly horse thing = no need to buy mount, still need to get training, your now sheeple as its not unquie - £17.99
    Cataclysm expanison = 5 new levels, new zones, two new races, new raids, heroic old 5 mans n more - £17.99 (predicted)

    hmm one of these is worth the money, one is not but which one?

  • hibee #71 2 years ago

    Dear Jesus Christ, even though you are imaginary I would like to thank you for helping me get out of that shit-heap of a game and on to a more healthy ketamine habit. I have a lot more free time now, and at least when my dealer sodomises me he gives me some lovely drugs afterward rather than charging me £17 for the privilege. I am still seeing sparkly horses though.


    And seriously; to anyone who says 'if you don't want it don't buy it and stop complaining': balls to that. The more of this shit that sucker consumers buy the more gets produced, and the more they charge. It's not gamebreaking here, but more and more DLC is, and in the long run it's going to start excluding those of us with heads not stuck up our arses.

  • Retroid #72 2 years ago

    Silly mares.

  • geeza2020 #73 2 years ago

    $25 for an in game graphic? who the fuck is retarded enough to pay for this shit? Well, good on Blizzard for taking advantage of these retards, but i also have to give them a big FUCK YOU for the same reason.

  • mfnick #74 2 years ago

    Amazing DLC like 'The Ballad of Gay Tony' sells disappointingly but a £17 skin makes millions within hours.

    Something really is wrong with the world.

  • Zaiz #75 2 years ago

    Wow, the Bethesda DLC up until Knights of the Nine looks really, really awesome now. All my friends that cried tears of blood when they heard how inexpensive and easy it is to get a mount now are probably going to begin stabbing small children.

  • Bravestinsane #76 2 years ago

    I pray to the God that i don't believe in that Blizzard will lower the price to £5 in the next week just to piss them off and show them what mugs they really are.

  • sneetch #77 2 years ago

    @UncleLou
    Still, I think this is a bit of a special case here, taking what was seen as acceptable so far to an entirely new, rather impressive limit, and while it's all a matter of offer and demand, it's fair enough to worry for us who don't quite "get" it about where this might lead us when people pay so much for stuff like this.

    I think you're right there, however as jonarob and others have pointed out everyone and their dog now has this mount and I think future mounts will sell far fewer numbers because of that, people expected that relatively few would buy it and so it would be relatively rare. The mount, daft though the price and those who bought it may be, offers absolutely no advantages over players who don't have it: Blizzard stated at the start that they'd never sell in-game advantages for cash but other game producers won't be quite so scrupulous about that.

    As for what is acceptable and where it'll lead us in the future - I think this mount is largely irrelevant to that as it is purely a vanity item - that terrible future arrived ages ago, some of us just might not have encountered it yet.

    Look at the Battle Funds for Battlefield Heroes as a case in point, 700 BF is €5 and the things you buy (or rent) there has a huge impact on the game (those rocket packs mentioned yesterday are currently reduced from 3960 BF to 2300 BF and you have to buy separate versions for both factions). The MW2 map pack is another example €15 for five maps, 2 of which are ports and millions bought them.

  • Zander #78 2 years ago

    wait, this is the my little pony game i have always wanted right?

  • psychokitten #79 2 years ago

    I'd pay £17 for a My Little Pony mount.

  • KDR_11k #80 2 years ago

    Codes selling out sounds like the Nintendo of Europe stars catalog.

  • TitusCrow #81 2 years ago

    If it was a frost wrymm and went at 330 speed maybe I could see the point a bit. Well actiblizz congratulations, you have officially released the highest margin content in digital entertainment - ever and been successful. I now have no idea where this could lead, I thought the price would kill it, seems I have underestimated the market.

  • Dusk777 #82 2 years ago

    [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URR--H97sYQ
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URR--H97sYQ
    [/link]

    =]

    Its not amazing though, its pointless. If you lick it it tastes of fail!

  • CaptainTrips #83 2 years ago

    I agree that cash for epic items would be a step too far, but this I have no problem with.

    20€ will buy you 4 pints (if you're lucky) on a night out - what exactly do you get from that? Seems some people here are confusing "Lame" with "Socially Acceptable"

    Live and let live I say. :)

  • darkmorgado #84 2 years ago

    20€ will buy you 4 pints (if you're lucky) on a night out

    Jesus, where do you go to drink? The Hilton? That money would buy me 8 pints where I live!

  • Bravestinsane #85 2 years ago

    20 euros is 4 pints!

    Where the fuck to do you go out.

    I live on student prices, £1 a pint etc, that would get me 20 pints.

    Even if i went to a bar they would be about £2.50 not £5 each

    Yes i know im talking in £ and you in E but lets be honest theres not much difference between the two so i think my argument stands!

    EDIT: Someone beat me to it =P
    Edited by Bravestinsane at 22/04/10 @ 16:12

  • sneetch #86 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado
    20€ will buy you 4 pints (if you're lucky) on a night out

    Jesus, where do you go to drink? The Hilton? That money would buy me 8 pints where I live!

    It'd get just over 4 in Ireland where I live. Continental prices can be even higher depending on the country.

    http://www.pintprice.com/

  • Bravestinsane #87 2 years ago

    @Sneetch


    ooo nice site.

    Want to go to vietnam, and its only 43 pence a pint bargin.

    Ouch for Greenland

  • sneetch #88 2 years ago

    Naw, Prague is where you really wanna go, £0.69 GBP for fantastic beer and you won't have to worry about stepping on a landmine. ;)

  • Spekingur #89 2 years ago

    Right, people. We are in for a helluva ride with Blizzard in the coming years. A new expansion (paid expansion) for WoW, more macro-transactions, the release of Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, another MMO, more Starcraft 2 - and each and every of these will require a constant online connection to the new battle.net, from where you will undoubtedly be able to buy stuff for your games later on (read as macro-transactions for Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3).

  • geeza2020 #90 2 years ago

    but the landmines are all part of the experience! Its not the same unless someone loses a limb :)

    But seriously land mines are bad mmmmkay?

  • ps3owner #91 2 years ago

    they all use a MAC to play, bet ya

  • Corben_Dallas #92 2 years ago

    LOL WOW: my little pony edition coming next :)

    but wow $20 for one horse!!!!! wtf!

  • KillerMonkey #93 2 years ago

    Incredible what people are willing pay for..

    And incredible of Blizzard for knowing exactly what people are willing to pay for. Cunning bastards.

  • Zaiz #94 2 years ago

    I doubt they knew they'd make millions of dollars off a 20 pound horse, I bet they expected to make a couple hundred thousand, which is still a gargantuan profit, considering they probably had some graphics artist do this in under 40 hours.

  • Dusk777 #95 2 years ago

    @sneetch

    Prague is awesome for beer but you have to hunt the cheap places out, buying beer in old town square will cost you about 3 quid. Best beer in the world though.

  • hulahoops #96 2 years ago

    I wouldn't buy one myself, but the only dumb people are the ones who claimed virtual items wouldn't sell.

  • Vyggo #97 2 years ago

    For people that don't play WoW this must seem like a baffling situation. Hundreds of thousands of people buy a skin for a mount for a shocking amount of money. As a WoW player I can sort of understand it though, WoW is not -just a game- for most people, it's THE game and a big part of their lives. They look at the asking price and think: aah well, it's just a few cups of coffee at Starbucks.

    I would never buy something like this because within the realm of computer games the value is really neglibable compared to the asking price. But that's just not the way many WoW-players think about stuff like this. I doubt the next one will sell as well though...

    For the people that think this is the first step to selling epics and stuff, I don't understand that reasoning. Why would a fluff item like this that really gives you no advantage whatsoever be a step towards selling items that give you advantages ingame.

  • Pinky_Floyd #98 2 years ago

    I typed a dozen message and deleted them because I simply can't seem to express in words how I feel about this as a gamer of nearly 30 years and previous subscriber of WoW.

    For the first time ever i am genuinely worried for the future of gaming.

  • Rajin #99 2 years ago

    @Dusk777

    I completely agree, it's possible to go to the places located further from the centre and find beer for around 20 pennies. Besides being that cheap it's actually better then most beer here in the netherlands(Heineken overrated). And the premium beer around 1 euro is imho the best beer i know off

    On subject, i find it a really smart busniss model to make money like this, though 20 euro's for a horse really does make me wonder. I wouldn't even consider buying it for 5 euro's, though there're kids spending hunderds of euro's on farmvile.... so i guess nothing comes strange to me now.
    Edited by Rajin at 22/04/10 @ 19:05

  • secombe #100 2 years ago

    I like the grinding comparison somebody mentioned earlier, I can't really see how this is better or worse than somebody spending hours doing something they aren't even enjoying for a meaningless reward (or achievement)

    Plenty of people here willing to do that, yet scoffing at people who just throw a bit of cash at something instead.

  • Sharzam #101 2 years ago

    The scary part about this is that its a dangerous road to follow, where does it stop ? Full sets of armour ? Talents ? the list can go on no matter what happens it will be the money doing the talking.

    The reason iam not a fan of free to play MMOS as it feels like the ones that spend the most on the in game store have the highest advantage which feels wrong as should be skill that determines that. So think these mircro transactions and a subsciption both are needed to do well. Very fast that becomes one expensive game that doesnt change a whole lot month on month. You could buy new games every month and still have better deal.

  • hahayou #102 2 years ago

    3.5 million dollars of almost pure profit!
    There are entire game series - well respected ones - that haven't brought in that much profit over their lifetimes. Wonder how those developers feel about that...

  • Softie2k #103 2 years ago

    WoW is a major part of a lot of peoples lives and in many cases is their entire life! Spending £17 is something a little different is nothing for a lot of these guys...and girls.

    Spending that much on a mount is a testament to the game Blizzard have designed. I don't know whether WoW will be replicated ever again.
    Edited by Softie2k at 22/04/10 @ 21:20

  • outy #104 2 years ago

    I just bought L4D 2 on steam for 13 quid - Spent more on a WoW mount? How stupid do you feel?....

  • Vyggo #105 2 years ago

    "I just bought L4D 2 on steam for 13 quid - Spent more on a WoW mount? How stupid do you feel?.... "

    I just bought 10 tennisballs for 13 quid and you spent it on ONE game? How stupid do you feel?....

    Poit i am trying to make, these people probably get more use/enjoyement out of the mount then you will get from L4D2. You just can't compare stuff this way. Do you never go out for dinner because you can buy 3 or more games like L4D2 for that kind of money? No, because it's not the same thing.

  • outy #106 2 years ago

    The WoW mount is essentially a skin, how could you possibly compare that to a fairly recent fully fledged AAA title on sale for 4 quid less.. it doesn't provide any enjoyment other than fulfill a sad ambition to collect useless reskins of the same damn mount. And no, i'm not comparing this to something tangible.. THAT wouldn't be the same thing.

  • doulema #107 2 years ago

    Those are the kind of retards that keep allowing and provoking Blizard to make WoW worst and more expensive crap in it. Keep making them reach and paying every little piece of crap they throw in it. I loved WoW but this is pathetic anymore. Pay for haircut, pay for transfers, pay for sexchange, pay for guild orgies and pay for horses. Why the fuck did so many ppl want a horse when the mounts are more fitting and imba looking ingame? So much RL money to buy a freaking horse and yet we complain for MW2 DLC. Well then stop complaining if you keep fucking up.

  • Collymilad #108 2 years ago

    *facepalm*

    WoW isn't that great. It's just addictive, but if you actually look at the game it has almost nothing special.

    I played it for 7 months and at the time it was amazing, but when i look back i wonder why.
    Edited by Collymilad at 23/04/10 @ 02:24

  • youhot #109 2 years ago

    come the reliable WGT Online( http://www.wow-gold-team.com/ ) to buy the cheapest wow gold with safe.

  • Weezer #110 2 years ago

    I hope the little starving kids in third world countries, who scavenge for salvageable material amid the waste we ship to their pestilent, God-forsaken lands, in order to earn enough food to live one more day, never have to see this.

    $3.5 million for a magical pony in world that doesn't exist? I wonder how many kids that would keep alive for a year?

    Western society should hang its fucking head in shame.

  • Dizzy #111 2 years ago

    The 3d artist that made this in an afternoon is good value for money. Next up... Epics.

  • Psi #112 2 years ago

    wow not so much dipping its toe in the DLC market than dive bombing into it.

    Well I bet the farmers are scared, if wow starts offering all items and epics for a price they'll be out of a job.

    So World of Starcraft may have a totally different payment model lol.

  • illusiondance #113 2 years ago

    never thought the real world would be so appealing

    is this what is called gangking in mmo's?

  • sneetch #114 2 years ago

    @Weezer
    I hope the little starving kids in third world countries, who scavenge for salvageable material amid the waste we ship to their pestilent, God-forsaken lands, in order to earn enough food to live one more day, never have to see this.

    $3.5 million for a magical pony in world that doesn't exist? I wonder how many kids that would keep alive for a year?

    Western society should hang its fucking head in shame.

    I would have thought you'd be far more concerned with the billions that are spent by western society on games and entertainment every year rather than singling out this particular example? I take it this means you'll no longer be buying any games or spending any money on entertainment so that you can donate the money and save some more kids?

    Good job Weezer, your sacrifice will not go unacknowledged, we salute you.

  • FortysixterUK #115 2 years ago

    This is a nice vanity item ( that sounds a tad girly ).
    It's almost a unicorn ( that sounds a tad girly)
    It sparkles as it runs ( that sounds a tad girly )
    It works across your entire WOW account, but seeing as an epic mpunt only costs a piddling amount of gold ( under 100 gold ?), but the skill to use it fully will still set you back 4000-5000 gold per character, there is no saving in game for this item at all.
    Therefore....
    This is a nice vanity item ( that sounds a tad girly ).
    It's almost a unicorn ( that sounds a tad girly)
    It sparkles as it runs ( that sounds a tad girly ).
    In conclusion....it looks bloody good though.....not convinced I'm buying it however.

  • Sevens #116 2 years ago

    For the love of god. On the other hand, such care- and thoughtful demand should lead to reasonable prices in the great times of awesome DLC. Who would've thought that.

  • SlapLaB #117 2 years ago

    Maybe we should suggest David and Nick a 40% tax on DLCs?

  • paulf #118 2 years ago

    140,000 of 11 million = 0.13 %