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Joystiq at BlizzCon 2009
We're here inside BlizzCon 2009 in Anaheim, California, having survived the massive onslaught of people desperate to sprint and knock people over in the Quest for the Perfect Seats. The opening ceremonies start soon, and promise to reveal ... something. Will it be World of Warcraft's newest rumored expansion, Cataclysm? We're also holding out for news on Blizzard's mystery MMO, more Diablo 3 information (go Wizard! go Monk!), and, finally, something concrete about Battle.Net. Oh, and we guess there's that Starcraft 2 game everyone's been yapping about ...If you're hungry for WoW info, head over to our sister site WoW.com. Like, the entire website is about that game.%Gallery-70671%
Breakfast Topic: What BlizzCon announcement are you waiting for?
BlizzCon is just a day away now! WoW.com staffers are gonna be haunting the grounds in full force and are likely to leave some ectoplasmic residue (read: drool) on a number of demo tables and panel floors, depending on what's announced and shown at the event. And the announcements are, at least for most everyone but Blizzard, still a mystery. Popular opinion (and the ability to put two and two together) seems to indicate the unveiling of a new WoW expansion, but why stop there? After all, there are three other games that Blizzard is working on -- or so they say -- so it's quite possible that we'll see some big ol' infodrops about those titles too.Or maybe Blizzard will through us for a loop and treat us to two days of Premonition raids and panels about J. Allen Brack's ponytail. It is a mystery!So what are you holding out for? StarCraft II release date? Diablo 3 bombshell? Next-gen MMO reveal? Glossy eight-by-tens of Zarhym in shades and a leather jacket (so dreamy)? BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there's some great looking costumes.
The best of WoW.com: August 11-18, 2009
It's BlizzCon fever over on Joystiq sister site WoW.com. Blizzard's annual convention takes place this weekend in Anaheim, and boy are we ready to go there. While we're all packing and flying cross-country to see what Blizzard has in store for us (a new expansion announcement? More Diablo III and Starcraft II info?), you can read up on our most popular stories of the last seven days below. News World of Warcraft: Cataclysm leakedSpoilers aplenty in this roundup of leaks about the expected new expansion. Onyxia returns in patch 3.2.2The big black dragon is back for another go-round. Possible new race/class combinations dataminedA new PTR hints that certain races might be able to take on new classes soon. Patch 3.2.2 PTR: New Onyxia loot revealedWhat'll she drop? Find out here. Felicia Day unleashes geeky pop singleThe Guild folks release a pop song that's as geeky as it gets. Features Raid Rx: Raid bosses that brought healers to their kneesOur raid healing series looks at bosses that give healers an extra challenge. Breakfast Topic: What if you knew the day WoW would go offline?Would you play differently? Or not at all? PTR Patch 3.2.2: First impressions of OnyxiaFirst look at the big 5th anniversary boss fight. All the World's a Stage: Reflections on the passing of a roleplayer's momVery sad but poignant column -- a must read this week, whether you're an RPer or not. Totem Talk: Starting a ShamanHow to begin being a totem-dropper.
Interview: Dustin Browder talks StarCraft 2 development and delays
Dustin Browder is the man in the hot seat as Blizzard's lead designer for StarCraft 2. Ultimately, he's the one you can heap the blame (or the praise) upon when the final product finally ships. At the time of this interview, we didn't officially know SC2 would be delayed, but given the sheer amount of things they'd shown us during our visit, it became clear that there was no way StarCraft 2 would make 2009. Still, Browder talks about the reasons for the delay, and ultimately gamers are going to be happy that they chose to make the game better, rather than rush it out for the holiday shopping frenzy. Read on for the full interview with him where we talk delays, easter eggs, the new matchmaking system, the single player experience, and hidden items in the game, including a fully playable Lost Viking arcade game with a data editor that will let you make your own scrolling shooters.%Gallery-69481%
Interview: Andy Chambers on writing StarCraft 2
Andy Chambers has a lot of industry work under his belt, having worked at Games Workshop for more than 14 years before joining Blizzard in 2006. He's currently the creative director on Starcraft 2, which makes him the perfect guy to quiz about the single-player aspect of the game. It's an enormously ambitious project, which still hasn't been entirely figured out yet -- and that's the main reason for the delay Blizzard announced recently.%Gallery-69481%
New Starcraft 2 videos: cinematic trailer and some single player gameplay
Consider yourself spoiler-warned: there's a very familiar face at the end of the cutscene above. But, if you played through Starcraft and the Brood War expansion, you had to know this particular person was still around. But the statute of limitations on that expired eons ago, so don't blame us. Feast your eyes on all of the Protoss kicking Zerg butt in the Starcraft 2 cutscene above (or download the massive 490MB high-def version here), and then head beyond the jump to see more than four minutes from the single-player version of the game. Sadly, it doesn't feature the fully-rendered Jim Raynor that you'll control throughout (read about that in our hands-on), but it does pimp out the unit upgrading and the new video screens. And plus ... it's Starcraft 2. Do we really need to say more?
Hands-on: Starcraft 2 - the single-player experience (finally!)
Don't you just love embargoes? So do we. Expect a ton of StarCraft 2 information today. Forget everything you know about StarCraft 2. Well, forget everything you know about the single-player campaign in StarCraft 2. Which at this point is pretty much ... nothing. We've told you all about the multiplayer and its upcoming changes, but the single-player experience has been one gigantic black hole. Until now. We recently spent a day at Blizzard's campus learning all about StarCraft 2's Wings of Liberty Terran campaign, the first in a series with the Zerg and Protoss expansions coming at a later date. One thing is for sure: this isn't anything like the old StarCraft single-player campaign. Read on to find out what you'll be doing with Jim Raynor throughout the 30 or so missions in StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty.%Gallery-69481%
Blizzard franchises get their own Twitter accounts
We recently learned of a quiet little announcement that Blizzard's three hot properties now each have Twitter accounts of their own. If you use Twitter, you can now follow @warcraft, @starcraft, and @diablo.All three accounts are pretty bare at the moment aside from some catchphrases, but I'm going to bet the accounts will be used as another miniature news outlet, much like the front pages of their respective websites. It's probably also safe to say we'll be seeing a lot of product and tournament plugs, too. If you're a Twitter fiend, you might want to click that follow button for them (and our account, too). If you don't normally use Twitter, it's too early to say if these accounts are anything you should go out of your way to check out. If there's any major WoW news showing up there, it will find its way here too. Your life probably won't end if you don't follow them. Probably.
Razer announces line of 'tournament-grade' StarCraft II peripherals (and also a bag)
Serious StarCraft players know the best way to play: using peripherals that have the StarCraft logo, of course. Razer has announced that it will cater to these hardcore gamers with a line of StarCraft II peripherals, including a mouse, keyboard, and headset. According to the press release, the devices will actually be a little more than cheap USB peripherals with the logo on them: Razer is working with Blizzard to develop the line, which will have "unique exclusive features to cater to the StarCraft II community." They should be really good thanks to the extra time the two companies have to work on them. Razer is also releasing a StarCraft II messenger bag, which may or may not also be "tournament-grade." Lucky ticket buyers and Ozzy Osbourne will be able to get a look at the bag at BlizzCon.
Razer preys on unsuspecting StarCraft fanboys, teases new mouse, keyboard and headset
We wouldn't go so far as to say that Razer is taking a note from the teasers over at Voodoo, but the gaming accessory outfit is definitely hoping to play on the emotions of anxious StarCraft fanatics. With the long (long!) awaited sequel finally nearing release, Razer has decided to link up with Blizzard in order to develop a new mouse, keyboard and headset designed specifically to cater to future StarCraft II gamers. For now, all we have to go on is the image above and whatever our imagination deems fit for believing, but we suspect all will be revealed when Blizzcon kicks off later this month. You can hardly wait, huh?[Via HotHardware]
20k BlizzCon tickets gone in eight measly minutes
Klondike ain't got nothing on BlizzCon tickets when they're selling out faster than fiber optic internet on steroids.We're pretty sure there are thousands of people who would commit all kinds of unspeakable acts in order to acquire one. Maybe next year they're hold a Running Man style competition, or they could just hold a random lottery. Fans would probably do whatever Blizzard asked them, just to get the tiniest of peeks at their next big thing.Surely though, people must be expecting some serious info to drop if the tickets sold out that quickly. Obviously there's a slim chance Blizzard's next MMO could be announced this year. There's also a chance we'll just hear more about already announced titles, but what else is there to know about StarCraft II at this point? No, we're holding out hope for MMO 2, because what's life without a little dangerous hoping?
BlizzCon 2009 sold out in just eight minutes
Not only was BlizzCon sold out in under a half hour over the two days tickets were on sale, turns out it was all done in eight measly minutes -- like an Onyxia run at lvl 80. Big Download took note of the reveal during Activision Blizzard's conference call with investors, where the publisher with more gold than the old Titan vault in Uldaman revealed the 20,000 tickets were auctioned off at $125 a pop in less time than it takes to be escorted out of a job interview for admitting a World of Warcraft habit. We spoke with someone deep in the Azerothian trenches, WoW.com Senior Editor Mike Schramm, who tells us, "The official line might be eight minutes, but I was there: the queue filled up in about 20 seconds. It may have taken eight minutes for the queue to go through and sell the place out, but if you were past about 1800 in the queue, you were out of luck. And they hit that number about 20 seconds in." Sad Pandaren.
StarCraft II delayed to 2010
In an official press release, Blizzard announced today that StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the first installment of the Starcraft II trilogy, previously indicated to be released in the last quarter of this year, is delayed to the first half of 2010.The release cited the massive amount of work necessary to overhaul Blizzard's online matchmaking service, Battle.net, as the main culprit for the delay. Since the new BNet will be part of every new Blizzard game from here on in -- including World of Warcraft, as players with BNet accounts have seen -- it's vital that the service be working properly before the game's release.StarCraft II was never officially dated -- only an on-the-sly indication -- and multiple financial sites have reported the now-official release date as the first half of 2010 following this announcement and Activision-Blizzard's quarterly financial report. What does this mean for the WoW player? Well, it means that if you were expecting the focus of BlizzCon, or one of the focuses of BlizzCon, to be a StarCraft II release date, you'd be incorrect.Gives you pause when you consider what else they could be announcing instead, eh?
StarCraft II delayed until 2010
Well, who didn't see that coming? Activision announced in its earnings report today that StarCraft II has been delayed into 2010, while also reiterating the news about Singularity's delay. Given that StarCraft II is both a) a game that was supposed to be released in fall 2009 (which is almost a guarantee of a spring 2010 release these days) and b) a Blizzard game (which is a guarantee of multi-year delays), we're hardly shocked.The move will coincide with the relaunch of Blizzard's Battle.net service, according to the report.
Pachter: Modern Warfare 2, StarCraft II will each sell 4 million in no time flat
You know what this image means -- prolific pontificator and games industry analyst Michael Pachter is once again going all Nostradamus on us, this time with regard to Modern Warfare 2 and StarCraft 2 sales predictions. Quoted in a Gamasutra article, Wedbush Morgan's games guy says he feels, "[Modern Warfare 2] has the potential to sell an extra four million copies this year due to the big advertising push." Wait -- this year? The game comes out in November. Yikes.As for Blizzard's hotly anticipated sci-fi RTS, Pachter believes StarCraft 2 will break the four million sold mark within the first quarter (three months!) it's on sale. The one thing he can't predict: exactly when that on-sale date will be. C'mon, Michael, maybe if you combine the crystal ball, some bones and tea leaves? (Or is that how you access the hidden room in level 1-1 ... ?)[Via BigDownload]
Analyst: Expect a StarCraft II delay
With Activision recently pushing back Singularity to 2010, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia thinks the same fate will befall the highly anticipated StarCraft II. The game is currently slated for a release this October. However, the game's beta suffered a delay recently, which, according to Bhatia's comments to the Wall Street Journal, casts its Q4 2009 release target in doubt.With Modern Warfare 2 on slate for later this year, Bhatia doesn't see the delay hurting Activision's coffers. In fact, it's suggested a 2010 release would actually help company profits during what is expected to be a relatively slow year.
Surprising no one, StarCraft II fans petition for LAN support
You can say that we're getting old, but this petition, created by StarCraft II fans that want to see LAN support included in the game, is actually making us a little nostalgic. The air is once more thick with with slight, reedy voices crying fruitlessly out for ultimately inconsequential change! It's intoxicating! But we have to admit that their opener, "We, your most loyal fans, implore you to reconsider adding LAN as a network feature to StarCraft II," is a little soft for our taste. C'mon guys, when this totally doesn't work at all, you need to feel like you gave it your best shot.[Via Eurogamer]
StarCraft II: Blizzard responds to lack of LAN support
Well, it's definitely true. Blizzard has killed LAN support in the upcoming StarCraft II, and here's the official word from Bob Colayco at Blizzard PR:"We don't currently plan to support LAN play with StarCraft II, as we are building Battle.net to be the ideal destination for multiplayer gaming with StarCraft II and future Blizzard Entertainment games. While this was a difficult decision for us, we felt that moving away from LAN play and directing players to our upgraded Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer experience with StarCraft II and safeguard against piracy. Several Battle.net features like advanced communication options, achievements, stat-tracking, and more, require players to be connected to the service, so we're encouraging everyone to use Battle.net as much as possible to get the most out of StarCraft II. We're looking forward to sharing more details about Battle.net and online functionality for StarCraft II in the near future."So, let it hereby be noted that pirates killed the LAN parrrrrty.
LAN support not included in StarCraft II
According to an IncGamers interview with members of the StarCraft II team, one of the major components of the original game won't be included in the sequel -- LAN play. "We don't have any plans to support LAN," VP of game design Rob Pardo told the site. Blizzard has reportedly confirmed to IGN that LAN support is indeed out the window. We're reaching out to Blizzard for comment as well, so don't throw out all your cables yet.If this is true, Battle.net is the only multiplayer option in StarCraft II, and the era of the LAN party has officially ended -- we suppose you could still bring your computer over to someone else's house, but you no longer need to. More than that, we suspect that this will be just one of the things that thousands of daily StarCraft players are going to freak out about, because it's something in the new game that is the slightest bit different from the old game.[Via IGN]%Gallery-66757%
Interview: Starcraft 2 lead producer Chris Sigaty
Chris Sigaty has been a faithful Blizzard employee for thirteen years and served as the lead tester on the original Starcraft. He's worked his way up the ladder on various titles, and is now hauling the reins of three different races as the lead producer on the followup Starcraft 2. Additionally, he's the rhythm guitarist in Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain and has a rockin' metal head of hair.We sat down with him recently to talk about the much anticipated sequel, which became a trilogy somewhere along the yellow brick road of development. Blizzard is still hoping to release Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty later this year, featuring the Terran single-player version of the game along with all three races in the multiplayer that you've come to love like a dear friend ... a dear friend that sucks up all of your free time and enjoys kicking you in the ribs when you're down.Read on for all the Starcraft 2 goodies we could squeeze out of him, and find out why this title is poised to glue more butts to seats very soon.
