World of Warcraft is a popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) that has received a cult-following shortly after its release in November of 2004. It has been the product of multiple follow-ups and spin-offs as well as copycats and similar games released. The game is not free, however. Only the most dedicated role-players shell out the necessary monthly fee to gain access to this alternate realm of magic, monsters, and mayhem. A problem with the game has become apparent as its popularity rises daily. Money, as is the problem with many things, has become the mounting problem with this game. Not just the monthly fee, which is achievable by anyone with a steady income and a few extra dollars to spend per month. The problem is that the best items are available only by outside purchase, thus, spending more money on something that is already costly in the long run. To have to buy World of Warcraft items is simply unfair to many players.
As money is constantly in a problem in the declining economy of the United States and any other country, forcing perspective players to pay for the best items, and them punishing them by not giving them adequate equipment to match up to adversaries with more spending money. This problem, though trivial to some, is a matter of upmost importance for loyal players of this popular game. Having to buy World of Warcraft items is unfair to many.
A possible solution is simple in theory. Make Blizzard, the company that produces the game, stop charging for items online, and simply allow all players the same equipment for the same price. All players pay the monthly fee, thus, all players should have the same access to the same accessories for in-game fun. An additional ninety-nine cents for a better piece of weaponry is just a bit of vending-machine change for Blizzard in comparison to the millions of dollars a month they pull in from subscribers to the game.
Another possible solution is to make other items that are similarly as powerful available in-game to all players, but simply make them harder to come by, or necessary to trade with another player for a certain amount of item-value. Also, it would be possible for Blizzard to place in-game Buy wow gold merchants to sell items of equal or greater value than the for-sale items online, but price these in-game items very highly, so that in-game players have to work hard and play a lot on the game to achieve these items.
The high pricing of World of Warcraft items is defiantly a problem in the world of consumers that wish to partake in the joys and fun that this game provides. Something as simple as making the items more readily available would be the best option to equalizing the game’s players. However, the other two options would help both parties; Blizzard would potentially gain more customers and would please those that it already has, and players would be more incline to play since there is the option of gaining these powerful items through hard work in-game.