World of Warcraft

Wrath of the Lich King dungeons have 10- and 25-person versions

Isaac C. — 2008-05-11T09:13:06-07:00

Whoa, we've really been laying it on thick with Wrath of the Lich King updates, but we know you guys want more. This update talks about the new raid dungeon scheme that Blizzard will employ in the upcoming expansion.

Ever missed out on some of the dungeons in World of Warcraft because the required party needs more people than you can convince to join you? WotLK provides an answer: all raid dungeons will have both 10- and 25-person versions.

At level 80, ever major encounter and boss fight is open with a group of ten. The difference with the 10- and 25-person versions is that the larger group will earn more higher-level rewards. Aside from this, both versions should play out similarly.

Pretty nice eh? No more waiting for hours on end just to get a party going. Check back for more Wrath of the Lich King updates.

Blizzard: New models for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Jay P. — 2008-05-11T06:13:33-07:00

Recently, we've been featuring numerous updates on World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Given this case, chances are you might be eager to know more about what can be expected from the expansion itself.

Not to worry. Blue poster Nethaera replied to a post made by Gibbson from the Mug'thol realm regarding the new models that he saw on the trailer video of the game. he said that we was unimpressed with what he saw.

Well, the response made by Blizzard QA Nethaera is something that you guys could believe in. After all, she's working with the people behind the MMO. This was what she said regarding the models:

There will be new models, updated models, models that look familiar etc. Remember, it's all a part of Azeroth and there are often variations of familiar creatures from other regions that may have adapted to the northern reaches.

We're working to create variation both in the terrain and in the creatures you encounter, but there is no doubt that some familiarity will be there as well.

This is certainly good news to fans of the game. We promise to give you guys the heads up whenever we get the latest news on the game.

Grand theft gyrocopter: Wrath of the Lich King to introduce vehicles into game

Victor B. — 2008-05-11T05:28:29-07:00

There's more information coming in regarding Blizzard's World of Warcraft, and this time, the news is on the possibility of vehicles making it into the game.

As it happens, Eurogamer got a sneak peek at the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, and they mentioned some notable things about vehicles on the second page of their hands-on article.

Apparently, Wrath's introduction of vehicles is meant for specific missions (such as PvP battles) rather than free use. As Eurogamer reports,

Both it and the battleground will also show off the new vehicle technology, which introduces physics and handling characteristics - including inertia, turning circle, grip and suspension bounce - to land and airborne vehicles and special mounts. It also allows for up to eight passengers per vehicle, and brings up bespoke action bars and skills for vehicle and turret operators. It was intended to be used solely for PVP siege weapons - Dwarven steam tanks, Forsaken plague spreaders and Orc demolishers.

The developers also noted some other intriguing uses for the vehicular technology they're implementing, as Eurogamer also mentioned that the quest designers wanted to implement

...crazy vehicle quests that are an exponential evolution of Burning Crusade's bombing runs - throwing flaming oil at Worgen from horseback, airlifting supplies in a gyrocoptor, and yes, mammoth wrangling. We also see tanks and parachutes, and there's even talk of allowing players to take a passenger on regular ground or flying mounts.

All in all, it sounds as if the amount of fun players will be having with these quests will depend on how the new vehicles handle, as well as the connection speed you happen to have when traipsing around in a steam tank. Either way, the implementation of vehicles looks to be a welcome addition to Wrath of the Lich King.

Blizzard's J. Brack Allen on the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion

Charles D. — 2008-05-10T14:23:32-07:00

Lately, there's been a flood of information regarding the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion for Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Lead Producer J. Allen Brack recently shared some of his thoughts on the new expansion and how its contents will supplement the already massive gameplay elements in the main game.

Many players were actually thankful with stepping back into the boots of the more traditional high fantasy setting of WotLK. Brack then mentioned that even the cosmetic looks of weapons will be reverted back to its more realistic versions, doing away with the more shiny and glowy effects seen from previous patches.

Another important topic that was discussed was the availability of (or lack thereof) flying mounts once adventurers reach Northrend. Brack mentioned that a new quest or trainer will be created, which will allow players to unlock their flying mounts at level 77. He mentioned that there will even be new flying mounts to choose from once they reach this particular part of the game.

However, flying mounts will still be banned outside these areas, with players having to rely on more conventional means to get around. Brack explained that much of the old world was not designed for flight and will need a lot of reworking for it to be even possible.

On the other hand, many new zones will be introduced that will surely entice many players. For instance, the introduction of the Sholazar Basin will bring back many nostalgic memories of the old Un'Goro Crater zone with its many scintillating sights.

One of Brack's personal favorite zones would have to be DragonBlight, the place where dragons are born. The idea of the Lich King coming and raising the bones of dragons to create his army of Frost Wyrms and Lich Dragons is both a scary and exhilarating thought.

With all the upcoming content from the new expansion, everything definitely seems to be shaping up in becoming one of the most exciting releases from Blizzard since Burning Crusade. There will surely be more news in the coming months as the development of Wrath of the Lich King continues, so stick around and make sure to check back in with us from time to time.

WoW forums: Blizzard shares thoughts on the numbers of new Death Knights

David T. — 2008-05-10T06:56:51-07:00

"The more, the merrier," so they say. World of Warcraft player Guges, however, does not agree. The player is concerned about the possible supersaturation of Death Knights in Wrath of the Lich King. It's different, the player maintained, from the days when you had to contend with paladins and shamans in The Burning Crusade.

Fortunately, Blizzard blue posters Bornakk and Drysc took the time to reassure the WoW forum populace. Bornakk reminded players off the level gap between Death Knights and other character classes:

And the Deathknights will start in their special area at level 55 while you are off to Northrend at 70. The gap will keep the two apart for awhile but we do expect people to try out and the class and have fun with it.

Meanwhile, Drysc spoke of the inherent check and balance system in players' preferences:

It's going to control itself.

Is anyone's guild going to progress if everyone's a Death Knight? Are you going to be able to get into a leveling dungeon run if everyone in LFG is a Death Knight? People that aren't serious about it are going to swap back pretty quickly and then maybe level one up later. It's going to control itself just through requirements of having a diverse set of classes running around.

In a nutshell, Blizzard's bottom line is: don't worry about it. Just focus on playing and enjoying the new WoW Hero class instead.

Games For Health Conference 08: Neils Clark on understanding and dealing with game addiction

David T. — 2008-05-10T01:18:50-07:00

Yes, addictions need to be dealt with, but it's important to first understand exactly what it is you're dealing with. That's why writer and researcher Neils Clark addressed the subject of video game addiction at the 2008 Games for Health Conference. His talk centered on the problem, its elements, real world relationships and its solutions.

Clark noted is that it has no differentiation between children and adults with regard to game addiction, though pathologies may differ. He also admitted that health professionals are still "in the interim" in their understanding of the addiction.

According to Clark, three distinct elements help us understand what constitutes game addiction:

immersion - Different people are immersed differently into different games.
culture - This is basically how the virtual world works. These worlds have structures and cultures all their own, so researchers need to look at how these elements relate.
how people interact with games - Generally speaking, people play games not for nefarious reasons, but because they get good things out of them (friendships, rewards, etc.).

Nevertheless, Clark admitted that pathologies tend to affect both real and virtual worlds (for example, insomnia due to excessive grinding in World of Warcraft). Researchers, however, still need a more robust way of looking at the problem because taking away a game also means taking away all the good things that go with it.

Clark noted that developers can be a big help in helping to solve the problem, as they can design tools to help players monitor their own playtime and remind gamers to pace themselves.

For the long term, though, Clark mentioned that both developers and researchers still need to connect with each other, work together, keep themselves up to date with the latest research and "move outside internet addiction criteria to get a handle on what's really happening."

WoW Forums: Players ask for news on WotLK talent trees

Rio S. — 2008-05-09T21:51:17-07:00

We've got a deluge of the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King news from GameSpy's inside look at the upcoming expansion and well, we've got more. This time another player question about the expansion has cropped up from the WoW Forums and it's all about the updated talent trees.

Kalfor of Norgannon asked when the updated talent trees for WotLK will be released. If you remember, updated talent trees for The Burning Crusade were released a couple of months before the actual release of the expansion. According to Blizzard poster Nethaera, an ETA is "unknown as of yet." She added that they'll "be revealing more about talents at a later point in time and what we have planned, when we feel the time is right and that we're at a point where they are closer to where we want them."

Also, Drysc noted that the existing talent trees for Wrath of the Lich King might cause mass rioting because of the place holders and the "crazy experimentation." After reading that, coupled with Eyonix' "WotLK talent tree blew my mind" comment, it might be best for us to patiently wait for an official announcement when Blizzard is good and ready.

World of Warcraft: Death Knights still being tweaked

Enrico S. — 2008-05-09T14:18:40-07:00

Quite a number of players have expressed concern regarding the Death Knight class which will be implemented when Wrath of the Lich King goes live on Blizzard's World of Warcraft servers. Gamers have been complaining that the Death Knight will have a counter ability for anything other classes can throw at it.

Community Manager Drysc has told players that they shouldn't worry too much about it since the Death Knight abilities are still unfinished and are just experimental. He further added that as soon, Death Knights will be "reigned in, scaled back, and [will] find their place in harmony with the rest of the mechanics."

So there you have it guys, don't start panicking yet. We can all do that at the same time when this class hits the servers and starts to steamroll all over us on the Battlegrounds.

Death Knight info galore: Tom Chilton discusses upcoming hero class for WotLK

Charles D. — 2008-05-09T13:53:04-07:00

The new hero class from Blizzard's Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft has been shrouded in mystery over the past few months. Speculations and several clarifications have been thrown back and forth between the developers and the players on how the Death Knight will play out its role once it goes live.

A special feature on Ten Ton Hammer focused on the different abilities and perks the upcoming class will be getting. It basically compiles all the information released by Tom Chilton during a series of press releases on the upcoming content for Wrath of the Lich King.

We've already covered many of the topics that were discussed by Chilton, such as the one Death Knight per account limit and the unique character class fusion with the Death Knight class. However, he opened up new ideas like the mechanics behind the Death Knight's rune magic and more.

Blizzard Poster Nethaera eventually went online and pulled in the reins of everyone riding this very hyped up bandwagon. She mentioned that while the Death Knight will be given a special focus in the upcoming expansion, every class will still be getting their fair share of new abilities and power ups.

The most important thing the developers wanted was to make sure that the new class was balanced out enough compared the other playable classes. She ensured that each class will have their own appeal once Wrath of the Lich King finally goes live.

For more information concerning the upcoming Death Knight class, you can check out the link found in the source link that we've provided below.

Activision conference call: new CoD game in development, Tony Hawk game for the DS, and more

David T. — 2008-05-09T04:54:34-07:00

Encouraged by the record results of the Q4 and fiscal year 2008 reports, Activision is already planning its next set of projects for the year. The company recently announced these in a recent analyst conference call.

Activision executives Bobby Kotick and Mike Griffith and others mentioned several particularly noteworthy franchise endeavors and projections:

Guitar Hero - The company will triple the number of Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC) SKUs in fiscal year 2009. Further details regarding the next entry in franchise will be coming within a couple of weeks.
Call of Duty - a new Call of Duty game is in the works for the next fiscal year. Early reports have suggested the game is being developed by Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch. The game will be set in "a new military theater" and will reportedly be released for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS.
Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) engine - This will also be used in Activision's first James Bond title. The new game is set to be released concurrently with this year's film "Quantum of Solace."
Tony Hawk - Activision is "inventing the franchise from the ground up." The company has two games planned: one exclusively for the DS and another one for consoles. The DS title will launch this year, to be reportedly developed by Vicarious Visions. The latter one has been set for some time in the fiscal year starting April 2009. It will supposedly be innovative in a different kind of way than other Tony Hawk games.
Console growth projections - Activision expects the following console sales to rise:

PlaySation 2 - by 2-3 million units
PlayStation 3 - 3-4 million units
Xbox 360 - 4-5 million units
Wii - 7 million units
handheld sales (combined) - 11 million units

The merger between Activision and Blizzard - Execs said that the deal will give stronger inroads into the Asian (especially the Korean) market. Conversely, Activision will be leveraging Blizzard's experience in the online arena worldwide.

Looks like this next fiscal year will be a busy one for Activision. Stay tuned for more updates on all the plans that the company has mentioned above.

WoW Forums: BlizzCast won't die at two

Nicolo S. — 2008-05-08T22:33:10-07:00

It may have been a while since an episode of the Blizzard BlizzCast was released, but players of World of Warcraft can count on another installment. According to blue poster Nethaera over at the WoW Forums, the informative and entertaining podcast won't stop after two iterations.

At the root of it all is a World of Warcraft denizen who made a thread at the official forums about how Blizzcast is rather nifty. For Kittysafe, it's a major tool for Blizzard to communicate with the players of its MMORPG. Thing is, Blizzcast hasn't been around since the second entry.

Nethaera quickly addressed the matter, saying the development crew is "working to get more episodes out and get on a regular schedule." Blizzard's popular community person added, "we're still ironing out the kinks in the process. Hopefully, the next one won't be much longer to come out and the next one, as well."

WoW Europe: proposal to ban multiplexing, boxing in World of Warcraft

Charles D. — 2008-05-08T11:39:28-07:00

The term "boxing" takes on a different meaning in Blizzard's World of Warcraft. It basically describes the act of controlling several characters from multiple accounts or instances of the game and simultaneously doing the same action.

While this may seem like an amusing way to play WoW, some people find this kind of practice an act of gameplay abuse, especially when exercised in PvP or Battlegrounds. WoW Europe forum poster Noroimuja gave a lengthy explanation why boxing should be banned from the game.

In the past, Blizzard's stand on multiplexing (the act of using a "splitter" program to control multiple accounts) and boxing has always been rather relaxed. It seems like this particular view point hasn't changed ever since as well. Blizzard Poster Thundgot eventually went online and explained their stand on the matter by saying:

We have stated several times that we have nothing against multiboxing. As long as the player controls each of the characters, the player may run multiple clients/characters.

Many may not necessarily agree with the verdict, but it looks like they'll have to live with it for the time being. Until then, let this be a lesson for those of you facing up against five shamans suspiciously walking towards you in a straight line. In any case, make sure to come back again to QJ.NET for more updates regarding World of Warcraft.

WoW forums: why does the Blizzard Store redirect back to itself?

David T. — 2008-05-08T05:03:23-07:00

It's no fun to be constantly redirected. Just ask World of Warcraft player Soraneaptide. The player posted a complaint on Blizzard's forums regarding the company's store. According to Soraneaptide, the Blizzard store has too many redirects and seems to bounce back to itself.

Furthermore, Soraneaptide can't seem to open an entry for a detail view of the Blizzard store. Neither does the player have access to Blizzard.com or links to a webmaster.

Fortunately, Blizzard blue poster Hortus identified the cause of the problem and proposed a solution:

An update was just applied to the store which can cause this problem. Try exiting out of your browser and then returning to the online store, it should work correctly. If it doesn't please let me know.

That goes for other World of Warcraft players as well. If you've tried Hortus' suggestion and you're still experiencing the problems that Soaneaptide described, feel free to let Blizzard know via the source link below.

Blizzard presents new Opex the Rogue WoW fan art

David T. — 2008-05-08T02:39:36-07:00

Rogues in Blizzard's World of Warcraft are probably the embodiment of everything creepy (pun intended) and sneaky. This is perhaps best seen in WoW player Opex's fan art, the subject of which is a rogue troll of the same name.

It was Blizzard blue poster Slorkuz endorsed Opex's artwork on the European World of Warcraft forums, and with good reason: the picture seems to bring out the stealthy ferocity that rogues are known for. The scar that runs across the rogue's face, the tusks, the smirk and the gleaming red eyes rife with malice - all of these factors help set the dark, sinister tone of the artwork.

Opex's piece is but one of many examples of WoW fanart that Blizzard has featured. The company is still encouraging players to send in their submissions, so do consider sending your own masterpiece in. Should you intend to do so, the source link below will assist you.

Public Knowledge interest group criticizes Blizzard for WoWGlider bot suit

Abraham A. — 2008-05-07T22:26:59-07:00

We hope you can still remember the Blizzard v MDY Industries case years back. It's about the use of the WoWGlider bot program within World of Warcraft meriting Blizzard's assertion of its copyright privileges. As of writing, the two sides are still stuck in a stalemate, both filing motions to claim victory without trial.

Closely monitoring the conflict is the interest group Public Knowledge. Just recently, they filed "friend of the court" arguments for the federal court handling the Blizzard v MDY Industries case to have a say on the subject.

Public Knowledge believes that the WoWGlider bot program, which allows you to progress in WoW even without playing a computer, is wrong in-game behavior. But they criticized Blizzard likewise for overextending their copyright entitlements.

As wrong as WoWGlider is, there really is no copyright infringement because the bot program doesn't make copies of WoW. Blizzard argues that portions of the game that are copied by WoWGlider into the RAM is already an infringement by itself.

Bottom line for Public Knowledge is that WoWGlider violates the Terms of Use (ToU) but there are no copyright infringements, rather, it should be breach of contract. The interest group is concerned that Blizzard might set a precedent. Other companies may become trigger-happy on copyright infringement lawsuits.

Public Knowledge's arguments are now in the hands of the court so let's see how this will turn out. For the detailed arguments of Public Knowledge on the case, head over the via link. Rest assured that QJ.NET will deliver you the latest developments.

Epic World of Warcraft guild recruitment video of Illidan slaying

Nicolo S. — 2008-05-07T21:40:29-07:00

How far will your World of Warcraft guild go just to expand your roster? That's a question we'd like to ask Resistance is Futile after seeing the most elaborate guild recruitment video we've come across. We know people take Blizzard's phenomenal MMORPG seriously, but this video can't make guild members any more proud.

It starts epic, and ends epic. A warrior is seen fighting Illidan, but that's not what caught our attention. Cinematography is impressive considering it's fan-made, the accompanying music blends perfectly, and the ultimate guild plug is simply priceless. You'd want comrades in World of Warcraft after watching it like we did.

Blizzard outlines steps on how to report latency issues in WoW

Charles D. — 2008-05-07T14:24:00-07:00

One of the biggest "killer" factors in any online game would have the intermittent lag we all experience every now and then. This small annoyance plagues even the most popular MMO titles like Blizzard's World of Warcraft, as seen during a recent forum post on the WoW forums.

In an attempt to alleviate the recent flood of reports concerning high latency issues, Blizzard Poster Nickjs outlined several detailed steps on how to report such problems directly to Blizzard's technical support on the forums.

It basically records all the information extracted from the traceroute application of Windows and dumps the information into a corresponding text file. You can then send then the appropriate data along with your connection's IP address to the technical support team's email, found in the source link below.

For more detailed information on the different steps of how to report any further latency issues found in the game, you can read Nickjs' full post by clicking on the Via link below.

World of Warcraft: Europe Frostmourne fan art contest now open

Enrico S. — 2008-05-07T13:58:02-07:00

Blizzard has announced that they will be running a new World of Warcraft fan art competition in Europe called the Frostmourne Fan Art contest. The winner of this event will be taking home a Frostmourne replica from Epic Games and a guaranteed entry into the Wrath of the Lich King beta test along with the two runner up winners.

To enter the contest, artists will have to submit an original artwork which shows Arthas as he wields the Legendary Frostmourne. Like most Blizzard contests, be advised that any image that is offensive, of sexual nature, or containing obscene/vulgar language will be rejected.

Are you ready to try and win yourself a beta key and Frostmourne replica? Follow our source link below for the complete details on this competition.

Europe WoW forums: players invited to role-play in and view Venom Mount Racing Championship

David T. — 2008-05-07T06:35:25-07:00

Yes, it is possible to hit two birds with one stone in Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Remember those mounts that make for faster transportation? WoW player Sheildheart and the rest of the Venom Guild will be using them to race against each other in the Venom Mount Racing Championship.

Blizzard forum member Sheildheart sent out an invitation recently to all interested parties on the European WoW forums who wish to watch the said event. Unfortunately, the race is restricted to actual Venom Guild members only, but they wouldn't mind other people cheering them on and participating in some light role-play.

Blizzard blue poster Vaneras chipped in with these words: "Ahh... a glorious day on the race track underneath the blistering sun. We can never have enough racing events :-) Adding this to the Community Events section of our homepage this week."

If you're interested in attending, the race will take place at 3:00 p.m. game time on Saturday, May 24, 2008. The venue will be the Shimmering Flats (thousand needles) on the Steamwheedle Cartel server.

Major League Gaming adds World of Warcraft to Pro Circuit stops

Victor B. — 2008-05-07T06:26:57-07:00

If you're looking to make money from playing games professionally, then there's one other way you can take aside from the Arena Tournament. Major League Gaming recently announced that it will add PC gaming to three of its Pro Circuit Stops, bringing with it the promise of Blizzard's The Burning Crusade.

Here are the specs of the event straight from MLG:

Kick-off event: MLG San Diego, June 13-15th
Other stops: MLG Orlando, July 11th-13th and MLG Dallas, October 3-5.
Official PC Circuit game: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Format: 3-vs-3 - more details on rules and the official format will be released on May 15th.
Total spots available: 32 teams
Prizes: $22,500 per event

MLG has yet to announce additional information on the event, such as the arena type being used for the event or eligibility requirements, so those interested may want to keep a close watch on QJ for more info. Registration is expected to start on May 15, the same day when additional details will be revealed, as mentioned above. Till then, you may want begin honing your PvP skills.