In Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone , a player bought card packs for $3200 in one go. This caused quite a stir.
For 3200 US dollars, you get 2700 card packs, each containing 5 cards, totaling 13,500 cards. The man who spent this record amount at Blizzard and bought himself 15 minutes of internet fame gave an interview to PC Gamer.
And the surprise is how normal it all sounds when he says it. The man is not a crazy fanatic who has lost all contact with reality, but a successful accountant who wants to craft as many “golden cards” as possible. Admittedly, the last half-sentence does sound a bit crazy.
But in relation to the little free time he has, he spends relatively much time in Hearthstone, as he explains. And one night, with a bit of alcohol in his system, he made the purchase he had been contemplating for some time.
In under 5 minutes, he ordered 60 packs 45 times and now opened the first ones. He was a bit surprised that the bank didn’t inquire, but after a previous purchase they probably had “the green light from Blizzard,” as he says. The player has already obtained every card in Hearthstone. His goal is to obtain at least all the “common” ones in gold.
When asked if he regrets the decision, he replied: “A large number in my account has become a little less large.” That sounds like a clear: No.
Whales: This is the type of player companies are after
The player is probably the classic example of a “whale,” which doesn’t mean he has weight issues, but refers to the “big fish” that every free-to-play game is after: players who have disposable income and no qualms about parting with it. Even though this example is rather positive and involves a player who can afford it, there are many reports of players who also spend a lot of money in games without being able to afford it.
