It's just part of a trend. I'm noticing announcements from other vendors that they're cutting back what you get with the certification as well.
And, look at it this way - yes, it's expensive to get the certification, but you're not taking the
test to get magazines or goodies. You're taking the exam to have proof from the vendor to potential employers/clients that you know what you're doing.
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Theodore Jonathan Casser
Sun Certified Programmer for the Java2 Platform
IBM Certified Specialist - WebSphere Application Server, Std. Ed, V3.5