Blizzard helping hands rub some players the wrong way

Blizzard helping hands rub some players the wrong way. It seems like a very clear-cut case of “pay to win.” I might feel as strongly as these nay-sayers if I was an active WoW player. Still, reaching level 90 is hardly “winning” WoW. Leveling is more of a time sink than a test of your abilities. The real learning curve is after you hit the level cap and you start dipping your toes into heroic dungeons, raids and PvP. I’m sure plenty of players would jump at the chance to bypass dozens of hours of leveling so they can dive right into challenging content.

Players who are against level boosts argue that it’s a slippery slope, though. Buying a level 90 character doesn’t affect the endgame but what if Blizzard decides to go a step further. They could eventually start selling items that boost your gold or Valor Point gains. That definitely would have an effect on the competitive balance of WoW.

The other questions in the survey were less controversial but still important. One asked whether players would be willing to pay $39.99 or $49.99 for Warlords of Draenor. The survey also gauged interest on a new WoW Annual Pass, perhaps including Diablo 3 and its Reaper of Souls expansion.

Warlords of Draenor allows players to visit an alternate timeline in which the orcs united under one banner and their homeworld was never destroyed. Players will travel to Draenor to prevent the Iron Horde’s invasion of Azeroth. Blizzard plans to release the expansion later this year.