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World of Warcraft merchandisers supreme Jinx have unleashed their new winter line just in time for Christmas, complete with the return of the talking, hand-humping murloc plushies. More »
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BlizzCon 2008 has come and gone. We've laughed, cried, loved, learned, and broken expensive props. For those of you who lost track of BlizzCon amidst the whirlwind Tokyo Game Show weekend, here's the final round up of all the stories spawned from Blizzard's yearly celebration of all things them. More »
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The foks at J!nx are absolutely brilliant. Wanting to bring something other than hats, shirts, and gurgling murlocs to the BlizzCon 2008 party, they've come up with a way to combine all the competition of a PVP arena with the carnival fun of tossing bean bags through holes, the J!nx PVP Arena. While I had missed it on Friday due to swarms of murloc-hungry fans, late Saturday night I got a chance to try my hand at an extremely entertaining way to play World of Warcraft without technically playing World of Warcraft. More »
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Over the last couple of days I've briefly touched on Diablo III's new rune system, but after talking a bit with the game's lead can designer Jay Wilson for a bit I figured the system warranted it's own post. You see, while past games have featured items that augment the powers of your abilities, the massive scope of the rune system sets it apart. More »
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At BlizzCon 2008 there was one booth I managed to avoid for the majority of the show, but towards the end when the crowds were clearing off I couldn't help but notice the amazing masks and accessories the folks at Rubie's Costume Company had brought along with them. Not only did they sell your standard latex elf ears and a full assortment of masks, including the $160+ full Tauren, they were even working on new masks at the booth. I sat and watched a guy working on the Illidan head for awhile, but I was really impressed with the detail on the Draenei being created on the other side of the booth. If not for my abject fear of putting plastic over my head, I might have been tempted to pick one up myself. More »
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It can be hard to come up with interview questions about a game you've been following as closely as I have the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King, so when I found myself with 15 minutes with the game's lead producer J. Allen Brack, I instead delivered praise for a specific moment that occurs during the Death Knight starting experience. It turns out I was not the only person impressed with what Blizzard has crafted. Mind you I don't want to ruin the surprise for folks who haven't experienced it yet, so I will have to remain a bit vague. Let's just say that your character is faced with a task that they normally would never complete, but are forced to anyway, caught in the thrall of the vile Lich King. More »
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Closing time, one last call for gwarghalol...okay, I got nothing. BlizzCon 2008 is over, and the press room is slowly emptying out. Just a few die-hard members of the press playing Diablo III at the convenient kiosks that kept us from waiting in line for hours to try it. Thank you so much for that, Blizzard. As you can see in the photo above, I am diligently finishing off my posts for the day and clearly not leveling my 34 paladin in Hillsbrad, no not at all. It's been a pretty big show for me, and while part of me is sad to see it go, another part of me is looking forward to a lazy Sunday of...driving to Phoenix from Anaheim. Yay! More »
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Look kids, it's the cast of the hit internet series The Guild! In case you've not heard of The Guild, it's a hysterically funny look at a group of MMO players and how they react when things get a bit too real. The lovely red-haired woman there is Felicia Day, who Buffy fans may remember as someone only Buffy fans would remember. She plays the guild's healer, Codex, who one day gets a surprise visit from Sandeep Parikh, the warlock who assumes the two have hit it off and decides to move in with her. If you've ever been in an MMO guild you know these people, from the inattentive mother Clara (far left) to the young, "spirited" player Bladezz, played by Vincent Caso there on the far right. Vincent...I am so sorry I called you a dick today. I really meant your character, I swear. You're a lovely man. Anyway, check out the show's website and find out what happens when a guild stops being real and starts getting...really real. More »
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Remember that excited feeling you got when you first killed a monster in the original Diablo? How you knew that this was going to be a game that ate a great deal of your life? And then Diablo II came out, and it was pretty much the same feeling as Diablo I, only updated for the computer systesm of the day, somehow maintaining the same level of excitement and fun as the original? Well I've just gotten a chance to play through a half hour of Diablo III, and damn if I don't have that same giddy feeling all over again. Sure, the core concepts remain exactly the same as they did in the original game. You play a character that clicks their way through levels, hacking, slashing, and spellcasting your way through hordes of enemies. You still upgrade your equipment, quaff potions, and identify magic items along the way. In essence it is the same game we've been playing and loving since the very start, only updated to the point where we can look at it on today's systems and still go "Damn, this is an amazing game." More »
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I'd have to say that the very best cosplay I've seen at BlizzCon 2008 I've sadly seen without a camera. Like the two girls dressed up as a demon and a Draenei, kissing each other as I rushed to an interview with the lead designer on StarCraft II. Priorities won out in the end, but I will forever carry the image etched in my mind. Here's a selection of some of the costumes I did manage to catch on film. Oddly enough, the pirate is a girl I've known for nearly 10 years now and hadn't seen in nearly six of them. Smallish world after all, isn't it? More »
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By far the most popular item available for purchase at BlizzCon 2008, the plush talking murloc doll from the lovely folks at Jinx completely sold out yesterday at the convention, and today's allotment is going quickly as well, with lines stretch across the convention floor. I managed to beg, plead, cry, and pay $40 for one of the little bastards, which I quickly brought up to the press room to unbox. Things were going great, until the little fish creature took a liking to my hand. The possibly NSFW results, after the jump. More »
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I just got out of a brief interview with Diablo III lead designer Jay Wilson, where we discussed a few things about the role of gender in video games and the new rune system in Diablo III, but the whole time I was in there I couldn't take my eyes off of his t-shirt. I've seen it around the convention, but this was my first chance to see it up close. Behold, the new logo for Diablo III. I really dig the ponies. More »
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And so Fahey ascended the icy throne, taking up the mystical helm and the legendary sword of Frostmorne, long enough for this painting to be created before he once more descended. And as his might footsteps echoed down the icy cliffs, a resounding crack was heard, his heel shattering the very world. More »
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Don't think of it as a split. That's main point StarCraft II lead producer Chris Sigaty was trying to get across during our brief interview following the StarCraft II panel at BlizzCon where it was announced that the single player campaign would be delivered as three separate products - first Terran, then Zerg, and finally Protoss. "Effectively each game in the will be an expansion," Sigaty explained when I told him of our reader's initial concerns about buying the same game three times with a different single player component. Think Warcraft III's The Frozen Throne, or the original StarCraft's Brood War. More »
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While World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo are all fine and good, some of us are Blizzard fans for completely different reasons. The retro arcade portion of BlizzCon 2008 showcases some of those reasons with playable versions of old favorites like Rock N Roll Racing, BlackThorne, and my own personal favorite, The Lost Vikiings. There's something unbelievably awesome about seeing those three little guys on a banner above a show like this. I think I am going to ask them if I can have it when they are done. More »
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Click to viewBlizzard just announced that StarCraft II's single player campaign would be split into three separate products. The scope of the single-player experience was so huge they decided to deliver three different products. The first product will focus on the Terrans, with the Zerg next and finally the Protoss. The story will stretch across three titles. Wings of Liberty - Terrans Heart of the Swarm - Zerg Legacy of the Void - Protoss Each campaign is treated as a fully fleshed out game, with each title ending the same way. The change will allow for more characters, more missions, and more complete experiences overall. More »
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Blizzard followed up the announcement of the wizard class for Diablo III at the opening ceremonies of BlizzCon 2008 with a Diablo III design panel, during which designer Wyatt Cheng explained some of the powers and background of the latest addition to the fight against evil. The wizard isn't about drawing runes or casting bones. The wizard is a character class that manipulates the laws of the universe in order to get things done. She's all about High Magic - no alchemy, no scrolls, no mystical symbols - just explosions, explosions, and more explosions. Personality-wise the wizard is a bit of a rebel. Ambitious, perhaps even power hungry, the wizard is the kind of person who pays no attention at all in class yet still manages to ace her magic exams. Everybody expects her to fail, but she's got the power and desire to come out on top. What powers? Hit the jump for a few hit the jump for a few of the tricks she's got up her sleeves. More »
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At the BlizzCon 2008 opening ceremonies, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime introduced players to the newset class for Diablo III, the Wizard. Portrayed as a rather attractive female duing the footage shown, the Wizard used fire, lighting, and ice to take on the hordes of the undead, much like a mage from World of Warcraft. Check out the first screenshots below, including one where she uses that old Ice Mage staple, Frost Nova. Yum! More »
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We're here, broadcasting live from the Anaheim Convention Center with the opening ceremonies of BlizzCon 2008! Join us after the jump for thrills, chills, and words. Oh yes, there will be words. Soo many words. More »
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It's official! According to the BlizzCon 2008 program guide, Blizzard fans and member of the press who just happen to be covering the event for some gaming blog will be able to get their hands on Diablo III later today when the show floor opens. From the program guide: More »
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After a lovely plane ride to Phoenix, Arizona to pick up an additional crewmember and a lovely drive across vulture country, I have arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, where thousands are gathering for BlizzCon 2008. The registration lines were pretty packed even this late at night, with the notable exception of the press line, where we just sauntered up, grabbed our stuff, and bolted. I suppose being one of the few members of the gaming press not in Tokyo this week has its benefits. More »
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If you really cared you're already well-aware, but Blizzard still wanted to drop off a press release letting everyone know that BlizzCon 2008 begins this Friday, and then abruptly ends this Saturday. It's sure to be a truly epic event, with swag, costumes, giveaways, special events hosted by Jay Mohr, and a closing concert featuring comedian Patton Oswalt, in-house Blizzard metal band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftan, and a special performance by Video Games Live of orchestral arraignments of the music from Blizzard's franchises. More »
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BlizzCon sold out in record time, with additional tickets sold via a lottery that occurred while I was in Germany for the Games Convention, so while there might not be a BlizzCon for me, there can still be a special edition BlizzCon murloc-riding polar bear mount! DIRECTV has announced that everyone who tunes in to the BlizzCon pay per view coverage from BlizzCon on October 9th and 10th will be receiving the limited-edition mount, which is one of the main reasons so many people wanted to go in the first place. New customers who sign up for DIRECTV between now and September 30th will get both the PPV event and mount for free, while existing subscribers will have to shell out $39.95 for the privilege. More »
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BlizzCon tickets went fast, completely selling out. And while Fahey didn't have the best of lucky unluckily trying to secure tickets. Blizzard CEO Mark Morhaime released a statement on the WoW Forums: More »
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Blizzard pulled off the sale of tickets to BlizzCon 2008 with all of the smooth grace of your average MMO launch. The first day, things didn't seem to work at all. I myself received error after error while trying to purchase a ticket for my girlfriend to join me at the show this year. At times I would get all the way to the final sale submission, only to have it error out. In the face of terrible issues, Blizzard brought down the sales website for most of the day. They relaunched the next day around 3:30 PM Eastern, and despite users still reporting errors, tickets were sold out within minutes of the site going back online. More »
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Remember folks, today is the first day to purchase tickets for BlizzCon 2008, Blizzard's yearly celebration of everything they do for the fans, and if the amount of errors I am getting at the Blizzard store website are any indication, it could be the last. I've been trying to purchase tickets for over a half hour now, getting to various stages in the process before getting that friendly little fellow won the left there along with the message, "An error has occurred." It's generally happening when I try to submit character info for the tickets, though I did manage to get through to the entering credit card information step before Johnny the Failure Murloc popped up again, crushing my hopes of a worry-free morning. More »
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Blizzard just kicked out a press release announcing that tickets for October's BlizzCon 2008 will be going on sale on Monday, August 11th. Tickets will run you $100 a pop, which gets you access to all the panels, concerts, freebies, and girls of various shapes and sizes in blue and purple body paint. If you can't make it, however, don't fret. Blizzard has you covered. More »
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The relatively annual celebration of all things Blizzard returns this year as the company announces BlizzCon 2008. Perhaps to help avoid the August event crush that occurred last year, which saw BlizzCon, SOE Fan Faire, and Quake Con all taking place over the same weekend, Blizzard has moved the convention back to October, which is when the 2005 original took place. The show will run from the 10th to the 11th at the Anaheim Convention center in California, where fans will be able to get hands-on time with upcoming releases, attend panels, play in tournaments, collect as-of-yet-unannounced spacial, limited edition merchandise, and see hideously inappropriate women dressed up as elves, both Blood and Night varieties. Joy! More »
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