Blizzard Introduces Buying in-Game WoW Items

I can see the next update to this being "Gear For Those Who Don't Want To Raid, Stop Wasting Time Playing BUY GEAR NOW!"
I think this is fine as long as the items that can be purchased remain inconsequential to actual game play.

Kinda scared me a bit, cause buying in game item would severely imbalance the game in something like WoW, but its useless things that have no bearing on player outcome, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Meh, they wreaked the game when they added the Deathknight. Before that that the game was awesome.

So now let's see how those gold farm haters can justify the morality of companies doing this...

Blizzard: HEY, GUYS, NOW YOU CAN BY USELESS PIXELS DIRECTLY FROM US! KEEP IN MIND THOUGH, YOU'LL STILL BE BANNED FOR BUYING THINGS FOR REAL CURRENCY FROM OTHER PLAYERS!

^buy, TOM: HAHA HEY GUYS, FUCK YOU! NO EDIT BUTTON FOR YOU!

This is the beginning of the end actually. Ask the folks still playing SWG how well the "harmless" microtransaction gear from the TCG went over. It started off with seemingly useless crap such as the items mentioned above and has evolved into a downward spiral of "lets see how much more money we can milk from this game before it's toast" I'm sure from a business perspective, it is a good money maker for an aging title but it has left a bad taste in my mouth as a player. I just lose all interest in a game when this happens. These gimicks take time away from real developement of the game, especially in its later years. I flat out refuse to even try games like Cabal and Hero specifically because of the that business model. If this is the future of gaming.../puke I guess I won't be a gamer anymore.

P.S. I've never played WoW but was a 66-month veteran over at SWG.

Those prices are just to high to justify in mu opinion. Don't they realize that most common folk aka us gamers have to cut back due to every thing else going up while maintaining upgrades. The prices at the local super market and the bills are criminal.

Oh well, just cosmetic useless stuff. People will buy them, I won't. Same as people getting pets when they buy the collector's edition of the game.

Phhhh... in what this is different from China gold farming industry...?

Stupid game, you need to be a moron to lose your time playing WoW... like the guy who missed the birth of his child for the sake of playing WoW.

MMORPG are a cancer. In a single player experience you got a story, an experience... in a MMO you got gameplay only. Gameplay could be fun at some point, but it become an habit really that can affect your everyday life faster than you think. I think it can even be worst than drugs.

I was addicted to Counter-Strike for almost 2 years. I learned my lesson and never picked another online game... until Street Fighter 4 which I stopped playing after a 4 months frenzy.

All the more reason I'm excited about The Witcher 2.

My most anticipated title since Zelda Oricana of Time... it's been a while since a game really built a hype this big in my life.

The first game is easily the best PC RPG since Fallout 2.

I own the first game... have it installed and properly patched, but can't play it until ATI fixes my 5850 drivers

My one and only question... Doesn't Blizzard already make enough money? I think they make something like 200 Million gross a month from that game.... (Thats the like a block buster movie every month) I understand its not with out its over head so its not all profits but damn lol

Of course people if they object will not buy this so it hurts no one in the end.

In a way the only people who might get mad about something like this is people waiting for Diablo 3 or StarCraft 2. I am sure that those are completely different teams and in the end the profits from stuff like this may make those games better.

And so it begins.

WoW is the perfect game for these kinds of money schemes. WoW has become a Sims Online: Renaissance Faire expansion pack. I can imagine the many WoW male players buying a pet for their online girlfriends. What Blizz has created is heretical to most gamers, but hey, they're milking it all the way down to gamers' Hell.

But release Diablo 3 already and you'll be forgiven for your sins, my son!

Yo, Dawg! We heard you like to pay money to play a video game, so we put a purchase in your purchase, so you can pay while you pay!

Seriously, this is maybe a tad on the ridiculous side. That, or WoW is just going to make the slide to a free to play MMO so Blizzard can replace it with another pay to play MMO.

"Both items will cost $10 each, however Blizzard is donating $5 of each monk sold to the Make-a-Wish Foundation until December 31, 2009 at 11:59 PDT."

Come 2010, Blizzard is going to pocket every cent and not give a damn about the make a wish foundation.

So you pay $15 a month for a game and extra for items?

But does it support Crysis?

Anyone else think the Pandaren Monk is a rip off of Kung Fu Panda?

Yep.

FINALLY!!... I almost gone crazy from seeing no comments about that... its fking obvious!!!

Pandaren were introduced in Warcraft 3: TFT, which came out in 2003.

Thank you.
WC3 TFT is still great by the way. DoTA is horrible though...

I hope it remains harmless... useless shit or barely useful shit only please...
I haven't played it for around 2 years now, but I don't want to see Blizzard ruin its Warcraft franchise (I loved the lore, at least before the first expansion).

Oh, I didn't play that game nearly as much as I played Warcraft II. The picture just made me think of Kung Fu Panda.

There is no need for all you wow players to get your panties in a bunch. So far its only the release of a collectible pet. Lets just say they do impliment a limited content buying system.. would that upset all the people who wasted endless hours grinding/pvping for your "special" gear when you could have just bought it for $10? That is the trouble in a game where all of the "special" gear you have equipped is important to how well you do. If this upsets you, play a skill based game like GW and the soon be be released GW2.

People already have access to buying items for real money outside the game. I see accounts on craigslist all the time and I'm sure there's other outlets go buy what you want. If Blizzard can cash in on it, donate some money, and make the game better, support the idea.

I have no problems with buying "cosmetic" items, but once they start selling epics and other gear that affects PvP and the whole attitude of the game, im out! I can see it now, "Looking for group must have epics bought from web store, i will check armory before invite!" sigh me thinks star wars the old republic is looking better and better every day.

You do know there is a huge story behind WoW, right? It's not only gameplay, a lot of people play the game for the lore of Warcraft. Now, differing opinions will either say that they've ruined the lore or have moved it forward nicely, but neither opinion discounts that there is a huge story going on, just as much, if not moreso than a lot of single player games.

It wasnt buying items that killed SWG (besides the fact it sucked in the first place.) sont ruins EVERY game they touch. eventualy they strip it down to a carebear bradybunch pussywhooped version of its self. and everyone stops playing.

and lol@gw being skill based.... or a game for that matter.