Preview: Wrath of the Lich King Content Patch Plans October 10, 2008

Blizz blue posters Tigole and Kalgan sat down with the legitimate WoW press on Thursday evening and let slip some details about what to expect — but not when — from content patches for Wrath of the Lich King.

 

Patch 3.1 will include the 10/25 man raid of Ulduar, which is set in the Storm Peaks of northern Northrend. I wouldn’t look for this patch to go Live under well into 2009 since there will be plenty keeping folks busy in the Naxxramas / Obsidian Sanctum / Malygos progression. Unless you’re Nihilum or Death & Taxes, you’ll probably have your hands full. I would expect the final boss to of the Ulduar raid to be Loken, a sort of “fallen” Titan or servant of the Titans.

 

Patch 3.2 will include a new raid instance that is currently a mystery. A mystery, eh Blizzard? Well, what area doesn’t feature a raid and can be tied into the lore of Northrend? Remember Warcraft III, The Frozen Throne, when Arthas had to harrow the lowest depths of the Azjol-Nerub to get to Icecrown? During his journey he was beset the the hideous Faceless Ones, servants of a vile creature who was unseen. I believe this entity is Yogg-Saron, an Old God alluded to in quests in the Grizzly Hills and Storm Peaks, and that this monstrosity will be the final encounter of this unannounced raid instance.

 

Patch 3.3 will reportedly bring Icecrown Citadel and “resolve” the Ashbringer storyline. Frankly, I really, really want to have an Ashbringer in my inventory. I’m a Retribution Paladin, and nothing could be more fitting. As to when you might expect to look forward to this patch, my guess would be sometime in the first half of 2010, judging by Blizzard’s past history in delivering content patches.

 

Also coming soon to a content patch near you: the dance studio, a feature announced at BlizzCon last year but presently missing from the beta. Blizzard’s goal with the dance studio is not just to add new dances, but rather to allow players to piece dance moves together to create their own unique dances. That sounds like a lot of work — don’t hold your breath for a release in 2008.

 

You know how I feel about Blizzard charging us 950g to learn how to fly all over again. Well, Blizzard claims they’ll have a way wherein players who don’t train (or re-train, if you will) flying at 77 when it’s available will be able to borrow a “temporary” mount to get from point A to point B. No idea how this works yet, since it’s not in Beta to my knowledge, but I guess it’ll be seen at Blizzcon this weekend.

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BlizzCon Getting Full Court Press From WoW Radio October 9, 2008

Didn’t manage to score tickets to BlizzCon? No, I didn’t either. Fear not! WoW Radio is on the job. Over the next several days they will be bringing us coverage until our ears bleed.

They are offering 6 streams, including mobile and high quality versions of both Panel Rooms. They will feature all panels and announcements, broadcast live via shoutcast audio, and made available for download as mp3 immediately after the fact. There will also be full studio coverage throughout the day with live shows from your favorite hosts, special guests and interviews. Will also be available as a download after the fact for those who miss it.

Bonus stuff that might not be available to the con-goer will include video interviews with personalities such as the stars of The Guild, prominent machinimators, community personalities, Blizzard staff and uber-guilds. Look for integrated Twitter support, updated in real-time, allowing listeners to easily see what’s coming up, any changes to the schedule, and when interviews will be available and streamed from the studio.

All your time are belong to us September 20, 2008

As per Wired, Bejeweled is coming to WoW.  Apparently someone got bored waiting for raid groups to coalesce and developed an addon that allowed them to play Bejeweled (er, “Besharded”) in game while waiting.

 

A black hole of time opening.

As Wired relates it, PopCap, maker of Bejeweled, noticed the app, and hired its creator to make an official version.  If the tale is true, the new time sink will appear in WoW this Thursday.

 

I have my doubts.  For one thing, it’s silly.  For another, WoW has always patched on Tuesday, never Thursday. For a third, no one has any word from Blizzard on the matter.

 

The weiner shall follow this as it develops.

“Blizzard Day” continues – Diablo before Starcraft? September 15, 2008

 

A cold day...

Joystiq is reporting that Diablo 3 may hit shelves before Starcraft 2.  The rumor comes from an inside-Blizz source who claims that only a very few people are left working on Starcraft.

 

I have to say that this seems unlikely.   I played Starcraft 2 at PAX, and it felt like a finished product. As Araan points out, the reason the game may have fewer staff is because it is almost done. On the other hand, Blizzard says that Diablo 3 has been in development for over four years already, so it could be ready to go.

 

The weiner will follow.