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Today marked the biggest expansion ever to the biggest game ever, in the history of MMORPGs. Blizzard tore their entire World of Warcraft apart and re-shaped it, and even destroyed and revamped a number of game-defining mechanics.
What impact can this have on the gaming market as a whole? What’s the scuttlebutt from the trenches? Worth the price for a returning absentee from the land of Azeroth, or better to stay gone? And how does Blizzard manage to keep their siren call going after after more than 7 years of production?
Show Feeds:
Show Notes:
For newbies & returners:
Joystiq claims there’s never been a better time to start in, or return to, Azeroth
– Updated “old world” content including a complete revamp of itemization and quest overhauls.
– New races (goblin / worgen) and 13 new race/class combos
– Brand new low- and mid-level zones never before seen
For hardcore fans & current WoW addicts:
– Guild leveling
– New lvl 80-85 content and an increased level cap
– The new high-end content is much more difficult than that found in Lich King
– An entire zone submerged under water, with seahorse mounts!
Should you try and join, here’s a Primer article for what to expect, and what to do:
https://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/general/cataclysm-primer
THE MONEY:
- Lich King sold 3 million copies in the first 24 hours
- Cataclysm is expected to almost double that, according to pre-order comparisons.
- As of two weeks ago, had 519,000 retail pre-orders reported. This number does not include digital pre-sales via Battle.net
- First time: Blizzard selling a digital download directly (no retail handlers) that offered immediate-on access at 12:01am this morning. For the same price as a retail box.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Artix (HeroSmash) apologizes to Blizzard for stealing the thunder on their launch day
“We had no idea we were releasing the alpha test on the same day until a player told me last night,” says Artix’s Founder/Paladin Adam Bohn. “The impact our new game release on Cataclysm could be catastrophic. They could lose literally 10s… or even single digits… of players. This was not anyone’s fault, just bad timing. If Blizzard decides to push back their release date we are sure everyone will understand.”
On this date in 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted.
Talk about a cataclysm! 😉