Everything people in this thread have been bitching about, the faction change fee, the server change fee, hell the internet feed for BlizzCon, have been things that players have been clamoring for.

Not everyone has been clamoring for faction changes .... or at least in the way it's been implemented anyway. Personally I would have preferred to see the ability to maintain your race and still change sides.

But regardless of the change, there has been a steady shift by Blizzard to make what was a fun game with enjoyable challenges into one giant mall where money (and in game tokens) get you what you want in the game. The game has lost its vision and its way. And with every new expansion, they re-invent the classes, the attribute system, the combat and any number of things that they could just leave well enough alone and work within the "tried and true" framework that they have. Frankly I'm sick of rebuilding my character every time someone in "WOW Game Mechanics HQ" decides that they don't have enough work to do and I need to relearn how to play the same character all over again.

Finally, it really does appear to me like the game is in a holding pattern until Blizz's new MMO drops, which in all likelihood will be gobbled up with glee by the punters. In the mean time, I'll likely get Cataclysm, play it to max level and check out the new content, quests and whatnot ... but that will be about it. I'll give it a couple of months and then look for something else.

Blizz are great a producing a nice, shiny and polished product. Generally they are some of the more fun games on the market. But WoW has been polished so much, there's no paint left and the metal is showing severe wear.