Warcraft Bible

In my Secret Warcraft newsletter, I advise subscribers to get the Auctioneer add-on, and learn how to use it to maximize their returns on the Auction House. If you doubt the importance of this point, have a quick look in the forums, where recent subscriber The Pink Monster Cat reports immediate, huge results… like 200g in a week at level 35!

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With a worldwide user base of nearly 9 million active players, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to see that Blizzard has teamed up with a financial institution (First National Bank of Omaha) to offer World of Warcraft branded credit cards. Although I admit it’s an idea that never occurred to me until I read Blizzard’s announcement.

But it looks to me like they haven’t played this out to its logical conclusion.

With a WoW credit card, you get credits to apply to buying game-play time for your Warcraft account, instead of the usual air travel points or merchandise points. And of course, you get vivid WoW art on the card, a total of 13 designs to choose from, including at least one for each of the current races (my favorite is the Troll card).

I suppose those features will attract a fair number of Warcraft enthusiasts to switch to this credit card.

But what an opportunity missed… imagine if you could use your card points for unique in-game pets or trinkets! I’m sure the response to a promotion like that would be astronomical - probably 20 or 50 times as much interest as there is for game play credits.

I can’t see any reason not to do this. You get unique in-game stuff from rare WoW TCG game cards, as well as from the card game’s collector points system. Blizzard has given unique pets to those who attend events (BlizzCon) or buy Collectors’ Edition packages. So why not as an incentive on credit card accounts?

Just think about it. Wouldn’t you seriously consider switching credit card providers if you could get something as rare and cool as a Murky baby murloc pet, or a Picnic Blanket trinket(summons a full picnic setting, with working Hibachi BBQ, umbrella and blanket)?

More info: World of Warcraft Visa Card

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The battle between Blizzard Entertainment and un-official (unlicensed) developers of World of Warcraft after-market products such as game guides is heating up.

24-year-old entrepeneur Brian Kopp is suing the company for interfering with his auctions on eBay, where he was selling his “Ultimate World of Warcraft Leveling and Gold Guide.”

Brian started selling the Guide on eBay in August 2005. Blizzard lodged complaints with eBay, citing violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (a piece of crap legislation if there ever was one). eBay eventually sided with Blizzard, and terminated Brian’s auctions.

Brian’s legal action seeks monetary damages for lost sales of the Guide, which he continues to sell privately from his own web site.

I can see both sides of this situation. Blizzard needs to protect its copyright, while players and the World of Warcraft community need (and are entitled to) after-market products to improve their experience of the game.

In this case, and generally with regard to gameplay guides, I side with the guide writers and publishers. Blizzard is shooting itself in the foot by trying to shut down enthusiasts who work at developing a richer game culture.

As it happens, Brian Kopp’s guide was a good product, offering great value for World of Warcraft players serious about the game. But I’m sure Blizzard wasn’t making a quality judgment. Some months ago, Blizzard (or rather parent company Vivendi Universal) shut down Germany-based GuideFox, arguably the best quality publisher at the time of WoW class guides.

(note: one or two of the GuideFox guides have started showing up on the market again, at the new Guide Bazaar site… worth a look)

I don’t hold out much hope for Brian’s chances in this situation, but I wish him luck!

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