Orc Credit Card Ready? Then... Charge!!

As easily the largest and most successful massively multiplayer online game in the world, World of Warcraft still must have posed a problem for its creators at video game manufacturer Blizzard Entertainment. How to monetize their content!

After all, there are over 8 million World of Warcraft players according to the company, and the latest expansion pack for the game sold 3.5 million copies within one month following its mid-January launch. But World of Warcraft doesn’t really lend itself for a lot of product placement within the game, as it’s hard to imagine some surly orcs and dwarves chugging back a frosty Coke after some dragon killing, or billboards lining the walls of some demon’s hideout. But ah… credit cards.

Blizzard has partnered with First National Bank of Omaha to offer a Visa Rewards credit cards with images of their favorite Horde or Alliance character races on them and instead of cash back, you get play time bonuses.

Of course, I’m not certain how many players are going to pull out a card with a gnome on it when they’re paying for dinner at a restaurant with their sweetie, but you never know.