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Celebrating the dances of Guild Wars 2
What's the most important thing about next week's launch of Guild Wars 2? Is it deciding which race/gender/profession combo you'll make for your main? Is it deciding which server you'll play on? Or is it figuring out which dance emote looks best on your character? Thanks to our own livestreamer extraordinaire, Richie Procopio, we have a look at each race's and gender's dance emotes in the game, which were just introduced with yesterday's stress test patch. Skip past the cut below to see the fun little video for yourself -- all in glorious HD! Even a Bookah like you knows that Guild Wars 2 is on the way, but it takes an Asura's intellect, a Human's charm, a Sylvari's wisdom, a Charr's passion, and a Norn's love of strong mead to dive into beta and make sense of a game this complex. Fortunately, we have all five on the Massively staff. Enjoy our previews, guides, and our weekly GW2 column, Flameseeker Chronicles!
More free EU character migrations
Aren't you EU players just lucky lately? Here's some more free character moves for you to make -- apparently the population situation on the EU realms must be bad, because I think this is the third (at least) round of moves Blizzard has made in that region. Here are the latest ones, to be in effect now through the ninth:Drak'thul, Grim Batol, Sylvanas --> BladefistAl'Akir, Neptulon, Ravencrest --> DeathwingBurning Legion, Crushridge, Twilight's Hammer --> DentargMagtheridon (Horde only) --> Zenedar, Haomarush A lot of these are the same transfers offered previously -- in fact, all of the realms Blizzard is transferring from have been offered transfers before, though the realms people are being transferred to are switched up a bit. Anyone out there who didn't transfer in the first go-round but is willing to transfer now?If the issues continue, Blizzard might have to come up with a new way to control the realm populations -- there's always the option of splitting up a big realm, though neither Blizz or players will probably enjoy going through that. But they've got to get rid of the queues somehow, right?
Europe joins in the free move fun
To go along with the set of free North American character transfers that started yesterday, Blizzard Europe has seen fit to open the following free character transfers: From: Al'Akir, Crushridge, Grim Batol, Outland, Stormscale To: Burning Blade, Laughing Skull The transfers are scheduled to be active from today until next Tuesday, March 4, although the standard disclaimer applies that the transfers may be shut down early if the desired population levels are reached.Since Blizz bases their transfer decision off of their stats for what realms need it most, this should be the appropriate set of servers, but I'll ask you anyway: if you're on one of the "from" servers, are you overcrowded now? If you're on one of the "to" servers, are you glad to have some new company coming? And if you're on another server altogether, do you need some transfer loving? Sound off in the comments.
Blue Notes: BC launch vid, contest and move for Europe
A few small items of interest for you all today. First, a documentary video by Blizzard of the BC launch, in both California and Europe. Cop the vid here; it's fun to see the festivities leading up to the new sandbox we're all playing in.Second, it seems that WoW is turning two in Europe on February 11. There's a lore contest and a wallpaper contest; prizes include Alienware computers and Nvidia video cards. As usual for their European contests, many countries are ineligible, because of their laws as regards lotteries -- it's not that Blizz just hates several random countries in Western Europe, as many forum posters seem to think. Blizzard's got the full details on their page.
Happy European transfer day
We seem to be a few days late reporting this -- these transfers close tomorrow. Sorry about that; they must have slipped past in the post-BC furor. Anyway, Thundy drops the following knowledge: The below migrations are currently active. They're scheduled to close on Friday January 26th, at 12:00 (noon) CET. However, again, please note that this may change at any time. Crushridge to Jaedenar / Boulderfist / Vek'nilash / Kor'gall Grim Batol to Jaedenar / Boulderfist / Vek'nilash Bloodhoof to Bronze Dragonflight Emerald Dream to Bronze Dragonflight Thunderhorn to Bronze Dragonflight Aszune to Bronze Dragonflight / Anachronos Khadgar to Bronze Dragonflight / Anachronos Terenas to Bronze Dragonflight / Anachronos As always, free moves are a good thing, I think. I wonder why they keep giving multiple destinations for European realms, which they never seem to do for North American realms. Can anyone shine any insight on that?
Blue Notes: Transfers, amulets, and Frostbolt
Moves are on in a big way right now, and there's a piece of good news about that. Now you can play your character while it's in queue to be moved; it won't be moved until you log out. From Nethaera: We are changing the way we process our free character moves and paid character transfers. Players will now be able to queue into the system for the destination realm they wish and continue to play that character until the specified period of time the move will occur. Characters will only be moved after they are logged out of the game. Moves will occur each day from 12:01 AM PST until 2:00 PM PST. We all probably figured this, but Griftah, vendor of "Amazing Amulets" in Shattrath's Lower City, almost certainly sells nothing that actually works. If the vendor's name name doesn't tip you off, how about this post by Eyonix: He's a very sneaky vendor. Buyer beware! Although they are pretty fun little items to have from an RP standpoint. Lastly, Tseric comments on the Frostbolt XI vs XII issue (in a nutshell, XI costs less mana and does more damage than XII): Rank 11 Frostbolt is a book drop. Rank 12, like most other ranks, is available from a trainer. The players this would impact the most are people who've gotten the book, which then don't really need the trainable 'upgrade' at that moment. Those without the book drop are moving along the graded increase of frostbolt's power. Consider Rank 11 a vestigal growth, like an appendix or ear muscles. ;)
New servers and transfers
Well, I was right. Blizz opened new servers very soon after the expansion's launch. We've got two new non-transfer servers and six transfer ones. From Tseric, here are the new non-transfer servers (AQ gates closed -- but who's going to go to AQ now?): Blood Furnace - Central - PVP - Frenzy Battlegroup Shattered Halls - Pacific - PVP - Frenzy Battlegroup And from Eyonix, the new transfers: Destination: - The Scryers, RP - Pacific Feathermoon Silver Hand Scarlet Crusade Argent Dawn Shadow Council Destination: - Area 52 PvE, - Eastern Icecrown Stormrage Gilneas Bloodhoof Lothar More transfers after the jump.
Smooth Moves through smooth video
OK, we enjoy the quick, pick-up-and-play style that the WarioWare games have presented in the past, but Smooth Moves might be taking things a little too far in terms of content. We've watched this video several times and are certain that a minigame does, in fact, ask you to spray down naked men with champagne.Yes, you read that right.While it isn't gratuitous and we assume the video is safe for work overall, just a word of warning to some of you who are incredibly scared at the prospect of shaking a bottle of champagne and letting it loose upon unsuspecting, naked men.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves to use Mii avatars
Another juicy tip sent in by one of our readers, this bit of news pertaining to the upcoming Wii title WarioWare: Smooth Moves is that the game will allow players to utilize their own Mii. If you're unfamiliar with the term Mii, then you weren't paying attention yesterday. This information was found via the Wii Preview 2006 online press kit, which is available here. No examples were given of how Mii functionality would be implemented into the game, just that it will be a "special feature."[Note: The Read link and link in the post to Nintendo's online press kit requires a username and password.][Thanks Nushio!]
Goro Abe interview [Update]
For those of you unaware, Goro Abe is the director of development for Warioware: Smooth Moves, the Wii installment in the popular Warioware franchise. In a lengthy Q & A session, Goro discusses how the team comes up with the quirky minigames the series has been known for and some of the challenges that come from developing a title for Nintendo's next-gen system, and even discusses his role in bringing Wario to Super Smash Bros. Brawl.[Update: It's Goro, not Masamichi.]
