<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
<channel>
<title>Joystiq</title>
<link>http://www.joystiq.com</link>
<description>Joystiq</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url>
<title>Joystiq</title>
<link>http://www.joystiq.com</link>
</image>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright>
<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[StarCraft 2 Mega Block Battlecruiser assembled in time-lapse]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/11/starcraftbattlecruiser.jpg" style="display:none;" vspace="4" /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JY1jQRjkWzg?rel=0" width="599"></iframe></div>
<br />
Check out this one minute and forty second time-lapse of a Mega Blocks <em>StarCraft 2</em> Battlecruiser picked up at <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/blizzcon-2011">Blizzcon 2011</a>, being put together over six and half hours. In the end, we're treated to the sound that lets us know it's ready for action.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/">StarCraft 2 Mega Block Battlecruiser assembled in time-lapse</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:01:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20111709/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/22/starcraft-2-mega-block-battlecruiser-assembled-in-time-lapse/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battlecruiser</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>mega-blocks</category><category>Starcraft-2</category><category>time-lapse</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexander Sliwinski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:01:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/diablo3blizzcon.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>
The build of <a href="http://joystiq.com/game/diablo-3"><em>Diablo 3</em></a> being shown at <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/blizzcon-2011">BlizzCon 2011</a> last week did have a few polish updates, but generally it was the same content previously available in the beta, which <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/diablo-3-beta-preview/">we've covered thoroughly so far</a>. <em>Diablo 3</em>'s Technical Director Wyatt Chang agreed while chatting with me last week that the game is basically content complete, but the polish phase is far from over. "Content complete for us usually means things like voice recording, art, assets are in place, but it doesn't mean that things like the tuning, balance, and game systems are in place."<br />
<br />
The team is still working hard on some of the core concepts, however -- one issue that's come up lately is whether players can switch skills on the fly or not. In the beta, says Cheng, "you can play with your skill window open, and you can switch skills in the middle of the fight, which has some upsides and it's very cool in one regard, but on the whole, I think it's sort of a more negative experience, and a lot of people in the community have agreed." Just recently, the team was dealing with things like "how many Pages of Training you can have in one stack," so they are starting to dive into the nitty gritty of how the game will work.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/">Diablo 3 (10/21/11)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/#4548185"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/monk-using-deadly-reach-against-fallen-shamansized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/#4548186"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/monk-using-deadly-reach-against-sand-dervishsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/#4548187"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/monk-using-deadly-reach-modified-with-indigo-runestonesized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/#4548188"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/monk-using-lashing-tail-kick-against-writhing-deceiverssized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/diablo-3-10-21-11/#4548189"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/monk-using-sweeping-windsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/">Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20089432/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/diablo-3-being-polished-up-no-release-date-yet/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beta</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>design</category><category>Diablo-3</category><category>interview</category><category>pc</category><category>polishing</category><category>skills</category><category>wyatt-cheng</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria sets a new direction for Blizzard's first MMO]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/worldofwarcraftmistsofpandaria.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>
Blizzard has made the next expansion in the <em>World of Warcraft</em> official as <a href="http://joystiq.com/game/mists-of-pandaria"><em>Mists of Pandaria</em></a>, and after conquering other planets, the Lich King, and a big bad dragon, the Horde and Alliance are headed to ... China. Well, not China per se, but Pandaria, a long-rumored, Eastern mysticism-influenced realm, where panda-based humanoids roam, brew and drink beer, and offer players the next five levels in their continuing progression.<br />
<br />
As is often the case with this game, <a href="http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2868757997">many players have revolted</a>. The Pandaren have long been used as a joke in the world of Warcraft, either referred to on April Fool's Day, or showing up in the company's parodic Christmas cards. But lead quest designer Dave Kosak says players who scoff at Pandaria should think twice. "Maybe people, because they've only been portrayed as cameos or only April Fool's jokes, people think that there's nothing to this race, and that's not it at all," Kozak says to us during BlizzCon last week. "I think the Pandaren are kind of fascinating -- they work hard, they play hard, they eat hard, they drink hard, and they don't do anything half way."<br />
<br />
The Pandaren, in addition to some of the other announced features of the new expansion, point to the next long arc of the World of Warcraft game. In the first few expansions of the title, Blizzard has cashed in on the earlier origins of the series. But with <em>Mists of Pandaria</em>, Blizzard seems to be setting up the world's most popular MMO for years of content to come.<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/">World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (10/21/11)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548083"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----huzo-villagesized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548084"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandarensized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548085"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-farmerssized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548086"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-in-conversationsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548088"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-monksized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria sets a new direction for Blizzard's first MMO</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/">World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria sets a new direction for Blizzard's first MMO</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:14:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20089459/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-sets-a-new-direction-for-bl/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>activision-blizzard</category><category>alliance</category><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzard-entertainment</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>dave-kozak</category><category>horde</category><category>lead-quest-designer</category><category>pandaren</category><category>pandaria</category><category>pc</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:14:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/blizzarddotaheader.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>
<em>Blizzard DOTA</em> was back on the floor of BlizzCon 2011 last week, after spending a year away from the spotlight <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/22/blizzard-dota-hits-the-reset-button/">being "completely rebooted."</a> We <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/hands-on-with-blizzard-dota-tweaking-the-genre-blizzard-created/">played the game as soon as we possibly could</a>, finding it to be a much more polished take on the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gametype.<br />
<br />
"Last year we had basically the style of the art, and the look that we were going for," says Samwise Didier, Blizzard's Senior Art Director. But as I said <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/24/starcraft-2-mods-preview/">when I played the early version of the mod</a>, the game itself wasn't quite as polished as the look and feel. "This year," says Didier, "we really focused on taking the DOTA-style game and really making it our own."<br />
<br />
Blizzard has done a few interesting things to the gametype that has made <em>League of Legends </em>and <em>Heroes of Newerth</em> so popular. But the most interesting may just be how the company plans to release it. Blizzard is going to make sure everyone has a chance to check it out, even if they don't own <em>StarCraft 2</em>. "We haven't figured out the details," says Didier. "But there will be a free-to-play <em>Blizzard DOTA</em> on our Blizzard Arcade. We don't know how many heroes there will be, or how many maps, but we definitely want to make sure that everyone knows it will be free-to-play."<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/">Blizzard DOTA (10/21/11)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/#4548211"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/arthas-fighting-ogrekingsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/#4548212"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/arthas-goes-for-the-towersized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/#4548213"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/assaulting-the-red-basesized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/#4548214"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/characterselectarthassized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/blizzard-dota-10-21-11/#4548215"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/characterselectmuradinsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Blizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/">Blizzard DOTA, coming soon to a new platform called Blizzard Arcade</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20089385/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/25/blizzard-dota-coming-soon-to-a-new-platform-called-blizzard-arc/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard-dota</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>dota</category><category>kerrigan</category><category>moba</category><category>pc</category><category>samwise-didier</category><category>starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm</category><category>thrall</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Buy the Diablo 3 collector's edition, add four months to the WoW annual pass free]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/"><img  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/06/3thousand-pounder-summoned_530x298.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a></div>
Blizzard announced so many deals, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/">expansions</a> and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/wow-mists-of-pandaria-will-introduce-pokemon-like-pet-battle-sy/">Pokemon</a> things yesterday that there was bound to be some confusion. Today at a Q&amp;A panel, <em>Diablo 3</em> developers clarified the meta-deal it has with <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/"><em>World of Warcraft</em>'s annual pass</a> -- purchasing the <em>Diablo 3</em> collector's edition adds four free months to the <em>World of Warcraft </em>annual pass timeframe. We knew buying the annual pass gets existing<em> WoW </em>players <em>Diablo 3</em> for free, but it turns out the feeling is mutual.<br />
<br />
To be completely clear, to get <em>Diablo 3 </em>for free, you must:
<ul>
	<li>
		Have a <em>WoW</em> account existing on or before Oct. 18, 2011</li>
	<li>
		Purchase the <em>WoW</em> annual pass</li>
	<li>
		Enjoy your free standard version of <em>Diablo 3</em>, available at launch on your Battle.net account</li>
</ul>
To get four months of <em>WoW</em> for free, you must:<br />
<ul>
	<li>
		Purchase the <em>Diablo 3 </em>collector's edition</li>
	<li>
		Have a <em>WoW</em> account existing on or before Oct. 18, 2011</li>
	<li>
		Purchase the <em>WoW</em> annual pass</li>
	<li>
		Enter the <em>Diablo 3</em> collector's edition license key into your associated Battle.net account</li>
	<li>
		Enjoy a grapefruit</li>
</ul>
Maybe not that last one, but you should check the <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&amp;tag=D3WoWFAQ&amp;rhtml=true">annual pass FAQs</a> just to be sure. Besides, you look as if you could use some Vitamin A.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/">Buy the Diablo 3 collector's edition, add four months to the WoW annual pass free</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20088152/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/buy-the-diablo-3-collectors-edition-add-four-months-to-the-wow/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>Diablo-3</category><category>diablo-3-collectors-edition</category><category>pc</category><category>World-of-Warcraft</category><category>world-of-warcraft-annual-pass</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
<!--[if IE]><object width="530" height="266" id="viddlerOuter-2d280755" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="//www.viddler.com/simple/2d280755/"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="flashVars" value="f=1&amp;autoplay=f&amp;disablebranding=0&amp;loop=0&amp;hd=0"><object id="viddlerInner-2d280755"><video id="viddlerVideo-2d280755" src="//www.viddler.com/file/2d280755/html5mobile/" type="video/mp4" width="530" height="246" poster="//www.viddler.com/thumbnail/2d280755/" controls="controls" x-webkit-airplay="allow"></video></object></object><![endif]--><!--[if !IE]> <!-->	<object data="//www.viddler.com/simple/2d280755/" height="266" id="viddlerOuter-2d280755" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"><param name="movie" value="//www.viddler.com/simple/2d280755/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashVars" value="f=1&amp;autoplay=f&amp;disablebranding=0&amp;loop=0&amp;hd=0" /><object id="viddlerInner-2d280755"><video controls="controls" height="246" id="viddlerVideo-2d280755" poster="//www.viddler.com/thumbnail/2d280755/" src="//www.viddler.com/file/2d280755/html5mobile/" type="video/mp4" width="530" x-webkit-airplay="allow"></video></object></object><!--<![endif]--></div>
<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/kerrigan.jpg" style="display:none; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a></div>
<br />
Our hearts beat with a combination of blood, Big Macs and Dr. Pepper. <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm"><em>StarCraft 2</em>'</a>s heart beats with millions of ruthless, juicy aliens, and as the above BlizzCon teaser shows, Sarah Kerrigan's heart doesn't beat at all. We're not saying she's heartless, but to be a strong female lead these days, not giving a crap about anything except revenge is sometimes necessary. Being a cyborg and making that distinction truly literal is just a bonus for game journos everywhere.<br />
<br />
A teaser for the <em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/blizzard-dota/">Blizzard DOTA</a></em> mod for StarCraft 2 channels a markedly different emotion than vengeance -- watch the video and decide for yourself what emotion that may be, but for now we're going to call it "Valvey scorn."<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/">StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard DOTA teasers evoke some emotion</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20088072/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/22/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-blizzard-dota-teasers-evoke-som/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Blizzard</category><category>blizzard-dota</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>dota</category><category>pc</category><category>Sarah-Kerrigan</category><category>starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[World of Warcraft's Samwise Didier talks about finally bringing his Pandaren to life]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/"><img  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/chenstormstoutpandaren.jpg" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; " /></a></div>
The newly announced <em>Mists of Pandaria</em> expansion for Blizzard's<em> World of Warcraft </em>finally brings <a href="http://www.wowwiki.com/Pandaren">the long-awaited Pandaren race</a> to the fantasy world of Azeroth, and while many players have been waiting to see pandas officially implemented into the game, no one, perhaps, has been waiting longer than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samwise_Didier">Samwise Didier</a>. Blizzard's longtime art director originally created the race in his own art, and up until this release, they existed only in bits and pieces of legends inside the games, as little in-jokes or secrets.<br />
<br />
"It's very personal to me," Didier tells us at BlizzCon this week. "It all started with a picture done for Christmas after the birth of my daughter." Since that first piece of concept art, the Pandaren have always been a fan favorite race (combining a heady mix of panda humanoids, Eastern-style religions and mythology, and even beer brewing monks), and while Didier is quick to point out that lots of people are working on <em>Mists of Pandaria</em>, he's thrilled to see his personal creation come to virtual life. "I'm not trying to take away" credit for the expansion, he says, quickly acknowledging all of the creative folks at Blizzard, "however many it takes to make a game. But it's nice to know that some goofy thought in my head, done for that reason, for my kid, turned into this."<br />
<br />
Does the portrayal live up to what Didier envisioned? "Yeah, and then some," he says. "There was only a few Pandaren pictures, and most of them were of <a href="http://www.wowwiki.com/Chen_Stormstout">Chen [Stormstout]</a>, a big fat sweaty heavy, beer-drinking Pandaren. Well that's not the entire society. He's sort of the anomaly. He likes to go to the outside world. So what do the normal Pandarens do, what is their normal culture like? A lot of sweat went into designing that."<br />
<br />
But Didier does say that whenever the expansion finally arrives, and the race long hidden in <em>Warcraft</em>'s shadows finally gets their time in the spotlight, he'll be proud they're there. "It was one of the last things that I really wanted to see in <em>World of Warcraft</em>, which is <em>Warcraft</em> in general," he says, after having worked on some of the most iconic designs in Blizzard's legendary game franchises. "Now I can almost say, well, I think I've done good with <em>Warcraft</em> -- they're finally in."<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/">World of Warcraft's Samwise Didier talks about finally bringing his Pandaren to life</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20087764/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcrafts-samwise-didier-talks-about-finally-bringing/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>art</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>legend</category><category>mists-of-pandaria</category><category>pandaren</category><category>pc</category><category>samwise-didier</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria announced [Update: Now with trailer!]]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mistsofpanadari.jpg" style="display: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; width: 530px; height: 262px; " /></a><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="299" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nyeZ8khSEC0" width="530"></iframe></div>
<br />
<em>World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria</em> will be the fourth expansion to the game. It was announced today at the opening ceremonies at BlizzCon 2011 in front 26,000 cheering fans. The expansion promises to deliver the next phase in <em>WoW</em>'s development, ushering in a new era of quests, raids, PvP, professions, and instances.<br />
<br />
The major details:
<ul>
	<li>
		New talent system</li>
	<li>
		Pandaren race</li>
	<li>
		Pannaria region</li>
	<li>
		Monk class</li>
	<li>
		90 level cap raised to 90</li>
	<li>
		Dungeon challenge mode</li>
	<li>
		PVE Scenarios</li>
	<li>
		Pet Battle System</li>
</ul>
Follow us all day for the next few days as we cover BlizzCon from top to bottom!<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/">World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (10/21/11)</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548083"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----huzo-villagesized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548084"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandarensized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548085"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-farmerssized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548086"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-in-conversationsized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-10-21-11/#4548088"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/mists-of-pandaria----pandaren-monksized_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/">World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria announced [Update: Now with trailer!]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:52:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20087636/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria-announced/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>mac</category><category>mmo</category><category>pc</category><category>World-of-Warcraft</category><category>world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Adam Holisky]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:52:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blizzard announces World of Warcraft Annual Pass]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/tyraels-charger-580.jpg" style="width: 530px; height: 323px;" /></a></div>
At BlizzCon's Opening Ceremony today, Blizzard's President and CEO Mike Morhaime unveiled Blizzard's newest grand idea: free <em>Diablo 3</em> access to current <em>World of Warcraft</em> players. All we, the players, have to do is sign up for the new World of Warcraft annual pass, a 12-month subscription that can be billed monthly.<br />
<br />
In addition to getting full access <em>Diablo 3</em> to download and play for free the same day it's released, Blizzard is throwing in a few goodies for anyone who signs up for the annual pass. For one, you'll get the in-game World of Warcraft mount, Tyrael's Charger. You will also gain access to the beta of the next <em>World of Warcraft</em> expansion as soon as it goes live. For more information, check out the official <a href="http://us.media.blizzard.com/wow/promotion/wap/en-us.html">Annual Pass Promotion Page</a>.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned throughout the day for more information coming from the BlizzCon floor!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/">Blizzard announces World of Warcraft Annual Pass</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:50:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20087632/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzard-announces-world-of-warcraft-annual-pass/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>mac</category><category>pc</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Josh Myers]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:50:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Diablo 3 limited edition includes Diablo 2, Diablo skull USB drive]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-limited-edition-details-announced-at-blizzcon/"><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/10/actlevqcaaevfcb_530x400.jpg" vspace="4" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey, remember that amazing <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/08/starcraft-2-wings-of-liberty-collectors-edition-announc/2"><em>StarCraft 2 </em>special edition</a>? You know, the huge one, with the full sized art book, and the USB drive with <em>Starcraft</em> and <em>Starcraft: Brood War</em>? And the <em>WoW</em> pet? Man, that was sweet.<br />
<br />
Well we hope you like <em>Diablo 3</em>, because, like, that's pretty much exactly what they're doing for the <em>Diablo 3</em> Limited Edition. Announced at today's Blizzcon press conference, the Limited edition will also come with a behind-the-scenes DVD. <em>Diablo 2</em> will be included in the box on a special USB drive (in a holder shaped like freaking<em> Diablo's skull</em>), and, for users who register their LE, an in-game mount for <em>WoW</em>, Tyrael's Charger. And don't forget that giant art book.<br />
<br />
So. Awesome.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/">Diablo 3 limited edition includes Diablo 2, Diablo skull USB drive</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:35:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20087614/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/diablo-3-free-with-wow-annual-subscription-limited-edition-also/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>Diablo-3</category><category>limited-edition</category><category>pc</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Arthur Gies]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:35:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Foo Fighters to close out Blizzcon 2011]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/09/foofightersblizzon530px.jpg" /></a></div>
Blizzard continues its tradition of closing the doors on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/blizzcon-2011">Blizzcon</a> with a big concert. Two years ago it was Ozzy Osbourne, and Tenacious D followed -- this year it'll be the Foo Fighters' chance for post-gaming convention immortality.<br />
<br />
Blizzcon takes place <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/">at the Anaheim Convention Center</a> on October 21 and 22. If you were unable to score yourself a ticket, Blizzard is offering a pass to take part in the festivities virtually for $39.99, either via the internet or through DirecTV. For more info on live streaming, check out <a href="http://us.battle.net/blizzcon/en/live-stream/">the Blizzcon site</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/">Foo Fighters to close out Blizzcon 2011</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20068948/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/29/foo-fighters-to-close-out-blizzcon-2011/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>concert</category><category>Diablo-3</category><category>foo-fighters</category><category>pc</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Hinkle]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[BlizzCon 2011 will host two StarCraft 2 global tournaments and more]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/07/blizzconheadergraph.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>
Blizzard has shared the plan for two big e-sports events at BlizzCon in Anaheim, CA, and it looks like there's going to be a full plate of noobs, ownage and ggs yet again this year. Not only will the Global Battle.net Invitational showcase some of the best <a href="http://joystiq.com/game/starcraft-2"><em>StarCraft 2</em></a> players from Blizzard's online multiplayer service, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOMTV_Global_Starcraft_II_League">the 2011 Global StarCraft League Final</a> matches will be held at the same event, pitting the best of the best at the game against each other.<br />
<br />
Those are just the two <em>StarCraft 2</em> events -- Blizzard traditionally also holds contests and tournaments for <em>World of Warcraft</em> arena matches and the <em>World of Warcraft</em> TCG at BlizzCon, and though we haven't seen an official announcement yet, it's possible we'll see some <em>Warcraft 3</em> or even <em>Diablo 3</em> e-sports play as well. Outside of competitive play, Blizzard usually also offers new content for attendees to play through, so <em>Diablo 3</em> specifically, plus <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/30/analyst-blizzards-titan-mmo-is-casual/">any other unannounced games</a>, may be playable too.<br />
<br />
Tickets for the October 21-22 event are sold out, but the tournament play will likely be streamed online through "virtual tickets" later on this year.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>BlizzCon 2011 will host two StarCraft 2 global tournaments and more</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/">BlizzCon 2011 will host two StarCraft 2 global tournaments and more</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19989661/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/blizzcon-2011-will-host-two-starcraft-2-global-tournaments-and-m/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>battle-net</category><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>competition</category><category>e-sports</category><category>esports</category><category>finals</category><category>global-starcraft-league</category><category>pc</category><category>starcraft-2</category><category>starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm</category><category>tournament</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reminder: Final round of BlizzCon 2011 tickets on sale tonight]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-found-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/05/blizzcon2011tickets.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/">The second round of BlizzCon 2011 tickets</a> are going on sale this evening in just a few hours at 10pm EDT / 7pm PDT. The first round went down last Saturday morning as planned, and tickets <a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="sold out in just a matter of minutes" href="http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/05/21/blizzcon-2011-round-one-of-ticket-sales-are-sold-out/">sold out in just a matter of minutes</a> (technically, the queue for ticket sales was filled in less than a second). This demand is extra surprising, especially considering that ticket prices to the annual Irvine, CA-based fan convention went up this year to $175 a piece.<br />
<br />
Still, if you want to try your hand at Blizzard Entertainment's least fun game ever and attempt to buy some tickets of your own, you can join the party <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/store/blizzcon-tickets.xml">on the Blizzard store website</a> later on this evening. Good luck to everyone; may your F5 skills be strong.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/">Reminder: Final round of BlizzCon 2011 tickets on sale tonight</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 25 May 2011 20:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19950330/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/25/reminder-final-round-of-blizzcon-2011-tickets-on-sale-tonight/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzard-entertainment</category><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>pc</category><category>ticket-sales</category><category>tickets</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 20:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blizzcon 2011 tickets on sale (briefly) in May]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/04/blizzycon.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a></div>
Start working out your index finger now, you've only got until May 21 to get into top clicking shape and secure your tickets to the Nerd-vana that is Blizzcon 2011. But there are two bits of good news for slow-pokes: (1) A second swath of passes will go on sale on May 25 and (2) Blizzard has upped prices by $25 to $175. That should knock out some your penny-pinching competitors, right?<br />
<br />
If you want a start with either the May 21 or 25 batches, start refreshing <a href="http://www.blizzcon.com">Blizzcon.com</a> feverishly at around 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. PST, respectively. You'll also want to make sure you can make it to Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Oct. 21 and October 22, otherwise, what was the point?<br />
<br />
If all else fails, you could wait till May 28 and pay $500 to gain entry to an exclusive Blizzard charity dinner <em>and </em>the convention. What would the dinner conversation be like with people who have that kind of cash to drop on Blizzcon? We've got no guesses, but suffice to say we'd love to be a Darkmist Silkspinner on <em>that</em> wall.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/">Blizzcon 2011 tickets on sale (briefly) in May</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:35:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19911632/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/blizzcon-2011-tickets/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzard</category><category>blizzcon</category><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>conventions</category><category>starcraft-2</category><category>the-lost-vikings</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin McElroy]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:35:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Get your BlizzCon on Oct. 21-22]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<center><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/"><img border="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/02/blizz28.jpg" /></a></center>Blizzard has announced the dates for this year's <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/blizzcon">BlizzCon</a>, the annual gathering of fans who want to celebrate the fact that they got tickets to BlizzCon (and also celebrate Blizzard games). The event will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center on October 21 and 22.<br />
<br />
Blizzard hasn't announced any specific content yet, so we don't know who will fulfill the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/23/blizzcon-2009-ozzy-osbourne-closes-show-down-injures-no-bats/">Ozzy</a> or <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/11/tenacious-d-to-rock-the-doors-off-of-blizzcon-2010/">Tenacious D</a> role. However, chances are you know enough about your relationship with <em>Diablo</em>, <em>Starcraft</em>, and <em>World of Warcraft </em>to know right now whether or not you want to go.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/">Get your BlizzCon on Oct. 21-22</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:25:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19831611/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/get-your-blizzcon-on-oct-21-22/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>blizzcon-2011</category><category>Diablo-3</category><category>pc</category><category>starcraft-2</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JC Fletcher]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:25:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>