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Anub'ar Ambusher joins Curse of Naxxramas lineup
Today's Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas card preview is the creepy-crawly Anub'ar Ambusher. This rogue-only card has the text "Deathrattle: Return a friendly minion to your hand." That could be handy for recalling creatures with battlecries or frustrating if you have a bunch of buffed up beasties out. As with all Hearthstone cards, using the Anub'ar Ambusher to best effect will require some strategy. As interesting as these tiny previews are, they still don't hint at a release date for Naxxramas beyond this summer. Hopefully we'll be seeing more than previews soon!
WRUP: Hearthstone and Fanfic
While BlizzCon tickets (and the challenges with them) is the topic of the day, let's stick to happier subjects. After all, things with Hearthstone continue to move along swimmingly, and who doesn't like enjoying a bit of creativity with a favorite game? So we asked your intrepid WoW Insider staff: If your character were going to be a Hearthstone card... what would its stats be? It's not quite fanfic but more like fancards. Don't forget to tell us what game you're playing this weekend. We'd like to know!
Is Hearthstone pay-to-win?
Many games that fall into the free to play category also fall into the pay to win category -- which is to say that if you want to be able to play well, you'll wind up forking over some cash. It's a big frustration with free to play games which can easily wind up costing just as much -- or even more -- than games with an ordinary pricetag. So while we wondered whether we needed to sink money into buying more Hearthstone packs, we were glad to see Polygon had done a detailed examination of the advantage you get from buying cards in Hearthstone. Though anyone interested in the economics of it should definitely read the entire article, the end result is that because there are many options to earn in-game gold to buy packs -- and because the best decks aren't necessarily built with all epic cards -- with some patience a casual player will catch up with a big spender. But, still, opening pack after pack of cards that has an appeal that has nothing to do with economics.
WoW Moviewatch: Hearthstone: This Means War
That master of comedy, Ian Beckman, returns with a sarcastic take on everyone's favorite online card game. In Hearthstone: This Means War, we take a moment to contemplate exactly how fierce doing battle via collectible virtual cards really is. I mean, come on. It's just a card game, right? This is the kind of video Beckman excels at. A few moments of metaphorical introspective humor and then a quick jab to the gut of our collective zeitgeist. Also, funny voices. What's not to love? Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Blizzard feels 'validated' by Hearthstone's F2P model
So how long did it take for Blizzard Entertainment to feel that Hearthstone was right to adopt its free-to-play model? According to a recent interview at Eurogamer, the choice was validated when the game was still in beta. When streamers were reaching the top tier of play without having spent any money on the game, it reinforced the idea that players could do well without having to spend a great deal of money. Production designer Jason Cheyes mentions that there was always a concern that players would hit some sort of monetization wall, an impediment that the design team wanted to avoid. As it stands, while players can spend money to advance faster, winning matches and completing quests alone can serve to get gamers to the top -- and that's exactly what the design team wanted. It just so happens it saw it happening even during beta testing.
WoW Insider's guide to Blizzard resources updated
Looking for more blogs, podcasts, and resources devoted to Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft, and Warcraft? Then you'll want to check out our newly updated guide to all things Blizzard. In it, we've gathered all of our favorite resources on Blizzard games for your browsing enjoyment. So why not take the rest of the day off to catch up on your reading? And we're always on the lookout for new Blizzard blogs, so if you have a favorite site that we've missed, please contact us to let us know. We're happy to add any resources that are regularly updated, don't advocate breaking Blizzard's terms of service, and don't have any R-rated content.
Play Hearthstone collectively with Hearthmind
Filed under "where did the last 30 minutes go?" is Hearthmind, which applies the collective gaming concept behind Twitch Plays Pokemon to Hearthstone. To make things work with the time-sensitive nature of Hearthstone, the Hearthmind interface polls users for moves once every five seconds -- just click on the screen to suggest the next move -- and once the five seconds are up, the most popular move is made. Though this makes for some clunky gameplay, Hearthmind does manage to win some matches. The most frustrating feature of this collective gameplay, however, has to be the time between matches. There's nothing to do while waiting for another matchup, but the five second action timer is still running -- and with nothing to click on that does anything, plenty of players hit the cancel button while you're waiting to be matched, meaning you have to go back and queue up for another round, hoping there's not too many clicking the cancel button this time. Though it's not exactly good gameplay, it's inexplicably engrossing to watch a group of a hundred people all trying to play a round of Hearthstone together ... to varying results.
Hearthstone is not coming to consoles any time soon
Despite player interest, Blizzard has now officially said that a console version of the popular Hearthstone strategy card game is not in the works at the moment as the development team is focusing on the upcoming expansion and the game's Android version. "It's not something we're actually looking at right now," production director Jason Chayes told Eurogamer in a recent interview. "We feel like we have our hands full in the short term with getting onto Android as soon as we can, which is kind of one of the big priorities we're looking at right now." A spectator mode is also a possibility for a future patch after the game's wild popularity livestreaming on Twitch.tv. "Twitch has been great, all the streamer support has been awesome, and it's something that's really kind of surprised us a little bit," Chayes added. Hearthstone is currently available for the PC, Mac, and iPad with an Android version coming soon.
Are you playing Hearthstone for iPad?
I admit, I was charmed by Hearthstone during its beta. But after a lot of playtime -- and the beta wipe which cleared my card collection -- the game lost some of its shine. By launch, I was playing very little, if at all, and my gametime has dwindled ever since. That was until Hearthstone for iPad appeared -- and if the download numbers are anything to go by, I'm far from the only one who's jumped on (or back on) the Hearthstone bandwagon. Easily being able to fire up a game of Hearthstone on my tablet means that now I play a lot of times where I might not have before -- having a game running while I'm checking email or watching television. So, readers, tell me: has Hearthstone coming to the iPad brought you into the game?
BlizzCon 2014 dated, tix on sale next month
BlizzCon 2014 is coming, boys and girls, to a city near you (that is, if you live near Anaheim, California)! Blizzard announced that its sometimes-annual convention will be on November 7th and 8th at the Anaheim Convention Center. Even at two hundred bucks a pop, tickets for BlizzCon will no doubt be sold out within minutes thanks to Blizzard's legion of fans. The studio announced today that it will be putting tickets on sale in two separate batches: one on May 7th and the other on May 10th. There will also be $750 tickets put on sale on May 14th for the benefit dinner. BlizzCon tickets include offer hands-on demos with its games, an e-sports world championship, dev panels, player tournaments, and live admission to the convention. Virtual tickets will also be available at a later point for an unknown fee.
Four ideas Hearthstone should borrow from Magic
I've been playing Magic for almost 20 years. In all that time, Hearthstone is the only other collectible card game that has ever really won me over. Hearthstone is a very different game from Magic, despite some obvious similarities. I want Hearthstone to remain a very different game. Even as wildly successful as Hearthstone has been, however, Magic and other card games have some great ideas that I think Blizzard should borrow to make their own game even better. 1. Format variants Magic has many fun variants, most of them multiplayer: free-for-all, Commander, Two-Headed Giant, Star (or Color Wheel), Planechase, etc. Some of these were invented by players and later adopted and supported by Wizards of the Coast. One of the joys of Magic is how flexible its formats can be. Compared to that, the single format of one-on-one battles in Hearthstone is less exciting. (Of course, Hearthstone is limited by its technology in a way that real cards aren't.) Sure, we're getting a raid in Curse of Naxxramas, which could shape up to be a fantastic single-player variant. But an online game like Hearthstone, with millions of available players, begs for multiplayer formats. They could be competitive or cooperative, playing against other teams or "bosses." A Planechase variant could be adapted quite easily by using the different game boards, once Blizzard adds a few more. Multiplayer variants will be more tricky due to the game's current layout, but I have faith that the developers can make it work.
Joystiq Weekly: NPD sales data, Trials: Fusion review, A Realm Reborn tips and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. It seems like there are two brands of Trials riders - those who try the series and bail, seeing it for the inevitable, rage-induced heart attack it is, and those that persevere and conquer every track. We're not sure where we fit just yet - some of Trials Fusion's stages give us flashbacks to Super Meat Boy, and our patience is finite. Still, the triumph in each small victory reminds us that we can get the best of gravity, that we can guide motorbikes over ridiculous terrain with the best of them ... until we reach the next stage and the cycle of emotions renews. We've got plenty of resources for anyone that needs a sanity break from Fusion, though! You can brush up on this month's NPD data, read our verdict on Atlus' baby-making RPG, Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars, or gain some insight on what's next for GaymerX's future. All that and more is laid out in tidy little bulletpoints for you after the break!
Hearthstone is the most popular app in the world after one day
Apparently we weren't the only ones waiting for Hearthstone to come out on the iPad. According to Business Insider, Hearthstone is the number one app in 34 countries, and the number one game in 36. This includes the United States. Magic: The Gathering and other CCGs also have a large support base on the platform, so it isn't really surprising that Hearthstone would be popular amongst users of the tablet. What is surprising is that it rocketed up the charts so quickly. It is estimated that the game could pull in $30 million in the first year from in-app card sales, which would make this foray into the tablet space quite worthwhile for Blizzard.
Hands-on with Hearthstone for iPad
While I was part of the early beta crowd for Hearthstone last year, I haven't played it in quite some time. It wasn't because I became disenfranchised with the game but rather because I felt it truly belonged on a tablet -- and playing it on a PC just felt wrong somehow. So I've been waiting for Hearthstone to finally make the leap to the iPad, and when that happened yesterday, I was all over it like a murloc swarm on a noobie. In many ways, Hearthstone is absolutely tailor-fit for mobile gaming. It requires minimal manipulation; poking, holding, and the occasional swipe is about as complex as the physical mechanics get. It's a turn-based thinker's game that gives you ample time to plot your strategy and get a few other things done between moves. On an iPad, that's pretty easy; I would read a book while my opponent took his/her/its turn. The game actually kept me up past my bedtime because of the "just one more match" temptation, which tells me that the magic that fueled my interest in this game in beta is roaring more now than ever. But how does it actually handle on Apple's devices?
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft arrives on iPad with zero compromises
When new games make the trip from PC to mobile it's usually a dumbed-down affair, but Blizzard's fantastic Warcraft-inspired collectable card game is anything but dumb in its iPad debut. In short, it's just as addictive, gorgeous, and slick as the version we played many months ago on Mac. You begin a game of Hearthstone by choosing a hero. This choice will dictate your overall strategy, letting you rely on your character's magic, weapons, or loyal minions to take out your adversary. Early on, your matches are chosen for you, sending you through a lengthy tutorial and story mode that pits you against many different styles of opponent. Matches play out on a single screen where your cards go up against those of your foe. Your hero has a set amount of life, and the cards your opponents play against you can harm either your hero or the minion cards you have previously played, depending on their strategy and any "Taunt" cards you have on the board (which must be attacked first). You'll grasp the rules and play style after just a game or two, but your long-term strategy will be ever evolving. At the heart of the strategy is your deck of cards, which can be customized to suit your battle plan. You can unlock card packs either by purchasing them or by earning gold through battle victories. A good strategy matched with a solid deck is crucial to besting the real-world opponents you will be matched with in the Arena mode, and you'll see an endless number of play styles as you gain experience. Hearthstone on iPad is just as good, if not better than its PC counterpart, and if you're an iPad owner who is already in love with the desktop version, you're going to adore it on a touchscreen. Dragging and dropping your cards onto the play field feels even better with your finger than it does with a mouse, and even novice players will have a blast. Hearthstone is free on the App Store and even if you don't want to toss in a few bucks for additional card packs, there's still dozens of hours of good fun to be had. Give it a shot, and you won't be disappointed.
Hearthstone comes to iPad
After a soft launch in a few countries, Hearthstone is now available to iPad owners worldwide. Blizzard announced today that Hearthstone is on the app store as an alternative to the PC version. The title is available on iPads 2 and newer as well as the iPad minis. New and returning players will be treated to a free card pack as part of this release. Hearthstone has a funny trailer for the Apple release, which you can watch after the jump.
Hearthstone officially launches in US app stores
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is now available to download in the US for iPad. The fast-paced card game was released earlier this month in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, but players looking for it in the US had to wait. The wait is over, and you can get your copy of the game for absolutely free and level up while waiting for Curse of Naxxramas, the new adventure-mode expansion for the game that's set to release this summer. Android and Windows tablet users, never fear -- a version of the game for those platforms should be coming out some time later this year.
Play: Blizzard's easy-going collectible card game, Hearthstone
Blizzard's best-known for its RTS franchises and insanely popular MMORPG World of Warcraft, not to mention the Diablo series. With fans of the publisher's prior work kept sated and docile by sequels and expansions, Blizzard's turned some of its attention to other genres, like the early stage MOBA Heroes of the Storm, and the card-based game we're talking about here: Hearthstone. Hear the words "card game," and it's hard not to think of the deep mechanics of Magic: The Gathering that may appear inhospitable to newcomers, like starting to watch LOST half-way through the third series. One of Hearthstone's main strengths, however, is accessibility.
Blizzard's Warcraft card game is getting an undead single-player expansion
Were you hoping for a single-player campaign in Blizzard's Warcraft-themed card game, Hearthstone? Well, you're getting one. The outfit's announced Curse of Naxxramas at PAX East, and, in addition to fresh challenges and more than an entire deck's worth of shiny cards, there's a new Adventure mode en route for solo players. As Joystiq has noticed, Naxxramas also features a new game-board based on Warcraft's floating necropolis of the same name. The first area, subtly named Arachnid Quarter (gee, wonder what's lurking in there?), is free for everyone and will roll out simultaneously across iPad, Mac and PC sometime later this year. If you want to complete the expansion's other successive areas as they release, you'll have to buy-in either with in-game gold or your hard-earned meat-space ducats. Still not sure what the hype is about? Well, the game doesn't cost a thing, so there really isn't much risk in giving it a shot for yourself. It'd probably be a good idea to start practicing ahead of Naxxramas' ambiguous release date, anyhow.
Blizzard reveals Hearthstone single-player campaign
Blizzard announced its upcoming Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft single-player Adventure Mode at PAX East today, detailing the challenges players will face as they progress through the new Curse of Naxxramas campaign. Curse of Naxxramas features a series of unique enemy encounters and boss battles that take place on a new Adventure Mode-exclusive game board with interactive corners. The mode adds 30 new cards to the Hearthstone deck, including bonus cards awarded for completing nine unique Class Challenges. The Curse of Naxxramas will gradually roll out new Hearthstone content in the five weeks after its simultaneous launch for Windows, Mac and iPad this year. A release date has not been announced. [Image: Blizzard]