October 31, 2008
Echoes of War Pre-Order
We've joined forces with The Eminence Symphony Orchestra to produce Echoes of War: The Music of Blizzard Entertainment - a compilation of pieces from the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes, all recorded with stunning new orchestration.
The Echoes of War package features 15 unique arrangements from Blizzard Entertainment's catalogue, with several pieces coming from yet-to-be-released titles including Wrath of the Lich King, StarCraft II, and Diablo III. Ninety minutes of music are featured in all, with bonus tracks arranged by special guests including the critically-acclaimed composer Kow Otani (Shadow of the Colossus).
In addition to the $29.95, two-CD standard version, a Legendary Edition is also available for $49.95, and comes with a bonus documentary DVD, nine art cards, and a detailed booklet.
For more details, check out the Echoes of War site, or head to the Eminence Online Store to order your copy.
Halloween Treats from Blizzard
Blizzard's 2008 Pumpkin Contest Winners
The top five pumpkins in our annual pumpkin carving contest have been selected - congratulations to the winners! The level of creativity and competition is increasing every year, with 2008 fielding the deepest pool of entries yet. Enjoy our special photo gallery where you can view the winning entries and the 18 honorable mentions.
If you want to view some past pumpkin-carving contest winners, you can see them here:
[2003], [
2004], [
2005], [
2006], [
2007].
October 30, 2008
Wrath of the Lich King Midnight Openings
All of Azeroth will feel the Wrath of the Lich King in just a couple of weeks, when the second World of Warcraft
expansion officially launches. If you want to be among the first to get your hands on the game, thousands of
retailers around the world are hosting special midnight store openings to celebrate the release, and will start
selling the game at 12:00 a.m. (local time) on November 13. In addition, Blizzard Entertainment developers and
executives will be on hand to sign copies and meet players at four locations throughout the United States: Fry’s
Electronics in Anaheim, CA; Best Buy in New York City; and GameStop in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. Check out our
midnight opening page and the press release for full details.
October 28, 2008
World of Warcraft Reaches 11 Million Players
The community of World of Warcraft players around the world continues to grow, recently hitting a new high of 11 million subscribers.
We just wanted to take a moment to share the news and say thank you to all the current, new, and returning players around the world whose enthusiasm and support have made this milestone possible.
October 27, 2008
Blizzard Downloads for Your Phone
Carry a little piece of Azeroth wherever your real-world travels take you with our new World of Warcraft-themed wallpapers and ringtones for your phone.
We've just launched a new service in the United States that lets you download content related to your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games to supported
mobile phones. Currently, these wallpapers and ringtones are available through carriers AT&T, Cellular One, Sprint, and Verizon; support for T-Mobile and
Virgin Mobile is coming soon.
Over 65 pieces of content are currently available, including ringtones from World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, as well as wallpapers featuring
character artwork, logos, and more. Visit the new Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers page for more information.
October 27, 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Coverage Around the Web
We've been collecting BlizzCon 2008 coverage from around the Web, from the Diablo III wizard announcement to StarCraft II hands-on impressions to World of Warcraft panel discussions. This isn’t a comprehensive list, and we’re always on the lookout for more -- so If you come across anything we may have missed, please send it our way.
BlizzCon 2008 General
Diablo III
StarCraft II
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Photos
October 24, 2008
World of Warcraft Minis Game Pre-Order
The highly-anticipated World of Warcraft Miniatures Game hits stores in November, and a specially arranged pre-order opportunity is
available for those interested in getting on the bandwagon early. Check out the Starter Set
today, which contains everything needed for two players to begin battle. Expand your armies with
Core Set Boosters, each with three randomized figures and a chance for a random loot card from the TCG.
Head over to WoWMinis.com to find out more about the game. You can sign up to receive updates, including sneak preview pictures of the minis, details about gameplay,
and downloadable demos.
October 22, 2008
New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new artwork.
October 21, 2008
Halloween Pumpkin Contest
The Royal Photographic Society of Azeroth is renewing its competition in celebration of Halloween. In a longstanding Blizzard Entertainment tradition, this year we're proud to announce our sixth annual pumpkin-carving contest.
Between 12:00 a.m. PDT on October 8 and 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 28, the RPSA will be accepting submissions for the pumpkin contest. The shutterbugs who submit the most outstanding photos of their work will have their pictures proudly displayed on WorldofWarcraft.com and Blizzard.com on Halloween. In addition, the five most interesting, original, and well-carved pumpkin designs will be recognized for their merits with a Logitech G51 Surround Sound Speaker System designed specifically for gamers. Special thanks go out to Logitech for these prizes!
Pumpkin submission tips:
- The winning entries will display high levels of originality, craftsmanship, and humor.
- Your pumpkin must be lit up by a candle or other light source in your photo entry. You can show another photo of the pumpkin unlit if you wish.
- Pumpkins must be related to World of Warcraft or another Blizzard Entertainment title.
- Try to take the best picture possible, as picture quality helps make a good impression on the judges.
- Make sure you tell us what the pumpkin is supposed to be in the caption, just in case it's not clear.
If you want to view some past pumpkin-carving contest winners, you can see them here:
[2003], [
2004], [
2005], [
2006], [
2007]. Check out the contest page for additional details, including the official rules and submission form. Good luck!
October 21, 2008
BlizzCon Encore Presentation on Thursday
BlizzCon 2008 featured fun contests, informative panels, intense tournaments, a rocking closing show, and more. If you missed the initial broadcast, you have one more chance to experience it for yourself this Thursday, as DIRECTV will be airing a pay per view encore presentation of their show coverage. The presentation will begin at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on the morning of Thursday, October 23, and will run for over 16 hours straight. Head over to www.directv.com/blizzcon for full details and ordering information.
October 16, 2008
New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new artwork.
October 14, 2008
BlizzCon 2008: We Want Your Photos
If you attended BlizzCon 2008 and brought a camera along, we want to see your pictures. Send your best photos of the event, particularly from Friday’s contests, to blizzconweb@blizzard.com. We'll collect the finest of your submissions and post them on the site for all to see. Take a look at last year’s
BlizzCon photo gallery to get a sense of what we're looking for.
October 11, 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Comes to a Close
With the day's panels and tournaments coming to an end, BlizzCon 2008's closing ceremonies are about to begin, featuring the comedy of Patton Oswalt, the thunderous death-knight metal of Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and the symphonic majesty of Video Games Live, who are returning to the convention this year with new arrangements of music from Blizzard Entertainment games.
We'd like to thank everyone who helped make BlizzCon 2008 possible, including comedians Jay Mohr and Patton Oswalt; Video Games Live; AMD, Dell, DIRECTV, Intel, and our other partners and sponsors; and, most of all, the community of gamers whose support and dedication are what this show is all about. We hope everyone enjoyed the informative developer panels, the live tournaments and contests, and the hands-on gaming BlizzCon had to offer.
While the convention might be coming to an end, there's still more to come at BlizzCon.com. Keep your eyes on the site for more photos and other post-show coverage.
Diablo III Update: Meet the Wizard
At the Diablo III Class Design panel, game director Jay Wilson went into more detail about the game's third playable class, the wizard. A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard combats the hordes of the Burning Hells by hurling environment-shattering lightning bolts, channeling explosive arcane energies, and creating pockets of space outside the normal flow of time.
To find out more, check out the video introduction or visit the brand-new wizard information page to read the latest excerpt from the journal of Abd al-Hazir and see some of the wizard's powers in action.
October 10, 2008
BlizzCon 2008: Day One Wrap-Up
The first day of BlizzCon has drawn to a close, with Jay Mohr hosting another awesomely epic evening of contests, costumes, dances, and /silly one-liners. We’ll have photos, results, and more from the contests soon -- but in the meantime, here are some of the day’s highlights.
BlizzCon 2008 Developer Panels Roundup: Day One
At Friday's developer panels, attendees got an in-depth look at Diablo III's wizard class, heard some big news about StarCraft II's single-player campaign, and got a chance to ask game designers, artists, and programmers all their burning questions. If you couldn't make it to any of the panels, here's a quick recap of what you missed.
Diablo III Update: Meet the Wizard
At the Diablo III Class Design panel, game director Jay Wilson went into more detail about the game’s third playable class, the wizard. A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard combats the hordes of the Burning Hells by hurling environment-shattering lightning bolts, channeling explosive arcane energies, and creating pockets of space outside the normal flow of time.
To find out more, check out the video introduction or visit the brand-new wizard information page to read the latest excerpt from the journal of Abd al-Hazir and see some of the wizard’s powers in action.
BlizzCon 2008 Begins
BlizzCon is officially underway! Gamers from around the world have come to Anaheim to join us for this two-day
celebration of Blizzard Entertainment games and the passionate communities of players surrounding them. We'll be
updating BlizzCon.com regularly throughout the show with news and photos from the floor, as well as from the
various contests, developer panels, and other events we've planned. We'll also be broadcasting streaming video of the
2008 StarCraft Invitational and other tournaments -- so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days.
October 9, 2008
Ask a Question Contest at BlizzCon 2008
Here's your chance to participate in BlizzCon even if you aren't able to be there in person. We're now asking folks to submit
their burning questions related to the Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo game universes. We'll sort through them all and pick the
best questions to be answered live during DIRECTV's pay-per-view broadcast of BlizzCon 2008. If your question is selected,
you'll also receive an ATI graphics card and some exclusive BlizzCon merchandise. For submission information, contest rules,
and a list of prizes, visit our contest page.
October 8, 2008
Attention Trial Account Players – Important Notice
The streaming trial client, which allows trial users fast access to the trial version of World of Warcraft, will be temporarily unavailable while we prepare for our next major content update, "Echoes of Doom." Trial users can continue playing World of Warcraft by downloading the full trial client here: [PC] [MAC]. Streaming trials will be brought back online within a few days of Echoes of Doom’s release, and we will provide further updates as they become available. Please visit our Technical Support forum for additional information.
You can upgrade your account to a full version at any time. Just purchase and install the retail version of the game (available at most software and video game retailers), then enter the provided Authentication Key at our online
Account Management service to upgrade your account. After you upgrade you will still be able to play the character you create during this trial. For details about the trial version client, refer to our Trial Account FAQ.
BlizzCon Tournaments Live Stream Information
When the fierce gaming competition gets underway on the tournament stages at BlizzCon, you'll be able to follow the action at home -- right on your computer screen. On October 10 and 11, we'll be providing streaming video coverage of select tournaments live from the convention floor. Whether you prefer the coordinated team play of World of Warcraft's Arena, the meticulous hero management of Warcraft III, or the fast-paced space battles of StarCraft, you’re sure to find something to cheer about. Stay tuned to BlizzCon.com for the live stream on the first day of the show.
BlizzCon Closing Concert Details
Video Games Live and Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain will both return to Anaheim this Saturday to re-rock the Anaheim Convention Center during the BlizzCon 2008 closing ceremony. Recently upgraded from Level 70 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Paris this past June, Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain’s performance will conclude their “On and On, South of Northrend!” world tour. The Video Games Live performance will feature music from each Blizzard game universe, and new Blizzard music will be debuted as well.
The closing-night ceremony will take place in Hall C of the Anaheim Convention Center at 5:30 PM. For those attending BlizzCon, be sure to arrive early, as seating will be first come, first served. Ganking fellow attendees to steal their seats is strictly forbidden and generally frowned upon. Generally.
Both acts will also be included as part of DIRECTV's live BlizzCon HD pay per view package. See the BlizzCon DIRECTV Pay Per View page to learn more.
October 7, 2008
New Battle.net Forums
We've just brought our brand-new Battle.net forums online. The new forums bring a host of new features and stability, as well as helpful tools for us to better moderate and organize posts. They're available right now -- to access them, visit: http://forums.battle.net.
The forum login requirements remain the same. In order to post you will need an account created by a Battle.net supported game and a CD-key.
If you're still looking for some posts or information from the old forums, we've left them up at the original address (http://www.battle.net/forums.shtml). The old forums aren't open for posting, but if you’d like to copy a thread or back up some information, they'll remain available until Monday, October 13.
The benefits of implementing these new forums are numerous, and we hope you're as excited as we are to see this step toward the continued growth and support of our Battle.net community.
Halloween Pumpkin Contest
The Royal Photographic Society of Azeroth is renewing its competition in celebration of Halloween. In a longstanding Blizzard Entertainment tradition, this year we’re proud to announce our sixth annual pumpkin-carving contest.
Between 12:00 a.m. PDT on October 8 and 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 28, the RPSA will be accepting submissions for the pumpkin contest. The shutterbugs who submit the most outstanding photos of their work will have their pictures proudly displayed on WorldofWarcraft.com and Blizzard.com on Halloween. In addition, the five most interesting, original, and well-carved pumpkin designs will be recognized for their merits with a Logitech G51 Surround Sound Speaker System designed specifically for gamers. Special thanks go out to Logitech for these prizes!
Pumpkin submission tips:
- The winning entries will display high levels of originality, craftsmanship, and humor.
- Your pumpkin must be lit up by a candle or other light source in your photo entry. You can show another photo of the pumpkin unlit if you wish.
- Pumpkins must be related to World of Warcraft or another Blizzard Entertainment title.
- Try to take the best picture possible, as picture quality helps make a good impression on the judges.
- Make sure you tell us what the pumpkin is supposed to be in the caption, just in case it’s not clear.
If you want to view some past pumpkin-carving contest winners, you can see them here:
[2003], [
2004], [
2005], [
2006], [
2007]. Check out the contest page for additional details, including the official rules and submission form. Good luck!
October 6, 2008
BlizzCon This Week!
BlizzCon 2008 begins this Friday, October 10, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The show will feature two days of gaming,
contests, developer Q&A panels, tournaments, and more, in addition to live entertainment by comedian Patton Oswalt, all-Blizzard metal
band Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, and Video Games Live. Our recruiting team will be there, too, so if you’re interested in a career
at Blizzard Entertainment, bring along your resume, demo reel, art portfolio, or business card.
See our media alert for more details --
and keep an eye on www.BlizzCon.com for live updates throughout the show.
BlizzCon Contest Submissions Closes
The submission window for all BlizzCon 2008 contests has now closed. We thank everyone again for all of your entries and look forward to a great night of contests at BlizzCon!
October 2, 2008
Diablo III Bestiary Update: Scavenger
The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the ferocious scavenger.
I had indeed seen scavengers: small, burrowing creatures that feed upon carrion. Unlike most animals of this type, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Scavengers have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats.
Check out the scavenger entry now!
We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of artwork and seven new screenshots.
October 1, 2008
New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new artwork.
