Project Lore

WoW-centric sites aren't the only ones excited about the upcoming expansion. The venerable GameTrailers has thrown their hat into the speculation ring, as well, detailing all sorts of areas they would love to see in Cataclysm. For the most part, they cover the same sorts of unreleased zones I've been discussing in my Cataclysm Countdown series of articles, but there are several that I neglected to touch upon. Most intriguing of these is the Emerald Dream, something that most of us have anticipated seeing in another future expansion. Despite this, I think some arguments can be made for its inclusion in Cataclysm. The great Night Elf Druid, Malfurion Stormrage, played a big role in the War of the Ancients. Currently, he is trapped (or willfully stays within) the Emerald Dream, combating the forces of the Nightmare that have corrupted it. Malfurion Stormrage, Lord of the Druids The rumors that have surfaced mention Malfurion returning to the physical realm to activate Thrall as the next Guardian of Tirisfal. If these events actually occur, he may bring news of what's occuring in the Dream with him. And if that news can be linked to the greater threat of the Maelstrom and Azshara, there may be cause to send players into the wild green yonder. Another idea that piqued my interest was opening up Timbermaw Hold. It doesn't seem to have any particular importance to the grander storyline, but if Azshara's going to turned into a 10-20 zone, it would make a perfect 5-man dungeon for that level set. It may also serve as a pathway into the nearby Mount Hyjal. The video also goes over a number of the random, unfinished zones still littered throughout Azeroth (such as the Ironforge Airport and the barren area to the west of Brill in Tirisfal Glade). If these areas aren't filled in, they'll probably be removed or otherwise modified in the new version of the world. Ultimately, it seems the folks over at GameTrailers know about as much as we do. There's nothing new to be found here, and all of the footage in the video is taken from existing areas, but it's nice to have a well-produced visual overview of what we all hope to see in the coming days. Watch the video and discuss! Let us know what you think of GameTrailer's speculation, as well as our own!

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PC peripheral maker Razer introduced a brand new mouse today called 'Naga' which is focused on MMOs (which coincidentally comes right before BlizzCon). Full disclosure, Project Lore has a video content partnership with the ZAM Network which is running a promotion along with Razer for this product.

Razer goes on to describe it:

The Razer Naga is the ultimate Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming mouse that shifts the balance between keyboard and mouse by putting an unprecedented number of in-game commands in one place. A multi-button thumb grid and Razer’s MMO game interface add-on combine to place every command you need in the palm of your hand. An ergonomic form shaped to maximize ease of use lets you game in comfort for hours on end. With the Razer Naga, you will Get Imba.

The Razer Naga, Razer's new MMO Mouse

As a fan of Razer's mice (I use the DeathAdder) I'm a little taken aback by this device. It seems extremely bulky and almost too big for it's own good.  Positively thinking though the keys look like they have a nice size especially at seventeen buttons. One of the features I have loved about Razer mice is their comfort. The DeathAdder fits perfectly in my hand and is not overly complicated with buttons (which this mouse won't be able to claim). Thankfully all the buttons are fully customizable via Razer software, although how it handles macros remains to be completely seen.

While this isn't the first MMO mouse (and not even one that has features specific to WoW) the Naga looks to cram as much as possible onto one device. The last MMO mouse (the WoW MMO Gaming Mouse from Steelseries) was met with mixed reviews, especially because of it's initial price at $99 (while this has come down a bit) and it's handling of macros. The price of the Naga is $79, which means consumers will need to be serious about picking this up.

Until we get our hands on it (which we should at BlizzCon this weekend) we can only speculate at this point. I'm being cautiously optimistic, but I generally like simplicity in my mice. Interestingly, they are marketing the mouse as "Be Imba" (be imbalanced) as if this mouse might give the player an unfair advantage over another because they're using this mouse.

What are your initial thoughts on the mouse? Will you consider picking one up? Are specialized mice necessary?

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We had a good night last night, taking down all three available bosses in the 10-man version of Trial of the Crusader on USTREAM. Tonight, at around 7pm PDT/10pm EDT, The Totally Rad Guild will be trying the 25-man version of the instance. Once we get through the Horde Champions, we should be headed into 25-man Ulduar. After that perhaps we'll work on some more 10-man instances. As usual, I'll be in the USTREAM chat and I'll try to answer any questions that come up whenever I can. The streamed video and chat are embedded below, so come in, join the chat, and check it out. You can also follow Project Lore on twitter or check out our USTREAM channel to find out more! Also, if you happen to miss the stream, there should be some archived videos embedded below!

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Cataclysm Countdown is a series of informed speculative articles concerning things we might see in the next expansion that I will be posting every day this week, leading right up to Blizzcon. In the interest of thought purity, I will do my best to steer clear of recent “leaked” material, relying upon it only where it logically connects with the existing lore. Nothing hereafter is official or has been confirmed/denied by Blizzard at the time of its writing. The Lich King falls. The Argent Crusade's task of defeating the Scourge is over, and with it the tenuous cooperation between the Alliance and the Horde. A new threat arises from the depths of the ocean and brings death and destruction to both sides. Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall take it upon themselves to protect the world at large, ascending from their positions as faction representatives. In the interest of self-preservation, the remaining forces of the Horde and Alliance cease any remaining ties. Instead, tempers flare as Garrosh, the new Warchief of the Horde, and King Varian Wrynn bare fangs at each other and decide to drag their people, once again, unto the brink of all-out, bloody-nosed WAR. The stage is set for a conflict greater than Azeroth has ever seen before. But how will we experience it? Ahh... the way things used to be! World of Warcraft, despite its name and pedigree, was not built from the ground up for PvP play. Ever since the game's release, Blizzard has added more and varied ways of engaging the enemy, but it's always been compartmentalized and shoved just to the side of primary content. Even Lake Wintergrasp, arguably the crowning jewel of PvP combat at the moment (it both maintains the scale of a Battleground and affords access to certain rewards typical of World PvP). Though it's far from perfect, Wintergrasp will likely be the template for this part of the game moving forward. Let's stop for a moment, though, and let our imaginations run wild, yeah? WoW, at its pinnacle, should emulate the large-scale, world-wide conflict that the series is known for. Ideally, that means  bunkers, forts, and whole armies fighting with each other in all zones across Azeroth. Players would be able to not only construct siege vehicles, but hire mercenaries, create defensive buildings, and upgrade units. OK, have a good image in your head now? Well, hold onto it, because that's only a dream. With the changes we are expecting to see to the rest of the game, PvP on that level would be near impossible to implement. Let's not forget all the balancing that would be involved in the creation of so many new game systems. We've got to face the reality that World of Warcraft just can't support such an overhaul in its core gameplay. Will we see something approaching that near the end of the series? Quite likely, through patches and incremental additions along the way, but not right now. Still, that doesn't mean we won't see PvP combat expand in Cataclysm. The key really is just to find a happy medium. I see this as taking at least one of two forms:

1. Zone-wide PvP -- With many zones being re-purposed in the expansion, it stands to reason that a few of them could play host to open fighting. Those with high amounts of resources, or those that straddle the border between core Horde and Alliance territories will be the ones most impacted. The first that comes to mind is the Hillsbrad/Arathi area of Eastern Kingdoms. With the Scourge threat defeated and the Plaguelands theoretically in the process of returning to normal, little stands between the Alliance reclaiming Lordaeron than the Forsaken. With his new found allies, the Worgen of Gilneas, on Undercity's doorstep, Varian is in a good position to retake the former Human kingdom. The Forsaken, with some help from the Blood Elves, would fight back to protect the only place they can call home. Several areas like this can be spread throughout the world map, with control of them affording certain buffs or rewards.
2. Objective-based play -- True World PvP would be hard to manage. Imagine a full PvP server, but one where control of the world actually matters. Instead, what not have a series of smaller objectives that each side needs to take and hold. Holding a number of these sites at any given time would afford lesser rewards, perhaps some sort of points or honor to every player in the general area. These points could then be used to purchase faction rewards in the main cities. Final Fantasy XI did something like this with crystals needed for crafting professions, and so has WoW to an extent (with Stone Keeper Shards and the like), though it was necessary to engage in PvE content to obtain those items.

But then again, who knows? We may just see a few new Battlegrounds and Arenas to fight in. I'm sure PvP will move forward in certain respects, but at the end of the day, the balance between fun and fairness is what needs to be maintained. Considering either of these ideas, servers with already lop-sided populations would potentially see one faction completely shut out of rewards. Objective-based gameplay may be more suited to accessibility, considering that when more capture sites are placed in the world, it becomes harder for either side to dominate completely. Covering every objective would quickly spread forces thin, but it would allow the opposite faction to rally up and take a few of their own. The only difference in this case would be that one side would gain points, and thus rewards, at a faster pace. However, this approach runs the risk of placing less importance on any given objective. It would be less lore-centric, and some out-of-the-way objectives would fall into disuse. Zone-based PvP would certainly centralize the conflict, and the consolidation of forces would allow Blizzard to do more interesting things within each area. While balance is a greater issue here, Wintergrasp-style buffs could preserve the spirit of competition. So what are you guys looking forward to in terms of Player versus Player action in the next expansion. Are my ideas too far-fetched? What about ideas of your own? Do you think PvP might get the shaft as Blizzard focuses on expanding the lore and PvE content? We've only got a couple more days until we find out for sure!

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One of the downsides of raiding is all the downtime. Between boring trash pulls, "bio breaks", and waiting for everyone to get rebuffed after wipes, some players with little to no buffing responsibility and short attention spans (like myself) have a tendency to get bored, but don't want to go make a sandwich and miss a pull. Fortunately, there is no lack of silly things in the game that you can use to surprise your friends and raid buddies! If you've never checked it out, stop by the Wonderworks in Dalaran. Players completing the Northrend Children's Week may have stopped by to get a Paper Zeppelin for their child. I accidentally bought a stack of them instead of the quest item, and now I keep them with me at all times. Its always fun to toss some at people during downtime and hearing the occasional confused person on vent. Unfortunately, they are unique, so you can only carry one at a time once you create one from the kit. There are plenty of other toys you can pick up at the Wonderworks, including the train set that sets out a toy train and makes everyone around you do the /train animation and sound. Its the bane of auction houses and Alterac Valley tunnels everywhere. Its almost worth it to carry around a Wind-Up Train Wrecker. Give Jepetto Joybuzz a visit and see what he has in store. If you spend any time lurking in the Underbelly for arena, fishing, or restocking on poisons, you may have found some strange potions discarded down there by the mages of Dalaran. These Underbelly Elixirs have given me quite a bit of fun. While I don't suggest drinking things you find on the street in real life, Underbelly Elixirs are a-okay! You have a chance to transform into a Tuskarr and get +50 fishing for ten minutes, see everyone in Dalaran as a mage in Netherwind Regalia (expect Zidormi for some reason), or transform into a firefly with the freedom to fly around (if you are indoors in Dalaran; outdoors remains a no-fly zone). While its hilarious to see a city full of mages, some with Titan's Grip, my favorite effect has to be the firefly. I had quite the harrowing experience as a firefly in The Filthy Animal getting ready for summons into Stormwind to kill King Varian: Apparently you can do all sorts of fun stuff in Wasp form, such as fish! When I used to do the Cooking dailies, I kept all the Baby Spice and used them on tanks as their pulling. Lets not forget all the seasonal items, which are great to use out of season. I got hit with a Wisp Costume last night, and I was throwing Mistletoe and bunny ears on everyone through summer. What are your favorite silly items?

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It's been an up-and-down sort of day for those trying to plan out their visit to the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend. Blizzard supplied a preliminary schedule for their marquee event earlier today before retracting it and replacing it with a brand new one. Why the switcheroo? No idea. The Blues ain't tellin'. Conspiracy theories aside, the simplest answer is that, after some internal deliberation, they probably decided that a few of the panels and events needed to be shuffled around. As far as WoW is concerned, a new World of Warcraft Preview panel has been slotted immediately following the Opening Ceremony. There's certainly a lot to talk about where Blizzard is concerned these days, so it may be the case that we don't get a bulk of our expansion info until the panel, itself. Either way, it's nice to set aside an extra hour or so to discuss specifically what is coming up instead of having to share space with the company's other properties during the Opening Ceremony (though I fully expect it to be "revealed" during that time). The PvP panel is gone, but I'm sure its content will be shared amongst the others. It's unlikely we'll see much beyond the next season or two of Arena for Wrath, and it might be too early to talk about specifics where the expansion is concerned. If you've got questions to ask during the Open Q&A (10-11 AM on Saturday) or during one of the Classes/Items/Professions panels (5-6 PM on Friday, 2:30-3:30 PM on Saturday). Likewise, if you're a fan of The Guild, you no longer have to miss out on any other WoW happenings (besides some tournament play) to check them out on Friday (3:30-4:30 PM). There's lots to see and do on the show floor, so make sure to start plotting your itenerary now (and get to the panels early for a good seat!). Hopefully this is the last change we'll see to the official schedule. *Here's a link to the BlizzCon map for your convenience.

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Cataclysm Countdown is a series of informed speculative articles concerning things we might see in the next expansion that I will be posting every day this week, leading right up to Blizzcon. In the interest of thought purity, I will do my best to steer clear of recent “leaked” material, relying upon it only where it logically connects with the existing lore. Nothing hereafter is official or has been confirmed/denied by Blizzard at the time of its writing. The cataclysm has really changed things for those of us in the speculation game. Just from paying attention to the lore, figuring out which plot threads still need to be unraveled, and making a few educated guesses along the way, we knew for a long time that we'd be revisiting the Maelstrom. We knew that Gilneas would eventually open up. We knew we'd go back to Hyjal. These are things that have been on the world map since the dawn of WoW. To tease the playerbase with such things would be infinitely cruel. We also knew that if the Maelstrom were involved, we were likely to see another catastrophic event befall Azeroth, though not to the extent that has been recently revealed. As it stands, it seems as though the focus of the expansion has shifted somewhat, from one concerned with unreleased zones and the Southsea islands to one that incorporates the rest of the old world in a much more integral way. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost for all you seadogs out there. What lies in the briny depths is far too important to completely ignore. As Jacques Cousteau might say, "A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it." Alright, maybe that's not the best Cousteau quote I could pull off the internet. "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." Ahh yes, that's much better. Well, I suppose what I'm trying to get at is the idea that while the Great Sea is mostly open water, it is also home to several potentially interesting areas and it would be a damn shame if we don't get to visit any of it. Below is a list of new ocean-going zones that I would like to see. I brought attention to several of them in my article yesterday. The Eye -- As ferocious and destructive as the Maelstrom might be, a rich ecosystem nonetheless survives beneath its stormy spirals. The lynch-pin of this area is the Naga stronghold of Nazjatar, lodged deep within The Rift, but there are several sub-zones just itching to be explored by wandering adventurers. The Boiling Terrace lives up to its name, fraught with volcanic activity and scalding pools of water. Only those creatures with thick skin can survive here, such as the reported giant crabs that are native to the area. The Scintal Reef spans the southwest corner of the The Eye, and is home to to the Makrura capital, Mak'aru. The city is supposedly built out of the surrounding coral formations. Constantly at war with the Naga, the Makrura are one of the few factions keeping the vile serpents in check. The Gishan Caverns are a series of deep-ocean volcanic caverns on the north side of The Rift. The Naga avoid it for fear of the gigantic beasts that may sleep within (sounds like prime 5-man dungeon material to me). Pillar Deep is a rather unique area. Though it continues with the theme of geothermal heat, it's also home to towering tubeworms that look a lot like gigantic, stone pillars. And, of course, it wouldn't be the ocean without a ship graveyard somewhere. On the southeastern lip of the Eye are the Drowned Reaches. The remains of great sea-going vessels that got too close to the Maelstrom come here to rest, and their former inhabitants are none-too-pleased. Kept animated by the storm's violent and mysterious energies, undead sailors still patrol the decks of their ruined ships. Clearly The Eye is no Bikini Bottom. A place fraught with extreme conditions and powerful creatures, I anticipate this being a high-level questing zone. Tel Abim -- Hey, those bananas have to come from somewhere. Very little is known about the island of Tel Abim, though the diaries you get from fishing up Messages in a Bottle tell the tale of a man likely shipwrecked on the island (and menaced by its famous fruit). Nonetheless, while other isles have come and gone from the map (such as Gillijim's Isle and the Island of Dr. Lapidis, both of which were supposed to exist off the coast of Stranglethorn during Alpha), Tel Abim remains. Will we have cause to go there? Who knows. Maybe the great Banana civilization can lend its hand in help during these tough times. Zandalar -- Another area I discussed in yesterday's article, it is the common motherland for all Trolls on Azeroth. In addition to the massive city of Zuldazar. This lush, tropical island is home to vast amounts of wildlife (why hello there, Hemet Nesingwary!) and also features the towering crag of Mt. Mugamba. While Zuldazar is obviously the main attraction, there is potential for plenty of leveling areas on Zandalar, one of the largest land masses in the Great Sea. Plunder Isle -- Plunder Isle is home to two key locales. Though neither plays a huge role in the events to come, I think it's about time to figure out what the pirating world has been up to (besides, what lends itself to piracy more than a world in chaos?). The first is Den of the Cold Eye, a cave home to the local basilisks, and the other is Bloodsail Hold, headquarters of the infamous Bloodsail Pirates. The island is small and of little significance, but if sea travel is common in Cataclysm, I could see this being a wonderful hub for a few piracy-themed dailies. Kezan -- as plotted out on a whiteboard at Blizzard HQ. Kezan -- Home of the Goblins, reportedly in ruins from the events of the expansion. It's unclear whether or not we'll get to go back (though a rather detailed map drawn on a whiteboard can be seen on the World of Warcraft Behind the Scenes DVD), but the island does hold a few key points of interest. There are at least two port areas, Bilgewater Port (think a bigger version of Booty Bay) and Edj (home to the slightly-less-evil pirates, the Blackwater Raiders). Mount Kajaro, an active volcano, dominates the southern reaches of the island, and the Goblin capitol, Undermine, exists somewhere beneath it. Many had hoped Undermine would serve as the great "neutral" city in the next expansion. While that may no longer be the case, Kezan itself could still be a major hub of activity for sea-going adventurers due to its location (and assuming it's not completely under the water). The Broken Isles -- If there's one place in the Great Sea that holds as much history and importance as the Maelstrom, it's the Broken Isles. Home to the great and ancient Kaldorei city of Suramar (now ruined), the remains of the Stormreaver clan's destroyed fleet, and the Tomb of Sargeras, it's like a graveyard of ancient folly. The island chain is currently dominated by Naga and those who serve them, but being so central to the lore, I have little doubt Blizzard will find reason to drag players back to the cursed locale. Kul Tiras -- Though its people were once a sizable part of the Alliance forces, the island of Kul Tiras isn't even on the official map anymore. Nothing has been said here nor there about its inclusion in future content, but being host to a naval society, it only seems logical to implement it with an expansion where the primary threat comes from the sea. Kul Tiras could, once again, be a major asset to the Alliance. The inclusion of any one of these zones ultimately depends on two things: how Blizzard wants to handle travel on the high seas and whether or not they've been destroyed/sunk by the cataclysm, itself. Several of these locations also exist under the water, which may require the introduction of submersible vehicles or other means of diving deep beneath the waves. With the reconstruction of much of mainland Azeroth, and the introduction of new inland zones, I don't expect every one of these islands (or island chains) to make an appearance in the expansion, especially those that have little to do with the characters and events in play. However, if we do get the chance to sail around the Great Sea at our leisure, it has to be filled with something. In that case, several of these zones could simply become small quest hubs. We might also expect to see small, random islands scattered throughout the ocean, that hold no particular importance, but are places to explore for treasure and secrets, Zelda: Wind Waker-style. What do you guys and gals think? Would you like to be able to sail around Azeroth as you please, or do you think that makes the game too complicated? Or do you believe that this is the direction the expansion should have actually gone in as opposed to futzing with the mainland? Do you think we'll end up getting both, or is that just asking way too much of Blizzard? Please let us know by posting your thoughts!

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Just over a month ago ProjectLore turned one, and it seems that another of Alex's zanny ideas - read getting paid to perform his hobby - has paid off.  I first heard of Project Lore way back when Alex announced his intentions with the site.  I flat out loved the idea of "embracing WoW culture and the interactions between players".  So much that I covered the announcement for a completely different site, the now semi-defunct GetBuffed.com (no, it's not a porn or weightlifting site).  I applied upon seeing the open call for writers while the site was still in its infancy.  Here I am 365 days and 246 posts later, without any intention of stopping. I'll admit that I was apprehensive, anxious and even nervous during my early days here at Project Lore.  Those are three emotions I rarely ever feel.  My regression to an earlier mindset was due to the very community that I love being a part of.  I know the types out there on the Internet, and thus part of the WoW crowd.  WoW's own rampant success has creating a gigantic, teeming audience.  I've been writing about video games for nearly a decade now (over if you include my volunteer stuff), but ProjectLore brought me my largest audience by far.  Unfortunately not all of them are nice.  The haters, know it alls and sarcastic bastards intimidated me at first, but I grew a thick skin and can now take the criticism, constructive or not, in stride. Ok fine, so my early days weren't the pinnacle of journalism, or the highlight of blogging, but I like to feel that I have grown, substantially.  Grammar ("makes ends meat" anyone?), spelling and other stupid mistakes have been trimmed thanks to a higher attention to detail, and additional proofreading on each post.  But the meat and potatoes of writing is in the ideas, and they've come into their own thanks to the readers and guildmates.  Not only have your comments and forum threads sparked many lightbulbs, but you reignited my passion for World of Warcraft.  Although I returned during TBC, it wasn't until a few months in to this gig that I really returned.  That was because of the readers insatiable hunger for WoW content, be it digital or wordy. Speaking of ideas, here's a quick list of the reoccurring ones I've played a part in:

• Fond Memories
• Design a Dungeon (this will return with far more structure)
• The Balancing Act/Balancing Act (just realized this was split in three, woops)
• Another One Bites The Dust
• The Novel Post
• Questing
• The Experiment
• Melee DPS 101/DPS 101
• Wishful Thinking
• The Next Expansion

Although I am not a part of the detailed Proverb column yet, I hope Heartbourne (did I get it right?) will let me take the lore-filled column for a spin. I want to take this opportunity to say thanks for reading, keeping me on my toes, and sharing your opinions, objections and stories in a respectful manner.  That goes for everyone - except all you firsters, you can go to the back of the line.  Last is the new first. It's been fun watching the site mature, the readership grow and having additional writers to bounce ideas off of. Thanks for keeping my interest in the game at an all time high.  To another year of WoW, Project Lore and blogging!  Cheers. Oh, time for a little shameless self promotion.  I am on Twitter after much pestering from seemingly everyone.  Be gentle, I am still figuring out all this @, # and other odd uses of shift+numbers. /me packs for BlizzCon.

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WoWFlix is a new weekly column featuring videos from around the web related to World of Warcraft. If you find something you'd like to be featured, leave a comment or send a tweet to @Heartbourne. The cast and creators behind The Guild, including the widely popular Felicia Day of Dr. Horrible fame, have released a new, poppy song and accompanying music video entitled "Do You Want to Date My Avatar?". While The Guild isn't specifically WoW-related, the innuendos will be familiar to any WoW fanatic. Felicia Day did an amazing job with the lyrics, and the costumes are fantastic. Its one of the few times that I look at cosplayers and am actually impressed. Even the people who are supposed to be intentionally silly and awkward come off so well. The whole cast of The Guild crew show up in the video: Bladezz gives the camera some love, Clara sings some backup vocals, and Vork and Zaboo spit some fresh rhymes. The song is addicting and will stay in my geeky playlist. If you haven't checked out The Guild, be sure to go to their website and check out their Youtube channel. You can grab the song from Amazon, the video from iTunes, or both of them on Xbox Live/Zune Marketplace. Lyrics: Hang with me in my MMO So many places we can go You’ll never see my actual face Our love, our love will be in a virtual space I’m craving to emote with you So many animations I can do Be anything you want me to be Come on, come on, share a potion with me CHORUS: Do you wanna date my Avatar She’s a star And she’s hotter than reality by far Wanna date my Avatar? You can type commands I’ve got slots for what I hold in my hands Don’t care what’s in your character bank How ‘bout, How ‘bout a little tank and spank Grab your mouse and stroke the keys In cyberspace there’s no disease Pick a time, send a tell to me Just pay, just pay a small subscription fee CHORUS Single white human, Looking for group My stats so high Don’t be out of the loop Got an uber-leet staff That you can equip Close your mouths ladies This is pure nerd-nip I’m a pixel-based fantasy A man who is stoic I hack and slash Who the heck’s more heroic? Check me out: Cloth armor Fits me like a glove Just twitta a time And I’m ready for love Hang with me in my MMO So many places we can go I’m better than a real world quest You’ll touch, my plus 5 to dexterity vest What role do you wanna play I’m just a click away night or day And if you think I’m not the one Log off, Log off and we’ll be done

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I expected teasers to start popping up any day now, but Creative Labs' Soundblaster page isn't the first place I would've looked. Loading up the site will treat you to a short flash movie which depicts a half-glowing Horde symbol inside the ring of what seems to be the outside of a headset speaker. Considering what the company sells, this may end up being nothing more than an ad campaign for high-quality, World of Warcraft-themed gaming headphones to be revealed at Blizzcon (to be clear, this is speculation on my part). But that doesn't make it any less mysterious. Looking -- and listening -- closer reveals several interesting clues. First of all is the fact that the Maelstrom appears in the movie. As the short animation plays, a swirling light consumes the screen, eventually fading into the shape of the infamous spiral, supposed home to Queen Azshara. This, in and of itself, isn't earth-shattering news (did you catch the pun?). What intrigues me more is why the emblem of the Horde is overlaid on top of it, and why it is only "sort of" glowing. I hope I'm not reading too much into this, but from all we heard, the Horde is impacted far more by coming events than the Alliance. Of course, it says "To Be Continued...," which may indicate that we'll see more of the other faction in coming days. Likewise, the music playing you might recognize as "Lament of the Highborne." This is the song that Lady Sylvanas sings when you complete the quest "The Lady's Necklace." Sylvanas' role in the expansion is not yet known (she's still got those pesky betrayers to deal with), but guess what central character is a former Highborne? That's right, good old Azshara. In the background, you can also see also see part of the world map, though it's obscured by shadows and the various runes floating around. To the immediate right is Gilneas, which is determined to be home of the new race, the Worgen. The interesting thing about this is that the Maelstrom does not appear that close, or that far north on the official map. If you go take a line straight across the map from Gilneas and try to match it up to the corresponding coast on Kalimdor, you would find that it touches the zone of Azshara. The land mass on the left side of the image is even harder to make out, but it does not seem to correspond with the crescent shape of Azshara's coastline. I'm tempted to say that it might be the Goblin island, Kezan, simply to provide duality with the Worgen, but even of that I can't be sure. You can see what seems to be the peaks of mountains, but Kezan's mountainous region is found in the southwest portion of the island. Could it be some other part of Kalimdor? Durotar seems a likely candidate. Geez, I feel an awful lot like one of those gossiping tools on entertainment shows, trying to pick apart a new celebrity photo in the tabloids. The only thing we can be sure of is that it's a clever way for Creative to attract some attention during this tumultuous time for WoW fans. In the end, it doesn't really tell us anything we haven't already speculated upon. We can only wait to see what happens to the animation in the coming days and hope that new information can be gleaned then. Now that I've had my go, can you readers pick out anything that I missed? Why not offer up your own theories on what these symbols represents in the comments section? Update: As expected, this was an advertisement for new wireless headsets to be revealed at Blizzcon. Still, there's no denying that even the folks over at Soundblaster are clued into this whole Cataclysm thing. It's a shame we couldn't get anything more out of them!

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