Cheers!

Zenimaxs Matt Firor answered some questions over on zam.net and one thing that struck me was:

http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=33999

So, pre-release you can buy a horse to aid you in leveling. Is this the beginning of the slippery slope that is a cashshop?

I do not agree with the decision that has been made. The shop should only include things like character transfers, name changes and so on, not in game items of any sort. That means vanity items too.

What are your thoughts?

As long as the cash shop is restricted to mounts, pets and characters services...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxK_nA2iVXw

I am fine with vanity items and skins. I am not fine with selling items that give an actualy gameplay advantage. I am being charged $15 a month already. This ins't F2P......yet.........so this kind of crap needs to stop now. I was fine with GW2 selling stuff like XP boosts and other things that aided in leveling but that was because it was free to play after purchase.

I agree. If I am paying a sub I shouldn't have to pay for anything except what you mentioned and expansions. The only time I would consider this ok, is if it was for some kind of charity.

It's not like you purchase the mount from the cash shop, login to the game, and >poof< you have a mount. You still have to acquire the horse with in game currency. You just have the added benefit of another type of horse available to choose from.

The only question remaining, would be how much the Palomino costs in game.

A mount...you can get mounts ingame so?...You can outrun a non speed fed mount by sprinting btw lol.

Unless the non-speed-fed mount is also sprinting.

I %100 agree with you, this is disappointing news. It starts with one or 2 things to make players happy who don't want to buy the Imperial Edition and ends with having a full blown cash shop. I hope to god this is the only thing they do outside of char. transfer, name changes etc. I hope this isn't the beginning of a full blown cash shop...it will be the death of me lol.

Thanks Blizzard.

Don't care

still waiting to see

but I hope this doesnt turn to be a f2p style cash shop

I'm not going to say I'm not slightly worried, but I'll overlook it for now.

Hey Zenimax, I registered just to tell you guys that the entire appeal of your game to me was getting away from the intense Cash Shop environment that is present in GW2 and most non-sub MMOs out there. It is SPECIFICALLY why I am willing to pay you monthly. I would like some more clarification on just how far you guys are going with this Cash Shop thing.

Everyone has a perfectly good pair of legs, unless your Oscar Pritorius and you sometimes forget when you have your legs on or off...

and a pretty little pink dress for my (male) Argonian tank

Sigh...

The sad part is getting a horse in the game doesn't even take that long. Which of course some will use as justification as to why this isn't a big deal, but it doesn't change the fact that you are given the option to pay instead of play the game.

I cannot really blame companies for doing it, because there is obviously a market for it. Like people who complain about gold farmers/sellers... if no one purchased gold, they wouldn't exist.

My disappointment comes from those who'd rather pay money than play the game. Yes, I know, why do I care how others play? I don't, until companies start catering to that crowd. The moment game systems are altered to "promote" cash-shop sales (e.g., painful grinds and paying money to "circumvent" the boredom), then I'm out. I like TES, but I won't put up with that [censored]. And no, it isn't just talk, I've quit plenty of games already for going this route.

As others have said in this thread, this particular issue doesn't concern me... yet. Horses in-game are easy to get and I don't get the vibe that the gameplay is altered in anyway to push players toward the cash-shop.

I am already not liking this shop, all items in shop should also be in game... Yes takes longer to get, but if you buy cash for a faster way of getting fine.. Items not obtainable in game only through more money is to me a double tax to a month to month paid subscription.

If this continues no matter how good the game is I will be quitting before I even get to level 50... Just another Publisher greedy tactic that is a short income gain for a long term failure to the community...

I don't like this. I mean i paid 20 bucks extra for my Imperial Edition, probably just for the horse. Now they are selling just a horse for cheaper than the imperial edition upgrade. Please thats a bunch of crap.

I played wow for a number of years. I didn't really mind when they sold mounts and pets in the game. But now they are selling level 90 characters. I sincerely hope Zenimax doesn't go that far.

Calm down people, its like an end of the world apocalypse thread.

The horse is simply the one you can find at the stable at the start that you can buy for money. It help people who wasnt interested in buying the full imperial deluxe (20$+) only to get the mount. Some people (like me) didnt care for the imperial and imperial transmog. To be honest i bought it for the horse XD (and race be created everywhere).

Its not a new horse and it is not quite needed as the first horse is like 10% faster then sprinting (not upgraded)

so same as wow, no problem there. So a few people will pay for a horse, big deal. It isn't even a good horse, you will end up using an entirely different horse at end game anyway.

I think its fine if it stops here, I would have probably bought an edition that included a mount and not the statue and book and crap that comes with the imperial edition so this is just that. Just giving people the ability to buy the horse is a good compromise as not everyone wants the those other bits

I don't have an issue with it, assuming the base speed of it is not any higher than what you can get in-game. Cash shop only really becomes an issue when it sells items which give a significant gameplay advantage over others and if the item cannot be earned in a reasonable amount of time in-game.

Cosmetic/fluffy stuff like this really isn't a problem.

I surely hope so thornbreaker.. We will see how far this store goes, but I know publishers and they usually do not stop when it comes to greed and the bottom line.

I still say if items are obtainable at the store but not able to earn in game and I do mean = to = items or loot than I say down with the store and my subscription. I pay for continued support and game content monthly and expect the same advantages or options as others. That is why I don't care there is no "dye" or Duel yet, I don't mind paying to get more content I agree with that it is FAIR.. The longer I invest in a product the more I expect to get the benefit from it, however if you cheapen it to well I can bypass this cause I have money , well how is that FAIR to the thousands like me who have paid for this content to be added over time?

What is next you can now buy DYE for your clothing in the store? will see... It is a matter of how you approach the long term life of this game and community, if you really want people to last long term.. Give them items in game that are earned through length of play, instead of the store say after 3 months of subscriptions you are now a citizen or whatever and Dye is obtainable in game.. The same carrot but one that rewards the community and paid players not just the well off or kid who has no responsibilities or care to the game or community..