Mike D'Anna
Articles by Mike D'Anna
Document Refutes Blizzard All-MMO Rumors
Yesterday's news that Blizzard will be focusing exclusively on MMO games in the future has been debated ever since it first hit the media, but this might just clear up the controversy once and for all...or at least debunk it, which is half as good.The Cesspit.net has aquired scanned copies of the Wall Street presentation from which the rumors originally sprang, and there is nothing to be found within that would lead anyone to believe that Blizzard is out of the single-player game market. Where the rumors came from, then, is still a mystery, but it looks like that is in fact all they are. I still wanna see that Starcraft MMO, though...
WoW: The Journey to 60 and Beyond
I'm not really sure whether to call this a review or not, but Macologist has posted an extremely in-depth overview of WoW entitled The Journey to 60 and Beyond. It's a look back at the game from a level 60 player designed as a sort of primer for the new or prospective player (so yeah, I guess it is kind of a review, if a belated one). It covers just about everything, from installation, to selecting a server & creating a character, to information about guilds, instances, quests, mounts, the endgame, and everything in between.Not a ton of new info here for anyone who's been playing WoW for a while, but it's a very well-written look at the game for anyone who might be interested in learning more about the game, doing research, or looking to start playing themselves. Also, the article is from a Mac site, so all the tech-talk is Mac-centric, and there may be some tidbits of info that Mac users will find useful. You can read the full article here.
Select Realm Transfers Open
For any of you currently looking to transfer your character, Blizzard is now allowing transfers of characters to the Cho'gall & Korgath realms from select PvP realms, per this announcement at the official site.The Cho'gall realm will accept transfers from Bleeding Hollow, Mannorath, and Skullcrusher, while the Korgath server will accept players from Shattered Hand, Stormreaver, and Warsong. The transfers will be available from 3 P.M. PDT until A.M. PDT, and will cease on June 15 at 3 P.M. PDT, so get in there & reserve your spot early if you're interested.
Rehab Clinic Open for Gaming Addicts
It looks like the time is coming where we will be forced to view video game addiction as a real disease, instead of just making fun of it. After all, there is now an actual rehab center to deal especially with this particular back-hopping monkey. And where else in the world would be home to a detox center for gamers? Why, Amsterdam, of course! The cradle of recovery & self-control!As reported in this article from BrettBart.com, the Netherlands' Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants (come on, is that the real name?) are successfully treating a host of patients who have let their virtual lives take over their own, even some who entered treatment for drug problems before realizing that their real trouble was video games...I'm not sure what to think about this; while I am sure on the one hand that plenty of people have screwed their lives up from wasting too many hours on games, on the other hand, offering a therapudic resident recovery program for people who just can't stop trying to get their Orc to the next level sounds a wee bit...coddling to me. Like, if we say that it's a real problem, we'll actually make it into one, whether it really is or not. In any case, I'm sure we'll be seeing this pop up in the domestic psychology world soon...so I'm just waiting for the first time someone blames his five felony homicides on needing money to deck out his Gnome Warlock.
Official Dungeon Strategy Guide Now on Sale
Now that Brian Kopp's Unauthorized WoW Guide is back in the news, you might also be interested to know that an official guidebook for WoW has just been published. Brady Games has released the World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion, a 400-page guidebook covering all instanced dungeons currently in the game. The book's features include: • Every Dungeon: Low-level instances and the toughest raid dungeons are all covered in this monstrous compendium. Light is shed on everything from Ragefire Chasm to the brand new Ahn' Qiraj. • Outdoor World Boss Encounters: Learn exactly what you need to take the Azuregos, Lord Kazzak and the Emerald Dragons. • Much more: monster information, question guidance, rewards and secret rooms.So, if you haven't givent this game enough of your money yet this month, you can order the guide over at BlizzPlanet in the merchandise section. Let me know if it's any good...
Bullies Move Out of the Schooyard into MMO's
As much as I spend most of my life trying to recapture my childhood, I always forget that there are some things about being a kid that really sucked. And now, it looks as if dealing with the local bully shaking you down for your milk money might not be the only thing kids have to worry about; according to this article in the Sydney Morning Herald, the bullies have now gotten computers & gotten wise, as kids are now apparently having to face harrassment from peers in virtual worlds such as WoW. So much for video games being a way to escape your problems...The article doesn't go into much depth, but it does bring up an interesting problem that game companies face nowadays; how to make their virtual communities 'safe' for kids to play in. WoW & other games, of course, carry a warning sticker for parents, but that wont' change the fact that as we speak, there is probably some poor 11-year-old, level 22 Rogue being shaken down right now for all his gold by a player named 'L33tballz1990'. I don't know how prevalent this problem really is, but I'm pretty sure that if it were around in my day, my parents would have made me pick up my sword & shield and go face down my bully...only back then I wouldn't have had the sword & shield, so maybe I shouldn't really be talking....
Blizzard Closes Another Round of Accounts
In their never-ending war against the evil gold farmers of the planet, Blizzard has announced that during the month of May, over 30,000 accounts have been suspended, removing over 30 million in gold from the economy across all servers. Now, just look at those numbers for a moment: 30 thousand accounts closed. That's a number of subscribers that many small game companies would love to claim as their entire playerbase, and those are not only just the cheaters in WoW, but only the ones who got caught! And 30 million gold out of the economy...that's...well, I'm actually not sure what the hell that means, because I'm not an economist. i'm sure Ben Stien could tell you.In any case, the bottom line is, don't cheat, or Blizzard will get you. If they're lucky. You can read the full announcement at the official homepage right here.
Dragon Invades Stormwind, Hundreds Perish
I've seen a lot of crazy things on the Lightninghoof server, but I never expected to walk outside from checking my bank box in Stormwind to find a huge red dragon in the middle of the Trade District square, killing innocent lowbies by the dozens. The dragon was Teremus the Devourer, who usually resides in the Blasted Lands. How he got to Stormwind remains a mystery, but people spent a good five minutes arguing about who pulled him there before finally banding together to actually do something about it.Finally, a militia was formed, the dragon was led to Stormwind Keep, and with the help of the king's guards, was finally killed, but not before leaving literally hundreds of piles of bones in his wake. The streets looked like an undead crash pad for hours afterwards. It was definitely something to see, even if it did mean me missing the fishing contest in Booty Bay again. I took some pics with my magical medieval camera so the horror would not be soon forgotten...you can see them right here. Me, I can't look anymore....
Blizzard Settles with Unauthorized WoW Guide Author
You may remember the story from a few months back of Brian Kopp, the author who had written an unauthorized WoW guide & was sued for selling it online by Blizzard, an who in turn sued them for infringing upon his business. Well, it looks like sometimes, the little guy does win after all, because on Friday, Blizzard reached a settlement with Kopp's lawyers, agreeing to remove their complaints about him that resulted in the suspension of his eBay account.Blizzard never had a leg to stand on in the case, as far as I could see, and Mr. Kopp deserves big kudos just for standing up to the corporate giant the way he did, no matter how the case had turned out. I'm glad it turned out in his favor, though, and we wish Mr. Kopp the best of luck in the future. You can read more about the story as it was reported in USA Today right here.
WoW Pizza Delivery?
You know, this reminds me...we just don't get enough good prank calls anymore nowadays. Between caller ID & cell phones, it's nigh-impossible for anyone to remain anonymous enough anymore to cause any real mischief. Kids today have got it rough.But anyway, my point was that this is a prank call to a pizza joint by a guy who tries to order an Epic Pizza for 50 gold, while trying to sweeten the deal with promises of gryphon rides. It's no Jerky Boys or Tube Bar, but it's what we got left nowadays...check it out over at Blizzplanet.
Two New Oceanic Realms Coming Today
According to the official Blizzard page, two new Oceanic servers will be opening this evening; Aman'Thule (PvE), and Barthilas (PvP). The new servers are expected to be up & ready for character creation at 11:59 P.M. PDT and 4:59 GMT+10. So, get there early...I hear there will be punch and pie. Or maybe not. Either way, you can view the official announcement over at the (where else) the official site.
Girls = Way Cooler than WoW
This letter from a frustrated female college student to her school's online newspaper paints a sad, lonely tale of a young woman competing with the latest in video-game technology for the attention of her man. Or maybe she's got a point, what do I know?"These boys spend a majority of their day in their rooms. Not that this is a bad thing. There are plenty of productive things you can do in a dorm room. One specific thing they do is play the role playing game World of Warcraft. The boys are able to create a character and spend time in a world being able to fight, learn certain techniques (i.e. Magical, healing, fighting), go on missions, etc. I, myself, have played this game. And I proudly admit I have made it to level seven. This dims in comparison when compared to their characters who have reached level 100 and so on."Hmm, sounds to me like someone is just jealous. Level 7...ha!
How Schools Want You to Spend Your Summer
In response to our summer vacation topic the other day, the Collegiate Times has posted a list of summer vacation 'do's & don'ts' (how quaint), and coming in at number five on that list:5.) DON'T lock yourself in your room all day playing video games. It's only acceptable to spend eight consecutive hours in a virtual fairy-land if you are doing so with another human. Instead of closing your door and giving everyone the sneaking suspicion that you have formed an irrefutable bond with your right hand, knock on the next room down and make friends with dudeface so you can combine your warrior fighting noob powers. Don't worry, Zelda's Twilight Princess will be out in November, and you will have plenty of time to hide away in the darkest corner of your room to ride Chocobos and raise your HP to "Level 9 - Congratulations! You've graduated to the shameless rank of social outcast!" - insert retainer slurping noises here.So, does that mean that as long as you're playing games with other people, then it's ok? Is it just the Zelda games they want you to stay away from? And if so, why do they want you to wait until the school year to start playing? Something's fishy here...
The Evil Children of Goldshire?
After seeing The Omen remake earlier & looking for some discussion of its lameness, I was browsing the official WoW forums & came across this interesting thread, which makes it seem like the peaceful little town of Goldshire might not be so bright & sunny under the surface. It seems that some folks have spotted a group of unexplained, evil-looking children, standing in a pentagram-type formation, appearing sporadically in one of the houses in town...because you know you can't go anywhere these days without tripping over a satanic toddler. Nobody seems to be able to interact with them, and creepy music is reported to be heard in their presence. I've read through a ton of the over 666 posts on the thread, and I still can't figure out whether this is always in the game, or the result of an event or quest, so I'm going to go check it out myself as soon as possible; I'll report back after I investigate. As soon as I'm sure I won't get ganked for going within 100 yards of the Faire, that is...
Breakfast Topic: Summer Vacation in Azeroth
Well, summer is upon us again here in the northern hemisphere, and that can mean only one thing: that the youth of the world will once again invade Azeroth en masse, bringing with them enough l33t-speak to drown out every other sound in the Barrens for the next 3 months, and draining their parent's bank accounts while eschewing the normal teenage substance indulgences for a diet of Mountain Dew & Skittles. Ah, to be young again...How has your summer in WoW been going so far? Have you noticed an influx of youngsters calling you a 'noob'? For you students, do you plan to spend more time in the real world this summer, or grinding for rank in the Battlegrounds? Parents, would you rather your kids be playing video games rather than out getting into mischief? Because, god forbid they should pick up a baseball bat & glove & actually do something. Anyway, let us know how you feel...Thanks to reader Bryan for the summery comments.
Darkmoon Faire Back in Town
I don't know if it's happening WoW-wide, but on my server, at least, the Darkmoon Faire is back in town this week. Those enterprising little goblins have set up camp outside of Goldshire with the usual host of games & prizes.Personally, I love the Faire, especially the human cannonball...I can never resist giving it a whirl. I always enjoy stopping by the fortune teller, as well, even though I usually wind up with a buff that I can't really use. Last time they came through town, I also got a nice 2-handed sword out of a prize box that I ended up using for several levels...much more useful than that silkscreened Def Leppard mirror that I won at the last real-life fair I went too.What about you guys? Does the Faire live up to the hype? Do you actually go collect the items for the various ticket booths, or do you just buy them on the AH? Have you collected any card decks? Gotten any good prizes? Let us know....
Recipes Database Now Online
For those of you looking for something to fill your idle time while server maintenace is underway, WoW Warcry now has it's extensive Recipe Database online; a very thorough collection of recipes for Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Cooking, Enchanting, Engineering, First Aid, Leatherworking, Mining, Poisons, and Tailoring.I've been using Thottbot for my reference in this area, as most of you probably have, but this index puts everything in order in one easy-to-negotiate list. Check it out right here & git ta' craftin'!
Latest Comic Contest Honorable Mentions
The newest honorable mention in the Blizzard Comic Contest has been posted over at the official site...and personally, I think it's funnier than the last winner. The creator of this comic is player H. Slayer, and you can check out the strip right here at the official site.
What's in a Server Name?
One aspect of having over six million subscribers that Blizzard probably never anticipated was having to come up with names for the many dozens (if not hundreds) of different game servers. Luckily, the lore of the Warcraft universe is pretty rich, and there were plenty of names to choose from.Did you ever wonder just where your server got it's name? Well, Blizzplanet has posted a list of the WoW servers, with an explanation of the lore behind the names of each, so you can finally find out what the heck Destromath really means (and no, it's not a G.I. Joe program to help kids learn arithmatic). I am a little disheartened, however, to hear that Blackmoore is not, in fact, named after the guitarist from Rainbow....
End Lag...Now!
Lag...the bane of every online gamer. It's even an unpleasant sounding word - "Laaaaaag" - sounds like you're trying to gag on a raw fish. Well, just like any enemy of the people, there are folks out there fighting the good fight against the lag monster, notably the team over at EndLagNow.org, a website dedicated to tracking down & eliminating the menace of the red latency bar.The latest step is the release of a program called LagMeter, that scans your PC's connection to determine where lag is coming from & what the causes might be. From the description: Finally, the causes of your Lag will not be a mystery because LagMeter will tell you if it is your gaming PC, the network, or the gaming server that is giving you grief. Once the causes of Lag are better understood, then gamers, game developers, and hardware manufacturers can work together to provide solutions to our #1 problem – LAG!!!!!!!Sounds like a plan to me. Haven't tried out the program myself yet, but it's definitely worth a look. You can check it out over at EndLagNow's website right here.