Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsBreakfast Topic: Will you be buying either of the new vanity pets?
by Josh Rose 
Nov 30th 2010 at 8:00AM
Blizzard has been selling us in-game items for a while now; however, it has kept this to noncombat pets and mounts -- things that, outside of counting for totals for achievements, have little to no real effect on gameplay. Some of the items Blizzard does for self-profit, and sometimes it sells in-game pets for charity. People who buy the items get different reactions from the community; the sparkle pony especially got a lot of hate.
Personally, I have not bought any of the real-money pets, partially because I am not a collector and partially because I felt that paying for downloadable content should add something major to the game experience. However, I am considering buying the Ragnaros pet for one main reason: because Rags is my major epic memory of vanilla WoW, I always felt he was an awesome model and so imposing, and many of us went around saying "too soon" on Vent.
Have you bought any of the vanity pets? Do you buy them all as a completionist/collector? Do you pick and choose the ones you think look cool? Do you only buy the charity pets? Or do you avoid real money transactions in games altogether?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 12 of 12)
Sayas Nov 30th 2010 2:16PM
I bought the first two and I'm not a hater, but like many, my finances are severely curtailed now so I won't be buying these or any others in for foreseeable future. If you can afford it, why not have Blizzard offering a place to spend your excess dollars?
Bethontheharbor Nov 30th 2010 2:21PM
I'm buying them both tomorrow when I get paid. I have no issues with mounts or pets being sold outside the game. As long as items for sale outside the game do not give players an advantage over others who cannot afford to spend the cash all is good.
Now if they were selling teir 11 armor, or weaponry, then that IS an issue.
VanHorne Feb 26th 2011 6:29AM
I don't pass judgement on people for doing what they want with their money, real or in-game. And I would expect decent, intelligent people to grace me with the same common courtesy. Whose business is it? Who does it hurt? Does it impact peoples' game personally because their neighbor got a novelty item that gives them and possibly others some mild amusement? I buy the pets for the novelty, as well as the benefit they provide to certain charities through their sales. And yes, my family plays, and all are proud owners of the article-mentioned "sparkle pony". Yes, we received a healthy dose of grief for it too. My response to those who berated us for it? "How does it hurt you or your game? Are you really that shallow? Just another sheep in the bleating herd? I feel sad for you and those like you. Poor baby."
Trade chat loves it when you ask questions these bigoted trolls just can't honestly answer without embarassing themselves. It's your personal choice to buy them or not. Don't let the dumb masses disuade you from doing what you want with what's yours.
Jaren Nov 30th 2010 2:58PM
If you can't afford a 10 dollar pet, you prolly shouldn't play WoW, I think the iteams blizz sells are definitely cool and I may consider buying lil rag just cuz hes awesome. Right now blizz is fine, I just hope they dont get too carried away. Ashes of alar? $100. Thunderfury? $50. Anything more than 10 dollars and they would be absurd. Also, keep game drops and pet store items separate, I don't want to see everyone on the sever with something i spent 8 months farming.
veil Nov 30th 2010 3:04PM
so erm...in your own way, you "bought" in-game gold? you used real money to buy fake money? i guess i'd laugh like a maniacal derp too if i did that.
Jayjay Nov 30th 2010 3:20PM
There seems to be a lot of moral oneupmanship going on in the comments today - which is probably expected but still odd. It seems a few people's glass houses will be shattered by a rain of stones. Blizzard isn't a charity - they are a for profit company - they make a product that we all buy and the subscritption fee hasnt altered since it came out. They make extra cash by selling pets; if they ever sold items that would change game play I'd be making a fuss too but they don't - they sell silly fun cute items that affect nothing and aren't important to anyone except the user.
They also license products like the trading game, T-shirts and the books none of which benefit charities - I don't see comments saying they should be giving the license away to charity, or not licensing things at all because its somehow immoral - whats the difference between selling a pet and selling the use of their name and storylines?
How many other gaming franchises donate money to any charity, on any scale, on a regular basis?
DId I buy a moonkin? Yep you betcha - and I also donate actual money to charity a couple of times a year through my bank.
Tondef Dec 1st 2010 7:53AM
I'm considering buying them because, I get a cute little thing and money goes to charity. I really like how Blizz does these non-combat pets with part of the proceeds going to charity.
ScorpioProX Nov 30th 2010 6:42PM
I like to see good guilds/players with special mounts pets and such so I as a player want to be part of that group and aspire to greater things! Push myself to try and get that celestial steed or that cute pet as a reward for doing contend being there or something else worth mentioning as a part of the game.
This is an imported part of the game and brings ppl with the same pets and mount together.
I don’t understand why so many ppl overlook the pleasure of such things.
Seeing whole guilds on the same mount after downing boss X in hard mode or having that cool pet as a status symbol for doing x in the game.
So no.
Harvoc Nov 30th 2010 6:57PM
I avoid real money transactions in my games as I have trouble even getting my parents to pay my monthly subscription fee.
Jason Ralph Nov 30th 2010 9:00PM
I'll be frank and say: I got em. Shoot. If it's a pet/mount or anything else that Blizzard puts on the store to be bought for use in the World of Warcraft, I'll have it. Why? For the QQ more I get. I'm a casual player if that. I won't down Arthas, just like I didn't down Illidan before him. I won't be part of the launch for Cata, just like I wasn't for Wrath. Why? I deploy the 6th. By the time I get back my arena gear will be so out dated so dumb Alliance player will think they can gank me. Just like they did when I finally got to play Wrath... 18 months later after launch. So yes. I'll get this. For the simple fact someone somewhere is QQing. To that I quote The Great Samuel L. Jackson "QQ more mother ------.". lol
Sarabande Dec 1st 2010 9:51AM
No.
For me, much of the pleasure of my favorite pets or mounts have to do with that's behind it. Some are quiet, obscure quests (Sprite Hatchling), some takes a whole year to complete, requiring you to give up so much of what you usually do to camp easter eggs or run to practically every settlement to click on a fire or to repeatedly run BGs and much much more (Violet Protodrake). OR just luck, after participated in a certain event (Horseman's Mount). I hear people talk about how many times they ran Strattholme to get Rivendere's mount. Or seeing a friend get the Ravenlord on the first try. I've got a Crusader title and the six pets you can get from the Argent tournament. And I did so many dailies it would probably make people dizzy, so that I could get the traveller's tundra mammoth for two toons. And my favorite right now is the Sunflower pet. When people see it, I'm more than glad to point them to the location of the quest, and discuss strategy (today , I referred a guildie to Robin's video strategy guide).
And then, there's working on it together with the people you like in-game. Just a few hours ago, my friends and I farmed for mojo in ZA (which I got), and either a white hawkstrider or phoenix hatchling in H-Mag Terr. - neither dropped but my friends and I had a good time, running old content and just enjoying each other's company.
So, there it is . . . patience, hard-work, teamwork, luck . . . and the stories behind them - to me, they make the pet so much more valuable and meaningful. Even being able to say "I was there back in the day" with the past two anniversary pets, means something.
And I have the Fawn from the pet collecting achievement - without buying any pet from the Blizzard store. And 50 mounts (trying to get to 100 one day) also without buying any.
The closest thing I have would be the Blizzcon pets, but if I found out that someone just got it from ebay, I'd be disappointed, as to me, it's sign of your experience in either being there or watching it on screen, having seen the Red Shirt guy or the first glimpse of the new log-on screen, or commiserating about the long lines and how difficult it was to get seats to the most popular panels.
Mperiolat Dec 1st 2010 1:04PM
This close to Christmas and already spending 80 bucks in a week on Cata? For the moment, it's a no. But if I can get some money for Christmas, of course I will, especially the Moonkin since it's for a good cause.
DaNomie Dec 6th 2010 4:08PM
Ok, so Im a nut, im obsessed with the in game pets. as soon as 4.0.3a came out i went straight for Mr. Grubs, the Firefly and Withers, and I got Ragnaros and the lil moonkin on the first day. I have 145 of the lil bastaches.. and i love them so much. They are a good part of what keeps me playing wow. Dont get me wrong, I love Raiding and got my kingslayer before 4.0, but the pets and the mounts and my 36/40 exaulted (Pre cata) Factions keep me hopping. I have over 300 days played on my warlock, and I have my strats all set up for the fastest way to obtain the new vanity pets that are quest or rep related in cata. I cant wait. :)
This was an Excelllent topic.
Just so you know, most of the TCG pets, and the Purchased pets were gifts for me from my family and some from my secret santa for holidays and the like. I only really spent money on the sparkle pony. and well I love sparkle ponys :P
DaNomie Dec 1st 2010 1:36PM
Meant to add my link to warcraft pets out there :) just in case somone has not heard of the site.
http://www.warcraftpets.com/account/profile.asp?user=danomie#col
Steph Dec 2nd 2010 9:52AM
I purchased the Moonkin Hatchling, and I also have Lil' KT. When they first started offering things like this, I didn't think I would be interested, but...yeah. I liked those enough to spend the $10 on them. I do like that part of the proceeds for the Hatchling go towards charity, but I don't see anyone actually "justifying" their purchase with this reason. It's a lovely, happy bonus to me, as I regularly contribute to various charities on my own and would have purchased the pet anyway.
I find it sad that so many will look down on those who choose to buy in game items. I think it's ridiculous to spend money on fast food, but I certainly don't belittle the people I know who eat it at least once a day.