Blizzard have announced their system for trading in-game gold for World of Warcraft game time after hinting to it with the release of Patch 6.1 last month.
The all-new system for the secure trade of gold and game time, in-game between players, will be let loose in the world of Azeroth soon.
Explained in a blog post today, the trading element “WoW Tokens” will be purchasable with real-world money from the in-game store. These can by put up on a new part of the Auction House to be exchanged for gold. The token is only tradable through this Auction House method and the price will be determined by an algorithm Blizzard is keeping under wraps instead of the free market.
Once purchased from the Auction House the “Wow Token” becomes ‘Soulbound’ (no longer tradable) and can be used to redeem 30 days of game time.
Similar systems are in place in other subscription based MMOs such as EVE Online, though in EVE Online the game time token is treated as a freely trade-able commodity.
The WoW Token was created to give players with lots of extra gold the option to use it to help cover their subscription cost, and give those who want to purchase gold a way to do so from fellow players through a secure, easy-to-use system. The Token will be making its debut in an upcoming patch—in the meantime, check out the FAQ below for details on how it works.
Blizzard hopes this system will help drive gold farmers out of business by giving players a secure way to purchase in-game currency.
Pricing details for the “WoW Token” have not been released as of yet or what the estimated exchange rate will be upon launch.
Click here to read Blizzard’s blog post which also features a FAQ on the new WoW Tokens system.
