A Theory: Expansion for WOW

[Jarulf]

So I believe they will announce an expansion for WOW this year. Probably before Christmas. This would also explain the shoddy implementation of version 1.6. Blizz' programmers are working on the expansion instead of working on bug fixes.

-Arnulf
[right][snapback]83768[/snapback][/right]

Although I tend to believe there will be an expansion, one that you buy in the shops, I am also a bit reluctant to believ that Blizzard can't see how pointless expansions are. Or rather, can be!!

If we stick with the fact that an expansion is an addition to the game that you have to purchase (one time fee or whatever) over the normal game, I see several problems with this, and only really one reason. The only reason is to make extra money. I have no idea about normal pricing for expansions, but I would guess in a range that is equivalent to 2 or 3 months or payment for playing the game. I have always been of the opinion that this type of game with monthly fees should be priced very cheap and instead have the cost normally put into the purchase as part of the monthly fee. It should have minimal inpact on most people I would say. Similary, one can add in the cost of an expansion into the monthly fee. The advantage is of course that everyone that wants can get it. Possibly at some expense on the money made by the game company, although I am in part inclined to believe they get back a bunch of it if not all) in extra people playing longer.

So, now that we have the advantage (the game company probably make some extra money), lets see the problems (which ends up affecting both the game company and the players.

How do you handle people having two different variants of the game?

Have special expansion servers? Dividing the people? Do people with the expansion "move" their characters there? Or do people have to restart? Will people all the time be able to make this move as they by expansions, thus constantly adding new allready high level chars?

Have special areas, races, items, and so on that only expansion players can access? Well, there is still a need then to push an awefull ammount of that content to all non expansion players so they can see and experience those players. Potentiall one need to complicate items so they are expansion only and can not be traded and so on (or spill that to normal players anyway). Only thin possibly not needed to push to non expansion players is grapics and sound for new areas. This to me seems like a potential messy disaster. Factoring in that we have PvP, it is pure insanity!!

Logistics in supporting two versions of the game, this includes behind the seen tech support, content support, balance, and everything else. After all, the whole world might need some retuning if we increase the level cap, introduce new items, classes and so on (including two code bases for part of it). It is a whole bunch of extra work that of course will cut into the extra money they made from having people buy it instead of having everyone get it.



There are probably a whole bunch of other points to bring up. I admit that I have no idea how they have handled it in every other similar game out there with expansions. All in all, I am all for an expansion, but I can see HUGE benefits for both players and Blizzard to have it as a "patch". Admitadly a large patch which in itself causes problems not addressed above (but are in part in existance in any case were you don't split into servers for expansion and servers for normal with no mixing).



All in all, I still think Blizzard will go the "cheap" route an relöease an expansion you have to pay a lot of money for. I would not be surprised if there will be separate servers for reasons of logistics for non expansion players. Sort of sad, but that is my guess.