World of Warcraft Goes for the Microtransactions

Times are changing for the old-school MMO model, and really have been for awhile. Subscription based services are falling by the wayside as more and more games embrace the free-to-play / microstransaction model, and old dinosaurs like World of Warcraft are now slated with the task of fitting into the 'New Way'.

World of Warcraft added a free-to-play component some time ago, allowing players to roam the Worlds and Wars and Crafts for free up to level 20...which by WoW standards is still an infant character. And now it seems that they are preparing to introduce a microtransaction system via in-game store as well. No overarching announcements have been made by Blizzard, so there is no real evidence that they are looking to abandon the subscription based model, but it would seem this would be the direction they would have to go eventually to remain solvent in the new market. Perhaps, for now, falling subscription numbers have caused them to look for an additional source of income.

Blizzard made the announcement via forum post.

Thanks for all the feedback so far, everyone. We’re still pretty early in the exploration process, but we did want to go into more detail about our rationale for introducing an in-game store, as well as provide some insight into what you might ultimately see available there. 
For players who are already interested in the in-game items we offer, such as Pet Store pets and mounts, the benefits of an in-game store are pretty clear. We think everyone would appreciate the convenience of being able to make such purchases without having to leave the game, and ultimately that’s our long-term goal for the system, though there’s quite a bit of work involved in retrofitting those existing items into the new system.

First, we’ll be testing the in-game store with some new kinds of items we’re looking into introducing (in Asian regions, at the outset) based on player feedback: specifically, an experience buff to assist with the leveling process, as well as an alternate way to acquire Lesser Charms of Good Fortune. We’ve had a lot of requests from players in different regions for convenience-oriented items such as these, and as with other new ideas we’ve introduced as WoW has evolved—including Pet Store pets, mounts, and more—your feedback plays a hugely important part in determining what we add to the game.

Ultimately it’s still too early in the process to make any final determinations about our plans, but in the meantime, we hope you’ll check out the in-game store once it’s implemented on the PTR and let us know what you think.

Experience boosters and the like are exactly the type of items that work well within an MMO environment. Giving players with the cash the ability to level up more quickly without allowing them to purchase a big 'kill everything button'. It may also just be the bare beginnings of what World of Warcraft needs -going to a free-to-play model doubled the revenue of Star wars: The Old Republic- or at least tide them over until they unveil their next big thing.