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Wizard101 celebrates another anniversary of taking over the world
Ah, Wizard101. My, how you have grown. So much has happened over the last three years that we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the milestones that happened during that time. Instead of going all the way back to the beginning, we'll be covering the major happenings over the last year. If we wrote up all of the patches and major updates to the game from the beginning, we would be here all night. Feel free to retell some of your favorite memories in the comments section, and join us in wishing a happy birthday to KingsIsle and its baby, Wizard101! Click past the cut!
PAX East 2011: Massively interviews Wizard101's Fred Howard
There was a lot of game news to come out of PAX East this past weekend, and KingsIsle definitely arrived with some very big announcements. Wizard101 fans can look forward to a brand-new world called Wintertusk, which completes the epic storyline of Grizzleheim. Both high- and low-level players will have new places to explore and quests to complete. Highlights include brand-new areas for high-level Wizards to discover and explore, new spells, level 58 class pets for each primary school, a revamped underwater introduction zone for lower-level characters (continuing the story of the Crab King), and the ephemeral "more." Massively had the chance to talk with KingsIsle Vice President Fred Howard about Wizard101 and the rapid growth of MMOs aimed at younger players. Read on for his thoughts on player security, the importance of story, and a curious Crab King with a penchant for rock.
Wizard101 reveals the truth behind the green blob in space
If you follow astronomy or just like stories about big green things, you probably were aware of last week's photo from the Hubble telescope showcasing an enormous green blob. It's a known spot in space, an enormous region in which new stars are being formed -- although why stars would be forming out in the middle of nowhere has researchers baffled. But researchers from Wizard101 have helpfully taken the opportunity to dispel the mystery, making it clear exactly what the region of space actually is. Does it look sort of like a giant green frog? Well, that's exactly right. The discovery was made possible by use of facilities in the ancient undersea world of Celestia, but it still raises a number of new questions. Some of the wizard researchers speculate that the enormous frog might be a powerful minion of Morganthe, while others are certain the frog's appearance is simply a prank by a wizard with more time than common sense. Whatever the case, Wizard101 has helped provide us with the answer to a great scientific mystery, and for that we can all rest a little easier.
Kingsisle predicts Wizard 101 expansion release date
Much to the delight of their fans, Kingsisle posted a hopeful -- and specific -- message about their long-awaited Celestia expansion for Wizard 101: "Test Realm Last Chance! We're on the home stretch and what you see in the Test Realm is almost ready to be moved in to the Live Game! Please take the next 24 hours to madly test as much as you can in Celestia, and if all goes well, we'll be putting Celestia and all the other features up to the Live Game on Wednesday October 27th!" While "..if all goes well" seems pretty concrete, we all know how many things can not go well. Still, it's finally a solid date for those players that have been actively playing through the expansion on the test server. It looks like all their homework will be graded soon enough! Players can expect to see 10 additional levels, three new secondary schools of magic, new underwater zones to explore, game-changing mechanics like crit and block and more. And, oh yeah, turning into a gobbler. We wouldn't want to forget that.
Wizard101 gears up for a big month of events and expansions
What does Spooky Bob, Selena Gomez and a deep sea kingdom have in common? They're all part of the big October lineup as detailed in the latest Wizard101 newsletter. We also would have accepted "They all have a fondness for backgammon" as well. Celestia, Wizard101's new underwater expansion, is slated for release later this month. Not only will it be the MMO's biggest world yet, but the expansion offers a increase in the level cap from 50 to 60, new spells and amazing vistas. Players can get a sneak peek at this world right now by going through the Selena Gomez questline. October also sports Wizard101's take on Halloween, appropriately titled "Hallowe'en." The apostrophe makes a difference, yes sirree Bob! Speaking of Bob, Spooky Bob is the ringleader for this holiday event, and he'll be selling special items during this period for crowns (Wizard101's microtransaction currency). Also, if players haven't finished the unique quest from last year to explore a scary tower that pops up in Ravenwood, then Jack Hallow will be more than happy to send you to your doom. Er, on your way! On your way! You can read the full October newsletter over at Wizard101.
PAX 2010: Selena Gomez is Wizard101's new damsel in distress
She plays a fledgling spellcaster in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, but soon Selena Gomez will be taking it to the next level. KingsIsle just announced that Gomez will be coming to the magical world of Wizard101 as a princess in distress who needs a bit of saving. The actress-musician agreed to be featured in Wizard101 as a sort of cross-promotion for her latest album. The story goes that nefarious forces have kidnapped Gomez from our world into the layered realms of Wizard101, and she must be rescued and returned to Earth so that she can finish her epic video. As our world is part of the spiral (Earth is just non-magical, hence why Professor Ambrose is so startled when player characters arrive at Wizard City), this crossover doesn't break the lore of the game. Instead, KingsIsle hopes that the popular star will appeal to its core tween demographic. Hit the jump for even more juicy tidbits from PAX Prime!
Wizard101 celebrates its second anniversary
It's easy to dismiss Wizard101 as nothing more than a cute MMO for kids, but the game has proven that it has quite a bit of depth and staying power. And September is the milestone to mark it by, since the game launched in September of 2008. With the arrival of the two-year anniversary for the game, the production staff for KingsIsle Entertainment has posted a short letter to commemorate the achievement and discuss the game's future in brief. Obviously, one of the big points of the future is the release of Celestia, which is currently slated for early fall. The new area and concurrent free expansion will raise the level cap and offer players a variety of new abilities, in addition to the eponymous underwater zone. To help kick off the pending launch, the development team is promising a quest later this month featuring "one of the hottest teen icons on the planet." It's been a busy two years for Wizard101, and it looks like the team is looking forward to many more.
Gen Con 2010: Massively's interview with Wizard101
Wizard101, the free-to-play game from Kingsisle, has been gaining a bit more attention lately. The announcement of the upcoming Celestia expansion turned a few heads with its promise of a new level cap, a pet system, and new content, and as the release date approaches, the Kingsisle team has plenty to say about the game. We had the opportunity to chat with the developers last week at Gen Con, and if you're curious as to what the fuss is all about, you're in luck. We discussed the the game's past, present and future, and gained a great overview of what Kingsisle hopes to accomplish in the coming months. Follow along after the jump to see what we discussed!
Wizard101 offers sharks - and a letter from the producer, too
If you've somehow missed the flurry of shark-love that's been taking place on Massively over the past few weeks, let's reiterate: sharks. Even Wizard101 seems to be knee-deep in sharks, judging by the picture accompanying the newest producer's letter, which hints at a possible shark mount in the upcoming Celestia. Oh, wait, that's right -- there was a producer's letter. Leah Ruben, who has recently taken the title of full producer for the game, penned a letter to let fans know how the game is progressing, what to expect in Celestia, and of course, to include art of sharks. Although Ruben doesn't explicitly state that the shark mounts will be available, the prominent artwork certainly suggests that the underwater area will be well-served via aquatic mounts, as well as a wide variety of new tricks and spells for players in Celestia's added ten levels. She does discuss some of the new features, promising that the areas in Celestia will be larger than prior doses of content for the game, as well as talking about some of her roles within the game's development structure. Wizard101 fans will want to take a look at the letter, as it bodes well for the game's future. Also, we must reiterate: sharks. (We'll make sure to ask about sharks during our upcoming interview with the team at GenCon.)
Google Earth goes skyward
Our sister blog Download Squad pointed to the updated Google Earth today dubbed 'Google Earth Sky', because in the newest version you can look up. Not content to cover everyone on the ground, our Google overlords have turned their eye to the sky, and you can now search through galaxies, nebulas, and stars to your heart's content.And you can do it all on the Mac from day one, which is pretty nice (you couldn't say the same about the original Google Earth). In terms of functionality, the program seems really similar to Celestia, also available on the Mac, just in case your astronomical needs aren't met by "Google Sky." And don't forget-- if your mapping needs run a little closer to home than, you know, light years away, moon.google.com is still open for business in the browser of your choice. Wonder why they didn't add that to the iPhone as well...
