New Blizzard Game this Week End ?

[Vakir]

I don't know about you guys but I see a head in the background. At the top there's a shape that resembles a serpent-like head with an eyeball, there's even two nostril holes you can make out as well. You can see it really well with the enhanced image someone worked on a few pages back:


http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9458/d3incpd0.jpg

The color reversed and contrast bumped image from Laser I can trust, but this one looks like someone just pasted the outlining of Diablo 2's box onto this or something. I don't see how the hell half of these marks are there on the actual image, and it doesn't help that the poster didn't explain how the hell he even made this.

[tufy]

1. Diablo war released in 1996, Starcraft in 1998, Diablo 2 in 2000, Warcraft III in 2002 and World of Warcraft in 2004/2005 (depending on zone). We can conclude from this that Blizzard will first want to release Starcraft II and World of Warcraft expansion before announcing another new project.

2. If you remember the starcraft announcement, it was a futuristic timeline hinting at SC2. Here we have ice, which obviously hints at Wotlk (all diablo logos so far are fiery).

3. The Ice on the splash screen bears a striking resemblence to the ice where Lich King has his Frostmourne stuck into on wow-europe.com/wrath; another obvious hint at Wotlk.

4. If we look at the invitational list, the whole thing seems centered around Wotlk and a bit of SC2 in between. Additionally, a goodie box contains beta key of some sort. Since wotlk is already in F&F phase, with work progressing well, we can expect closed beta soonish.

Thus, based on available information, the splash screen hints at WotLK announcement of some sorts.

[Vakir]

2. If you remember the starcraft announcement, it was a futuristic timeline hinting at SC2. Here we have ice, which obviously hints at Wotlk (all diablo logos so far are fiery).

The argument here is that the fire behind the ice will melt it away, but then I fail to see why WHITE light is behind it. The only red really comes from certain traces of the "runes" which can just be randomly patterned scratches now that I think of it. The same traces of "runes" are on the ice with Arthas on the main site.

That said, the same white light behind the ice right now is similar to the kind that shines down when you near Icecrown Citadel in the current F&F Alpha in the Icecrown zone.

[najari]

Ok here's the original:


http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/...hscreenbig.jpg

Now here's my horribly bad outlining of the serpent's head and neck (go back to the original so you can see it better, I'm too lazy to size up the outlined picture):

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...nt=serpent.jpg

[rnofjw83]

try this link

http://www.worldofwarcraft.co.kr/

It's a Korean WOW Official page.
Mainpage change to that Flash, yup it mean WOTLK image :P

[Mazorp]

It won't be a new game people. The PR would simply be insane for the company to handle. Starcraft II is right around the corner (in Blizzard terms) and so is WotLK. That's two games (sorta, ones an expansion of course) that are each part of two of the biggest gaming franchises of all time. For them to then announce a third game again apart of a massive franchise (damn, you can bet your ass other companies wish could say the same) would be a PR nightmare. You'd be hurting all three. Especially considering two of those have very merging audiences.

It's either WotLK or SC2 related. That's simple, my vote is a official release date or closed beta announcement for one or the other. WWI Paris attendees getting a invite at that (and no, it's not wishful thinking considering I won't be going).

[kilssii]

well yeah but I think it's more accidental than real proof.

[Vakir]

Ok here's the original:


http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/...hscreenbig.jpg

Now here's my horribly bad outlining of the serpent's head and neck:

http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...nt=serpent.jpg

There's also a guy with a giant cleft chin to the left if you wanna talk about poorly drawn crap "carved" into the ice, but one can argue that the little outjut to the left is also a horn, and that it's Diablo.

http://www.blizzard.com/shared/blizz...ogos-1280x.jpg

Both are semi-farfetched. I'd wait a few days to see if the ice changes. If we're getting a "hell melts ice over," we should kind of start seeing some fire or red, and it'll be a dead giveaway fairly quickly.

[shadet]

nice try. but every blizzard page links to that new image

http://diablo.com

zOMG, must be Diable release! :P

[plaits]

Have they ever made such a big fuss over announcing a beta though? (if it is just about WotLK)

I know it's wishful thinking, but my fingers and toes are all crossed for Diablo 3! How devious of Blizz to do something like this though!

(I'm excited enough about this to register to post for the first time after reading MMOChamp for ages and ages)

[Vakir]

Have they ever made such a big fuss over announcing a beta though? (if it is just about WotLK)

I know it's wishful thinking, but my fingers and toes are all crossed for Diablo 3! How devious of Blizz to do something like this though!

(I'm excited enough about this to register to post for the first time after reading MMOChamp for ages and ages)

That's why I'm thinking release dates, cinematic, or "oh shiii" news unrelated.

Or maybe it's just a pretty splash screen devoted to the company's namesake.

If it ends up being just a pretty splash screen with no relevance, I will officially ROFL.

[plaits]

Lol yeah, I'm excited but at the same time expecting it to be a giant, Blizz-sponsored Rick roll or something.

[ishy]

I'm betting blizz is just going to show us a video underneath and then say:"Hahaha you all got rickrolled !"

ps. it is blizzard, just because of their company name I’m not surprised their splash page is behind ice -:P

[sick1600]

try this link

http://www.worldofwarcraft.co.kr/

It's a Korean WOW Official page.
Mainpage change to that Flash, yup it mean WOTLK image :P

so it has to be something with WOTLK.

[Vakir]

so it has to be something with WOTLK.

Every Blizz page links there.

Hm, actually no.

Diablo.com only linked there because it redirects to Blizzard.

SC2.kr.co doesn't go to that splash.

[Faelyn]

nice try. but every blizzard page links to that new image

http://diablo.com

zOMG, must be Diable release! :P

Not exactly, both http://www.worldofwarcraft.com and http://www.wow-europe.com don't link to the splash page. (Well, only assuming for the Europe page as I can't get it to load at the moment)

[Vakir]

Not exactly, both http://www.worldofwarcraft.com and http://www.wow-europe.com don't link to the splash page. (Well, only assuming for the Europe page as I can't get it to load at the moment)

Not to mention Diablo.com redirects to Blizzard and always has. The proper address is blizzard.com/us/diablo which does NOT go to that Splash. Only the Korean WoW sites do.

[scribL]

Actually, if anyone actually played Diablo.. When patch 1.11 was released, they announced it as "Hell freezing over"... This may be the same type of thing....... Or I'm completely wrong and they're announcing Beta? But Blizz doesn't really "announce" things like betas like this... And it is the same week as the WWI.

Whatever, we shall see come the event.

[Eodin]

here is the picture after i have played with it in photoshop

[Vakir]

here is the picture after i have played with it in photoshop

Page 3, bro.