World of Warcraft plants a Farm(Ville) in time for Mists of Pandaria

The upcoming fourth expansion pack for mega-successful MMO World of Warcraft (WoW), Mists of Pandaria, might not be so "hardcore" after all. With a Pokemon-esque pet battling system and now a FarmVille (or Harvest Moon) style cropping system to boot, developer Blizzard is incorporating features found in all sorts of mainstream and casual games into Azeroth.

Moves like these are almost certainly in hope of roping in as many of those kinds of players as possible. (Has the "hardcore" set proved to provide diminishing returns on those precious subscription fees?) Sister website WoW Insider has the skinny on every nook and cranny that this upcoming farming feature has to offer players when Mists of Pandaria lands in millions of WoW players' Cheeto-dusted laps this fall.

A series of in-game quests titled "The Tills" will introduce players to the farming feature in WoW, which is both terribly similar and a far cry from what Zynga offers in FarmVille. For one, you'll plant and harvest crops just like you do in FarmVille. However, your fellow WoW players will not be able to visit your personal farm, which would have seemed like a no-brainer to us.

WoW Insider breaks down all the comparisons and contrasts for you right here. But know this: Farming is going to be the next big thing in WoW right up there with sending little captured creatures into battle. And it's all thanks to the most unlikely of sources.

[Image Credit: WoW Insider]

Are you psyched for FarmVille--ahem--farming in WoW? How do you think such a feature will do with the "hardcore" players? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.