Project Lore

I bet you read that expecting naked photos of Blizzard employees, didn't you? While I won't judge anybody out there who might actually have a fetish for that sort of thing (Ghostcrawler is sooooooooo dreamy!), I promise you that there is no scandal afoot. 

The U.S. Community Team just thought it would be a good idea to take a group photo at their home base (presumably somewhere in the dark halls of Blizzard HQ) and post it on the internet, under the pretense that they actually love us and adore dealing with all the crap we fans give them on the official forums on a daily basis.

Normally, this is where I'd post a complimentary photo to go along with the article, but since it's the main attraction here, I'm going to toss it in after the break, with some National Enquirer-quality analysis to boot (nothing too harsh I promise)!

Update: Several more photos of the Community Team playing around with the giant stuffed animals can be found on Warcraft's Facebook page.

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I had a lot of plush figures growing up. Like most children, they kind of served as my little protectors. I'd line them up around the edge of my bed at night, a fortress of fur to keep the monsters lurking in the darkness at bay.

And, of course, I had one special, raggedy dog that I kept closest of all, wrapped up in my arms like the greatest treasure I would ever possess. As time wore on, I let go of these habits, and even retired my faithful friend in the fear that I would only wear his already threadbare body out completely.

But that didn't stop me from collecting others as time went on. An alligator (graduation present after leaving the University of Florida), several dogs (total dog person here), and a few random characters that I liked over the years. In fact, they're all lined up at the top of the computer desk I'm sitting at right now. Yes, that's right, a big, burly, bearded man like me is not afraid to admit he still has stuffed animals!

I may not sleep with them anymore, but in many ways, they still define me. And I can't think of anything that has defined me more over the past few years as World of Warcraft. 

You know those Gryphon Hatchling and Wind Rider Cub plushies we announced a couple weeks ago? Well, they're finally available for purchase from the official store, and Blizzard is about this close to goading me into adding another member to the family!

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As per usual, Boubouille of MMO-Champion has been doing his fair share of digging in the game files, and the last PTR update has revealed some interesting new pets to add to your collection. They're so nauseatingly adorable, that even Elmyra would think twice about snatching up these little guys. Below is the list of cuddle-bums you pet freaks out there will no doubt be scouring the far corners of Azeroth for when 3.2.2 goes live (note: some of these were listed in last week's patch notes update):

• Cute pets... nature's defense against jerks and cynics! Onyxia Whelpling: Most of you already know about this one. It will be available to anyone who logs in during the 2-3 week period that Blizzard considers World of Warcraft's 5th anniversary in November.
• Zipao Tiger: The interwebs tells me that "Zi Pao" is both a kind of purple jade and a style of traditional Chinese carving. The look of the pet certainly seems to fit the color description, but I'm unsure how the tiger fits into the world or where it might come from. Could this have something to do with the impending relaunch of the game in China? A good-will present perhaps?
• Wind Rider Cub: A miniature version of the Horde's flying mount du jour.
• Gryphon Hatchling: A miniature version of the Alliance's flying mount du jour.
• Spectral Tiger Cub: Available only by obtaining a loot card from the upcoming "Scourgewar" trading card game expansion, the vanity version of the very rare Spectral Tiger Mount will no doubt be in similarly large demand!
• Pandaren Monk: This one has kind of come out of left field. Blizzard likes to joke about Pandaren in Warcraft as much as they do about the Cow Level in Diablo, and yet neither is a complete farce (there was a hidden, and very challenging Cow Level in Diablo II). The only in-game representation of the bear-like race so far has been a quest associated with famed brewmaster, Chen Stormstout. Well, at least until now. They may not be playable, and it doesn't mean you're going to start seeing NPCs popping up around Azeroth, but you can have finally have a mini-Pandaren of your very own.
• Lil' KT: Only Blizzard could be capable of making an Arch Lich into a cute, cuddly little pet. That's right. The "KT" stands for the one-and-only Master of Naxxramas, himself -- Kel'Thuzad. Like most of the others, it's currently unknown when or where this one drops.
• Core Hound Pup: Nothing cuter than a tiny, two-headed dog that spews lava all over your shoes, is there? I wonder if you can carry them around in your Gigantique bag.

So there you have it. It seems that with each new patch or expansion, the cadre of available vanity pets continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It makes you wonder why Blizzard hasn't implemented some sort of Pokemon-esque battling game with them yet. "Grunty the Murloc Marine, I CHOOSE YOU!" Anyway, which of these new pets are you readers looking forward to the most?

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