World of Warcraft News: Will Gaming's Biggest MMO Get Microtransactions?

World of Warcraft continues to be the go-to MMO for PC gamers, despite the game's long run and some falling subscription levels. Blizzard has been looking for a way to keep gamers interested in the game, which has included adding new content with greater frequency. Now it looks like the company may be looking for a way to increase the game's revenue through a new means: the always controversial microtransactions.

This news comes from users in the game's public test realm. They discovered a new spell, the Enduring Elixir of Wisdom. This new spell would give the user a 100% experience point boost, something that could potentially be a game breaker that would allow new users to gain levels far quicker than normal. On the game's forums, community manager Zarhym had this to say when questioned about the spell:

"We are currently exploring the possibility of adding a way for players in certain regions to make purchases directly within the game. As part of this process, elements related to this will be appearing on the PTR. We'll provide additional updates on our plans as development progresses."

Previously, Blizzard offered microtransactions as a means to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy. However, the items on sale then were not meant to affect gameplay as much as this spell would, and this could set a trend for the game going forward.

While many MMOs use microtransactions, most are free-to-play games that depend on these microtransactions to make the game profitable. World of Warcraft is different in that it is one of the few MMOs that has kept a monthly subscription plan, with users only able to play for free until level 20. It will be interesting to see if the World of Warcraft community accepts microtransactions, or if they reject the new changes to their beloved game.