Blizzard opens real-money pet store in WoW
by JC Fletcher 
{ Nov 4th 2009 at 4:00PM } 
Blizzard currently offers for-pay services including realm transfers, race and faction changes, and character appearance edits, but this shop offers the first in-game items for sale -- and these items are exclusive to the Pet Store. While we wouldn't be surprised to see a backlash related to this new offering, we expect it to be the kind of backlash that comprises very public complaining combined with furtive purchases.
[Via WoW.com]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jynxycat @ Nov 4th 2009 4:04PM
Not too different from the CCG rewards you can get. Their all cosmetic anyway.
Still, I'd imagine people will complain regardless. This is the Internet.
Also,
"but all of the Lil' K.T. proceeds go to Blizzard's spare Ferrari fund."
+1 to luls.
Xoonaka @ Nov 4th 2009 4:26PM
My only complaint is it's kind of double dipping... It's like combining the subscription model with the microtransaction model...
Blah. The world's getting too expensive.
devilsei @ Nov 4th 2009 7:02PM
Microtransaction? Since when has $10 been micro? That's ten bucks I'd rather spend on a game or movie rentals, maybe see a movie in theaters, damn I should tell my friends we gonna go microtransition us a movie and food...
johnfordcoley @ Nov 4th 2009 4:06PM
Eh, it's pretty dumb, but it's cheaper than buying the CCG, and there's no necessity to buy it.
Zerokku @ Nov 4th 2009 4:06PM
Maybe it's just me, but this reeks of Bobby Kotick. Sure things are just cosmetic, but I dislike the concept of paying real world money for ingame stuff. At least half the money of the Pandaren goes to charity, but still. If all of it (for both) was going to charity that'd be okay, but not to lining Activizzard's pockets.
RKN @ Nov 4th 2009 4:12PM
This has been done in the past, with Microsoft's Xbox Live Avatars, buying virtual items for them, for your Sims in the Sims PC games, etc
RogueJedi86 @ Nov 4th 2009 4:42PM
Well they're not quite cosmetic. They count towards the minipet achievements, so for achievement hounds, that's $20 they have to spend to be on top of the game. Blizz should've made these new pets not count towards achievements.
Misfit Toy @ Nov 4th 2009 8:58PM
I'm not against microtransactions, but this pricing structure is ridiculous. I'd pay a dollar each...MAYBE two...but $10 is way too much.
Plastic Rat @ Nov 4th 2009 9:32PM
Agreeing with Zerokku, this does carry that particularly piquant, Kotick stench.
Munky @ Nov 4th 2009 9:48PM
Yeah, if it was all for charity I'd get both. But, only $5 out of $10 for the panda and none for the lich? Blizz had said it was looking at the micro-transaction model. The problem with it is that they're trying to do micro-transaction and pay-to-play at the same time. Greedy buggers.
They should do the right thing and send all of the money to charity. They make enough money on subscriptions alone...wait a sec...this is Activision we're talking about here. It's completely understandable now.
JXCgunrunna @ Nov 4th 2009 4:06PM
I do not play MMO's but i suggest you guys not play for these. We started buying map packs for FPS's and look where that got us. No dedi servers in MW2 and horse armor.
I repeat, DO NOT BUY!! We have been down this road and it makes my wallet cry.
Jigga @ Nov 4th 2009 4:41PM
Yes, because paying for map packs and the lack of dedicated servers for one game are the same exact thing.
Warlock @ Nov 4th 2009 4:44PM
@Erluti: So you're saying donating to sick children is only a good thing when they die? Screw kids that get better, they don't need cheering up! /facepalm
You are a sad, sad person.
Warlock @ Nov 4th 2009 4:45PM
Freaking comment system! That was meant for the post below this -_-
snowleopard233 @ Nov 4th 2009 4:08PM
"we expect it to be the kind of backlash that comprises very public complaining combined with furtive purchases."
Quite true lol.
Come on, people. Kung Fu Pandas and helping sick kids combined? This is pure guilt-free awesomeness.
Erluti @ Nov 4th 2009 4:13PM
Uh, Make-a-wish doesn't help sick kids, it just gives them stuff (that's not medicine).
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 4th 2009 4:24PM
so being given medicine is now the only act that will be considered helping?
C.A. @ Nov 4th 2009 4:28PM
@ Erluti: You don't think that "making a wish" for a terminally ill child is helpful? Snowleopard said help, not give medicine. Sorry, but you seem kind of heartless if you don't realize that making somebody's remaining time better is a good thing!
Courtney @ Nov 4th 2009 4:30PM
Providing some entertainment, relieving boredom, varying a routine, giving the family a break and adding some joy to an otherwise often miserable time all count as helping. Sometimes, those are more valued (and useful) than all the medicine in the world.
Erluti @ Nov 4th 2009 4:32PM
Yeah, but what about the kids who don't recover? Now that money that you donated (that could've been given to causes that are trying to prevent kids from having diseases) to help the kid enjoy his last bit of time on earth, wasn't even used to do that. I'm not saying that people should not give to charity if Make-a-Wish is the only option, but since it isn't, they should give to one of the many other charitable organizations.
Erluti @ Nov 4th 2009 4:32PM
*DO recover
CtrlBurn @ Nov 4th 2009 4:35PM
I don't get why half the pandaren money doesn't go to the World Wildlife Fund. Half of the lil Lich money should go to Make-a-wish.
snowleopard233 @ Nov 4th 2009 4:46PM
Erluti, I think you’re missing the point of make a wish. True, we always need to be sure to support disease research and medical aid to people who need it, but it’s still important to provide a decent quality of life to patients when they are ill. Make a wish isn’t saying “spend all cancer research money on Disney land trips” and I don’t think anyone is, but they’re recognizing that fun activities are a nice way to lift patient’s spirits and helping them recover or in the very least, enjoy a better quality of life.
Dr. steve brule @ Nov 4th 2009 6:13PM
@erluti, so the make-a-wish kids should have no presents?
congratulations on arguing the dumbest argument i've ever seen.
are you against locks of love too? should children with chemotherapy not have hair? i mean its not necessary.
JoeTheBlow @ Nov 4th 2009 4:08PM
The Bobby Kotick Effect.
He'll be holding gamers upside down and shaking them for their change soon, money-grubbing shithead.
Temidien @ Nov 4th 2009 4:50PM
Your post reminded me of The Butterfly Effect and I got a strange desire to nullify Ashton Kutcher's existence.
Temidien @ Nov 4th 2009 4:11PM
............................................________
....................................,.-‘”...................``~.,
.............................,.-”...................................“-.,
.........................,/...............................................”:,
.....................,?......................................................\,
.................../...........................................................,}
................./......................................................,:`^`..}
.............../...................................................,:”........./
..............?.....__.........................................:`.........../
............./__.(.....“~-,_..............................,:`........../
.........../(_....”~,_........“~,_....................,:`........_/
..........{.._$;_......”=,_.......“-,_.......,.-~-,},.~”;/....}
...........((.....*~_.......”=-._......“;,,./`..../”............../
...,,,___.\`~,......“~.,....................`.....}............../
............(....`=-,,.......`........................(......;_,,-”
............/.`~,......`-...............................\....../\
.............\`~.*-,.....................................|,./.....\,__
,,_..........}.>-._\...................................|..............`=~-,
.....`=~-,_\_......`\,.................................\
...................`=~-,,.\,...............................\
................................`:,,...........................`\..............__
.....................................`=-,...................,%`>--==``
........................................_\..........._,-%.......`\
...................................,
Draco @ Nov 4th 2009 4:26PM
I guess since you were upvoted it has been an appropriate amount of time since the ascii art has appeared.
remember kids, ascii art had a 30 day cooldown.
Temidien @ Nov 4th 2009 4:47PM
I was the first to use it on the 'stiq and am thus immune to this "cooldown" period.
But for the record, I've used it maybe 3-4 times in the last year.
ripslymemc @ Nov 4th 2009 7:59PM
You used it on me once, when I made a comment that included the phrase "teh haloz".
I am scarred for life.
Plastic Rat @ Nov 4th 2009 9:30PM
I upvoted because it describes my feelings on this matter most succinctly.
Erluti @ Nov 4th 2009 4:15PM
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/child_bankrupts_make_a_wish_0
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 4th 2009 4:16PM
he wished away all our lawyers!
Phix @ Nov 4th 2009 4:17PM
This is probably going to be grayed but my only worry about this (and something most of the apologists will attack the "QQers" for) is it MIGHT be setting a precedent for present or future Blizzard products. That's about it.
Face it, the trend for the past few years in the gaming industry is charging people for bite-sized content for every little thing. Sure, TODAY it's cosmetic B.S. but next week it could be vanilla WoW legendary/orange items for $10 each!
/doommongering
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 4th 2009 4:22PM
theyd be a lot more than 10 dollars. Theyd have to be incredibly expensive, hundreds of dollars, or else all of their hard core raiding subscribers would just give up, they lost a lot with the easing of raiding in the last xpac, i doubt theyd take a move that risky.
RogueJedi86 @ Nov 4th 2009 4:45PM
Don't forget that this doesn't just set a precedent for Blizzard products, but all future MMOs. The other MMOs like to copy WoW in a hope to share some of its success. With Blizzard jumping into the microtransaction market, other up and coming MMOs might see this as the wave of the future. Prepare to spend real money for lightsabers in TOR!
devilsei @ Nov 4th 2009 7:06PM
Rogue, Champions started it, and well, Activision would attach a $5 get-in fee to all female orifices if they could.
RogueJedi86 @ Nov 4th 2009 7:44PM
But devilsei, Champions ain't the world's biggest MMO that all future MMOs hope to copy. WoW is. All we hear about is "WoW Killers", not "Champions Killers". If WoW makes it okay(and profitable), then other MMOs will attempt to copy that to copy WoW's success. And with WoW jumping in the microtransaction game, I'm hoping future MMOs don't copy it. I don't want to have to pay real money to get a new shirt in TOR!
devilsei @ Nov 4th 2009 8:28PM
True, but to set a precedent someone must do it first. True Cryptic isn't Blizz, but people still know who they are, and people have heard about them, and the fact that they are double-dipping their consumer base's wallets/visas/mastercards/etc isn't diminished by that. THEY still did it first, and we all know Blizzard (and activision) will copy anything they think will work into their MMO/games.
Bobby Kotick 2: Echoes @ Nov 4th 2009 4:21PM
And to think that people will still do it anyway.
Yay me.
Mosi13 @ Nov 4th 2009 4:21PM
Inc in-game gear store for a micro-transaction of course 8)
lets hope blizzard was able to keep Bobby Kotick away from Diablo and their new MMO...we'll see though...
Dreaded Fear @ Nov 4th 2009 4:22PM
Before for everyone says this is just Activision, do you guys remember EA? Avatar Clothes, etc... All of these aesthetic, and overpriced items, that still sell for whatever reason. Then again, this is WOW we are talking about. There are people who exclusively play this game, pay $15, and go to any event hosted by Blizzard. They won't really mind paying $10 for these pets.
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 4th 2009 4:23PM
yep, every wow player is the same, they dont play any other games, all of them go to blizzcon, and they all think the same, no exception
rTwelve @ Nov 4th 2009 4:23PM
I bought it instantly.
I'm sorry..... it's just... Pandaren Monk. How could I not?
Azbulldog @ Nov 4th 2009 4:24PM
Breaking News: Blizzard Likes Money!
As with any of the other items like the trading cards, if you have the money, go for it. Then proceed to be told in-game to get a life.
Orchard Pear @ Nov 4th 2009 4:36PM
The funny thing is, I'd wager that a good portion of hardcore WoW players have more of a life than you do. And you're pissing and moaning about them on a video game blog..
I wonder who is the one who really needs to get a life...
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Nov 4th 2009 4:42PM
@orchard
as a former hardcore raider, I have to say no, no we dont
Omega2k3 @ Nov 5th 2009 6:50AM
Yeah, every former hardcore raider has no life, no exception.
RKN @ Nov 4th 2009 4:36PM
I fear the future of gaming.
Azbulldog @ Nov 4th 2009 4:39PM
Never said I would, I even purchased one of those trading card tabards once before. As for the hardcore having more of a life than I do...doubtful.