Blizzard Opens WOW Character Transfers

{Company decides to offer an optional service. The service cost the company some money to execute. Company is conscious that it is a company, not a non-profit organization, and decides to charge a fee for said service.}

Company, "Here is the new service you customers wanted."

Almost everyone, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

The 3% of the hardcore complainers on the Internet, "Oh my god! WTF? You guys are CHARGING money for an optional service that costs you money to produce? You are already rich! This should be free! If I choose to use this optional service, I'm not going to be able to pay my parents rent for the basement!"

I've never played WoW. Is that so wrong?

i'd pay 25$ to get my priest on mal'ganis. (if you homos still play there)

I just started on Demon Soul a few days ago. So far its a pretty awesome server, and Im shocked its population is so as, as its a newer server.

It shocked me how free of asshats Demon Soul is, since its a normal PvP server and this is WoW, after all.

I recently transferred from bleeding hollow to cho'gall when it was free (ex-member/friend of our guild moved w/his new guild and asked us to go also since we're basically only a small group of friends so we did).

Now that we've been on the new server for a while I really wish we were back on BH. It's so much harder to find a pickup group for 5mans/ubrs, there are actual wait times on AV (!! BH had 2-3 AVs going at almost any given time, not to mention that horde loses a shitload more on this server in all BGs), and there are just so many less people in general. On BH the total number of alliance outnumbered all of the population on cho'gall (wasn't always a good thing since I'm horde but it definitely ensured that wherever you were was a lively place to be).

On the plus side there are no more 800+ms ping times but they weren't all that common for me anyways. Also, now that I'm 60 being ganked while grinding is no longer an issue (being a shaman with improved ghost wolf 2 made sure it wasn't always a big issue anyways).

I just wanted to bitch I guess. frownyface

tl;dr: the grass isn't always greener.

what about europe?

damn you blizzard for wanting to make money.

lolz. it's a business, guys. don't wanna move your character? don't.

I was trying to think to myself whether this is better or worse than Xbox Live charging people to change their names.

Then I realised that charging to change your name is a good thing because it prevents people being pricks with messages as their entire names. I hate that on MSN. Names like *-*-* HEY I BOUGHT SOME BANANAS THIS MORNING!!! *-*-* and I'm looking at the contacts list wondering who the fuck that is and why I care about such minute details of their life.

(I have no objection to people adding a short message to the end of their name though I know some people on IRC are even anal about that.)

Someone remind me again how much it costs to change servers on Guild Wars?

WOW $25 per character! Glad I stopped playing completly. It's been over a year since I last played.

$25.00 to move 200k of data. Heh....

Wasn't this a free option at 1 time?

reported

open a pvp server and let me transfer to it damnit. thats all i want.

You know, they could just not offer this service at all and then what would people have to bitch about?

25 dollars for someone who is already paying 15 dollars to play in a lag-free enviornment? sounds like corporate bs to me.

$25 to have an automated system copy data from one database to another. I suppose its cheaper than trying to solve the overcrowding issues.

To everyone confused as to why this costs 25 dollars, takes so long, and has so many limititations...the answer is simple. Blizzard does *NOT* want the extra headache of doing this and potentially unbalancing realms, opening up transfer to abuse by groups that sell characters, etc.

It makes perfect sense to charge a high premium, which'll discourage all but the people who really want to do it.

We'll see how much money they make on it, but I can't disagree with their price scheme...people will pay it, and Blizzard gets some extra money for doing things they'd rather not do.