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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Will you buy the new in-game pets?
by Adam Holisky 
Nov 5th 2009 at 8:00AM
This firmly brings WoW into the arena of microtransactions -- purchasing in-game items for real life money. Some games, not WoW, allow you purchase items which make you stronger in the game. Other games, like WoW, allow the purchase of vanity items, such as these pets, which do nothing other than look cool or count towards vanity achievements. Some people really don't like this model of gaming, others are indifferent, and others are in love with it.
I'm personally in love with it. I think the items are cheap enough to be affordable to a large portion of the player base, and are cool enough to warrant the purchase. Further, since the items don't provide in-game power ups for people, they are essentially meaningless toys. This makes it an ideal luxury item for the virtual-nerd to spend $10 on. So will I buy the new in-game pets? Absolutely, I already have.
But what will you do? Are you going to go out and buy them? Vote in the poll and leave a comment, we want to know.
| Yes. | |
|---|---|
| No. | |
| This is the third sign of the apocalypse. |
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 10)
mtsadowski Nov 5th 2009 8:12AM
Hey Blizzard, now that we can PAY for pets, can we see some more dogs. I know there's a pug pet dropping in the new LFG system, but let's see some more!
/Australian Shepard FTW
Brovar Nov 5th 2009 10:11AM
I'm afraid this is going the wrong way. You see.. other games use microtransactions as the only method of payment, but I've never encountered a game that requires monthly fee AND uses microtransactions. I've played one Free-to-play MMO before, and to be honest over one year I paid more for it that I would've for WoW fee and the game itself. And even though I spent a lot there it still wasn't enough for my character to be in any way competitive, because in that game you literally had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars every month to be able to compete in pvp. But because it was "free to play", people keep spending there. Not sure they would if the game also required monthly fee. And yes, over there the items you could buy for RL money were called "not mandatory for gameplay".
So, I really hope that there won't be more stuff like this, because otherwise we'll soon see other items available for RL money: mounts that go faster than any available in-game, NPC's that go around buffing you all the time, armor that has better stats than those you can get from Ulduar, potions you can use more than once in a single fight, auto-potions (your char will drink them automatically when short on health or mana), trinkets that make you immune to attacks by players who didn't buy their items for RL money and so on.
Kenzie Nov 5th 2009 8:14AM
As a college student working at Target, I barely make enough to play WoW to begin with, let alone to buy awesome pets...even for $10...
DoctorOnline Nov 5th 2009 11:06AM
Well, I don't know about you, but minimum wage where I live is about $9.50. I'd rather work an extra hour at work for one of these little guys. It sure beats a few hours/days/weeks farming them if they were released as a random drop.
Drekten Nov 5th 2009 8:15AM
Also, I kinda hope that Blizz doesn't add more to the store. I don't want to spend too much on pets in a GAME. But if there is an awesome mount for $20....I won't be able to help myself.
dlpoep Nov 5th 2009 8:51AM
That's the problem right there..."I won't be able to help myself..." Blizzard has worked for a long time to reinforce this came in our minds to the point of addiction for some. Now, they spring an extra way they can make money on us and there are going to be too many people that just can't resist paying for every item they put in that store. I think if 100% of the proceeds went to a charity, it would be an amazing idea, but since only 50% of only one of the pets is, this is obviously just a way to get money from us...lame sauce.
Empirius Nov 5th 2009 8:55AM
I bought both pets but I think $10 is a little much, $5 for a simple vanity pet would be more to my tastes.
JR Nov 5th 2009 9:47AM
And you chose to send the "the price is too high" message to Blizzard by... buying both pets on launch day? You're doing it wrong.
Lorem Nov 5th 2009 8:16AM
Blizzard just increased by NINE THOUSAND.
jumb Nov 5th 2009 8:16AM
Today in my guild, people were selling the pet for in-game gold.
Blizzard is on a slippery slope with this one.
Sicadastra Nov 5th 2009 8:18AM
My only issue with micro transactions is a slippery slope argument, will this lead to many many vanity items and toys being available only via purchase rather than the "old fashioned" way, to the point that the majority are only purchasable? It's a rhetorical question, only time will tell.
I do believe that Blizz is pretty stuck on the principle that any items attainable like this should be non core gameplay impacting.
Namy Nov 5th 2009 8:18AM
I'm just worried that more and more vanity items will become available this way. It kind of disappoints me to think that the way your character looks or what accessories they have can come down to RL money rather than what you've managed to get inside the game. Where's the achievement in that?
Saying that, I think the pets are cool, just slightly concerened about the path Blizz is heading down. Please don't turn WoW into Maple Story!
G01851 Nov 5th 2009 8:19AM
Being able to buy pets online: good idea
Paying $10 each for them: bad idea ($5 each better)
Having ONE pet getting 1/2 of cost donated: BEST idea, it should be this way for each one... maybe a different charity for each pet. They'd sell a lot more of them this way. Too bad it's a limited time deal, I bet sales fall way off after this expires.
binin Nov 5th 2009 8:19AM
They should transfer the entire amount to charity,
Keveline Nov 5th 2009 8:28AM
Why?
Bellygrub Nov 5th 2009 8:34AM
The fact that Blizzard is giving any of the money to charity, let alone 50%, is an amazing feat. Normally when a company does something like this they'll donate 1$ of the proceeds. I don't pretend to know how much it cost them to make the pet, unlike most people who are running their mouths I don't pretend to have an MBA nor am I a lawyer, and I don't care how much it cost them. I know that 5$ of my money is going to a charity just by purchasing something I would have purchased anyway!
It's unbelievable that the community is crapping all over Blizz for trying to pass out a little good will. If anything we should be encouraging them so that they continue to do this in the future.
Will sales drop off after the 31st? Yes. Will this be due to the charity donation expiring? No. It'll be due to the fact that the pet will have been out for over a month and the shiny newness will have worn off. They knew the Pandaren would be popular. They tacked a donation aspect onto it. Is it good PR? Normally it would be (just not with this lot) however Blizz has worked with MaW in the past and I'm thrilled to see them continuing support.
Then you've got those who can't afford the pet. Skip a pizza one night or if you really want the pet then cancel your sub for a month. Then you've got the raiders who are crying that the pets should be raid drops and only they should be able to get them. They're to common now. It's mind numbing.
*runs off to play with K.T. near the chicken coup*
binin Nov 5th 2009 8:47AM
What is next then? buying gold or epics from blizzard?
What about buying gold from an internet company and use it to buy an ingame pet from the AH?
Donating only half to pay for the developmentcosts is rubbish, they want to make money out of it, there is nothing wrong with that, but dont do it under the pretence of charity.
Bellygrub Nov 5th 2009 9:07AM
Pretense of charity? What pretense? They're donating half of the profits of an item to charity. They could have donated nothing. But they've chosen to donate half. There is no pretense. The donation is being made and we're being told exactly how much is being given. And I'm not going to lie...it did not cross my mind at all this week to make a donation to a charity. But guess what? Blizzard made me think about it. They brought the idea of donating a little bit more to the front of my mind. That's called raising awareness. So kudos!
Have any of the other "fun" promo items dished out allowed you to purchase gold or epic items? No. It's always been goofy pets, tabards, mounts and fun items that have no affect on gameplay. I expect it will remain the same. Blizzard has discovered a way to show the investors continued rising profits which will make them happy. We get a pet. You'd think everyone wins.
Jon Do Nov 5th 2009 10:47AM
As I said in another place, I find it nauseating that Acti-Blizz is using Make-A-Wish to further their profits.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Nov 9th 2009 1:21PM
Probably explains why it's 10 bucks and not 5 then. 5 for them and 5 for charity.