14 DAY TRIAL // The newly launched Token for World of Warcraft is already a success from the perspective of developer Blizzard because it manages to eliminate some of the gold farming that has plagued the MMO since it was launched.
Ion Hazzikostas, one of the developers working on the concept at the studio, says that his company has long been exploring a simple way to allow players to basically exchange money for time in order to customize how they approach the title.
The fact that the Token can be easily bought at the official store and then quickly listed on the market means that there's no need for players to try and contact gold vendors.
Hazzikostas tells Eurogamer that "All of that behaviour is in service to this illicit market. That's what bothers us. It's not the handful of people who are trying to have a third-party business on the side, it's more the massive negative impact on our players, and that's why we've been fighting so hard to put a stop to it."
Companies that specialize in obtaining and then selling gold also accept that they have seen a decline in their business since the Token was added to World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft is past the 10 million player mark at the moment
For a long time, gold sellers have argued that they are offering an essential service in the MMO space, one that the companies that created the titles were uninterested in delivering.
Hazzikostas says that his company sees no advantage from a tolerant attitude towards those who sell in-game currency and wants to continue to strengthen security and find ways to fight their influence.
At the moment, World of Warcraft is the only subscription-based MMO on the market which has more than 10 million people ready to pay monthly for access.
Blizzard has not talked about another expansion for the game yet, but it might do so during the coming BlizzCon event in the fall.
In the meantime, gamers can look forward to the launch of more patches, which will continue to better balance the experience.
The price and value of a World of Warcraft Token could also shift in the coming months.