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WoW Archivist: Expansion gaps
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? Expansion gaps are the most reviled of all content gaps. It's not just because they are the longest -- it's because at the other end of the gap lies so much to look forward to. Expansions change WoW from top to bottom. They usher in brand new worlds to explore and bring us new ways to play the game. That's part of why it takes Blizzard so long to release them. In the meantime, we wait, mired in the old, but excited about the new. We are experiencing what is likely to be the longest expansion gap so far in WoW's 10-year history. But what about the expansion gaps of the past? How do they stack up? What did Blizzard offer and what were players' reactions to them? Read on to find out! Classic WoW to The Burning Crusade Dates: August 22, 2006 to January 16, 2007 Duration: 4 months, 25 days Subscriptions: Rising Mood: Excited The first expansion gap was also the shortest. It felt like a long time to players back then, since classic WoW offered patches and content at a blistering pace for the first two years of the game. Players were impatient, yes. That never changes. But we knew WoW was a hit and we were thrilled that the success of the game had made an expansion possible. We couldn't wait to roll a blood elf or a draenei, or take to the skies and fly for the first time. Plus, most raiding guilds hadn't conquered every boss (or even close), so they had plenty to keep them busy.
E3 2014: The Crew launches November 11th, is totally an MMO
While a lot of attention has been focused on The Division, not as much discussion has gone on surrounding Ubisoft's other MMO-ish title, The Crew. According to a recent development blog, though, the game is totally an MMO, even if you're not necessarily taking all of it on as a group. The game is based around an asymmetric multiplayer model in a persistent world, and there are even different classes of cars for players to specialize in depending on preference. Of course, you won't have to rely upon the word of the developers about that for much longer. The game has been given an official release date of November 11th, with beta starting on July 23rd. There's also a trailer past the break that shows in-game time-lapse footage of driving from Miami to LA, covering the entire United States during the trip. Check out the development blog regarding customization, game mechanics, and the game's MMO nature as well.
The Nexus Telegraph: WildStar's NDA and impending release
The release date approaches for WildStar, and that day is... entirely unclear. Maybe it'll be next month; maybe it'll be six months from now. The official word is still silence. Mirroring that silence are the game's current testers, still under an NDA that prevents them from talking about the game even as we in the press can talk about much of the content and leveling currently in place through both text and streams. Are these relevant points to discuss? Yes, they really are, especially in the wake of two prominent illustrations of what can be done with testing phases and NDAs. So let's talk about the NDA, the lack of a release date, and how those elements might tie into one another. Especially as we're coming off of a weekend when more people got to try out the game, it's important to talk about when the gates and the lines of communication will be opened.
LEGO Minifigures Online puts together a new site, aims for summer 2014 launch
Anxious to know more about the adventures to be had in LEGO Minifigures Online? Curious about how the game's mechanics will play out? Just eager to see some of the sillier minifigures in play? The latest video update from the game will satisfy all of these needs right away. It's a top-level overview of the game as a whole, and it comes along with a full website overhaul to help potential players learn more about the game before its launch in summer 2014. The video shows off a small sampling of the many minifigures in the game, ranging from the obviously combat-oriented (such as the Knight and the Revolutionary Soldier) to the almost completely ridiculous (the DJ or that guy in the chicken suit). All of the figures will have a role and a purpose within the game, and each one has its own unique set of abilities the help allies and hinder opponents. Check out the trailer just past the break. [Source: Funcom press release]
The Nexus Telegraph: What WildStar isn't revealing
We now know about the last two races coming to WildStar. We don't yet know about the last two classes, but that's pretty much assured for release in the near future. (I'm betting on PAX Prime, based on nothing more than speculation.) In fact, we're getting plenty of interesting and deep reveals... as well as a few things that the developers aren't talking about, things that are mentioned in passing and then allowed to just go unaddressed. Some of this doesn't really matter one way or the other, but there are some places where these unreveals are pretty worrisome. I'm not sure how much of this comes down to limited time for reveals and how much is actually shady, but in lieu of more information, I think some questions should be asked about why we've heard nothing regarding some stuff that, logically, should have gotten its own day in the revelation sunlight.
PlayStation Vita out in October, says Blockbuster UK flyer
Blockbuster may have had its share of trouble here in the States, but that doesn't mean its British brother isn't doing well enough to have (and leak) a big-shot release date or two. According to a flyer brandishing the Blockbuster logo and that good 'ol co.uk extension, the PlayStation Vita will land in the United Kingdom on October 28th. That's ominously close to Halloween -- not that we're suggesting anybody is having pre-holiday PSV boot-shakes, or anything -- and the flyer's fall release prediction squares up nicely with Sony's "end of 2011" launch window. As always, we suggest taking rumors and leaks such as this with a grain of salt -- but considering Sony's sinkable record regarding loose lips, we'd understand a low sodium approach. Hit the break to get a peek at the Blockbuster UK flyer -- ready and waiting for your judgement.
Ask Massively: Early access pre-order hooray edition
We could pretend that the important story of last week was something other than the launch of pre-orders for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but that would be a lie. I know I went straight down to pre-order my copy as soon as I was done with some work in the morning. As usual, it wasn't without controversy -- issues over staggered pre-order releases, limited quantities, and my personal favorite, the fear that it might include some sort of microtransactions in its business model. You know, like every other major subscription game on the market. Before you ask, I got the regular edition. I'm not paying three times the price for a statue. Anyway, this week's Ask Massively is pretty heavily tied into the pre-order talk, what with questions about release dates and the state of no-trial launches. As always, you can feel free to ask a question for a future installment of the column via mail to ask@massively.com, or you can just toss your question in the happy comment field below.
Ask Massively: There's no such thing as a Brontosaurus edition
Here's the problem -- pop culture has latched onto the Brontosaurus as a species of dinosaur, when the sample originally identified as such has since been acknowledged as a different subspecies within the Apatosaurus genus. It's telling that my spellchecker recognizes the former as a word but doesn't recognize the latter, which is the actual correct name for this type of dinosaur. So if you see an enormous herbivore with a long neck, a whiplike tail, and a slow lumbering gait, don't misidentify! Make sure to inform all fleeing passersby that that dinosaur is an Apatosaurus, not a Brontosaurus. Assuming that you aren't encountering massive phantom dinosaurs storming through the street of your home town, you'll have no problem moving past our discussion on the taxonomy of extinct lizards and onto this week's installment of Ask Massively. This time, we're tackling a whole lot of insanity revolving around starships, and if you paid the slightest attention to what was going on last week, you can probably guess the games under discussion. As always, if you'd like to see your question in a future installment of the column, mail it along to ask@massively.com or leave it in the comments.
Ask Massively: Sort of like literary criticism edition
For those of you not familiar with Irish literature and the nonsensical ditherings of some more famous examples of same, you might not realize that today is Bloomsday, a day celebrating the novel Ulysses. If you've never read Ulysses, you're in for a treat... if your idea of a treat is a phone-book sized tome whose plot leaps and bounds like an inert lump of granite. It's a heartwarming tale of a man's growth into boyhood, a boy's growth into surrogate sonhood, and an author's growth into the sort of man who would submit Finnegan's Wake as a serious literary work with a straight face. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for this week's edition of Ask Massively. And today's questions aren't going to lie down and take it, since we're fielding questions about Defiance as well as the sometime-this-year-probably release of Star Wars: The Old Republic. As always, if you've got a question you want answered next week, you can send it along to ask@massively.com or aim it toward the comment field.
Nintendo mass announces Wii, DS game launch dates
Clearly, Nintendo wants the back half of your year to have a strong financial plan. In two lengthy lists we spotted on the company's press site, everything from Kirby Wii to Pro Jumper! Chimaki's Hot Spring Tour Guilty Gear Tangent was given a more clear release date, with Kirby arriving some time in fall and the latter mystifying DSiWare shopgoers on June 23. If one game starring a puffy pink monster just wasn't enough, how about one for your DS on September 19? 'Cause that's exactly when Kirby Mass Attack is launching. A whole mess of other release date/windows/seasons are categorized for your fiduciary planning needs, just beyond the break.
HTC EVO 3D gets more RadioShack love, June 24 sticks out as possible launch date
We've been hearing all sorts of details on the HTC EVO 3D as of late, but the only thing that hadn't popped out at us was the launch date. We knew the day was drawing near, evidenced by the phone being put up for pre-orders at Sprint and RadioShack, but we have a little more to chew on. The June 24th launch date on this promotional flyer jumps off the page more than the EVO 3D does, and we really want to believe it; but even if this is an official flyer, it could simply mean that's when RadioShack will begin selling it and it won't be related to Sprint's official launch. Still, if you've been waiting with bated breath to get your hands on your very own copy of The Green Hornet -- oh, and a sweet phone while you're at it -- hang tight just a smidge longer. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Sensation 4G hitting mid-June for $200?
Oh, the sweet smells of summer: surf, sunscreen, barbecue, Gingerbread. We've known all along that HTC's Android 2.3-packing smartphone was set for release at the "beginning of the summer," and thanks to some loud-mouthed Google AdWords, we've seen June 8th floated as a possibility. Those who understandably doubt the word of search-based text advertisements, take heart: it's shaping up to be a big weekend for Sensation 4G leaks. First TmoNews got its hands on a Target placard pricing the snappy dual-core Snapdragon handset at $199.99, for what appears to be a June 12th release, and then the site snagged a shot of internal T-Mobile documentation that confirms the earlier June 8th date. Why the discrepancy? Well, it certainly wouldn't be unheard of for the carrier to give itself a head start, and surely Target wouldn't mind timing its own release up with its Sunday circulars. In both cases, it looks like the phone'll be spending a fair amount of time beneath beach umbrellas.
HTC Incredible 2 prepares for imminent launch, Casio's Commando provides backup
If you'd been crushing hard on HTC's Incredible, cool that burning desire just a smidgen -- we've got evidence that suggests an imminent release of the Droid Incredible 2. Following its appearance in Verizon's internal system and leaked training docs, Best Buy has begun receiving accessories for the re-purposed Incredible S, ensuring you'll have all the requisite goodies at launch. Additionally, the folks at Droid Life report Verizon stores are receiving retail shipments of the device, along with Casio's G'zOne Commando. The expected release date is April 28th, so it looks like you'll be playing with those capacitive buttons soon enough. We've included a pic of the retail box after the break, and you'll find additional snapshots in the source link.
Rugged, Android-powered Casio G'zOne Commando coming to Verizon on April 28th?
After releasing a long line of rugged dumbphones, it looks like Casio has done the inevitable and given its durable G'zOne handsets the Android treatment. According to screen grabs sent in by two anonymous tipsters, the G'zOne Commando C771 combines a macho design with a 5 megapixel camera and unspecified version of the OS -- all while meeting military specifications for water, shock, and dust resistance, of course. No word on pricing, but both shots reveal it's slated to go on sale April 28th. For now, parse what you will from the product page, and find more photographic evidence after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S II Mini leaks out for Three, plus Nokia X7, Flyer and PlayBook release dates in UK
No, not the Galaxy Mini, that low-end Android sprout -- this looks like Samsung's smaller alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S II superphone. We just got handed UK carrier Three's entire spring-summer lineup, and the Android 2.3 handset certainly stands out, pretending to be miniature in spite of a 3.7-inch screen (think Droid), a 1.4GHz processor (think Pre 3) and 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. But that's the tip of the iceberg compared to what's in store for Three -- it looks like the Nokia X7 is alive, well, and tracking for a June release (not to mention the LG Optimus 3D), and tablets will drop too, with May bringing the HTC Flyer and the WiFi-only BlackBerry PlayBook launching in June. See specs and slated launch windows in our gallery below, and join us in hoping these documents portend a rapid US release. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Google guesstimates release dates for movies and games
You can already do plenty of calculations and conversions right in Google's search box, and it looks like the company's now made it even smarter still. Searching for the title of an upcoming movie or video game plus "release date" will now instantly give you Google's best guess for when the title will actually be released, which is apparently based on how often it's been mentioned on certain websites. So far, we've only been able to get it to work with movies and games, although it seems pretty likely that it will soon expand to other areas as well -- maybe even gadgets? Try it out yourself and let us know if you find anything. [Thanks, Mario]
Staples' slate of slates leaks out, corroborates Samsung 8.9-incher and the HP Opal?
For over a month, we've held onto a document -- allegedly a Staples tablet guide -- that's been looking increasingly wrong as the days fly by. Tablet release dates were too soon, and prices were far too high, which made us think it was either a forgery or sorely out of date. (Curious? See our copy after the break.) This week, however, Droid-Life published a far more likely looking copy of the very same thing, which appears to be both quite recent and fairly interesting. You'll see that Samsung's 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab makes a cameo, as does the 7-inch HP Opal we told you about early this year, and both the BlackBerry PlayBook and Dell Streak 7's appearances align with recent rumors we've seen. The only outlier is an April release date for the Motorola Xoom WiFi, which ads peg for March 27th. The rest is practically a who's who of upcoming tablets, so we'll spare you the full churn of the rumor mill. If you want to know what we know about the lot, simply refer to our coverage below. Update: Oh, and that HTC tablet is listed as a 10-inch one -- could it be the EVO View we've been waiting for? [Thanks, Morgan] Read - Dell Streak 10 Read - Acer Iconia Tab Read - Toshiba's unnamed Tegra 2 / Honeycomb tablet Read - HP TouchPad [Thanks, Billy F.]
HP TouchPad coming June, webOS for PC beta by year's end
We may have to wait until summer to purchase a webOS slate, but it won't be summer's end -- PreCentral reports that the company has confirmed a June release date for the HP TouchPad. At the enterprise-oriented HP Summit in San Francisco, CEO Leo Apotheker finally offered the month of release, and also reportedly said that the company's full-force webOS on PC initiative will begin in a humble way -- the beta will run in a web browser, and we'll see it by the end of the year.
Flash 10.2 beta hits Android Market on March 18th, supports Honeycomb, Gingerbread and Froyo (update)
Contrary to reports floating about the web, the Motorola Xoom isn't getting Adobe Flash Player 10.2 today -- rather, the tablet is getting updated to support Flash, which will actually arrive in one week. Adobe now says that Flash Player 10.2 will be ready to download from the Android Market on March 18th, supporting only Honeycomb tablets (in other words, just the Xoom) to start, and will eventually be available for Android 2.2 smartphones -- again, contrary to what we'd been told, but we can't really complain on that count supporting Android 2.2 (Froyo), Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and a beta version for Android 3.0.1 (Honeycomb) at release. Froyo devices won't get the full battery-friendly Stage Video rendering pipeline and deep browser integration like their Honeycomb tablet brethren, but dual-core phones will reportedly see a performance improvement nonetheless, and there's a new tweak that'll let Flash web apps pull up a virtual keyboard if needed for full functionality. PR after the break. Update: Adobe contacted us to clarify that Flash 10.2 is, in fact, headed to all three of the most recent versions of Android on March 18th -- the Honeycomb tablet version will simply sport a beta label, and the smartphone builds will lack full functionality as described above. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony readying NGP for November 11th European release?
Sony's Jack Tretton told us the company intended to launch the Next Generation Portable in "at least one territory" by the end of 2011, and now we might know which one -- MCVUK reports that the quad-core, OLED-equipped handheld may arrive in Europe first, and on November 11th specifically. While it's probably a little too early to drop the hammer on a specific date -- even one as rhetorically pleasing as 11/11/11 -- the publication's anonymous sources say that "development deadlines have been set to ensure key Western releases are finished before the end of the summer for deployment in the autumn." Plenty of time to drop euros in your piggy bank.
