Guardian Cub Retired From Blizzard Store Soon

Blizzard just announced that the Guardian Cub will soon be retired from the Blizzard Pet Store.

"In approximately two weeks (no sooner than June 18), the titanically cute Guardian Cub will vanish from the Battle.net Shop and head into hibernation in the Blizzard Archive."

If you have yet to buy one, maybe now is the time. The Guardian Cub isn't going anywhere in-game. If you own one, you own it for good. And there will always be others selling/trading the cub in the future. Prices may go up as time passes, though. Something to consider.

This is the first pet to be directly pulled from the shelves, and I can't help but scratch my head and ask "why?"

The Guardian Cub is unique compared to its Pet Store brethren. Unlike the others, it can be purchased and after a cooldown period (24 hours) the cub can be traded to other players. It was essentially a Blizzard-sanctioned method of buying gold. Pay for the pet with real money then sell the pet in-game for in-game currency.

The implementation of this pet seemed like an experiment of sorts. Let's see what happens when we do this! Initially the response the pet received was polarized. Some thought it was a good idea and might actually help curb the illegal sale of gold from third party sources. Others didn't share that sentiment and only saw it as another cash-cow (cash-cub?) that would disturb the balance of the in-game economy. Eventually I think the community came to accept the Guardian Cub as just another part of pet collecting, regardless of how it was obtained.

None of its history provides me with clues to an answer to "why?" though. I can't seem to come up with any possible ideas as to why Blizzard has decided to retire the Guardian Cub now. Did it cause more headache than it was worth? Was there an overall negative impact on the in-game economy? Did Blizzard simply run out of generated codes and decided it wasn't worth it to continue producing them? Was it not as lucrative as they had hoped/invested in?

I don't expect any real answers, which is fine. Blizzard doesn't have to explain every decision they make. It does leave things open for speculation and wild imaginations though. Maybe the code for the Guardian Cub was slowly taking tangible shape and becoming sentient? :P

But seriously, I'm a bit sad to see this pet leave the store. It's adorable and was unique in that it gave players a legal route of acquiring gold in-game for real life money. If this type of pet really was just an experiment, who knows if we'll see another tradeable pet in the Pet Store any time soon. It was the first of its kind and it could be the last.

Guardian Cub Revisited

It's been about 4 months since the Guardian Cub was released in the official Blizzard PetStore. This pet was the first of its kind, being a single-use, tradable vanity pet (after a 24 hour CD) that's purchasable for either RL currency or in-game gold.

So was the implementation of this type of companion a hit or a miss? Well it's hard to say since I don't have any hard numbers or access to Blizzard's data, but over the span of the past 4 months I've noticed a large decline in not only the number of Guardian Cubs up for sale on the AH but also a decline in price. This leads me to believe that players are buying the cub (with RL money) and keeping it for themselves and/or most don't see much point in investing in them.

I don't know what the RL money to gold conversion rate is these days, but back when this pet was first released $10 (the price of the Guardian Cub) could buy you about 7k gold. The pets were going for about 10k originally, but now I rarely see the cub being sold for more than 5k on the AH.

At the moment I'm thinking the Guardian Cub was a neat idea but a miss overall. It's a good way to help empower individual players by giving them the choice between paying RL money vs. in-game currency as well as "buying gold legally", but in the end I don't think it was worth the resources to implement. And I'm sure it took more time to implement (compared to the other PetStore pets) due to its unique CD, single-use, and tradable status. Not to mention it's super adorable and has a one-of-a-kind model. :P

We'll see though. If Blizzard sees the release and sale of this type of pet a success I'm sure we'll see more vanity pets with a similar CD, tradable, single-use features in the future.

Day One of Guardian Cub Sales

Well, it's been 24 hours since the Guardian Cub was released, and people have started posting them on the AH and advertising them in trade chat. So far the going rate on my server seems to be 10k to 15k gold. But as was pointed out on WarcraftPets' Facebook, anything above 5k is a rip off. And anything less than 3k is a great deal!

I'd say this is an accurate benchmark. Just yesterday a gold seller was spamming in trade chat that $15 (USD) would get you about 10k gold. So if we take the price of the Guardian Cub ($10), it should bring in at most 7k (and that's if you're not looking to make a profit, just a direct cash to gold conversion).

Anyway, this is just day one of sales. I'm not going to actively follow the price trend but I'm going to make a point to check up on how the cub sales are going from week to week. It's an interesting situation for a companion pet, and one of the first of its kind.

Giveaway Contests

Both Wowhead and MMO-Champion are doing giveaway contests for the new Guardian Cub! MMO-Champ has 15 cubs to hand out and Wowhead has 3 cubs.

Simply sign up and leave a comment on the threads linked above and you'll be in the running for the random drawing. MMO-Champion's contest ends 24 hours (starting from the date/time of the post), while Wowhead will be doing their random drawing 5 PM PDT on November 2nd.

Good luck to all those entering!

Guardian Cub In Stores Now

"Orphaned by its titan creators, the fledgling Guardian Cub has taken wing to look for a happy home."

Well let me be the first to say the titans must be crazy to let this cute little one go!

The infamous and somewhat controversial FIRST single-use PetStore companion is now for sale for $10 (USD).

It's a really simple purchase, and very straight forward. You choose which character to redeem the Guardian Cub on during the check-out process (BEFORE you pay). Of course after payment, you may need to wait a little bit before the item is mailed to you in-game. I'm currently waiting on my little guy. :)

Much like I mentioned before, IF Blizzard makes pets account wide in the future (hopefully in MoP) or at least accessible to all toons on a server, then this pet will effectively become just like the other PetStore companions (although I'm not sure if FUTURE characters made on the server after you add a cub to your collection will count or not). We'll have to wait and see on this feature, though.

Since this pet has a 24 hour cooldown on it before it can be traded or sold in-game, there aren't any up for sale on the AH yet. I'm curious to find out how people will price this pet and how long it will take before sales drop off and players stop selling it altogether.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the company of my newest family member! :D

Read the Fine Print

The newest Lawbringer post on Wowinsider made an interesting point about the Guardian Cub. It's under "Buying something that's not for sale" in the article.

The sale of PetStore and similar redeemable items in-game for gold has always been confusing and vague to me. In some instances it's ok while in other situations, it's not. That's pretty much why I've stayed away from buying anything (that's not already found within the game) for gold. (Plus I'm a bit of a penny-pincher even with in-game and "fake" currency. Why spend the money when you can go out and get it yourself? But I digress :P)

With the introduction of this new pet and the new system in which Blizzard is pretty much saying it's ok to buy gold (in this specific situation only), will it cause even more confusion for players and pet collectors? It would be a shame for collectors to be punished because of a lack of information/knowledge. It would also be a shame if people were turned off of the PetStore companions because of the confusion. Those pets are too cute to go without homes. :(

I think Mathew McCurley sums it up pretty well when he writes, ""No, you can sell this but not this" is a hurdle for many casual players and a bit of a leap in logic that not everyone could be clued in on." And I definitely agree that there needs to be some sort of large (and very, VERY specific/clear) disclaimer, public service announcement or something to alert everyone of the difference between the older PetStore companions and the new, upcoming Guardian Cub. Otherwise, there are going to be even more players duped by gold sellers and other scammers, and I'd hate to hear about a situation like that souring pet collecting for anyone.

Thoughts On the Guardian Cub - Part 2

This is the second half of my original post about the Guardian Cub. All thoughts and views on the matter are solely my own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of any community, organization or affiliation I may be apart of.

Justifying the Sale In General
Nevermind the cost vs use issue of the Guardian Cub. Let's talk about what the sale of this pet means in general for the direction of this game.

In the past Blizzard has stated that they will not sell gold or other game-changing items (such as PVE or PVP gear) that would give players a gameplay advantage over others. Many are speaking out about the "slippery slope" in which Blizzard is walking upon, and how this pet is just another sign of a downward spiral the game is falling into. What they mean is that the sale of this pet is pretty much Blizzard giving the ok to buy gold (as long as it's from Blizzard); spend real life cash on an item that you profit from in-game by selling it to someone else.

If you haven't read WowInsider's 'Gold Capped' article about the Guardian Cub or their 'Lawbringer' column on the matter, I recommend doing so. Both posts explain how this is NOT the first instance where Blizzard has pretty much said, 'It's ok if you make a profit (in-game) from this.' The articles also show us how this move on Blizzard's part is a positive direction for the game economy, since it puts gold farmers/sellers in direct competition with Blizzard itself. Anyone who plays this game knows just how detrimental and destructive gold farmers and sellers are in general, so any action taken to potentially put them out of business or slow them down should be welcomed.

This is the main reason why I can't confidently say that I'd prefer that this pet was not sold as is. Much of what both writers say is logical and true. The "slippery slope" is just something that seems inevitable, and rather than looking at it as a negative thing, I prefer to see it as just another change. The world is not a static place and neither is this game. It needs to evolve and adapt to survive, and if heading towards a "free to play" model is what it takes, then who are we to stop Blizzard from doing just that? The alternative would be that the game may eventually just become outdated and unsustainable under Blizzard's definitions, and then we wouldn't have any MMO to play period.

At the same time, I do agree with many that the way Blizzard is handling this and the Guardian Cub's release could be refined and thought out better. All new additions to the game are normally received with knee-jerk reactions and some hostility/objection, but in time most come to accept it. That doesn't mean Blizzard should ignore the pleas and cries of those who see serious flaw with this pet's current release plan. I would still recommend that the price be closely re-examined and perhaps altered to help slowly integrate the idea behind the Guardian Cub to those who are more resisting of the notion than others. A second version that is BoA and more in line with the previously released PetStore companions is also a great way to help ease the community into a gradual transition.

I can't say for sure how this pet will impact the game in the long run, and I still think there is some room for conversation, debate, and possible change before the release of this pet. If it is released as is, without any price or usage change, and no other version of it is released, will I be purchasing one? Most likely, yes. Again, part of me does not object to its release while another part would prefer to see a resolution and compromise for those who are less likely to be as understanding. Unless I'm convinced otherwise, I'll continue to maintain my 'on the fence' point of view until more information is gathered and examined.

Thoughts On the Guardian Cub - Part 1

I've given this a few days' worth of thought, have read through a chunk (but not all) of the comments/ideas/opinions on the forums, but I'm still somewhat on the fence about the Guardian Cub. I'm not 100% against the sale of the pet, but I do agree that there are things that do need to be addressed and reconsidered.

From what I can see, there are two major issues with this upcoming pet: the price/usability and what the release of this companion will mean for the game and its economy as a whole.

Before I go into my views on the matter, here's a refresher of what this new pet is all about:

- Purchasable from the official Blizzard PetStore for $10 (USD) OR for a gold amount in-game (gold prices will vary, depending on server economy).

- After brief (likely 1 hour) cooldown period, it is tradable and therefore sellable on the AH.

- Bind on equip, meaning it only has ONE use per item (multiple toons will require multiple purchases of the item).

Now that that's out of the way, on with the opinions! Note: All thoughts and views on the matter are solely my own and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of any community, organization or affiliation I may be apart of.

First PetStore Tradable Pet

Incoming cuteness alert.
Incoming cuteness alert.

You have been warned!

Blizzard has released an official preview for the soon-to-be-released Guardian Cub. Why the special attention for a pet that's going to be just another PetStore item? Well it's going to be the first of its kind; a tradable PetStore item!

According to Blizzard, due to the desire by players for optional ways of acquiring PetStore companions, the Guardian Cub will be tradable by players in-game (after a cool-down period, likely one hour). Players can also put the pet item up for sale on the Auction House after purchasing it from the PetStore ($10 USD).

What does this mean? Unlike previous PetStore companions that once purchased, could be applied to all characters on a particular server, the Guardian Cub may only be added to one collection per item.

Also, unlike previous PetStore companions that may only be purchased using real life currency, the Guardian Cub item can be purchased using in-game gold or simply traded between characters.

Keep in mind that once added to a collection, the cub's item will disappear from your inventory. You won't be able to mail the item back and forth between characters, but you can hold multiple versions of the item itself in one inventory.

So if you have multiple toons you'd like to give this bundle of cuteness to, you're going to have to buy multiple Guardian Cubs, one for each character. The upside, though, is that you can choose to spend either real life money or gold to acquire the cubs.

These unique features will be exclusive for the Guardian Cub. All previously released PetStore pets will remain unchanged (for now). It's unknown whether or not Blizzard will add future pets with similar usage features as the Guardian Cub. I guess we can consider the cub the "guinea pig" and where Blizzard goes from here will be based on their studies and findings around the sale and usage of the Guardian Cub.

The official sneak peek has a full FAQ and more detailed information on the how and the why, but not so much on the when. "Soon" and in a few weeks is the best guess. :P

Personally, I'm extremely excited to finally hear more about the Guardian Cub. I haven't created a firm opinion on the idea of a tradable PetStore pet yet. Much like Blizzard, I'm waiting to see the outcome of this change.

I Choose You! ...For One Hour

WarcraftPets has an interesting discussion topic on their facebook page: the guardian cub currently has two item IDs, and one of those IDs has a soulbound time duration of one hour. note: both items teach the same spell ID.

for reference:

- the older datamined guardian cub item

- the newest datamined guardian cub item

i'm completely at a loss why any pet would have a one hour soulbound duration on it. is it a new system that blizzard is testing out to help prevent scamming when it comes to the sale of redeemable items for gold? is one of these datamined items just a placeholder/dummy item and only one will actually go live?

there are some ideas on the facebook discussion page that the guardian cub could be part of a timed quest/achievement and the resulting reward is the un-soulbound yet unique item?

so on top of still being in the dark about where this pet will come from, add another mystery of the soulbound time duration. all i know is that i'm confused as hell and would love some insight on this pet!

i really can't wait for blizzard to provide us with even a hint or juicy tidbit about the guardian cub. maybe it won't be as exciting as i'm hoping it will be, but right now anything would be better than nothing.

ps: if you use the latest version of modelviewer, i hear the guardian cub is absolutely ADORABLE (x1000000).

Three New Goodies and 4.1 Previews

mmo-champion found THREE new possible pets in the latest PTR build:

- Pterrordax Hatchling
- Voodoo Figurine
- Guardian Cub

while we don't have any information on where or how or even if these will be available to players, both the pterrordax hatchling and voodoo figurine summoning spells have similar flavor text as other rare archaeology items. it seems very likely that these two companions will be discovered through this profession. possibly fossil and troll digsites? that would be my best guess! not a guess now since wowhead is listing both under the aforementioned branches. the hatchling will require 120 fossil fragments, and the figurine will require 100 troll fragments with 3 keystone slots. as with all things PTR, this may change before patch 4.1 is released.

there's already speculation on wowhead's PTR site that the guardian cub will be a small mini-pet version of the new mount that blizzard announced it would be releasing as a blizzard store item in the near future. we will have to wait and see on this one.

last but not least, blizzard released an official preview of some of the new pets coming in patch 4.1. going from left to right - lashtail hatchling, nightsaber cub, winterspring cub, panther cub, legs.

in light of this preview, there are a couple things that are highly likely:

1. patch 4.1 will be released before children's week (before may 1st)

2. the lashtail hatchling will indeed be available as a pet (and she'll look slightly different than the razasshi hatchling, yay!)

3. YES, legs will be a baby marshwalker