As per the fireside chat today, there is a goal within Hasbro to further monetize D&D, one avenue being discussed here on EnWorld being microtransactions and the impact this has or has not had on MMOs.
I dont know that its on topic to the original discussion but my view on this would be.
WoW functioned best, under a feedback loop of having to 'put in the work', the work being playing the game, to achieve the goal of having the best stuff, that added an element of prestige within the game, that you had either done the work, or had been lucky, or had a level of dedication/skill, higher than your peers.
The addition of microtransactions shorts that feedback loop, by simply allowing one to swipe the card of their choice, and buy the 'prestige' or avoid the gameplay loop all together.
Examples include.
Paying to skip content - no need to level up your character.
Paying for cosmetics - no need to play through and earn it within the game, you just buy it.
Paying for character changes or services - decrease in attachment to the character, or degrades the community by having people just transfer.
Paying for mounts - Mounts in WoW used to be quite rare, in how you went about earning them. It was something unique that people had to either work for (Gladiators, Achievements) or get randomly via Boss Drops, or World Drops.
This 'everyone gets a prize, if you pay' decreases the motivation of going out and earning it, or in other words, decreases the motivation to PLAY THE GAME, because the gameplay loop was
Grind to Max -> Farm to Raid -> Raid for Loot.
Microtransactions allow you to skip all of that.
In a nutshell
@Whizbang Dustyboots