Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about World of Warcraft, Blizzard brings you another reason to spend more time in front of your computer learning all the game's minutia, The World of Warcraft Encyclopedia. Although there are not a lot of entries at the moment, with a game like Warcraft you can imagine that eventually this portion of the website will be vast. Blizzard, in classic style, has designed a great looking page that looks as if it was torn straight from an ancient wizard's tome. Now you can find out the differences and similarities between Blood Elves and High Elves (as if you didn't already know), or more esoteric features like The Nature of Immortality. My guess is that Blizzard will make a eventually produce a print copy of this book and Warcraft will take one step closer to becoming a tabletop pen and paper game. Flynn De Marco

The Official Warcraft Encyclopedia [WorldofWarcraft.com]

Well, this is crap. Blizzard has decided, based on a bunch of hooting, red-assed baboons screaming "GIRLY MAN!" in their forums, to change the design of the male Blood Elves.

As many players have noticed, we have made a slight change to the male Blood Elf character models. In response to concerns that the Blood Elf male appeared to be too feminine, and after reviewing the model from a visual and conceptual standpoint, the decision was made to increase the body mass to give them a more substantial, masculine feel. It was also important that as members of the Horde that the Blood Elves gave the impression of strength and a more menacing presence.

Oh, bullshit. You changed it because your constituency is a bunch of capslock-riding asshats who are threatened by bishy player characters.

The reason Blood Elves were Horde in the first place is because everyone was whining about all the Horde races being ugly juggernauts. The point of Blood Elves was to inject some swish into a very physically intimidating set of races.

They're not exactly chunky now, and I do not begrudge a game company making prerelease aethetic changes, but their reasons for doing so are pathetic.

Thanks the Laenir, who pointed out the following comparison shots over at WoW Insider.

Horrible. They just look like regular humans now. Eliza Gauger

WoW Overwhelmed By Homophobes, Make Blood Elves Less "Feminine" [GayGamer]

The inestimable Robert Summa — erstwhile Joystiqer, now Destructoidian — has somehow gotten into the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade beta, even as I — only the impish voice of the largest gaming blog on the Net — was wholly denied access. Your mother, Blizzard.

Anyway, Robert has kindly recorded the first 10 levels of playing a nubile Blood Elf for the Horde! On this page, obviously, are the first five levels. Hit the jump for the next five. It beats working. Florian Eckhardt

Norwegian gaming site "Spillmagasinet" has 15 minutes of addict fodder in the form of an interview with Shane Dabiri, the Burning man himself.

The interview is all about Burning Lesion, and covers the new races (the extraterrestrial Drano and the blonde Blood Elves, or "Blooves"), new zones (Outland and Shiny Happy Valley or whatever the Bloof zone is), new city buildings such as the Orgrimmar Opera House Bar & Grill, new flying mounts (which he pronounces WHY-verns, for mysterious reasons all his own), new jewel-cutty crafting stuff, the mythical 70th level, and the introduction of socketed weapons.

Man, I can't wait to roll a slender, gracile little blonde mana-magnet. That's why I signed up for Horde in the first place, to be a dainty pretty princess with all the bestest Ponies. Eliza Gauger

Burning Crusade Interview [Spill Magasinet]