In what many telecommunications scholars and sociologists are tentatively referring to as "the saddest forum post in the history of all mankind," Blizzard recently informed World of Warcraft players on the Moon Guard server that moderators would now be patrolling the server for ... erotic role-playing. Particularly in one in-game town, Goldshire, which appears to be a non-stop, Bacchanalian festival of delights of the virtual flesh and oh man, that's the creepiest thing we've ever typed.
Blizzard customer service reps will now "regularly" keep an eye on the town's public chat channels, privately punishing players who violate the game's harassment policies. We can't wait to hear about some of the super awkward /Tells this enforcement will lead to. "Dear Razorbladez, please stop trying to have cybersex with that level 2 Paladin. That is very, very gross."
#worldofwarcraft
Director Sam Raimi might only be in the nascent stages of the World of Warcraft movie, but that hasn't stopped folks from expressing interest in the film. Even Brandon Routh, who's appearing in the upcoming Scott Pilgrim movie, seems keen. More »
#blizzard
Not all chest-thumping is equal. Those StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty first-day sales figures publisher Activision heralded today? They are less than half of the World of Warcraft first-day figures for that game's last two releases. More »
We can easily wrap our minds around the hobby of coin collection -- after all, coins are pretty awesome, and at the end of the day, you're really just spending money on money, making it a relatively low-cost endeavor. However, DC Direct's recently pressed World of Warcraft-themed currency -- which comes in a set of one bronze, silver and gold coin, each featuring a faction leader and major city from the MMO on both sides -- is a bit beyond our understanding.
According to G4, these three coins were on sale at Comic-Con for $69.99, though their real-life spendability is negligible at best. Heck, even if you wanted to use them to purchase your Artisan Riding skill and mount, you'd have to shell out well over $350,000 in order to do so. Then again, those things ... aren't real. But these coins are! And, as we've said, coins are awesome. We're so conflicted!
#eastereggs
Kotakuite Harejordna was exploring the Zero Hour level in StarCraft II when he stumbled across a decidedly different sort of Space Marine. Find out how to spot this elusive creature before his portable toilet blasts off. Spoilers ahead! More »
Though some might consider Blizzard's quickly retracted decision to adopt the "Real ID" system (which would require forum users to identify themselves using their real names) to be a failure, Blizzard exec Michael Ryder disagrees. "We were able to take that feedback, reconsider, consider all the factors, of which feedback was one," Ryder explained to Eurogamer. "Ultimately we decided we would not go in that direction for the time being, and see if there were other ways we could address the objective we had, which was to improve the forums generally."
Ryder later added, "So, all in all, the process worked. We put the word out. We got the feedback. We reconsidered. We made a change." We know exactly what he's talking about. Just the other day, we were planning on pressing our hand onto our sizzling-hot griddle, and then we told our friends about it, and then we put our hand really close to it, and then our friends were like "no, don't do it, you'll burn yourself terribly," so we didn't do it, and our hand didn't get burned. That's a victory in our books, as well.
#clothing
The guys at Dinohoodies build custom hoodies. Dinosaur hoodies. To your specifications. And some people's specifications are "screw dinosaurs, make mine a Murloc". More »
#blizzard
Blizzard, the studio behind StarCraft and World of Warcraft, was planning on rolling out a compulsary "Real ID" system, requiring gamers to use their real first and last names on Blizzard's forums. More »
#crime
Security expert Brandon Nesbit is about to give a talk on how video games and consoles can help catch a criminal. Or, if you're under investigation and did nothing wrong, how they can clear your name! More »
#comiccon2010
DC Direct knows how to put together a video game toy. The collectible and toy maker is tackling the soon to be released StarCraft II and even more characters from World of Warcraft for its next lines. More »
The NPD's "PC Games Digital Downloads: Analyst Report" states that in 2009, 21.3 million "full-game" PC titles were downloaded through digital distribution networks, while 23.5 million physical units were purchased at retail. Yes, despite the explosion of digital distribution in the PC space, retail is still important.
Overall, digital distribution "accounted for 36 percent of dollar sales," but the initial cost of a PC product -- if it even has any upfront cost -- doesn't really give the full picture of the financial potential.
The top five "frontline" digital retailers (those who have the games that are also typically offered in stores) were:
Steam (SURPRISE!)
Direct2Drive
Blizzard.com
EA.com
Worldofwarcraft.com
We've listed the top five casual digital retailers after the break. NPD notes that casual distributors have lost market share due to the rise of "social network gaming" (Facebook) and free, inexpensive mobile titles.
#blizzard
You got questions about Blizzard's Real ID system and privacy issues? We've got answers, in a Q&A issued by the company covering everything from Facebook integration to World of Warcraft plugins designed to steal your info. More »
#nsfw
The fleshlight is, to put it bluntly, a device for assisting in the act of male masturbation. It's also, shockingly, quite the hit with lonely video gamers. More »
#arenanet
The latest class revealed for ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2 is the Ranger, a bow-using, pet-charming, trap-setting class that might just out-hunt World of Warcraft's Hunter class. More »
#esrb
Calling it a "truly disappointing" mistake, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has apologized directly to those whose email addresses it exposed in a reply concerning Blizzard's now-abandoned plans to require forum members to use their real names. More »
#relationships
You spend your days playing with them. Maybe they're your backup in a first-person shooter. Perhaps they heal your World of Warcraft guild raids. You count on them, and they count on you, but do you count them as friends? More »
In a stupefyingly ironic turn of events this evening, it appears that the Entertainment Software Ratings Board has revealed the entire list of email addresses of people who appealed to the ESA's rating group over Blizzard's recently proposed and then retracted Real ID implementation. According to our World of Warcraft-focused sister site WoW.com, the ESRB issued a response letter to the nearly 1,000 folks who had emailed with complaints about Blizzard's decision -- unfortunately, it seems that rather than hide everyone's email addresses, someone hit "reply all."
We've dropped the letter itself beyond the break, which, as WoW.com points out, concludes with a statement espousing the ESRB's "Privacy Online" program. Whoops! All that said, mistakes will happen from time to time -- unlike Blizzard, though, the ESRB can't simply take this back.
Well, that was quick! Just as soon as Blizzard announced sweeping changes to its forum policy, company head Mike Morhaime took to those very forums to say, "real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums." In a letter addressed to the Blizzard community, Morhaime says the company "has been constantly monitoring the feedback you've given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums," and thusly has come to the decision to not require real names.
Outside of that change, Blizzard will still be implementing all other forum changes (detailed by our sister site WoW.com right here). That said, the opt-in Real ID system will still be implemented in forthcoming Blizzard titles. Morhaime explains: "We believe that the powerful communications functionality enabled by Real ID, such as cross-game and cross-realm chat, make Battle.net a great place for players to stay connected to real-life friends and family while playing Blizzard games." Further, he adds that "you'll still be able to keep your relationships at the anonymous, character level if you so choose when you communicate with other players in game." Additionally, the Real ID system is set to "evolve" as time goes on, with Battle.net getting "new and exciting functionality" for those of you "who decide to use the feature." Could that mean incentivized Real ID use from Blizzard? We're not sure just yet, but it certainly sounds like it.
Check out the full message from Morhaime to the Blizzard community after the break.
#blizzard
Following an overwhelmingly negative response from fans, Blizzard has decided not to implement the planned forum changes that would require players to post using their real names. More »
#blizzard
Who benefits from Blizzard's controversial decision to use players' real names in forum posts? War Rock publisher GamersFirst hopes it will, issuing an official press release to let gamers know it's all still anonymous there. More »
#clips
Internet person haiksterbnh spent nearly five years of his life playing World of Warcraft, clocking over 24,000 hours. He created a Level 73 Shaman and a Level 80 Priest. But after "having no friends...at all", he made an important decision. More »
#wow
World of Warcraft developer Blizzard's decision to force users to use their real names on the game's forum has some people in an uproar. Maybe those upset by the move should take it up with Korean lawmakers. More »
#blizzard
Blizzard's decision to use players' real first and last names in the StarCraft II and World of Warcraft forums draws strong negative reactions from fans. Why are they so upset? Let's take a look. More »
#blizzard
How do you stem the tide of a forum flooded with flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness? Just do what Blizzard is doing for the official forums for StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Display posters' real names. More »
Fan fiction writers, gather round! Well, first, close out of all those Word documents you've been agonizing over for the past few months. You know the ones we're talking about. The ones which involve throbbing. And quivering. And Sonic the Hedgehog. Why not put your unique skill set to good (and infinitely less creepy) use, and participate in Blizzard's Global Writing Contest?
The company is accepting 2,500 to 7,500-word pieces of fiction set in the Diablo, StarCraft or WarCraft universes until August 23, 2010. The grand prize winner will receive a tour of Blizzard HQ, where they'll meet the team's writing staff, and will walk away with some sweet Blizzard collectibles. Also, though the contest's FAQ doesn't explicitly prohibit it, we'd strongly advise against sending in your steamy, Kerrigan/Thrall-fronted erotic fantasy-thriller.
#callofduty
The Call of Duty games have a massive multiplayer following on Xbox 360. But is the series going to make the leap to a massively multiplayer online game? Nothing is confirmed yet. More »
