Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsBlizzard responds to Guardian Cub controversy
by Matthew Rossi 
Oct 11th 2011 at 4:00PM
Bashiok - Re: Blizzard, you've crossed the line
TCG Loot card mounts like the Spectral Tiger have been BoE for a long time now (since patch 3.2), and that was and continues to be well-received, and as far as we've been able to tell hasn't had any adverse impact to the game or economy - despite them selling for sometimes astronomical amounts of gold.
It's potentially worth noting that no new gold is being introduced into the game's economy with those mounts or the new Guardian Cub pet.
Our goal with the Guardian Cub is to provide alternative ways for players who don't want to spend real money to add these pets to their collection. Even though this has been available a while now with the TCG mounts, this is obviously a new kind of way to deliver Pet Store pets, and we're definitely interested to hear your feedback and ultimately see how this will play out.
It's potentially worth noting that no new gold is being introduced into the game's economy with those mounts or the new Guardian Cub pet.
Our goal with the Guardian Cub is to provide alternative ways for players who don't want to spend real money to add these pets to their collection. Even though this has been available a while now with the TCG mounts, this is obviously a new kind of way to deliver Pet Store pets, and we're definitely interested to hear your feedback and ultimately see how this will play out.
To be fair, since this is exactly what I said about the Cub on the WoW Insider Show this week, I'm already on record as agreeing with him fully. The only difference between the Guardian Cub and loot cards is that you don't have to spend money hoping you'll get the Cub. You spend ten bucks and you know you have one.
Well, also, the thing is adorable. That's not really germane to the discussion, though. What do you think about our friendly Cub? Cute pet, money for gold, soul-meltingly cute step off of the slippery slope? Tell us.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, News items
Reader Comments (Page 8 of 8)
JCinDE Oct 11th 2011 8:53PM
I have 2 accounts full of characters on my home server. 20 characters. What do I think of $200 for what (based on previous pets) should cost $20? Here's what I think. Go @%$# yourselves, Blizzard.
JCinDE Oct 11th 2011 10:08PM
What really ticks me off is this part of the quote: "Our goal with the Guardian Cub is to provide alternative ways for players who don't want to spend real money to add these pets to their collection."
What utter bulls#t. If their goal were to provide "alternate ways" to obtain the pet then they'd be selling it both ways. Pay $10 and get it for all your chars or pay $10 and get one trade-able item.
They'd even sell MORE of them that way, I wager. As things stand, there's no way in hell am I even buying one of those things either with real cash or with gold.
Sarabande Oct 12th 2011 3:20AM
BRAVO!
rukamich Oct 12th 2011 1:23AM
TCG Pets one-time use = Rare
Blizz one-time use pets = not so much.
The difference between my choosing to spend, say, 100 bucks on an Ethereal pet and 10 bucks on a (rather fugly) mini mount pet is that a ton of people will have that pet.
The problem, for me personally, is that Blizzard seems to be using the "alternative way to get pets" angle as a really shitty smokescreen to just syphon more money out of folks, like myself, who collect pets as their main "goal" in-game. If they want to offer more BoU pets, maybe they should implement them in-game via NPCs rather than just openly take our money.
Tim Oct 12th 2011 1:55AM
Really cute. I'd buy one if I still played.
StaWho Oct 12th 2011 2:43AM
Thing is TCG mounts are not that common and no, they don't impact economy because they are not that common. Cub on the other hand will be accessible to virtually everyone. So giving the unlimited supply, do you thing Blizz attempts to quantify the value of in game gold before D3 launch? Surely they must take into account current economical models in WoW when trying to introduce mixed economy full time in D3.
Lemons Oct 12th 2011 2:45AM
Before Blizzard goes down this road they need to think a little bit about Google's mantra:
"Don't be evil"
Don't do it Blizz...don't be evil...
Sarabande Oct 12th 2011 2:58AM
One thing I've loved about WoW is how, for the most part (except the time you have available to play, some friends you know, or the computer system you have) much of your real life circumstances is divorced from WoW. Whether you are a hard-working father or someone of leisure, you still had to work pretty hard in game to get the rewards IN GAME.
The scenario I'll let up is probably pretty exaggerated, granted, but I can see it.
Bob works hard but doesn't make a lot of money. Great guy, loves WoW, and spends the little disposable income he has on small pleasures, such as WoW subscription. He comes home from work, rushes through or even skips dinner to make raid time. He raids enthusiastically and does his best. He takes time out when he can to do dailies or farming to make sure he's got enough flasks and other consumable, even helping out with guild resources. What extra gold he has, he might buy a nice BoE piece from the AH and they are rare and hard earned. He does his homework and knows his class, role and the fights and tries to help out but can't always get the gear he needs. But when friends and guildies need a bit of help with group content, he tries to be there for him.
Then there's Chad. Brash, bratty, young. He lives with mom and dad and has a lot of disposable income and time. He mostly sits in trade making fun of people or attacking small, low level settlements of the other faction. He's constantly linking recount and criticizing people. He thinks he's the best player in the game, and lets you know it more often than not. He knows his class and role well enough, and has great reflexes, and is able to get through the fights well enough to be an asset to the raid.
SO, Bob's money mostly goes to bills. And maybe some fast food and such but his biggest pleasure is WoW. He does what he can IN GAME to earn what he can. But he can't justify paying extra money that could go to stuff like, say, car repairs or birthday presents, on some in-game pet or mount.
Chad finds that he can now take all that money he's NOT paying bills with (or rent or whatever) and buy a bunch of pets. And sells them on the AH. Now he's got the best BoE gear gold can buy. Maybe it's not BiS, but good enough to look impressive to his guild. He can still sit there, spam trade, sit on top of npc's for hours with a huge mount and still be able to buy the best enchants, gems and whatnot. No sweat.
They are in the same guild. The GL/RL has blinders on . . . focused on recount and iLevel. Bob is a loyal, knowledgeable player who's a good guy. Chad's a jackass who got his gear from the AH because he's got money to spare in his real life. the clueless RL looks impressively at Chad's gear. There is one dps slot for the next raid as more have signed up than usual.
I would HOPE the RL would take Bob. If not Bob should maybe find another guild. But that's not my point. My point is, that should not happen at all. The game should be as closed system as possible. Having pretty pets and mounts for yourself is one thing. Being able to buy ADVANTAGE (in a roundabout way) is a whole different thing.
And the TCG card? The ONLY reason I begrudgingly accept it is BECAUSE they are rare, not something anyone with a bunch of extra money can easily get and sell.
And you think there aren't real Raidleaders / Guild Leaders who won't think like that? I'm sure there are. As much as I sill love the game, my faith in the fairness and goodness of the WoW community in general has been waning throughout this expansion. A lot of people are superficial like that, overlooking loyalty, effort, etc, and instead, looking at iLevels.
And that may be a reason I haven't listened to the WoW Insider show in months. It's was getting to be waaaay too much of "RAH RAH!! I'm a BLIZZARD FANBOY and they can sell anything they want" show.
True, it beats hacking by gold sellers, but it doesn't mean gold selling is a GOOD thing in the game, even if it's legit. It takes some of the fairness and equality out of the game, and it makes me sad.
DracoSuave Oct 12th 2011 4:15AM
I don't like people using cash to buy gold. I don't like that it happens, I don't like that it exists, and I don't like what it's done to the game.
However...
It's a reality in the game that people can, and will, do this. There is demand, and where there is demand, there will be supply. It's the law of economics, and no amount of moral harumphing can change this. There will always be people who want to buy gold, and there will always be people who want to sell gold.
This is the unpleasent reality, and it's an unrefutable fact of life. It is as inevitable as death. Whether you like it, or do not like it... it will not change.
Now, Blizzard up until now has taken the high road... and we currently have gold selling being an industry bringing in millions of dollars a year, making it the largest and most profitable form of cybercrime.
Blizzard only has two options, address the demand, or continue as they are now. They've tried the high road, and millions of dollars are being paid for stolent digital merchandise. Is introducing an alternative that allows the demand to be serviced without resorting to criminal acts and computer invasion really the 'immoral' or 'greedy' route?
Fact is, one Guardian Cub sold on the Auction House = One account that isn't hacked. Think about that.
tbutton Oct 12th 2011 12:12PM
That's the point: trotting out one of those pets is announcing that $10-$20 dollars is insignificant to you. For me, this isn't true, and I don't want people thinking it's true. So I won't be buying one of these moggies on the AH.
Being cheap is it's own vanity.
tbutton Oct 12th 2011 12:13PM
bah, comment threading fail. This place is weirdly set up.
Jaladar Oct 12th 2011 12:48PM
I think a better wat to handle this and make at least a few people happier would be to make it purchasable from the Blizzard Store for $10 as is, and make it BoA at first, then after the time period passes make it BoU (on use) so it can be posted on AH. This way people who want it for all their toons can get it from Blizzard, and people who don't want to use real money can still get it for atleast one of their toons.
Kristen Oct 12th 2011 3:38PM
Of course Blizz allows this type of transaction. They ultimately make the profit from TCG and Blizz store items. As long as they profit they don't mind. The reason they ban actual gold purchased from other websites is because THEY don't make the profit from it.
Aedonix Oct 13th 2011 9:12PM
I can see these selling for 20-30k on the AH. Nice little gold mine...
Spend $100, buy 10 and walk away with 2-3 MILLION gold for your trouble....
I don't see this ending well.
Jer Oct 15th 2011 7:06AM
Not many people seem to realize the issue with illegal gold trading has less to do with their perception of exchange rates [between real/game currencies] than with the amount of control Blizzard loses from it, over the direction of their intellectual property--their investment and their livelihood. I don't care if Blizzard themselves begin selling gold, they are the only ones who have that right. The truth is, there is zero difference between charging $15/month or selling gold directly to their customers.. could just as easily be a flat-rate or by data/bandwidth usage, billing per-level/death/hit point. If they were smart they'd just tax us for every day we don't take a shower. However you look at it they are offering a service for a fee, it's a simple as that... "Insert Coin to Play"