Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsCross-realm Dungeon Finder premium service coming soon
by Mathew McCurley 
May 17th 2011 at 4:20PM
This new feature will be part of a premium package of WoW features requiring an extra fee to use. Blizzard says that only the person doing the invites and creating the cross-server party will need to have access to the premium feature for the system to work. Currently, there is no release date, and the service is being described as a complex one to develop. Blizzard is most likely getting out in front of the news sites and datamining sites now, since pieces of this new system will begin to hit the PTR soon and Blizzard doesn't want too much speculation.
I personally think that this system is really cool for players who have an already-established friends base on other servers but don't want to leave their current home or don't have the money to do so and pay for a premium server transfer. For instance, Sacco and I can finally run some dungeons together. You hear that, Sacco? It's dungeon time.
Premium services always receive some type of backlash in the WoW community, and this one will be no different, so for caution's sake, let's wait until pricing information is officially announced before we explode with indignation. This is, however, a feature that many players have been asking for and will be very popular.
With the continued popularity of the Dungeon Finder, many players have been asking for a way to group up with real-life friends who play on other realms to take on instances together. Today, we wanted to give you a heads up about a new feature currently in development that will allow players to invite Real ID friends of the same faction to a party regardless of the realm they play on, and then queue up for a 5-player regular or Heroic dungeon.
As this is a fairly complex service to develop, we don't have a release date to share quite yet. It's important to note that as with some of the other convenience- and connectivity-oriented features we offer, certain elements of the cross-realm Real ID party system will be premium-based, though only the player sending the invitations will need to have access to the premium service. We'll have more details to share with you as development progresses -- in the meantime, you may begin to see elements of the feature appear on the World of Warcraft PTR.
As this is a fairly complex service to develop, we don't have a release date to share quite yet. It's important to note that as with some of the other convenience- and connectivity-oriented features we offer, certain elements of the cross-realm Real ID party system will be premium-based, though only the player sending the invitations will need to have access to the premium service. We'll have more details to share with you as development progresses -- in the meantime, you may begin to see elements of the feature appear on the World of Warcraft PTR.
The news is already rolling out for the upcoming WoW Patch 4.2! Preview the new Firelands raid, marvel at the new legendary staff, and get the inside scoop on new quest hubs -- plus new Tier 12 armor!Filed under: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 13)
Adrammalich May 18th 2011 6:23AM
Revrant, you are just a douchebag, frankly.
Hollow Leviathan May 17th 2011 4:22PM
I can see you've inb4'd me, but I still think it's valid to complain that this isn't a feature being developed for the community as part of, you know, that premium subscription we're already paying each month.
Maybe if the premium package of which it's a part is absurdly awesome, it'll be worth the price, I agree to withhold judgement on that until we see the whole picture. But I think this particular feature should be part of the 15/mo premium package.
Boz May 17th 2011 4:36PM
You pay for admission to the theme park, you don't want to have to buy tickets for every ride, too.
Star ponies and non-combat pets were one thing, but between faction changes, race changes, server transfers, the remote auction house/guild chat, and now charging to group with your friends? Is it fair to say that folks are finally getting tired of being nickle-and-dimed for "premium" services (that should be standard), yet?
I love ya, Blizzard, but c'mon.
(cutaia) May 17th 2011 4:47PM
"You pay for admission to the theme park, you don't want to have to buy tickets for every ride, too."
Although, to play devil's advocate, you still pay for the picture of you going down Splash Mountain. :P
Jack Spicer May 17th 2011 4:48PM
The problem here is that while the concept of inviting your cross-realm RealID friends may sound simple, its probably a really big headache to implement and maintain and so Blizzard is charging a premium to control demand.
relmatos May 17th 2011 4:58PM
Funny. When people complained about purchasing pets, people attacked them and said that blizzard would never sell anything even remotely useful.
Then came the mounts and people attacked them and said that the mount's usefulness was minor since there were other mounts that were relatively cheap and easy to get.
Now they allow you to choose who to play with from other servers provided you pay a fee to do so. Still only minor usefulness but slightly more useful than the mount since now you can help gear your chars on other servers by being boosted by your better geared friends.
They're slowly going there. We're still not near the selling epic gear butthe game is on the right path and will get there ventually.
Marcosius May 17th 2011 4:56PM
It's probably a big headache to implement, but not maintain that's for sure. And those damn headaches is why millions of players kindly pay tens of euros or dollars or your preferred currency here every month / every other month. It's a no brainer that this kind of service should be offered free of charge in a patch - any other game company would. Well, again, I'm sure it's not Blizzards fault, but Activision, I think it's about time to give the axe for Activision, their influence is doing nothing but damaging WoW.
relmatos May 17th 2011 4:58PM
at cutaia. just wait until blizzard disables the print screen and has you pay to get a screenshot every time your guild downs a new boss.
Jack Spicer May 17th 2011 5:08PM
"It's a no brainer that this kind of service should be offered free of charge in a patch - any other game company would."
I've only really dabbled in WoW, so I'm curious at how many other MMORPGs allow you to group with your friends on another server. I'm going to guess zero, but I could be wrong.
Skarn May 17th 2011 5:17PM
"Although, to play devil's advocate, you still pay for the picture of you going down Splash Mountain. :P"
You also pay for the cotton candy. Or the "Breakfast with Mickey." (Which is pricy.) Or the souveneirs. Or at a carnival, you pay for the games-o'-chance.
(cutaia) May 17th 2011 5:20PM
"at cutaia. just wait until blizzard disables the print screen and has you pay to get a screenshot every time your guild downs a new boss. "
Already not a problem: http://www.thecunninglinguists.net/blog/category/going-down
:P
Skarn May 17th 2011 5:23PM
Oh, it's worth noting that I have NO problem with voicing complaints and displeasure. That's totally cool, IF it's done in a reasonable, respectful manner. So, props. :)
(Also, the main reason the remote AH, remote guild chat and remote DF don't bother me is because I am not likely to use them.) >.>
Marcosius May 17th 2011 5:41PM
"I've only really dabbled in WoW, so I'm curious at how many other MMORPGs allow you to group with your friends on another server. I'm going to guess zero, but I could be wrong."
Wow doesn't yet either.
Just quickly browsing around reveals that many of other MMO developers do things like this;
For a monthly ( or tri-monthly/yearly) subscription you commonly get:
-Free expansions and obviously, the content in them, new and/or improved features (which I would say this "premium service" would be to any other developer)
-Access to the game for the period you paid for
For Micro-transaction model you usually get:
-Free to play gameworld with some restrictions, ranging from mere limited bagspace to more drastic limits like lower levelcap.
-Free content patches (depending on game, rarely expansions too)
For WoW:
-You pay for expansions - a new game's monetary worth each time - content patches are (so far) free
-You pay a standard monthly (or tri-monthly/yearly) subscription
-And now they're planning to charge for what should be a new - FREE - and a common feature. In fact - the cross realm technology already exists, just not the ability picking the people you want to play with. The cost of developing whatever they need to solve still should be covered by what players already pay them for. If a lot smaller companies manage to survive without resorting such moneygrubbing, how can't WoW?
In the end of course, the stupid one isn't the one who asks for money, it's the one who agrees to pay.
Dumbguy May 18th 2011 9:27AM
There are many games (mostly smaller, micro-transaction based ones) that have a completely different system as their standard- you select your character, THEN your realm. It's a design decision that's difficult to alter once it's set in motion. Not that any of wow's major competitors do this (which I think is fairly unwise...).
I understand that these changes require development time and hardware upgrades, neither of which are free. Here's the thing... I don't want to have different degrees of citizenship (based on real-world circumstances) within wow. This is a fantasy game. I'm going to stop there.
I can't place why this bothers me so much... it just does.
vrakebrae May 17th 2011 5:52PM
"I've only really dabbled in WoW, so I'm curious at how many other MMORPGs allow you to group with your friends on another server. I'm going to guess zero, but I could be wrong."
Guild Wars allows users to play with anya other player in the world. If you're in a town, a box appears in the top left corner, transfering your character to any other instance of that town on any Guild Wars server in the world is possible through just a few clicks, and without a monthly payment.
Angus May 17th 2011 5:54PM
@cutaia: this is more akin to telling us that if we want to ride splash mt with friends from another town we have to pay extra for the season pass. Otherwise one of us needs to spend money to switch towns or spend time becoming a citizen of the new town and time away from their old town.
Only 1 of the 3 options does not cost money. And it costs the time require to level. Time on can't speed up with heirloom gear.
Utakata May 17th 2011 6:21PM
Lol at the premium apologists. Many of us thinks it's reasonably disgusting. /shrug
Moolii May 17th 2011 8:07PM
@Boz: Blizz is not charging you extra to play with your friends. You have 50 character slots available on your account to use at no extra charge; use one to roll a toon on your friend's server.
What they are charging for is the convenience of allowing you to use an existing toon in a group with RL friends on different servers.
I hope that it's part of the AH/Gchat package; that would make it valuable enough for me to get it.
exogenesis. May 17th 2011 4:22PM
I've lost a few friends to different servers, and have long been wishing that I could run dungeons with them without one of us having to transfer. As much as I love this idea, I'm not sure I like the idea of having to pay for it at all. I don't exactly have much money to spare, so I no longer use any of WoW's premium services.
Perhaps if it were under £5, then maybe I would shell out for it.
Sunaseni May 17th 2011 4:22PM
Premium service? Oh man, the forums will be a total delight for the next week or two. Total delight.