Blizzard Now Selling Companion Pets in Online Store

Posted 2009/11/04 at 2:21 PM by Malgayne

Lil' K.T.Lil' PhylacteryPandaren MonkPandaren MonkFAQEdit:hereRelevant Links

Lil' K.T. purchase page

Pet Store FAQ

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Today we’re pleased to introduce the Pet Store for World of Warcraft, a new way for players to obtain in-game pets to join them on their adventures in Azeroth. Two brand-new companions are now available for purchase exclusively at the Pet Store in the online Blizzard Store: Lil’ K.T. and the Pandaren Monk.

Make a Difference: Pandaren Monk Charity Pet

Enter the Pandaren Monk, ( http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000763 ) a martial-arts expert who’s here to help celebrate the upcoming fifth anniversary of World of Warcraft. He may be cute, but he’s proof that even the softest of critters can overcome the hardest of circumstances. For every Pandaren Monk that finds its way to a player’s side between now and the end of the year (December 31, 2009 at 11:59 PDT), we’ll donate 50 percent of the $10 purchasing price to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in an effort to brew up a little hope, strength, and joy in a child’s life.

Lil’ K.T., the Littlest Lich

Lil’ K.T. is a miniature lich who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary lord of Naxxramas, Kel’Thuzad. But don’t let his diminutive stature fool you: Lil’ K.T. has a diabolical laugh and wields true power at his bony fingertips, randomly wreaking icy havoc on critters who dare to cross his path. You can now buy this new pet for $10 on the Blizzard Store. (http://us.blizzard.com/store/ )
In order to receive a purchased pet, you’ll need to merge your World of Warcraft account with a Battle.net account. For more information on Battle.net, please visit the FAQ. ( https://us.battle.net/faq/index.html ) For more information on the new Pet Store, visit the Pet Store FAQ. ( http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=29845 )

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677775733&sid=1

Does this mean you'll be introducing more services like this in the future? Will you be introducing the ability to buy epic weapons/etc. in the future, for example?

As with the pets, mounts, and other items players can obtain through Loot cards from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Pet Store pets are purely cosmetic and just for fun. Like other paid services we offer, such as Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, and Character Re-Customizations, the Pet Store service is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft in a way that isn't detrimental to the game and that doesn't detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service.

blizzard blizzard-store

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Comment by 344194Great cause ...thinking about actually buying both. But...I hope they don't make this a habit...but if they do...they should always link it to a Charitable organization.
WoW will turn into another cash shop run game (if they don't).Comment by KaptainKrunkSon of a lich...Comment by 142762Bought both. MOAR PETS! *_*Comment by 344194Hey...I've been staring @ lil KT...does he do anything else besides watching his back? lol.Comment by MiyariEh, I prefer this method to having to deal with buying countless Trading Cards to try and get a pet so Blizzard, you have my money for now. Until the friggin' Spectral Tiger Cub comes out. *sigh*Comment by justincIts the start of a long slippery slope, adimittedly 50% goes to the charity, surely the other 50% isnt required for implementing/running costs which im guessing could be covered by Blizzard as a way for them to seem even more charitable but yeah, as I said, its the start of a slippery slope.PURELY COSMETICcapitalizeComment by 443447I think people are just looking at the natural progression of things....

WoW launched, and if you wanted to play on another server, you rolled a new character or waited to see if a world migration fit your needs. Or if you didn't like how your character looked, or ended up not liking the race or faction, you rerolled.

And people said that Blizzard would never let you pay to change your name, or server, or anything else. Not that long ago, people were saying that Blizz would never let you change your race. And those things aren't just cosmetic (racials?).

So now they launch a storefront to easily exchange $$$ for an ingame item. How long before Activision Marketting says "Y'know, we could stand to make another million this quarter. That new flying mount, the winged horse thing? Yeah, that's going to be $49.99 through the store."

Edit:

I can only speak for myself, but I think the concern is more that it could happen. Not that it will.Comment by 104395This post was from a user who has deleted their account.Comment by 443447Yes, all those things are purely cosmetic. Even race changes. Don't pretend that racials offer more than just meaningless perks.

If you're too tight to wrench open those wallets or get daddy to shell out the ten bucks, nobody is making you. There's no reason to complain.Comment by pezzDoes this mean you'll be introducing more services like this in the future? Will you be introducing the ability to buy epic weapons/etc. in the future, for example?
As with the pets, mounts, and other items players can obtain through Loot cards from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Pet Store pets are purely cosmetic and just for fun. Like other paid services we offer, such as Paid Name Changes, Race Changes, and Character Re-Customizations, the Pet Store service is entirely optional and intended to provide players another means to enjoy World of Warcraft in a way that isn't detrimental to the game and that doesn't detract from the gameplay experience for players who choose not to use the service.Comment by 443447Usually an objective, qualifier-free statement like this is a pretty good indication that there isn't going to be a slippery slope, since there isn't any wiggle-room or loopholes, but didn't Blizzard once say that a paid faction change was absolutely not going to be implemented?

If there isn't a statement from Blizzard out there that says 'we are most certainly NOT going to do this' about something that they did later do, then I don't think it's worth worrying about that they'd add in paid game-changing items. Even so, there's a pretty clear line between pets that /point and /laugh at your PvP victims and epic items with a slot to swipe your credit card, and I doubt Blizzard would cross that line.Comment by justinc
By that same argument (it's just cosmetic!), so is Invincible, Frostmourne, the Head of -whatever-, and so forth. After all, there are other flying horses in game, other legendaries, other engineering mounts, and so on. Your gameplay isn't detracted by me shelling out $49.95 to have Invincible.Comment by pezzStarsmore: Sure they have, but usually when they've had some way to wiggle out of a previous public statement. This one blatantly says 'no game-changing buyable items' and if Blizzard wants to reverse that (which they can do, I suppose) then on top of all the viable arguments against that they're going to have to deal with the mini-PR crisis of having this fairly objective statement linked all over the place is also going to cause them problems.

In the ideal, perfectly free market, the only thing keeping a company successful is their credibility. If Blizzard did something like that it would be proof that they don't stick to their word, which damages their credibility, and there's plenty of other companies out there offering plenty of other MMOs.

Getting consumers to care or do any research, on the other hand...Comment by 104395This post was from a user who has deleted their account.Comment by 254403Wait. So would the KT pet kill Mr. Bigglesworth if faced with such a foe?

GAME-BREAKING?Comment by EudemoniaYes, all those things are purely cosmetic. Even race changes. Don't pretend that racials offer more than just meaningless perks.

If you're too tight to wrench open those wallets or get daddy to shell out the ten bucks, nobody is making you. There's no reason to complain.mustmayEVERY change Blizz has made has been nothing more than an attempt to make players happy.Comment by Blackboy0Hmm... I don't feel comfortable having a pet of a Lich that I have killed... Just doesn't sit right with me...

Feels like it will grow 10x taller and start shooting Frostbolts at me...Comment by BazillaI just tried to order both, and i think the site is broken :(Comment by 180686This post was from a user who has deleted their account.Comment by Mikegot mine the second i read about it!

Everybody was kung foo fighting!

dadadadadadadadaaaaaaaaa!

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