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.
A good gig if you can get it. Blizzard really are the Apple of the gaming world. Who buys this stuff, though?
I’m speechless, and yet it doesn’t surprise me. Idiots do surround us.
When sanity departs… like this too -> http://tinyurl.com/zcn8ut
I’m in the wrong business.
Why is purchasing this stupid? How is it any different than say, going to the movies twice?
Didn’t the last Gauguin sell for 122 Million?
Art–the conspiracy between rich people and artists to make poor people think they are stupid. Kurt Vonnegut.
I tried the 30-day WoW free trial subscription…
I canceled right before the 30th day.
I want one!!!
I guess it’s true what they say about fools and their money.
I purchased one for all of my 10 characters. Precious =)
$25 for a virtual horse that someone probably named Binky.
…And this is one of many reasons for the fall of Western Civilization.
Then again, stuff like this seems to work out OK for the Japanese – so who knows.
I didn’t purchase this for any of my characters. I didn’t see the fun in just buying it. I’d rather go out and earn a cool mount. Dalaran is full of these stupid mounts running around. It’s not cool.
#5 WoW dosn’t have a 30 day free trial. You must have played a different game.
And this will go FABULOUS with their furry blue boots and tight pink leather top and matching loin cloth.
Cursor_
if you had told me 5 years ago that somebody could make millions selling a picture of something that doesn’t exist to adults who spend all they’re waking hours playing games in a world that doesn’t exist and being people who don’t exist….I’d have thought you mad. Sadly the losers playing WoW and farmville on their myspacebook have signaled the end of civilization as we know it
So once the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter are taken care of how much difference does it make how you spend your free time?
Religion?
Politics?
Music?
Art??
Role Playing?
Then you die. Same start. Same End. The meaning inbetween, all the same. – 0 –
And yes, Mother Earth will continue.
#13. You’re depressing me…wheres my Prozac?
how are so many people that irresponsible with their money?
Looks like WoW’s major competitor (AION) is giving them a serious run. Makes the WoW game look more like a cartoon.
Check out Aion’s new video – google “Aion Vision trailer”.
HOLY FUCK Bobbo, I mean really. What the fuck are you thinking with that long ass stupid name? Are you fucking retarded. In the past I’ve joked with you but this is just plain moronic.
“bobbo, libertarianism fails when its Dogma blinds them to the rising threat of Corporations that can only be held in check by Government thru the will of the people said,”
Fucking shoot yourself or give me your address and I’ll happily fucking kill your sorry pathetic elitist ass. I’m serious. Fucking pathetic loser.
I have a very bright coworker that is heavily into WOW. He plays at least 4 hours a night no matter what. He no slacker. He’s running his own business, working with us as the lead hardware engineer, does sailing on his boat, and so forth. Yet he finds time to play 4Hr+ of WOW.
And he doesn’t mind paying real money for virtual money or items. His stance is why bother wasting hours coming up with the money to buy stuff you need he can simply pay for it and enjoy the game.
I tell you, that’s the kind of person you want playing your game 🙂
It is our civic duty to separate idiots from their money as efficiently as possible.
WOW has My Little Pony?
And there is already a backlash against it, by all the players who are upset that anyone with the cash can buy one… its only “cool” for as long as the “cool kids” are the only ones who can have it.
Once the unwashed masses have them, the cool kids have to find something else to keep portraying themselves as the “unique” individuals they are sure they are.
Kind of like sunglasses in the real world. My wife was wondering why so many people are wearing such HUGE sunglasses… I told her it was because everybody else had switched to “the Matrix” style of glasses, so all the cool kids had to go to the opposite extreme.
Like most “rebels” wearing black Harley T-shirts, and showing-off a few tattoos – claiming it is not a uniform. 🙂
Personally, I don’t play like that. However, you got to hand it to these guys, this has got to be the all time easiest way to make big money. If their graphic artists took longer than a day to throw this crap together, well they definitely need new ones. Obviously, these guys have invented the goose that lays golden eggs. What’s amazing to me is that WoW even lasted this long.
#10 it did back then.
I never WOW’d. I never had a farm on Farmville. I play video games to get away from people. I don’t want whiney fat men who live in their parent’s basement to chat with me while I am playing a game.
What is your time worth? How many hours do you spend a week on DU? Assuming you could go work 3 extra hours at $20 per hour you’re wasting $60 per week just to add a little entertainment in you life. $25 on a fake horse doesn’t sound all that bad if you’re having fun with it.
Now I haven’t bought one of these nor do I plan to, but you people make it sound like 25 bucks is an end all, budget breaking amount. It’s $25… seriously. I’m sure most of you spend $25 on equally stupid items that probably won’t last as long. It’s a novelty item. It costs a minimal amount. It makes these peoples experience more enjoyable. The end. I’m sure the average person has spent more on crappy movie/game rentals with 0 return on enjoyment.
I guess Blizzard needed something to help continue funding their other vaporware products of Starcraft and Diablo.
C’mon, like nobody here ever spent 25 bucks on something stupid.
As long as its your own money, have fun the way you want.
Nothing wrong with buying the horse, I just kind of think it looks rather ugly, what’s with the tail. And it looks like a remodelled starcraft 2 archon with the plates. I’d rather get a fast horse to spend less time on wow if I played it. That’d be a good investment.
Everbody thinks what the others are doing is stupid. The internet is full of bad asses who love to insult others. Do that crap on the streets and get your ass blown away. We’re all just trying to get through this, and enjoy it as much as possible.