iTZKooPA's 2009 Year In Review
iTZKooPA
[caption id="attachment_9423" align="alignnone" width="535" caption="Err, there's your problem. - Pic courtesy of New York Times, 1978"]
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Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I? Here's your obligatory year in review for all things Project Lore and World of Warcraft. Below I've highlighted what I believe are the biggest topics and trends for the year.
Top 10 Topics:
10. Project Lore brings the news - Project Lore was founded on the idea of showing a group of skilled players dominating content, while having tons of fun. It was never meant to compete with the WoW news sites like WoW.com and MMO-Champion.com, and that still isn't the goal. However, in an effort to better serve the community PL has been bringing the news in 2009. We've even occasionally beat the more go to sites on occasion.
9. Project Lore adds more lore - Okay, we know you all want more videos, and things are happening behind the scenes, but Heartbourne has taken it upon himself to not only do mini-videos but flesh out Project Lore's lore department. Many other bloggers have dabbled in explaining the intricacies of Warcraft, but he dedicated a whole column to it.
8. Wishful Thinking - The little column on game design and design aspects of WoW has perked quite an interest among the readers and bloggers alike. Amatera's request for random dungeons is the epitome of the column, breaking down multiple games and picking the key pieces that make or break those titles. All in an effort of making World of Warcraft a better place to play. The anemic amount of comments on the post (less than 20) does not do the insight justice.
7. WoW in China - Wrath of the Lich King has had a bumpy road to launch in China. First it was a switch in providers, then content issues, followed by lawsuits and ultimately political party power struggles. These political and corporate shenanigans are what puts WoW's oriental troubles on the list. Not any monetary concerns or the reduction in gold farmers. In fact, neither are impacted by the big trouble in little China. China provides <10% of WoW's revenue and gold farmers play on North American or European servers, not China's realms.
6. Re-running the old world - All of the bloggers at Project Lore, and numerous friends of mine, have rolled new toons, sometimes on new servers, in an attempt to experience everything the Old World has to offer. From long-forgotten dungeons to taking in the sights, going old school is a task that everyone should attempt before Deathwing changes the world forever.
5. Pixiestixy hits level 80 - Hitting level 80 on your first toon is a big deal for anybody. But when you've been harassed about your sluggishness for months there's probably even more joy in the accomplishment. Good for her, but bad for me. I have no one to tease anymore. :(
4. BlizzCon 2009 - Guild achievements, no more "mathy" stats, hunters drop mana, a new secondary profession, Cataclysm, StarCraft II campaign editor...need I continue? If so, hit the link to check out our extensive coverage.
3. Martin Fury - Remember Martin Fury, the piece of loot that allowed a nobody, Karatechop, to dominate Ulduar in record time? That little item caused quite a stir when news of its use broke in late April/early May. It instantly became the most recognized WoW scandal in the game's five year history. The argument still rages over whether the player deserved a permanent ban seeing as the item was given to him by a GM. Karatechop certainly believes it was heavy handed.
2. The Lich King's/Arthas' fate - Arthas and the Lich King have been the defining figure of WoW ever since Wrath launched so many months ago. We've partook in his past, rekindled our relationships with his numerous enemies and even taken potshots at him. Blizzard's intention to put him in our face from the get go has even extended beyond the digital universe into the extended one. Yet, the most talked about topic on Project Lore was the death of the prince, and if his soul could be saved. We'll see in the coming weeks.
1. Tokyopop's manga and the extended universe - Officially licensed Blizzard products and random knock-offs have flooded the market. With over 11 million players, it's hard for any company to pass up on the built in audience. However, no company, licensed or not, has used the game quite like Tokyopop. Comics, novels (The Novel Post), card games and miniatures are all well and good, but Tokyopop's manga have captured my attention like a cheap Primordial Saronite in the AH. The excellent art and stories captivated me in each installment of Warcraft: Legends like no other mechanism outside of the game has. It's not because the material is better written, drawn or executed, but because Tokyopop has created, expanded and retold lore from the nobody perspective in Azeroth to the first free death knight. The extension of the WoW brand has floored me as a whole, but the scope of what Tokyopop has delivered, and promises to, is untouched.
Happy New Year!
/me blows annoying noise maker.
[/caption]
Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I? Here's your obligatory year in review for all things Project Lore and World of Warcraft. Below I've highlighted what I believe are the biggest topics and trends for the year.
Top 10 Topics:
10. Project Lore brings the news - Project Lore was founded on the idea of showing a group of skilled players dominating content, while having tons of fun. It was never meant to compete with the WoW news sites like WoW.com and MMO-Champion.com, and that still isn't the goal. However, in an effort to better serve the community PL has been bringing the news in 2009. We've even occasionally beat the more go to sites on occasion.
9. Project Lore adds more lore - Okay, we know you all want more videos, and things are happening behind the scenes, but Heartbourne has taken it upon himself to not only do mini-videos but flesh out Project Lore's lore department. Many other bloggers have dabbled in explaining the intricacies of Warcraft, but he dedicated a whole column to it.
8. Wishful Thinking - The little column on game design and design aspects of WoW has perked quite an interest among the readers and bloggers alike. Amatera's request for random dungeons is the epitome of the column, breaking down multiple games and picking the key pieces that make or break those titles. All in an effort of making World of Warcraft a better place to play. The anemic amount of comments on the post (less than 20) does not do the insight justice.
7. WoW in China - Wrath of the Lich King has had a bumpy road to launch in China. First it was a switch in providers, then content issues, followed by lawsuits and ultimately political party power struggles. These political and corporate shenanigans are what puts WoW's oriental troubles on the list. Not any monetary concerns or the reduction in gold farmers. In fact, neither are impacted by the big trouble in little China. China provides <10% of WoW's revenue and gold farmers play on North American or European servers, not China's realms.
6. Re-running the old world - All of the bloggers at Project Lore, and numerous friends of mine, have rolled new toons, sometimes on new servers, in an attempt to experience everything the Old World has to offer. From long-forgotten dungeons to taking in the sights, going old school is a task that everyone should attempt before Deathwing changes the world forever.
5. Pixiestixy hits level 80 - Hitting level 80 on your first toon is a big deal for anybody. But when you've been harassed about your sluggishness for months there's probably even more joy in the accomplishment. Good for her, but bad for me. I have no one to tease anymore. :(
4. BlizzCon 2009 - Guild achievements, no more "mathy" stats, hunters drop mana, a new secondary profession, Cataclysm, StarCraft II campaign editor...need I continue? If so, hit the link to check out our extensive coverage.
3. Martin Fury - Remember Martin Fury, the piece of loot that allowed a nobody, Karatechop, to dominate Ulduar in record time? That little item caused quite a stir when news of its use broke in late April/early May. It instantly became the most recognized WoW scandal in the game's five year history. The argument still rages over whether the player deserved a permanent ban seeing as the item was given to him by a GM. Karatechop certainly believes it was heavy handed.
2. The Lich King's/Arthas' fate - Arthas and the Lich King have been the defining figure of WoW ever since Wrath launched so many months ago. We've partook in his past, rekindled our relationships with his numerous enemies and even taken potshots at him. Blizzard's intention to put him in our face from the get go has even extended beyond the digital universe into the extended one. Yet, the most talked about topic on Project Lore was the death of the prince, and if his soul could be saved. We'll see in the coming weeks.
1. Tokyopop's manga and the extended universe - Officially licensed Blizzard products and random knock-offs have flooded the market. With over 11 million players, it's hard for any company to pass up on the built in audience. However, no company, licensed or not, has used the game quite like Tokyopop. Comics, novels (The Novel Post), card games and miniatures are all well and good, but Tokyopop's manga have captured my attention like a cheap Primordial Saronite in the AH. The excellent art and stories captivated me in each installment of Warcraft: Legends like no other mechanism outside of the game has. It's not because the material is better written, drawn or executed, but because Tokyopop has created, expanded and retold lore from the nobody perspective in Azeroth to the first free death knight. The extension of the WoW brand has floored me as a whole, but the scope of what Tokyopop has delivered, and promises to, is untouched.
Happy New Year!
/me blows annoying noise maker.
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