this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2024
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[–] [email protected] 143 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Are the whales the ones complaining? Because the whole concept of a whale is that they are the exception. The vast majority of players pay only the minimum amount or slightly more, but the whales dump so much money in that they are still worth more to the devs than the other 99% of players combined.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 3 days ago (5 children)

You're right. The definition of a whale includes that he has enough money to not complain about any price at all.

Except complaining is his kink... Then he gets double the satisfaction from his payments.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 days ago

A whale doesn't need enough money not to complain. The tactics used to attract whales are meant to build or take advantage of addictions. When I was drinking I would regularly complain about the cost of alcohol yet still spend much more than I could afford on it

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago

Whales aren't people who can afford whatever, so they spend whatever. Whales are people invested enough that the perceived value added is more than the money it costs. Most whales, therefore, are regular people who are addicted to the game rather than moneybags who could easily afford it. So yeah, it does smell of victim blaming. We should be calling out the bad business practice, rather than calling out those being victimized by the bad business practice.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Or the whale is German, because complaining is a national past time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

"price gouge me harder, Daddy!"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

buys shit

violently orgasms

[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 days ago

You know who look like whales? Problem spenders who spend far beyond their means, and are preyed upon by predatory business practices that use psychological manipulation to encourage people to spend as much as as they can. Like, I've literally watched video game developer conference talks where a dev explains in great detail and depth on how to hijack human psychology to milk every last dollar they can. Whales stopped being "those who can afford to spend" a long time ago.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

The whales wouldn't complain about this one anyways. When this mount was available in-game on the auction house it was probably around 5x the price in USD assuming you bought wow tokens.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

I've seen whales complain. Maybe not whales, but people who pay for skins and random bullshit

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

In FFXIV, most multi people mounts are paid for, but they did have an event where they have one that can hold 4 people. There is a paid mount that holds 8 people, and it’s a whale. It’s the most expensive mount at just $42. There is no reason you should want to carry 8 people because everyone should have a mount.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Some people mentioned there are some additional features locked behind the specific mount this comic is lambasting. Something about AH and mailbox. I haven't played WoW so not sure how much of an advantage that is, but the closest FFXIV analogue imo is the extra retainers.

You only have 2 by default and pay an additional $2 a month for any extra. They allow you to basically bot farm some items every 30m to an hour(depends on how below your retainers level the target is) as well as more storage and selling capacity. Nothing is explicitly gated by it, but those who spend the money have a higher capability to earn in game money and/or have greater convenience if they use it properly.

For those of us who have had extra retainers for years, it's cost us way more than $90, but it's not a single huge purchase so can definitely seem like less in your head if you don't take that one small step of reasoning.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

It's the same as how most airlines operate. The first and business class sections make up the majority of the profit, even though they are just a small fraction of the passengers.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I think it's mostly the parents of whales who are complaining.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I started boycotting all paid digital subscription services when World of Warcraft came out.

So to me; you're the problem. Anyone who isn't boycotting all paid digital subscription services is the problem.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Weird take but more power to you my friend

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

Subscription fees for frequently updated MMOs aren't unreasonable. I refuse to pay them, but I don't begrudge their existence. MTX on top of that are another matter - that shit should only exist in F2P MMOs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Wtf are you talking about? The user you're responding to is just clarifying the term "whale".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

If you ignore what else they say:

The vast majority of players pay only the minimum amount or slightly more,

Of course they're making this claim because that's what they do. Listen: BOYCOTT BOYCOTT BOYCOTT - stop funding things you don't want to see in this world. Stop funding things you don't want to reward.

If you do reward these actions (such as new subscription model services), or you're justifying them in online commentary (as the comment I replied to was, as you are) then you have no right to complain about them - because they were funded by you.

It's like paying the minimum on a Kickstarter for killing kittens, then commenting "Yes, but it's really the whales funding it".

Not if you're all funding it too. That still counts as funding it! STOP LYING TO YOURSELF!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

You're raging against a discussion on nomenclature and blaming anyone that responds to you for your off-topic crusade. Maybe take a moment think about that.