Much Ado About Nothing

I wasn't going to comment on Petgate 2009.  It became a tired subject two minutes after it was breaking news, and I had nothing new to add to the discussion.  I still don't, really.  But I did read two things over the weekend that finally exasperated me enough to respond.

First, Elnia at the Pink Pigtail Inn described his reaction to the opening of the Blizzard Pet Store as "aghast."  One of his commenters chimed in, declaring the entire thing "abhorrent."  Aghast?  Abhorrent?  Seriously? 

These are very strong words.  If you find yourself sincerely "aghast" at anything that happens in a video game, then I humbly suggest canceling your account and investing the $15 a month in a newspaper subscription.  There are truly abhorrent things happening in the world.  This isn't one of them.

Second, a pair of new recruits got into the most ridiculously asinine spat I have ever seen in Surreality guild chat.  One of the recruits was delighted with his new pet (not to mention his fifth name change of the week >.<).  The other thought he was an idiot for spending real money on vanity items, and told him so.  What started as a relatively minor difference of opinion somehow escalated to name-calling — quickly quashed, of course, but no less annoying for all that it was short-lived.

Personally, I have a very "live and let live" — or, more accurately, a "buy and let buy... or don't!" — attitude towards the entire thing.  I collected non-combat pets for a while and have several that I still love (all of them gifts from my fiance at various points in our relationship, come to think of it), but I doubt I'll be purchasing a pint-sized lich or Kung Fu panda from the Blizzard Pet Store anytime soon.  Still, I don't see the fact I have the option to do so as the Beginning of the End for the World of Warcraft, nor do I find any of the many arguments I've read against this type of real money transaction particularly compelling.

Here they are, in brief, along with my thoughts.  (I'm sure you've seen all of them before; as I said, I have nothing new or insightful to add.  I really just wanted to vent.)

It's classist, providing a visual, in-game distinction between the Haves and Haves Nots.

You have a computer, a high-speed Internet connection and $15 of disposal income each month to pay for your WoW subscription.  You, my friend, are a Have. 

Besides, if Black Dragonflight is any indication, people are far more likely to /point and /laugh at you for owning a Panderan Monk or Lil' KT than they are to /sigh in wistful admiration. 

It devalues my pet collecting achievement.

More so than any of the previous Collector's Edition, Blizzcon or Trading Card pets (that you can still buy on ebay for a ridiculous mark-up)?  By making non-combat pets available for purchase on the official website, Blizzard has effectively eliminated the after-market and made these two pets, at least, more accessible to a majority of players.

... By the way, if this is your argument, then you better not written have a blogpost recently condemning "hardcore" raiders for attempting to hoard the purple pixels.  Just sayin'. 

It's a slippery slope that can only lead to game-changing Real Money Transactions (selling gold, epics, heirloom gear, access to premium instance servers, etc.).

The slippery slope is a fallacy.   l2logic.

It breaks immersion.

Yeah, it does.  I'll give you that.

But you know what?  So do Haris Pilton, Harrison Jones, the ninja turtles in Dalaran and the fact that my 16-slot backpack can somehow hold 30 Hillsbrad peasant skulls at the same time.  Leah made a fantastic comment over at the Pink Pigtail Inn about the entire World of Warcraft being just a little tongue-in-cheek.  If Larísa's site weren't blocked at work, I would quote it here; since it is and I can't, I recommend finding it yourself.  It's the only thing related to Elnia's post worth reading.

Blizzard is selling out, man.

Blizzard is in the business of making and selling video games.  We call Blizzard a studio, but that's romanticism: at the end of the day, the World of Warcraft is a product.  Not art.  

Blizzard isn't "selling out."  It's selling — period.  If this comes as some sort of surprise to you, then you really haven't been paying attention.