Filed under: News items

Alliance get first community unlockable from Darkmoon Faire

by Mathew McCurley Nov 19th 2010 at 8:00PM

The Alliance have unlocked the first community prize from Blizzard's Cataclysm ramp up site, The Darkmoon Faire: Your Fortune Awaits. Visitors to the site choose a faction and "Like" certain pages on Facebook in order to earn points for their respective side. The Alliance, with 11%, have unlocked a video interview with Gary Platner, the leader environment artist on World of Warcraft. Head over to the Fortune website to check out the video.

Update: The Horde has also unlocked their first community video, an interview with Jesse McCree, the lead level designer for World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion (available Dec. 7, 2010), from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Premiering tonight: AFK film offers laughs, epic gaming scenes

by Dawn Moore Nov 19th 2010 at 2:00PM

Tonight is the premiere of /afk, a short film that tells the story of a single WoW player with a dream to solo Onxyia before he quits the game for good. Earlier this week, WoW Insider spoke with Benjamin Dressler, the director of /afk, and got the scoop on some of the origins of the film. Today, I'll be following up that interview with a review of the film and a few more words from Dressler on the more detailed aspects of the production.

/afk is a short comedy that combines live-action footage with in-game animation and machinima. The story follows Piet (Martin Schnuerch), a student whose parents want him to take control of his life and break his gaming habit. He is unwittingly submitted to counseling, where he meets with the brutally honest psychiatrist (Eva Spott.) Piet is cooperative to an extent, telling his in-game friend Nippi (Bill Dean) early on that he intends to quit the game, but as the story progresses, it's apparent that he's very torn on the matter. He questions whether he is addicted and what he wants to do with his life.

To make the decision harder on him, Piet has always wanted to solo Onxyia in the game and liken himself to a mythical dragonslayer, like Beowulf or Siegfried, a task he has not yet fulfilled. The film takes place during Piet's final days in the game, when he spends his time with friends and preparing for his face-off with the dragon.

Update: /afk is now available for viewing.

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, News items, Interviews

Darkmoon Faire site announced to herald the Cataclysm

by Michael Gray Nov 19th 2010 at 1:00PM

Blizzard today released a new website modeled after the Darkmoon Faire, presumably to herald the coming Cataclysm. You can get your fate cards read by a grizzly fortune teller and unlock content for your faction by Sharing and Liking stuff on your favorite social network. Check out the official announcement, and definitely check out the Darkmoon Faire site itself.

The ground trembles beneath your feet and sinister cultists speak of impending doom. Loved ones have gone missing and the appearance of angered elementals only adds to the confusion. What does the future hold for Azeroth's heroes? What fortune awaits within Sayge's cards? Visit the Darkmoon Faire and shed light on these mysteries.

Join the ranks of the Horde or the Alliance by taking the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm personality test. Gain insight into your destiny by answering a series of questions that probe into your inner workings and draw fortune's cards to catch a glimpse of the future.

By "Liking" and "Sharing" content on the site, taking the personality test, and submitting original images or videos to our contests, you can help unlock exclusive content for the Horde or Alliance!

source

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Wrath experience needed to level reduced by 20%

by Mathew McCurley Nov 18th 2010 at 10:00PM

Blizzard has just announced that the leveling experience from 71 to 80 has just gotten a bit quicker -- 20 percent quicker, to be exact. As with The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm will reduce the amount of experience needed to progress through the previous expansion's content by 20 percent. Good news for all of you who were dreading the slog through Northrend one more time on your new patch 4.0.3a race/class combos!

4.0.3a: What is in it, what is not.

Good thread, Sammew. Aside from content, also included in the upcoming patch are several class balance changes and bug fixes. Due to several talent revisions for select classes, druids, paladins, priests, and shaman will have their talent trees reset.

Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 is being reduced by 20%.

You'll also get the Cataclysm introductory cinematic and new login screen.

source

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Official forums are now read-only

by Mathew McCurley Nov 18th 2010 at 9:30PM

The official forums have gone read-only as promised, effectively shutting them down. The new forums, over at the new World of Warcraft community site, are your new go-to forums.

If there are any threads you loved, discussions you cherished, and anything memorable you wish to keep, it would be best to save those now. The forums are staying read-only until the end of the month, and then they are going away forever. End of an era ...

Forums going read-only

These forums will remain read-only until the end of the month, after which they and all of their posts will be removed ... forever! If you have any posts, information, stickies, etc. that you'd like to keep you'll want to have finished saving it before then.

We've all enjoyed the past few years on these forums, and look forward to creating many more with you on the new community site. See you there!

source

Filed under: News items

Steelseries introduces new SHIFT key set for MMOs

by Mathew McCurley Nov 18th 2010 at 8:00PM

Steelseries, creators of the SHIFT keyboard (the next generation of the ZBoard), has just announced that it will soon offer a key set specifically for MMO players. We have already seen the Cataclysm-specific licensed product; my impressions from BlizzCon of that keyboard are here. Everything on the keyboard is customizable, which is great and might be a better alternative to the Cataclysm keyboard for people who play multiple MMOs.

When I was at BlizzCon, I asked myself a couple of times why Steelseries doesn't actually have a generic MMO key set for the SHIFT -- but then I quickly remembered we were at BlizzCon, mecca for all things Blizzard, and I realized it might not be the ideal place to show it off. Now, however, it is here, and it looks pretty neat. We don't have a date on its availability yet, but the price of the key set should run around $24.99 (SHIFT keyboard sold separately, natch). Check out Steelseries' website for more details.

Also, for those curious readers sending me emails about the mechanical Steelseries 6Gv2 that I picked up after BlizzCon, wanting my impressions after using the keyboard for a few weeks? Love it.

Filed under: News items

Daily quest gold rewards slashed

by Michael Sacco Nov 18th 2010 at 5:00PM

Though we're not quite sure why, gold rewards for daily quests have been cut by 50 percent or more across the board. The 7g40s total we're getting now for level 80 dailies is roughly what we would be getting for completing the quests were we not level-capped, so it's possible that all of the patch 4.0.3 goings-on accidentally flipped some invisible switch saying "all them guys is under the level cap now." But we have no idea!

In the meantime, your pre-Cataclysm daily quest farming income has been cleft in twain. You'll probably be forced into a life of crime just to make ends meet, but it's not your fault. The recession hit us all pretty hard.

UPDATE: Now we're sure why! Blizzard says it's a bug. Thanks, commenters!

Filed under: News items

World of Warcraft turns 6, but no free pet to be awarded

by Fox Van Allen Nov 17th 2010 at 3:00PM

World of Warcraft turns 6 years old next week, and just like in 2008 and 2009, players who log in during the anniversary celebration will be awarded a feat of strength. Blue poster Daxxarri broke the news yesterday night on the official forums:

World of Warcraft's 6th Anniversary!

World of Warcraft turns six on November 23rd, 2010! It's been a truly incredible six years, and we'd like to thank you all for joining us on this momentous occasion. To celebrate, players that log into the game between the dates of November 30th and December 14th will receive a feat of strength added to their Achievements. We look forward to another great year ahead and many more to come!

source

But what about that free anniversary pet?

Filed under: News items

Patch 4.0.3a, The Shattering, is up on the PTR

by Mathew McCurley Nov 17th 2010 at 2:00PM

Deathwing returns on the public test realm as patch 4.0.3a, "The Shattering" that will change Azeroth forever, is live on the PTR and labeled as "release." With great knowledge such as this comes great speculation -- when will The Shattering arrive?

It is entirely possible that The Shattering could take place next Tuesday the 23rd, as Blizzard has said that the time between events and phases in the elemental invasion are progressing at a faster pace. Another option is that The Shattering will take place one week before Cataclysm's launch, on the 30th, giving players one full week to experience the new content, race/class combos, and new world.

We can only wait and hope that this day comes sooner than later. My undead hunter and troll druid are itching to be made.

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Blizzard releases new Cataclysm preview: Tol Barad

by Anne Stickney Nov 16th 2010 at 5:00PM

Blizzard has released another zone preview -- this time, it's the world PvP zone of Tol Barad, otherwise known as Cataclysm's Wintergrasp. Located off the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, Tol Barad is a strategic point for both Alliance and Horde, making it a highly sought-after piece of property. Some highlights from the preview:

Tol Barad is not only an open PvP zone; it's also a daily quest hub.
Unlike Wintergrasp, Tol Barad won't have a Tenacity mechanic. Instead, players will be matched up at a 1:1 ratio, with a maximum of 80 players allowed in the zone.
Much like Eye of the Storm, players will have to claim three keeps around the zone. Unlike Eye, if a player dies while defending a tower, that will directly affect the slider bar, moving it in favor of the opposing faction. So stay alive!
Winning Tol Barad opens a raid, just like Wintergrasp. The Tol Barad raid takes place in Baradin Hold.
And of course there are reputation rewards, including two brand new mounts with a ghostly look.

Check out the full post by Zarhym for more details, screenshots and information -- and check out our gallery of Tol Barad, below, for a closer look at the new zone.

Gallery: Cataclysm Beta: Tol Barad

Filed under: News items, PvP, Cataclysm

Patch 4.0.3 released, no patch notes, no game changes yet

by Mathew McCurley Nov 16th 2010 at 11:00AM

Patch 4.0.3 has been released and is available for download through the launcher. The patch is about 700MB and prepares World of Warcraft for patch 4.0.3a, The Shattering. At this time, we do not have updated patch notes, but will be updating with them as soon as they become available. Here is what you need to know, in handy bullet-point format.

Patch 4.0.3 is available for download.
The patch is about 700MB.
Zones and the world are not changing with this patch.
No new race/class combos become active with this patch.
This patch is preparing for patch 4.0.3a, The Shattering, which still does not have a release date, but is expected soon.
Deathy, the BlizzCon 2010 exclusive pet, will have his correct animations and emotes.

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Tuesday Morning Post: Elemental extended maintenance edition

by Daniel Whitcomb Nov 16th 2010 at 5:00AM

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. We're barreling headlong into the Cataclysm opening event, including fighting in the cities, so if you've been lax in logging on, now might be a good time to start. After all, there's loot and achievements to be had, and stuff.

That said, you won't be able to log on for a bit this morning, as the servers are going down for extended maintenance from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST. Personally, I'm blaming this on the fire elementals. I bet they got into the hardware. Luckily, we got your back with lots of good stuff to read from the past week while we wait for the servers to come back up. Keep it right here with us, and we'll get through the downtime withdrawal together, I promise. We have our usual list of hot topics and useful guides below.

Filed under: Realm Status, News items

Blizzard giving 7 days of free play to lapsed accounts

by Anne Stickney Nov 15th 2010 at 6:00PM

Cataclysm is fast approaching, and Blizzard is offering seven days of free play to lapsed subscriptions in preparation for the upcoming expansion. Players who have quit the game are being offered this seven-day promotion via email, and although it hasn't been mentioned on the official site, the email and the promotion are both completely legit. The full text of the email is as follows:

Claim your 7 free days of game time!

The earth-shattering rage of Deathwing will soon be released upon the lands of Azeroth. Return to the battlefields with 7 days of FREE game time! Simply click below to claim your time and prepare for Cataclysm ... but act fast, as this offer will expire on Dec 1st, 2010.

Prepare for Cataclysm™, the next expansion to World of Warcraft®, whose features include:

Two New Playable Races – Adventure as one of two new races: the feral worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.

Classic Zones Remade – Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens.

Flying Mounts in Azeroth – Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before!

Level Cap Increased to 85 – Experience new quests and dungeons as you seize ever greater abilities and tap into new talents!

New High-Level Zones – Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj'ir beneath the sea.

Guild Advancement – Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.

Archaeology – Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.

New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds – Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.

And much more...

We look forward to seeing you back in Azeroth.

- The World of Warcraft Team

This game time is only valid for inactive accounts, rather than accounts that are set up with a paid subscription, according to blue poster Harlsoco. As with any email claiming to be official, though, it is recommended that players log into their Battle.net accounts and check their Account Management page to verify the promotion rather than clicking any email links, just to avoid any possible hacking attempts.

If you've taken a break from Azeroth, check your email -- you may have a free week to get back into the swing of things before Cataclysm's launch.

Filed under: News items, Cataclysm

Pre-Black Friday: Amazon offers The Burning Crusade free with WoW purchase

by Mathew McCurley Nov 15th 2010 at 5:00PM

As part of its Prelude to Black Friday Deals Week, Amazon.com is offering The Burning Crusade for free to people who purchase World of Warcraft through the website. Right now, The Burning Crusade is retailing for $29.82 at Amazon, so if you're looking to get that for free, pick up a $19.75 copy of WoW. That's a pretty damn good deal, especially for people getting into the new Cataclysm leveling experience that will be free for all vanilla WoW players.

Check out Amazon's Prelude to Black Friday deal here.

Filed under: News items, The Burning Crusade

Cataclysm playable at midnight PST Dec. 7, no matter how you buy it

by Daniel Whitcomb Nov 15th 2010 at 9:00AM

Here's a bit of sad news for all WoW players not lucky enough to live on the west coast: Blizzard CM Bashiok has announced that the official Cataclysm start time for all North American servers will be Dec. 7 at midnight PST. This will include servers on other time zones. So, sorry eastern time people. You may be able to pick up your copies of the game at midnight EST, but you'll have to wait a few hours for the west coast to catch up before you play.

The full announcement is as follows:

Bashiok

Wondering exactly what time you'll be able to begin playing your goblin or worgen or making your way to level 85? On all North American realms, World of Warcraft players who upgrade to Cataclysm will be able to begin experiencing the new content at 12 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) on December 7, whether they purchase the digital download through Battle.net or buy a physical retail boxed version in stores. Players will not be able to access Cataclysm expansion content prior to 12 a.m. PST, regardless of how they upgrade or what time zone they're located in.

source

Filed under: Realm Status, Blizzard, News items, Cataclysm

Countdown to Cataclysm Release

18 Days

WoW Insider Show

Subscribe via iTunes for our latest show.

Hot Topics

WoW Insider Social Links

Put WoW Insider headlines on your site
Follow WoW Insider on Twitter
Find us on Facebook

Upcoming Events

Event	Date
Call to Arms: Isle of Conquest	11/12-11/15
Call to Arms: Arathi Basin	11/19-11/22
Pilgrim's Bounty	11/21-11/27
Call to Arms: Eye of the Storm	11/26-11/29
Call to Arms: Alterac Valley	12/3 - 12/6
Darkmoon Faire: Elwynn Forest	12/5-12/11
Cataclysm	12/7
Call to Arms: Warsong Gulch	12/10-12/13
Feast of Winter Veil	12/15-1/2
Call to Arms: Strand of the Ancients	12/17- 12/20