Archive for December, 2009
December 27th, 2009
The World of Warcraft magazine, which hit a bit of a bump when it lost its Editor-in-Chief some time ago, is showing off some preview pages from its maiden issue. The whopping 40-page preview gives a glimpse of the magazine, which is scheduled to arrive at subscribers’ doorsteps before the year is out (they’re running out of time). The 148-page, advertising-free magazine is only available through subscription and will not be out on store shelves.
The quarterly magazine is available in one- and two-year subscriptions of at least $39.95 and $69.95 respectively (price varies depending on your location). Published by Future PLC, the company behind official licensed magazines of XBox, PlayStation, and other magazines such as ImagineFX, PC Gamer, and T3, the World of Warcraft official magazine is as visually stunning as the other titles in its stable, albeit somewhat light on text. The magazine shows off exclusive commissioned art, such as some gorgeous pieces by fantasy art star and Dungeons & Dragons veteran Wayne Reynolds.
The first issue’s articles include lore visitations such as the story behind Sylvanas Windrunner, columns on class roles, and even an interview with vanity pet guru Breanni of warcraftpets.com. The art and lay-out of the magazine looks gorgeous and seems to be a seamless fusion between the World of Warcraft aesthetic and Future PLC titles, although it remains to be seen how a quarterly print magazine can keep up-to-date material with an ever-changing online world. At any rate, the archival magazine looks beautiful, even if players might be better served by online, current articles on the game.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Blizzard
WoW magazine preview now online originally appeared on WoW.com on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 26th, 2009
Raids were still rolling through Ulduar and experimenting with hard modes, and we were waiting for patch 3.2 to hit the PTR, but the most interesting thing about this month was definitely the increased notice we started taking of account security.
Patch 3.2: Argent Coliseum 5-man and raid story/encounters: Sacco ventures deep into the wilds of the PTR, and an insane amount of work on his part produced a comprehensive guide to what happened in the Coliseum, the accompanying lore, and the boss abilities you needed to plan for.
New Tauren cat forms and new Night Elf cat forms revealed: Allison cries harder. I wasn’t initially warm to the new Tauren cat form, but it grew on me as soon as I saw it in motion on the PTR.
WoW, Casually: What is casual?: The $64,000 question — what does it even mean to be a casual player these days? Robin weighs in.
Continue reading The best of WoW.com: June 2009
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Features
The best of WoW.com: June 2009 originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 25th, 2009
Like yesterday’s video, we actually first covered Northrend Wonderland a year ago. Created by Firebolt Productions, Northrend Wonderland is a musical take on the ongoing Icecrown drama. I think it’s especially meaningful, since we’re all storming the Icecrown Citadel. (I’m pretty sure Arthas has had a few extra visitors today, with everyone off work.)
I admit. I was forced to shed a manly tear at the reference to Bolvar Fordragon. That just never stops being too soon, you know? I think the singing abominations are probably my favorite part. While I’m not sure I’d want them to show up at my door on their caroling route, they still make me smile.
Here’s hoping you’re all having a good day!
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
WoW Moviewatch: Northrend Wonderland originally appeared on WoW.com on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 25th, 2009
‘Twas the night before Winter Veil and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, sans a click of the mouse
The presents were stored by the tree with great care,
In hopes that Grand’ Winter would soon be there;
The orphans were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Pandaren Brew danced in their heads;
And my guildie in her ‘kerchief, and I in my helm,
Had just settled down for a long battle-ground,
When out of the mine there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my mammoth to see what was the matter.
Continue reading The Night Before Winter Veil
Filed under: Fan stuff
The Night Before Winter Veil originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 24th, 2009
You might remember this song from when we first covered it last year. But it was a great touch of Christmas music for WoW players back then, and it still holds its charm this year. Okay, All I want for Christmas is a Blue is a tad dated, since most people are now struggling to rock out their Northrend epics. Blue-quality gear is fairly well a thing of the past right now. But the sentiment is still perfectly appropriate.
All I want for Christmas is a Blue has that nifty real-life versus machinima feel when the singer is /inspecting other people in the real world, and I’ll be recreating that in my mind while standing in Christmas Eve lines today. The song’s lyrics will probably be a little tough to remember, but I’m sure I’ll be humming it anyway.
As a special treat, if you really dig this video, you can now check it out in High Quality. Just click the littlle “HQ” on the YouTube page.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
WoW Moviewatch: All I Want for Christmas is a Blue originally appeared on WoW.com on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 24th, 2009
April rolled around, and so did patch 3.1 and Ulduar — a huge, all-encompassing raid experience that pitted you against Titanic creations and Yogg-Saron, distant cousin of C’thun. Later in the month, a revamped Noblegarden went live to howls of protest from players who found all of their egg spawns camped, and we got some unsettling news that someone was one-shotting Ulduar bosses.
Seriously?
A video guide to Grid: Grid is one of the best all-around mods you can use, but fairly intimidating to configure. Paxxz of Feathermoon walks you through it with a great video guide.
BRK fans post a good-bye: In the early part of the year, we lost both Phaelia and Big Red Kitty to RL demands. BRK fans put together a good-bye video for everyone’s favorite Dwarf hunter. /salute BRK.
Are we being teased about the next expansion?: Swing and a hit!
Why we should expect an expansion announcement at BlizzCon: Another swing and a hit!
Continue reading The best of WoW.com: April 2009
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Features
The best of WoW.com: April 2009 originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 23rd, 2009
Just in time for the holidays, NinthBatter has busted out the Nobody Like You Chris– er Hanukkah Special. NinthBatter says that he created this video because there isn’t much Hanukkah machinima out there. That makes his song selection perfect, considering the nominal reason for Adam Sandler’s Chanukah Song is the same.
Of course, NinthBatter dressed up Sandler’s holiday classic with the necessary dose of World of Warcraft references. Not only does he shout out to the appropriate NPCs and legends of the game, but he manages to give smiling nods to certain key Blizzard executives. And, you know, Turpster. (Who, it turns out, isn’t Jewish.)
I feel like I say this a lot, but this is probably my favorite NinthBatter video yet. The gag with Arthas singing just hasn’t gotten old for me yet, and the ghoul choir during closing credits is spectacular. I truly loved the Nobody Like You Chris — er Hanukkah Special.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
WoW Moviewatch: Nobody Like You Chris– er Hanukkah Special? originally appeared on WoW.com on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 23rd, 2009
While looking over March 2009, one of the things that immediately jumps at me is that this month had a lot of great news on PvP. My guess? With Tier 7 content growing increasingly stale and Ulduar encounters being doled out sparingly on the PTR, lots of players started to dip their toes back into arena and battlegrounds, and promptly got them chopped off by the howling pack of death knights infesting BG’s like a Biblical plague.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Disembodied skull confirms new battleground, your grim future: Sacco‘s personal favorite of the year, and the first solid news we had of the upcoming Isle of Conquest.
Shifting Perspectives: Tanks, Wrath, and crushing blows: I was grimly expecting to get crucified by commenters for this piece. I was not definitely not expecting it to get the reaction it did or a visit from Ghostcrawler.
All the World’s a Stage: Impromptu RP raiding: Rossi acquires walking stick, goes on rampage around Orgrimmar. Next day; Rossi acquires bouquet of daisies, goes on rampage around Orgrimmar.
Why now’s the best time to run BC content: Bored with Tier 7? Tier 6 is on notice.
Continue reading The best of WoW.com: March 2009
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Features
The best of WoW.com: March 2009 originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
December 22nd, 2009
Occasionally, you come across a WoW music video parody so perfect in its conception, so ideal in its creation, and so pure in its execution, that after seeing it for the first time, you can only think, “Why did it take this long for it to happen?” In my opinion, Ninja Raiders is one such video.
I first learned of the song Single Ladies via one of my recent obsessions, Glee. So I will admit that some of my undying devotion to Kurt probably warmed me to the song. But I had not yet connected Single Ladies to WoW. So, when I watched Ninja Raiders, it seems like the most perfect, beautiful example of a WoW parody song ever. The creators did a fantastic job, and their interpretation of the tune has been stuck in my head ever since.
The creators did a great job of using the video to augment the song, without taking away from the audience’s focus on lyrics. The imagery is spot on, and who doesn’t love the references to Hunter Weapons?
Every word is true, my friends. If you liked it, then you should have rolled Need on it.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
WoW Moviewatch: Ninja Raiders originally appeared on WoW.com on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 22nd, 2009
- The Angry Dwarfs covers patch 3.3 for new players.
- BobTurkey continues his patch 3.3 theorycrafting guide for priests, discussing haste rating this time around.
- Protection paladins, Righteous Defense has a guide for you. A list of desirable loot from the first wing of Icecrown Citadel, as well as Emblems of Frost.
- And then we have a guide from SpicyTuna, discussing a PvE frost mage’s strategy for Lord Marrowgar.
- Rogues, not sure what the traps in Icecrown Citadel look like? Forever a Noob can, strangely enough, make you less of a noob.
Filed under: Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, The Daily Quest
The Daily Quest: Contradictions originally appeared on WoW.com on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.