World of Warcraft: Dragonflighthas introduced a new feature known as the Trading Post, a cosmetic store that has proven successful. But its popularity amongWorld of Warcraft’s player base is not unconditional. Blizzard needs to be careful not to make the same mistake they did withDiablo 3, a decision that can easily turn players off any game.
Diablo 3’s most atrocious pitfall was its pay-to-win feature, achieved through an auction house that runs with real money. While this system was especially egregious givenDiablo’s gear-centric gameplay,World of Warcrafthas to be careful of similar player sentiments. Players abhor the idea that their favorite gaming franchise has resorted to sucking every penny from its users, and they won’t stand for real-money purchases that disadvantage those who can’t throw cash at the problem.
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World of Warcraft’s Trading Post is a Feature That Shouldn’t Be Monetized
As a matter of principle as well as function,World of Warcraftplayers are quick to object whenever in-game items are available to purchase for real money. Normally, to get the coolest cosmetics one must pour hours of dedication into the game. Blizzard has been very careful to keep every extra item offered in their shop purely cosmetic, mostly consisting of mounts, race-changes, and pets.World of Warcraft: Dragonflight’s Trading Post featurealso only sells cosmetics, but totally separate from any real-life currency.
The only way forWorld of Warcraftplayers to change real money into gear is to use the WoW token and then the auction house, a two-step process that’s more acceptable given it works both ways. Players with lots of in-game gold can buy store items or subscriptions without spending real cash. Thus, the WoW token found a way to circumvent the ire of the player base, but that doesn’t meanWorld of Warcraftfans can’t smell Blizzard’s money-hungryschemes when they show up.
WhileWorld of Warcraft’s auction house economy has managed to remain stable and free of pesky microtransactions (WoW tokens aside), the Trading Post uses a different currency. Trader’s Tender is earned passively through a variety of in-game activities, from raids and dungeons to quests and even pet battles. Players can earn a maximum amount of Trader’s Tender each month and then decide which cosmetics they want to spend it on, and every item that goes for sale is unique to the Trading Post, or at least, it was.
With the addition of theMedivh-inspired transmog set in Patch 10.1., Blizzard announced that while the set was currently on sale in the store, it would later become available in the Trading Post further down the line. Wares in the Trading Post rotate each month, and Trader’s Tender that players save up carries over. This means that players who spent real money on the Medivh transmog will have extra Trader’s Tender to spend in six months’ time. It may seem trivial, but it does mean the Trading Post could become a double-edged sword.
If players get wind ofBlizzard trying to monetizeWorld of Warcraft’s Trading Postin any way, they won’t be happy. It was released and advertised as a fun way for players to earn awesome cosmetics by simply playing the game in the way they most enjoy. It encourages players to organically spend more time playingWorld of Warcraft, and that should be incentive enough for it to stay away from any real cash transactions.
IfBlizzard doesn’t want a repeat ofDiablo 3’s disastrous auction house, which had to be taken down some two years after the game’s release, it must keep the Trading Post and its Trader’s Tender currency strictly in-game.World of Warcraft: Dragonflightshould be fondly remembered for the Trading Post’s arrival, and players would hate for that reputation to be sullied by an attempt to get extra money out of fans.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis available now for PC.
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