Breakfast Topic: Looking forward to 2011
2011 promises to be a huge, landmark year in World of Warcraft and most likely Blizzard in general. As the new year turns the corner, I am happy to look ahead, make a prediction or two, and tell you about where my excitement lies. It's going to be a banner year in Azeroth -- I can feel it.
This year, I can finally raid the way I want to raid and not be forced into running the same raid instances multiple times in order to feel like I've completed enough. The split between 10-man and 25-man raids is slowly going away, turning raid size into a choice that has little to no impact on the achievements or gear you can receive. In 2011, you'll see either the implementation of or the mentioning of the new legendary weapon, which will be found in both 10-man and 25-man raid instances.
I am very much looking forward to the first big content patch of Cataclysm, which I'm guessing is going to hit around April or May. The cinematics and machinima teams outdid themselves in Cataclysm with the worgen and goblin movies, and I am extremely interested to see what they have in store for us with the first Catacylsm patch trailer. Those trailers have become one of my favorite things about WoW in the last few years, and I don't think the next one will disappoint. Hopefully it includes the Firelands, because I am really, really excited to finally break down Ragnaros' door and give him a piece of my mind... again.
Finally, I am really looking forward to BlizzCon this year. I know, it's really early to start pondering and wondering, but I had such a wonderful time in October 2010 that I can't wait to get back to it all. 2011 is one of those years where we get to ride high on our new content, the challenge is fresh, and the world is still full of mysteries and things to do. 2010 felt a lot like a slog, as the entire year was dominated by Icecrown Citadel and lots and lots of snow. This year, I think we're going to see things change a little more dramatically and dynamically from years past. As with Cataclysm in general, I think Blizzard has really grasped the way to create this content and revitalize the player base.
So, here's to another great year in the World of Warcraft. 2011 promises to be one of the best yet. What are you looking forward to this year?
