Apr 03, 2012 Trending: How Moshi Monsters ate the world. Moshi Monsters started life as virtual characters on a children's website but now they're taking over.
Posted on August 22, 2012 in Exclusive Moshlings and Moshlings. - Comments [28]
Dustin Beaver is an exclusive moshling. In order to get the Dustbin Beaver moshling you’ll need to subscribe to the Moshi Monsters Magazine.
At the time, an annual subscription to the Moshi Monsters magazine is a whopping £32.99. Eek!
The good news is that you also get the code for Dustbin Beaver when you purchase a six month subscription. This costs £17.49 at the time of writing.
You can get 8 issues for $29.99 in the US, for $37.99 in Canada or $34.99 in Australia and New Zealand. (note that you should check the price on the Moshi Magazine site.
When you subscribe you will be emailed a unique code for Trashy Tulip seed. You won’t find the code in the magazine!
You’ll need to enter this code when you login, then go to your garden, open your seed pouch and you should see the Trashy Tulip seed. Plant this seed with any two others and the plants will attract Dustbin Beaver. Add him to your zoo!
Note that the code for Dustbin Beaver can only be used once though so there’s little point sharing this code on the web. These single use codes look like a pretty random string of letter and numbers such as “7ht57y65ht47y”. Again, these will only work once.
The magazine is only available in the following regions: UK, US/Canada, Australia/New Zealand.
So what can you do if you live outside of these regions. I know from contact made through this website that some parents have managed to obtain a code for Dustbin Beaver by emailing Moshi Monsters and complaining. I don’t know if this would work now or if it was just a response to the complaints aired on Watchdog (see below)
Need a second Dustbin Beaver?
If you want to get another code you can always not renew your subscription and buy a new subscription for a further six months. Look out for other offers that they might be offering for renewing your subscription before you do though.
Controversy and the BBC
Dustbin Beaver was the first exclusive moshling that required you to purchase Moshi Monsters merchandise.
On September 8th, 2011, the BBC’s consumer programme, Watchdog, ran a segment on the availability of Dustbin Beaver.
The makers of Moshi Monsters, Mind Candy were reported to be looking into the availability of the Dustbin Beaver moshling.
Nicola Duarte , the Head of PR for Mind Candy, the developer/publisher of Moshi Monsters tweeted at the time:
“We are taking all feedback onboard and working on a resolution that’s fair for all.”
I don’t believe the situation today is any different to when the programme aired. In fact, with the release of further exclusive moshlings such as Pip, Nipper and Blingo it looks like this approach to promoting merchandise is going to continue.
This tactic isn’t unique to moshlings either, the same thing happens with the Moshi Mashup cards (special cards are only available when you buy the collectors tins, or by visiting the Moshi Monster bus where you can get “Busling.”
Why are these exclusive moshlings unfair?
Many players/parents feel that these exclusive moshlings are unfair.
- Collecting Moshlings is seen by many players of the game to be the main reason for playing Moshi Monsters
- Players already have to pay for membership in order to collect moshlings
- Exclusive moshlings mean that their moshling collection may never be completed. For many this undermines the whole reason to collect Moshlings in the first place.
- Exclusive moshlings are particularly unfair on families where more than one child plays the game.
Trivia
Interesting piece of Dustbin Beaver trivia – originally he had blonde hair. Take a look at how he appears in your Moshling Zoo compared to the poster!
Lady GaGa hoo-ha!
It may have been surprising that Dustbin Beaver (as a Parody of Justin Beiber) that he didn’t make an appearance on the Moshi Monster music album Music Rox! After the problems with Lady Gaga banning the Baby Goo Goo single, maybe Moshi Monsters decided to play safe and avoid any possible confusion.
Do you have Dustbin Beaver in your Zoo? Was it worth subscribing to the magazine in order to get him? Let us know in the comments below!