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World of Warcraft commercials are raiding your TV
Blizzard is ramping up its Warlords of Draenor hype with a new series of World of Warcraft commercials aimed squarely at television viewers. The brief clips -- Grommash Death Stare, Bond of Iron, Iron Horde, and Conquerors -- evoke more Lord of the Rings than the WoW we all know. No gameplay is shown, though there's a sliver of an in-game level-up animation for a human. Spoiler: lots of orcs! Anyone see any of these on TV yet? Enjoy all four commercials below.
Blizzard unleashes Diablo III: Reaper of Souls commercial
If you were watching Sunday night's episode of The Walking Dead, you may have noticed a little commercial for Blizzard's Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Blizz is certainly no stranger to TV commercials, and this cinematic trailer gives us a glimpse into the good-vs.-evil plot of the new expansion that's set to go live on March 25. You can now update to the pre-patch which already includes plenty of goodies to tide you over before launch, and be sure to watch the commercial included after the jump below.
SEGA releases three new PSO2 videos and a roadmap for the future
It seems like just last week that SEGA launched Phantasy Star Online 2's Episode 2, Chapter 1, and that's because it was literally just last week. Expansion continues at a breakneck pace, with Episode 2, Part 2 receiving a reveal trailer today outlining the new costumes, maps, and gear to be added when that update goes live August 7th. But that's not all. Episode 2, Part 3 is already in the works, with an expected launch window of December 2013. SEGA also released two new commercials for Phantasy Star Online 2, one for the regular game and one for the Vita version. Both are weird. Check out the new trailer and commercials after the break.
WoW Archivist: WoW's craziest TV ads
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? Nefarian swallows a truck. Two women duke it out in a supermarket. A trio of singers shouts, "No means no!" Mr. T introduces a new race and Chuck Norris roundhouse-kicks a kodo. Those responsible for advertising World of Warcraft have hit on some crazy ideas. This week, Blizzard debuted its first TV ads for Mists of Pandaria. As I'm writing this, I've just watched them air live on Monday Night Football. That's a big-time slot for a commercial here in the States and runs a cool $325,000 per nationally televised spot. The ads feature clips from the official trailer. If only the Bengals had put up as much of a fight as that panda. But not all of WoW's commercials through the years have been quite so ... straightforward. Let's take a look!
New Mists of Pandaria TV commercials
We're getting serious now. Blizzard just announced that Mists of Pandaria has not one, but two TV trailers. You can see them on the official site or over on YouTube. With our arrival on the shores of Pandaria a mere sixteen days away, things are starting to feel serious as the battle between Horde and Alliance gets set to heat all the way up to eleven. Yes, I mixed a ton of metaphors up just then. The spots are basically just clips from the opening cinematic, so don't expect to see anything new, but it does give me that here we go feeling. September 25, we're all waiting. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota (video)
Sony isn't known for rolling out the red carpet when one of its phones arrives Stateside, although that's partly because US carrier-endorsed versions are few and far between. It clearly sees the Xperia Ion as worth the five-star treatment it's giving the rest of the 2012 Xperia line: the company is starting a rare TV ad campaign to pitch its 720p wunderkind to an American audience that might not have noticed the Ericsson badge going away. As you'd expect, the pseudo single-take spot ends up being as much a vehicle for pushing other Sony projects as it does for the Android phone in question; we hope you don't mind getting a brand overdose. With that in mind, there's more action and explosions per square capita than in any other smartphone ad in recent memory, so if you're upset that other smartphone ads are just too... peaceful, click Play and get your fill of danger.
Watch the new Diablo III TV commercial
"Evil is back," the screen proclaims -- and who are we to argue? Blizzard has released a brand-new 30-second spot for television to promote Diablo III's May 15th release, and it's a tight little package of demons, explosions, fire, and one properly terrified girl. Blizzard's been ramping up the hype as its hack-and-slash RPG nears launch. It's released class spotlight videos on the classes of the game, including the Demon Hunter, the Barbarian, the Monk, and the Witch Doctor. Check out the new TV spot after the break and let us know what you think!
Microsoft expands Internet Explorer push with new TV ad
Internet Explorer may still be the world's number one web browser, but Microsoft has a declining market share to deal with, as well as the small problem of folks hesitant to upgrade from an earlier version for one reason or another. The company's now making a new push to address both issues, however, and has today unveiled a relatively rare Internet Explorer TV commercial extolling the virtues of IE9. That ad continues the "beauty of web" campaign Microsoft has been promoting as of late, and focuses more on web-based apps and games than traditional web sites -- or, for that matter, the browser itself. What remains to be seen is just how big a marketing push Microsoft plans to put behind the new ad campaign, but it is an actual TV ad, not just a web ad. Press play above to render your own judgement.
World of Warcraft offers new in-game item, new TV spot for seventh anniversary
World of Warcraft is about to celebrate its seventh anniversary on November 23 next week (which means that some of its players have been alive for less time than the game's servers have been up), and to celebrate, Blizzard is giving everyone who logs in between this Sunday and December 3 a Feat of Strength achievement (which means it's only available during this time) and a "celebration package" item. The item will fire off a virtual fireworks display, and gives players a spiffy new tabard, as well as a 7% experience point and reputation bonus when used. The company will also introduce a brand new "What's your game?" celebrity TV commercial this weekend during the Bears/Chargers game on CBS. The star of the new commercial is set to be a surprise, so you can start guessing right now in the comments below. We have no idea who it might be, but considering all of the stars so far (William Shatner, Mr. T, Ozzy Osbourne, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Verne Troyer), a girl might be nice?
Them's fightin' words: RIFT commercial takes on WoW
"We're not in Azeroth anymore," Trion Worlds' new TV commercial proclaims before a rift gobbles up the words. This 30-second spot for RIFT features a hero opening a rift with a jewel, a dragon roaring, an ogre on the warpath, and adventurers gearing up for the fight. The commercial ends with an invitation to pre-order the game. This comes hot on the heels of RIFT's launch date announcement and signifies the next step up for Trion Worlds' marketing department. You can watch the new TV spot after the jump!
Networks hoping video on demand will save them from DVR woes
We've all gloated in delight from mashing the fast forward button through ExtenZe ads on DVRed shows, but according to CBS's chief research officer David Poltrack in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, networks and advertisers hope VOD will soon put the brakes on our hell-raising remotes. Sure, the actual impact of DVRs on advertising may still be unclear -- remember Oliver Wyman found 85 percent of DVR owners skip 3/4 of commercials in recorded shows, while Duke researchers found 95 percent of TV is watched live -- making the devices a non-issue. The way Poltrack sees it though, more prevalent VOD will "give the consumer the ability to watch shows any way they want to, and to do so in a way that is much more advertiser-friendly." He also mentions the potential cost-saving benefits for consumers, who may not need to cough up monthly DVR fees in the future just to view The Jersey Shore whenevs. As support, he cites convenient CBS research showing that 90 percent of consumers would be willing to deal with commercials in exchange for $10 in cable bill savings. But what do you say Engadget research subjects? Would you sacrifice the joy of the commercial skip if VOD had everything you could possibly want to watch? Let us know in comments below.
New iPod commercials now on Apple.com and YouTube
You saw them in the keynote today, now watch them again in the privacy of your own home: the new iPod touch and iPod nano television ads are live on Apple.com and on Apple's YouTube channel. "All kinds of fun," indeed. (If you're a fan of NBC's Chuck, like some of us are, you may appreciate that Cake's Short Skirt/Long Jacket -- the show's theme song -- is featured in the new nano ad.) [via MacRumors]
First Storm 2 ad huffs and puffs for attention (video)
Given the timing of Storm 2's launch and the Motorola DROID's unveiling, you'd think Verizon had all but abandoned its touchscreen BlackBerry. But lo and behold, we do have a new television spot. "Who says lightning never strikes twice" -- who said it ever struck the first time? Video after the break. [Via Gear Diary]
New Sims 3 trailer treks into our hearts
The Sims 3 has quite a marketing push behind it for a game expected to sell more copies in its lifetime than there are digits in Pi. The upcoming sequel to the best-selling PC title is poised to attack store shelves on June 2 and honestly, we can't wait. In this video (showing off the game's movie-making magic), our Simlish-speaking pals show off their creativity in a hilarious Star Trek parody. If you thought J.J. Abrams knew pacing, drama and action ... Maxis is going to blow the brains out of the back of your skull.
Interview with John Hodgman, the PC from those "Get a Mac" ads
Yup, we interviewed that guy. But John Hodgman isn't just a metaphorical stand-in for the PC (even though that's what we mainly asked him about), he's also an editor at the New York Times Magazine and a contributor to the Daily Show. Read on to find out whether he's really a PC user, Microsoft's attempts to recruit him, and how he got the gig in the first place.So first things first: Mac or PC?Here is the joke that is absolutely apt, though I once promised I would never make it: "I play one on TV, but I am not a PC." It is true. I am first of all: not a computer, but a human being; and second of all: a Mac user, almost exclusively, since 1984. There was a brief period in the wilderness between 1997 and 2003. Let us not speak of it.
