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One of the most difficult problems with managing an MMO is retaining customers once your game has been around for a while. In any aging MMO, most of the players have maxed out their levels and anyone who has stopped playing the game will be completely outclassed by veterans who have taken advantage of all the new game content. Blizzard is solving this problem with their newly revised Scroll of Resurrection, which grants bonuses to new and old players alike. The Scroll of Resurrection is used to invite former WoW players back into the game. You can send a scroll to any of your former WoW friends who have given up the game, and if they decide to pick the game up with at least a month’s subscription then you’ll get a new Spectral Gryphon or Spectral Wind Rider Mount. However, the player receiving the scroll gets even bigger bonuses. Not only will they get a free week of game time, they will also receive a free upgrade to Cataclysm, the most recent expansion pack. They can also switch servers or factions for free in order to play with the friend who sent them the scroll in the first place. Finally, the scroll will allow one character to be brought instantly to level 80, which is something no other MMO has ever done before. 
However, the Scroll of Resurrection is ruffling some fans’ feathers. Not everyone believes that you should be able to skip early game content. In fact, many fans are adopting a “we had to do it, you should too” stance. What do you think? Is the level 80 boost a clever marketing tool, an unfair game advantage, or both? By Angelo M. D’Argenio |