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Normally this column is divided into a brief intro that is followed by
news and observations of things going on in the world of free-to-play
gaming and then a feature piece of some sort to finish it off. This
week will be a little different as your regularly scheduled Microcosms
was pre-empted by a bombshell of an event that seemed innocent enough
when it was announced, but has mushroomed into something of DEFCON 2
proportions.



Some companies can make news with just about any move they make, and
when your company has the biggest game in the MMOG world, nothing
escapes scrutiny. Late last week Blizzard released some new items to
their World of Warcraft
item shop, and while this is normally just a minor blurb about in game
non-combat pets or a plushy doll, the announcement of an in-game
rideable mount elevated this discussion to a whole new level. I know
some of my readers may be annoyed that this week’s focus is on the
pay-to- play behemoth, but I want to preempt those inevitable flames
with this statement: Microcosms is not only about free-to-play games
but also about microtransactions of any form.

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As I stated earlier, the main focus this week will be on the
broader issue of the continuing struggle of microtransactions to find
acceptance with the North American gamer, but there is another issue
here that deserves some attention of its own: is the uproar over
Blizzard asking its already paying subscriber base to shell out more
cash warranted?

The forums, Facebook pages and trade channels were completely dominated
by the new Celestial Steed mount that Blizzard unveiled in its
Battle.net store last week as fans weighed in on both side of the
issue. Those opposed to the mount were steadfast in their belief that
nothing in this game should be restricted to an additional purchase.
Even though some of the less mature members of this camp resorted to
less than flattering name calling and cries of how effeminate the mount
looked, the majority were simply upset at what they see as an excessive
money grab by an already loaded entity. Fans of the mount, which were
numerous judging by the 200,000+ player queue and the estimated 4
million dollars of revenue generated the first day of sale, simply see
it as a non-essential vanity item that adds some flair to their
characters. While I can understand the nature of the complaint here,
and I empathize with the feeling of perceived injustice, the truth of
the matter is that this is a cosmetic item that has no bearing on the
game itself.  Put simply, there is no gun to your head, there
are no advantages in game, if you don’t agree with the policy or the
price then don’t buy the item.



While there were the expected responses of “zomg next stop is pre made
level 80s for sale,” something surprising happened during this internal
player debate – a large number of WoW
players defended the offering (and backed up their opinion
with their wallets). Can this signify a greater acceptance of the cash
shop model by North American gamers? Or is it an anomaly spurred on by
the rabid WoW
fanbase? As much as I would like to think it is the former, and with
the latter being too obvious, I think the true answer lies somewhere in
the middle.



Dugeons and Dragons
Online: Eberron Unlimited has already shown Western gamers
that a free-to-play with microtransactions can work well in lieu of a
subscription-only model and EverQuest
2 has had moderate success with its two Station Exchange
servers that allow players to purchase everything from items to
characters. With World
of Warcraft the scale and the scope of people being
exposed to, and won over by, microtransactions is exponentially higher
than either of the previously mentioned games can reach.



We already accept the idea of value added content in almost every other
aspect of our lives, from consumer electronics protection plans to
value meal supersizing to upgrading our vehicles with fancy wheels, but
years of subpar quality and putting players over a barrel have given
free-to-plays a negative image that is hard to shake. Blizzard may
indeed be the evil empire and WoW
may be both the most hated and most loved game on the planet, but if
their continued foray into the virtual goods business can help sway
public opinion, then in this writer’s opinion everybody wins.



Where do you side on these issues? Do WoW players have a legitimate
gripe? Are microtransactions poised to finally become an accepted part
of the western gaming culture? Let us know in our forums! Until next
week, have fun gaming and keep it free.





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alt="WoW Celestial Steed">

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• target="_blank">Mytheon
  to Launch on iPhone This Spring
  
  Free-to-play makes the jump to mobile media on the shiny smartphone.
  
• target="_blank">Former
  Nexon CEO Assembling Team to Target a Broad Spectrum of Gamers
  
   The new company will seek to bridge the gap between hardcore
  gamers and social media. Sounds like a great idea, maybe they should
  talk to Susan Wu and Ohai Games.  href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/83302" target="_blank"> style="text-decoration: underline;">.