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Big Orc on Campus: We tour through Blizzard

by Kevin Kelly { Jun 29th 2009 at 12:40PM }

Blizzard's main company headquarters are, much like any other, located somewhere inside a massive corporate building complex, this one deep inside Irvine, California. Once you get past the guard gate and make your way inside, it's not quite like most business parks. For one, Blizzard has its own ginormous Orc Wolfrider statue guarding the front doors.

There's enough lush green vegetation around to conceal a Fallout-style vault, or a mechanized army of robotic dragons ... which might be where your monthly World of Warcraft fees are going. At least part of that money went to pay for the company's own sand volleyball court, where brave employees reenact that scene from Top Gun.

What other secrets does the place hold? Read on to find out, and browse through the 99 images in the gallery below, which sadly doesn't include the photos we were asked not to show or talk about. Hopefully they'll let us do that soon. For now, let the speculation begin ...

Gallery: Blizzard Tour

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Blizzard looking for short stories based on its games

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 15th 2009 at 5:30PM }

If you consider yourself to be quite the wordsmith, we suggest turning your attention to a recently announced contest from the PC gaming juggernauts at Blizzard. The developer is currently asking literarily inclined fans to produce 3,000 to 10,000-word short stories set in the universe of the Warcraft, Diablo or Starcraft series. The author of the judges' favorite novelette gets a free ride to Blizzard HQ to meet the team's writing staff, and will take home a replica Frostmourne sword with which they can behead their harshest literary critics.

You can check out the official rules here. Yes, they're disqualifying entries containing any obscene or lewd activities -- so save your "throbbing" and "heaving" for your breathtakingly erotic Sonic the Hedgehog slash fiction.

[Via Big Download]

Blizzard gives E3 the cold shoulder

by Alexander Sliwinski { Feb 5th 2009 at 5:30PM }

Blizzard doesn't need you, E3! "Activision Blizzard Inc." is showing up at E3, but one half of that power couple already plans to stay home and count its money ... and laugh at all the broken homes it's created with World of Warcraft. Giant Bomb has been told by a Blizzard rep. that the powerhouse developer will "not be attending or participating in E3 2009."

Don't worry, kids. If you want to touch the Blizzard goods, it'll probably be at a public event and the company is gonna make you pay for the privilege! Put that $100 aside for Blizzcon now (if it happens this year) and prepare to hit F5 like a monkey as soon as tickets go on sale for a (slim) chance to enter the Blizzaphile lovefest.

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Blizzard unleashes five new Diablo III screenshots

by Andrew Yoon { Jan 9th 2009 at 10:18AM }

Click for shocking new images.

It's like Christmas all over again for Blizzard fans. The company showed off new images of Starcraft II just a few days ago. But wait! There's more in that bag o' goodies. Blizzard just updated the Diablo III website with five brand new action-packed screenshots. This sneak peak reveals a towering enemy, some magic spells, and moody fog-filled environments. Considering Blizzard's penchant for painstakingly slow development, clicking on these images will be closest thing to playing the game we'll have for a very long time.

[Via BigDownload]

Gallery: Diablo III

Blizzard orchestral soundtrack CD available in November

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 27th 2008 at 4:00PM }

Australian-based Eminence Symphony Orchestra is releasing a two-disc compilation of Blizzard Entertainment's best known symphonic pieces. The album, called Echoes of War, covers music from the Diablo, StarCraft and WarCraft universes -- sorry, Lost Vikings fans.

The box set, which features 90 minutes of music, will cost $30 and release in mid-November. There's also an orange Legendary Edition with an extra DVD, featuring a making-of featurette and other dross supporting material for $50. Good peons will find the CD's full track list after the break. Zug-zug.

[Thanks, Jayson; Via OSV]

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BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard's Rob Pardo talks Diablo 3

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 16th 2008 at 9:30AM }

We met up with Blizzard's Rob Pardo, vice-president of game design and one of Time Magazine's 2006 "100 Most Influential People in the World," at BlizzCon to ask him about all things Diablo 3, since we'd already gotten the good from him about Starcraft 2 and Battle.net. He didn't grant our wish to let us take home a copy of the Diablo 3 demo, but he did say a beta would be out for the game ... at some point. Find out what little we were able to squeeze out of him after the break.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: The Experience

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BlizzCon 2008: In-depth Diablo 3 hands-on

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 14th 2008 at 9:30AM }

When we weren't taking photos, sitting in Starcraft 2 panels, or watching the closing ceremonies at BlizzCon, all of our available free time was devoted to Diablo 3. It was the first thing we played within minutes of the grand opening, and the game they had to pry us away from when the doors closed. Yes, it's just that good. Plus, we still have two character classes that haven't been revealed yet, so who knows what else this has in store for us.

We were happy just to be able to return to the world of Diablo after seven years since the Lord of Destruction expansion set was on store shelves, and it was worth the wait. Find out everything we could during our exhaustive hands-on after the break, and be sure to check out the galleries below that show off in-game screens and concept art. Plus we're sticking that gameplay footage in again, because it's the only way we can enjoy Diablo until there's a beta, or some sort of miracle occurs.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo 3

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BlizzCon 2008: Rob Pardo talks Battle.Net monetizing

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 13th 2008 at 9:00AM }

Not everyone was thrilled with the weekend news that Blizzard is looking to monetize Battle.Net in some way. So we made that one of the first questions we asked Blizzard VP Rob Pardo. The good news is, they're not going to make Diablo III subscription based. Find out everyone he told us after the break.

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BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III lore & art panel

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 12th 2008 at 7:30PM }

Story guru Leonard Boyarsky and background artist Chris Donnelson spoke at yesterday's Diablo III Lore & Art panel just before the closing BlizzCon eremonies, and they detailed how the background of the previous two Diablo games will tie into this one. Check out the highlights after the break, and find out how the gameplay has been changed to emphasize the story and art in this title, and what's been happening in the 20 in-game years since the events of Diablo II.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III Art & Lore

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BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III gameplay panel

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 11th 2008 at 6:00PM }

Blizzard's Jay Wilson and Wyatt Cheng took the stage at BlizzCon for a second time yesterday to helm the Diablo III Gameplay panel, which gave us a few more details about the eagerly awaited third part in Blizzard's mouse-button mashing trilogy. Check out the highlights after the break, which include updates on some of the creatures you'll encounter, and how they're taking steps to mix up the gameplay by inserting "random adventures."

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BlizzCon, day one

by Elizabeth Harper { Oct 11th 2008 at 3:30PM }

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 uneventful opening ceremonies. I hope you weren't expecting a big announcement!
The many fans attending in costume and the costume contest.
Panels on World of Warcraft's user interface, the game's classes, the game's art, and the arena PvP tournament.
Diablo 3 news ruled the day, with the announcement of a new class (the wizard), plenty of wizard info in their class panel, new screenshots & cinematic, gameplay video, and hands-on gameplay.
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.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: The Experience

Blizzard's Wilson: Some Battle.net features to be 'monetized'

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 11th 2008 at 3:00PM }

Speaking at yesterday's Diablo III Gameplay panel, Blizzard's Jay Wilson was asked one of the questions that's been hiding in the back of all of our brains, "Is Battle.Net going to remain free?"

His response probably wasn't what you'd want to hear. "We are looking to monetize Battle.Net so that we get to keep making these games and updating features," said Wilson. "We kind of have to." He went on to say that they do recognize that everyone loves having it as a free service, and that they don't have a strong desire to make a subscription-based game.

What does that mean for our beloved free online gaming service? We're hoping to find out when we talk to Blizzard bigwig Rob Pardo later this afternoon.

BlizzCon 2008: Diablo III Wizard cinematic and new screenshots

by Kevin Kelly { Oct 10th 2008 at 8:00PM }

Here's the piping-hot new cinematic video for the Wizard class in Diablo III, straight from BlizzCon. This leads us to suspect that each class will get its own cinematic, possibly as they approach the Sanctuary instance near the beginning of the game. There are several Wizard-specific CGI moments and gameplay shots in a sort of "coming up this season on Diablo III" format.

Below you can check out the new gallery of screenshots from Diablo III, featuring new shots of the Wizard, Barbarian, and Witch Doctor. Enjoy the goodies, and keep checking back for more info.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo 3

Watch: Diablo 3's Wizard

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 10th 2008 at 2:00PM }

We've always admired that certain finesse -- a commitment to craft, if you will -- about the wizard that's missing from the careless hacks of a barbarian. Well, just see for yourself.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2008: Diablo 3 concept art

Diablo 3 Wizard class revealed [update]

by Ross Miller { Oct 10th 2008 at 1:25PM }

Click for full, hi-res gallery

Blizzard has revealed the third (of five total) classes for Diablo 3: the Wizard. According to the press release, "A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard can hurl environment-shattering lightning bolts, channel explosive arcane energies, and create pockets of space outside the normal temporal flow." The class, along with Barbarian and Witch Doctor, will be playable this weekend at BlizzCon. Update: We originally stated that six classes were shown on the character select screen. A pox on us, it was just the male-female counterparts. Image of character select after the break.

Update: Check out our hands-on of the game and the new Wizard class -- plus the first gameplay footage.