"The War Within: World of Warcraft's Experimental Early Access and Beta Testing"

World of Warcraft game director defends the controversial decision to offer a three-day paid early access period for the upcoming expansion, The War Within, as an "experiment" to maximize the value of different expansion tiers. Despite player frustration over the perceived advantage for those who pay extra, the director assures that the early access won't significantly impact the competitive community or in-game economy, as endgame content will be held back until the first weekly reset. The ultimate impact of this decision on the game's launch will likely determine if similar upsells will be offered for future expansions.