UPDATE: Blizzard has responded to our request for comment.
The World of Warcraft arm of the Blizzard Store is no longer a place solely devoted to selling in-game virtual pets and adorable plush animals. As of this afternoon, it's a digital storefront that sells useful digital items for the MMO.
An update to the Blizzard Store ushered in the game's first for-cost mount, the Celestial Steed. It's a winged beast that is armored from its nose to back. Its most notable visual feature is its translucent skin, a kickback from being "freshly" born from a place Blizzard is calling the "Twisting Nether."
As fantastic as it looks, the new mount isn't an overpowered, end-all piece of content. It can only travel as fast as users' riding skill. The example in the Blizzard Store uses the mount's top speed (310% speed) and cautions that it can only travel that fast if "you have at least one other 310% mount."
So, yes, it's a functional in-game mount but as the description indicates, it's nothing you don't have. Speaking with me this afternoon via e-mail, Blizzard's Shon Damron called it a "purely cosmetic" mount and compared it to the mounts offered through the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.
"As with the non-combat pets available in the online store (such as Lil’ KT or the Pandaren Monk) or the mounts available through the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, the Celestial Steed is purely cosmetic. After the launch of the Pet Store, we received a lot of requests from the community to offer mounts as well; as with the pets, the Celestial Steed simply offers players a fun way to customize the look of their characters without detracting from the gameplay."
Making the Steed an addition that didn't usher in an advantage to purchasers was "critical" to Blizzard.
"It was critical that the Celestial Steed didn’t provide players with any gameplay advantages," Damron said. "With any of the paid services we offer, whether it’s Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, Character Re-Customizations, or offering pets and mounts in the Pet Store, our goal is to design the service in a way that’s not detrimental to the game and that doesn't detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service.
"As with the other pets or mounts available through the World of Warcraft TCG, the Celestial Steed is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft."
There is a queue for the new, non-game-breaking mount. Tens of thousands of users are lined up and waiting for their purchase. As of just a few minutes ago, unofficial World of Warcraft Web site WoW.com reported that over 140,000 people are in the Store's queue and will be sitting without the Celestial Steed for, at least, around seven hours.
And the queue, as the Store states, "does not guarantee that you will have the opportunity to purchase an item," but Damron said there are no plans to limit The Celestial Steed.
The Celestial Steed flying mount is selling for $25.00 dollars and can be gifted to other players -- players who may not agree with what Blizzard is selling for a simple reason: one thing can lead to another. As one user on the official message board for the game puts it, "so … how long 'till they start selling gear … or gold even …"
"We have no plans to offer gold or gear to players in this fashion," Damron told me, speaking to his previous point of offering players fun customization, at a price, without comprimising the MMO.
The Steed was joined by another digital download this afternoon, a virtual pet by the name of Lil' XT. The pet's launch over the Store was easily overshadowed by the Celestial Mount because of its in-game functionality.
"Programmed with boundless energy and a child-like enthusiasm," the Store's description of the pet reads, "Lil' XT, the mini-Deconstructor, awaits adoption by a capable and adventurous parent." According to the store, the pet's "tantrums" are electric.
Lil' XT is selling for $10.00 and can be gifted as well.
Both items, once activated, can be used across any World of Warcraft accounts tied to a single North American license.
Source: Queue for Celestial Steed and Lil' XT is above 80,000 [WoW.com]
Contest:
5:40 PM on 04.15.2010
| 
I just hope they don't catch the DLC bug otherwise they will be selling game-altering weapons that make gameplay easier like most developers do now for single player games.
XT, if he has some functionality on him (quests? a build in store/repair shop?), that's pretty cool. I'm an engineer (oh yeah, also a hunter...) and THAT couldbe pretty cool, like the ethereal trader "pet" you could win from the trading card game.
I don't think they're going to ever do gear for pay... but this IS an activision Blizzard...
People who care about the direction the videogame industry is taking that's who.
What's wrong with transactions for vanity items? Gameplay isn't affected; the items are basically just a badge saying "I'm willing to piss more money on this game than you", and I don't see a big problem with that. It's when real money buys a better character that this becomes an issue.
(Of course, I could be missing something; feel free to elaborate. I'm pretty interested in what people think about DLC of any form or gameplay consequence.)
It's like the ****ing hats in TF2. Games should be treated like individual works, not commercialized services or sources for revenue.
(DLC like a major WoW patch or a TF2 Class Update are fully justified, however.)
What really bothers me is the morons willing to throw out $25 for a single mount. That's half a new game. Is one crummy mount really equal to the amount of content you can find in another game?
Then again these are blizzard fans. They're insane to begin with.
games like magic the gathering or warhammer offer all kinds of premium items like play mats, special dice, custom figures, card sleeves, fancy counters etc...
these paid items are just like that.
Theirs a big difference between a 'Blizzard Fan' and a World of Warcraft addict you know. You shouldn't label the two as one and the same.
hell yea. i love WoW but it was starcraft that got me to love blizzard.
blizzard ftw.
and that happens forever.
I can't really blame Blizzard. They're free to charge how they want for their services.
I can't really blame players. They're free to vote with their wallets.
But seriously? Come on? Economics is really going to determine that a game with a revenue EXCEEDING the GDP of some countries ALSO gets to charge $25 for a downloadable horse and $10 for a pet?
Come on people, you're supposed to vote with your wallets. Don't give into this kind of crap.
The same applies to the $15 map pack, WoW TCG (kinda, I heard it's a good TCG at least), or day 1 on-cd paid DLC.
I also do fault Blizzard a little bit. Shame on them for having their cake (box fee), their other cake (subscription fees), then eating them both (paid content).
yes, shame on them for having the talent to make wildly popular games. and shame on them for making money off it. >_>
oh and dont forget to shame the players who are willing to spend 15 a month on a huge source of entertainment.
how much is too much for pixel? look at it like this.
why do people buy posters/art/wreathes and baskets etc to hang on their walls?
because it looks cool.
this really isnt any different.
Chances are you have at least once done something like above. The point is this situation is no different than all the others. Many people, myself included, are really disappointed that the price point for such an item seems to be $25. I find it to be a grossly overpriced and it's disappointing that other people don't feel the same way to the point of voting with their wallets.
It's pretty BS to tell everyone that they're supposed to just shutup and enjoy the price whatever it is set at. That's a really anti-capitalism view when you're putting forth an otherwise pro-free market viewpoint.
Those of us who are disappointed are raising our voices to say so. This way other people make rethink how much they value such an item or a company will realize that a lower price point may net additional customers. Just like we raise our voices when something is a great deal we also raise our voices in protest when we feel that a company is charging too much.
you raise an interesting point with the supply and demand. these things are virtual, and basically have a limitless supply. so how do you go about figuring the price/value of something that is infinitely available?
i think the 25 dollar price tag is set not only because blizz knows ppl will pay it and they can make a fortune, but also to keep the mount somewhat unique. if it were free or only 5 dollars, everyone would have one.
with the higher price point, people can show off and feel special. similar to how the special mounts in game require and investment in time, this requires an investment in money. and time is money friends! (the goblins say that a lot, for those of you that don't play wow)
It's Bound to Account nature means that you will never have to buy another mount to any of your characters again, and being a horse with wings, it's one of the few mounts that is just like a regular (albeit shiny) ground mount in the old world and non-flying zones, and a ground and flying mount in all places that allow flying. And that's some useful shit, because you dont have to stop to remount when you enter/exit these zones.
When I randomly visited the WoW website I was shocked to see they were selling a mount. But in a good way. I bought it. Because I'm one of those mount collector types. And I thought it was pretty. Simples. I love the BoA aspect as well. I love the cosmetic parts to WoW. I collect the pets too (even though I didn't buy Lil' XT.)
Oh but I guess I'm a girl so that makes it okay right?
-__-
But seriously, with all the boring ass threads that were made in the WoW europe forums, I'm sick to the back teeth of all the crap that has kicked off due to Blizz releasing a buyable mount.
Best regards, Katya, CEO of blu ray burner, iscsiadm linux