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BlizzCon 2013 schedule app now available for Android, iPhone
Wondering how to keep all of the events and panels at Blizzcon 2013 straight? Or just how to get around that incredibly large convention center? There's an app for that -- the BlizzCon schedule app, first released for BlizzCon 2011, has been updated for this year's festivities. Both the iPhone and Android versions have received snazzy new updates with an all new map of the convention center as well as this year's schedule of events and panels. But that's not all! This year's update has also added new features and social media integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so you can share your experience as you experience it. In addition, the mobile app will also have access to all the free BlizzCon video streams, so you can watch all the action, even if you're not present for it in person. And the best part? The app is completely free. The app for BlizzCon 2011 was tremendously handy to have while wandering the convention center -- if you're attending BlizzCon 2013, I highly recommend picking up the updated version for easy access to maps and schedules while you're on the go.
Blink-182 will bring BlizzCon to an 'epic conclusion'
Blizzard's already starting its surprises for BlizzCon, announcing that the punk rock group Blink-182 will be closing the convention on November 9th. The concert is scheduled to wrap up BlizzCon 2013, and Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime can't stop gushing about the big show: "After two days of hard work watching games and playing games and talking about games, we can't think of a better way to kick back and relax than to have your face melted by Blink-182. We're thrilled to have such an awesome band helping us bring BlizzCon to an epic conclusion." While BlizzCon is completely sold out, fans can still purchase a Virtual Ticket from the site or a Pay Per View event from DIRECTV to see Blink-182's performance.
Blizzard unveils Diablo III's Reaper of Souls' Westmarch
Westmarch, once spoken of only in whispers, is one of the new settings of Diablo III's upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion. The city was once beautiful and vibrant, but the events of the Diablo series have left it with an unsettling aura and a dwindling population. Blizzard Entertainment today offered an up-close look at Westmarch's design and implementation on the official Diablo III blog, showing off concept maps, points of interest, and some of the city's real-life location inspirations. Westmarch pulls elements from "the fog-laden cobblestone streets of London in the 1800s" and features tightly packed buildings, winding alleyways, and grisly visual cues as to the city's failed attempts at mounting a defense. The Survivor's Enclave is the one bright spot in this dismal world, a place where Westmarch's few living inhabitants can find rest and safety from the evils of the outside world. Reaper of Souls is due in 2014, or as Blizzard likes to call it, SoonTM.
Diablo III dev diary delves into the history of Westmarch
Diablo III's upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion will take players to a number of new locales across the world of Sanctum, such as the kingdom of Westmarch, the subject of Blizzard's latest dev post on the game's official site. Long-time Diablo fans probably know Westmarch best as the home of the Knights of Westmarch, the order from which Diablo II's Paladin hails, but there is much more to the realm's deep lore. Westmarch's history is one -- as is expected in the Diablo universe -- steeped in blood and conquest. The kingdom was founded by the Zakarum zealot Rakkis after a crusade that drove him across the Twin Seas and over the bodies of legions of conquered foes, but there is a second, "secret" history to this place. Near Westmarch is a "sprawl of fetid marshes," littered with the ruins of an ancient Nephalem civilization said to hold the power to ward against angels and demons alike. It was to these ruins that the now-mortal Tyrael took the Black Soulstone, and it was there that the former archangel Malthael, at that point neither angel nor demon, stole the Black Soulstone from its hiding place. And that, of course, is where the tale of Reaper of Souls begins. If you're a lore junkie looking for all the details, check out the full post on Diablo III's official site.
WRUP: Cross pollination of ideas
Transmogrification is landing in Diablo III, an idea that feels so natural you almost wonder why it wasn't always there. It just feels right. The ability to customize the appearance of your character is already ingrained in us WoW heads, so those Diablo fiends will almost certainly enjoy it. Some of D3's transmog is so cool that we already hope that WoW can steal it. So this week, when we asked your intrepid WoW Insider staff what they're playing, we also asked what other features we hoped to see enjoy this kind of cross pollination. I'm pulling for pet battles, myself. What good's a monk without a fighting chipmunk?
Diablo III dev blog demystifies the Mystic
Diablo III's latest dev blog unveils more tasty information about a new artisan NPC, the Mystic, coming to the game in the Reaper of Souls expansion. As many Diablo III fans are undoubtedly aware, Reaper of Souls will mark the introduction of a set of features, known colloquially as Loot 2.0, which aims to rebalance Diablo III's loot and item systems in an effort to make loot more interesting to players. The Mystic is an integral part of this effort thanks to her unique skills of enchanting and transmogrification. Through Enchantment, the Mystic is capable of rerolling a single property on a piece of equipment, making her the go-to artisan for those items that are almost-but-not-quite perfect. While you can choose only a single property to reroll on each item, that property can be rerolled as many times as you can afford. Don't worry about buyer's remorse, though; if the newly rolled property is worse than the old one, the Mystic can reverse the process. The Mystic is also the number one stylist in Sanctuary thanks to her transmogrification ability which, as World of Warcraft players know, allows players to replace an item's visual appearance with that of a different item. To get all the arcane details on Myriam the Mystic, you can check out the full post on Diablo III's official site.
gdgt's best deals for October 23rd: Canon VIXIA HF-G10, Klipsch Synergy S-10 speakers
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. The holiday season is rapidly approaching and to kick off this Halloween, you may want to battle the forces of evil from your PC instead of your doorstep. Monsters are much easier to handle from the comfort of your own couch, too, so stay inside, enjoy a long session of Diablo III and follow that up with and an Evil Dead marathon in full surround with some Klipsch Synergy S-10 speakers. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
BlizzCon 2013 schedule is now online
One of the major annual nerd pilgrimages is less than a month away because on the 7th and 8th of November, hundreds of Blizzard fans will be flocking to Anaheim, California for BlizzCon 2013. If you're one of those lucky pilgrims and you're looking to plan out your visit to Blizzard mecca, you're in luck because the convention schedule is now online. The opening ceremonies will kick off on Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and throughout the next two days BlizzCon will be host to a slew of panels including the intriguing "World of Warcraft: What's Next," and exciting events such as the StarCraft II World Championship Series semi-finals and grand finals. For all of your scheduling needs, the list of events, locations, and a handy map await you at the BlizzCon site.
Diablo III polls players about expansion prices
Was there ever an innocent survey that didn't harbor dark agendas and terrible secrets? We're inclined to think "no," so a recent email survey of Diablo III players by Blizzard has raised a few eyebrows around these here parts. The studio is polling players to see what they think of potential pricing for different editions of Reaper of Souls as well as how they rank the different features that the expansion will bring. The two price tags mentioned as possibilities for Reaper of Souls are $29.99 for the standard edition and $49.99 for the collector's edition. The expansion is slated for a 2014 release.
Diablo III starts console digital downloads
Who needs boxes when you've got the convenience of digital downloads, am I right? I am always right; you need to learn that lesson right now. Well, console fans of Diablo III are not shackled to the box-and-chain any longer, as digital downloads for the game are available on both the Sony Entertainment Network and Xbox Live. The game is $59.99 on both sites and graciously allows you to purchase a few add-ons, such as an Infernal Helm or a Treasure Goblin.
Diablo III shutting down auction houses next March
The Diablo III auction houses are being prepped for demolition next year. Blizzard announced that it will be taking down both the gold and real-money auction houses on March 18, 2014, stating that "they ultimately undermine Diablo's core gameplay." The studio is giving a heads-up now so that players have enough time to prepare for the change, although specific details regarding the shutdown process are still forthcoming. This announcement comes as Blizzard has been making noise about an improved "Loot 2.0" system to put more of an emphasis on killing monsters for one's gear. The auction houses will come down at the same time, and after they do, players will be able to trade with each other only through the trade window. You can watch the developers explain their reasoning behind this decision after the jump.
Conan O'Brien spoofs Diablo III
Talk show comedian Conan O'Brien spent a couple of minutes discussing his experiences playing Diablo III on a recent show. While he calls the graphics and gameplay "great," O'Brien takes issue with the voices and dialogue. "They don't seem to suit the dark and violent tone," O'Brien complains. OK, so it's really just an excuse for him to show a few clips from the game while providing zany voiceovers. If you've played the game, perhaps you'll be amused by the following video. Team Coco forever?
Hands on with Diablo III: It's perfect for consoles
Diablo III launched on console yesterday, and I was lucky enough to be invited down to London by Blizzard Europe to attend an opening shindig for the game's new home. And as part of heading down there, we all got to have a very thorough play-test of the PS3 version of Diablo III. It wasn't the first time I'd had a go, as I had fifteen minutes of the console version, again on PS3 at Gamescom in Germany, so I had an idea of what to expect, but fifteen minutes isn't enough time to really form a firm opinion on a game. I left last night's event with a t-shirt and a copy of Diablo III in my hand, went home and put it straight in the PS3. This should be praise enough, that after an evening of playing a game I wasn't hugely enamored with on the PC, I rushed home to play it even more on the PS3. But there's something about DIII on the console that just works.
Diablo III launches on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
With the game's first expansion already announced, you might be looking for a chance to play Diablo III in a different way. Does sitting around a television with your friends count? Because you can do that starting today, as the console version launches today on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. (It probably wouldn't fit well with the Wii U's catalogue anyway.) Now you can slay demons right alongside your friends in both body and spirit. Of course you can also play online, as with the PC version, or just go it alone as you rip through demon hordes. The game boasts a redesigned interface meant to take full advantage of the controller setup while still boasting all of the same content. So it might not tide you over if you've played through Diablo III multiple times, but if you'd like a refresher before the first expansion or just prefer the idea of a console experience, you can have that now.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls loot designed to make auction house a 'last resort'
There's been no love lost between Diablo III players and the game's real-money auction house. And while Blizzard Entertainment has no plans to remove RMT from Diablo III, the studio's upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion features a redesigned loot system built to get players out of the trading game and back into the grind. In an interview with PC Gamer, lead content designer Kevin Martens explained that the team likes trading between players but lamented that the auction house has become the primary method through which players obtain items: It is fun to go buy something instantly, the instant gratification feel, that sugar high; however, it's not the core fantasy, it's not the most fun, and by the endgame, for a variety of reasons, [players] tend to check the auction house first and play the game second. According to Martens, the looting and enchanting systems in Reaper of Souls are designed to "cut the legs out from the auction house" and to create an environment in which "the most fun way to play the game becomes the best way to play the game." Lead writer Brian Kindregan echoed Martens' sentiments, noting, "We want the auction house to be your last resort, right?" For more information on Reaper of Souls, check out Blizzard's Gamescom 2013 presentation and the new cinematic trailer, posted last week.
Project Titan: A brief history of a game that doesn't exist
For the last several years, the MMO community has been abuzz with rumors regarding Blizzard Entertainment's Project Titan. Long reported to be a brand-new MMO based on an entirely original intellectual property, Titan was a top-secret project discussed only through occasional interviews, job postings, and hearsay. No footage ever slipped through the cracks; no early alpha build accidentally leaked to the web. Unfortunately, Project Titan as we knew it is no more. Rumors broke in May that development on the project had been restarted from scratch, and Blizzard offered comments that didn't so much as confirm those rumors as lend them a hefty amount of credence. Now it seems as though whatever we might have known about Titan may no longer apply, and whatever Blizzard had created so far may never see the light of day. With that in mind, let's take a little adventure through the rumorsphere and look back on the history of Project Titan and the stories surrounding it.
The Soapbox: Actually, that really isn't an MMO
In last week's edition of The Soapbox, Mike Foster argued that online gaming has evolved over the past few years and that the term MMO should be expanded to cover other online games like MOBAs. He examined the blurred dividing line between new online games and the classic MMOs of yesteryear, and he made the controversial argument that Call of Duty and League of Legends should now fall under the MMO umbrella. I found myself disagreeing with many of Mike's arguments and wanting to make additional points of my own, so this week I'd like to offer a few counter-points on the same topic for debate. The MMO market has certainly evolved since Massively was founded, with some pretty big innovations in gameplay and new ideas like the free-to-play business model taking hold. As much as people like to complain about a lack of innovation in the games industry, the same level of experimentation and evolution has hit industry-wide. Call of Duty has borrowed unlock and XP systems from the world of orcs and dragons, and League of Legends came from nowhere to be at the forefront of a global MOBA revolution, but neither of them is an MMO by any stretch of the imagination. In this in-depth opinion piece, I break down the definition arguments surrounding the term MMO, offer a reasoned view of where the line can and should be drawn, and look at why Massively covers games other than MMOs.
Gamescom 2013: Watch Blizzard's Diablo III presentation
Looking for Diablo III news from this week's Gamescom convention in Cologne? WoW Insider's got it, including a video of Blizzard's presentation and a break-down of the free features the company is giving gamers in its upcoming pre-expansion patch. And speaking of the Reaper of Souls expansion set, there are some fresh screenshots from the update on the Diablo III Facebook page. Head past the cut for the Gamescom video.
Diablo III PvP mode a 'tricky question' for Blizzard
Diablo III's long-awaited PvP mode might require a great deal more patience on behalf of the playerbase -- perhaps eternal patience. At Gamescom, Game Director Josh Mosqueira was cagey about the mode ever seeing the light of day: "That's a really tricky question to answer. It's got to be Blizzard quality." Late last year, Blizzard scrapped its current plans for a PvP mode in favor of starting over. Mosqueira said this week that the team is still struggling to overcome several obstacles in creating a new PvP mode, including a limited number of team members for the project, a desire to see PvP at all levels, and a problem with converting the existing PvE gameplay to work for PvP. "In Diablo, the core mechanics are really built around one character fighting scores of monsters, right?" Mosqueira said. "There's a lot of control, a lot of AOE, and some of that stuff starts to not necessarily break down, but it starts to fray at the edges when you're actually now focused on two people, or four people."
Gamescom 2013: Diablo III unveils its first expansion, Reaper of Souls
What happens when an angel gets ahold of a demon's soulstone in Diablo III? You probably don't want to know; it's not going to be pretty. The game's first expansion, Reaper of Souls, was announced today at Gamescom, and the fact that Malthael the angel possesses the soulstone harboring Diablo himself is all the justification you need for fighting him. This is a very bad thing. All right, the mechanical side of things does come into play. Even if you don't care about the lore or about fighting off fallen angels, you can still care about features like a refined loot system that focuses on providing less loot that's more likely to be useful instead of quite so much garbage. There's also a new class being added, the Crusader, who looks similar at a glance to Diablo II's Paladin. Add in a new NPC who can reallocate stats on gear and you've probably got all of the incentive you need to look forward to the expansion.
