Joystiq

World of MapCraft: explore Azeroth using a Google Maps-style interface

David Hinkle — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST

World of MapCraft is an interactive map detailing all of the areas that make up World of Warcraft's Azeroth - think of it as Google Maps for World of Warcraft and its expansions thus far. It's all online right now, the work of Tiny Speck founder Cal Henderson, who extracted textures from the MMO's source files to piece together the interactive map you see above. You may recall Tiny Speck's own MMO, Glitch.

Just don't click on the map above and expect to be able to zoom in on the Isle of Conquest. You have to click the source link below for that. And if you're looking for more background on World of MapCraft's creation, Henderson has a pretty thorough blog post explaining it all.

World of MapCraft: explore Azeroth using a Google Maps-style interface originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW Patch 4.3 'Hour of Twilight' launches today

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:25:00 EST

If you've built up a thick layer of hatred for Deathwing every time his grim visage appears on the login screen for World of Warcraft, your hour of retribution has come. Or rather, your "Hour of Twilight" has come -- that's the name of WoW Patch 4.3, which launches today.

The update, and last major addition for WoW: Cataclysm, adds three new dungeons and a new raid to the title which see your hero traveling through time in an attempt to gather the tools required to take Deathwing down. There are also new, oft-requested features like Armor Transmogrification and Void Storage. Check out the trailer above for a taste of the action, and turn an eye towards WoW Insider for all the juicy patch notes therein.

WoW Patch 4.3 'Hour of Twilight' launches today originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard auctions off old server hardware for charity

Mike Schramm — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:45:00 EST

You can't actually own a piece of Azeroth, because the virtual World of Warcraft doesn't exist -- sorry, ThrallFan6969, it's true. But this is probably your closest chance to the fake thing: Blizzard is auctioning off a group of hardware server blades that were used to run the popular MMO in the past, so for a price you can own the circuits and silicon that served up all of those boars, dwarves, and elves.

All of the money raised in the auctions is going to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. All in all, about 2,000 server blades will be auctioned off, and you can even aim to buy one from a specific realm -- the hardware where your very own characters once resided! Each blade will be mounted in a windowed case adorned with the WoW logo, and the hardware displayed prominently.

The auctions start on October 17 (just a few days before BlizzCon), with sales occurring in four different rounds. Good luck!

Blizzard auctions off old server hardware for charity originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft experiences a small drop in subscribers post-Cataclysm

JC Fletcher — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:30:00 EST

Around the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Activision Blizzard repeatedly touted its 12 million subscribers. During yesterday's investor conference call, however, Blizzard president Mike Morhaime revealed that as of the end of March, the subscriber base had fallen from a stratospheric 12 million all the way to a humiliating 11.4 million, a decline of 5%.

Morhaime explained the tiny mass exodus by saying that players were completing the new content in Cataclysm more quickly than previous expansions, and then leaving the game. However, Rift also launched in March, which may have lured away part of those 600,000 ex-WoWers.

Still, if we're talking about part of 5% of your userbase maybe leaving for another game, things are still going well for you.

World of Warcraft experiences a small drop in subscribers post-Cataclysm originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This World of Warcraft bathroom is strictly for the Horde

David Hinkle — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 03:00:00 EST

What kind of feelings do you want to inspire in people who are lucky enough to spend time in your commode? A sense of wonder? Or maybe you just want some badass World of Warcraft stuff hanging in there, proudly declaring your Horde affiliation. If you're in the latter camp, we may have found your next potential BFFs.

Pictured above is the bathroom of couple Paul and Gloria, who did all of the work themselves, documented from beginning to end in this Photobucket gallery. They've got dragon heads for the light fixtures, a full potion cabinet and, of course, an assortment of themed weaponry.

This World of Warcraft bathroom is strictly for the Horde originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW Cataclysm sells over 4.7 million copies in first month

JC Fletcher — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST

Having sold 3.3 million copies of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm on the first day, it was easy to guess that the MMO expansion would have little trouble going on to record-breaking sales in its first month on the market. And that's exactly what it's done, according to Blizzard Entertainment, who reports that the title sold through over 4.7 million copies since its December 7 release. And unlike the usual retail sales numbers, that includes both packaged copies and digital distribution.

According to Blizzard, that sets a new record for monthly PC sales -- again, it's not a huge surprise to believe WoW has the power to break sales records. Here's what is surprising, though: Activision said that the WoW community is currently over 12 million players strong. Who are the 7-plus million people who play WoW, but didn't buy Cataclysm yet?

WoW Cataclysm sells over 4.7 million copies in first month originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010

Mike Schramm — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Ninja Theory put a heck of a game together here, with some incredible art direction and animation, level design, and the best adventurous duo since Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher. The world traversed by Monkey and Trip is colorfully portrayed and brilliantly built, the gameplay is perfectly formulated to support the characters and the story, and while I admit the game's early levels outdo the somewhat abrupt ending, this was the best original IP I played in 2010.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010

Best of the Rest: Mike's picks of 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of the Rest: Justin's Picks for 2010

Justin McElroy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST

Metro 2033

I'm just going to tell myself that my esteemed Joystiq colleagues didn't play this moody, flawed FPS, because I hate the idea that I'm the only one with whom it resonated. With a single trek through a post-apocalyptic Russian underground, Ukrainian developer 4A became one of the developers I'd follow anywhere. It's got problems, specifically with a pretty lackluster combat system, but there's also nothing else like it.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Justin's Picks for 2010

Best of the Rest: Justin's Picks for 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of the Rest: Griffin's picks of 2010

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Cave Story
I am mad at everyone I've ever known for not telling me to play Cave Story before I grabbed it late last year. Within two months, I had beaten it four times across two different platforms. It's arguably the most charming game I've ever played, with deep layers of Metroidvania-esque exploration and a level of difficulty which expertly straddles the line between challenging and frustrating. It's one of the most polished games I played during the year, and if you find yourself with an overabundance of virtual Nintendo currency, you absolutely need to own it. Twice, if you have the means.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Griffin's picks of 2010

Best of the Rest: Griffin's picks of 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops holds off Cataclysm on UK sales chart, Epic Mickey enters Top 40

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

For the week ending December 11, Chart-Track's UK All Formats chart had Call of Duty: Black Ops at the top, FIFA 11 in second and the highly anticipated expansion, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, in third. Yes, that math feels all kinds of wrong. Here's a perfect example of how the lack of online sales tracking can create an issue when looking at Chart-Track and NPD results. Cataclysm was the first WoW expansion, a game that reportedly has 12 million subscribers, to be available both at retail and online. It seems that unless players were interested in baubles, they were more than happy to just pay Activision-Blizzard for the authorization key directly online.

In other news, it looks like the UK caught on that Disney Epic Mickey launched. The Wii exclusive, created by Warren Spector's Junction Point Studio, finally broke into the Top 40 at 37, "misunderstood" design and all.

And because it's our obsessive fascination, we'll tell you that Just Dance 2 slipped a mere single spot into sixth. That means we are only a few weeks away from a member of the Just Dance franchise holding a place in the top ten for nearly all of 2010. Check out the UK's top performing titles after the break.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops holds off Cataclysm on UK sales chart, Epic Mickey enters Top 40

Call of Duty: Black Ops holds off Cataclysm on UK sales chart, Epic Mickey enters Top 40 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm sells 3.3 million units in one day

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:25:00 EST

Half of everyone on the planet plays World of Warcraft -- that's just scientific fact -- so, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the game's recently released expansion made quite a splash on its launch day. According to Blizzard's calculations, the Cataclysm add-on sold 3.3 million units within 24 hours of its release, becoming the "fastest-selling PC game of all time." The previous record holder? World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, which sold 2.8 million copies in one day back in 2008.

Frankly, we're a little appalled at Blizzard. Like, they've obviously found a golden goose here. Why not let other developers create World of Warcraft expansions as well, giving them a chance to capitalize on this lucrative market? Why are they being so darn greedy?

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm sells 3.3 million units in one day originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - This is how the world ends

Ryan Greene — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST

With today's launch of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm looming over us like, well, "a giant dragon" is probably a bit redundant ... Nevertheless, we turned to Massively's Ryan Greene to explain why you might be interested, either if you're new to the game or simply looking for an excuse to return to Azeroth.

Have you noticed a new excitement in the air? Have you felt the rumblings from the deep places of the world and tasted dread on the wind? Have you wondered why all your nerdiest friends planned months in advance to contract fake illnesses on the same day?

Cataclysm has arrived, and World of Warcraft will never be the same ... which is the same cheesy line you've been hearing for weeks, if not months. WoW's third expansion is huge news for dedicated players, but what does it mean for everyone else? For anyone who has never tried WoW or who gave it up many moons ago, the changes Deathwing hath wrought (with Blizzard's help) mean there has never been a better time to jump into the game. Seriously.

Continue reading World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - This is how the world ends

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - This is how the world ends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joyswag: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition

Christopher Grant — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST

We've got a big fancy box stuffed full of Cataclysm treats and we want to give it away to one of you. But then you'll have to wait for the package to be delivered, and that's simply not acceptable, right? So after we select one lucky winner tomorrow, we'll contact them (make sure to check your Joystiq-linked email account!) and share the CD key before mailing out the rest of this stuff.

To enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment telling us how many hours you've spent in World of Warcraft (be honest!).
You must be 13 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Limit 1 entry per person.
This entry period ends at 1:00PM ET on Wednesday, December 8.
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition (ARV $80).
For a list of complete rules, click here.

Gallery: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (Collector's Edition unboxing)

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition.

For more info on our policy, click here.

Joyswag: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition, unboxed

Christopher Grant — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:50:00 EST

We're still some hours away from the midnight launch of the latest World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm. It won't be long before Deathwing wrecks shop, so we thought we'd take some of this downtime to share pics of the Collector's Edition which recently made its way to our doorstep. Peruse the gallery below, and stick around for a giveaway later today.

Gallery: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (Collector's Edition unboxing)

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition, unboxed originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We Didn't Start the Fire (in World of Warcraft)

David Hinkle — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:10:00 EST

In a lot of ways, this WoW video taken in Stormwind by MrZoddiak defies classification -- it's not a music video, nor is it a re-enactment. Regardless of what we all finally agree to call it, one thing is certain: it's damn impressive.

Continue reading We Didn't Start the Fire (in World of Warcraft)

We Didn't Start the Fire (in World of Warcraft) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop hosting WoW: Cataclysm midnight launch events

JC Fletcher — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:00:00 EST

Even though you'll have to temporarily step away from the World of WarCraft, and abandon your guild, in order to pick up Cataclysm (unless you buy it digitally), you'll still have the opportunity to commune with fellow WoW players while buying the new expansion.

GameStop will be hosting midnight release events, including "trivia and dance" contests, starting at 10PM on December 6, at its 3,500 stores across the U.S. Buying the expansion at one of these locations won't just increase your risk of vampire attack (what, you don't worry about that at night?), it'll also qualify you for savings on routers, headsets and other PC gaming accoutrements. Additionally, people who buy Cataclysm from GameStop within the first 48 hours of release get a 50-percent bonus in PowerUp Rewards points.

GameStop hosting WoW: Cataclysm midnight launch events originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WoW: Cataclysm pre-orders now available through Battle.net

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:10:00 EST

If you're eager to hasten the world's demise -- and you've seen the internet, so why wouldn't you be? -- you can now log in to your Battle.net account and pre-order World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. The expansion, which promises to wreck and rearrange the realm of Azeroth, will become available for download at 12:01 a.m. PST on December 7 (and 12:01 a.m. CST in Europe and Russia). Online pre-orders will be granted automatic access to the expansion's content as soon as Blizzard's servers go live.

As with director Roland Emmerich's take on armageddon, there are few caveats you should be aware of before going in. You'll be charged as soon as you place your pre-order, and you will have to log in to World of Warcraft at least once before launch date in order to begin a background download. Cataclysm's Collector's Edition bonuses, like the in-game pet, will only be available with retail copies. Maybe Blizzard is trying to tell you something.

WoW: Cataclysm pre-orders now available through Battle.net originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pardo: Blizzard moving towards day-and-date digital releases

Mike Schramm — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:01:00 EST

We heard a while back that Blizzard and its parent company have been considering digital distribution for World of Warcraft expansions ever since the first one, but it wasn't until this past weekend at BlizzCon that it was finally announced that the latest expansion, Cataclysm, will be available to buy on Blizzard's website, and playable right as the servers are turned on. Blizzard's Rob Pardo says the company's been moving in that direction for a while, and that "the day's coming" when Blizzard will release all of its PC games day-and-date with their retail versions. "Once we get a little closer to Diablo 3 we'll make a determination," he promised.

Meanwhile, the WoW community, as a group of people who already play MMOs online, is ready for the transition, says Pardo. "They are already able to handle very large pieces of data," he says, "so we felt that this is the best thing for the community, the opportunity to download and pre-order the game before we launch." It will be nice to have the game installed and ready to play as the servers go up -- even if they do drop right back down from all the players trying to use them.

Pardo: Blizzard moving towards day-and-date digital releases originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm available for download at midnight, Dec. 7

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:18:00 EST

When the world is being torn asunder, isn't it best to remain inside? During a presentation at the ongoing BlizzCon 2010 in Anaheim, California, Blizzard president Mike Morhaime confirmed that the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm, would be offered in downloadable format right on time and on launch day. When the game's December 7 release date was first announced, it wasn't clear if the digitally distributed version would lag behind retail copies.

It doesn't get clearer than this: You'll be able to purchase and download World of Warcraft: Cataclysm from Blizzard's site (which will accomodate pre-orders soon) at midnight, Pacific Standard Time, on December 7th. That means you can safely start questing, never having left the comforting confines of your home and risked contact with those crude human beings.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm available for download at midnight, Dec. 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2010 Opening Ceremony liveblog

Dan O'Halloran — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:20:00 EST

BlizzCon 2010 is upon us and, as is customary, Blizzard will use its Opening Ceremony keynote to kick off the event - of course, WoW Insider already kicked things off last night at its annual meetup, but let's not stray too far from the purpose of this post.

Things get underway, right here, at 11AM PT (we've posted handy alternative time zones for you below). Check back then for all the latest from Blizzard: from the impending WoW expansion, Cataclysm, to future StarCraft 2 installments, to the much-anticipated Diablo 3. Maybe something about that long-in-development unnamed MMO? Well, that would be nice, wouldn't it?

08:00AM - Hawaii
11:00AM - Pacific
12:00PM - Mountain
01:00PM - Central
02:00PM - Eastern
07:00PM - London
08:00PM - Paris
10:00PM - Moscow
03:00AM - Tokyo (October 23)

Continue reading BlizzCon 2010 Opening Ceremony liveblog

BlizzCon 2010 Opening Ceremony liveblog originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2010 goody bag packs miniature world-splitter

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:34:00 EST

Click to see more goodies

Sure, Deathwing might pose a huge threat to the World of Warcraft, but we don't see much harm in all the little Dethlings BlizzCon 2010 attendees will receive and evetually take home. What's the worst that could happen -- they crack the plumbing? As part of this year's goody bag, con questers will receive a miniature Deathwing (pictured), an in-game Murloc pet with Deathwing mask, an account-hack preventing Blizzard authenticator and other various trinkets.

The in-game murloc pet for WoW appears to have become a goody bag standard for BlizzCon, with last year's attendees receiving the little gurgler wearing a StarCraft 2 marine uniform.

For all this weekend's BlizzCon 2010 coverage, keep it locked on WoW Insider.

BlizzCon 2010 goody bag packs miniature world-splitter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm intro unleashes Deathwing

Ludwig Kietzmann — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:03:00 EST

If you've been keeping up on your World of Warcraft lore, you may know this infuriated beast as Neltharion The Earth-Warder. But once you've seen Blizzard's introductory cinematic to the WoW: Cataclysm expansion, you'll see why his second name -- Deathwing the Destroyer -- is the only one on his business card.

Continue reading World of Warcraft: Cataclysm intro unleashes Deathwing

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm intro unleashes Deathwing originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft gets patch 4.0.1 tomorrow

Mike Schramm — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Blizzard has made the official announcement that it's releasing patch 4.0.1 for World of Warcraft during the game's maintenance tomorrow morning. This is basically the expansion patch for the biggest MMO in the world -- even though World of Warcraft: Cataclysm doesn't arrive in stores until December 7, this patch will bring many of the mechanics and system changes to the game that players have been awaiting, including a huge amount of class changes and updates, a revamp to the glyph system and a new system of reforging items to change their stats. This patch will also include the recently announced guild changes and lots of other updates and tweaks to ready the world for the game's third expansion.

You may not actually be one of World of Warcraft's 12 million players any more, but even if you're not, we thought we'd give you a heads up. Patch 4.0.1 is the reason all your friends will be back playing the game later on this week.

World of Warcraft gets patch 4.0.1 tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm blows up Dec. 7

Justin McElroy — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:50:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Treasure these last few months of tranquility, Azerothians. Blizzard just announced it'll all come crashing down on December 7, when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm destroys the world you've loved, leaving only destruction and a bevy of brand new adventures to be had.

You'll be able to get the new content digitally or in stores, if you like, for $40. But because you're you and Blizzard is Blizzard, there will also be a "Collector's Edition" of the expansion pack at retail for $80. The extra cash nets you [deep breath] a big art book, a commentary DVD, a soundtrack CD, a mouse pad, World of Warcraft trading cards and the "Lil' Deathwing" in-game pet. [pass out]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm blows up Dec. 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plants vs. Zombies becomes a quest in WoW: Cataclysm

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EST

Though past team-ups between PopCap Games and World of Warcraft have resulted in full-on in-game ... games, it seems Bilzzard's taking a different approach with the inclusion of Plants vs. Zombies in upcoming WoW expansion Cataclysm: it pared down and recreated PvZ as an in-game quest! Madness!

Continue reading Plants vs. Zombies becomes a quest in WoW: Cataclysm

Plants vs. Zombies becomes a quest in WoW: Cataclysm originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm special edition detailed

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Hey, you're already paying $14.99 a month to have access to the expansive, quest-strewn lands of World of Warcraft -- why not shell out a few extra bucks to claim the collector's edition of the MMO's upcoming expansion, Cataclysm? The premium, $79.99 version of the add-on, which will only be available in retail stores, just had its contents revealed by Blizzard.

The bundle includes a 176-page art book, a DVD featuring developer commentary and a quick background of the Warcraft universe, a CD of the expansion's soundtrack, a mouse pad, a starter deck and a few bonus cards for the World of Warcraft TCG, and -- the item which will force die-hard WoW players to spring for the special edition -- a "Lil' Deathwing" in-game pet. The expansion is still sans-release date, but the presser announcing this collector's edition promises that information will be divulged "in the months ahead."

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm special edition detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard: World of Warcraft movie has slowed, but still happening

Mike Schramm — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:05:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Blizzard Entertainment took the stage here at Comic-Con in San Diego to talk about World of Warcraft-inspired merchandise, and when the topic of the WoW movie came up during the Q&A, Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen confirmed that though the process has slowed recently, the movie is still happening. Director Sam Raimi is still "very, very passionate" about getting the movie made, but Metzen said that a treatment is still being hammered out. If that gets approved, he said, then "hopefully it'll start moving very quickly, very soon."

Metzen and the rest of the panelists also talked about the next lore-based novel to be released -- it's called The Shattering, and will set up a lot of the events leading up to the Cataclysm expansion. Metzen cautioned the game's fans that there are "dark times ahead" for Azeroth with the return of Deathwing and quakes destroying large parts of the game world. "It's going to get rough out there for a while," he admitted. "But there's a plan. The great heroes always rise to the top."

Blizzard: World of Warcraft movie has slowed, but still happening originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your real name to appear on Blizzard's official forums

Mike Schramm — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Long a source of rampant trolling and epic flamewars, Blizzard's official World of Warcraft forums will soon be a lot less anonymous. The company announced today that it will be using the Real ID system, which was recently implemented into Battle.net, on its forums. Once Real ID is in place, each catty remark and witty comeback on Blizzard's forums will have the poster's real first and last name attached to it. (Previously, posters could hide behind their in-game character names.)

Real ID will be rolled into WoW's forums by the release of the Cataclysm expansion later this year. Additionally, the system will be added to the StarCraft 2 forums before the game's July 27 launch.

Blizzard's eating its own dog food, too -- its community representatives, previously known only by aliases, will also be posting under their real names. Additionally, forum posts will be subject to a new ranking system, replies to forum threads will be grouped, and Blizzard posters will be able to "broadcast" messages out to everyone on the game's forums. Blizzard says its goal with these changes is to form "a new and different kind of online gaming environment -- one that's highly social, and which provides an ideal place for gamers to form long-lasting, meaningful relationships."

Your real name to appear on Blizzard's official forums originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm closed beta has begun

Mike Schramm — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Blizzard has just announced that the closed beta test for the next World of Warcraft expansion has begun. Invites are going out now to players around the world who've signed up on Blizzard's Battle.net service, although there's no indication yet of just how many invites are out or how big the beta will be. If past tests are any indication, Blizzard will likely start it small and expand over time -- that's how the StarCraft 2 beta played out.

This also means that information about the new expansion will start appearing online -- rumor has it that there is no NDA for the closed beta experience, so players who see the new content will be able to tell us all about it. Cataclysm will completely revamp the old World of Warcraft world, in addition to adding five more levels of content at endgame. The Wrath of the Lich King beta also began in early July, and showed up in stores in November a few years ago, so it's reasonable to assume the same timeline for Cataclysm.

In the meantime, if you want to play, make sure your Battle.net account is set to opt-in and keep an eye out for a beta notice in your inbox. Good luck!

Gallery: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (BlizzCon 2009)

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm closed beta has begun originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm changes outed in recent press event

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Last night, Blizzard opened up the NDA floodgates of a recent press event, where attendees (including our sister site WoW.com) learned of a few more changes the upcoming Cataclysm expansion will visit upon World of Warcraft. The game's big dungeons and raids? Those are changing. The classic zones which were ruined by the titular Cataclysm? Those are getting changed. Even some of the big changes which were announced last year are changing. It's a lot to take in.

We suggest checking out WoW.com's write-up on the new content, such as the Guild Leveling system and the new secondary Archaeology profession. We'd also suggest listening to some appropriate tunes while you do so, but that part's entirely up to you.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm changes outed in recent press event originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard: More growth ahead for WoW

Mike Schramm — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:51:00 EST

VG247 met up with Blizzard Executive Vice President Frank Pearce in London to talk about StarCraft 2 and World of Warcraft. While it appears that WoW reached its peak with 11.5 million players, Pearce disagrees. "I don't think 11.5 million is a peak, necessarily," he says, "but there are certain things that we need to do and need to do well in order to see it go further." Those things include finally launching the Wrath of the Lich King expansion in China and bringing players back with the upcoming Cataclysm expansion in the US.

And while some have guessed that the release of StarCraft 2 might make a dent in WoW's player base, Pearce says he expects the opposite: StarCraft's Real ID social network system works across both games, and it may "potentially have a strong enough connection so that [someone playing StarCraft] may get a message from someone in WoW saying, 'Hey, come on over, we need a last person to fill our raid.'"

Blizzard: More growth ahead for WoW originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Friends and Family Alpha client leaks

Mike Schramm — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:00:00 EST

Despite what we presume are Blizzard's best efforts (they lasted pretty long this time!), the Friends and Family Alpha client of the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion has leaked out into the world, and the forum denizens over at MMO Champion are busy digging through it for all kinds of spoilers. They've uncovered maps and screenshots for both revamped Old Azeroth zones and the new high-level dungeons, as well as pictures of the new Goblin and Worgen starting areas. Additionally, they've got information on new achievements and abilities, and the completely revamped class talent calculator now active in the alpha.

Keep in mind that, as closed alpha information, none of this is official, and most of the stats are likely to change before the expansion actually releases later this year. All of this information would have come out soon anyway, as Blizzard is planning an open beta on this expansion soon (things are a little busy right now with some other testing), and is slowly releasing information officially as well. But if you want to gorge yourself on spoilers before dinner starts, head on over and feast, my children, feast!

[via WoW.com]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Friends and Family Alpha client leaks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard announces a handful of WoW: Cataclysm class changes

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EST

Blizzard recently announced a cadre of class-specific additions coming to its upcoming ruinous expansion pack, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. If you're currently rolling through Azeroth, owning fools while playing as a Death Knight, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock or Warrior, you can get an early glimpse at some of the new powers and revamped mechanics the expansion will bring your way.

If you're having a hard time understanding what all these changes really mean, we suggest checking out our loot-obsessed sister site, WoW.com, for a detailed analysis of these changes. For instance, we just learned that the Rogue's new "Smoke Bomb" ability will change them from merchants of death into invisible merchants of death. How fun!

Blizzard announces a handful of WoW: Cataclysm class changes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2010 announced for October 22-23

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:45:00 EST

Anaheim will once again become a second home to the citizens of Azeroth when BlizzCon 2010 takes place from October 22 to 23. As in previous years, this is the show where Blizzard brings out its big guns and usually delivers at least one major announcement. Although it's not expressly stated, it's very likely StarCraft II, Diablo III and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be at the event -- hopefully, with some release dates in tow.

Detailed sales information isn't live yet, but anyone interested in attending better start queuing up the nanosecond those golden tickets go out.

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009 Costumes

BlizzCon 2010 announced for October 22-23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blizzard offers updated look at the new Battle.Net

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST

Let's be honest. Between Diablo III, Stacraft II and the new World of Warcraft expansion, we're all going to be pretty heavily embroiled in Blizzard's games over the next couple of years. That's why we were thrilled to see this recent update on the new Battle.Net, which has been renovated by Blizzard from the ground up to offer a Steam-esque cross-game platform for players of all Blizzard's titles.

A recent post on the StarCraft II blog reveals the three pillars of the service: Achievements for in-game deeds (which, in turn, unlock avatars and emblems for your profile); a beefy competitive ranking bracket and auto-matchmaking functionality; and social networking features available for everyone playing one of Blizzard's games online. It looks predictably slick -- check out some screenshots and a video of the interface on Blizzard's official blog.

Blizzard offers updated look at the new Battle.Net originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best of WoW.com: December 1-8, 2009

Mike Schramm — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:00:00 EST

Filed under: RPGs, Meta (about Joystiq), MMO

It's patch day again in the World of Warcraft, and that means there's a whole bunch of upgrades and updates and brand new challenges, quests and things to do in the most successful MMO ever made. Joystiq's sister site WoW.com has all the patch 3.3 info you'd ever need, from the new Dungeon Finder system to class changes, to all of the various UI tweaks and tips for getting your add-ons ready. Find ten of our most popular posts of the past week after the break, and head over to WoW.com for the latest on the game's newest update.

Continue reading The best of WoW.com: December 1-8, 2009

The best of WoW.com: December 1-8, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best of WoW.com: August 18-26, 2009

Mike Schramm — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: RPGs, Meta (about Joystiq), MMO

What a week it has been in the World of Warcraft. Last weekend in Anaheim, Blizzard held BlizzCon, a convention of over 20,000 people, and announced the third expansion of the world's biggest MMO: Cataclysm. New races, new levels, new systems and instances, and oh yeah: the entire world will explode thanks to the return of a very evil and very angry dragon.

Here's our most popular posts from the past seven days to catch you up.

News

BlizzCon 2009: Opening Ceremony liveblog
Straight from the convention floor, here's the announcement in all of its live glory.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm announced
After all of the leaks and speculation, it's official. The game is getting another expansion.
BlizzCon 2009: Archaeology and Path of the Titans
A new secondary profession, and a brand new way for characters to grow even beyond the new level cap of 85.
Patch 3.2.0a being deployed today
Right in the midst of BlizzCon madness, Blizzard dropped a bugfix patch on the live servers.
BlizzCon 2009: Guild leveling and talents
Guilds will earn points for ingame success, and be able to spend those points on all kinds of fun rewards.

Features

BlizzCon 2009: The costumes
What is a convention without fans crazy enough to dress up (or dress down) as their favorite characters? Feast your eyes on these.
BlizzCon 2009: Worgen animation
Here's what the change everyone wants to see looks like.
Know Your Lore: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Worgen
A special KYL for the new Alliance race.
BlizzCon 2009: Cataclysm, the story so far
What we know about the story behind the new expansion.
BlizzCon 2009: Stats vastly simplified
It's all back to core stats when Deathwing takes over.

The best of WoW.com: August 18-26, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Round-up: The Cataclysmic changes coming to World of Warcraft

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:30:00 EST

The recent announcement of World of Warcraft's next expansion, Cataclysm, brought with it a whole slew of drastic changes to the game. You're probably familiar with them all by now -- but if you stopped paying attention to BlizzCon 2009 coverage after the welcome ceremony, you may have missed out on a ton of additional changes that will make their way into the almighty MMO around the time Cataclysm launches.

We've done our best to round these changes up into a single post -- as always, however, we have to defer to the experts over at Joystiq's Azeroth-obsessed sister site, WoW.com, for the super in-depth coverage. You'll find a bunch of links to their BlizzCon coverage embedded in our post after the jump -- curious parties are just one click away from total Cataclysmic enlightenment.

Continue reading Round-up: The Cataclysmic changes coming to World of Warcraft

Round-up: The Cataclysmic changes coming to World of Warcraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm targeted for 2010 release

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST

We know, we know -- 2010 is an entire year, and doesn't provide much information as to when we'll be perusing the ruined landscape of Azeroth when World of Warcraft's next expansion, Cataclysm, is released. Still, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the only piece of information yet to surface about the release schedule of the recently announced expansion, via a WoW.com interview with Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. Thus, here it is: It's targeted for a 2010 release.

Here's the two observations we can cull from that ambiguous launch announcement -- first, it's not coming out this year. Second, it's not coming out in two years. It's coming out somewhere between January 1 and December 31 of next year, it seems. That is, unless it takes Blizzard longer to develop than Morhaime initially thought, in which case, we'll hastily revoke our second observation.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm targeted for 2010 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009: Day one round-up

Elizabeth Harper — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST

The news coming from BlizzCon has been fast and furious -- and we can hardly blame you if you haven't been able to keep up with the announcements coming from Anaheim so far.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: A little expansion by the name of Cataclysm was officially announced, with a world of pain now on its way to classic Azeroth and two new races. So what's new in Azeroth? Two new races, Goblins and Worgen (Horde and Alliance respectively), the reordering and rezoning of much of Azeroth, an array of new race/class possibilities, a brand-new secondary skill, and some shake-ups in class mechanics and character/guild advancement.
DIABLO 3: Meet the Monk, the game's latest class and -- so the trailer suggests -- a kick-ass martial artist. Also, surprise surprise, the game may still be coming to a console near you.
BATTLE.NET: Battle.net will gain new features in the expansion, including an Xbox-Livesque ability to see what your friends are playing and which servers they're on, in addition to sending messages to them.
PICTURES: Here's a map of the reordered post-Cataclysm Azeroth, a gallery of the art display at BlizzCon (containing some Cataclysm art, employee-decorated noobz, and StarCraft and Diablo universe pieces), a dedicated gallery for Cataclysm concept art, and a gallery of the costumes at BlizzCon.
VIDEOS: We have video for you of the Cataclysm trailer, what Azeroth zones will look like post-Cataclysm, and the animation for Human-to-Worgen transformation.
THE GUILD: The entire cast showed up and brought the funny at their live panel and at our reader meet-up. Gallery here!

Gallery: BlizzCon 2009

BlizzCon 2009: Day one round-up originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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