Blizzard Now Selling Gold for Cash... In Pet Form

The good folks over at Blizzard announced yesterday morning that a new pet will be arriving in the World of Warcraft Pet Shop in the near feature.  He seems to be a cuddly miniature version of the Winged Guardian mount already available for purchase.  In reality, however, the new Guardian Cub pet is nothing more than a stack of gold that you can purchase straight from Blizzard itself.  Check out a picture of the pet below and the insidious truth behind those big doe eyes after the bump.

Deathy the Murlock Video

Those who attended Blizzcon this year or who paid for the digital download were treated to yet another in game Murloc companion.  This years pet is Deathy and he is clearly a fan of Deathwing, Cataclysm's main antagonist. 

Currently on the live realms, Deathy shares animations with the Murloc Space-Marine, but Blizzard has promised unique animations are on the way.  Thankfully, the good folks over at MMO Champion have put together a video showing us what to expect from this pint-sized world destroyer.



Is this one of the coolest pets ever?  I think so, but be sure to tell me what you think in the comments.

Pet Reward for BlizzCon 2010

World of Warcraft fans who attend BlizzCon this year will be awarded with a brand new in-game companion.  His name is Deathy and he is a baby Murloc fashioned in the style of Cataclysm's antagonist Deathwing.  For Starcraft II fans, a Murloc character portrait and logos will be gifted as well.

Live feed subscribes will also gain access to both rewards so those who can't make it to the West Coast still enjoy both the fun and prizes.  I for one just hope this new pet isn't too loud.

Celestial Steed Mount Now Available.. For a Price

Blizzard has just announced the location of the Celestial Steed, a rather cool looking mount which was found hidden away within World of Warcraft's game files. Some had speculated the mount would be available from some reincarnation of Ulduar's Algalon the Observer. Unfortunately, however, the reality is more terrifying than the possibility of another Code Omega. The Celestial Steed will only be available through the Blizzard Store for the hefty price of $25.00.

Along with Lil' XT, this new "Pet Store" offering continues World of Warcrafts slippery slide into the world of micro-transactions. What is a micro-transaction? It is an in game item or feature which is available only at extra real world cost. For a full primer on the subject, check out any of the many games offered by Zynga or Nexon. Those games are built around the concept of micro-transactions.

Zynga and Nexon games are also, however, free to download and play. World of Warcraft at $15 per month on top of the cost of actually purchasing the game, is distinctly not. Hence my growing gripe with the Pet Store. I can understand, to a certain extent, the need to charge for services like faction changes and server transfers. The cost does serve after all as a deterrent for over use. For pets and mounts, however, there is no real need for deterrence.

Lil' XT could drop of XT. The Celestial Steed Mount could drop off Algalon. World of Warcraft's many denizens pay a monthly fee so that Blizzard can grow and maintain the virtual world in which they live. They do not pay so that the company can R & D some virtual goods to sell back to them. Now that the veil of charity is lifted, it is hard to see the Pet Store as anything but a greedy, player-unfriendly enterprise. Sure, Blizzard is a company out to make money, but when does the risk of alienating their player base outweigh the short term cash boost of micro-transactions?

For me, if I wanted to play Farmville, I would, but I would rather play World of Warcraft. I hope that Blizzard keeps that in mind.

A Tribute to My Strand Crawler

For this Friday's post, I figured I would do a tribute to one of my favorite pets: the Strand Crawler. For those of you who do not know, the Strand Crawler is a tiny fiddler crab pet that can rarely be found the Bag of Fishing Treasures you get from completing the level 80 Fishing Dailies.

I like him for a couple reasons. First, he is small. I find the exceptionally large pets to be a bit on the distracting side. Second, as he moves around he makes a soft clicking sound. You can definitely hear it, but it is just subtle enough to make everyone around you think: What is that noise? Lastly, he blows bubbles and yes it is as adorable as it sounds!

My only problem, I have not thought of a decent name for him yet. Obviously, "Strand Crawler" just isn't going to cut it. So far I have thought of Chett, Lefty, and Captain Markaloney, but I am not quite sold on any of them yet. Wanting for inspiration, I turn to you my readers for guidance! What should I name this little crustacean? Post your ideas in the comments below. The selected name wins the satisfaction of a job well done!

Who am I?

Hot Video: Invincible Mount and Perky Pug

The good folks over at MMO Champion have just released a set of videos featuring content data-mined from the upcoming World of Warcraft Patch 3.3. In the first video, we can catch a glimpse of a new mount being added to the game, the flying horse Invincible. In life, Invincible was Arthas' loyal steed. In death, he is a crazy looking mount you can nab in Icecrown Citadel. Odds are Invincible will be the Mimiron's Head of Icecrown, but no details have been released as of yet. Enjoy the video:



The next video is of a new pet being introduced in 3.3, the Perky Pug. This pet will be available as a reward for participating in World of Warcraft Patch 3.3's random dungeon feature. Be sure to watch this one to the end as the little dog's funniest animation lies at the end of the clip.

Argent Tournament Pets

I find the Argent Tournament, the jousting centered contest around the Crusaders' Coliseum, to be an entertaining diversion. The rewards are also worth a look, especially the faction specific pet rewards. Check out my breakdown of the pets available below:


Alliance:

Ammen Vale Lashling - Exodar
Dun Morogh Cub - Ironforge
Mechanopeep - Gnomeregan
Teldrassil Sproutling - Darnassus
Elwynn Lamb - Stormwind

Horde:

Enchanted Broom - Silvermoon
Durotar Scorpian - Orgrimmar
Mulgore Hatchling - Thunderbluff
Sen'jin Fetish - Darkspear Trolls
Tirisfal Batling - Undercity

To get one of these pets, you must first become a Champion of that faction for the tournament by completing the quest chains in your faction's tournament headquarters outside of the Coliseum. Keep in mind that you must become a Champion of your home city before you can work up the ladder for other groups in your faction. After that, it is simply a matter of collecting the 40 Champion's Seals needed for purchase. Happy jousting!

BlizzCon 2009 Pet

Blizzards has finally announced the in-game reward for attendees at this years BlizzCon and it's a pet Murloc with a gauss rifle. Seriously. If you don't believe me, check out the official thread.

Now feel free to call me an out of touch purist, but "Grunty" seems to be just past the line which separates the fun from the absurd. The team at Blizzard has gone out of their way to create a well rounded world framed by largely consistent lore. Obviously, Azeroth is far from believable, but it is at least largely consistent. The idea of a bunch of miniature Murloc Space Marines running around just serves to distract from the feel of the game.

I know we already have Rocket Chickens, Gnomes in santa suits, and even a Zergling running around, not to mention the goofy Blizzard Bear, but Grunty just seems to cross the line. I am all for fun and games, but Azeroth is a big enough place to pull convention goody bag ideas out of, why not go with something more fitting with Warcraft's setting.