Blizzard has spoken
There are times when working for a huge news company like CNN has some really great benefits for a nerd. For example: I get to sit at work and watch things like the live stream of BlizzCon 2011!
BlizzCon is Blizzard Entertainment's convention. At BlizzCon, the company makes product announcements and celebrated with the fans: 26,000 people at BlizzCon in Anaheim, California and another 60,000 people witht virtual tickets, watching the convention TV and computers.
Blizzard Entertainment usually makes their yearly "Big Announcement" at the opening ceremonies for BlizzCon, and this year they did not disappoint!
Full discloser: I am a long time "World of Warcraft" player and I also play "Starcraft 2." That's why I was really excited to find out the big BlizzCon news.
First, they got the crowd warmed up with information like:
• $2.7 Million donated to Make a Wish and Japan Tsunami relief
• Brazillian WoW port released in December
• Every WoW player in the world is now playing the same version of the game, and that hasn't happened since the Burning Crusade expansion that came out in 2007
Then Mike Morhaime, president and CEO of Blizzard dropped the bomb: "World of Warcraft" players will get the game "Diablo 3" for free! Blizzard announced an annual subscription model for WoW and with that players will get a electronic download of "Diablo 3" on the day it launches. Annual subscribers will also get a WoW in-game item: a new mount called "Tyrael's Charger." Additionally, annual subscribers will get access to the beta test of the next WoW expansions.
Speaking of the next expansion, Chris Metzen, the vice president of Creative Development for Blizzard said it will be called "World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria" and it will be the fourth expansion to the game.
It will include:
• New talent system
• Pandaren race (yea that’s a Panda!)
• The region of Pandaria opens
• New Monk class
• Level cap raised to 90
• Dungeon challenge mode
• PVE Scenarios
• Pet Battle System
Well folks, I am stoked! I plan on becoming an annual subscriber not only for "Diablo 3," but I personally love the in-game items Blizzard gives us. And after seeing the trailer for the expansion to WoW, I cannot wait to play a Panda as a Monk!
Over the weekend we will probably learn more about this expansion and news for there other two games Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3.
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Great stuff you got here
The Blee approves of Panda goodness. The Blee also approves of skinning Ghostcrawler alive and making crispy Dev rind chips by deep frying his skin. Mmm. The Blee likes this idea. OOC: Hi there, I am the infamously awesome player behind Blee, the undead warlock baby eating paladin licking oddness who is famous on Moon Guard. Well... Was, I too got bored and took a break, not sure if anyone still remembers me. It's been a couple months. I quit after playing around a bit with Cata. I personally like the fact that they are still able to keep things fresh by adding to the storyline... But they need to stop screwing with the class systems... I miss the days when being a level 60/70 actually meant something... Now it's just mindless gaming. So sad...
wow, i was a fan of W3 and i played wow for 3 years (until i was banned). i was a huge fan of the lore, but the awsomeness that is WOW is being derailed... i never trully liked the gameplay, but i was loyal because of the lore... now panda/monk/steamed dumplings are a major part of the lore... its official, ive lost intrest in warcraft... its sad really, burning crusade was their peak, and it all went down hill from there...
Nothing wrong with Monks, but Pandas??? Hahahahahhah!!! I feel soo sorry for you WoW gamers, seriously I do. I was hooked on all sorts of games back in the day that just slowly destroyed themselves from the inside out by adding in horrible expansion packs. While I've never played WoW, I do believe this "Panda-land" will be the death knell. Sorry WoW gamers. But don't fret, TONS of great games coming out soon. Skyrim looks incredible.
Pandas... what a train-wreck the once Mighty Blizzard has become. Activision has sucked the gaming soul from them and reduced the company to nothing more than a husk of it's former greatness.
-800k subs and many more to come. Goodbye and thanks for the memories.
I'd rather be playing Eve!
I agree with Big Mike. This panda garbage was the last thing I needed to convince me to jump ship, especially with Skyrim and SWKotOR coming. WoW has gone as far as it can, it seems.
I've always thought WoW was a little cartoonish for my tastes but that doesn't mean it's a bad business model. Far from it, in most places around the country subscribers to World of Warcraft pay less each month to play that game than they would for a single ticket and a bucket of popcorn at the movie theatre. There are something like nine million people around the world who pay month after month to play that game in any of its incarnations, so people can rag on it all they want while the executives at Blizzard laugh their way to the bank.
That being said, the Diablo franchise epitomizes the treasure/level grind while set against a very different, much darker and more compelling backdrop, in a world that perfectly captures the essence of horror and fantasy blended into one. The setting of Sanctuary is an incredible piece of gaming fiction and I can't wait for the new installment.
I've had a forced hiatus from WoW for most of this year. It has let me get some distance and hear about other MMOs, especially Rift. This panda announcement has cemented my decision to just wait for SWTOR and jump in with both feet. Blizzard has reached the point that SoE did when they changed their game to "EasyQuest".
Bye Bye Blizzard...you lost me with the disaster that is Cata...
Can't wait for The Old Republic...Hurry up Bioware!
Blizzard has jumped the shark with this one. So sad... I've been playing since '05.
Thank you Moe, I was going to say something along those lines. Seriously, WoW is for 8th graders when you are ready to graduate then roll some toons in EQ2. Especially considering that EQ isn't going to make you buy each module seperately.
Holy cow, an EQ2 player?? Where can I get his tmie machine? Dude, when you go back, buy Google! It's really going to take off!
Pandas and Monks... welcome to World of EverQuest... Sorry all you wow fanbois... but WoW has been and always will be a watered down version of EQ aimed at the mindless half-wits of the gaming world who want everything and anything as fast as they can get it with as little to no effort involved in obtaining it. you will forever and always live in the shadow of EQ/EQ2 no matter how big you get.
Blizzard, you have truly lost your way...