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WoW's 5th anniversary: Our writers' memories
We at WoW.com are a sentimental bunch. I always privately thought that, but now I've got the sort of ironclad proof beloved by canny blackmailers everywhere. In the weeks before WoW's 5th anniversary, a backchannel team discussion sprang up on our memories of the game and the players with whom we've had the great privilege of playing, and we decided to collect them here in honor of WoW's birthday. Some of us are hardcore gamers with lots of experience with other games. For others, WoW was their first (and in some cases, only). Most of us raid, and some of us PvP or theorycraft. A few of us are nuts for hardware arguments, but others are surprised to discover that WoW does not actually play on our toasters. Many of us are pretty easygoing in our approach to the content; others would sell their grandmothers up the river for a server-first. One among us hates warlocks, and everyone else just hates rogues (unless you're Chase). But we do share one thing in common, and that's that we love the game no matter what we're doing while playing it -- and we hope you do too. From all of us at WoW.com, happy birthday, World of Warcraft!
WoW.com looks at what makes a casual MMO player
Robin Torres, a columnist over at our sister site WoW.com has posted a fascinating piece trying to define casual. While it's WoW-themed, it could easily be adapted for any -- and every -- MMO out there and is well worth a read.Given the addictive nature of MMOs, the word 'casual' might well seem an odd word to be attached to this genre of games. However Robin's definitions encompass every kind of gamer. Personally I find myself in the 'players with lives' section and I'm glad to be there. Head on over and check it out to find out where you belong.
WoW Insider Show live this afternoon on Ustream
Our podcast is back yet again this afternoon, and it's sure to be a good one. Turpster and I will welcome our bloggers Lesley Smith and Robin Torres on to talk about the biggest news in WoW from the last week: we'll touch on the new Druid forms and what we all think of those, 3.1.3 and how it's worked out so far, players with amazing achievements in game (like the level 1-80 no deaths guy, and Ensidia's big finish), and scams you might want to look out for ingame. And if we have time, we'll talk about one of the stranger stories to come out of the WoW community lately. The show begins over on the our Ustream page at June 6, 2009 3:30 PM EDT var date_span = document.getElementById("date"); var date = new Date(date_span.innerHTML); var monthname=new Array("Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug", "Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"); var weekday=new Array("Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday", "Friday","Saturday"); var year = date.getFullYear(); var day_of_month = date.getDate(); var month = monthname[date.getMonth()]; var day = weekday[date.getDay()]; var hour = date.getHours(); if (hour > 11) { if (hour > 12) {hour -= 12} am_pm = "PM"; } else { am_pm = "AM"; } var minute = date.getMinutes(); if (minute < 10) { minute = "0"+minute; } date_string = day + ", " + month + " " + day_of_month; date_string += " at " + hour + ":" + minute + " " + am_pm; offset = -date.getTimezoneOffset()/60; if (offset >= 0) { offset = "+"+offset; } date_string += " in your time zone (GMT"+offset+")"; date_span.innerHTML = (date_string); , or you can jump after the break to see an embedded feed. We'll also answer your email, which you can send to us at theshow@wow.com, and as usual we'll be chatting live both during and after the show. Should be a lot of fun -- we'll see you this afternoon!
WoW Insider Show episode 91: The video show
We had our long-awaited video version of the podcast last weekend, and it was a hoot: Turpster and I dressed up and drank champagne together, Robin Torres showed how to inflate your Frostmourne, Lesley Smith came to us live from England, Duncor showed off his famous gigantic cowboy hat, and Patrick Beja showed that he can out-spiffy us any day. Unfortunately, because of the way we did things, we didn't end up getting a good recording of the whole thing -- you can see a few clips of the beginning over on Ustream, but they only have my camera (and the audio is rough -- I didn't realize it sounded that bad at the time). Dotorion also Frapsed a bit of the beginning, which should give you a little taste of the multi-camera mayhem.But in the end, it was pretty much a one-time thing you had to be there for live. Lightning in a bottle, if you will. The good news is that even if you didn't see the show, we've still got a treat for you: Turpster premiered a brand new video (put together by our good friend Ninthbatter) that we played at the end of the show, and that you can watch online right now. Turpster has also recently updated his own site, where you can find all the songs he's ever made, including our WoW Insider Song, and "Just Can't Wait," which is a song that he, I, and BigBearButt recorded a while ago before Wrath's release. So even though you don't have a new podcast to listen to today, you can tune in there.
[1.Local]: Thank you, thank you
Reader comments – ahh, yes, the juicy goodness following a meaty post. [1.Local] ducks past the swinging doors to see what readers have been chatting about in the back room over the past week.In this last installment of [1.Local] for 2008, we'd like to thank a few people – you, our readers – with some of your own words. Here is a quick sampling of some of the more recent thank-you's we've received. For this [1.Local] only, we included notes that came in via e-mail and other methods, as well. We think these messages of appreciation point to good writing, good material, good reader perspectives ... a good deal all the way around.Be sure to dive into the comments area of each thread (not this one!) and add your own thoughts – unlike your mama, we like us some hot, fresh backtalk.Who's the tank?Readers thought this Moviewatch was a job well done – and its creator was surprised and flattered for the recognition. "I'd just like to give a big thank you to Michael Gray for posting my "Who's the Tank?" video on WoW Moviewatch," wrote Michael Schroeder of BroncoTV. "It's really hard to get a lot of recognition on YouTube, especially because our comedy sketches don't really fit the requirements for a good viral video (e.g., someone getting hit in the nuts). So I am ever so grateful that you gave the video such a boost. Again, thank you very much for showcasing my video and I'm really glad you enjoyed it!"
WoW Insider Show episode 46: When the cat's away
We had a very special WoW Insider show last Saturday. With the usual suspects out of town Daniel, Robin, Duncor and I had a blast talking about all kinds of juicy goodness. You can download the show and listen to it whenever you like. I've recently gotten my new Blizzard authenticator, and I'm really happy about it. Other folks are not quite as enthusiastic about it. We discussed the current state of Mages and Paladins. We had a number of great emails from our listeners. Daniel told us all about Death Knight Role-Playing. I didn't talk about my car once, but I did throw a motorcycle reference in there. I got a chance to play the role of host, sorry folks, no giggling or flirting involved. Was it as good for you as it was for me? We shall have another special guest host for the next podcast. Be sure to join us every Saturday on WC Radio at 3:30 PM.
WoW Insider Show Episode 37: Happy Mother's Day
This last week on the WoW Insider Show, which is now available for listening on WoW Radio, we celebrated Mother's Day by inviting on both Amanda Dean, and her mother Linda Emrys, who is herself a WoW player. We also had Robin Torres on, who not only writes for us here at WoW Insider, but also is the mother of a two-and-a-half year old. Turpster and I were both on, but we didn't do much more than ask questions this time around -- the ladies got in some good discussion about what it's like to play WoW as a mother, how this game might actually help you raise children, and what it's like coming to WoW as someone who doesn't have a lot of gaming experience. If you're a casual gamer (or just know someone who is), the show should be really interesting to you.And even if not, we were able to squeeze some great Wrath of the Lich King discussion in there after all of Friday's revelations, including what's up with the Death Knights, how 10/25 man raiding will change, and all of the other zone information we heard on Friday, from Dragonblight to Grizzly Hills to how what we see in the Borean Tundra gives us clues about what the next expansion might be.I thought it was a pretty good show, but if you have other opinions (or any opinions, really), feel free to share them by emailing us at theshow@wow.com. And don't forget that while you can listen to the show either in WoW Radio's archives or on iTunes, you can also hear us live every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm EST/8:30pm GMT.Hope your Mother's Day was excellent, and enjoy the podcast!
WoW Insider Show: Mother's Day edition live tomorrow
For tomorrow's WoW Insider Show (which you can hear live at 3:30pm EST on WoW Radio), we're doing something a little special for Mother's Day: we've got mothers! Amanda Dean is actually bringing her mother on the show, and Ms. Emrys, (aka SpaceLady) is a WoW player herself, so we'll chat with her about what it's like to come to games via World of Warcraft. Robin Torres will also be joining us, and she's got little ones of her own, so she'll tell us what it's like to be a WoW player while also running your own little "guild" in real life. And Turpster will return after his absence last week -- all we can say about him is that he's a bad mother... shut yo' mouth.Plus, we definitely can't ignore all the Wrath of the Lich King info that dropped last night, so we'll definitely be talking about vehicles, Death Knights, the 10/25 man instances, and all of the other huge information that Blizzard dropped on us like a ton of level 80 bricks. And as usual (as if all that wasn't enough), we'll have reader mail, which you can send to us at theshow@wow.com, and we'll be chatting in IRC as well at irc.mmoirc.com in the #wowradio channel.Whew! It's a mother of a show. Make sure to tune in tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, at 3:30pm EST over on WoW Radio. See you there.
About the Bloggers: Robin Torres
Twice a week, our writers will tell you more about themselves, and let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more About the Bloggers.First of all, the above is not a recent picture. I just thought it was important for you to know that I'm the type of person who fondles larger than life, mostly naked, movie theater props hanging out in the back of pickup trucks. On to the questions...What do you do for WoW Insider?I write WoW, Casually, a column for casual players which is supposed to be weekly and will be again. No, really. I used to write Azeroth Interrupted, a column about balancing real life with WoW, but that is now Gamer Interrupted over on Massively. I also started Totem Talk, the Shaman column. Not that I play a Shaman, but I used to interview players who do. I was very happy that our very capable Matthew Rossi took it over after all of my interviewees stopped wanting to be interviewed. And I go through random blogging bursts which I am always hoping will become more of a regular thing.What's your main right now?No matter what alt I play around with, and I fall in love with a new class once a month, I always return to my level 70 Tauren Druid, Freja. She resides on Daggerspine and is sometimes a Boomkin but is usually Resto. I just feel more comfortable healing. I started playing a Night Elf Druid on multiple servers before following the Spousal Unit to Daggerspine and the Horde. I do believe droods are the most versatile and fun class in the game by far, though I'm rather enamored with my Draenei Mage's DPS output. And the Blood Elf Warlock is fun, too. Of course my level 19 Troll Warrior is a blast in WSG. I'd better move on to the next question or we'll be here all day.
The Daily Grind: What's a good first MMO for a child?
Our Robin Torres writes a column called Gamer Interrupted, about mixing real life with gaming, and it's a wonderful read. In a recent post, the subject turned to how to make MMOs more child-friendly. A few specific titles were covered as well, including WoW and ToonTown Online, but it's worth asking if there are other good first MMO titles that are not only child-safe, but actively worthwhile for a kid to play, either alone or with a parent.Obviously, we can mention Webkinz and Club Penguin, but are there others? Are there, in fact, any non-child MMOs that are safe for children to play?
To WoW, perchance to dream
Last night I dreamt of Mudsprocket. I was questing with one of my alts -- I assume my shadow priest, but I can't be certain because I was seeing the perspective from her eyes -- and I came across a new NPC standing next to the flight master. She was a female orc named Robin Torres, and I realized she was named after our Robin of WoW Insider fame.The dream switches to me having a discussion at a party with a friend of mine. Over drinks I mention what I found in the game and she doesn't seem the least bit surprised. "Well, Azeroth Interrupted was incredibly popular" she tells me.Now this isn't the first time I've dreamt about the game. I do so pretty much all the time. Since I play so much my unconscious mind feeds on what is on my mind at the time. What intrigued me looking back on it was my creation of my own NPC to place into the game. So I wondered what other NPCs players might like to see referenced in WoW. I know the game is riddled with references, from Caretaker Ophera Windfury to Eyonix himself. I'm interested to see what the readers would select for new NPCs to add to the game. Who would you like to meet lounging at the bar in a tavern in Howling Fjord or standing guard at the Sunwell?
Episode 5 of the WoW Insider Show now online
Just in case you missed it on Saturday, Episode 5 of the WoW Insider show is now online and in iTunes, ready for your listening pleasure. Robin, Turpster and I took to the airwaves (and if you had problems with the quality of our show, check again, as we've come up with a brand new way to record it that sounds a lot better) to talk in depth about patch 2.2, everything coming in patch 2.3, and all the other stuff you read on WoW Insider last week. It's just like reading this blog-- but it's in audio form!As always, if you've got feedback about the show, compliments, questions, complaints, or anything else at all, toss us a line at theshow@wow.com-- we'd love to hear it. We do the show every week, so if you like it this week and want to listen live, meet back up with us on Saturday at 3:30pm over at WoW Radio. Thanks for listening, enjoy the show.
Listen in live to the WoW Insider Show tomorrow
WoW Insider once again takes to the virtual airwaves of WoW Radio tomorrow. On Episode 5 of our podcast, we'll chat once again about everything that's happened in the World (of Warcraft) this past week, and boy howdy is that a lot. There's voice chat and the new sound engine in 2.2, the rebirth of Alterac Valley, lots of patch 2.3 to discuss (I'm especially thrilled that Shaman shields are getting some much-needed love), and we'll also hit on progressive content, as well as those required Arena ratings you folks are so interested in.Should be fun as always, and remember you're invited to join us both via email at theshow@wow.com, and on IRC live during the show-- hit up irc.mmoirc.org in channel #wowradio, or just jump on at the WoW Radio site.I'll be there, WoW Insider's Robin Torres will be along for the ride, and we'll have some folks from WoW Radio on as well (my guess is that Turpster will be on board as usual). Check it out tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 pm EST, or 8:30 pm GMT. Because if you like our site, you'll love the live audio version of it.
