I didn't call it P2W.
And I just fundamentally disagree with you, then. Serious question: what WOULD be exploitative for you?
[EDIT]
To make this clearer, I agree companies are going to take the route that leads to their best profits. I think it's a serious issue with fandom that, by nature, it opens itself up to exploitation in a way that lets companies get away with a lot of crap, because there WON'T be a financial backlash for a company who aggressively exploits brand loyatly.
So I do think it's reasonable to hold companies up to a moral standard in the way they treat their fans, and I'm absolutely going to call them out for exploitative crap that passes the line, for however little that is worth.
It's a big part of my issue with the evolution of Blizzard into Activision-Blizzard. They used to have a very fan-centric approach. Now they have a corporate milk-the-fans approach.
And I think the industry as a whole is far, far worse because of it (not Blizzard specifically, the trend). But because its an industry of fandoms, people are inclined to just take it. Why wouldn't they? They're torn between loyalty to the IP and dissatisfaction with the studios. But their fandom-specific affiliations are generally with the IP, not the studio.
It's sort of like the Enders Game/Orson Scott Card crap. I recommend the book all the time, but I also stress that people should buy it used. Studios are getting more and more control over the distribution of their IPs (and MMOs are obviously a direct service), so you can't be loyal to a product and refuse to support the company practices anymore.
Now you have to support the company practices if you want to access the product. And I think the consumers are the ones who lose in that situation, completely.
Edited, Apr 11th 2014 12:53pm by idiggory
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IDrownFish wrote:
Anyways, you all are horrible, @#%^ed up people
lolgaxe wrote:
Never underestimate the healing power of a massive dong.