Posts with tag penguins

Well, folks, it looks like we're definitely getting our wish. After incessant begging, peevish requests, heart-rending pleas, and no small amount of outright nagging on the part of...actually, I think everyone in the game has asked for this at one point or another, but never mind. People in the beta have started getting penguin pets!

A much earlier data-mined image gave us a glimpse of what we could only assume were penguin noncombat pets, but reader Alassiel has written in to confirm that two of her characters in the beta have now received them in the mail. You can see Alassiel's screenshots of her Death Knight getting hers here and here.

Elizabeth Wachowski and Zach Yonzon braved a constantly-crashing beta server to get more information and pictures for us. It looks like the pet, named "Chilly," is currently being mailed to players in the beta as a gift for switching to a Blizzard account. And yes, it is pretty much the cutest thing ever, which I suspect is an effort to compensate for Northrend being a continent full of animated corpses. As Alassiel's gotten them on at least two characters so far, I assume it's being sent to all active toons on a Blizzard account. We're not sure if that's going to remain the only way to get Chilly, but if you're in the beta and have a Blizzard account (or want to switch to one -- it's free), don't forget to check your mailbox!

Our favorite Hunter (although BRK comes close), Mania, has had some help from the Wrath beta, and has now updated the great Petopia with all the new pets seen in Northrend so far. No penguins yet, but there are some great new bears in there, and some awesome wolves (is it just me, or are wolves underrated as pets?). Unfortunately, there are no new families up yet, but Mania says updates are coming, and of course Wrath is still in beta anyway.

She's also got a Beta pet FAQ up, with everything you'd ever want to know about being a Hunter in the beta, from pet talents to "exotic pets" (the real ones, not the ones BRK dreamed up for us).

It's going to be an exciting time to be a Hunter in Northrend. Pet versatility makes Hunters one of the most interesting classes in the game, and it looks like Blizzard is set to open it up wide in the expansion.

Who doesn't love penguins? Well, definitely not us over here at WoW Insider. During one Insider show, we clamored for penguins to be the special pet to be included in the Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition. We know they haven't even announced a Collector's Edition yet, but since they've released one for most of their games -- they did it for both World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade -- there's a good chance they'll be announcing one soon.

At any rate, fans of birds in tuxedos should rejoice. Tipster Josh led us to a collation of images (um, caveat clickor, as they say in Latin) that were apparently data-mined from the Wrath of the Lich King Alpha client. In it, we saw some blue dragonkin presumably from the Nexus using the same models with slightly different armor (ho-hum); some Undead versions of the Nerubians (Stratholme, anyone?) and the oversized Vrykul (interesting...); first looks at the Alliance and Horde siege machines (I want TOYS!); and -- you guessed it -- penguin pets (wahoo!). We have no idea how players will be able to get them, or even if they're obtainable as pets, but the spark of hope for pet lovers everywhere remains aflicker!

As you may have heard, there is a serious issue awaiting us in the next expansion. Blizzard has kept us in the dark for a while, but after careful consideration, we at WoW Insider believe it's time to throw our considerable weight (we are, after all, one of the top 50 most influential blogs in the world, with all of the benefits and perks contained therein) behind what the players have asked for, time and time and time again.

Yes, we're making our stance official: there definitely need to, in some way, shape or form, be penguins in Northrend. Not only would it obviously win us the Linux vote, but consider the facts: penguins are birds, they don't fly, and penguins lay eggs. Of course, there is one problem: Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are only found in Antarctic regions, which means there aren't any in the Northern parts of the world (which, in Azeroth, is right where the aptly named Northrend is). But then again, this is a world where dragons can turn into women and people can shoot fire out of their fingertips -- surely, Blizzard can stretch the science just so we can have some cute little formally-dressed birds up there.

So while petitions are banned on the forums, we here at WoW Insider know the power that you, our readers, carry, and we want you to add your voice to ours. Sign the comments section below if you agree: when the Alliance and the Horde hit the shores of Northrend, we of course want to see Arthas, and we'd like to have Death Knights, and we want a floating Dalaran and Tuskarr (yes, with a bukkit quest) and Forsaken architecture. But everyone who leaves a comment on this post, Blizzard, wants, almost more than all of that other stuff, just one thing in Northrend: penguins.

We want penguins. /signed.

You heard me right. Penguins. And, really, how could you possibly resist rolling a penguin if you had the option? They're adorable and always so smartly dressed. Forum poster Eldrick gives us a rundown of why penguins would work in the World of Warcraft...

• Classified as "Humanoid"?: They stand on two feet, which is more than the Naga can do.
• Wear gear?: They manage fine with tuxedos; chainmail isn't much more of a stretch from there.
• Wield Weapons?: Okay, no thumbs could be trouble.
• Ride the flying creatures: I've seen Moonkin do it. Pretty much the same build.
• Lore: Penguins have played a prominant role as generic critters since Warcraft 3. Several WC:3 and WC:3 TFT Easter Eggs involve Penguins, including a Penguin King which offers Arthas tribute (signs of a highly organized Monarchy), as well as a mysterious clockerwerk penguin figurine which the Centaur worship in the Rexxar campaign. It is possible that the figurine was crafted by intelligent penguins and ended up washing onto Kalimdor's shores.
• Location: Northrend is remote enough that an entire civilization of sentient Penguins could still be hidden away from the other races.

Eldrick has really thought this thing through. All that's left is for Blizzard to figure out is racial abilities (+10 frost resistance is a given) and class options (penguin hunter ftw!).