14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard has offered some more details about the in-game store for World of Warcraft, which will bring a variety of microtransactions to the popular MMORPG, confirming that the mechanic will soon be launched on the Public Test Realm.
World of Warcraft has been around for many years and developer Blizzard has continuously updated it with new mechanics, systems, and other such things.
Now, one of the biggest changes in the history of the online game is set to appear, as Blizzard wants to implement an in-game store that will sell different items and bonuses via microtransactions, so that players can pay straight from within the game.
After learning about this possible mechanic, Blizzard Community Manager Bashiok wrote on the Battle.net forums a more detailed explanation.
"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."
According to the Blizzard representative, there will be a few different items available in the in-game store, such as buffs to certain aspects, like XP gain, as well as charms and other such things.
"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."
The studio mentioned that there were many requests from certain regions of the world for items that helped various aspects of the game, and it wants to satisfy those players who want to have an easier time.
"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."
It's unclear when the in-game store will go live on the World of Warcraft Public Test Realm.