Breakfast Topic: Do you buy in-game items at the Blizzard store?

Blizzard recently released the Armored Bloodwing mount in the Blizzard store. I don't know about you, but I've seen quite a few out in the wild, with some of them just hanging around big cities, showing off. This mount is not quite to my taste -- I'm a huge sparkle pony fan -- but I like its aesthetic and I see the appeal.

Other than the Celestial Steed, I also bought the Wind Rider Cub plushy and in-game pet set. And the Spousal Unit has the Winged Guardian mount. (I think he's eyeing the Armored Bloodwing too. Hmmm. Father's Day is coming up ...) In addition, we each have the collector's editions for several years and all the pets included there.

As much as I love my purchased in-game goodies, I do have a bit of buyer's remorse about spending money over and above my subscription. These digital goodies are really only mine to rent while playing the game. Should I ever stop playing WoW, all that money will have gone to things I don't really own. Still, I've been hanging out in Azeroth since the open beta and am still loving the game, so my departure from World of Warcraft isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

Have you bought any in-game items from the Blizzard store? Do you regret the purchase after you see how popular your new mount or pet is? What are your thoughts on spending money on virtual items? Tags: armored-bloodwing, blizzard-store, featured, game-discussion, gamer-discussion, mounts, world-of-warcraft-discussion, world-of-warcraft-topics, wow-discussion, wow-hot-topics, wow-issues, wow-topics

Filed under: Breakfast Topics

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In-game Support Site Access and Tools in 5.3

We’re adding a new feature to World of Warcraft that will replace the in-game support system with a direct portal to the Battle.net Support site. Our aim is to give players in-game easy access to the site’s robust knowledge base and support contact system.

We’ve gone to great lengths to improve our website support systems and we want to offer access to all of its robust features in-game. The new direct support site access will make it easier to find information to help you resolve issues you’re experiencing or contact our representatives if you need a little extra help.

We will test this new feature in the 5.3 public test realm (PTR), and we’d like your assistance. Adding support site access in-game is a new venture for us, and we need you to test  it by searching through the support knowledge base and pages to make sure that it holds up in various hardware and network situations. It’s important to note that while we will be testing the functionality of this feature within the PTR, we are unable to process support ticket submissions.

To help test and provide feedback, copy your character and download the PTR client.

We’d appreciate your feedback and testing reports to be put into the below forum thread so we can collect and respond to any errors or issues you’re seeing.

PTR Discussion

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Breakfast Topic: Are you a sucker for in-game pets and mounts?

Those cute little in-game pets -- they're not so innocent. Once you allow one of the little buggers to slip past your legs and dash into the house, there's no getting all those muddy little paw prints off the floor (or the couch). Is there anybody out there who can harden their heart after just one? I'm afraid to even dip a toe into those waters, fearful that Lil' Ragnaros will begin bellowing "By PayPal be purged!" as my pet tab ticks inexorably upward. Indeed, I whisked him from my Amazon wish list the morning I realized in horror that should someone ever bestow me with his code, the door would stand wide open to the rest of his irresistible little friends.

So how are you fine, upstanding consumers coping with the pressure? Have you snatched up a brand new Swift Windsteed? Do purchasable pets and mounts hold no interest for you? Do you pick and choose? Collect them all?

Tags: collectibles, featured, game-discussion, gamer-discussion, microtransactions, mounts, pets, vanity-pets, world-of-warcraft-discussion, world-of-warcraft-topics, wow-discussion, wow-hot-topics, wow-issues, wow-topics

Filed under: Breakfast Topics

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Reminder: Don't forget your in-game Winter Veil gifts

No matter how busy you may be over the holidays, try to find a few minutes to log in and collect your Feast of Winter Veil gifts in Orgrimmar or Ironforge. As you probably know, the Feast of Winter Veil brings us a new gift each year which can be quite difficult to obtain once the holiday is over.

This year players will actually receive two items in their 2012 Feast of Winter Veil gift, Foot Ball and The Pigskin. So, basically we got a soccer ball and an American foot ball ... Meaning our WoW characters will continue to get more exercise than most of us. (Even if you only raid two nights a week for four hours, you'd have to work out more than an hour every day of the week to keep up with your night elf.) Players will also earn the achievement They're Both Footballs? when opening their present.

In years past, exclusive gifts included the Clockwork Rocket Bot, Crashin' Thrashin' Racer Controller, Red Rider Air Rifle, MiniZep Controller, and the Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater. All those items are still obtainable, though most of them have only a small chance to drop when opening Stolen Present, the quest reward from You're a Mean One... (a daily quest which can only be completed during the Feast of Winter Veil).

Players typically have until the end of the Feast of Winter Veil to collect their gifts, so grab them before Jan. 2, 2013.
Tags: winter-veil, winter-veil-2012, winter-veil-achievements

Filed under: Events

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