New WoW Minipets Help Charity, Look Damn Cute

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
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New WoW Minipets Help Charity, Look Damn Cute

The Lil' Ragnaros and Moonkin Hatchling minipets are the cutest things you can feel good about buying in World of Warcraft.

Last year, Blizzard introduced the Pet Store for its massive MMO World of Warcraft as a way for players to spend real money to purchase in-game items. The items were two adorable minipets, Lil' K.T. and the Pandaren Monk [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95927-World-of-Warcraft-Gets-Microtransaction-Pets-Players-Freak-Out], and they offered no in-game benefit other than following you around and looking sweet. If you bought the Pandaren Monk for $10 before the end of 2009, half of that money went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It looks like Blizzard has something similar planned for 2010 as the new Battle.net website for Wow expansion Cataclysm is teasing images for two new minipets, Lil' Ragnaros and the Moonkin Hatchling.

[gallery=47]

There is no official word on when these cute little buggers will become available, but the announcement does confirm what Mike Morhaime mentioned at Blizzcon - purchasing the Moonkin Hatchling will help a good cause. It also looks like the Moonkin will come in both Horde and Alliance varieties: the bluish purple hatchling depicted with the Female Worgen is the Alliance version and the gold and brown one with its Tauren friend would be "For the Horde!"

Blizzard has had a great track record with providing microtransactions like this. The company announced that it contributed Blizzard offered a $25 mount called the Celestial Steed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98391-Pandaren-Monk-Pet-Grants-1-1-Million-Worth-of-Wishes] and tens of thousands of WoW players lined up to purchase it online. The company never announced how much it made from the Celestial Steed, but some estimated that it made more than $2 million the first day that it went on sale.

Some WoW players were put off that such microtransactions could affect actual gameplay, and the Celestial Steed mount did in fact allow you to move much faster through the world of Azeroth if you had a run of the mill flying mount. But the Celestial Steed wasn't any faster than other "Epic" speed mounts already in the game so it wasn't exactly game-breaking either.

All in all, I'm glad to see that Blizzard is continuing the tradition of offering largely cosmetic items for sale, and, everyone likes contributing towards charity, especially around the holidays.

And the Lil' Ragnaros is really quite cute. Do you think he will breathe fire like my other favorite minipet, the Mini Diablo available from the Vanilla WoW Collectors Edition?

Source: Blizzard [http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/1110453#blog]

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Vaccine

New member
Feb 13, 2010
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I hope the Lil' Rag has a really high pitched squeaky voice, that would just be so brilliantly funny.

"BY FIRE BE PURGED!"
 

WNxSajuukCor

New member
Oct 31, 2007
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Lil' Ragnaros better squeal lines like "By Fire Be Purged!" to increase his epicness. Will definitely be getting both pets :D
 

SinisterGehe

New member
May 19, 2009
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Shock new everyone!
Blizzard has now officially mastered both Monthly payments and micropayment for their MMO So which company wants to come and try beat them in that?

No one?

Como'n try at least, I dare you!

F2P MMOS who keep saying Micro is the future, where are you? Theres someone who did what you do, better and made even more money.

Yeah, that proves WoW players do anything for achievements and for the good of the less fortunate...
Expect if they are part of the server community they play, I got first hand experience what Cyper-Assholism is >.<
 

standokan

New member
May 28, 2009
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So they think that they can make something cute just by giving it big eyes, they were right, those things are cute as hell.
 

Mr.Mattress

Level 2 Lumberjack
Jul 17, 2009
3,645
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How come the Moonkins are so cute as little babies but then get really ugly as adults?

Why does everything beautiful get ugly? WHY?!!

OT: I want one.
 

Z of the Na'vi

Born with one kidney.
Apr 27, 2009
5,034
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I like that third image, of the female Worgen. So they finally released what their models look like eh?

Not bad.

If I still played WoW, (left around the end of WotLK) then I would probably purchase the Lil' Ragnaros, for that little guy is just too adorable to to not care about. Ah well, maybe someday...
 

Jaebird

New member
Aug 19, 2008
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While I am disappointed that Lil' Ragnaros will not be a part of the charity thing (because two pets funneling donations would be stupid (sarcasm)), I am glad to see that Blizzard is still doing it for a good cause. If it weren't for the charity, I would see no real reason to buy these pets (no matter how crazy-awesome-adorable they are).
 

sizzle949

New member
May 4, 2009
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Definitely need mini moonkin... reminds me of BC raids before I respecced feral for WOTLK
 

Furioso

New member
Jun 16, 2009
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John Funk said:
M-moonkin.

Must get. MUST GET.
Huh, never took you for a Moonkin kind of guy

OT: I feel like those Moonkin eyes are clawing into my soul, whispering to me that I must buy them
 

Loop Stricken

Covered in bees!
Jun 17, 2009
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RE: celestial steed.

It never let you fly faster, it just scales to your highest riding level. And is given to every character you own.
And got me the 100 mount achievement.

But still. Not gamebreaking in the slightest.
 

DancePuppets

New member
Nov 9, 2009
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I wouldn't buy any pets normally, but if half the money does indeed go to charity, I want the moonkin!
 

Stilt-Man

New member
Dec 31, 2009
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I'm not trying to sound like an ass here, but why can't they give 100% of the money to the charity? The code is/will be in the game already, it's just a matter of allowing a player access to it.

Does that really cost five bucks a pop? I'm completely ignorant of the inner-workings of games and servers and interwebs and what-nots. I'd appreciate enlightenment, if there is any reason for this beyond greed.
 

tehweave

Gaming Wildlife
Apr 5, 2009
1,942
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*inhale*

D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

THEY'RE SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE.

*deep breath*

I'm done.
 

antidonkey

New member
Dec 10, 2009
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I got the last round of pets from a friend for xmas. I never would have paid for them. Still sorta feel that way but I may cave for the new ones. It's only twenty bucks.
 

Vrach

New member
Jun 17, 2010
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Stilt-Man said:
I'm not trying to sound like an ass here, but why can't they give 100% of the money to the charity? The code is/will be in the game already, it's just a matter of allowing a player access to it.

Does that really cost five bucks a pop? I'm completely ignorant of the inner-workings of games and servers and interwebs and what-nots. I'd appreciate enlightenment, if there is any reason for this beyond greed.
Greed it is indeed. You had pets by the dozens in WoW which never cost you anything (aside the usual monthly payment obviously). Blizzard just realises that there is a number of people who are pet collectors out there. I'd say "people with too much money", but really, when you throw something out for a low price of 10$ and then even say half of the sales will go to charity, no one's gonna care and they're gonna buy it, no matter how realistically worthless it is, "it's just 10$".