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Wrath of Lich King's Blue Eye of Sauron
The world of Warcraft (and subsequently World of Warcraft) owes a lot to Lord of the Rings ... but this is outright thievery! We jest, of course, but The Eye of Acherus does bear a striking resemblance, palette swap notwithstanding, of a certain bling-seeking, fiery ocular orb. The folks at WoW Insider have more on how the orb is used in questing. In other WotLK news, check out what WI is dubbing the quintessential Death Knight armor set. Gallery: Wrath of the Lich King: The Eye of Acherus
Rob Pardo's insight on WoW's development and why PC gaming isn't dead
What's one of the most powerful game design positions in the games industry today? Executive Vice President of Game Design at Blizzard Entertainment, and the monumental role is filled by Rob Pardo. In this sit-down interview with PC Gamer, Pardo addresses various topics including why PC Gaming is far from dead. An easy position to take considering World of Warcraft has 11 million active subscribers. But Pardo understands the pressures companies face when developing on the PC platform. His line of thinking is that PC gaming won't die, but that it's evolving. When it comes to decision making and managing 140 creative staff members that work on World of Warcraft, Pardo describes an organic and collaborative process. The team is cohesive and there is no dictatorship over creative control as anyone on the team has the power to veto. Pardo admits that this may sound like nothing is accomplished with so many differing perspectives, but the key to content competition is in the team's dynamics, communication and of course compromise. Blizzard also eschews the monolithic design document. Instead Blizzard's creative process is more iterative and chunks of content are scraped but it pushes the whole team to do better with the overall objective to deliver a better product. The interview covers various other topics including a disagreement in viewpoints with Raph Koster, and why anyone looking to break into game design should second-think their college education choice if majoring in the specialized field. [Via WoW Insider]
The Daily Grind: The MMO you're most looking forward to
There are so many upcoming MMOs to anticipate, we honestly can't say which one we're looking forward to most. Champions Online looks like good fun (with a good sense of humor!), DC Universe Online has us wowed with its array of super powers (that thing where you can freeze someone in a block of ice and throw them around? We're led to understand it never gets old.), Wrath of the Lich King is sure to turn our attention back to Blizzard (we may or may not have the beta client open as we type -- we'd never admit it if we did), Warhammer Online is just around the corner, Star Trek Online calls to the inner geek in all of us, and Knights of the Old Republic Online (or whatever it might be called) is a siren's song to any geeks not falling head over heels for STO. We're in such a state of giddiness over upcoming games, we can't quite determine which one we're most excited about -- and that's where you come in. Which of the many new titles out there are you most looking forward to?
WotlK: Death Knight talent builds showcased in three action clips
With the WotlK NDA crushed and thrown away there's an information upheaval. WoW Insider is sorting through the overload and what will set WotlK apart from TBC is the Death Knight. It's the first new class introduction since World of Warcraft launched in 2004. Sure, there is some cause for concern. The big question on many minds is will the class be over powered? If you aren't in the beta maybe the following three videos will help you decide. Each video showcases a different talent tree: Unholy, Frost, and Blood. The videos are courtesy of Leiah, WotlK beta tester and MMOG blogger at World of Feedback. The video above displays the Death Knight thrashing around in the Pools of Aggonar and specialized in Unholy. What stands out is the Death and Decay, a powerful AE ability, which leaves a wake of destruction in its path. When used in conjunction with Corpse Explosion and two Blood tree talents: Butchery and Vendetta, a lethal combo ensues as each kill returns 6% health and 20 runic power. Lichborne, Bone Armor, and Death Gate are also used. You can also see the sacrificial ghoul explode and deal 2,000 extra damage. The other two Death Knight build videos are after the break.
Wrath of the Lich King goes beta
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/World_of_Warcraft_Wrath_of_the_Lich_King_Beta_Is_Starting'; On a Thursday night after all the E3 shenanigans (and during our party, no less), we have word that Blizzard has begun the Wrath of the Lich King beta. Sources have told WoW Insider that the alpha phase reportedly shut down a few days ago and that invites should be going out soon for the beta. Additionally, a Blizzard site has gone live to help gamers get the beta set up. Are you one of the lucky few to get an invite? You can check out the patch notes here. Gallery: Wrath of the Lich King
Patches, addons and drama in the forums
While surfing the forums this morning, I came across a little gem of a thread protesting against Blizzard for the following: Breaking "our" addons and mods. Incorporating features from popular addons into the default User Interface, and thus breaking addons and mods. There's also a sentiment that Blizzard is "stealing" these ideas rather than being innovators. Fixing "their" bugs which in turn breaks "our" addons and mods. The suggestion is that they don't care, or could take steps to prevent this. As you can imagine, all sorts of responses cropped up, including the usual people who get into arguments with other posters, players in agreement, joking and sarcastic responses, and of course, an awesome string of blue responses.%Gallery-27848%
Wrath of the Lich King friends & family alpha concludes
The Wrath of the Lich King alpha is a wrap. Several days ago, WoW informants tipped sister site WoW Insider the news that the Wrath of the Lich King alpha was offline. Yesterday morning the rumorang came full circle as World of Warcraft, Community Manager Eyonix confirmed the fears alpha players had suspected all along. The official notice stated the WotlK alpha had closed down and a message of thanks was left with a reassurance that all alpha testers would be able to participate in the beta which would start soon. The message was leaked on Deathknight.info. No actual date was given on when the WotlK beta will start, but active WoW players who were not in the alpha or already guaranteed a beta slot can take a gamble with the optional-in beta signup that went live recently. It shouldn't be long now. WoW Insider is also reporting on some scuttlebutt from a purported family member of a developer, and their belief that Blizzard is rushing development to meet an arbitrary deadline. With the first phase of beta starting soon there is still plenty of time left for the WoW developers to polish out the 76-80 content. If WotlK is not ready Blizzard will more than likely push the release back as they did with TBC. [Via WoW Insider]
Vivendi is dead, long live Activision-Blizzard
Okay, so we've been waiting for this moment for a few months. The waiting probably hasn't involved breathless anticipation or anything, but there's definitely been waiting. It's now official, and there's very little to go wrong -- Vivendi is merging with Activision, destroying the Vivendi Games name in favor of the new entity: Activision-Blizzard.Activision shareholders (and a little regulation-fu) were the only hold ups to the process. Today, Activision shareholders voted 92% in favor of merging with Vivendi. Which means that 8% voted against the deal -- I have to wonder what they were thinking. The old Vivendi folks have a 52% control of the new company (called Activision-Blizzard), which is projected to clock over $3.8 billion dollars annually. The close date is tomorrow -- it's still technically possible that an enormous asteroid may fall from the heavens, plunging the entirety of the Earth into a post-nuclear wasteland. Or, zombies could attack. Maybe Zombie Murlocs, with their own MySpace accounts. But short of a Murloc invasion (I, for one, welcome our new Mrlglglglge overlords), there's nothing left for the merger but for the fat lady to sing.
Hernandez v. IGE: Brock Pierce declaration and Hernandez compel developments
Antonio Hernandez filed a lawsuit in 2007 against IGE, the MMOG-currency for real dollars illicit emporium. Hernandez claims IGE diminishes the overall playing experience for legitimate players and filed on the grounds that stem from farming gold, spamming chat, and camping spawns it allegedly prevented players from receiving full benefits Blizzard intended via World of Warcraft's End User License Agreement. Eight weeks remain in the fact discovery phase under the court's calendar and two recent developments have surfaced. First, a declaration on behalf of IGE's CEO Brock Pierce which states IGE merely holds stock in Affinity Media INC. and does not employ anyone nor have anything to do with the alleged activities in the Amended Complaint was filed. Second, Hernandez has moved to compel production of documents and asked the court to force IGE to respond fully to plaintiff's interrogatories.Virtually Blind has been following the lawsuit closely since the outset and has all legal documentation available for download.
WoW's Wrath of the Lich King box art leaked
What is with all these World of Warcraft leaks? If you knew where to look everything you wanted to know about WotlK was already exposed before Blizzard Entertainment's World Wide Invitational extravaganza. For shame, not even the WotlK box art is safe from prying eyes and camera phones. WoW Insider already exposed the box art for the Collector's Edition, and the same source has also obtained snaps of the basic box art.Is it the real deal or a mocked-up forge? The WotlK box layout has many exact elements used on The Burning Crusade box. The placement for the Blizzard logo and ESRB rating line up exactly, and the font used to spell 'expansion set' is identical to its cardboard predecessor. In another photo that lends to its authenticity is a printer's mark. The box also notes that you need The Burning Crusade to play Wrath of the Lich King which means no free TBC bundles.Hopefully, it won't be long until those boxes are stuffed with the goods and shipped to retail where we can pick them up because what comes on the inside of the box is what matters. Unless you're one of those weirdoes that save game boxes and treasures them for eternity. If you are feeling lucky skip the box altogether and try your hand at the WotlK beta-lottery.
Diablo 3 'theoretically possible' for console port
In our interview with Diablo 3 lead designer Jay Wilson, it was explained that there were no plans to bring the long-awaited title to any platform other than PC and Mac. However, in the six days that have passed since said interview, a couple of Blizzard higher-ups weren't quite as dismissive of the possibility of the dungeon crawler making an appearance on our primitive gameboxes -- though the language used to describe this possibility hasn't exactly given us high-apple-pie-in-the-sky hopes.When asked about a console rendition of the third entry in the Lord of Terror-slaying franchise, Blizzard COO Paul Sams gave an inconclusive "I don't know yet," though Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo suggested a console port was "theoretically possible," as out of all of Blizzard's franchises, Diablo would be the most console-friendly. We guess a theoretical "yes" is better than an actual "no", or a metaphorical "maybe", but we're still not holding our bated breath for a non-compy version of Diablo the Third.
Wrath of the Lich King beta registration now open in US
Blizzard has opened US registration for the Wrath of the Lich King beta. American World of Warcraft players should probably head over to this page now and register for a chance to opt in. Two helpful reminders: Registering for the beta does not guarantee you a chance to play. It just adds your name to a pool of potential players that Blizzard will choose from. Beware of e-mail scams. This is the official URL: https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account/beta-opt-in.html Whether or not you get into the beta, be sure to check out WoW Insider for up-to-date coverage. [Via WoW Insider]
Vivendi and Activision merge nears completion as Delaware Court denies preliminary injunction
It's a hectic summer over at Blizzard HQ. Inundating the masses with Wrath of the Lich King across the pond at the World Wide Invitational, announcing Diablo 3 on top of that, and battling it out in the courts against the kingpin responsible for World of Warcraft's bot brigade. Aside from all that, there's the whole pending merger with Activision and Vivendi approval process with Blizzard Entertainment right in the middle. The latest legal development involves a preliminary injunction filed by some shareholders who weren't satisfied with the $27.50 per share offer. The injunction suit was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery last February by the Wayne County Employee's Retirement System in an attempt to halt the merger. Activision has announced that a Delaware Court junked that preliminary injunction, a decision made by the very illuminated and WoW-knowledgeable Chief Judge William B. Chandler III. Activision will be holding a stockholder meeting next Tuesday on July 8, if approved the merger will complete on July 9th and a new titan, Activision Blizzard will join forces and the gaming world will never be the same again. We wonder how many level 70 characters the Judge plays or maybe he's already level 75 in the WotlK beta?
World of Warcraft's Midsummer Fire Festival ends soon
There's only a few days left before the fireworks fizzle out as the Midsummer Fire Festival comes to an end on July 4th. Why not go out with a bang, the next time you fire up World of Warcraft be sure to grab one last ribbon do-si-do, juggle a few torches, honor and steal those remaining bonfire flames, or slay Lord Ahune for that friend you promised, you do keep your promises don't you? If you have nothing else to do you could run your lower-level alts around the world to collect all the different bonfire flames for some pretty decent experience gains. If you are struggling on what to spend your burning blossoms on WoW Insider has you covered. A lot of players are saying this is the best event in a long time, thanks to some new festivities. You better celebrate the good times before its too late and back to the dailies routine again!
WoW Insider goes hands-on with the Death Knight
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Hands_on_with_the_WoW_Death_Knight_class_at_the_WWI_in_Paris'; The MMO-obsessed at WoW Insider managed to get some hands-on time with Wrath of the Lich King's Death Knight class while at this weekend's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational. Take a look for impressions and information on the gameplay, skills and talents of this soon-to-be overused class. General gameplay impressions Blood spells and talents Unholy spells and talents Frost spells and talents Don't forget to check out all of Worldwide Invitational coverage, from World of Warcraft to Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3.
WWI08: Lore and art in Diablo 3
At Blizzard's recent Worldwide Invitational, Diablo 3's World Designer Leonard Boyarsky and Art Director Brian Morrisroe got on stage in front of a crowd hungry for details on Blizzard's latest project to talk about combining art and lore to expand the world give the player a deeper and more engaging experience. Diablo is a unique fantasy universe in that instead of having Dwarves and Elves, it has Angels and Demons. The game's setting makes it a dark fantasy environment that the previous games had only scratched the surface of.%Gallery-26348%
WWI08: Diablo 3 design fundamentals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Diablo_3_design_fundamentals'; At the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris, Blizzard designers took to the stage to talk about the design goals and fundamentals behind their upcoming title, Diablo III. Jay Wilson, lead designer on the title, presented a rundown of the design philosophy behind the game, covering its origins, the game's approchability, and the design team's "better gameplay, less carpal tunnel" approach.%Gallery-26348%
World of Warcraft's J. Allen Brack interviewed
Ah, Paris – the romance, the exquisite food, all the latest World of Warcraft information from the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment World Wide Invitational. WoW Insider is there, and are reporting back every snippet about class change and renovations, world-PvP, developer panels, and everything there is to know about Wrath of the Lich King. Tobold, an astute MMOG blogger with some Blizzard PR clout, was also in attendance, and with press badge in hand grabbed a short interview with World of Warcraft's Lead Producer, J. Allen Brack. In the interview they discuss hero classes, WoW's expansion schedule, the shortage of tankers and healers players encounter when putting a pug together, and more. No earth-shattering revelation is exposed but it is a worthy effort at picking one of the top brains working on World of Warcraft.
All World of Warcraft classes dissected at WWI 2008
You can't escape World of Warcraft at Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational. Between class-specific panels and the giant WoW dev panel. Here's a look into the future of each of the classes, including a ton of information on the upcoming Death Knight class: Death Knight Druid Hunter Mage Paladin Priest Rogue Shaman Warlock Warrior
Blizzard introduces Diablo 3
click to enter gallery var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Blizzard_introduces_Diablo_3'; Joystiq will make any sacrifice to bring you the latest news -- even if it means flying to Paris, France in order to attend Blizzard Entertainment's Worldwide Invitational. Only seconds ago we were shown a cinematic from Blizzard's newest game: Diablo 3. We're currently being shown a live demo of the game (which we're reminded is a work in progress) by lead designer Jay Wilson. The look and feel of the game -- though graphically updated from its aging sibling -- looks a lot like the dungeon crawls we all know and love from the original series. We're promised more loot, more quests (and some old friends like Deckard Cain), and new environments. Classes demo'd include the familiar Barbarian and the brand new Witch Doctor (a master of disease and fire who will control pets). Says Wilson, the game is "primarily cooperative" and it will be quick and easy to form groups over Battle.net. Sorry, folks who were expecting an MMO, but it sounds like Diablo 3 will continue in the tried-and-true Diablo format.Update: Blizzard's European site is now live with the cinematic teaser and gameplay footage for your perusal!%Gallery-26340%
