Discussion - WotLK Leak Publicity Stunt

[kkunecz]

They released alpha for only blizzard employees and this friends and family to test
it for bugs.

-They never actually expected no one would find out the install link in their site
-They werent gonna expect anyone to release a sandbox server for the alpha client

So, no, this isnt a stupid conspiracy or something stupid like that, they only released it for TESTERS, not for the public

[Kristhunder]

While I agree the timing on the leak works well for Blizzard, I do not think that it was intentional for publicity or anything like that.

If that was the case, Blizzard has far better and flashier ways to get people excited about the expansion. An official web page with talents, spells, etc. would be much more effective.

[Ickybad]

Again idc blizzard can burn i haven't played wow in a while and i really dont think theyed put the dang link inside their site if they didn't want it leaked.

[TheGreatRowaH]

Everyone's always got a conspiracy theory.

Think about it for a second. The F&F beta had no effect on 95% of blizz's customers. The only people who will play with it are the legit folks in the beta, and those of us that play with emulation. The majority of people that quit/left for AoC are going to AoC no matter what, and have never heard of a F&F beta, or a WoTLK sandbox, or mangos...

On top of that, Blizz banned 350,000 Glider accounts the same day AoC came out. If they were so scared of AoC, would this really be a good logic to follow? Send them 350,000 customers on day 1?

Last but not least, am I the only one that remembers running around in a TBC sandbox while the TBC F&F beta was going on?

I'm sorry to say, but there's no conspiracy here. They want their expansion out in 2008, and to do so, means it needs to be tested. Timing is coincidental at best.

My opinions, of coarse.

Blizz probably saw this as "passing the trash," since we aren't honest customers in their eyes, and perhaps even nuisances.