Blizzard Classic Games, Interview, Community Amphitheater, Tweets, Blizzcon Parties

[chaud]

BlizzCon In-Game Goodies Showcased, Proc Support Wizard

Welcome to Our Inn

Promote Fix, New Season Roll and Artanis, Hottest Plays #53, TeamLiquid Line-Up Changes

Datamined Character Avatars, Introducing Overwatch Guides - Heroes, Maps, and Tips!

Warcraft Movie Interview
Entertainment Weekly and Collider both had interviews about the Warcraft movie recently.

Collider

• The original script just told the story from the Alliance point of view. Duncan Jones came on and wrote the script to include both the Alliance and Horde points of view.
• The latest screenings of the movie have been extremely well received.
• The team is very satisfied with most of the movie, but they are still tinkering with it and going through the final process.

Entertainment Weekly

• Fans will get a unique enjoyment from the movies, as they will be able to identify the Easter eggs.
• The movie needed to be something you could watch even if you don't know anything about Warcraft while still making the players feel like it was their world. This is part of why the movie took so long.
• The BlizzCon crowd is the hardcore crowd, as they know the stories and world and are looking for a reflection of things they;ve experienced being in that world themselves.
• Comic book movies used to have a stigma associated with them too, but eventually filmmakers made movies that you actually cared about and felt something for. The same thing is going on with videogame movies now.
• The first trailer has to do a lot introducing, as the movie shows a new world and characters that people aren't familiar with yet.

Blizzard Hiring for Classic Games
Blizzard posted a new position recently, hiring software engineers to fix up older games. This is likely related to the side project mentioned at Blizzcon 2013 that was updating older games to run on current versions of Windows.

Compelling stories. Intense multiplayer. Endless replayability. Qualities that made StarCraft, Warcraft III, and Diablo II the titans of their day. Evolving operating systems, hardware, and online services have made them more difficult to be experienced by their loyal followers or reaching a new generation.

We’re restoring them to glory, and we need your engineering talents, your passion, and your ability to get tough jobs done.

So if you like wearing many hats, know small teams are the most effective, and look forward to challenges that will create millions of new adventures for our players: we would love to hear from you.

• Make gameplay first again on modern operating systems.
• Create conditions for experiences that look as good as they play.
• Own implementation and curation of features new and old.
• Combat hacking to improve multiplayer.
• Diagnose and fix all the things: crashes, deadlocks, overflows, heap corruptions, etc.

Blizzcon - Community Amphitheater
There are several discussions going on at the Community Amphitheater at Blizzcon that won't be on the Virtual Ticket. We hope to be able to provide coverage of them, but it may not be live.

Saturday, November 7, 12:15 p.m.
Quick updates on Engineering discussion. First, it's a Q&A discussion in the Darkmoon Faire area, not a panel on one of the panel stages. Second, it's gonna be at 12:15 on Saturday, and last for an hour. We'll be doing some of the questions we got from Twitter, and polling the audience. The engineers involved are myself, @ben_deane from http://Battle.Net , Timothy Ford from Overwatch, and Grant Mark from SC2/HOTS. We're super excited to do this, and we have a lot of good questions you've submitted. Thanks for your involvement. (kurtismcc)

Friday, November 6, 2:45 p.m.
Scott Johnson, host of The Instance Podcast, will be kicking off casual conversation with lead narrative designer Dave Kosak and lead quest designer Craig Amai about how the rich fantasy of the Warcraft universe informs their design approach to Legion, from quest flow to artifact weapons and beyond. Additional WoW designers will be on-hand and anxious to join the discussion!

• Featured Guests: Lead Narrative Designer Dave Kosak & Lead Quest Designer Craig Amai
• Moderator: Scott Johnson, The Instance Podcast Host
• Special Guests: Designers Helen Cheng, Steve Danuser, Paul Kubit, Steve Burke, Jeremy Feasel, Juan Custer, Chadd Nervig, & more

Saturday, November 7, 2:30 p.m.
Following up on the Legion game systems panel Saturday afternoon, lead class designer Kris Zierhut and his fellow members of the class/systems teams will be in the area to talk further with you about their presentation. If you plan on attending the main stage Q&A panel at this time, we still recommend you come by afterward equipped with your questions for the developers!

• Featured Guest: Lead Class Designer Kris Zierhut
• Special Guests: Designers Chadd Nervig, Jonathan LeCraft, Russell Petersen, Jay Gill, Zachariah Owens, & more

If you’re not able to make these times, don’t worry! WoW developers will be hanging around the Darkmoon Faire throughout the weekend. Check with us at the Community Amphitheater anytime during BlizzCon for information on scheduled guest appearances.

Blue Tweets

PvP
Do you think after Legion the WOW PVP Scene will be a major contender in the eSports Arena?
No idea. Primarily focused on making it fun to play. (holinka)

Lore
From what I got from you, demons are soulless right? How would they be animate then=[This is kinda confusing.
That I have no idea about, some like Xavius had their souls torn apart by Sargeras right? But does every demonic being have one? (Muffinus)
Well, according to some sources fel consumes souls. Then we have sources stating fel energy also burns life.
Seems to be both, right? Some things consume soul shards, others use life to create mana, others use mana to kill life. (Muffinus)

And if IIRC, the Nether is the realm of the dead?
No idea, man. What is the Light? Where did that one dude in Icecrown go when he ascended? Do the Naaru live there? Deep stuff. (Muffinus)
I have no idea lol =] Maybe there's two realm of the dead. Heaven and Hell-opps
That's kind of the fun of Warcraft mysteries... (Muffinus)
I love mysteries=]I can't help but think that the Observers are related to Old Gods tho. Dem tentacles
Old Gods are still super mysterious to me, I love their mythos and the creepy stained glass vibe. (Muffinus)

Hey Dave, could we ever see a return of the Aspects?
The dragonflights will continue to have a big influence on Azeroth! (DaveKosak)

Ghostcrawler Tweets
Ghostcrawler still occasionally talks about WoW. Remember that he no longer works for or speaks for Blizzard.

was there ever discussion during your tenure to add housing to WoW?
Concern was always that players stay in their houses and don't see other players. (OccupyGStreet)

One thing that I always wanted to ask I would really like an answer to: why do blizz nerfs always with the hammer? no scappel
It can also be demoralizing to have a scalpel cut patch after patch after patch. (OccupyGStreet)

why do you think Blizzard abandoned their core Vanilla/BC/SC1/D1 and D2 player base in favour of 'accessibility'?
I think "abandoned" is a very strong word. Blizzard has always strived for accessibility. (OccupyGStreet)

Blizzard - Japanese Game Localizations
Blizzard updated the WoW, Diablo III, Overwatch, and Hearthstone websites to have a link to a Japanese version of the website. Obviously only Hearthstone has been released in Japanese so far, so it is the only one that works. Blizzard has also been hiring for Japanese localization this year, along with two newer postings for a Project Manager and Senior Marketing Manager. Keep in mind that none of this means that any other games are getting Japanese localizations.

Blizzcon - Con Before the Storm Party
If you are looking for something to do before the Curse Party on Friday, be sure to check out the Con Before the Storm party on Thursday! There will be fan art, a photo booth, games, panels, meet and greets, and more!

Blizzcon - Curse Party at the Hilton Anaheim
Come join Curse for an awesome party at Blizzcon 2015 on Friday, November 6, 2015 at 8:00 PM! We can't wait to celebrate another amazing year of Blizzard games with other fans and users. There will be awesome music, loads of free drinks, swag bags for you to take home, and more!

The pre-reserved spots are all gone, but there will be a general entry line outside the ballroom, so get there early and be ready to party!

[Fawkess]

Thats awesome
I have always wanted to play Warcraft 1-2 and diablo 1 on my new machine

[Suave Zombie]

It's definitely not a new position. Those have been listed for quite some time now, just under the Mac Team and not under the heading of Classic Games.

[chaud]

It's definitely not a new position. Those have been listed for quite some time now, just under the Mac Team and not under the heading of Classic Games.

Well, they took the old one down and relisted with a new ID recently then. They play with the jobs a lot, the Marketing Manager one from earlier today is already gone.

[Deleted]

Looks like Lillyth was right http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...ing?p=37019420

It's gonna be great, I do hope that we aren't just getting ''HD Remakes'' (Like Baldur's Gate, Dark Souls 2 etc.) but newer game engines that utilize our newer systems better. Hopefully we'll find out more this weekend, it's not like Blizzard to drop something like this just shy of a day before Blizzcon, without being ready to announce or tease something :P

[Alopex Major]

The original script just told the story from the Alliance point of view. Duncan Jones came on and wrote the script to include both the Alliance and Horde points of view.

Yeah, god forbid the Alliance get any story or focus. Even though it would have sold better to non-WoW players.

The latest screenings of the movie have been extremely well received.

What does "well received" mean, and by whom? How is this measured?

Comic book movies used to have a stigma associated with them too, but eventually filmmakers made movies that you actually cared about and felt something for. The same thing is going on with videogame movies now.

Lol, okay. What other video game movies would those be? (Also, I still think comic book movies suck, but that's personal taste.)

[Fawkess]

The original script just told the story from the Alliance point of view. Duncan Jones came on and wrote the script to include both the Alliance and Horde points of view.

Yeah, god forbid the Alliance get any story or focus. Even though it would have sold better to non-WoW players.

The latest screenings of the movie have been extremely well received.

What does "well received" mean, and by whom? How is this measured?

Comic book movies used to have a stigma associated with them too, but eventually filmmakers made movies that you actually cared about and felt something for. The same thing is going on with videogame movies now.

Lol, okay. What other video game movies would those be? (Also, I still think comic book movies suck, but that's personal taste.)

There are rarely any good video game movies and the most recent ones have only been slightly better

[Deleted]

Yeah, god forbid the Alliance get any story or focus. Even though it would have sold better to non-WoW players.

Yeah, because that would've gone over well with the fans (read; us)

And it totally wouldn't just have looked like a Tolkien ripoff.

Oh wait.

[Masqerader]

Oh how fun it would be to play Diablo 2 updated. Graphically of course, and maybe the removal of stamina

[Kathranis]

Yeah, god forbid the Alliance get any story or focus. Even though it would have sold better to non-WoW players.

Yeah, you're not biased at all.

The movie is half about the Horde and half about the Alliance, just like the game it's based on. That's a big part of what makes it unique -- not just the film, but the entire franchise. To ignore that would be betraying the property, and the fans.

What does "well received" mean, and by whom? How is this measured?

Focus groups and test screenings, like with every movie. He contrasts it with earlier test screenings from before the VFX were implemented, where he said that the "guys in pajamas" wearing motion capture gear were distracting, and that it wasn't until they started implementing the CGI characters that people started to follow the story and emotionally connect to the characters.

Lol, okay. What other video game movies would those be?

That particular quote is actually out of context. The producer said that it's always great to be the first to do something, and their hope with Warcraft is that it'll be the movie that breaks the stigma.

Atlas and Legendary are also producing a handful of other video game adaptations, which they obviously also hope will perform well.


Just an FYI, the guy they're interviewing has been a producer since the 80s. Not every film he's produced has been a winner, but most of them are. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746273/

[Strakha]

Anytime I hear 'introductions' in a movie i know its gonna be a trilogy, ill just wait for all 3 to be released on blu ray.

i want to see the first one but it sounds like it will just be "almost exciting" and more of a "you might see something better later" type of tease. in essence an entire trailer of story we already know, that hopefully entices the non-aware to buy the ticket to the second showing.

[luckydan79]

There are rarely any good video game movies and the most recent ones have only been slightly better

My bet it's gonna be like Dungeons and Dragons movie except lacking good actors like Jeremy Irons which makes the movie.

[thilicen]

Started out as a sceptic for the movie but the recent teaser has at least assured me it will look and feel like warcraft. Looking forward to the real deal tomorrow!

[Ukerric]

Yeah, god forbid the Alliance get any story or focus. Even though it would have sold better to non-WoW players.

It's also a differential. Place it from the Alliance's PoV, and people would go "oh, it's a LotR rip-off". Have the other point of view, and not as glimpses of the eeeevil like in The Hobbit, and it's a different story.

The latest screenings of the movie have been extremely well received.

What does "well received" mean, and by whom? How is this measured?

Test audiences. They get a bunch of people and invite them to see the movie. Happens with every movie. Sometimes, it's not well received, and they re-cut or re-shoot scenes, or add a few things back.

The producer said that it's always great to be the first to do something, and their hope with Warcraft is that it'll be the movie that breaks the stigma.

It's not Uwe Boll, so they have their chances...

[Donnicton]

Good god, the tweets about the legion.

Stop with the weasel words Muffinus, just admit you guys never planned the mechanics behind the legion that far ahead.

[Insofin]

It's great that they're updating classic games to be played on new machines, even though I still have a W95 ready for when I want to play those games. That's also one step closer to having legacy WoW servers (vanilla, tbc, wotlk).

Regarding the movie, I must admit I'm hyped, and I'm scared about how hyped I am. All previous videogame/anime movies have been, at best, a "meh", making a really, really bad record in the genre. I hope the movie to be first one to actually be good and not a piece of cr*p, but I fear what would happen if the movie is not good...

As for the PvP in Legion, I really hope PvP finally gets some serious attention and gets some balance and improvements. PvP to me is one of the two things that makes me play WoW from time to time.

[Adamas102]

My bet it's gonna be like Dungeons and Dragons movie except lacking good actors like Jeremy Irons which makes the movie.

Except it DOES have a good number of talented actors AND it doesn't have any Wayans brothers. Already miles ahead of D&D.

[ttak82]

I'm not sure how the revamps of the older games will work out. Imo, they should keep the old look and feel as intact as possible with just the remaining bugs missing.

I'm not overly excited by the revamps (although revival of WCIII could mean more custom campaigns). I just would like to see Blizzard launch new games.

[thilicen]

was there ever discussion during your tenure to add housing to WoW?
Concern was always that players stay in their houses and don't see other players.

Well shit. After Garrisons I'm all for putting the idea of housing to rest once and for all.

[Deleted]

was there ever discussion during your tenure to add housing to WoW?
Concern was always that players stay in their houses and don't see other players.

Well shit. After Garrisons I'm all for putting the idea of housing to rest once and for all.

Or they could take after the games that have done it right and not gate so much of your gameplay behind it. Player housing doesn't mean you give an incentive for people to stay in them all the time. Garrisons isn't player housing, it's WoW's failed take on it which is why it kept people away from the world.