At least some regions of World of Warcraft will get an in-game cash store, with items that boost experience gains and give chances for extra loot on sale for real money. Blizzard revealed more this week about the new shops which will roll out on the nine-year-old MMORPG's public test realms.
Blizzard previously offered vanity items like pets and mounts for sale via a separate website. The in-game store will continue to offer such items as well as experience buffs and Lesser Charms of Good Fortune: currently earned through daily quests, these charms can be traded in for Elder Charms which allow for extra chances at loot from high-level bosses.
"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," a Blizzard community manager wrote.
Blizzard says the store will enter production servers in Asian regions first, but that it's still too early in the process to make any final determinations. World of Warcraft maintains the same subscription model it launched with, though Blizzard may be looking to supplement income lost from dipping subscriber numbers.
