Joystiq

Diablo 3 on PS3 and PS4 will allow offline play

David Hinkle — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST

Diablo 3 will not require a constant internet connection for local multiplayer on the PS3 or PS4, Blizzard production director John Hight has confirmed. "You can have four people on the same screen - no split-screen, we just zoom the camera out. Or if you're offline," he tells Geoff Keighley on GameTrailers.

It's around the two-minute mark where Hight goes into the changes to Diablo 3 for PS3 and PS4 in the episode above - specifically, the talk about the camera and local multiplayer. Hight reveals there's also a new evasion ability to help players quickly escape large encounters.

Diablo 3 launched on the PC and Mac OSX with a required connection to Blizzard's Battle.net service, even when playing single-player. Blizzard previously revealed the PS3/PS4 versions will have a different UI and feature all major PC updates.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (PS3/PS4)

Diablo 3 on PS3 and PS4 will allow offline play originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Art of Blizzard book celebrates ... well, you know

Mike Schramm — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:55:00 EST

Blizzard Entertainment has announced an upcoming book called The Art of Blizzard, featuring over 700 pages of forum posts whining about Diablo 3 being down.

No, just kidding, it's about the art of Blizzard and its franchises (including some unpublished titles). Mixed in among 700 pieces of visual art used in the games' development is commentary from Blizzard's Vice President of Art and Cinematic Development Nick Carpenter, Senior Art Director Sam Didier, and Senior Story VP Chris Metzen.

The book is available for pre-order right now, and should be out later on this year. The retail price is $75.00, but as you can see on Amazon it's currently selling for less.

The Art of Blizzard book celebrates ... well, you know originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 03:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mists of Pandaria tries to breathe new life into an old World of Warcraft

Mike Schramm — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:00:00 EST

Video games these days have a shorter shelf life than ever before. Titles fall out of the top ten within days or weeks (if they ever get there at all), there are awesome new releases arriving every month or so, and even the biggest games are on a yearly (if that) sequel schedule at this point. And yet World of Warcraft has remained a constant. Blizzard's MMO has held millions of players in sway for over half a decade, and those players have killed countless boars, cleared out endless quests, dungeons, and raids, and have vanquished not one but three world-threatening expansion bosses, in the forms of Illidan Stormrage, Arthas the Lich King, and Deathwing and his Cataclysm.

So Blizzard is perhaps taking on its hardest task ever with the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion. There's no question in the halls of the (recently quieter) Blizzard campus in Irvine, California that the game is at a crossroads of sorts. Blizzard's formula for WoW expansions (define a baddie, and lead a player to gear and level up to the final fight) has worked so far, but it's almost as if the company realizes that the old tricks are getting old.

Blizzard needs, then, to take World of Warcraft, one of history's most-played, most-traversed, and most-conquered games, and make it feel new. "This is definitely different fare from any expansion we've tried so far," VP of Creative Development Chris Metzen said in a presentation to assembled press. He then talked about the game on a much longer scale than a few weeks, a few months, or even a Call of Duty-length year. "The big global threat that's coming, to define the next couple years of WoW's gameplay, is really war itself."

Gallery: World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (3/18/12)

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Mists of Pandaria tries to breathe new life into an old World of Warcraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:00:00 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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Interview: Chris Metzen talks StarCraft 2

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST

click to enlarge

Chris Metzen, Blizzard's VP of Creative Development, has a lot of things to keep in his head as the loremaster / worldbuilder / storymaster at Blizzard, and he's been busy utilizing all of those titles on the Terran-heavy StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty and its two planned expansion packs that will focus on the Zerg and Protoss races. Ensconced in an office that overlooks the bustling Blizzard campus, Metzen's office is packed with enough action heroes, statues, and toys to open his own store, which is (for some unknown reason) a requirement in the gaming industry.

We talked with Chris about how Blizzard is spreading this story out, what the expansions packs hold in store, how he feels about offending South Korea, and more. If you're done searing your retinas with the newly released game footage, then jump on by and read the full interview just after the break.

Gallery: Starcraft 2 (04/19/2010)

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Interview: Chris Metzen talks StarCraft 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlizzCon 2009: Chris Metzen talks about casting Tricia Helfer

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST

We snagged a couple of minutes with Blizzard's Chris Metzen as he strolled across the BlizzCon floor in search of fresh air and daylight, and we asked him about the voice casting of Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer as Sarah Kerrigan in the upcoming Starcraft 2, and both expansions as well. They're going to keep her around for awhile. "For the road that Kerrigan will be set upon for the arc of the storyline, I just felt that Tricia had the right depth and emotional resonance that would work one to one," Metzen explained.

Metzen himself has done a couple of voices as well, including the "Battlecruiser operational" line from the original Starcraft, and as Thrall in several Warcraft games. Listen to the rest of the audio interview right below, where he talks more about Helfer, and obliges us by doing some of the voices.

BlizzCon 2009: Chris Metzen talks about casting Tricia Helfer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Andy Chambers on writing StarCraft 2

Kevin Kelly — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:29:00 EST

Andy Chambers has a lot of industry work under his belt, having worked at Games Workshop for more than 14 years before joining Blizzard in 2006. He's currently the creative director on Starcraft 2, which makes him the perfect guy to quiz about the single-player aspect of the game. It's an enormously ambitious project, which still hasn't been entirely figured out yet -- and that's the main reason for the delay Blizzard announced recently.

Gallery: Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty - Single Player

Continue reading Interview: Andy Chambers on writing StarCraft 2

Interview: Andy Chambers on writing StarCraft 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The best of WoW.com: July 21-28, 2009

Mike Schramm — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:30:00 EST

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

Yes, Virginia, there's going to be a WoW movie. And no one's more excited than the folks over at WoW.com, Joystiq's sister site and your home for all things found in Azeroth. Here's our 10 most popular post from the past week, including some news from both Sam Raimi and the awesome Bruce Campbell about the movie we now can't wait to see.

News

Sam Raimi to direct the WoW movie
Yup, the man who directed Evil Dead and Spiderman will be taking us on a cinematic tour of Azeroth.
Bruce Campbell and Metzen on the movie at Comic-Con
And if Sam Raimi is there, then you know Bruce Campbell can't be far behind. Gimme some sugar, baby.
Hunter Q&A released
Blizzard talks about all things Hunters, including a few hints at what we'll hear from BlizzCon.
Dwarf levels solely by exploring, gains World Explorer at level 17
This guy conquered the world before he could even get a mount to ride.
WoW.com's Guide to patch 3.2
The next patch is right around the corner -- here's your review on what's in it.

Features

World of WarCrafts: My Lich King Pony
Our weekly column spotlighting crafts from around the community shows off a kids toy that's been... Scourged.
The Light and How to Swing It: Five things every Paladin must do.
Got a Plate-wearing healer? Here's what you've got to do with them.
Insider Trader: Woodworking in the expansion?
"Woodworking" has long been rumored as a new profession in the game, and IT examines how it might be implemented.
What do you expect from a WoW movie?
We ask our readers just want they want to see in a movie about the World of Warcraft.
More ideas for player housing
Custom places for players in-game is an idea that's been around for a while, but here's a few new takes on it.

The best of WoW.com: July 21-28, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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