Wow To feature a Cash shop

[Mrbloodworth]

Emerging business models for online games like microtransactions and tiered subscriptions have long met with skepticism from the average MMO enthusiast, who's viewed Blizzard and its standard subscription model for World of Warcraft as a bastion against new monetization strategies.

But it seems possible that Blizzard might soon explore the pay-for-goods arena after a press conference at its BlizzCon event -- though specifics are still being ironed out.

According to coverage from MMO news site WarCry, WoW production director J. Allen Brack was asked about a button found in the Wrath of the Lich King beta's data files called "Paid Character Customization."

The report says Brack first balked at addressing the question, and then ultimately confirmed that WoW would eventually incorporate some form of paid character customization, though the company is apparently still working details out.

Blizzard is also reportedly exploring ways to monetize multiplayer games on its Battle.net service for the upcoming Diablo III; while the details of that monetization strategy are also apparently still being worked out, Brack did confirm that it doesn't involve subscription fees.

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It seems to just be fluff items right now. Who is taking bets on how long before items with stats show up?

[Merusk]

Not a surprise.  It felt like they were already testing the waters with the trading cards giving in-game stuff.  I'm sure someone looked at the e-bay prices for some of those items, saw just how well they were selling and said, "WTF! We should be getting a cut of that!" 

Lord knows I'd rather give $9 to Blizzard for the hippogriff companion than have my wife spend $45 to some jackass on E-bay who works for the prepackaging company or a comics store and is buying a whole box for that price then selling off all the loot cards.  (Or spend another $50 in cards that just lie around the house until the kids destroy them.)

[Nonentity]

No, damn you, Blizzard! I ALREADY GIVE YOU SO MUCH MONEY, DON'T MAKE ME GIVE YOU MORE!

Sigh...

I have two character transfers I still have to pay for. =/

[RUiN 427]

the paid character customization is for the facial features... if your like me and you designed you characters face with a shitty resolution and didn't realize till you hit 70 and upgraded your computer that you pick "old guy face" you can switch it. That is all, this sky is falling bs about paying for items is unfounded and pure speculation. However the battle.net overhaul could have some stuff for diablo or something

[Nebu]

That is all, this sky is falling bs about paying for items is unfounded and pure speculation.

I'd say that the legal ramifications make for interesting study.  When players start paying real cash for in game items, you start to assign monetary value to virtual goods.  The discussion has been going on for a long time, but now we're looking at a major player in the gaming industry conducting business globally.  I'm thinking the legal results could be a very interesting thing to watch assuming Blizzard ever starts selling more than fluff items this way.

[Lakov_Sanite]

That is all, this sky is falling bs about paying for items is unfounded and pure speculation.

I'd say that the legal ramifications make for interesting study.  When players start paying real cash for in game items, you start to assign monetary value to virtual goods.  The discussion has been going on for a long time, but now we're looking at a major player in the gaming industry conducting business globally.  I'm thinking the legal results could be a very interesting thing to watch assuming Blizzard ever starts selling more than fluff items this way.

it's already been done with paid name changes and server transfers, having paid race/gender changes(which is probably what it will be) isn't going to be groundbreaking or new.

[Mrbloodworth]

the paid character customization is for the facial features... if your like me and you designed you characters face with a shitty resolution and didn't realize till you hit 70 and upgraded your computer that you pick "old guy face" you can switch it. That is all, this sky is falling bs about paying for items is unfounded and pure speculation. However the battle.net overhaul could have some stuff for diablo or something

Facial Features a?

[Nebu]

it's already been done with paid name changes and server transfers, having paid race/gender changes(which is probably what it will be) isn't going to be groundbreaking or new.

No, but it starts to get interesting if/when they start to go further with their menu of RMT items.  This was my point.

[RUiN 427]

what, you don't RP? want some cheese?

if you notice all of the paid features of wow are things that blizzard doesn't want people doing on a whim, or every time they log in. Having name changes, server changes, and soon appearance changes cost money keeps it out of the gameplay realm and more in the product and account management realm.

changing you hair is part of the game experience, changing you face... not so much.

[Mrbloodworth]

You seem to think i am whining, im not. Just thought it was interesting, and i do foresee this evolving beyond "Facial features".

[RUiN 427]

You seem to think i am whining, im not. Just thought it was interesting, and i do foresee this evolving beyond "Facial features".

no i was refering to the RP test where someone offers you cheese and if you don't do something RP with it you get reported for not RPing... my lame attempt at a bad joke... sorry

[Mrbloodworth]

Np.

[Calantus]

the paid character customization is for the facial features... if your like me and you designed you characters face with a shitty resolution and didn't realize till you hit 70 and upgraded your computer that you pick "old guy face" you can switch it. That is all, this sky is falling bs about paying for items is unfounded and pure speculation. However the battle.net overhaul could have some stuff for diablo or something

This. My priest's face has yucky teeth and I want to change it. My rogue is black and I want to change that as well (dwarf, so when I say "black" I mean I mean his skin is a really unhealthy looking dark grey-ish colour). So I'm looking forward to this.

[WindupAtheist]

UO has been selling name changes, gender changes, fluff/deco items, and other stuff for years, and I'm sure a bunch of other games have been as well. Not a big deal.

[ashrik]

if you notice all of the paid features of wow are things that blizzard doesn't want people doing on a whim, or every time they log in. Having name changes, server changes, and soon appearance changes cost money keeps it out of the gameplay realm and more in the product and account management realm.

Yeah, I always saw the fee as almost a punitive charge instead of Blizzard trying to make some easy cash. On this subject, I think people need to give Blizzard more credit than they do. People have problems with stuff like server changes all the time, maybe it's a bit more complicated than Blizzard e-mailing a database file to some guy across the way.

But at the same time, some people really want these things.

Let's see where it goes. Something tells me that we won't be seeing stat items in here. I'd like to think their intentions are a bit better than that. However, we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[RUiN 427]

havn't they hinted at housing? i seem to remember a blue post hinting at that for a question about the instance portal in SW. Maybe you gotta buy stuff for you house? Or maybe pay to make things bind on account? i dunno i'm just spitting out ideas here.

[Numtini]

If you have any questions about the cash value of vanity items, I suggest you go look up ebay auctions for the Murlock pet or the original Collector's Edition with the Panda. There's no need to get into game affecting RMT, the most popular items are actually the vanity ones.

[Venkman]

Hrm, I would have thought this would have made it here by now. I heard about it on a freakin' Podcast last week, and I'm usually a week or to behind on those.

Come on Bloodworth! 

In all seriousness, this makes a lot of sense. Companies are not rewarded for how well they're doing, but rather, how well they're growing. As I don't see anyone projecting 20mil paying subscribers for WoW eventually, it's a good time for Blizzard to try and figure out how to make more money from the existing players and those trickling it, particularly when there's been ample proof that griping aside, players sure as heck will pay extra to get extra.

[Xanthippe]

It seems to me that if the items are also available via in game gold, this would be a nice gold sink as well.

It also seems to me that if that was the case, there is some potential for abuse, but I'm not connecting the dots somehow.  Need more coffee.  Maybe someone more clear-thinking can provide an explanation.

[bhodi]

If they were REALLY slick, they would make things cost "days of game time" and just move forward the renewal date of the subscription. I can see that being very popular.

[Ratman_tf]

[Nebu]

havn't they hinted at housing?

If this game had customizable housing, I'd come back.  It's stupid, but I would.  I miss my DAoC houses. 

[Paelos]

havn't they hinted at housing?

If this game had customizable housing, I'd come back.  It's stupid, but I would.  I miss my DAoC houses. 

Housing would be a great place to showcast achievements that had connecting tropheys. You know guilds would want the epeen factor on that.

[RUiN 427]

while seeing someone in game with the top tier armor or weapons can be pretty impressive, seeing someone with the most expensive vanity items would be pretty douchey ( sp? )

[apocrypha]

As long as it remains fluff I have no problem with it.

They've already introduced paid-for faster leveling for us multiboxers via the recruit-a-friend thing anyway. Direct paid-for stat items would suck though.

[Merusk]

Depends entirely on the cost.  Lots of folks think my firend's pet monky is nifty, and my wife's newest "Feet of Illidan" get a lot of "ooh, cools" but none of the derision and jealousy linked to folks with better gear.  Why? Because it cost both of them only a few bucks, and are obtainable by ANYONE, not just those overburdened with assloads of free time.

If the vanity items were $40, $50 or more, yeah, you'd get a lot of douchey feelings aimed at folks.  $5 or so? No biggie.. plus you'd get a shitload more sales.

[Sjofn]

No, damn you, Blizzard! I ALREADY GIVE YOU SO MUCH MONEY, DON'T MAKE ME GIVE YOU MORE!

Sigh...

I have two character transfers I still have to pay for. =/

You should trasnfer to Doomhammer. I have dwarf tits there too. 

[Xanthippe]

Depends entirely on the cost.  Lots of folks think my firend's pet monky is nifty, and my wife's newest "Feet of Illidan" get a lot of "ooh, cools" but none of the derision and jealousy linked to folks with better gear.  Why? Because it cost both of them only a few bucks, and are obtainable by ANYONE, not just those overburdened with assloads of free time.

If the vanity items were $40, $50 or more, yeah, you'd get a lot of douchey feelings aimed at folks.  $5 or so? No biggie.. plus you'd get a shitload more sales.

What pet monkey, you mean the chimp Bananas?

I wanted to get one of those for my daughter, but they were $45 on ebay a year or so ago.  Now?  $80.

[Merusk]

What pet monkey, you mean the chimp Bananas?

I wanted to get one of those for my daughter, but they were $45 on ebay a year or so ago.  Now?  $80.

Yeah that one.  She didn't buy the card off e-bay though, just got lucky on card purchases.  Since that card set isn't made anymore, AFAIK,  that's probably why the price went up so much.  Ah, memories of M:TG... horrible, horrible memories.

[Ingmar]

Ape not monkey OMG!