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Games of a Lifetime: Thomas' picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Super Mario World I'm not a marathon video game player – for me, binging on or tirelessly replaying masterpieces downplays the great moments within, tainting them with an undeserved state of blandness. And yet, there is something about Super Mario World's construct that is immune to my fickle play style. Though I've been hurling Luigi down pits since I was old enough to earn player 2 privileges, Super Mario World is a ceaseless joy to return to, even if an encore ensues moments after besting Bowser with a few well-aimed Mechakoopas. I'm inclined to most romps through the Mushroom Kingdom, but Super Mario World's memorable level design, subtle secrecy and introduction of the greatest power-up of all time elevate it above every other Mario Bros outing. Above all else, it's the king of fun within my gaming career – there is not a moment coded into that rackety cartridge that isn't bliss to play, even when a pack of Rip Van Fish inspire a spike of stress with their chase. Super Mario World was, is and probably always will be my hometown in the world of video games, and I look forward to reveling in nostalgia as I shove a pack of kids into their lava-filled demise during future homecomings.
Rumor: Leak suggests the next WoW expansion is nearly feature-complete
So, ready to jump on the rumor mill? Because it's churning out big stuff about Blizzard today. An anonymous source from inside the company has apparently claimed that World of Warcraft's next expansion has quadrupled its art outsourcing and is nearly feature-complete. The source also claimed that Hearthstone is doing banner business, with its next expansion set to release in April with a heavier PvE focus. Darker news was revealed for the other franchises under the company's banner. The next part of StarCraft II is done but with no release date. Overwatch is in the midst of debates over business model and payment plans, with the studio pushing for a 2015 release but most likely going for 2016. Meanwhile, Heroes of the Storm has low expectations among the upper management and the Diablo III team has been "completely gutted." It's up to you you believe the rumors, of course, although come April, they might look rather plausible.
WoW Moviewatch: WarCraft: Armies of Azeroth
Perhaps the biggest downside to the success of World of Warcraft is that we haven't seen a Warcraft RTS since Warcraft III in 2002 -- or 2003, if you'd prefer to count from the release of The Frozen Throne expansion. Either way, that's a long time to go without any classic RTS Warcraft goodness. The Armies of Azeroth team is trying to fix this problem with a StarCraft II mod that recreates Warcraft III on the StarCraft II engine. From the trailer above, we've got to say that the results look awesome. Sure, we've played Warcraft III plenty of times, but, while there's no release date for this mod, we're eager to check it out all over again with the tech updates the past decade has made possible. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Starcraft Evacuation
Okay, obviously this isn't Warcraft -- heck, I'm not even sure we can classify it as machinima. But this is the second place winner from the 2014 BlizzCon movie contest, so I thought you guys might like to see it. Starcraft: Evacuation is a short film by Youtuber Peter Stroll about a small Terran mining settlement that is under attack -- the story is relatively straightforward. What's pretty cool about this particular movie is that sure, there's live action, but there's also some visual effects included that are surprisingly well done for an amateur effort. My only lament is that the film cuts off just when I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Maybe we'll see a sequel in time for the next BlizzCon? Let's hope so. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
BlizzCon kicks off on Friday, virtual tickets still available
If you've been waiting patiently for the next big convention focused entirely around Blizzard's game catalogue, your wait is almost over. BlizzCon 2014 kicks off on Friday, November 7th, with the opening ceremonies starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. There's no chance of attending in person if you don't already have a ticket, but you can still pick up a virtual ticket, and DirecTV customers can also grab a pay-per-view stream that includes a virtual ticket and the associated benefits. The convention will host a variety of tournaments, including the Hearthstone championships, the StarCraft II championships, and the World of Warcraft Arena championship. There will also be the usual assortment of lore panels, development previews, and reveals for the various games under the Blizzard banner, included the much-anticipated Warlords of Draenor expansion. If you've been on the fence about getting a stream, take a look at the list of festivities and get ready to see what's coming from the studio this weekend.
2014 Halloween Pumpkin Contest winners announced
The winners of Blizzard's 2014 Halloween Pumpkin Contest have been announced on the official website, and all winners and honorable mentions are now available for viewing. The top five winners all received a Premium Series 4 Headless Horseman action figure -- a pretty appropriate and cool prize. Bringing home top prize this year were a well-carved murloc version of everyone's favorite evil mastermind, Gul'dan -- who also made a second and far more orcish appearance, as well as a tribute to Azmodan, Lord of Sin from the Diablo franchise, Thrall, and Lord Darius Crowley. Aside from the top five, there are also twenty honorable mentions with this year's contest, and all have been put together in a gallery for viewing. Congratulations to all the winners, this year's entries were pretty amazing! Head to the official site to take a look at the winners and honorable mentions -- and maybe get some ideas for next year's round of pumpkin carving, too.
StarCraft II: An MMO player's perspective
StarCraft is of immense importance to the world of online gaming. It's one of the franchises responsible for establishing Blizzard Entertainment as a titan (get it!?) of the games industry. It serves, for many, as the ideal example of what an RTS game should aspire to be. And it was among the first titles to transcend one-off competitions and contests to become a global e-sport featuring pros who make the big bucks and events watched by millions. Without StarCraft, there would be no Dota 2, no League of Legends, perhaps no SMITE or Infinite Crisis. The MOBA niche, now one of the most profitable areas of online gaming, might not exist if not for the original StarCraft's custom three-lane Aeon of Strife map. StarCraft and its sequel, StarCraft II, represent the quintessential essence of small-scale online warfare. As a fan of MOBAs and an ardent lover of clicking things quickly, I took a spin in StarCraft II in an effort to better understand the foundation of the games I enjoy. What I discovered was a difficult, punishing game that demands your full attention and gives you plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
BlizzCon offers up virtual tickets
If you really want to check out BlizzCon but can't quite manage a flight out to California, a solution is available. Virtual tickets are now available from Blizzard for $39.99, allowing you to watch the panels, the competitions, and the events live from the comfort of your own home. Sure, you won't get to actually be packed in the convention hall, but this way no one cares whether you're wearing pants or not, so you even come out ahead. Purchasing a virtual ticket will give you access to bonus in-game goods for World of Warcraft, Diablo III, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, and Hearthstone, although the details are not yet available. All of the streams are also available in high definition and can be re-watched, so you needn't worry about missing something. If you've already purchased a physical ticket, you still have access to a virtual ticket as well, so you can still take advantage of the streaming. Everyone who wants to attend can at least get something like that experience.
First wave of BlizzCon tickets sold out
Tickets for BlizzCon 2014 have sold out! Well, the first round of tickets have, anyway. It's estimated that this first offering sold out in five to 10 seconds, according to our sister site WoW Insider. Past BlizzCons have seen similar ticket sales, and this year is already showing that Blizzard's still got it. If you happened to blink at any time yesterday, you can still try for round two this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT).
WoW Insider's guide to Blizzard resources updated
Looking for more blogs, podcasts, and resources devoted to Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft, and Warcraft? Then you'll want to check out our newly updated guide to all things Blizzard. In it, we've gathered all of our favorite resources on Blizzard games for your browsing enjoyment. So why not take the rest of the day off to catch up on your reading? And we're always on the lookout for new Blizzard blogs, so if you have a favorite site that we've missed, please contact us to let us know. We're happy to add any resources that are regularly updated, don't advocate breaking Blizzard's terms of service, and don't have any R-rated content.
BlizzCon 2014 dated, tix on sale next month
BlizzCon 2014 is coming, boys and girls, to a city near you (that is, if you live near Anaheim, California)! Blizzard announced that its sometimes-annual convention will be on November 7th and 8th at the Anaheim Convention Center. Even at two hundred bucks a pop, tickets for BlizzCon will no doubt be sold out within minutes thanks to Blizzard's legion of fans. The studio announced today that it will be putting tickets on sale in two separate batches: one on May 7th and the other on May 10th. There will also be $750 tickets put on sale on May 14th for the benefit dinner. BlizzCon tickets include offer hands-on demos with its games, an e-sports world championship, dev panels, player tournaments, and live admission to the convention. Virtual tickets will also be available at a later point for an unknown fee.
New costume galleries highlight Blizzard cosplay
Three new galleries have been added to the official website, this time to feature Blizzard costumes. The galleries highlight recently-featured cosplayers in addition to contest winners and honorable mentions for costume contests from the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises. Although the galleries are a little small for now, more costume photos will apparently be added over time. Each of the galleries show winners all the way back to the first BlizzCon in 2005, so they're well worth the look. It's kind of cool to see how costumes and cosplay in general have progressed over time in terms of materials, construction, and detail. Hopefully we'll see other contestants past added soon as well -- costumes are always one of the coolest parts of BlizzCon, so it's nice to see them finally recognized with galleries of their own.
Cast your vote in the Blizzard Stream Awards
Blizzard Entertainment has paired up with popular streaming website Twitch for a new contest specifically designed for streamers. The Blizzard Stream Awards are to recognize and reward streamers of Blizzard's entire stable of games, from World of Warcraft to Hearthstone and more. In order to qualify for the contest, streamers must be a Twitch partner streamer who has showcased content from one of the four Blizzard franchises between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. The contest has fourteen different categories, split into two groups -- poll categories, and data-driven categories. While the data-driven categories are based purely on data gathered by Twitch, the poll categories are up to community voting to decide. The nominees for the categories have been announced, and voting is now open -- but if you want to get your vote in, you better do it soon. Voting closes next Wednesday, February 5. Winners will be announced on February 7 on Blizzard's official site, and also on the official Twitch blog.
Azeroth and beyond: Nine years of World of Warcraft
In 1999, Blizzard Entertainment was well on its way to becoming something of a titan in the PC gaming space. Riding high on hits like Diablo, Warcraft II, and the barely-a-year-old StarCraft, Blizzard had established itself as a purveyor of quirky, well-made, and entertaining games mostly of the RTS variety. However, something else was brewing behind closed doors at Blizzard's Irvine campus. While sequels to Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo were all in development (and hotly anticipated), the company had also quietly started work on a brand-new massively-multiplayer online game set in one of the studio's existing game universes. That game, of course, was World of Warcraft. And nine years ago tomorrow, it completely changed the face of MMO gaming.
BlizzCon 2013: Voice actors to take the stage
BlizzCon will be hosting a voice actor stage with several panels over both days. Many of the voice actors from World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft will be on hand to discuss their craft as well as sign autographs. Posters will be handed out to be autographed during the sessions in between the panels. Included on the Warcraft panel Friday between 3 and 4 p.m. PST will be the voices behind Chen Stormstout, Garrosh Hellscream, Jaina Proudmore and a few others. To see the schedule and all of the voice actors appearing, go to the original post. The stage will be setup between Hall A and B and is described as being attendee-only, so those watching on the Virtual Ticket will be out of luck.
Blizzard announces 2013 Pumpkin Carving Contest winners
The winners from this year's Pumpkin Carving Contest have been chosen and announced! Five winners were chosen to receive a copy of Diablo III: Book of Tyrael. In addition, another twenty pumpkins were chosen as Honorable Mentions and displayed on the site for all to see. The winners this year include a couple of stunning Diablo III entries as well as some World of Warcraft entries, including the gorgeous cloud serpent pumpkin we mentioned yesterday. All pumpkins are available for viewing on the official announcement of winners. Included among the honorable mentions are a pretty stunning version of the Ashes of A'lar, a gorgeous portrait of Sylvanas, an incredibly detailed picture of Diablo, and many more. Check out the gallery for some pretty awe-inspiring examples of pumpkin carving expertise, and congratulations to all the winners!
Can't wait for more Warcraft? Check out the Alliance and Horde StarCraft 2 mod
Have you been waiting for Warcraft 4? And waiting and waiting? Then you'll be glad to know that intrepid modder StevenLuo has brought Warcraft aesthetics to StarCraft 2 using the SC2 Editor. The finished product, WOW RTS: Alliance and Horde (or WAH for short), features 2 factions, 16 units, 18 heroes, and 3 maps -- Lost Temple (2V2), Crossroads (1V1), and Ashenvale (1V1) -- which you can play on with others or against the AI. Can't wait to get started? Launch the StarCraft 2 Arcade and search for WAH to bring up the maps. The initial download is 245MB, but once you have all the assets, the individual maps are pretty small. So what are you waiting for? Get Warcrafting!
Blizzard announces 2013 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest
Are you handy with the tools necessary to create a magical masterpiece of pumpkin art? Blizzard has just announced its annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest for 2013. Aspiring entrants need only carve a Blizzard-themed pumpkin from any of its licenses, including Warcraft, Diablo, or StarCraft, and then take a photo of said pumpkin to submit for entry. Pumpkins must be lit up by a candle or other light source, although you can also submit a photo of the unlit pumpkin if you wish. Five winners will be chosen from all entries, and the winners will each receive a copy of Diablo III: Book of Tyrael, the latest in Diablo lore compendiums. If you're not sure on just what kind of cool design to carve, you can always check out last year's winners for inspiration. Head to Blizzard's official contest page to submit your entry -- you have until October 29 to get it sent in. For more information, take a look at Blizzard's official rules for the contest. Good luck to all who enter -- I wonder if we'll see any Hearthstone-related entries!
Crowdfund Bookie September 2013: The best of times, the worst of times
The Crowdfund Bookie crunches data from select successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns that ended during the week and produces pretty charts for you to look at. The month of September embodied the best and, arguably, the worst crowdfunding has to offer video games. On the positive side of things, September saw the birth of Project Phoenix, the month's highest-funded game ($1,014,600). The RPG-meets-RTS features an all-star crew, including Lead Composer Nobuo Uematsu, Art Director Kiyoshi Arai and Director/Producer Hiroaki Yura, each with ties to the Final Fantasy series as well as Diablo 3 and Valkyria Chronicles. September will also be remembered as the month that Ouya's Free the Games Fund left its mark on crowdfunding. One game in the program, Gridiron Thunder, was accused of unfairly bolstering its own campaign by self-funding it past the $100,000 mark in order to earn rewards offered by Ouya. The hardware company's program fell under great scrutiny before being overhauled, at which point developer MogoTXT removed Gridiron Thunder from Free the Games Fund eligibility. As an example of the discrepancy in funding, Evelend Games' action platformer Indiegogo project AdventurOS had over ten times as many funders as Gridiron Thunder (1,899 versus 183), yet the Ouya football game earned over eight times as much money as AdventurOS ($171,009 versus $21,323). Additionally, removing Gridiron Thunder from the action genre for the month takes the category's average pledge per backer rate down from $44.19 to $34.31. As seen in our latest quarterly report, it only takes a few projects like Gridiron Thunder to shape the community's perception of entire crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. While September saw the same number of successful projects (29), the $2,211,975 raised by 40,701 funders were down by $764,575 and 23,218 people from the previous month, and were the lowest amounts seen in the last four months. It's unclear whether potential community distrust thanks to controversial projects like Gridiron Thunder or the release of big retail games, such as the recent launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 will have a bigger impact on crowdfunding in the coming months. Head past the break to see the month's breakdown by genre as well as a list of September's top five projects.
Cast your Vote: BlizzCon Talent Contest community choice
BlizzCon is fast approaching and Blizzard has decided to let the community help choose one of the finalists in the BlizzCon 2013 Talent Contest. The Blizzard judges have already picked three of the grand finalists, but need your help to pick the the fourth. The winner of this community poll will be competing at BlizzCon for a top prize of $4500! Head on over to the official BlizzCon site to watch the 5 videos and cast your vote. The poll closes on October 4.
