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The balance between new and old content
In some ways, the development team on World of Warcraft has to constantly pay for their own successes. Nostalgia is a potent force, and players often look back fondly on their favorite experiences and want to experience them again. The recent patch 5.1 changes allowing max level players to enter and solo older raid content is a testament to how much goodwill there is towards these older experiences. In both Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria, older dungeons were revamped and raised to the then-level cap as heroics, and two older raids (Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman) were brought into Cataclysm as five man dungeons to tie into a further storyline. Today, while reading the forums I came across a post by Nethaera that really sums up the difficulty in this kind of balance between player nostalgia and new experiences. One of the things I think Cataclysm showed us was that there are limits to how much time players will accept spent on revamping old content and that Blizzard really has to focus on what's new in order to keep the game moving forward. As much as we all love a good soak in nostalgia, it's never as good to actually eat the leftovers as we convinced ourselves it was.
The Queue: Launch day
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Today we tackle, among other things, a couple of questions about Cataclysm's upcoming release. Oh man, it's getting close, people! Get excited! ... Did you hear me? I said, "Get excited!" You. You. In the back. Yes, you. You're not excited, are you? If you don't leap for joy right now we are going to have problems, mister. Or ma'am. I can't tell from here. bdew asked: With the new Battle.net system and the ability to buy games from there directly, did Blizzard say anything official about being able to buy Cataclysm digitally on Day 0?
Cataclysm release date set for December 7
Blizzard has just issued an official press release setting Dec. 7, 2010, as the official release date of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion. Press Release IRVINE, Calif., Oct 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft(R): Cataclysm(TM), the highly anticipated third expansion for the world's most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game*, will be released starting on December 7, 2010. The expansion will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows(R) XP/Windows Vista(R)/Windows(R) 7 and Macintosh(R) at a suggested retail price of $39.99 and will also be offered as a digital download from the Blizzard Store. A special Collector's Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99. "Cataclysm includes the best content we've ever created for World of Warcraft. It's not just an expansion, but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned leveling experience for those just starting out," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "With the help of our beta testers, we're putting on the final polish, and we look forward to welcoming gamers around the world to enjoy it in just a couple of months." The first two World of Warcraft expansions, The Burning Crusade(R) and Wrath of the Lich King(R), each shattered PC game sales records upon their release.* In Cataclysm, the face of Azeroth will be forever altered by the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing. Players will explore once-familiar areas of the world that have now been reshaped by the devastation and filled with new adventures. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races - worgen and goblins - will join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. As players journey to the new level cap of 85, they'll discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world. The beta test for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is currently underway. Visit the official Battle.net(R) website at http://www.battle.net to set up a Battle.net account and sign up for a chance to participate. To learn more about World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, visit http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm.
Amazon just sent out a bunch of emails about Cataclysm's release date
Approximately 37 million of you, in a row, tipped us off tonight about an email from Amazon. This email told people that Cataclysm's release date was Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010, and that those who pre-ordered from Amazon would get it soon after between Nov. 26 and Nov. 29 (due to shipping and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday). Amazon is not a reliable source for release dates. They are often wrong. But it is "odd" that they're saying something now, so close the date. We've previously heard a rumor that Nov. 2 might be another release date, and we know that Cataclysm is on track for a 2010 release, barring something nuts. Until Blizzard announces the date itself, we don't know exactly when Cataclysm will be released. So until then, just grab a towel and don't panic. And let me just make it real clear: WoW Insider is not claiming Nov. 23 is Cataclysm's release date. We're just reporting on what has happened with Amazon emails.
Rumor: Cataclysm targeted for a November 2 release date
According to MMO-Champion, Cataclysm is targeted for a release date of Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. No official release date has been announced, and as is noted on MMO-Champion, Blizzard could easily push back the release date. We do know that Cataclysm has previously been targeted for a 2010 release date and that they've kept on this target recently.
Breakfast Topic: Tired of Cataclysm
Cataclysm doesn't even have a release date yet (though Blizzard insists it's coming out in 2010), but I'm already getting tired of it. Live servers seem like ghost towns and the blogosphere is Cataclysm-obsessed (ourselves included). It's hard not to get excited about new content, but wherever you turn it's talk of the beta, discussion of changes that may never go live and above all, anticipation. But I just want to be able to play World of Warcraft again. Can't we all just shut up about Cataclysm for long enough to run instances? Do raids? Group quests? Anything? Please? So sound off, readers -- are you, too, tired of the endless hype around WoW's next expansion? Do you miss being able to play World of Warcraft?
Cataclysm needs a "couple more months" before release
German entertainment site Gamona landed an interview with World of Warcraft Game Director Tom Chilton at Gamescom 2010. They cover a myriad of topics including Tol Barad, guild leveling, the state of the various classes in the Cataclysm beta and the reasoning behind Facebook integration into their games. But perhaps the most interesting piece of data is that according to Tom Chilton, Cataclysm needs "a couple more months" of work. While that might seem terribly obvious to some, it's the closest thing to an official timetable we've heard from Blizzard or a Blizzard employee beyond the aim for releasing in 2010. A "couple more months" would set the launch firmly after BlizzCon and leaning closer to the holiday season. Mike Morhaime recently confirmed that the expansion was still on track for a 2010 release, so we're most likely looking at a November or December launch. I, for one, look forward to another middle-of-winter midnight release. Head on over to Gamona.de for the full video interview.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm still on track for a 2010 release date
Around this time last year, we reported that Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion was targeted for a 2010 release. It's been a while since we've heard anything related to a release date, though, so we thought perhaps the date had slipped a bit. Not so, apparently! In the latest Activision-Blizzard investor conference call, the companies reported their earnings for Q2 of this year and also spoke a bit about why, all things considered, 2010 will be a good year for Activision-Blizzard. Blizzard reported excellent earnings, as always, and noted that despite economic turbulence, World of Warcraft has maintained 11.5 million subscribers. The biggest news, though, was that Cataclysm is still on track for a 2010 release. During Mike Morhaime's address to investors, he said: "... I'd like to point to the release of Cataclysm, being our best expansion yet for World of Warcraft. Although an exact release date has not yet been announced, we're on track to launch the expansion by the end of the year. As with all Blizzard games, though, we won't release until it's ready." Good news for us the fans. It's getting harder and harder to wait, even (or especially) with the beta being available. We'll keep you guys posted if we hear anything more specific regarding a release date. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From goblins and worgen to mastery and guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.
The Queue: The new standard
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky be your host today. That's a picture of my hunter above. She can use some better gear, and hopefully this weekend it'll be her turn to get decked out in tier 9. It's just so easy and fun. Plus I really like the idea of all my 80's having their tier 9 shoulders to look at on the loading screen. That's not strange, is it? Saberix asked... "Is tier 9 gear the new standard in gear? Am I going to be teased if I don't have it?"
Deconstructing the Cataclysm trailer
It's been a couple weeks since Cataclysm was announced at BlizzCon. We've had plenty of time to ruminate and discuss, to fantasize and theorize. WoW's third expansion is ripe with promise and expansion, both for the Old World of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor but also in terms of lore. We've got new races to look forward to, new zones and, most importantly, the obliteration ofwhat we know as Azeroth. Indeed this expansion heralds a brave new world with new dangers and a new foe, in the form of the former Dragon Aspect, Deathwing.We've broken apart the trailer into individual scenes, and we'll going to take a look at the most important moments -- from the opening where we're fighting in Northrend to the big reveal of Deathwing at the end. We are also going to ask those all important questions like "Who exactly is narrating the trailer" and "Why are we still fighting Arthas, where's our end-of-expansion break?". Don't forget, if you need to refresh your memory or relive the experience, you can also check out the trailer for yourself.%Gallery-71229% World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgen to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.
What does Blizzard have planned for a Cataclysm in-game launch event?
So Cataclysm is coming and Kisirani is already working on an in-game launch event. It's gotta mean something right? Now don't get me wrong, even with my self-confessed zombiephobia, I loved last November's zombie invasion (though, at times, it got really frustrating). So now Kisirani is officially hard at work planning a new event to herald the beginning of an Azerothian cataclysm, I can't help but wonder what she has up her sleeves for us.Is anyone else excited? I certainly am and it gives us something to focus on during the inevitable wait. To be fair, at least Cataclysm's not scheduled for 2012! We don't have that long to wait, we could be rolling Worgen and Goblins in just under/over a year's time. That just about makes it bearable. But it also leaves us with time to think about what Blizzard will do to introduce players to this brave new world.Hit the jump to find out what we think could well happen prior to the launch of Cataclysm.
The WoW tourist's guide to important Cataclysm locations
It was a hectic two days at this year's BlizzCon with lots of revelations, some good, others awesome. Destruction is coming to Azeroth with the return of Deathwing, changing the face of the planet forever. While we won't see the game until 2010, the world will change entirely and cities will be revamped in order to enable them to be made flyable. However, there are several very important locations currently in-game (for the most part) which are going to be very important to the coming Cataclysm.Check out our gallery below as we take you on a guided tour of some of the important places you should probably visit right now before they are changed forever.%Gallery-70763%
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm targeted for a 2010 release date
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/World_of_Warcraft_Cataclysm_targeted_for_a_2010_release'; One small bit of rumor has been floating around the BlizzCon floor the last couple days: that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be released in 2010. We hear these kind of rumors all the time, and don't give them very much credence. Whatever date is up on Game Stop (November 1st, 2010) or Amazon or wherever are just placeholder dates until they start to change or we hear from trusted sources that the dates are correct.But this time, things are a little bit different.WoW.com has been able to confirm that during a DirecTV interview, Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard, revealed that Cataclysm is targeted for a 2010 release date.Now a targeted release date should be clearly understood for what it is. It is a date that Blizzard wants to ship their game, nothing more, nothing less. It means that they have a plan and schedule to get the game ready by then. But as everyone knows, long term schedules can and do change. Please limit the QQ if we don't see Cataclysm next year.Interesting news nonetheless!
The Queue: Wherein The Queue has as much consistency as Smodcast
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today.So welcome back to a full week of The Queue folk, and indeed this week will be a full one for The Queue. As Alex and I have mentioned before, when patches roll around and other big things come up our availability to spend a couple hours writing The Queue and The Daily Quest diminishes significantly. But this week nothing is on the radar, so here we are.Next week though, The Queue and The Daily Quest will only appear Monday and Tuesday; unless something unexpected happens. We have to prepare for BlizzCon and actually spend a few hours away from our computers packing and all that. But this week? We're all Queue'd off and roaring to go.Milesdfreeman asked..."Do we know anything about Patch 3.3 yet? What raids if any will it have? New features?"
