Gasp! World of Warcraft Pets Demand Microtransactions

World of Warcraft players that only like to pay once a month for The One Game are up in arms that Blizzard wants to collect a little more cash in the interim. Indeed, Blizzard is now selling pets for World of Warcraft, to be paid for with real-world currency at the Blizzard Store. The first, dubbed the Pandaren Monk, is “a martial-arts expert” who “may be cute, but he’s proof that even the softest of critters can overcome the hardest of circumstances,” according to Blizzard. Plunk down $10 for the Monk, and half of it will go to the Make-a-Wish foundation. Then, there’s the strictly-for-profit Lil’ K.T., a miniature Lich “who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary lord of Naxxramas, Kel’Thuzad,” with a diabolical laugh and icy powers. Lil’ K.T. costs $10 as well. Nerd rage after the jump.

A scan of the forums where the pets were announced shows a mix of excitement and grief. Obviously the former group is stoked to have little Liches by their side, but the latter sees this as a mile marker on the road to paid perks for easy leveling. Once user said this is proof that the player base is dying, while another called it “just another moneygrab” by Blizzard. But as The Escapist points out, Blizzard has long offered ways for you to spend more for in-game items, including the Blizzcon conference and special editions of World of Warcraft expansion packs. So let’s cool our jets and trust that Blizzard won’t derail its cash cow outright, eh? [WoW Forums via The Escapist]