Project Lore

With the great shadow of Blizzcon looming on the horizon, how can we not get worked up about it? How can we not begin to wonder what goodies they're just waiting to unleash on us die-hard fans like front-liners at a GWAR concert? We expect to walk away from this thing tired, satisfied, and maybe just a little sticky! But laying restless in bed this morning, I began to think: Blizzard's got this huge expansion coming up, but they've still got at least one major piece of content to release for Lich King. Likewise, they stated they'd like to get a new expansion out every year -- an unrealistic goal for a company like this, but perhaps a year-and-a-half is within the realm of possibility. And then I remembered that they just pushed StarCraft 2 back into 2010. Having two major releases coming out back-to-back like that is virtually unheard of! That might push Cataclysm (as we assume the expansion to be named) to next Fall for a release date similar to Lich King two years previous. And that means that they've got until next Blizzcon to give us all of the real juicy details. I believe that most people, at this point, assume that there's going to be a deluge of information about Cataclysm this year, but that may be jumping the gun. No doubt we'll get something, perhaps a reveal of new races and some very early look at the content, a trailer even, but let's not forget that there is still the matter of the Lich King to resolve. If the rumors of Icecrown Citadel being enormous are true (not 31-boss big, of course, but I believe the intention of size was expressed), I expect we may hear a log more about how this expansion is going to wrap up before even going into the next one. Once again, I'm going mostly on conjecture here, but I do remember one of the Blues mentioning (when asked about how far off the Argent Coliseum would be) that their timetable was not as lengthy as we players might expect. And, indeed, we saw the release of 3.2 just three months or so after Ulduar. Now that opens the possibility of seeing the Citadel released by the end of the year or early next. If Cataclysm releases in the Summer, no biggie. But Fall 2010? That would leave a huge 9-10 month gap between content releases. That would mean that there may be some post-ICC release, a 3.4 if you will, that would function much like Sunwell at the end of Burning Crusade. If that's the case, we may begin to hear something about that content, as well. And really, when it boils right down to it, the end of the Lich King is potentially such a big deal, are they going to want us knowing a whole lot about the aftermath just yet (which learning about Cataclysm would probably entail)? My head's spinning just trying to consider all this and I hope you're all still with me at this point. But I'm currently of the opinion that we're going to get a real introductory look at the next expansion, with the remainder of Wrath content getting the bulk of attention at the show. Do I hope I'm wrong? Most certainly. I'd love nothing more than to experience the largest fangasm ever from the impending surge of information that could be coming our way. I'd die for Mike Morhaime to ascend to the stage and tell us that they're finished with Icecrown Citadel, the expansion's coming within six months, and that, Oprah-style, we all get a beta invite. But I also expect Blizzard to take as much time as they feel they need to complete their products, and considering their track record, that's what supersedes everything else. They're tackling more releases at this point in time than they ever have at once before. We're going to hear tons about StarCraft 2 and the revamped Battle.net. We'll get the dish about Diablo, too. Let's not forget there's also that "next-gen MMO" hanging on the horizon, as well. If they wanted to release all of these games on the same day, they could probably get away with it. So maybe it's not so far-fetched to consider the sequel to StarCraft and the new expansion to hit shelves so close to each other. After all, one shouldn't really cannibalize sales of the other... much. Don't worry for a second. Blizzcon will be packed to the brim with details, but with so many things to cover, I just keep coming back to the idea that Cataclysm's dynamite reveal may quickly be overtaken by the rest of the show's content. What do you guys and gals think? I know I presented a lot of possibilities above, a lot of variables to consider. This kind of idle thinking leads to a whole lot of brain spew (something else you'll see at a GWAR concert, by the way). Do you agree? Disagree? The way content is being handled, just what will we end up hearing about at Blizzcon? Maybe the reveal of new races and a quick overview? A teaser trailer for Cataclysm? Is Blizzard ready to show us that much of the game's future?

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That big, old convention we keep talking about isn't the only Blizzard-sponsored event coming up soon. Though it hasn't gotten a whole lot of publicity, the company is holding a benefit dinner at the Laguna Art Museum on the night before Blizzcon. So why would this concern you folks? Well, if you've got the cash to spend on a ticket ($500 -- but, hey, it's a benefit) you get a pretty swank opportunity to hob-knob with some Blizz employees. The package includes dinner and drinks with company luminaries (you can ask them why they haven't nerfed rogues yet in person!), a signed print of official Blizzard art, and, yes, your very own ticket to Blizzcon! In addition to all the other perks, you can circumvent paying those scalpers on eBay for a last-minute admission and support a good cause at the same time. Blizzard's partnership with the Laguna Art Museum is chiefly due to their current exhibition: WoW: Emergent Media Phenomenon. While official artwork from the likes of Chris Metzen and Samwise Didier anchor the show, it will also feature interpretive pieces from fourteen international artists. Likewise, certain pieces of fan art and machinima will be on display to round things out. Sounds like a really awesome exhibit to check out if you're local, even if you can't make it to the dinner. According to Nethaera, there are still a few tickets available! So double-check your credit limit and head on over to the order page to grab one for yourself. The Laguna Art Museum is located in the Southern LA area in Laguna Beach, just down the road from Anaheim, where Blizzcon is being held.

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The biggest news in recent memory is WoW.com's hat eating guarantee over the next expansion's details.  According to sources for the lucky domain squatters, the third expansion is indeed called WoW: Cataclysm, and the previously rumored Goblins and the Worgen are the upcoming playable classes.  The news, that was likely going to be one of BlizzCon's big reveals, has overshadowed all else the past few days, but I am here to put an end to that. Below you will find stories that were lost in the shuffle, abandoned to the fates, and pushed down the stairs.  Some are gems, others are mix-ups, but they were all passed over thanks to the assertions of Cataclysm and our excitement around it.

• Ozzy Ozzborne at BlizzCon - The Ozzy @ BlizzCon 2009 rumor has been around the block.  It first appeared in early July, and I didn't really take it that seriously then.  Sure, he was in a (damn fine) commercial for WoW, but that doesn't mean he's going to perform.  Well, with VideoGamesLive out of the picture this year it does!  Blizzard has confirmed that the junior "Prince of  F&*^ing Darkness" (since 1979) will be rocking out Anaheim in just over a week.  The concert will also be viewable as part of the DirecTV package.  What are the odds that Ozzy actually plays?
• Icecrown to have 31 bosses - "Promising" 31 bosses in a raid for a PvE content junky like myself is more than a pony, Ghostcrawler.  Everyone knows the ratio of boss fights to ponies is 10:1, and here you promise 31:0.  How dare you sir!  And how dare you quip later on that you were joking...maybe.  Damn your brain teasers!  Who do you think you are J.J. Abrams?  /shakesfist
• Battle.net v2.0 news - StarCraft II was "delayed" to 2010 earlier this month, and you can at least partially blame Blizzard's matchmaking, login and purchasing platform known as Battle.net for that.  According to the bigwigs at Activision Blizzard the service is still in the infant stages of re-development with "social networking features, cross-game communication, unified account management" and more being added to the service.  Bobby Kotick stated that the service would be "similar to Xbox Live".  Hopefully the term was used for that service's perceived quality, and not the monetary fee associated with it.  Either way, it appears that BNet 2.0 will be just another gaming service to keep track of.  Sigh.
• Collegehumor WoW video - My friend turned me on to this World of Warcraft-based video last night, and it is absolutely hilarious.  He claims that "that's what it will be like in five years" and although I wish it were true, I just don't believe it.  Thankfully, the laughs it gets are on purpose.  The video is safe for work.

Nothing earth shattering, but interesting nonetheless.  Hope you enjoyed the little recap of the last week or so.  If I missed anything major feel free to leave a comment with the details and the source.

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It's been about four months since the last one, but the latest edition of the Blizzcast, Blizzard Entertainment's official podcast, has finally arrived! The good news (at least for our readers) is that it focuses exclusively on the World of Warcraft, namely the events of Patch 3.2. The bad news? It's all stuff that we've more or less heard before (and it's a bit on the short side to boot, clocking in around 22 1/2 minutes). Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to expand upon your knowledge of all the new content. Remember, knowledge is half the battle! Episode 10 is hosted by WoW Community Team member Zarhym and his guests are Lead Encounter Designer Scott Mercer and Senior Game Designer Dave Maldonado. Topics covered include the new 5-man instance and raid zones, dailies associated with the Argent Tournament, the questionable mortality of the Black Knight, and even the new Battleground, Isle of Conquest. Likewise, they go out of their way to show you how all of the 3.2-related gameplay elements are incorporated into the lore. It's all capped off with some brief talk about how pumped up they are to be attending Blizzcon. Unfortunately, there are no specific details about what they will or will not be showing beyond the fact that they are pants-wettingly excited to unveil something (to quote Mercer: "We’re of course showing off a lot of really, really, REALLY cool stuff"). It certainly wouldn't be Blizzcon without some really cool WoW-related stuff, now would it? If you care to listen to or download Episode 10, head on over to the official page of the Blizzcast. A full transcription is also available for those who would rather just skim the contents. Once you're done listening, come on back here and discuss! Any interesting points you'd like to comment on? Did you learn something? Or was it just boring? Would it be better if they had teased us with forthcoming content or a more extensive Blizzcon preview? Chime in below.

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It may come as no surprise since we've been speculating on this for quite some time, but it seems that folks over at WoW.com have confirmed from "multiple sources close to the situation" that the next expansion will be World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and will include the Worgen and Goblin as playable races.

While Goblins have up until now remained neutral, with currency their only faction of choice, WoW.com reports that the Goblin will be playable for the Horde in the new expansion (Go Green!). We've already received a ton of feedback from our previous speculative posts on what the implications will be for having this wide-spread race specific to only one faction. What will happen to the neutral cities, such as Ratchet, where they are a mainstay? I suppose we'll find out with time - perhaps some of the Goblin NPCs will remain neutral, or maybe we'll see a major upheaval of some of those villages. It could make for some great new lore - not to mention the Great Sundering, which also should make for a fun expansion topic.

So that leaves the Worgen, who up until now have played a much smaller role than that of the Goblin. They apparently will be joining up with the Alliance. We've already seen a glimpse of what the female may look like through Halloween masks revealed a while back. Now it just makes me wonder if all the additional masks revealed later (murloc, Naga, plus already available playable races) may have just been added to throw us off the trail? Maybe they're just included because they inevitably will play a large role in an expansion about the Cataclysm. Or, perhaps we'll see a couple more playable races still (One can hope, right?).

All this is still very preliminary and I'll feel a lot better about the information once we've gotten some kind of official comment from Blizzard. But that likely won't come until BlizzCon - and hopefully we'll learn much, much more at that point. New playable races alone don't equal a full expansion, so I'm sure there will be plenty more to report on in the coming weeks. Until then, I'll be crossing my fingers that I will soon be able to play green!

What does everyone make of these leaks and the possible lore behind them? Would you play a Worgen or Goblin? How do you think Blizz will handle all the complications related to turning Goblins for the Horde?

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[caption id="attachment_5290" align="alignright" width="300" caption="I Love Clutter, But Not At $5 Per Ball"][/caption] Don't worry if you weren't lucky enough to score BlizzCon tickets, or you were lucky enough to trick someone into giving your Press Passes, because the store isn't all that impressive.  Actually, in my opinion it's a bit of a disappointment.  The BlizzCon 2009 section contains just five pages, forty products, to chose from. I, like pixiestixy, was incredibly excited when I heard that Blizzard would be offering attendees a chance to purchase the company's branded goodies outside the show.  Not only does it allow us to avoid lengthy lines and enjoy the festivities to the utmost, but, and this was the clincher for me, there's no need to worry about becoming a pack mule the rest of the day.  Or needing to bring an extra suitcase for all the stuff your friends make you buy.  Nope, we just buy our goods via the intertubes and forget about needing the extra cash at the show.  Look at that, Blizzard is even helping us budget our disposable (to them) income!  Too bad the items aren't exactly show stopping. Blizzard's attempt at smoothing the purchases process is not lost upon me.  It is appreciated, but I'm a bit upset as to what is offered in the "exclusive" store.  It's "exclusive" because a large portion of the goodies are actually available to the general consumer, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King for instance, already (or have been) on the Blizzard store or are leftover treats from last year.  Bubble Hearth Beach Balls, Inflatable Frostmournes, and gaming mice can make fine purchases, but the store was touted as a bonus for attendees, not a 2008 flea market or eBay replacement. As I mentioned, the idea was not lost upon me, and it is by no means all bad.  After all, the items that are new (I have no idea exactly how many are new) don't encompass everything that will be on sale at the show proper.  The offerings are just a "selection".  But in terms of serving customers, it's a pretty poor storefront.  Short, useless descriptions (what does the StarCraft 2 puzzle look like finished?) and the inability to filter the goods in a reasonable fashion caused me to close my wallet sooner than I expected. Of course that was after I purchased the stupid puzzle (need more wall ornaments), a plushie, magnet and two posters anyways.  Now I have to think about how much more I'll drop on the non-selected goods.  God I am such a sucker.  At least the lines should be shorter. What did you pick up, and how was your shopping experience?  Where you underwhelmed by the selection of goods as well, or did you expect numerous repeats?

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Blizzard's got excitement coming at us from all angles this week. First, we got Patch 3.2 much sooner than many expected (although Heartborne let us all know his suspicions before the fact). And starting today, we get a short preview of sorts of BlizzCon through a special pre-sale of convention goodies. Blizz sent out this message to ticket holders Monday:

Heading to BlizzCon 2009? Planning to purchase some souvenirs at the show? We wanted to send you one last reminder that for the first time ever, you'll be able to shop for items from the BlizzCon 2009 store BEFORE the event during our limited-time-only, online BlizzCon 48-Hour Sale!

Starting today at 10:01 a.m. Pacific Time (which equates to 1:01 p.m. for me on the east coast), BlizzCon ticket buyers will be able to shop online for select convention merchandise. This will be my first time attending BlizzCon, but I've heard nightmarish stories of store lines at the show in years past (though I bet the crazyness doesn't quite compete with the trouble we go through just to score tickets). Hopefully, buying goodies online will be a bit less stressful, and I'm hopeful that it might even cut down the lines at the actual event since many will have already bought their souvenirs. But I'm not holding my breath. I know that I, for one, will still want to visit the actual store at the event. But that doesn't simmer my excitement for the upcoming 48-hour sale. I don't have a ton of WoW-related merchandise. A couple books and manga here, a figurine there, but that's about it. So I am eager to mark the occasion of my first BlizzCon with plenty of loot. Now if they just have any of those plushy murlocs in stock, I will be a happy (ecstatic) camper. If not, I may settle for a nice poster, calendar or something along those lines. Hmm, on second thought, maybe a T-shirt or some buttons would be nice. Or hair accessories? Oh, the possibilities (If only, right ladies?)! For those of you who were lucky enough to score tickets, here's Blizz's instructions for how to participate:

• Between 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 5 and 10:00 a.m. on August 7, log in to the online Blizzard Store (www.blizzard.com/store) using the Battle.net account you used to purchase your BlizzCon 2009 tickets.
• Click the special "BlizzCon Sale" button in the lower-right corner of your screen.
• Browse new BlizzCon 2009 items created especially for attendees, add them to your cart, and then proceed to check out.
• Items will be shipped directly to your home.
• Enjoy the show!

Take note that you have to be an original ticket buyer to participate (which likely means we'll soon see more BlizzCon goodies on eBay from those who bought tickets to resell them). Regardless... what goodies are you hoping to score?

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Look Kids, It's Greg Street! I love Ghostcrawler (again). Not only does he have one of the coolest jobs around (one which likely made him grow a thick skin and an endless supply of ponies) at one of my favorite developers, but he gets to help design, create and then announce some of the craziest stuff to grace World of Warcraft. It isn't one of those crazy, eye-popping, jaw-dropping announcements that has me firmly cheering for him, but a declaration of renewed support for the Battlegrounds.  Sir Pinch-a-lot had this to say about the neglected instanced PvP scenarios: "I will agree that we need to focus more on BGs. And to be fair we are in this very next patch, and there will be more announcements at Blizzcon." Of course we know that the second statement is true, thanks to the Isle of Conquest.  The second clause of the second statement only makes me more excited for BlizzCon 2009.  That being said, I don't think I'll be sitting through a whole PvP panel just to (hopefully) see an upcoming BG or just hear a quip about the possibility of one "soon."  The real interesting part to me is the first sentence, the admission that BGs have fallen by the wayside.  It's plainly obvious that Arenas have been the focus of PvP since their inception as part of TBC, due largely to the drive for a WoW eSport (my words not GC's). Senor Cangrejo points out later in the post that Arenas receive extra attention due to class balancing issues.  According to GC the 2v2, 3v3 and 5v5 battles are far more useful in class balancing than BGs thanks to the very nature of BGs.  Meaning in BGs your goal, to capture the often spread out objectives, isn't very good at providing useful information.  After all, killing is a common occurrence, but not actually required.  On the other hand the whole point to an Arena is to dominate the other team.  The fast, localized and furious battles end up giving Blizzard more information on class issues than any other PvP mechanic, and that's why Arenas  receive additional attention. I'm a much bigger fan of BGs than I am of Arenas, so I am glad that the developer will attempt to rebalance their attention in my favor.  If only we could get a Tarren Mill vs Southshore style world PvP experience back into the game. Are you ready for a new BG, or are you more of an Arena fan?

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Blizzard announced today that Sam Raimi, perhaps best known for directing the Spiderman movies, has joined on to direct "Warcraft," the live-action World of Warcraft movie adaptation. This is the biggest news about the movie in the last two years. I, for one, am glad to hear that Uwe Boll won't be on board to ruin the movie. This doesn't mean the movie will be great (See Spiderman 3), it's just a solid step in the right direction. Hopefully we get some more information about the movie at Comic-Con or BlizzCon! Check out the full press release here:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – July 22, 2009 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures announced today that Sam Raimi has signed on to direct the eagerly-anticipated major motion picture based on Blizzard Entertainment®’s award-winning Warcraft® universe. Raimi has, in the course of his career, clearly demonstrated a genius for developing and adapting existing fictional universes for mainstream audiences while staying true to the spirit of the original content. Raimi directed the Spider-Man trilogy, which has broken box-office records around the world and garnered five Academy Award® nominations. Known for his imaginative filmmaking style, richly drawn characters and offbeat humor, Raimi wrote and directed the cult classic, The Evil Dead and produced 30 Days Of Night. He most recently wrote and directed the supernatural thriller, Drag Me To Hell. "At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," said Raimi. "I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen." Charles Roven’s producing talents were recently seen with last summer’s blockbuster The Dark Knight, which grossed in excess of $1 billion, was nominated for eight Academy Awards® and won two. His body of work also includes the widely acclaimed Batman Begins and the sci-fi classic 12 Monkeys. Roven, with Atlas producing partner Alex Gartner, will be producing with Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull, Legendary’s Chief Creative Officer Jon Jashni, Raimi and Raimi’s producing partner Joshua Donen. Raimi’s partner, Robert Tapert, will be an Executive Producer and Blizzard Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of Creative Development, Chris Metzen, a Co-Producer. "Partnering with Sam Raimi exemplifies Legendary's mandate of marrying the highest quality intellectual property to world-class filmmakers" said Legendary’s Tull. "Sam's passion for 'Warcraft' is undeniable and we know that he will create an incredible film worthy of Blizzard's phenomenal franchise. We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Warner Bros. and continuing our successful relationship with Chuck in bringing this rich new world to the screen." "Blizzard Entertainment and Legendary Pictures have a shared vision for this film and we searched at length to find the very best director to bring that vision to life," said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "From our first conversation with Sam, we could tell he was the perfect choice. Sam knows how to simultaneously satisfy the enthusiasts and the mainstream audience that might be experiencing that content for the first time. We're looking forward to working with him to achieve that here." "Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft has become a second home for millions of players and Sam’s experience and talent make him the perfect director for this remarkable and action-packed world," said Atlas’ Roven. "Alex and I are proud to be working with Sam and re-teaming with our friends at Legendary and Warner Bros." The film will fall under Legendary Pictures’ co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. "Warcraft is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which our studio is best known. We have enjoyed great success with our partners at Legendary, and this is an incredible opportunity for us to work with Sam on a project that is so eagerly anticipated by so many," said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft universe is a rich fantasy setting that revolves around the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994, Warcraft has developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products including novels, action figures, apparel, comic books, board games, and more. World of Warcraft®, Blizzard Entertainment’s subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King™, is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than 4 million in its first month. Further details about the upcoming Warcraft movie, including cast and targeted release date, will be revealed as development progresses.

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Even Hoover (And His Library) Is Worried Saying there has been a bit of speculation surrounding the next World of Warcraft expansion would be an understatement.  For months now players have been looking ahead even though we aren't even on the second content patch (of four).  Blizzard added fuel to the speculation fire when it was noticed that the company is trying to trademark the term "Cataclysm" for use in games and products.  The early July news sealed the deal for many players; BlizzCon 2009 will usher in the MMORPG's third expansion. What if that doesn't happen?  What if Blizzard jut sits on the company's figurative hands in 2009 instead of following up the Diablo III announcement?  Why bust in on Arthas' reign?  After all, he is the most popular villain in all of Warcraft.  What if the announcement turns out to be the in-the-works, hush-hush, this-isn't-the-MMORPG-you're-looking-for title we know they are working on?  What if, heaven forbid, no game is announced?  After all, they are already working on four games (and the expansion), two of which should be out "soon," Diablo III & StarCraft II.  Shouldn't they focus the marketing on those titles that are first in the schedule? Let's assume that Cataclysm isn't announced, or that it doesn't pertain to WoW.  What would that mean for our favorite MMORPG? Should things go down that way, I believe it could upset the disenfranchised players.  Judging by conversations with friends, guildmates and the comments here at PL, there appears to be many players at different stages of quitting.  Many are just enjoying the Summer, others are taking a break between patches, and some see Call of the Crusade as a lore-less filler patch with nothing for them.  If BlizzCon disappoints then these members may be "taking a break" a bit longer than the developers would like.  Should things go down that way we may see the subscription numbers drop for the first time.  Perhaps even below 5 million (China's 6 million are barred from WoW still)!  Unlikely, but scary. That's just one possible scenario.  To all the speculators out there I pose you this, what if...?

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