Blizzard launches real money in-game pet store (plus some goes to charity)

[Jayce]

The amount of money made through this would dwarf the ill will it would generate from the poopsockers.

They're a vocal minority who apparently have more free time than sense.  Let them howl!  

I wouldn't count on that (unless you folks are trolling...  )  I have next to no time to play - 1.5-2 hrs a night at best - but microtrans to let you buy anything besides the most inconsequential shit would have me leaving so fast you'd hear a sucking sound.

[Nebu]

I wouldn't count on that (unless you folks are trolling...  )  I have next to no time to play - 1.5-2 hrs a night at best - but microtrans to let you buy anything besides the most inconsequential shit would have me leaving so fast you'd hear a sucking sound.

It's a pve game.  Why do you even care what gear someone else has? 

[Malakili]

I wouldn't count on that (unless you folks are trolling...  )  I have next to no time to play - 1.5-2 hrs a night at best - but microtrans to let you buy anything besides the most inconsequential shit would have me leaving so fast you'd hear a sucking sound.

It's a pve game.  Why do you even care what gear someone else has? 

I think its less that and more the fact that when anyone can buy the gear, actually going out and getting the gear feels like a chore, instead of just playing the game.  One of the things I've learned about many years of MMO playing is that the mindset I approach the game with is probably about 90%+ responsible for how much I enjoy the game.  It isn't so much that epix for $ would really change the game that much, but it WOULD change how people thought about the game.   That can be an important factor.  Now granted, if you can discipline yourself enough to just carry on as usualy,  you'll be fine, but its actually not as easy as it sounds. 

From my own standpoint, I honestly don't mind micros anymore.  It used to bother me really badly in principle, then I played a few free to play games when I was in an MMO slump a year or two ago, and I found that it wasn't nearly the big deal I thought it was.

[Ingmar]

I wouldn't count on that (unless you folks are trolling...  )  I have next to no time to play - 1.5-2 hrs a night at best - but microtrans to let you buy anything besides the most inconsequential shit would have me leaving so fast you'd hear a sucking sound.

It's a pve game.  Why do you even care what gear someone else has? 

I'd be out the door myself most likely. It isn't so much a case of what other people have as removing the entire engine that drives why people play in the first case. If character improvement is available by just spending money rather than playing the game as designed, why bother at all?

For that reason, of course, I suspect Blizzard will never make that sort of thing available in WoW. They know how their game is supposed to work and why people play it.

[Nebu]

My point is this:  If microtrans make the game more fun for you, then you win and Blizzard wins.  If you enjoy playing to get the gear without paying extra, you also win.  It's about having fun.  I see microtrans as offering alternative pathways to fun for those that enjoy different styles of gameplay.  If you find getting gear a chore, then don't do it.  There are enough options for your entertainment dollar out there that you have choices.  

I'm just tired of the whole epeen argument about this.  It isn't about earning anything folks.  It's about entertainment.  You shouldn't have to suffer for your fun.  


Edit: For the record, I'd never pay cash in a game for something I can get through normal gameplay.  I don't see a point in paying money to bypass portions of the game.  That doesn't mean I'm against it.  People have been buying and selling accounts, powerleveling, and gold for years.  At least through a legitimized venue Blizzard would profit from it. 

[Malakili]

I'm just tired of the whole epeen argument about this.  It isn't about earning anything folks.  It's about entertainment.  You shouldn't have to suffer for your fun.  

I'll just make this counter argument, and I'm not really totally in agreement with it, but I'll throw it out there and you can tell me what you think:

 The fact of the matter is this, I think:  Life isn't fair, lots of people have different amounts money.  The income gap of WoW players is drastic.  I think a lot of people really love the fact that every can pay the same 15 bucks, and they get to be on equal footing with anyone else that plays.  Social/Economic class is basically totally masked by the game.    Dismantling that mask by allowing people to simply pay cash for things I think ruins that illusion for fairness for a lot of people.  It hurts the games value as a method of escapism, and I think that is the problem.

Now, I get the impression that the majority of posters here are generally not super strapped for cash, and are generally comfortable.  Thats a pretty big assumption, and I'm sure there are exceptions.  So, this particular problem might not be a big deal to some people, but I know it is a real issue for some people I know.  Maybe I'm reading way too far into it, and maybe the general MMO population has enough disposable income not to care too much about this in general, but I wouldn't totally dismiss it out of hand.

[Jayce]

My objections are a few:

1 - It seems like it would pack the game with people similar to the gambling crowd - many have more money than sense, and most of little of either. The only other ones there, for lack of willingness to spend lots of cash, would not stick around long.

2 - Even as a casual, I can set goals and achieve them. If I get the Loremaster title, I've put in some work and can be proud of it. Empty as it may be, it's entertaining to me, and given the number of people who play an achiever-like playstyle, I'm not the only one.  If you can just go buy that, it's not special any more.

3 - Given the competitive nature of PvE (world firsts and so forth) I expect the raiding game would rapidly become spenders-only. Can you imagine someone checking your armory and to see whether you've spent "only" $100 getting the gear you need before inviting you into their pickup raid? Or if all raids were like that?

4 - Imagine the above scenario with respect to PvP. Imagine not being able to compete in any way in BGs or Arenas or world PvP unless you spend x amount of money.  Remember, you guys said any item in the game.


edited to address:

I'm just tired of the whole epeen argument about this.  It isn't about earning anything folks.  It's about entertainment.  You shouldn't have to suffer for your fun.  

But it is about earning something, even though the something isn't real and it's just pixels and etc and yadda yadda.  Maybe it's a pathology, but if you're not into spending time working for something you perceive to be of value, and being goal-oriented, and just want a quick fix of action/entertainment, why are you playing an MMOG? Quick fixes are a valid playstyle, but not a good match for persistent state games.

[Ingmar]

Edit: For the record, I'd never pay cash in a game for something I can get through normal gameplay.  I don't see a point in paying money to bypass portions of the game.  That doesn't mean I'm against it.  People have been buying and selling accounts, powerleveling, and gold for years.  At least through a legitimized venue Blizzard would profit from it.  

Good luck finding anyone to do the content with once people can just buy the drops though. That's the core problem I see.

The core mechanic of WoW is do content to get drops to do harder content to get better drops to do harder content, right? If I can just buy stuff, what do I then spend my time in game actually doing? The other supporting systems like crafting, PVP, fishing, other minigames they might add, etc., do not in themselves amount to a complete game.

[Nebu]

Malakili, Replace "money" with "time" in your point and see what you think.  

People that want to keep the status quo are generally benefitting from the status quo.  That's a hallmark of human nature.  

Jayce: I twitch when I see the word "work" in any comment about a game.   I really don't care what other players have in a PvE game and I don't really understand why others do.  The "achievements" are your own.  You know how you got them.  Does it really matter or devalue what you did if someone else did it differently?  People in large guilds with strong social networks will always do more than I can.  That doesn't devalue the things I've done in game for myself.  

Ingmar: I'm guessing that you're wrong.  There are plenty of people online that actually play games to have fun rather than to compete with the bleeding edge crowd.  All Blizzard would have to do is create separate server types and they'd find out immediately how interested people are in buying their way through content. 

[Ingmar]

I don't see it as a choice between fun and competitiveness, really.

Ultimately the only playstyle that would generally benefit from purchasable gear is a PVP-centric one; the goal of a PVP-oriented player is generally to have fun killing other players, and so purchasable gear would remove obstacles to this end goal. That is absolutely opposite the goal of a PVE-oriented player; the fun on the PVE side of the game is all *during* the process of advancing your character, gearing up, and overcoming whatever the new challenges are. If you remove the gearing up and tweaking your character side of the equation, it simply becomes a process of killing each new boss once to see it, and no MMO company can generate content at a pace fast enough to make that viable.

[Jayce]

Jayce: I twitch when I see the word "work" in any comment about a game.  

Fine, then don't play a game with work involved. I did allow that it might be a pathology :)

[caladein]

Malakili, Replace "money" with "time" in your point and see what you think.

But that's not really true in the "vertical" sense of progression.  Yes, time is going to be the main factor in someone getting Loremaster or Conquerer but not in being a really good player in a really good raiding guild or arena team.

WoW isn't a perfect meritocracy, but there is a sense that people are good because of what they do and know in-game, not because every slash of their sword is a swipe of a Black American Express.

[Minvaren]

The Microtransaction debate for WoW seems to be coming down to a Bartle thing.

A : Achievers want to do it themselves.  Why buy it?
E : Explorers want to see it themselves.  Why buy it?
K : Killers generally just want to compete (and win).  Probable audience.
S : Socializers just want to play the game.  Target audience.

A's and E's will be generally against it.  K's and S's will have fewer problems with it.

[Malakili]

Malakili, Replace "money" with "time" in your point and see what you think.  

Time is money, friend!  I get your point. 

Seriously though, most people are willing to more readily accept that someone else has more time than them to play than they are to accept that someone is just plain richer in real life, the difference being that at least the former is still contained within the game.   

I can just imagine the lulz when some guys says "I'm gonna stop raiding because if I work an extra 3 hours a night I can get my loot way faster!"

Keep in mind though, i don't personally care about it anymore.  I used to, but I got over it when I played a bunch of free to play games and it didn't really matter to me.  I can see it going more poorly with the general WoW player base if it were ever to get to that level though.

[Merusk]

Microtrans for armor a tier or two back would let you gear up via cash and keep the achievement game going.  Granted, the achievement game might become smaller as some doing it right now would say, "meh why bother, I can buy it in 6 months", but it would still be there for folks like me who actually enjoy boss killing.

[Malakili]

but it would still be there for folks like me who actually enjoy boss killing.

Well, this is a big part of it actually.  I've often said that if MMOs had to stand on gameplay alone, no one would be playing them.   There are plenty of people who like raiding because of the social experience of being in a raiding guild, but I think that would have to become the sustaining factor.  There are a LOT of people out there who get caught up in the loot grind and end up playing the game for YEARS simply to get their next upgrade.  I know you, Nebu, will just expound your disbelief that anyone could play a game without the "fun" aspect, but it just seems demonstrably true that it happens and its a reality of the genre.

[Nebu]

I know you, Nebu, will just expound your disbelief that anyone could play a game without the "fun" aspect, but it just seems demonstrably true that it happens and its a reality of the genre.

I know you're right.  I just enjoy my private state of denial. 

[caladein]

Microtrans for armor a tier or two back would let you gear up via cash and keep the achievement game going.  Granted, the achievement game might become smaller as some doing it right now would say, "meh why bother, I can buy it in 6 months", but it would still be there for folks like me who actually enjoy boss killing.

People already say that with the gear resets via Emblems.  I think it's a good idea because it seems necessary to maintain a sufficiently large raiding population.

I don't see offering "Ready to Raid/PvP/etc Kits" as an intrinsically bad idea if it's similar to how gear resets are being handled today.

[Musashi]

I didn't see anything about the announcement about premium services associated with an auction house app that indicated the sale of progression drops only attainable through pve.  I did say it would not interfere with gameplay.  You know.  Just sayin'.

Since the launch of the World of Warcraft Armory, we've been regularly releasing updates and new features designed to help players stay connected to the game even when they're not logged in. Today, we wanted to give you a heads-up about a new service now in development that will let players access the Auction House directly through the Armory website or Armory App for iPhone or iPod touch.

While there are still plenty of details to be worked out, we're designing the service to offer auction functionality similar to what's available in-game. Players have been requesting -- and we've been hoping to implement -- a feature like this for a long time, and we're excited that the Armory and the game have evolved to a point that makes it possible.

This is a fairly complex service to develop, due in large part to its unprecedented integration with the game, so we don't have an exact release date yet. It's important to note here that certain elements of the service will be premium-based, which we'll go into more detail on once the service functionality is finalized. As with all of the services we offer, we plan to integrate the Auction House and Armory in a way that won't disrupt the gameplay experience, and we won't release it until it meets the quality standards that we've set for our other features and services. You may be seeing bits and pieces of the Auction House service pop up in the test builds we use for the public test realms as we go through the process of internal testing. We'll have more info to share with you here and at http://www.WorldofWarcraft.com as we get closer to release.

I'm reading this like:  "We're spending a shitload of money on this internet website thing.  And you're going to help pay for it, because I want a yacht!"  I don't think they'll ever allow progression items to be bought for money.  Items that help new players get to progression?  Sure.  I could see them selling gold, and thus allowing players to buy crafted gear.  But progression gear?  Why are we even talking about this shit again?

Also, Black American Express?  Like wut?

[Nebu]

Why are we even talking about this shit again?

You know the answer to this. You've been here long enough.  

[caladein]

Also, Black American Express?  Like wut?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card

(Another one of the random-ass things I remember from This Week in Tech episodes.)

[Musashi]

Why are we even talking about this shit again?

You know the answer to this. You've been here lone enough.   

Fair enough.

[Lantyssa]

A's and E's will be generally against it.  K's and S's will have fewer problems with it.

I'm all Explorer with a hint of Achiever.

I don't care what anyone else does if it doesn't impact my game.  I won't take advantage of it unless it's fluff or really, really cool, but I'm not opposed to it.  (I only have Lil' KT because it was a birthday gift.)

[Paelos]

I think selling gear for money is perfectly fine if it's a step removed from the current level of content. It makes little to no sense forcing people to rerun cold raids, so they already offer that gear for the ridiculously low price of farming heroics. I don't think it's worth any less to someone that wants to spend $20 on a full set to jump into the action, rather than waiting 100 hours to get involved.

For most of us with jobs, it's a minute cost.

[Minvaren]

A's and E's will be generally against it.  K's and S's will have fewer problems with it.

I'm all Explorer with a hint of Achiever.

I don't care what anyone else does if it doesn't impact my game.  I won't take advantage of it unless it's fluff or really, really cool, but I'm not opposed to it.  (I only have Lil' KT because it was a birthday gift.)

I'm 60/40 E/A myself.   On reflection - you're right, there's little you can do to affect the real Explorer experience, so it really doesn't matter.  The Achiever in me fears MMOGs becoming CCGs if real money gets you too much.

[Minvaren]

edit : post I replied to is gone.

[Nebu]

edit : post I replied to is gone.

I deleted my post as I was concerned that it would come off as antagonistic.  My apologies.

[caladein]

So, plushes.  I find both almost painfully cute.

The Pet Store is about to go plush! Introducing the Wind Rider Cub and Gryphon Hatchling, the first in a new line of cuddly, crafty critters scheduled to arrive exclusively in the online Blizzard Store in the weeks ahead. Each plush companion will come with a code for a matching in-game, non-combat, account-bound pet to fly by your side in Azeroth. Both Horde and Alliance players will be able to adopt either pet once they hatch in the online Blizzard Store. Keep your eyes on the sky -- and the official World of Warcraft website -- for more information.

[Sjofn]

Goddammit, I like both too. Too bad the grown up wyverns aren't as good looking as the babies. 

[Lakov_Sanite]

They will sell a million of those.

[Mattemeo]

I absolutely knew those two were going to be micro-trans. 

The Wyvern cub is mindbogglingly cute.  
The Gryphon hatchling is kinda doofy looking but cute in its own way.  

If the plush versions come with a pet version redeemable in-game, I might consider it.

[Nevermore]

If the plush versions come with a pet version redeemable in-game, I might consider it.

Each plush companion will come with a code for a matching in-game, non-combat, account-bound pet to fly by your side in Azeroth.

Also, what the in-game gryphon reminds me of:

[Lakov_Sanite]

Yeah I'm not exactly sure you can call that a micro-trans or whatever. I mean the lil and panda definitely but with these you're getting an actual physical object with a bonus in-game pet. Which, might I add is damn near satanic.

[Lantyssa]

I'm definitely getting the Wyvern.  The mini-pet is nice, but the plush is absolutely adorable.

[Cadaverine]

Those Blizzard marketing guys are just evil.  I have an OCD level addiction to Titles, Pets, Acheivements, etc. as it is.  Adding new pets I can buy is just... evil.