Warcraft fans are pretty much all just as happy as that kid above (ok, well maybe not that happy). But there's lots of reasons to cheer -- BlizzCon took place in Anaheim, California this past weekend, patch 3.0.2 hit the live realms today, and next month, Wrath of the Lich King, the second WoW expansion, sees release. And throughout everything that's happening, WoW Insider has you covered -- here's our biggest stories from this weekend's convention and today's patch release.
BlizzCon Roundup: Day 2 Even more news from Blizzard about World of Warcraft, Diablo 3, and Starcraft 2.
BlizzCon 2008: Sound panel Blizzard's music team provided a rare treat during the Sound panel, and we recorded it just for you.
BlizzCon 2008: The Art Gallery A gallery on the show floor exhibits some terrific art from all of Blizzard's games (and a few hints at what upcoming titles will look like).
Shortly after our earlier post on the release of World of Warcraft patch 3.0.2 "Echoes of Doom" went up, we started receiving tips that the patch notes we linked to were inaccurate. Turns out they are ... because, as our friends at WoW Insider report, Blizzard yanked a number of major class changes prior to its release.
In the run-up to next month's Wrath of the Lich King launch, Blizzard is evidently making changes to the game's balance on what seems to be a second-by-second basis, with the developer stating that patch 3.0.2 was balanced at level 80 with all of the intended changes but ... not so much at 70. Rather than make things messier, it went with what worked.
Blizzard says that all players should get the (for now) shelved changes by the time WotLK launches on Nov. 13. It also expects there to be numerous hot fixes at that point, asking its fans to hold strong during this (hopefully brief) period of hectic pre-launch scuttering about.
After finishing Tabula Rasa, Richard Garriott decided to take a break from reaping the adoration of the game's dozens of fans to be (literally) shot into space. Video of his flight was released yesterday, and you can watch it just after the jump.
Just after liftoff (at about 2:15 into the video) Lord British holds a message up to the cockpit camera written in Logos, the language of Tabula Rasa. We'd love to make fun of him for doing something so incredibly nerdy, but we're ashamed to admit we actually think it's kind of cool. Sorry.
Today, Blizzard will be releasing World of Warcraft patch 3.0.2, also known as "Echoes of Doom," the first major update since March's "Fury of the Sunwell" patch. "Echoes" marks the introduction of the Achievements System, sure to push the game into an even higher echelon of addiction. Expect also new locations, arenas, spells, talents, abilities, a barbershop, an in-game calendar and a new profession, Inscription.
Our MMO-obsessed (or "MMObsessed") friends at WoW Insider have the full patch notes and an archive of extensive coverage. The "Echoes of Doom"patch should be returning your calls around 2:00PM PT (or 5:00PM ET). In case you missed it (and then, of course, we must ask how?), check out Joystiq and WoW Insider's coverage of this past weekend's BlizzCon.
Joystiq's sister site Massively.com has all the news you'll need about MMOs. Here's the best, brightest, and most interesting stuff from the last week, all in one convenient place for your MMO minute.
Warhammer Online's party hits 750,000 players It seems like the forces of Order and Destruction have been busy recruiting, because Gamasutra is reporting that Warhammer Online is now partying hard at 750,000 subscribers strong.
Champions Online announces Closed Beta signups Cryptic Studios has just announced that players can now sign up for a chance to participate in the first Closed Beta of their forthcoming superhero MMO, Champions Online, with the Beta beginning in mid-November 2008. Applications can be made at the official website. The Beta is for PC only.
Mines of Moria gets a November 18th release date Mines of Moria, the first expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, has been given a release date of November 18th for both the NA and EU today. That means we're only about a month away from ten new levels, two new classes, legendary weapons, angry Balrogs and the under-mountain Dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dum.
Massively in Metropolis: DC Universe Online goes beyond questing The folks at SOE Austin are looking to change the playing field fairly substantially with their superhero MMO title. In fact, in a number of ways they're looking to re-examine a lot of the basic elements we think of as part and parcel with the MMO package. One great example is the concept of questing.
While Flagship's maiden voyage may have ended up as splintered wreckage at the bottom of the massively multiplayer ocean, a pair of its former crew have found safe harbor at fellow MMO studio, Turbine. The Lord of the Rings Online developer announced that former Flagship execs Dave Brevik and Jeff Lind have joined the company, and will help spearhead a newly opened studio in Redwood City, CA.
The pair is joined by industry vet and former Sniper Studios president and CEO, Matt McKnight, who will serve as the new studio's Director, while Brevik and Lind will take on roles as creative director and engineering director respectively. We offer congratulations and best of luck to all three gentlemen, though we're particularly interested in seeing what Brevik does with his new position. Creative director marks a change from his previous role as Flagship's chief visionary officer, a wise course correction given that his foresight apparently stopped just short of predicting his former employer's impending doom.
Long-time World of Warcraftplayers have probably had run-ins with "multiboxers", players with multiple accounts who control more than one character at a time, during their illustrious adventuring careers -- but we're fairly sure no Azerothian has ever seen anything like this. A WoWplayer by the name of Prepared, using the terrifying eleven-computer rig you see above, has begun tooling around Azeroth in his own 36-shaman raid party. When asked how he controls so many characters at once, Prepared was unable to respond, as he is an octopus.
However, he was able to share some of the financial demands imposed upon his single-player raid machine, such as his six-month subscription plan for each of the accounts, which runs him $5,711 annually. He also plans to pick up 36 copies of the title's upcoming expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which he estimates will cost him $1,500. The price doesn't bother Prepared, who remarks, "there are more expensive hobbies out there than World of Warcraft." Yes, like that black tar heroin "hobby" our uncle Marco recently took up.
If you've been playing the Wrath of the Lich King beta, then this stuff isn't new to you. However, it sure is pretty. All those lush environments, just waiting to be riddled with the corpses of the vanquished. Straight to you from BlizzCon comes the video above, and the gallery below.
Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
One day of BlizzCon is already behind us, and with it came the announcement of the Wizard class for Diablo III, the fact that Starcraft II is going to be a trilogy, and the truism that World of Warcraft players really love their costume and dance contests.
Check out the video of the pants-off dance-off above, hit the links below that for some highlights, and then be sure and crawl through our galleries below for all that we've seen so far. Today brings more panels, more Diablo III news (omg wtf?!), and a closing ceremony featuring Patton Oswalt, Video Games Live, and Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain. We'll be bringing you audio and video, so keep watching.
Were you one of the many who didn't have the opportunity to make it out to Blizzneyland... er, we mean BlizzCon, of course... this year? Never fear, because Joystiq is on-hand to tell you exactly what's happening on the show floor. Enjoy BlizzCon from the comfort of your desk chair, away from the lines and the crowds and the delicious Diablo 3 gameplay... but we digress. On with the show. See our live coverage of:
The convention floor, full of all sorts of shiny temptations for your inner fanboy (or girl).
The news that StarCraft 2 was being released as a trilogy (with one game for the Terran campaign, one game for the Zerg campaign, and one game for the Protoss campaign) left some people cold, but we've got to say the gameplay Blizzard is showing off still looks incredible.
Stay tuned for more news from Blizzneyland... er, BlizzCon... throughout the day.
If you've been looking for an excuse to tend to your long-neglected digital pipe-weed garden, you'll have it on Nov. 18 when Lord of the Rings Online expansion The Mines of Moria arrives on shelves or on your hard drive. In addition to the titular mines, the pack also includes two new classes, ten more levels and a swan boat full of new quests.
Just how the $39.99 expansion will make its way to your computer is up to you. There's an early digital upgrade and two different retail SKUs, each with their own perks and bonuses, all of which you can read about right here.
There's no denying that World of Warcraft's latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is likely to have a purple (epic) orange (legendary) launch. The only thing standing in the way of the WoW faithful from getting their Northrend on is the new tech specs a meeting with Arthas will require.
PC:
Windows XP SP3 or Vista SP1 (Windows 2000 no longer supported)
Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1.5 GHz (up from 800 MHz Intel/AMD). Dual-core recommended.
RAM: 512 MB/1 GB for Vista, same as before. 1 GB/2 GB recommended.
Video: GPU with hardware transform and lighting and 32 MB VRAM, same as before. Recommended 128 MB VRAM.
Mac:
Mac OS X 10.4.11 (10.3 no longer supported)
PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo. G4s are no longer supported. Intel 1.8 GHz recommended.
BlizzCon is almost upon us -- this weekend, thousands will descend on Anaheim to celebrate Blizzard and its games, and Blizzard developers will share their wisdom with us about Wrath of the Lich King, Diablo 3, and Starcraft II. And WoW Insider will be there: if you're going, make sure to come by our big reader meetup on Thursday night at The Lost Bar, and if you're not going, stay tuned to the site all weekend long for live-on-the-scene coverage.
News
Raids rebalanced for patch 3.0.2 Even Burning Crusade raids are getting a facelift, considering how much is changing in the upcoming expansion.
We haven't spent much time talking Lego Universe (if we're going to waste our lives in a pretend land, we at least want to be able to sport crude geometric breasts, thankyouverymuch) but a recent nugget from a Massively interview with project lead Mark Hansen has our interest piqued:
"Massively: Are you interested in bringing some of the more story rich play themes into Lego Universe? Star Wars, Indiana Jones?
Hansen: I think that IPs would be great to see in the game. It's not for the first launch.
Mass.:It's not something you're discounting, or isn't possible, though.
Hansen: No, not at all. I think you will ... yeah. (laughs)"
So, with Star Wars a possibility, could The Boss be far behind?
