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Blizzard Hints At New StarCraft, Launches Burning Crusade
Posted by
Zonk
on Tue Jan 16, 2007 09:17 AM
from the you-may-have-heard-of-them dept.
from the you-may-have-heard-of-them dept.
Game Developer Blizzard Entertainment's long-anticipated expansion to World of Warcraft has gone live. Initial impressions are ... not available, since all 8 million players are currently in the Outlands. I'll take that to mean the servers for the most part have not melted yet. At a Burning Crusade launch party, a Blizzard exec revealed we may see a new StarCraft game very soon. But today is all about WoW. If you're not playing, and want to live vicariously, check out WarCry's extensive preview of the expansion or take a peek inside the Collector's Edition. You could read designer Jeff Kaplan's comments on new features at FiringSquad, or Shane Dibiri's talk of inspiration at Next Generation. One new expansion a year, eh? Some folks are already looking to the future where we probably won't see WoW on consoles, but may see it with security dongles. 0.1% of the Earth's population can't all be wrong.
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WoW Burning Crusade Delayed until January 2007 290 comments
Wowzer writes "Blizzard today announced that the release date for World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, the first expansion for World of Warcraft, is delayed until January 2007. From the article: 'By adding a few extra weeks to the development cycle beyond its original target date, Blizzard will be able to extend the closed beta test and further refine the new content that will ship with the game.' While disappointing now, what will this mean for the yearly WoW expansions long term? As Blizzard COO Paul Sams revealed plans in August that 'Starting with The Burning Crusade, every year thereafter we plan on bringing out a new expansion set.' 2008, 2009, ad infinitum?"
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WoW Expansion Sells 2.4 Million, New MMOG Planned 161 comments
Computer and Videogames is reporting that 2.4 Million copies of Burning Crusade were sold on the first day of retail sales. Those numbers are just for North American and the EU, too, which totally discounts any sales the box may have had in Asian markets. Even without our eastern brethren, that number pretty much destroys every other launch-day sales number for a PC game. Meanwhile, the same gent that teased us with the next StarCraft game has tossed out this bone as well: Blizzard's next MMOG 'won't be another WoW'. From the article: "'When we announce our next MMORPG it's not going to be another WOW--we're not a company that tends to tread the same ground,' he told British film magazine Empire. 'It'll be something innovative and new that really brings entertainment to another level.' American Blizzard reps declined to expand on Bassat's comments, although the fact that the company began hiring real-time strategy developers last summer might offer a clue." So ... another Blizzard MMOG. Huh.
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The Evolution of StarCraft 89 comments
Ars Technica's Opposable Thumbs blog links to a piece chock full of gaming history. The StarCraft Legacy site offers up a historical record of the evolution of StarCraft . Written back in 2004, it is still relevant today. A game title that, lo these many years later, not only has an avid cult following but may be the most popular sport in South Korea is something you want to keep in mind. We may even hear word of a sequel this year. The piece runs down the numerous changes the game underwent, from the ugly alpha days through to the upheaval of Brood War (damned Lurkers). Tidbits like this make the article well worth checking out: "The game made a weak first impression at [E3], and it received much criticism. There were many remarks that the game looked too much like 'Orcs in space.' When Blizzard came back from E3 that year, they decided to scrap the idea. Their decision? 'Let's step it up a little more, let's revamp the engine, let's do more than what we're showing. We can't do Orcs in space.' Thus, StarCraft was reborn. The basics of the Warcraft II engine were still used, but more work was being put into the design and programming."
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I'd have gotten first post... (Score:5, Funny)
Tag line from the theatrical trialer: (Score:5, Informative)
Your servers are not prepared!!
Serious aside: once you get your copy, there is no need to run the installer from the discs. All you need is the key to upgrade your account using the provided key—you already have all the content as of the 2.0 patch series. If you run the installer, it rolls your local copy back to 2.0.3, and once you start the game, you would go through two patch cycles back to 2.0.5. Save yourself some time and just upgrade your account directly at https://upgrade.worldofwarcraft.com/expansion/ [worldofwarcraft.com].
Grammar lobe broken. (Score:5, Funny)
Brain not working. Late night last. Up, leveling new Blood Elf. Damned if they are not the gayest video game characters ever.
Scrunchie? Scrunchie? Scrunchie!?
Parent
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Re:Tag line from the theatrical trialer: (Score:5, Informative)
Oh and blizz sent out a load of duff CDs (many people can't read CD4) and they sent out the wrong keys with the collectors edition so you can't get the 'exclusive' content unless you take a pair of scissors to your box and send bits of it to an address in France...
Parent
Re:Tag line from the theatrical trialer: (Score:5, Informative)
And yes, you can play the non-TBC regions with a normal unupgraded client even if you have activated TBC.
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Outlands fun? Think again. (Score:5, Informative)
Plan B: grind in Winterspring.
Re:Outlands fun? Think again. (Score:4, Informative)
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Re:Outlands fun? Think again. (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Outlands fun? Think again. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Outlands fun? Think again. (Score:4, Informative)
So yes, it's crazy... but it's not frustrating. And some of it is truly spectacular... the bombing runs are some of the most (solo) fun I've had in WoW in ages.
The Raven
Parent
Sweet, sweet freedom! (Score:5, Insightful)
You have no idea how glad I am that I finally don't care about this story. I uninstalled the game last weekend, and I've moved the CDs to my "never gonna play that game again" spindle in the back of my closet.
That's one addiction that I'll never regret kicking.
If your characters still exist... (Score:5, Funny)
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Ask them how many crypt thing legs they've gotten on the way to the 1200 (gotten ~20 per trip into an instance) to get the 30 tokens needed to buy the stuff from the faction person *AFTER* you've killed the 1000s of mobs to get the faction to actually buy i
Re:Sweet, sweet freedom! (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
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Wait, you are reading slashdot right?
One New Expansion per Year?? (Score:2, Informative)
Now they are promising 1x expansion every year?
Well, I guess that ensures everyone that they won't have a life for years to come.
Gender observation. (Score:5, Funny)
For the first time ever, World of Warcraft players meet in public. In real life. This allowed us to collect some interesting data about the demographics. Out of nearly 50 people standing around the EB Games where I picked up my copy, I think four were girls. Just saying. Something to think about next time you /flirt.
Re:Gender observation. (Score:5, Funny)
If you only think they were girls, then I'm not terribly excited about them.
Parent
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BE male gayness. (Score:4, Funny)
On a scale from average metrosexual to Richard Simmons, I would say Blood Elf males are somewhere around Tom Cruise, bordering on 80s Depeche Mode.
Parent
Re:Gender observation. (Score:5, Funny)
I was a little surprised... Or maybe I shouldn't have been.
The people standing behind me were SO obviously methheads (gaunt face, bleeding gums, rotting out teeth). There was one kid that was about 12 in there with his mother picking up a copy (wtf? On a school night? I hope to hell when my daughter's 12 I never lose my intelligence and find myself buying a game at 12 midnight with her on a school night!)
The rest of the people were semi-normal - but about half of those looked like they could've used some personal hygiene lessons *grin*.
I'm thinking it was the horde release location...
Parent
Finally.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Best line from the review: (Score:3, Insightful)
"All in all, this is more of the same ... "
I have to tell you all that I absolutely hate this game. It is annoying and tedious ... and no I don't wanna join your bloody guild!
'Security Dongles' (Score:4, Interesting)
So, is this the first time in the history of dongles that the 'security' provided by the dongle is for the USER and not the company? -boggle-
I actually think this is a great idea, IF it's optional. Example:
You buy New-RPG. You install New-RPG and plug in the dongle. At that point, you have the option to create a username and password, or use the dongle as your authentication mechanism. Later, if you want to change, you simply insert the dongle and go to the config and change it. (Needed to enable AND disable, for obvious reasons.)
If (huge IF) I ever write an online game, I'm going to seriously consider this. I tend towards 'free' games, so I'd probably make it write the authentication to a USB drive.
Thoughts: Lost/broken USB drive? Any backup means I can think of is another backdoor for a 'hacker'. (I use that term loosely.)
Copied auth data? Use the hardware ID of the USB drive as part of the auth?
Hacked executable to send any auth data they wish? Troublesome.
At any rate, I'm astonished at the thought of a dongle actually protecting the user instead of the company.
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Yes, this is a great idea. +5, Fantastic.
I do not have a Warcrack account but my partner does. I am terrified that her machine will get a keylogger on it and some "gold farmer" will
Burning Crusade flu? (Score:5, Funny)
I have two employees, both WoW players, who are out today with "the flu" (of course they both picked up their copies of BC at midnight and didn't come down with their illness until 4 or 5am...). ;)
Anyone else have a similar situation?
I have crossed through (Score:3, Interesting)
I preordered my copy of the Burning Crusade, and showed up at the store at about 10:30 (I was the 5th person there). I spoke to the fine people of Taverncast [taverncast.com], chatted with other gamers about raid strategies, and shuffled around as we formed Alliance and Horde cliques (not really on that last one). After I got my copy at 12:01 (it payed to show up early. There were about ~200 people behind me in line) I rushed home and installed.
I must say, the process was amazingly smooth. I had no delay upgrading my account, and although the client required a patch out of the box, the patch files were already downloaded. Last weekend, my guild transferred over to the new Sisters of Elune server, and it's held up incredibly well. I played from midnight to 6 AM, and there were no crashes or lag spikes.
As for the content, my guildies and I ran through the dark portal and started questing around Hellfire peninsula. Immediately, we were greeted with the beautiful, surreal vista of Hellfire peninsula, where a massive battle is being waged between Alliance and Horde forces in uneasy truce against the Burning Legion (with hordes of demons and giant mechs called Fel Reavers). This conflict feels very dynamic and intense (partly because the front has just opened), but the scale of warfare on Hellfire peninsula really puts all the ongoing "battles" in Azeroth to shame. Within the first hour or two, you'll have the opportunity to sabotage the Legion war machine and fly an armored Gryphon (or I assume a Wyvern if you're Horde) on a bombing run (which is extremely fun). Obviously, I haven't had a chance to try out new raids or venture beyond Hellfire peninsula, but so far, Burning Crusade is gorgeous, massive, and intense. Good job, Blizzard!
WoW Stand-alone Hardware? Why not? (Score:3, Interesting)
Why doesn't Blizzard just make their own hardware? The ultimate dongle is a single game console. Cheap enough to capture an entirely new market, and since it's really the per month payments they want they can cut the price. Plug in your ethernet and a USB keyboard/mouse/joystick and away you go.
I know Blizzard isn't a hardware company, but this seems like an obvious "Apple"-esc move.
A new Starcraft? Great, I guess... (Score:4, Interesting)
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Crazy.
You know, and this is just a wild stab in the dark... maybe the quality of their games is because they only... no... no, that's crazy talk. I mean, EA develops tons of games at once, and their quality is...
Hmm.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Sort of like: why strive for one 10/10, when you can ship two 9/10's?
Masters of Orion 2 (Score:4, Insightful)
2008 if they rushed every aspect (Score:5, Insightful)
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None of those had monthly fees; Blizzard has a history of delaying games in order to ensure that their customers get the best product available. Don't be so quick to assume the delay of Burning Crusade is just a conspiracy to milk more mone
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Re:Starcraft? Dongles? (Score:4, Insightful)
The idea isn't to prevent piracy, but to provide some means of more secure authentication because people are getting their accounts "hacked" where "hacked" means they had an easily guessed username and password, or their machine is riddled with trojans and someone captured their password.
Parent
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For the next 3-4 years, sure. WoW is probably enjoying its popularity peak around now. You remember Everquest, and how it looked like nothing would ever topple it, and how much money Sony was making off each expansion? Look at the mess Sony's in now; Everquest 2 did fairly poorly (compared to the original), Planetside was a near-disaster in MMO terms and SWG keeps getting redesigned in an attempt to appeal to people more.
MMOs d
Other platforms. (Score:2)
Mac OS X client?
I guess they don't want a "challenge" (Score:3, Insightful)
I could never understand the fascination with PvP in MMORPGs, let alone "white servers" where people go PvP on a whim, till I realized they don't want a challenge, they want to win. "Real challenge" - sheesh, if they wanted one they wouldn't be doing PvP in a MMORPG!
As far as Eve goes, yea
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Re:.1% of earth? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
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Re:Somehow, I just don't care (Score:5, Informative)
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