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Warcraft novel author Richard A. Knaak will be at Blizzcon
Blizzplanet got word from Richard A. Knaak himself that he's going to be at Blizzcon next weekend. Knaak, you may know, is the author of the War of the Ancients series of Warcraft books, as well as the author of other Sci Fi and Fantasy books, including a few books set in the Diablo universe.He'll be hanging at the Tokyopop and Pocket Star books booth showing off their Warcraft Manga book, the Sunwell Trilogy, as well as promoting the upcoming release of the reprint compliation of the WotA trilogy. Knaak's blog also says he's going to be at Comicon this week, if you're in San Diego for that one, and has another interesting little tidbit: apparently the first book of the Sunwell Trilogy has been picked up as an SAT study book. So you can read about Warcraft and study for the SAT at the same time.Anyway, no word on whether Knaak will be actually signing or not, but he seems like a nice enough guy, and will probably be happy to discuss any of the ins and outs of Warcraft lore with you. And if you are going to Blizzcon, don't forget-- we'll be happy to discuss them with you too!Thanks, Chadwick!
First WoW Insider meetup at BlizzCon: join us!
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know we're going to be reprazenting at BlizzCon. While we're there we'd love to get a raid together to take down one of the local bars, have some fun meeting as many of you as can make it as possible, and give away some goodies as well. So we hope you'll be able to join us for the first ever WoW Insider meetup on Thursday night, August 2, before all the madness gets underway on Friday. We'll be at The Lost Bar in the Disneyland Hotel at 1150 W. Magic Way, Anaheim, CA from 8pm until we've cleared all the trash mobs. If you'll be able to come out and hang with us WoW Insider staffers and readers and have a chance to win some free stuff, can you let us know in the comments? We look forward to meeting you!
9 Million smoking the Warcraft pipe
After Blizzard phoned-in their E3 appearance, they've hit another milestone before they wreak chaos with BlizzCon and other planned announcements -- they've got 9 million World of Warcraft addicts. Yes, Blizzard is happy to announce that they continue to assist the fall of western civilization with their massively multiplayer crack-dispensing online game."We're thrilled that gamers around the world have continued to embrace World of Warcraft so enthusiastically," says Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard. He better watch out or the US government might drop a napalm bomb on his house Clear and Present Danger-style for being an enemy combatant in the war on drugs. The US is still fighting that, right? It's so hard to keep up with all the world of warcrafting going on.Since premiering in 2004, World of Warcraft is apparently continuing to increase their player base despite reports to the contrary. The South Park episode featuring WoW was also recently nominated for an Emmy. How do we not have a WoW money-printing animated picture yet? WoW alone must produce more cash per month then the GDP of many nations at this point. Time for another hit.[Via Press Release]
What to bring -- and not to bring -- to BlizzCon
For those of you planning on heading out to BlizzCon with us next week, Blizzard has just given us a list of dos and don'ts for the convention floor.Don't: Bring a bag larger than 20x10 to the conference. Regardless of size, all bags may be searched and you may be refused entry if you're found to have any prohibited items. (If you're planning on participating in the costume contest and need something larger than that to carry your costume, check in with the ticket desk when you arrive.) Bring your laptop. They won't be allowed on the show floor -- leave them at home, in your car, or at your hotel. Bring any weapons, alcohol, fireworks, glass bottles, cans, or large containers into BlizzCon. Do: Bring your video camera. There will be plenty of cool things going on that will be worth recording. However, there are some things you can't record -- filming the finale concert or any gameplay footage will get you in trouble. (Note, gameplay footage does not apply to tournament gameplay, which you're welcome to record.) Bring your iPod or other MP3 player. But don't get caught hooking it up to a computer. If you still have questions, be sure to check the BlizzCon FAQ for full details. With only ten days to go before the conference gets started, hopefully we'll have more details soon!
WoW Insider and Xfire at Blizzcon
You may not have realized this yet (I didn't until just now), but we are only a week and a half away from Blizzcon. On August 3 and 4 in Anaheim, CA, Blizzard will host its second huge convention, and WoW Insider will be there covering every second of it. From top to bottom, from start to end, from sign-in to close, we've got you covered. Whether you're going or not, we'll have exclusive interviews, tons of pictures and videos, and everything you need to know about Blizzard's premiere event.And to make our coverage even better, we're teaming up with Xfire-- they're also going to be at Blizzcon, and they'll be hosting live online chats all weekend long, as well as posting their own Blizzcon coverage as well. Various WoW Insider staffers will show up on their service as well (for a few exclusive chats), and they're even planning to do a live chat directly with the Blizzard team.Things are going to get crazy in the next week, and even crazier as the world of Azeroth heads to Anaheim. If you're coming to Blizzcon, we'll see you there, and even if not, stay tuned for the best Blizzcon coverage on the 'net. Blizzcon is almost upon us-- ready check!
World of Warcraft comic in the making?
There have been some rumors floating around that a World of Warcraft comic book is the next expansion to the franchise, but despite the intriguing artwork we've seen (see right), we don't have any solid confirmation on the project. However, what we do know is that at the San Diego Comic Con next week, well-known comic artist Jim Lee will be appearing with Blizzard's lore expert Chris Metzen. And then Jim Lee will be appearing at BlizzCon. Hmm... Something's certainly going on here to have Jim Lee making two Blizzard-related appearences in a week. But, while his inclusion in BlizzCon (and Metzen's inclusion in Comic Con) seems to suggest some sort of comic, we can't say for certain what kind of surprises are in store for us.[Thanks, Chadwick!]
Today's metalist video: I Am Murloc
Metal band, Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain rocks rawks its World of Warcraft song, I am Murloc in today's video pick. if the video gets you pumped for WoW, there's a good chance you're already booked for BlizzCon, where the band will perform live on August 4. How could it not get you fired up? We don't want to blow all the surprises, but watch for the crotch-thrusting transitional effect. Classic. Video Toaster, this isn't.See the AWESOME video after the break. And score the MP3 for iPhone action.
L70ETC at BlizzCon
The BlizzCon news is coming out in tiny, bite-sized pieces. This afternoon, we've learned that the Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain (last BlizzCon, they were calling themselves Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain -- but they've had plenty of time since then) will be playing at BlizzCon on Saturday night. And as a little preview of the upcoming concert, Blizzard has posted a music video of L70ETC playing their latest hit, I Am Murloc, complete with specially modeled in-game rock stars.
WoW Moviewatch: Quest to Blizzcon
Here's to hoping BlizzCon 2007 doesn't turn out like the version in this movie. In other news, we've got 19 days remaining to BlizzCon. Woo!Previously on Moviewatch...
Blizzard reveals new unannounced game in development
In an exclusive interview with Gamasutra, Blizzard revealed they have 3 development teams hard at work on games. WoW has 135 developers, Starcraft II's team has 40 members and a third unannounced title has a team of 40 members. Frank Pearce, Blizzard's Senior Vice President of Product Development, said "Team 3 is working on something really awesome. I can't give you any hints but it's totally awesome."Be still my beating heart. Of course, the speculation on the forums has begun and Blizzard CM Tigerclaw is fanning the flames:When our awesome new World War II first person shooter ships, you'll all be saying "aw why didn't I see that coming!"A few players suggested that World of Tacocraft is on the horizon. Tigerclaw ran with the idea:You could have power-ups and add-ons, like you could wrap the taco in an authentic Chicago-style pizza... maybe even dip it in batter and then deep fry it til it's golden brown... That's what I call a Taco! Personally, I would like to see Diablo 3 or another MMO on the horizon. Hopefully, they will tell us more at Blizzcon, but Blizzard is notoriously reticent with this kind of information, so I'm not holding my breath. What new game would you like to see from Blizzard? Do you think they'll tell us at Blizzcon? Would you eat a deep fried, pizza wrapped taco?
20 days until BlizzCon: Rob Pardo sits down with the OC Register
It's down to almost two weeks until the big event. E3 saw some info released about the new instance on its way, Zul'Aman. Yesterday Blizzard game design guru Rob Pardo sat down with the Orange County Register. In his interview he spent a lot of time deflecting questions about what big announcements the company might make. Just as Barb mentioned, we're going to have to hold our horses on the expansion front until BlizzCon, but he did run TheGadgetress through a demonstration of Zul'Aman, and gave us some lovely tidbits about the instance.My first favorite note is the instance's seeming similarity to Zul'Gurub. Once again it appears we will be battling animal-themed bosses, with my current favorite of them (current in that I haven't set foot in the instance yet, and am only talking about what I heard in this interview) Nalorakk, the bear boss, which has a chance of dropping a rare bear mount. Some might be dissappointed at the similarities between these instances, but to me it's simply a continuation of the story set out in Zul'Gurub, which I found to be one of my favorite pre-TBC instances. I still get groups together to hunt down the Fishing Boss in there, hoping one day the Poly Turtle tome will drop.Zul'Aman will be like Karazhan in that it will be a 10-man dungeon, but Pardo mentions that it will be smaller than Kara, so players will not have to spend the time in Zul'Aman to finish the dungeon since it will be about half the size. Not having gotten to experience Kara in all its epicness, I admit this is good news for my little guild. This info about the dungeon released so close to the convention strikes a bit of similarities with the previous BlizzCon, where we were introduced to Ahn'Qiraj. I dunno about you, but the wait is killing me.
Brush up on your etiquette for BlizzCon
Blizzcon is only three weeks away, and so right now might be the best time to start brushing up on your BlizzCon Etiquette-- Adriss from Skywall has written up this very helpful tongue-in-cheek guide to make sure you don't commit any faux pas at Blizzard's gigantic get-together.For instance, did you know that you should always ask permission before punting any gnomes you see? And also, I was sorry to read that Night Elves will not be permitted to dance at the convention-- apparently there will be children there. Pretty funny.Have any other tips for not stepping on any toes? My only suggestions would be to stay away from any shoulder-related comments when around Orcs, and by all means, do not feed the CMs. They subside just fine on their normal diet of forum trolls and customer tears.[ via WorldofWar.net ]
Register for live contests at BlizzCon
Before you panic, I'm sure Undead are eligible to participate, too. But what I mean by "live" is that these contests are going to take place at BlizzCon in real time. However, while you don't have to do all the work in advance, you are required to register. So if you're interested in participating in this year's costume contest, character sound-alike contest, or dance contest, it's time to head over to the BlizzCon page and register! And if you aren't interested in the live contests, remember -- there's still some time to enter their online contests, which will reward talented fan artists, machinima-makers, and songwriters! But deadlines for those are quickly approaching on July the 19th, so if you're interested, best get to work!
What do you think will be announced at BlizzCon 2007?
A joke thread over on the official forums started me wondering about this. What announcements might we see at BlizzCon next month? Personally, I'm expecting on the following: StarCraft 2: We know there will be a playable version there, but what else will we find out? Diablo 3: There have been rumors floating around the net about Diablo 3 for quite some time, and this would be the perfect opportunity for Blizzard to announce it. The upcoming MMO: Blizzard has hired some MMO developers specifically for a "next-gen" MMO (read: not World of Warcraft). Hopefully we'll get some juicy details on what they're working on! Movie(s): I hope to hear some more detail on the upcoming World of Warcraft movie, and perhaps confirmation to the rumored Diablo movie. The next expansion: I fully expect Blizzard to announce the next World of Warcraft expansion at BlizzCon this year -- though how many details they'll have we can only guess. But what do you expect (or hope!) to see at this year's event?
WSVG coming to Dallas this week
The World Series of Video Games is making their stop in Dallas, Texas starting tomorrow, July 5th and ending on Sunday, July 8th. And as always, World of Warcraft 3v3 arena tournaments are on the agenda! I'm afraid registration for the event is closed (though if you show up you can register for a chance at a competition spot opening up), but if you're in the area, you can certainly attend and watch some skilled arena players at work (for the $10 cost of admission). The real question is whether the pros at Team Pandemic will win again: so far, they've won both of the WSVG's WoW arena tournaments. And remember -- one lucky arena team will be winning an all-expenses paid trip to BlizzCon 2007!
WoW Insider BlizzCon ticket giveaway winners!
If you recall, last week we had three BlizzCon tickets to give away. And they've each been handed out to lucky commenters. For those of you who happen to be less lucky, I'm sorry -- but to our winners, congratulations! These fine WoW Insider readers are all getting into BlizzCon 2007: Nicole Eric Rachel Grats, everyone! I look forward to seeing you, and some of our other readers, at BlizzCon this year!
WoW Moviewatch: Northrend video (not really)
Know why I love you guys? Because when you go too long without hearing new information about the next patch and expansion, you just go out there and make it up.This video says it's by Fanatik, who you may remember has leaked some info about upcoming content before. This purports to be a video of the next expansion, situated in Northrend-- except that it's completely and totally fake. Some parts are better than others-- the last cinematic is ripped straight out of WC3, but the main screen looks OK, at least until you realize that it too is chopped together from the previous Warcraft game. Boubouille has a list over at MMO Champion of where everything in the video comes from, and it's all completely fake-- Fanatik didn't even create it.Still, it would be nice to hear some official word from Blizzard about what's coming next, wouldn't it? Until then (probably around Blizzcon, if my instincts are correct), I guess we'll have to make do with this.
Blizzcon ticket giveaway! [Updated]
It's Friday -- yay! The weekend is rapidly approaching which means we all get a chance to abandon work for play. But today we're going to make your Friday a bit brighter by giving you one last chance to win a ticket to BlizzCon 2007! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment in response to this post -- and only one, please! Anyone found trying to stuff the ballot in their favor will be disqualified. At 2:00 PM EST tomorrow, we'll pick a winner at random. Now, this is only the ticket to BlizzCon -- travel arrangements are on you. We'll be passing your name on to Blizzard to reserve the ticket (and they will be checking your ID when you pick up your ticket), so, no, you aren't going to be able to sell these on eBay or anything else. To be eligible to win, you need to be a US resident of age 18+. (I'm sorry, but legal restrictions prevent us from opening contests up further than this.) For full rules and regulations, be sure to check out our official rules page. But if all of this sounds good to you, then what are you waiting for? Leave a comment for your chance to win!Update: I'm afraid this contest is now over -- check back next week to find out who our winners were!
Online contests for BlizzCon
Blizzard has just announced three online contests that will be wrapping up before BlizzCon, so the winners' work can be featured there. And in case you didn't think you had a ticket to this year's event, it looks like most winners will be receiving BlizzCon tickets as well as other cool prizes (though they haven't announced specific prizes for the movie contest yet). Details are still sketchy -- for example, none of the contests yet offers any official way to submit your entry -- but you can still start planning your winning entry! The three contests include: Fan Art Contest: The top five entries will each receive two tickets to BlizzCon 2007 and an Nvidia graphics card. Original Song Contest: The grant prize winner will receive a Dell XPS laptop and two tickets to BlizzCon 2007, while two runner-ups will each receive a Creative Labs sound card and two tickets to BlizzCon 2007. Movie Contest: As-of-yet-unnannounced prizes will be going to first, second, and third place movies in the categories of action-adventure, drama, and comedy, with a grand prize winner chosen from the first place winners. Entries to all contests end on July 19th at 11:59 PM PDT, which isn't so far away. So if you've a talent in any of the above categories, I'd advise getting to work!
Stratics interviews Awake from Nihilum, too
Stratics has posted their own Nihilum interview (here's ours, from last week), and while the piece doesn't actually appear to be in interview format (?), it does have some good info from Awake about how to manage a huge guild, whether PvE players will be able to go professional in the future, and how Nihilum stays on track and GTD.Not too much is new since last week, but Awake does offer up some new info about Nihilum's PvP plans-- they're trying to bring at least two teams into WSVG. Also, Awake mentions that they'll be at Blizzcon in some form (so will WoW Insider, of course, and if you don't have your tickets yet, be sure to watch for our contests all week), and hints that it might have something to do with... Leeroy Jenkins?So there's not too much to learn if you read last week's interview (or if you're just tired of hearing about Nihilum-- yes, I know there are some of you out there), but if you just can't get enough Nihilum, go check it out.
