Can We Just Shut Up About Cash Shops? And Why WoW Has One of the Worst in the Business

A quote from this article has caused ESO fans to go into a tizzy:

What types of items or services can we expect to find in the Zenimax store?

The purpose of the store is to offer interested players a variety of additional services. At launch we’re going to have two items: the ability to upgrade to the Imperial Edition, and an entry level horse (Palomino colored). The horse you get in both purchases is functionally the same, but the Imperial Edition is the only way to ever get the White horse. We have the Palomino horse available to allow players to purchase a basic mount without purchasing the entire Imperial Edition.

So, there is going to be a mount in the “cash shop” upon the release of ESO.  People are throwing a fit about it and, for the life of me, I can not understand why.  For one, mounts are available and purchasable for in-game gold.  Zenimax is not forcing anyone to buy a mount from the cash shop.  You can easily save up the gold and buy one in-game and, other than the fact that the cash shop horse is a Palomino, there is no difference between the cash shop mount and the one purchasable in-game.  Its not faster or better in any way.

And….I am DONE.

Found this posted over at the K&G forums, originally taken from Allodsfan:

1) Level cap – 42.
2) New location for 40-42 levels.
3) Cursed items. Players will have chance to receive new type of items. Cursed items don’t give stat bonuses. Instead they make attributes lower. E.g. helm which added +100 to your Luck will give -100 when cursed. Cursed items may drop from heroic instances bosses. Also one of player’s items may become cursed after death. Any curse can be removed through special ritual.
4) Cash Shop consumables will now vanish after 7 days after you’ve bought them.
5) New boss in Demon City.

WHAT. THE. FUCK????

Small Level Cap increase: Cool

New Zone to level in: Cool

New boss: Cool

Cursed items that will probably need a CS item to remove: NOT. COOL.

CS consumables that disappear seven days after you purchase them: ABSOLUTELY. POSITIVELY. NOT. COOL.

Yeah, I am pretty much done.  Astrum Nival just does not get it.  Not in any way shape or form.  I don’t blame this on gPotato, these decisions are coming straight from AN.  Regardless, this is idiocy at its finest.  A great game is now dead to myself and thousands of potential players.  A sad thing really.

I had my doubts about the F2P model and, unfortunately, Astrum Nival has proven my initial foreboding correct.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.