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WoW Magazine calling it quits
After just five issues, the official World of Warcraft Magazine is calling it quits. Future US has posted a notice on the website, and subscribers can either get a refund for the issues they didn't receive, or a voucher for six in-game World of Warcraft pets. Future recommends subscribers who want to keep up with the game in a dead tree format can subscribe to its PC Gamer publication, and it's possible Blizzard may try to publish something itself, though there are apparently no plans for that yet. It's kind of a shame -- the WoW Magazine did offer a lot of solid coverage about the game (and some good looks inside the workings of Blizzard's Irvine, CA campus), but the publication was also torn between its status as an official outlet and a separate press entity. Dan Amrich, the magazine's first editor-in-chief (who left even before the first issue was published, and is now working as an official Activision blogger) recently wrote about some of the troubles he had dealing with Blizzard's licensing department and their control over the magazine. When you combine that with the fact that MMO fans tend to prefer digital over analog, then apparently the whole venture just wasn't worth it. Like we said, shame.
WoW Magazine ending with issue 5
It looks like publication delays and deadlines were not the worst of the World of Warcraft Official Magazine's troubles. Issue 5 of the oft-late magazine will be its last, and subscribers have been sent emails with redemption codes for a refund or a package of the six pets from the Blizzard pet store. You are apparently only allowed to get a reimbursement if you request it in writing by Sept. 30, so check your email soon if you are a World of Warcraft Official Magazine subscriber. The World of Warcraft Official Magazine was a pretty cool resource when it came out, but with print media for a game that changes so often and critically as World of Warcraft, the magazine just could not keep up. It is a shame, however, to see anything of this caliber end. I think I speak for a lot of readers and WoW fans when I say that the magazine had a lot of potential. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Can the WoW Magazine quote you on that?
The World of Warcraft Official Magazine has historically featured blurbs from players on all kinds of subjects, and now they want even more of them for upcoming issues. It could even be your quote that makes it to its hallowed pages! Players from both the United States and Europe have the opportunity to contribute their thoughts on a variety of topics, including advice for new 85s, tips for Battle for Gilneas and Twin Peaks, opinions on the hardest raid for its time, and more. Links for U.S. players are below, and links for EU players are after the cut. Get a Quote in the Official WoW Magazine The Official World of Warcraft magazine is looking for a few good quotes, and they could be yours! Hit any of the below threads for a variety of topics, give your best tip, hint, or response, and you could be quoted in a future issue. Have at 'em: Do you have any gaming superstitions? http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301732824 Where's the craziest place you've played WoW from? http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301722702 Blackrock Depths memories. http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301732829 What was the most difficult raid for its time? http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301732828 What advice would you give someone that just hit 85? http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301732827 Battle for Gilneas and Twin Peaks tips. http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2301632945#1 source
Don't panic about those WoW Magazine subscription renewal notices
We got some reports through Twitter and the tip line that current subscribers to the World of Warcraft Official Magazine had received notices asking them to resubscribe. Several people, especially those who ordered subscriptions and haven't yet received their four issues, took this to mean that their subscription had lapsed and that they wouldn't be receiving any more issues unless they resubscribed. This is not the case! We contacted Andy Salisbury, editor at the mag, and he had this to say: The email is just a reminder. Those that paid for 1 and 2 year subscriptions will get their 4 and 8 issues (respectively), regardless of timing. We're not going to hold anyone's issues hostage or anything of the sort, it's just meant to let subscribers know about renewal! So don't panic. The email was just intended as an "if you like the WoW magazine, resubscribe to it!" notice, not as a notification that you won't be getting what you paid for. Thanks to Andy for getting back to us so promptly.
BlizzCon 2010: Day 2 round-up
Day 2 at BlizzCon 2010 saw the two most traditionally popular panels (the class Q&A and the general Q&A) go live, but there was plenty at the convention to keep you busy even if you were among the two or three people there not interested in developer panels. Liveblogs We liveblogged the World of Warcraft class Q&A and the World of Warcraft open Q&A panels and transcribed two previously unannounced DirecTV interviews with Greg Street (Ghostcrawler) and Tom Chilton. If you're looking for player complaints, developer snark or news on future game changes, you'll find 'em here. People, interviews and events Matticus caught up with Andy Salisbury for a preview the WoW magazine's third issue, and Anne Stickney interviewed both Richard Knaak and Christie Golden. Robin Torres put together a gallery of the items Blizzard auctioned off to benefit Child's Play, one of them a painting of characters in the upcoming DC Horde comic series. We also took lots of pictures of this year's art gallery. On a non-Blizzard note, someone took a nasty spill during Friday's dance contest. Friday recaps Lisa Poisso observed some happy realm meetups, we recapped an impressive costume contest, and Matticus wrote about the live raid and Paragon's ill-fated defense of Orgrimmar. Future content The Emerald Dream (or should we say Emerald Nightmare?) was confirmed as a future addition during the general Q&A. We don't know if it's going to be an expansion, a patch, a raid or something else, but developers promise that seeing it "is a matter of when, not if." New worgen cinematic The cinematic panel was a lovely peek at how the Blizzard team created the recently released Cataclysm cinematic, but it was also notable for the debut of long-missing cutscene that will power the Gilnean leveling experience forward. Revenge of the login dragon Angry about being voted out in favor of players' favorite candidate for warchief, Abesik Kampfire, the "login dragon" makes an ear-shattering return for the Cataclysm login screen. Closing ceremonies The Warcraft III and StarCraft II tournament winners were crowned (the WoW tournament was still in progress), and Paul Sams, Blizzard's chief operating officer, even started to talk a little about the company's new MMO ... or so we thought. %Gallery-105863% %Gallery-105843% %Gallery-105842% %Gallery-105858% BlizzCon 2010 is upon us! WoW Insider has all the latest news and information. We're bringing you liveblogging of the WoW panels, interviews with WoW celebrities and attendees and of course, lots of pictures of people in costumes. It's all here at WoW Insider!
BlizzCon 2010: WoW Magazine issue 3 revealed
I managed to have a quick chat with Andy Salisbury of the World of Warcraft magazine. The big thing, though, is that issue 3 shipped Thursday the 21st. Subscribers will have many articles to look forward to in regards to Cataclysm. Some highlights right after the jump.
Official WoW Magazine looking for guild gathering photos
If you have some photos of your WoW guild getting together in the physical world, you can send them to the Official Magazine for possible publication. Andy Salisbury or Skaarjonic, one of the editors at the magazine, says: If you've got any pictures of a real life meetup that you and your guildies had, we'd love to see them! Head on over to our forums at Wowhead, tell us about the get together, and send your pictures to letters@worldofwarcraftthemagazine.com. Who knows, you could find yourself published in the next issue of the World of Warcraft Official Magazine! Andy also says you should make sure that everyone in the picture is OK with having their image published before submitting. Again, these are real life photos and not the triumphant screenshot of your guild's Lich King kill. It's really cool you killed him. And I'm sure the screenshot is awesome. But it's just not what they are looking for, sorry. To retierate -- Azeroth: Nay. Earth: Yay!
Official WoW Magazine forums on Wowhead
Wowhead is hosting the World of Warcraft Official Magazine forums. This is now the place to go to ask questions about the quarterly, subscription-only, no-ad magazine. Skaarjonic aka Andy Salisbury, one of the magazine's editors, makes clear in the intro post that they are not Blizzard and will not be revealing any insider info that is under NDA. He is actively answering as many questions as he can, however. Here are some examples: There are no plans to make the magazine available digitally. The magazine ships anywhere in the world in four different languages. They will be offering back issues in the future. I chatted a bit with Andy, who is actually a guildie of mine (/namedrop), and he had the following quote for our readers: We're really excited about our new forums on Wowhead! It gives us an excellent opportunity to converse openly with the World of Warcraft community about their thoughts on the magazine. Additionally, we'll be out there picking brains for upcoming articles (for example, our Back to Basics articles that are focused on Battlegrounds) so you could end up being in the magazine! Plus, if you've got any questions for members of the staff, feel free to let us hear it. See you out there!
WoW Magazine issue 2 preview now online
The preview for issue 2 of the World of Warcraft Official Magazine is up for browsing. It is 46 pages and highlights four subjects covered in the 148-page publication: Dragons All of the dragonflights are described in detail along with a glossary of all dragon terms. 40-man raids Tackling 40-man raids with level 80s Warsong Gulch Strategies for WSG Community Columns Members of the community contribute columns The WoW Magazine is quarterly, by subscription only and has no ads. It's subscription price starts at $39.95 for a year. I haven't ordered it yet, but dragons are cool. Really cool.
WoW Magazine polls the community
WoW Magazine is looking for some new information, helpful hints, and feedback in the form of two polls just added on the official Warcraft forums. What's in it for you? The best responses they receive will be incorporated into the magazine's features as quotes, and people whose suggestions are used will have their character fully credited for the quote they provide. The first is a request for tips, hints, and other useful information for the "Battlegrounds Back to Basics" feature, regarding Eye of the Storm in an upcoming issue: Bashiok The industrious gnomes and goblins at World of Warcraft Official Magazine are currently working on the next issue. One of its regular features is "Battlegrounds Back to Basics" - this time around covering Eye of the Storm As part of that feature, we're looking for hints and tips from EotS veterans. Is that you? If so, please feel free to post your favorite one-line strategies, tactics and tricks that help give you the winning edge. They can either be team oriented, or even class specific. The best suggestions will be incorporated into the feature as quotes - and of course your character will be fully credited. Remember – these should be straightforward one-liners – we're not looking for long paragraphs packed with intricate details. Thanks in advance to all! source The second involves the upcoming beta for Cataclysm, whether or not people are avoiding it and what those that are opting-in are looking forward to among other things. Is this a hint that we'll see the beta for Cataclysm before we see the next issue of Warcraft Magazine? Who knows -- but check out the post for more information on what kind of feedback they're looking for: Bashiok The gang at World of Warcraft Official Magazine would like to know if you plan on participating in the Cataclysm beta. What about it gets you excited? What should people know before opting-in and participating? Are you purposefully avoiding the beta and all information? Do you love to hunt down bugs, do you thrive in a world of the unknown, or do you despise the impermanence of a testing environment? Tell us about your best experiences from past tests, missed opportunities, your dos and don'ts, your beta hopes, and anything in-between! The best posts will be incorporated into the feature as quotes, and your character will be fully credited. Thanks in advance to all! source Have an opinion about either of the two topics? Check them out on the official Warcraft forums and put your two cents in -- who knows, you may end up in Warcraft Magazine!
Is there a place for MMO magazines?
In the vein of the World of Warcraft magazine, Massively reports that NCSoft has announced a magazine for the MMORPG Aion. Unlike the quarterly World of Warcraft magazine, the Aion magazine will be digital-only and come out every four weeks, or roughly every month. The Aion magazine also features bonus in-game items for players who pre-order, such as armor dyes and consumables. The magazine announcement actually begs the question about whether there's much sense in publishing magazines for an MMO, a constantly evolving and growing game. I subscribed to the World of Warcraft magazine mostly out of a love for the print medium, even though I'm well aware that the information published therein could be made obsolete by a single patch or hotfix. Working for WoW.com, I understand the value of online content which can be updated very quickly and frequently. Best of all, most online magazines (as opposed to Aion's digital format) are free. That said, the World of Warcraft magazine looked gorgeous from the previews and from an artistic standpoint, I always believed there was value in a well-made and laid out publication. I'll have a better idea of what to think when my magazine actually arrives. That's the other thing. Aion's digital-only magazine will presumably be available for download, giving instant gratification. Online magazines are just one web browser away. The World of Warcraft magazine, on the other hand, was due to come out in the 4th quarter last year but encountered a few bumps along the road and was pushed back ever so slightly. When we learned that it finally started shipping early this year, I was pretty stoked to get my hands on one. But it's now March and nothing has arrived in the mail, so that's a big minus for print subscriptions right there. Sure, I live in Asia, but I paid my $69.95 just like everybody else. I'd almost forgotten about it, actually, but Massively's post about Aion's mag reminded me and got me more than a little upset that I haven't gotten my copy two months after folks started getting theirs. Kwurky can only keep me amused for so long, after all.
The Daily Quest: Trinkets, magazine reviews, and more
We here at WoW.com are on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere. Youtube superstar MrVoletron has released another remix, which you can see embedded above or over on his channel. Be warned, the beginning of this one is a little ear-shattering. Turn your volume down. Here's yet another review of the World of Warcraft magazine, this time from Azure Shadows. Empowered Fire compares Icecrown Citadel trinkets for mages. Shades of Grey connects a few lore dots and speculates on what the Cataclysm may bring. Is it just the beginning? With the introduction of the dungeon finder, could that design be used to improve queueing for battlegrounds? Cynwise thinks so. Click here to submit a link to TDQ
WoW Magazine now shipping
Several people have told us via our feedback page that they have received theirWorld of Warcraft Official Magazine in the mail. Last month, we got to see the preview and now many subscribers already have them in hand. The WoW Magazine is a quarterly publication that is available via subscription only. U.S. subscriptions begin at $39.95 for a year and subscriptions are available to other countries at different rates. Our tipsters have described the magazine as having a graphic novel feel to them. Did you subscribe to the magazine? If so, have you received your copy? We would love to read your reviews in the comments if you have.
The best of WoW.com: December 22-29, 2009
There have been widespread reports of earthquakes happening around Azeroth, seemingly at random. People believe that these earthquake are the beginning of a very large world event that will usher in WoW's third expansion, Cataclysm. After a bit of digging, WoW.com speculates that they might be coming form invisible mobs roaming around the virtual world. Blizzard has since come out and started slyly commenting on the in-game earthquake, neither denying nor supporting the conclusions drawn. Of course, there's other things going on in the WoW universe as well, and after the cut we'll take a look at the top stories of the week.
WoW magazine preview now online
The World of Warcraft magazine, which hit a bit of a bump when it lost its Editor-in-Chief some time ago, is showing off some preview pages from its maiden issue. The whopping 40-page preview gives a glimpse of the magazine, which is scheduled to arrive at subscribers' doorsteps before the year is out (they're running out of time). The 148-page, advertising-free magazine is only available through subscription and will not be out on store shelves. The quarterly magazine is available in one- and two-year subscriptions of at least $39.95 and $69.95 respectively (price varies depending on your location). Published by Future PLC, the company behind official licensed magazines of XBox, PlayStation, and other magazines such as ImagineFX, PC Gamer, and T3, the World of Warcraft official magazine is as visually stunning as the other titles in its stable, albeit somewhat light on text. The magazine shows off exclusive commissioned art, such as some gorgeous pieces by fantasy art star and Dungeons & Dragons veteran Wayne Reynolds. The first issue's articles include lore visitations such as the story behind Sylvanas Windrunner, columns on class roles, and even an interview with vanity pet guru Breanni of warcraftpets.com. The art and lay-out of the magazine looks gorgeous and seems to be a seamless fusion between the World of Warcraft aesthetic and Future PLC titles, although it remains to be seen how a quarterly print magazine can keep up-to-date material with an ever-changing online world. At any rate, the archival magazine looks beautiful, even if players might be better served by online, current articles on the game.
Blizzard Holiday Fan Art Calendar Contest
The World of Warcraft has always had amazing fan art. Looking through the fan art gallery, it's hard not to get blown away by the talent the community has and their passion for drawing Blizzard properties. This year, the folks in Irvine decided to celebrate all that talent and passion by holding a contest for the artistically-inclined. Zarhym invites artists over at the official forums to contribute to the Holiday Fan Art Calendar Contest. The idea is to create a piece of World of Warcraft art that sets the tone for a particular month based on the in-game holidays. Artists can choose to depict scenes from or situations inspired by events from the Lunar Festival, Love Is in the Air, Noblegarden, Children's Week, Midsummer Fire Festival, Pirate's Day, Brewfest, Harvest Festival, Hallow's End, Day of the Dead, Pilgrim's Bounty, Feast of Winter Veil, all the way to New Year's Eve. Winners will be featured in the 2011 Official World of Warcraft Calendar as well as win a set of 2010 wall, daily, and mini calendars. One grand prize winner will also get to take home a Wacom Cintiq 12WX, the pen-on-screen drawing tool that some of Blizzard's own artists use. Additionally, the grand prize winner will also have his or her work featured in the official World of Warcraft magazine. Deadline for submissions is on February 8, 2010. As always, be sure to read the fine print if you're eligible!
World of Warcraft: The Magazine needs a new Editor-in-chief
A few of our readers (thanks, guys!) spotted this posting popping up on the various job boards recently -- Future US, the company publishing the World of Warcraft magazine that's due out any day now, is apparently seeking a new Editor-in-Chief. Say what? They haven't even released the first issue yet, and they're already seeking a new head honcho? We did a little poking around, and it's true -- Dan Amrich, the man who originally held the position, has moved off already to another gig with Activision (though it seems coincidental that he's going to work for Blizzard's parent company), and Future is stuck seeking a new EIC even before issue one releases. Does this mean the magazine is in trouble? True, it can't be good for the captain of a ship to move on just as it's heading out to port, but we've heard everything is still on course -- the first issue of the subscription (that quite a few people have already bought) is under Blizzard's scrutiny right now, and the second issue is well underway. Everything we hear still says they're aiming to release it sometime this month, but obviously if we hear anything else, we'll let you know. In the meantime, if you're in San Francisco, have a few years' publishing experience, and know a whole lot about World of Warcraft, we have this job you might want...
World of Warcraft: The Magazine, coming soon
In a rather surprising turn of events, Blizzard has announced that they're teaming up with publishing group Future to print a quarterly magazine about, you guessed it, World of Warcraft. For the yearly subscription price of $39.95 USD, readers will receive four issues of the ad-free WoW magazine, including concept art, hints and sneak peeks at upcoming content patches and expansions, interviews with developers, strategies for raid and dungeon encounters, and more "insider and player perspectives". The issues are stated to be more than 140 pages long and glossy as heck. It's admittedly rather shocking that a magazine like this is getting published -- not because of content or anything like that, but because print is considered a flagging medium. The formula for success here seems to be to offer a high-end product -- Future says they consider it more of a "collectible coffee-table book" than a magazine -- and sustain it on subscriptions alone, since it'll be free of advertising. Hopefully legions of fans will subscribe and give the 'zine its lifeblood, since it actually sounds pretty cool to me. The first issue is scheduled to go to press at an as-yet-unknown date this fall, and is supposed to contain interviews with top guilds about Ulduar strategies, a retrospective on WoW for its fifth anniversary, and unnamed other content.Those wishing to subscribe can visit the magazine's official website on August 21st -- that's BlizzCon day one -- and enter their info there, or visit the WoW Magazine booth at the 'Con itself.
