Mike D'Anna
Articles by Mike D'Anna
More Dev Interviews from E3
Tentonhammer has an exclusive piece from E3, featuring interviews with WoW developer Tyven, where he discusses much of the news we've already heard from E3; the main subjects being Draenei, flying mounts, and the rest of the announced content. Nothing shockingly new, but for all you E3 news completists, there's some good info there.Also included are a few tidbits of information from Blizzard's Mac team member Rob Barris, discussing Bootcamp on the Imac & other platform news. The full article can be found here.
How to Spot a Bot Farmer
I'm not sure if this counts as racial profiling or not, but the official Blizzard forums have an interesting thread on ways to spot a bot farmer. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a bot farmer is a program, running without direct human control, used by lowdown, cheating gold farmers to collect money in the game without even having to actually play it.The thread lists several different, highly debatable (all alliance bots are Night Elf females?), criteria for spotting a bot , and even gives some screenshots & video examples to back them up. I don't know how close to the truth it actually is, but it's an interesting read. I've never knowingly come across a bot myself (although I probably have & didn't realize it), but I'll be keeping a curious eye out after reading this...
Interview With WoW Producer Tom Chilton
The news from E3 keeps pouring in, and the folks over at WorldofWar.net have secured an entertaining video interview with Tom Chilton, one of the producers of WoW. The interview is rather lengthy, and split into two parts, but it's well worth watching, as Mr. Chilton discusses the Burning Crusade, changes in upcoming patches, and more.The interview can be seen via streaming video right here.
WoW Moviewatch: The Darkmoon Faire trailer from E3
This is the first part of a series of press release videos from E3; this one spotlighting the events at the Darkmoon Faire. It probably doesn't contain anything that most of us haven't seen, but it's a nice little video, in any case...although it could really use one of those carnival barkers yelling "Sunday, SUNday, SUNDAY!". Enjoy...
In-Depth Article on Gold Farming
One of my favorite new WoW sites, Metroblogging Azeroth, has a great article today that goes deep into the controversial world of gold-farming. Author Jonas Luster details the many ways that buying gold outside of the game impacts players, developers, and the gameworld itself, with a knowledge of the game that makes his observations all the more relevant.There are plenty of things that the average gold buyer (who is almost certainly not some intrinsically evil person) probably never takes into account when they purchase gold from a farmer, aside from what shiny new armor it will buy them; they could care less what it does to the economy of the game. Then, there are those who actually believe the practice of gold farming is healthy for a virtual economy, and for people coming from that school of thought, Luster makes a convincing case why, in the end, everyone suffers from the actions of those few. Not to mention the connection he makes between the largest network of online gold-selling sites, and a trio of convicted child molesters. It's good readin'. Check it out here. Thanks to Sean for the link.
History of the Blood Elves
The official World of Warcraft site has been updated with a new feature, detailing the lore & history behind the mysterious Blood Elves, soon to be gracing Azeroth in the Burning Crusade expansion.The story follows the legacy of the outcast elf Dath'Remar Sunstrider, and how he led his people to their new home in Azeroth, millennia before the first war. From reading this, it looks like Blizzard has done another excellent job in setting up the backstory of the new Horde race & incorporating their history into the World of Warcraft; you can check out the story right here.
Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan on the Burning Crusade
Today's New York Times has an interview with Blizzard designer Jeff Kaplan, where he speaks out for the first time since E3 & the announcement of the new Draenei playable race. The piece is a very informative Q&A where Kaplan fields questions regarding the selection of the Draenei and the dev's motivations behind this & other upcoming changes that will accompany the release of the new expansion.For all those following the latest expansion news from E3 & elsewhere, there are some great tidbits of information here, concerning a wealth of subjects related to the Burning Crusade. Kudos to the Times, also, for such an unapologetically gamer-centric article, with no pretense of trying to explain what the hell they're talking about to the non-gaming reader. Click here to read.
Blizzard's Word: WoW Movie Officialy a Go
We reported yesterday about the news of a new WoW motion picture in development, and now it looks like the boys in blue have indeed confirmed that report. An official press release went out today, announcing the joint development of the film, with producers Legendary Pictures at the reigns.The release quotes both the Blizzard creative team and the filmmakers, and shines some light on what we can expect to see from the upcoming epic. No talent or crew have been signed as of yet, but I'm sure that the rumors will start flying anytime now, and the fans will have plenty to chew upon as the project comes to fruition.Aside from my wary words yesterday, I do indeed hope for the best with this adaptation; aside from being a fantasy fan in general, I would enjoy a property I'm familiar with being given the proper screen treatment. I'm sure every WoW fan under the sun has their own idea of what the ideal Warcraft movie would be, and I'm sure the filmmakers are going to be listening to those ideas as the project moves forth, so start your dream casting now, folks!
More on WoW Addiction in Students
From today's issue of the Rocky Mountain Collegian, the school paper of Colorado State University, comes another article concerning the addictive properties of WoW and the effects it can have on one's schoolastic life. The article talks with several students who detail the reasons that they just can't break themselves away from the game screen, and touches on numerous other points that we've all heard before, but shouldn't expect to hear the last of any time soon.One student does have a good quote illustrating why he no longer plays the game, however: "I like to live, breathe and eat, so I don't play that game anymore."
WoW: Coming to a Theater Near You?
Well, we knew it had to be on the drawing board somewhere. It seems that Legendary Pictures, producers of both the latest Superman & Batman films, are interested in bringing World of Warcraft to the big screen, according to this IGN article. The film would likely hit screens via Warner Bros., as they have handled most of the distribution for Legendary's releases so far.This could be exciting news for all Warcraft fans, but we all know just how well video games usually survive translation into the film medium. Alone in the Dark, Doom, Silent Hill....Super Mario Brothers, anyone? Still, just by the law of averages, they have to get one right sometime...here's hoping the best for WoW's big-screen maiden voyage.
Brits Bash WoW Woes
With all the issues regarding player connectivity & realm stability lately, it was just a matter of time before even the oh-so-polite British had to stand up & say something. This weekend's edition of BBC news online ran an article detailing all the damage caused by the lag monster on their side of the pond, and how it's not only homegrown gamers who are unhappy.Maybe they should stage a good old-fashioned soccer riot; that'll might really get Blizzard shaking in their boots...
Real Life WoW Dancing
Those wacky Norwegians are at it again. At the recent fest called 'The Gathering', apparently the liquor & drugs were as plentiful as the shame was scarce, because in front of an auditorium full of people, a dozen gamers took to the stage to give their real-life renditions of the various dances from the different races in WoW. Ever wanted to see a full-grown man doing the female Night Elf dance? Yeah, me neither...
Another MMO Periodical in the Works
Remember those things we used to read before we had the internet? What were they called? Mag....maga...magazines! That's the ticket. Anyway, according to ICv2 News, Beckett Media has announced a new bi-monthly title to hit stores soon. Beckett Massive Online Gamer will be on the stands in May, and will focus exclusively on the world of MMO's. There are a few new MMO mags that will be on the market soon; it will be interesting to see which ones stick around...
Fishing FAQ
I've always been an avid fisherman ever since I started playing WoW; I find it to be one of the easiest ways to make money & although I understand why some players find it boring, I happen to enjoy watching for that little bobber to splash.So, for all you fellow anglers out there, the Azerothian Trade Union has posted a great Fishing FAQ, detailing all the good spots to cast a line, and all the goodies you can reel in. It's a very well-done guide that I plan to be referencing often; check it out here.
Ganked By Your Own Mom?
This might be the best thread of the week; apparently a hapless level 22 player is being greifed...by his own mother. Boy, that's harsh. I've heard of toughlove, but this is out of control. Not sure if it's legit, but it's dang funny either way...check out the archived thread here.
Add-On For Leaving Player Feedback
You know the feedback system on eBay? Where you can leave a scathing comment if the guy in Timbuktu who just sold you that life-size cut-out of Billy Dee Williams turns out to be a scam artist, and just sends you a 1/2 scale Billy Dee Williams instead? Well, a WoW player has apparently taken it upon himself to create just such a system as a UI add-on, so you can leave nasty feedback for that Human Warrior who bailed out on your group in the middle of Molten Core.The system is still in development, but I see a huge margin for abuse & error with a system like this, especially if anyone using the add-on can see comments left by others. There's not much to stop someone from doctoring up a bad rep for people they don't like for one reason or another. Then again, it is just an add-on...it's not like it will be mandatory.
WoW Moviewatch: I Quit
Ok, so it has Tom Cruise in it, which breaks one of my most cardinal rules...but it also happens to be the best Tom Cruise movie since that one all those years ago where he wore a little elf-suit & fought the devil with a unicorn horn. You'll see...
China Predicting 61 Million MMO Gamers by 2010
And you thought Blizzard had population problems? According to this report at Playfuls.com, citing reports from Instat, China, already one of the largest bastions of online gaming in the world, will see more than 60 million of its citizens hop on board the MMO train by 2010, with a market value estimated at 2.1 billion dollars. That's a lot of microwave burritos & Mountain Dew...Then again, they probably won't have the same problems that Blizzard has with their customer base; those communists tend to keep things running pretty smoothly....as long as you don't petition a GM; that could be considered treason.
Quest Spotlight: The Green Hills of Tedium...or, Stranglethorn
After leveling several characters of varying types into the 30's and spending more than my share of time in the lush, tropical, yet deadly oasis that is Stranglethorn Vale, I decided that, with my latest character, I would actually try and do something with all those annoying pages that kept filling up my backpack; even after reading how un-rewarding & tedious the quest was (especially for a Hunter), I decided to actually attempt to piece together The Green Hills of Stranglethorn.And, since I'm just the type of idiot who doesn't like to take shortcuts with things, I decided that I would find all the pages myself, without buying them from the Auction House. How hard could it be?, I thought, I find the darn things on every single monster that I kill! It HAS to be pretty easy, right?Well, read on to find the answer...
WoW Server Problems Under Scrutiny
If you're a WoW subscriber and you're reading this, there's a good chance that you're either at work, or unable to log into the game. Ok, that's taking it a bit far, but it's no secret that the WoW servers have a pretty bad reputation for reliability these days, and although the problem has seen improvements in some respects, overall, I think most players would agree that the issues don't seem to be improving at a steady enough rate, especially with all the problems that have followed the last two patches.ZDNet has an article on the problem, spurred in part by the outages of this past weekend. The article contains statements from both gamers & industry professionals who cast some light on the challenges faced by Blizzard in the face of overwhelming subscriber numbers & a market with basically zero competitors on the same playing field, and by frustrated players who just want to use the service they pay for.Personally, I sympathize with Blizzard to a degree, but I sympathize with my wallet more...