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!
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.
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.
Blizzard announced today that tickets for BlizzCon 2008 will go on sale Monday, August 11. Tickets will be priced at $100 a pop (as if Blizzard and co. weren't already deep enough in our pockets) and be available directly from blizzcon.com. The third semi-regular gathering of elves, trolls and spacemen will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in -- where else? -- Anaheim, California on October 10 and 11. For those unwilling to venture forth, DirecTV will be broadcasting a pay per view version right to your dome in "crystal-clear HD" (scientifically proven to be better than real life). As a bonus, new DirecTV subscribers will get the televised BlizzCon access for free.
While no one knows for sure just what blessings Blizzard will bestow upon its faithful at BlizzCon, you can bet on seeing more of the Wrath expansion for World of Warcraft, along with some new details about Starcraft II and Diablo 3. If you plan to make the pilgrimage out to Anaheim, buy your tickets early -- there's not exactly room for everyone.
On a Thursday night after all the E3 shenanigans (and during our party, no less), we have word that Blizzard has begun the Wrath of the Lich King beta. Sources have told WoW Insider that the alpha phase reportedly shut down a few days ago and that invites should be going out soon for the beta. Additionally, a Blizzard site has gone live to help gamers get the beta set up. Are you one of the lucky few to get an invite? You can check out the patch notes here.
Blizzard has opened US registration for the Wrath of the Lich King beta.American World of Warcraft players should probably head over to this page now and register for a chance to opt in. Two helpful reminders:
Registering for the beta does not guarantee you a chance to play. It just adds your name to a pool of potential players that Blizzard will choose from.
Beware of e-mail scams. This is the official URL: https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/account/beta-opt-in.html
Whether or not you get into the beta, be sure to check out WoW Insider for up-to-date coverage. [Via WoW Insider]
The MMO-obsessed at WoW Insider managed to get some hands-on time with Wrath of the Lich King's Death Knight class while at this weekend's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational. Take a look for impressions and information on the gameplay, skills and talents of this soon-to-be overused class.
You can't escape World of Warcraft at Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational. Between class-specific panels and the giant WoW dev panel. Here's a look into the future of each of the classes, including a ton of information on the upcoming Death Knight class:
In a press release announcing Q1 2008 results (PDF File), Blizzard owner Vivendi Universal asserts that the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King is "anticipated to be released in the second half of 2008." Mark your calendars, as we suspect the Christmas season is going to be a lot less productive.
While we always expected release this year, Blizzard, who has yet to make a formal announcement, is notorious for delaying games until they've met some in-house standard of quality. Our attention is now focused intently on Blizzard's WWI event in Paris next month.
Last night Blizzard waved its Arcane Staff of Embargo Lifting, unleashing an torrential downpour of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King information from an event held recently. Our friends at WoW Insider, whose invitation must've gotten lost in the mail along with ours, are gathering all the news from around the internet. In case you missed anything:
You might not believe us sweet, innocent Joystiq readers but, legend has it, there are places in the world where people tirelessly track the status of Wrath of the Lich King, the forthcoming expansion to uber-MMO World of Warcraft. They listen, following the faintest whispers carried along the winds of Azeroth; the latest one came all the way from the frozen continent of Northrend, the titular Lich King's seat of power.
It said: Wrath of the Lich King "is in closed alpha status" and "various players are being invited to check it out, under a strict NDA." While we can't exactly extract an expansion release date from the news, WoW Insider suggests that "Wrath's content is in a playable and mostly completed form -- quests, game mechanics, and items are in, even if specific flavor text, names, and even textures are not." Northrend, ho!
Gallery: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Unveiled at the BlizzCon opening ceremony (though leaked earlier this morning via a conference pamphlet), Blizzard's upcoming World of Warcraft expansion The Wrath of the Lich King is poised to feed your MMO addiction further. Check out the trailer yourself and enjoy this teaser.
Gallery: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
1:53pm - Blizzard sure knows how to keep things dark. We're stting here in front of the massive main stage, where thankfully our press pass got us a seat (because the place is packed to the (murloc) gills). We've just been given the ten minute warning, which sends batteries, cameras, pens, and notebooks scattering to the floor as we scramble to plant ourselves in a good view of the screens.
What's the big news going to be? Diablo 3? The already-leaked expansion? Murloc SingStar? Something totally unrelated? We'll find out soon.
[Update: WoW Insider's crack team of bloggers has further picture proof, a snap of a Wrath of the Lich King shirt on the back of a Blizzard employee ... that certainly sounds definitive to us (take that IGN!). We'll be liveblogging the Opening Ceremony, scheduled to start at 2pm EDT, so check back.]
World of Raids has snagged a convincing slice of evidence that details the assumedWorld of Warcraft expansion: Wrath of the Lich King. The pamphlet, allegedly on display at BlizzCon, includes this tell-all features list:
The dark, necromatic Death Knight, the first new character class added to World of Warcraft since its launch
Northrend, the harsh, icy continent where the Lich King holds rule, complete with new zones, quests, items and monsters
New level cap of 80 providing access to mighty new powers and talents
New battlegrounds featuring siege engine warfare and destructible buildings
Expanding character customization options including new hairstyles & dances, the ability to change the hairstyles of existing characters, and new skin color variants
Watch this space for further developments at BlizzCon.
Check out more information on WoW's upcoming expansion, 
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