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Fallout 3 dominates MI6 marketing awards

Critical acclaim is a swell bullet point for the back of a box, but, really, who bases their buying decisions on what the so-called "experts" have to say? Let's face it, we buy certain games because they're staring us down every which way we turn -- on the internet, on the TV, on the frickin' subway -- and because, well, sometimes we're just suckers for the ol' "Chotchkie" Editions. And, while we might curse the thought of marketing (and our powerlessness against it), the MI6 Awards celebrates this integral component of the game industry machine.

So, just this once, let's all give a hand to the brilliant minds that so craftily offered us many, many valuable opportunities to ride their hype waves all the way to the checkout last year. View the complete list of awards and "Gold Winners" (no euphemism necessary, huh?) after the break.

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Blizzard releases WoW patch 3.0.8, first since Lich King's launch


Don't panic, click to view the guide

Blizzard has released its first post-Wrath of the Lich King update for World of Warcraft. There are a plethora of changes, including the much-requested ability to create a Death Knight in any realm, provided you've got a level 55 character tied to your account (prior to this, you needed a level 55 on the same server).

We're not even going to try to delve any further into the patch notes. Instead, we'll kindly point you in the direction of WoW Insider for a full in-depth analysis. If for whatever reason, your auto-updater isn't working, you can download the patch via BigDownload.

LittleBigPlanet shifts over 200K copies in UK


Media Molecule's platformer and form-your-own-platter, LittleBigPlanet, has earned itself "Gold" status in the UK, as awarded by the ELSPA group to titles that sell over 200,000 copies. As Edge Online points out, this comes after the game fell out of the all-format top ten just one week after its fourth-place debut. Sales are said to have been buoyed by a strong TV advertising campaign and, presumably, mankind's inalienable love for squishy sack persons.

Other notable recipients of the gold in them thar prestigious hills are Bethesda's post-apocalyptic Fallout 3, Ubisoft's pre-apocalyptic Far Cry 2 and Blizzard's socially apocalyptic Wrath of the Lich King. ELSPA also awarded "Platinum" status -- that's for selling between 300,000 and 600,000 units -- to Fable 2, which can be apocalyptic if you play as a complete bastard.

Wrath of the Lich King hits GameStop's credit card system for 500 damage


And now a scene from tonight's epic, midnight raid:

Wrath of the Lich King casts Credit Card Overload.
Wrath of the Lich King hits GameStop for 309.

GameStop parries.
Wrath of the Lich King hits GameStop for 403.
GameStop's credit card servers suffers a 10% durability loss.
Wrath of the Lich King crits GameStop for 1,300,296.
Wrath of the Lich King crits GameStop for 296,129,423,127.

Wrath of the Lich King has slain GameStop's credit card servers!

Our friends at WoW Insider have the scoop. We'll have more from the Wrath launch later today. After the break, see the same battle with an interface add-on!

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Europe is now addicted to Wrath of the Lich King

Our World of Warcraft friends (some of whom may or may not work as professional WoW bloggers) have been prodding us incessantly to remind us that (a) Wrath of the Lich King is coming out worldwide on November 13 and (b) Europe is hours ahead of North America. Applying applicable logic, we can use (a) and (b) to deduce (c) Europeans are now exploring Northrend via the latest WoW expansion on European servers.

Why should you care? If you're a Western Hemisphere MMO addict, you might have a new reason to hate your friends across the pond -- at least for a few hours. If you don't care about MMOs at all, well, here's a post about Far Cry 2. Check out WoW Insider for more in-depth coverage than you can shake a Death Knight at. Remember, folks, Wrath of the Lich King officially comes out midnight tonight, so make an effort to see your WoW-playing buddies this one last time.

The Lich King invades World of Warcraft

On the eve of Wrath of the Lich King's launch, the World of Warcraft realms are facing an assault by Arthas, the Lich King himself. Our friends at WoW Insider are live at the Orc capital city of Orgrimmar, risking virtual life and virtual limb to keep you updated. WotLK will officially launch November 13.

The best of WoW Insider: October 21-28, 2008


The World of Warcraft was hit this week with something no one expected: zombies! In the lead-up event to the Wrath of the Lich King expansion release next month, someone (probably the Lich King himself, what a jerk) injected a plague into the populace of Azeroth, pitting Alliance and Horde against each other and themselves, as player-controlled zombies ravaged all the old familiar places. It was a sight to see, but not everyone had fun, so yesterday, things stopped abruptly. What next?

News

Features

Wrath of the Lich King weapon turns you into a Guitar Hero


Blizzard has created a new weapon for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King that temporarily transforms you into into Bergrisst, the rhythm guitarist of cross-medium metal group Level 80 Elite Chief Tauren, complete with a shred-tacular guitar solo. The axe, dubbed the Arcanite Ripper (based on the Arcanite Reaper), is dropped by Tenris Mirkblood in Karazhan.

We've embedded video of the Ripper, courtesy of WoW Insider, after the break. Here's hoping the rest of the band makes an enchanted item cameo. Wrath of the Lich King will ruin your holiday plans November 13.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

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Wrath of the Lich King zombie plague covering Azeroth


Though the gaming industry fat cats have yet to seriously address our demands for a zombie-themed MMO (do we need to throw another demand-wrapped brick through the front window?) tonight's event in World of Warcraft has given us something close. You see, Arthas – the titular Lich King – is sort of a jerk and, as such, he's planted a bunch of "Conspicuous Crates" around the land of Azeroth. Open one: You're a zombie! Touch another zombie? Bam! You're a zombie.

If this plague sounds familiar, we'd direct you towards this post from 2005 (lo those many years ago) detailing an unintentional plague that spread through Azeroth (and the servers that power it). Blizzard has, in short, taken that "Blood Plague" and harnessed it as a world event, similar to the Scourge invasion that preceded the release of The Burning Crusade. Unsurprisingly, WoW Insider has all the details, reporting, "The threat is growing -- we're getting word of huge zombie raids forming outside the capital cities ..."

Shhh. You had us at "huge zombie raids."

Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition detailed

Here's the thing: selling a Collector's Edition for a game made for collectors isn't fan service ... it's stealing. But if you're comfortable with that, and want to slip a crisp $70 bill into Joe Blizzard's overstuffed g-string, here's what he's offering in exchange:
  • The Wrath of the Lich King expansion pack, helpfully jammed onto a DVD-ROM (take that, floppies!)
  • A 208-page WotLK art book ... full of art
  • Frosty, the baby frost wyrm – an exclusive in-game pet (what, no plushie?)
  • A DVD jam-packed with dev interviews, intro cinematic (plus director's commentary)
  • Soundtrack CD, featuring the #1 hit single: "Waltz of the Lich King"
  • Mouse pad (adorned with a handy map of Northrend)
  • Two starter decks for the collectible card game (see: collectors!) and two exclusive cards
You can try to resist, collectophiles, but alas ... you can't. Blizzard will once again triumph over frugality, and your epic quest for debt-free living will end on November 13th.

[Via WoW Insider]

Wrath of the Lich King release date: November 13


This is it! It's happening, just as the ancients had foretold. Blizzard has officially revealed the release date for its latest get-rich-quick scheme. Wrath of the Lich King – the second expansion to the sorta-popular World of Warcraft – will cast an icy blue glow over retail shelves everywhere on November 13th for the doesn't-include-your-subscription asking price of $39.99.

That means you have exactly two weeks before Thanksgiving to storm the shores of Northrend with your fancy new Death Knight, mess up some undead frost wyrm dragons, earn as many Achievements as possible, and put Arthas on ice for good. In the meantime, if you're curious what any of that means, crawl through Massively's "What's new in Wrath of the Lich King" primer, embedded below.

It's official: Wrath of the Lich King coming November 13

Popular World of Warcraft database site Wowhead has unveiled what it's claiming to be an official (and rather gigantic) Blizzard ad that reveals the official Wrath of the Lich King release date: Thursday, November 13. To celebrate, Wowhead is raffling off 10 beta keys. Though we know the expansion is due in Q4 2008, Blizzard has yet to confirm the date, either via press release or its website -- in other words, don't take this as gospel until we get an official statement. Update: The ad is now also appearing prominently on Thottbot, though it should be noted both it and Wowhead are owned by the same company. Update 2: Blizzard finally made it official (more official than a generous ad buy, at least). In other news, the Thanksgiving Day traditions of millions of families just got kicked in the sweetmeats.

Check out WoW Insider for more WotLK coverage than you can shake a Cross-eyed Stick of Information Overload at.

[Via WoW Insider]

Bambi brings vengeance to Wrath of the Lich King


Perhaps the vagaries of reality have finally taken hold and you've done it. You've canceled the WoW account. Now you're back together with the Mrs., you've re-memorized all your kids' names, and you've got something that approximates steady work. Life, it would seem, is perfect. Then you heard the siren call of Wrath of the Lich King and – what is this? – you shut it out. Fine ... be strong.

But can you shut out the opportunity to drive your Sword of a Thousand Truths deep into the spotted fur of Bambi's mother? Sure, you cried during Bambi like everyone else did, but can you really resist transforming sweet, innocent Bambi(na) – spotted in Wrath's Northrend – into the crazy-eyed "Vengeful Bambina"? Blizzard's hoping you can't. But what if the kids see what you've done? You'll lose it all! Again!

[Via WoW Insider]

Wrath of the Lich King coming Q4 2008

After the beta announcement, we knew the hour of bewilderment was almost upon us. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime announced in a conference call (via Shacknews) that the latest World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King is coming this year between October or December. Morhaime actually said it was coming out this year, but "it's not coming out in the July to September quarter," which after hours of calculations left us certain of the Q4 2008 window. Brush up on your WotLK news care of WoW Insider.

[Via WoW Insider]

Wrath of Lich King's Blue Eye of Sauron

The world of Warcraft (and subsequently World of Warcraft) owes a lot to Lord of the Rings ... but this is outright thievery! We jest, of course, but The Eye of Acherus does bear a striking resemblance, palette swap notwithstanding, of a certain bling-seeking, fiery ocular orb. The folks at WoW Insider have more on how the orb is used in questing.

In other WotLK news, check out what WI is dubbing the quintessential Death Knight armor set.

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