Kotaku: World of Warcraft

WotLK Helps Swedes Join MMO Fainting Craze

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:20:00 MST

How can a European guild have possibly defeated all three of Wrath of the Lich King's major PVE raids in the span of three days? It's simple - dedication. The kind of dedication that leads a 15-year-old Swedish boy to play the game until he goes into convulsions and passes out. That's exactly what a teen in Laholm, Sweden did this past weekend, after getting together with six friends for a marathon gaming session.

The boy is expected to make a full recovery but his father said he plans on limiting the amount of time his son is allowed to play computer games. His father also warned other patents about the dangers of their sons’ extended game playing. “They also think the boys need to reduce the amount of time they play and will themselves be more vigilant,” he said.

Daughters, on the other hand, can game all they want.

Not a bad start, Sweden, but only 24 hours? I could do 24 hours in my sleep. Still a ways to go before you catch up with Korea and China.

Boy collapses after playing World of Warcraft for 24 hours straight [TimesOnline - Thanks Voxynn!]

Lich King Raids Already Defeated

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:20:00 MST

Well now that was fast. World of Warcraft's latest expansion hasn't even been out for a full week, and already the three new 25-man raids have been soundly trounced. The nameless European super-guild formed by the union of Nihilum and SK Gaming completed Naxxramas, Eye of Eternity, and Obsidian Sanctum, all by Saturday. That's within three days of the expansion's launch. The raiders' concerns echo my own quite succinctly.

We are proud to declare that all WOTLK PVE raid content has now been cleared. This is both a moment of triumph and a cause for concern. The question in all our minds right now is if we could do this, how soon until the rest of the top guilds in the world clear all the raid content that WOTLK has to offer? Did Blizzard miscalculate in the tuning of these encounters? Or is this Blizzard folding under the weight of a large casual player base that demands to be on equal footing with end-game raiders?

Granted, SK Gaming and Nihilum have long since transcended humanity, having become one with their server, but three days is completely ridiculous. I expect some difficulty tuning coming in the near future.

All WotLK PVE Content Defeated [TwentyFithNovember]

LucasArts "Optimistic" About Star Wars: The Old Republic

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:00:00 MST

Developers BioWare and LucasArts are once again joining forces, this time for MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. The still undated game is underdevelopment at Bioware's Austing studio, the both BioWare and LucasArts hope to put out a World of Warcraft killer. Both must be daunted by the task. “Daunted? I don’t know if I’d use that word,” said LucasArts online boss Tom Nichols. I’m bullish, I’m optimistic... It is, in a sense, overwhelming sometimes when you think about it, when you think about the amount of work that we have to do, and the amount of content that we’re building, all the things you have to have in place to successfully launch a large-scale MMO: that’s a lot of work, absolutely."

KOTOR MMO is “overwhelming,” says Lucas boss, but the opportunity is “huge” [VG247]

Wrath of Lich King Gets Its First Level 80

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:00:00 MST

And like that, someone already hit 80. A mere 27 hours after World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King launches, the game apparently already has its first level 80: a warlock named Nymh that plays on a French server. "In real life I'm 21 and currently employed," says Nymh. "I took a few days of vacation for the release of the expansion." Dude's gonna need another vacation after this "vacation."

Click through the link for info on how he did it.

World First LVL 80 Explained - Interview with Nymh [MMO Champion via VG247]

Blizzard High Fives Wrath of the Lich King Upgraders

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:40:17 MST

Upgrading from regular old World of Warcraft to the newly released expansion Wrath of the Lich King is likely reward enough for fans of the MMO. But Blizzard obviously appreciates its fans enough to go to the lengths to give them a bit of an Easter Egg following the upgrade process in the form of a gorilla and shark high-fiving in front of an explosion. You know this image, right? Of course you do; you're a well traveled man or woman of the internet.

In the slim chance that you're not, we'd direct you to the site of Dr. McNinja, where one can purchase the t-shirt that inspired the hidden gem.

Reader Patrick was nice enough to screen cap it and let us know. Thanks for making our day a little brighter. *high five*

San Francisco Lich King Launch Gets Ugly

AJ Glasser — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:07:00 MST

The Powell Street GameStop started its World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King launch party at 8 pm sharp — but many fans lined up outside the store as early as 6 am. "I'm not a nerd," said one chair-sitting fan. "Really - I just came here to laugh at people."

There were plenty of people to laugh at - some 500 people came and went from the site of the party between 8 pm and 11 pm. Strangely, less than 10 were in costume.

Party festivities included face painting, ice sculptures spouting chilled Rockstar, raffles and... the big one... a dance competition where contestants had to freestyle one of the six race dances based on routines from movies like Saturday Night Fever and Napoleon Dynamite.

Things started to get ugly around 10:30 when the dance competition sparked a noise complaint from a local resident. San Francisco police were slow to respond as they considered the event to be pretty well-behaved and had two officer stationed outside the store for the entire evening.

"I've never even heard of [World of Warcraft] until today," said one officer. "I had to ask some guys down at the station about it - they're into that stuff."

"That stuff" has already sold a ridiculous amount of copies in only a short amount of time. This may be due in part to 7-Eleven.

Hit the jump for more pics.

Look Ma, I'm A Death Knight!

Mike Fahey — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:20:00 MST

Merely an hour after returning triumphantly home from the World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King launch at my local GameStop, and I'm already under the thrall of the Lich King himself. This is my new Death Knight, Quality, my old Paladin having given his life so that she could have a relatively good name. She joins the countless ranks of other Death Knights being created all around the world as we speak.

Servers are up, evil is rampant...it's a good day to be a bad person!

Pssst... Still Need A Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition?

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:30:00 MST

Because Target.com may still have some. While most collector's editions can be found clogging shelves months or years after their ship date, World of Warcraft's limited boxes tend to move quickly, actually selling to actual collectors. The expansion Wrath of the Lich King is no different, with the CE becoming increasingly hard to find. For stragglers, reader Joshua tips us off to Target's online store, which is still selling pre-orders of the thing.

While we wouldn't pin your hopes on Target as WoW:WotLK savior — note: Amazon manages its inventory, but the CE doesn't show as available at the online retailer — it's a good back up.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition for PC [Target - thanks, Joshua & Roufuss!]

7-Eleven Doesn't Get Street Dates - Lich King Version

Mike Fahey — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:40:00 MST

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven just cannot seem to get the hang of the whole street date thing. Last week it was Gears of War, and now this week they've been spotted selling the World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King Days before release. Witness the guys from 1UP as they venture into a local store and purchase their copies.

7-Eleven Breaks Wrath of the Lich King Street Date [1UP]

GameStop Has More Wrath Of The Lich King Collector's Editions

Mike Fahey — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:20:00 MST

Just like I did with The Burning Crusade, I spent a good six months assuring everyone I was fine with the regular edition of World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King, only to panic and desperately look for the big Collector's Edition package on the week of release. Well thanks to a timely tip, I found one, and you might still be able to as well. GameStop.com has just opened up pre-orders for the Collector's Edition once again, and having gone through the entire check out and order confirmation process - you know, just to test it out - I can assure you they are indeed available. Keep in mind this is only online, and retail locations are still sold out.

For how long I couldn't say. Surely not too long after this post goes out, but if you hurry you can still get your hands on tons of limited edition goodness and a box that matches the other two on my bookcase, in case you were trying to coordinate with my living room.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Collector’s Edition [GameStop - Thanks Jim!]

WoW Prepares For Lich King With In-Game Siege

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:40:00 MST

Wrath of the Lich King is out tomorrow. Or today, depending on where you are on the international date line while reading this. Whatever. To mark the occasion, Blizzard have kicked off a series of in-game events to get players totally psyched for it. One of these is in the Orc capital Orgrimmar, which if you jump in right now is under continuous (ie it's one attack that loops every half hour) attack by Scourge forces. You excited yet, WoW tragics?

[via Shacknews]

Inmate Sues Warcraft For Eleventeen Zillion Gold

Owen Good — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:40:00 MST

So by now we should all be up to speed on Johnathan Lee Riches, the South Carolina inmate who kills time by filing lawsuits against the likes of Barry Bonds, Michael Vick, and anyone else who happens to be in the news. For a time, ~~shitheads~~ mainstream media treated the claims seriously, but now we all have to realize he's just having fun, and showing zero respect for a judicial system that put him in the clink.

His latest salvo is novel, however, in that it's a freaking third-party motion in the courtroom pugilistics involving Blizzard and MDY Industries. Riches' motion, no doubt handwritten on notebook paper, claims World of Warcraft turned his mind "into a living video game" that forced him to live "in a virtual universe, where [I] explored the landscape committing identity theft and fighting cybermonster rival hacker gangs."

Taking the claim at face value, the problem is not that Warcraft ate Riches' brain; it's the idea that Warcraft is being played by inmates. I smell a powerlevelling prison labor scandal!

Prison Inmate Sues Blizzard Over WoW Addiction [1Up]

AoC And WAR Players Flocking Back To Azeroth

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:20:00 MST

Each of the seven or so times I've canceled my World of Warcraft subscription over the past few years, I've found it curious that they ask your reason for leaving. What could they possibly do with said information? Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime answered my question for me during yesterday's earnings conference call to investors, during which he put the information to good use.

"To date, 68 percent of the players who listed Age of Conan as their reason for cancellation, and 46 percent of players who listed Warhammer as their reason for cancellation have reactivated their subscriptions to World of Warcraft."

With the release of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion only a week away, I wouldn't be surprised to see those numbers growing by a good bit before all is said and done. I wonder if they track the people who answer, "I just don't love you anymore"? Come on, I didn't mean it baby, you just make me so crazy sometimes.

Blizzard Unfazed by Conan, Warhammer [EDGE]

US Army To Test Artificial Intelligence In MMOs

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:30:00 MST

The US Army are working on fake soldiers. That are, to dumb the science down a pinch, holographic projections imbued with artificial intelligence. These fake troops can then be used for stuff like training exercises. Anyway, to test the AI for these holo-soldiers, the Army wants to set them up in games like World of Warcraft and Eve Online. They figure that if the AI - which can be designed to speak in local slang and make human conversation - can pass for human in the online realm, they'll be on the right track. Hopefully the AI doesn't act too human, and end up quitting the army, moving in with its parents and blowing 19 hours a day grinding away on WoW.

Army Tries Holograms, Qauntum Computing [DoDbuzz, via Gizmodo]

Activision Blizzard Loots $711M In Sept. Quarter, Loses $194M

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:40:00 MST

In its first quarter as a combined company, Activision Blizzard raked in $711 million for the three month period ending in September, the publisher announced today. That's a big take prior to the holidays and bigger than the projected outlook, but still resulted in a loss of $194 million for the company.

Acti-Blizz CEO Bobby Kotick pointed to titles such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: On Tour, World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed — which it published outside of North America — for the better than expected quarter.

The quarterly results note that 42% of the Activision Blizzard's revenue comes from "MMO" (read: World of Warcraft) revenue alone, at $271 million. Another 42% comes from console-based titles, with the Wii leading other platforms with 13%. Just behind that is the Nintendo DS, responsible for 10% of the publisher's revenue.

According to the NPD group, Guitar Hero: On Tour was the best-selling title in North America for the Nintendo DS for the quarter, with the Guitar Hero line remaining the best-selling franchise in U.S. on all console platforms year to date.

The current quarter, which ends in December, is expected to be much better, with the release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Call of Duty: World at War and Guitar Hero: World Tour all hitting before the end of the year. Despite having what sounds like a cash-printing line up, Kotick noted "we remain cautious given the likely slowdown in consumer spending this holiday season."

Activision Blizzard has project it will see $4.9 billion in revenues and $1.2 billion in operating income for the year. It also announced that the company's board of directors had authorized a $1 billion stock repurchase program, which CEO Bobby Kotick said reflects Acti-Blizz's "confidence in the future of the company."

We'll have further details on the publisher's quarter later today.

Playing With Yourself Feels Good, Doesn't It?

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:00:00 MST

Are you the type of gamer who thrives on the rich worlds of EVE Online or World of Warcraft, worlds made more realistic by the semi-real interactions with other flesh and blood gamers? 'Cause, man, I am so not. And neither is Wired's Clive Thompson, who writes today about the joys of playing solo, even in games that simulate, in a fashion, big open worlds filled with personalities like Fable II.

To some degree, I can chalk up my own disinterest in the tedium of massively multiplayer online games. Grinding away on "kill X number of Monster Y and report back" style missions just aren't my thing. But it's really the potential for social interaction that does these games in for me.

Obligation gaming, the guilt of not being available for a gaming session, regardless of the genre — I even hate feeling trapped by first-person shooter social calls — is what makes me a gaming shut-in. A virtual Man's Best Friend, like the one in Fable II is about all I can handle.

Thompson looks at it a bit differently, writing "The fact that I know I'm the only person actually alive makes the game seem all the more dreamlike, as if everything — those mountain ranges, those creepy beetles — really is taking place inside my head."

True, bots suck, as does being verbally berated online by little boys who have just discovered the F-word.

Even in a perfect world, though, where everyone else might be a gentlemanly good sport, I think I'd prefer to do most of my gaming alone. Am I the only one?

Gamer's Radical Realization: I Prefer Playing With Myself [Wired]

Obama vs. Mccain: The Great Debate in WoW

Brian Crecente — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Screw Ohio. Screw Colorado. What does the voting public of Azeroth, population 11 million, think about the upcoming presidential election.

Machinima.com hopped into World of Warcraft to find out. So is Azeroth a red or blue state? I’m not sure which was more surreal: Listening to undead Warlocks and human Paladins talk about the right to choose and which character the candidates would be in the game or watching what looks like a minotaur in a bikini poll people.

This is a must watch, but because it’s funny as hell and because it sheds a bit, a very small bit of light on what some gamers think of the candidates.

Blizzard's Midnight Wrath Of The Lich King Plans

Mike Fahey — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:40:00 MDT

It's nearly time! With two weeks to go before the worldwide launch of the next World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard has outlined plans for midnight launch events around the globe. Four locations in the states will host Blizzard developers signing copies of the game, with increased copies of the Collector's Edition on hand for those of us (like me) who missed out on pre-ordering the big box. Unfortunately for most of us, those events are in New York, San Francisco, Anaheim, and Austin, TX. Bah. On an international level, midnight events will also be taking place in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Taipei, and Seoul. Full details can be found at www.worldofwarcraft.com/midnight.

On top of the official midnight releases, Both Best Buy and GameStop have announced late night Lich King openings with the latter keeping more than 3,000 stores open late on November 13th for the title, calling them 'Lunar Fests'. If the employees aren't all dressed up as Night Elves I will feel supremely cheated.

World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™ Midnight Store Openings

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Blizzard Entertainment® today announced plans for special midnight signing events at retail locations around the country to commemorate the launch of World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™ on November 13. Each location will open its doors at 12:00 a.m. local time, allowing attendees to be among the first to get their copies of the highly anticipated World of Warcraft expansion. Blizzard Entertainment developers and executives will be in attendance to meet players and sign copies of the game, and increased quantities of the Collector’s Edition will be on hand for purchase. Official launch events will be held in the following locations:

Best Buy
529 5th Ave.
New York, NY 10017
Phone : (212) 808-0309

Fry’s Electronics
3370 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
Phone: (714) 688-3000

GameStop
151 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 362-7601

GameStop
10000 Research Blvd.
Austin, TX 78755
Phone: (512) 346-6437

In addition to these four US locations, similar events will be held internationally in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Taipei, and Seoul. Full details on the specific locations and plans for each of these events can be found at www.worldofwarcraft.com/midnight.

The January 2007 launch events for the first World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade®, drew thousands of attendees around the world. The Burning Crusade went on to sell nearly 2.4 million copies within its first 24 hours of availability, and approximately 3.5 million within its first month. Indicating that anticipation is equally high for the new expansion, Walmart.com has stated that Wrath of the Lich King has already achieved among the highest number of preorders ever sold on their site.

For those unable to attend the official launch events, thousands of stores around the world will be open at midnight to celebrate the launch. Players should check with local retailers for their midnight opening plans.

“We’ve been looking forward to these launch events all year,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This is one of the few opportunities we get to meet with players in person, and we can’t wait to celebrate the release of Wrath of the Lich King with them.”

“GameStop expects World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King to be one of the biggest launches of the holiday season,” stated Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising, GameStop. “In fact, nationwide we are celebrating the release with GameStop ‘Lunar Fests’ at over 3,000 of our stores at midnight on November 13, so players can purchase the expansion and start exploring the new content right away.”

“In a year of record-breaking releases, Wrath of the Lich King is generating great excitement and will be another significant release,” said Jill Hamburger, Best Buy vice president games & movies. “Blizzard Entertainment titles have had tremendous success in our stores. We are excited about bringing gamers a great experience at the New York City launch event and providing them first access to Wrath of the Lich King at midnight openings at Best Buy locations across the country.”

With more than 11 million players worldwide, World of Warcraft has become the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game to date. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King sends players to the cold, forbidding continent of Northrend, where the fearsome Lich King Arthas Menethil, last seen in Warcraft® III: The Frozen Throne®, works from his secluded citadel to bring all of Azeroth under his twisted dominion. Players will battle the Lich King’s undead army from the shores of Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra to the seat of his unholy power in Icecrown Glacier. In addition, players will be able to advance characters to level 80 and gain powerful new abilities while exploring several new zones and dungeons. The expansion also introduces a number of exciting new features, including an achievement system, expanded player-vs.-player combat options such as siege weapons and destructible buildings, and the game’s first Hero class — the necromantic death knight.

For more information on World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, visit the official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available. Visit www.blizzard.com/jobs for more information and to learn how to apply.

World Of Warcraft Goes Up To Eleven...Million

Mike Fahey — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:40:00 MDT

You know how when you and your friends get into arguments over which MMO is the best, and they pull out the old "World of Warcraft has 10 million subscribers" argument? Prepare for them to get even more insufferably obnoxious as Blizzard tacks on another million to their bragging totals. With the launch of the game's third expansion imminent, the company reports that worldwide subscribership has broken the 11 million mark.

“It’s been very rewarding to see gamers around the world continue to show such strong support for World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment®. “We remain fully committed to responding to that enthusiasm with a high-quality, constantly evolving game experience.”

Nice Mike! While you're at it, how about making the venue for next year's BlizzCon a bit larger, to accommodate all these new fans? Move it from the Anaheim convention center to say, the entire state of Montana. I hear they're renting it out on the cheap.

World of Warcraft® Surpasses 11 Million Subscribers Worldwide

Anticipation continues to mount for Wrath of the Lich King™ expansion as Blizzard Entertainment®’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game reaches new milestone

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that the subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), now exceeds 11 million players worldwide. This milestone was reached as the beta test for Wrath of the Lich King™, World of Warcraft’s second expansion, nears completion. Wrath of the Lich King will launch in several regions around the world starting on November 13.

“It’s been very rewarding to see gamers around the world continue to show such strong support for World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment®. “We remain fully committed to responding to that enthusiasm with a high-quality, constantly evolving game experience.”

Since debuting in North America on November 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG around the world. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006 worldwide, and finished behind only World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®, the first expansion pack for the game, in 2007.1 In addition to being the bestselling PC game of 2007 in both North America and Europe, The Burning Crusade holds the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million in its first month.

World of Warcraft was recently launched in Russia and Latin America, and is currently available in eight languages. In addition to North America and Europe, the game is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Chile, Argentina, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities at Blizzard Entertainment can be found at www.blizzard.com/jobs.

For further information on World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King, please visit the official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com.

WoW Gamer Stabs Friend, Nearly Cuts Off Finger

Brian Crecente — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:00:00 MDT

An Australian student stabbed a friend in the head and nearly severed one his fingers during a fight about the volume of a World of Warcraft gaming session.

Zhenghao Shen, 21, was charged with intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm and refused bail in an Australian Capital Territory court earlier today.

The university student was at a friend’s home last night with four friends playing World of Warcraft when the fight started. The student told the court that the fight was spurred by an argument about the volume of the other man’s computer.

During the fight Shen allegedly stabbed the victim in the head with a chef’s knife, gashing his head, and nearly severed one of his fingers.

Yikes. Sounds like someone is wound way too tight.

Student refused bail over video game-related stabbing [ABC]

World Of Warcraft Plagued By Zombies

Mike Fahey — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:40:00 MDT

I spent the better part of yesterday evening in World of Warcraft, turning the entire NPC population of The Crossroads into shambling zombies. As part of the lead-up next month's Wrath of the Lich King expansion, Blizzard unleashed a new plague across Azeroth last night. Strange crates have been showing up in port towns, glowing green and inflicting anyone who touches them with ZOMBIE MADNESS! Actually it's a disease that last 10 minutes, after which you become a zombie, maintaining full control of your character, complete with special zombie powers. From there you can attack pretty much any NPC or player, infecting them as you go. While this of course pisses a ton of people off, they are all jerks who don't know how to have a good time. I don't know how long this event will last, but hopefully forever and ever after. Glee!

Mila Kunis Hearts World of Warcraft

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:00:00 MDT

While promoting the Max Payne movie last week, actor and Macauly Culkin friend Mila Kunis totally geeked out over World of Warcraft on talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Kunis told Kimmel that she had to quit a year ago because she was too into the game. According to Kunis:

The problem is, if anyone plays Warcraft... I'm really good, I'm a really kick ass Mage... We'll you're your own person and you can get into a guild... You gotta be in a guild, because you gotta do raids that require thirty or forty people. But now with the expansion pack, they're gonna have raids that require only like ten people. So that'll really make things a lot easier... Oh my god, it's such a good game. I love it.

She seems up-to-date for someone who quit a year ago. Every time she tries to get out, they pull her back in. Clip after the jump.

Mila Kunis Is Kind of Awesome Beyond Words [Topless Robot] [Pic]

Dr. Phil Tackles Game Addiction

Mike Fahey — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Dr. Phil loves the video games, or rather the amount of attention gamers give him when he talks about them. In today's episode he tackles the dangers of computer game addiction, with the entire show dedicated to people who play games when they probably shouldn't be. The show starts with a virtual Dr. Phil complete with a sword and hair talking about how virtual games let you escape from reality before launching into the story of l34-year-old Fred, who sits at home and plays World of Warcraft all day while his wife supports their three children.

“Apparently he’s got you supporting him and taking care of the house. I wonder what level that is in the real world,” Dr. Phil quips.

Other stories include a 41-year-old man who accumulated $24,000 in debt and attempted suicide, the author of the book "Game Widows", and the return of special guest Liz, whose 21-year-old son killed himself while playing Everquest. Hit the link for the full show notes.

Virtual Chaos [Dr. Phil via Game Politics]

Sam Raimi Says World of Warcraft Would Make "Brilliant Movie"

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:00:00 MDT

After years (no, decades) of trying but failing, Hollywood finally got comic book movies right. Video games haven't fared as well. Director Sam Raimi is responsible for the silver screen version of Spider-Man and offers this insight as to why video games movies, well, suck:

There has been 40 years of different comic books... Writers have had to really get into the characters of the superheroes themselves. They explore their relationships, their loves, their villains, their stories — there's so much more to draw upon...

In the world of video games, it's usually more of an environment or a scenario, not character-based...but they certainly could [be better]. There's World of Warcraft — what an awesome video game! It has such great, adventurous characters in it and such fantastic landscapes and rules... You could make a brilliant World of Warcraft movie — as fine as any of the best superhero movies — if you had the right writers and directors.

Hrm, if only Sam Raimi knew a talented directed able to adapt material to film. If only. There's more insight into this issue over at MTV. Check it out.

Do All Video Game Movies Suck? 'Max Payne' Stars Hope Not [MTV Movie News]

World Of Warcraft Movie Isn't Dead

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:30:00 MDT

It's been years since we first heard of Blizzard's plans to make a movie out of WoW. In that time a bunch of game movies have come, disappointed and faded away, and still we have no WoW movie. So what's the deal? Has it been Starcraft Ghosted? Nope. Turns out the project's just been moving along at a snail's pace, Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime saying "there are still plans for a World of Warcraft movie...the script is being written but if they say anything more than that they will be shot". Being Blizzard, we kinda hope they go the CGI route. Imagine a 97-minute Blizzard cutscene!

World of Warcraft movie update [Moviehole, via 1UP]

Blizzard's Next MMO So Won't Be World Of Warcraft 2

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Despite World of Warcraft continuing to conjure millions out of thin air, Blizzard are already hard at work on their next MMO. The burning question being: what is it? Is it World of Starcraft? World of Diablo? World of Lost Vikings? No idea. We know what it’s not, though: it’s not a World of Warcraft sequel. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime:

So let’s just say it’s going to be different and it’s not going to be a sequel to World of Warcraft. It will be different.
We’re not trying to replace World of Warcraft with this new MMO. We’re trying to create a different massively multiplayer experience, and hopefully World of Warcraft will still be going strong when that one is released.

So…they’ll still be making millions off WoW, then making more millions off a new experience that catches everyone who doesn’t play WoW? That’s one hell of a sound business plan.

Q&A: Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime on DRM, WoW and the Next MMO [Wired]

What, Economic Problem, Blizzard Worry? No.

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Have you heard? The economy is cratering! Imploding! Total meltdown! And World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment is impervious. As Blizzard exec Rob Pardo explains, the game industry isn't historically affected by economic troubles like other industries. Here's Pardo's full quote:

Historically for us, the game industry hasn’t been affected by recessions like a lot of other businesses. I think the reason for that is [that] games really offer some of the best entertainment value on the market. People might not want to go out to the movies and spend $100 for a couple of hours and then go to a restaurant. You can go home and pay $15 a month for 100 hours of entertainment if you’re staying at home more — and I think that’s one of the reasons why you don’t see games really go in the same recession as the rest of the economy a lot of times.

What about you? Will the economic pinch curb your game spending?

Blizzard: Economic Downturn Won’t Hurt ‘World of Warcraft’ [Multiplayer]

Blizzard: DRM For Diablo III? No, Thanks, We Have Battle.net

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:30:00 MDT

Rob Pardo, executive vice president of game design at Blizzard says that the company has "no particular plans" to institute software verification checks for Diablo III to prevent piracy. Pardo tells Wired's Game|Life blog that its solution is "more similar to Steam than EA," good news for Diablo fans who don't want a steaming pile of anti-piracy debacle a la Mass Effect on their hands.

Blizzard's "solution" is Battle.net, the service it launched in 1997 to handle its online gaming capabilities.

"If you wanna play online on Battle.net with other players you’re going to have to have a legitimate copy," Pardo said in a BlizzCon interview. Battle.net, he says, has "saved us from a lot of the PC piracy that I think hurts a lot of other single-player-only games."

Q&A: Blizzard's Executive Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo [Game|Life]

SteelSeries' WoW Mouse Isn't Screwing Around

Mike Fahey — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:20:00 MDT

SteelSeries doesn't screw around when it comes to making computer gaming peripherals. At BlizzCon 2008 this past weekend they unveiled a World of Warcraft branded gaming mouse that could very well be the most feature-packed pointing device I've ever laid my hands on. The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse packs an impressive 15 fully programmable buttons across its stylish surface, which can be modified to glow in any of 16 million colors with varying intensities. The software for the device is styled after the WoW interface, allowing for up to 10 different profiles for your different characters, even importing your character information directly from the WoW Armory to make things all convenient-like.

It seems like it would be a bit over-complicated for the average user, but Steel Series assured me that even a novice computer user will be able to easily configure the mouse to suit their particular play style, with over 130 predefined game commands included for easy drag-and-drop macro creation.

While I didn't get much time to play around with the software itself, the mouse has a very nice feel to it, just as I've come to expect from SteelSeries. The extra buttons worry me a bit, but supposedly they will be inactive when you aren't actively playing the game, functioning just like any other high-quality pointing device.

The only downside I can see, aside from possible button confusion, is the price. I'm not sure how many casual WoW players are willing to drop $99 on a mouse, even one as lovely as this. Then again, the package will come complete with a loot card from the World of Warcraft CCG, and free in-game items are a powerful motivator.

The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse should be in stores next month. I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles some hot Death Knight action, as well as having something new to blame for my complete lack of PVP skills.

WoW Echoes Of Doom Patch Going Live

Mike Fahey — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:20:00 MDT

Oh son of a bitch! I log into World of Warcraft this morning only to discover that disabling my background downloader has resulted in me having to download the entire 1.2GB Echoes of Doom patch the old-fashioned way. I suppose I have time though, as the servers are down until 2PM Pacific in preparation for the gigantic patch, itself in preparation of the next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. One of WoW's largest patches yet, it comes complete with a new profession (Inscription), the in-game guild calendar, the barber shop, the achievement system, an expanded talent tree, and the opening of Stormwind Harbor.

With the introduction of new talents, all players will be receiving a mandatory respec, with another one no doubt on the way once the expansion goes live next month. *pokes progress bar with a stick* It's going to be a long day.

World Of Warcraft: The Bean Bag Game

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:30:00 MDT

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.

Here's how it works. Basically you have two targets, side by side, each with a large hole in the center (1 point) and a smaller hole near the top (2 points). Teams of two players take turns throwing a set number of bean bags through the holes, after which hits are calculated and a winner is declared. So how is this World of Warcraft?

It's a bit more complicated than that. Before each round, all players choose a character class. On my play through, for instance, I went with a mage. Each class has a set number of standard white bean bags, along with one red crit bean bag worth double points and a number of green ability bean bags. My mage came with the ability Ice Block, which required me to get the green ability bag through a hole in order to negate one of the opposing team's hits. Other classes have more appropriate special abilities, like the hunter, who gets to toss three green multi-shot bean bags at once before the round starts.

Other classes have positional abilities. The shooting area is cordoned off into a number of colored lines, with players shooting from the farthest white line. Warriors, however, get the charge ability, which allows then the move up to the front red line for a toss before the round starts. The shaman class has a totem ability that moves their entire team up one line for the duration of the round.

J!nx only just revealed the game at BlizzCon 2008, so of course there are still tweaks being made to the rule set. Saturday morning, after noticing some balancing issues, they rolled out patch 1.1, which took away the ability for two shamen to stack their totems, giving unfair advantage, while the rogue lost one of its two crit balls in favor of a green stealth ball they get to throw before the round starts.

There were prizes to be had for teams that won consecutive rounds, but these were prizes my trembling hands were not to touch. I missed my crit, my ice block, and the majority of the normal shots, doing a grand total of 1 point of damage, which is about how I generally fare during PVP. I did have a great deal of fun though, and judging by the people who had been there playing for hours, others did too.

I'm not sure if the J!nx folks will follow my suggestion and market the game immediately, so you might want to keep an eye out for them at WoW-themed events to get your hands on the game. They really did do an excellent job of translating the game experience into a more physical, social affair.

Rubie's Costumes Make Even Bigger WoW Geeks

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:30:00 MDT

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.

WotLK's Death Knight Experience - One Of The Best Things We've Ever Done

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:40:00 MDT

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.

"When I got to that point I had to stop. I actually said "Holy shit" out loud in the office."

Having played through the entire Death Knight experience myself on multiple occasions, I know exactly how Brack feels. There were several moments in the starting area where I was completely blown away. It's an experience unlike anything I've experienced in an MMO, all centered on this one, heart-rending moment.

During our discussion, J. Allen actually brought up the old Electronic Arts magazine ad that asked the question, "Can a computer game make you cry?" He then quickly dismissed the comparison, but I thought it was quite apt. The Death Knight starting experience from start to finish is one of the best things I've seen in any MMORPG, and Brack agrees.

"It's a very powerful, very visceral experience. It's one of the best things we've ever done."

Those of you who know the moment I speak of try not to ruin it for everyone else. You have to agree that it is something you just have to experience for yourself.

Invade Stormwind? You and What Arm-- oh, That One

Owen Good — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:00:00 MDT

When you can't convince 35 other people of your master plan to attack two Alliance capital cities, you really only have one alternative: Do it yourself. "Bradster" does. He owns that rig above — 11 computers that run 36 World of WarCraft account simultaneously. His infrastructure costs (to say nothing of his utility bill) weren't itemized, but he unashamedly admits he pays $5,711 per year in subscription fees to keep together his one-man raiding party (family photo of that on the jump).

Better yet? He's going to spend another $1,500 on 36 copies of Wrath of the Lich King so his army of level 80 Shamans can start pounding down Stormwind and Ironforge on day one.

Bradster is a WoW multiboxer. This isn't a lifestyle I'm all that familiar with, but there are forums and discussion boards devoted to helping players control multiple characters in WoW. It sounds like he has utilities that allow him to start up all of his copies simultaneously, and use his mouse to control eight of these monitors (which look like they have at at least 3 copies running) at once.

Oh and here's a comment beneath his post on a multiboxing forum:

"I'm horrified and greatly impressed at the same time. And I thought I took my hooby [sic] too seriously at $1680/year in subscription fees."

Psssht. $1,680? Night elf, please. So, now I really want to know what Bradster does for a living, a) so he can afford all this shit and b) so he can have the time to play it.

Here's the class picture.

Prepared the 36 Boxer World of Warcraft [Dual Boxing.com via Ripten]

The Obligatory BlizzCon 2008 Cosplay Post

Mike Fahey — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:20:00 MDT

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?

When Talking Plush Murlocs Attack

Mike Fahey — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:20:00 MDT

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.

Hopefully they'll have some more of these little guys available for the holidays. Until that day, enjoy the gallery of the unboxing before the inevitable hand-humping.

Inside The BlizzCon 08 Swag Bag

Mike Fahey — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:40:00 MDT

The folks at Blizzard don't beat around the bush when it comes to their swag. You show up to pick up your badge, and bam, big bag of swag, for you! Once I got back to my secret lair at the fashionable Super 8 Hotel, I did what many folks who have stayed in this hotel in the past have done before me - I spread it out and started taking pictures.

Highlights of the bag include the inflatable Frostmourne sword, the Diablo III stress ball, Padaren Brewmaster beer cozy and bottle opener, and of course the card containing the codes for the polar bear mount and Starcraft II beta. My personal favorite? A small box of tissues labeled "QQ nOOb." Awwwwwww.

BlizzCon 08 - On The Griffon

Mike Fahey — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:30:00 MDT

By the time this post hits the page I'll be flying high over the continental United States, winging my way through the air towards Anaheim, where Blizzard is holding their annual festival of all things them, BlizzCon. As you can see from the official floor plan above, I am extremely optimistic about the show this year. There'll be concerts, panels, interviews, swag, stuff to spend money on, Blood Elf Women AND Night Elf Women, dancing together. I am seriously considering putting together a mailbox costume. WoW players know what I'm talkin' about.

It's not all about WoW though, of course! I'm expecting interesting news from both StarCraft II and Diablo III, so stay tuned over the next couple of days as I delve into this new, dark world. In the meantime, if you folks have any questions you'd like answered about Wrath of the Lich King, or the other two, non-WoW titles, drop them in the comments section! Who knows, I might be just lazy enough to skip coming up with my own questions in favor of yours!

Here, The Lich King System Requirements

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:40:00 MDT

Blizzard have released the specs sheet for their upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. And, yes, being World of Warcraft, they're nice and low (though they have been upgraded from previous WoW specs, just a pinch). So low that it feels good typing them here, like we jumped in a way-back machine and set the "TIME" dial to "The Good Old Days". PC users will need a 1.3ghz processor and 512MB/1GB RAM (XP/Vista), while Mac users will need a PowerPC G5 1.6 ghz or Intel Core Duo. Full specs after the jump.

PC System Requirements

OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)

Processor:

* Minimum: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+

* Recommended: Dual-core processor, such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2

Memory:

* Minimum: 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users)

* Recommended: 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista users)

Video:

* Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card or better

* Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card or better

Sound: DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability

Mac System Requirements

OS: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer

Processor:

* Minimum: PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo processor

* Recommended: Intel 1.8GHz processor or better

Memory:

* Minimum: 1 GB RAM

* Recommended: 2 GB RAM

Video:

* Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon 9600 or NVIDIA GeForce Ti 4600 class card or better

* Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM
Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA 7600 class card or better

All Platforms

Controls: A keyboard and mouse are required. Input devices other than a mouse and keyboard are not supported.

Connectivity: You must have an active broadband Internet connection to play.

Mouse: Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel recommended.

Hard Drive Space: 15 GB free hard drive space

Updated World of Warcraft System Requirements [WoW]

BlizzCon 2008 Kicks Off Friday!

Mike Fahey — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:20:00 MDT

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.

“With more hall space, more attendees, and more attractions, this BlizzCon will be our biggest yet,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re working hard with our partners to make this an unforgettable experience, and we’re looking forward to meeting players at the show.”

Best of all, Kotaku will be there! Well, I will be there. Most of Kotaku will be in Japan. I suppose I could have gone to Japan too, but then I'd miss out on that sweet polar bear mount. Either way, coverage begins Friday, so stay tuned for more from the BlizzCon floor.

BlizzCon® 2008 Gaming Convention Begins This Week

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.’s two-day gaming festival, BlizzCon® 2008, begins on Friday, October 10, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The convention celebrates the communities of players surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®’s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® game universes. Attendees of the sold-out show will be able to play the latest versions of Blizzard Entertainment games as well as speak with developers in special panels, participate in tournaments and contests, and meet with fellow gamers and friends.

Jay Mohr has returned to host the live contests this year, and the show will close on Saturday evening with an epic concert featuring comedian Patton Oswalt, Blizzard’s own Warcraft-themed metal band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and Video Games Live, who will be performing special orchestral arrangements of music from Blizzard games.

“With more hall space, more attendees, and more attractions, this BlizzCon will be our biggest yet,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re working hard with our partners to make this an unforgettable experience, and we’re looking forward to meeting players at the show.”

For those unable to attend, DIRECTV® will be broadcasting the convention live as a pay-per-view event. Visit www.blizzard.com/blizzcon/dtv for more information. In addition, up-to-date show coverage will be posted at the official BlizzCon website, www.blizzcon.com.

Anyone attending BlizzCon who is interested in pursuing career opportunities at Blizzard Entertainment should bring their resumes, demo reels, art portfolios, or business cards, as the global staffing team will be on hand to accept materials and discuss any job-related questions.

BlizzCon would not be possible without the enthusiasm of Blizzard gamers around the world and the generous support of AMD, Dell®, DIRECTV, Intel®, and other sponsors.