Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comPAX 2008: Penny Arcade Adventures producer gushes about Episode 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax-2008-penny-arcade-adventures-producer-gushes-about-episode/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax-2008-penny-arcade-adventures-producer-gushes-about-episode/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/pax-2008-penny-arcade-adventures-producer-gushes-about-episode/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Last week during PAX 2008, we sat down with Hothead COO and Penny Arcade Adventures Producer Joel DeYoung as he guided us through Episode 2 and improvements to the engine. The gist of it is: if you liked Episode 1, you'll like Episode 2 that much more. Here's the rundown from our talks:
  • Highlighting points of interest has been made easier! "If you have your proximity putting you close enough to 2 or 3 things, you can slide through that with bumpers," said DeYoung.
  • There are now difficulty levels, including an Insane Mode (unlockable only after beating the game). Special collectibles and pickups are only available if you play Insane Mode. Comparatively, Episode 1's difficulty is "a little easier" than medium.
  • All the weapons have been replaced. Tycho gets a shotgun, Gabe has new fist upgrades and your player now possesses -- wait for it -- a hoe! Also changed are the special attack minigames.
  • You now have, among other new items, a revive potion. Healing won't be enough to bring your troops back to life. "Just adds a little bit of depth to it," said DeYoung.
  • The real-time reaction for defense has been made more obvious (e.g. "Block!" now appears when you need to push block), but nothing analogous for attacking has been added.
More after the break.
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Continue reading PAX 2008: Penny Arcade Adventures producer gushes about Episode 2

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]]>hotheadhothead-gamesinterviewjoel-deyoungjoystiqfeaturespaa-episode-2pax-08pax-2008penny-arcadepenny-arcade-adventurespenny-arcade-expoThu, 04 Sep 2008 10:30:00 ESTGameTap Thursday: Grimm's Godfather Death, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/gametap-thursday-grimms-godfather-death-are-you-smarter-than/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/gametap-thursday-grimms-godfather-death-are-you-smarter-than/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/gametap-thursday-grimms-godfather-death-are-you-smarter-than/#commentsFiled under: ,


American McGee's Grimm introduces the title character to Godfather Death this week. GameTap continues to offer each new Grimm episode free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours after release. There are a couple other new games this week, with one taking us 20,000 leagues under the sea, and the other us remember: We may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but we sure as heck are bigger and stronger!
There aren't any additions to GameTap's free games lineup this week, but the list of titles available can be found after the break. We've also learned that Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will join the service next week.

Continue reading GameTap Thursday: Grimm's Godfather Death, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

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]]>are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-gradergrimmsub-commandThu, 04 Sep 2008 06:00:00 ESTFunky Spore ads spotted in the wildhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/funky-spore-ads-spotted-in-the-wild/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/funky-spore-ads-spotted-in-the-wild/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/funky-spore-ads-spotted-in-the-wild/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The viral spiral marketing campaign for Spore has gone into full swing with only five short days until Will Wright's latest creation ... er, creation hits shelves. Billboards, bush shelter ads, and complete be-stickering of public places (Harvard Square shown above) are being spotted, and our buddies at Big Download are keeping track of them all in one big, weird gallery.

Many of the designs and slogans used in the ads have actually been lining the walls (and, actually, pretty much every surface) of EA Maxis' Emeryville, CA office during the game's epic development process. Now the entire world, nay, universe will get to see what we've been treated to during our various visits to Wright's home away from home.

[Via Big Download]

Gallery: Spore at Harvard Square

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]]>advertisingeamaxissporeTue, 02 Sep 2008 22:30:00 ESTAchtung, baby! German mags give Spore disappointing scoreshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/achtung-baby-german-mags-give-spore-disappointing-scores/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/achtung-baby-german-mags-give-spore-disappointing-scores/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/achtung-baby-german-mags-give-spore-disappointing-scores/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


For the most part, all is quiet on the western front in terms of Spore reviews, but there are some exceptions sneaking out of Germany. VG247 reports that German PC mags Gamestar and PC Games have rated Spore with a 79 and 73, respectively. Although not gawd-awful, it's not exactly in line with the glowing reviews the publisher is hoping for with Will Wright's ultra-hyped and much-delayed "sim everything."

We're not currently aware of when the North American embargo on reviews expires, but the European one is allegedly up this Friday, alongside the game's release in the region. UK mag PC Gamer was apparently given the all-clear by EA to release its review early, doling out an impressive 91. It'll be very interesting to find out what the European outlets think of the game later this week.

Gallery: Spore at Harvard Square

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]]>eagermanyreviewssporeTue, 02 Sep 2008 13:30:00 ESTNew, fruit-tacular Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 2 screenshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-fruit-tacular-penny-arcade-adventures-episode-2-screens/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-fruit-tacular-penny-arcade-adventures-episode-2-screens/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-fruit-tacular-penny-arcade-adventures-episode-2-screens/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

With PAX 2008 bringing out oodles of Penny Arcade love, why not use this opportunity to pimp the upcoming PA Adventures Episode 2? In addition to chatting with COO Joel DeYoung (that aftermath of which will be published early this week), Hothead Games sent us more than a dozen new screenshots, including a few that are just for us (we feel touched by that, although on that note we wonder if some of them are creepy subliminal messages to us). PAA:OTRSPoD Episode 2 is due out later this year.
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]]>hotheadotrspodpaa-episode-2penny-arcade-adventuresMon, 01 Sep 2008 22:30:00 ESTThe Best of Big Download: August 25-31http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/the-best-of-big-download-august-25-31/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/the-best-of-big-download-august-25-31/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/the-best-of-big-download-august-25-31/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Happy Labor Day Weekend! Big Download has been laboring for the last week of August to give you some cool exclusive features and here's a quickie look back at the week that was:

Exclusive Features

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 25-31

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]]>big-downloadSun, 31 Aug 2008 05:00:00 ESTJoystiq eyes-on: How to Build a Better Being, with Will Wrighthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/joystiq-eyes-on-how-to-build-a-better-being-with-will-wright/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/joystiq-eyes-on-how-to-build-a-better-being-with-will-wright/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/joystiq-eyes-on-how-to-build-a-better-being-with-will-wright/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



We're starting to get a little sick from Spore fever, since we gamers have been hearing about it for what seems like eons. But once the title launches September 7 in North America (and September 5 in Europe and Asia), we'll have to ride the wave of hype again when the rest of the world hears about the title. Set your TiVos for one of the first (of potentially many) Spore tie-ins; the National Geographic Channel will air its HD special, How to Build a Better Being on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 PM. The production is also included in the $80 Spore Galactic Edition.

The show offers a primer in DNA and genetics beyond what we remember from high school, connecting science with Spore. It's less a look at the game directly and more of a handshake (sometimes literally) between Will Wright and genetic scientists.

How to Build a Better Being centers on the Creature Creator and the genetic basis for the game's evolution and multitude of parts. After watching a screener, we wish it also covered science behind other parts of the game. However, the hour-long show works as a companion to that fundamental Spore angle.

Continue reading Joystiq eyes-on: How to Build a Better Being, with Will Wright

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]]>eageneticshow-to-build-a-better-beingmaxisnational-geographicnational-geographic-channelsciencescience-of-sporesporespore-creature-creatorwill-wrightFri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 ESTGameTap Thursday: Grimm dirties another tale, Puzzle Quest drops some runeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/gametap-thursday-grimm-dirties-another-tale-puzzle-quest-drops/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/gametap-thursday-grimm-dirties-another-tale-puzzle-quest-drops/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/gametap-thursday-grimm-dirties-another-tale-puzzle-quest-drops/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


American McGee's Grimm continues on GameTap this week with The Girl Without Hands -- yup, it's getting darker. Same as every week, the episode is free to non-subscribers for the first 24 hours after release. The service also gets into the drug trade by adding the addictive Puzzle Quest.
There aren't any additions to GameTap's gratis games lineup this week, but the full list of free-to-play titles can be found after the break.

Continue reading GameTap Thursday: Grimm dirties another tale, Puzzle Quest drops some runes

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]]>gametapgametapthursdaygrimmpuzzle-questThu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00:00 ESTWill Wright doesn't blush at 'Sporn'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/will-wright-doesnt-blush-at-sporn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/will-wright-doesnt-blush-at-sporn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/will-wright-doesnt-blush-at-sporn/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Speaking with the Associated Press, Spore creator and bona fide master game designer, Will Wright, seemed surprisingly ... okay with the various "Spore-nographic" organs creatures people have made using the Spore Creature Creator. "Some of it's really good for what they were shooting for. It's amazingly explicit, especially when those creations are animated," Wright said.

On the topic of giving creative power (and lots of it) to players, Wright explained, "When you give players creative control, you have to expect they're going to do the unexpected," but he was quick to add, "We just have to make sure those people aren't messing up the experience for others." To this end, Wright told the AP that there will be a system in place whereby players can "ban" content from ever appearing in their own Spore universe. Elsewhere, we fully expect there to be entire universes populated solely by undulating naughty bits.
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]]>eamaxissporespore-creature-creatorspornwill-wrightWed, 27 Aug 2008 23:30:00 ESTWorld of Warcraft will slowly update graphics to stay freshhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/world-of-warcraft-will-slowly-update-graphics-to-stay-fresh/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/world-of-warcraft-will-slowly-update-graphics-to-stay-fresh/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/world-of-warcraft-will-slowly-update-graphics-to-stay-fresh/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When a company has one of the most successful MMORPGs games of all time, the last thing anyone there wants to do is throw a wrench into what the customers' rigs can handle. To that end, the Blizzard team explained in a few interviews last week that World of Warcraft's graphical updates will happen over time with expansions. Don't go expecting something like World of Warcraft 2 or a major graphics overhaul, which might hurt the customer base.

In an interview with VideoGamer.com, Blizzard's Rob Chilton explains that "usability" has always been more important to the company than technical prowess. Obviously, Blizzard's judgment on how to run Azeroth, compared to those who yearn for a full-blown graphics overhaul, has paid off in million billions for the developer.

Source -- Brack clarifies graphical update plans (WoW Insider)
Source -- WoW graphical reboot may never be necessary (VG)
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]]>activision-blizzardblizzardgraphicsworld-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingWed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 ESTBambi brings vengeance to Wrath of the Lich Kinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/bambi-brings-vengence-to-wrath-of-the-lich-king/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/bambi-brings-vengence-to-wrath-of-the-lich-king/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/bambi-brings-vengence-to-wrath-of-the-lich-king/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Perhaps the vagaries of reality have finally taken hold and you've done it. You've canceled the WoW account. Now you're back together with the Mrs., you've re-memorized all your kids' names, and you've got something that approximates steady work. Life, it would seem, is perfect. Then you heard the siren call of Wrath of the Lich King and - what is this? - you shut it out. Fine ... be strong.

But can you shut out the opportunity to drive your Sword of a Thousand Truths deep into the spotted fur of Bambi's mother? Sure, you cried during Bambi like everyone else did, but can you really resist transforming sweet, innocent Bambi(na) - spotted in Wrath's Northrend - into the crazy-eyed "Vengeful Bambina"? Blizzard's hoping you can't. But what if the kids see what you've done? You'll lose it all! Again!

[Via WoW Insider]
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]]>BambiWorld-of-WarcraftWotLKWoWWrath-of-the-Lich-KingWed, 27 Aug 2008 09:58:00 ESTThe Best of Big Download: August 18-24http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/24/the-best-of-big-download-august-18-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/24/the-best-of-big-download-august-18-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/24/the-best-of-big-download-august-18-24/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Games Convention generated a ton of new HD trailers for upcoming PC games and we have them ready to download, along with a ton of original content and news stories. Indeed, there were a lot of new PC games announcements this week (more than at E3). Take a look at all of them on our site:

Exclusive Features
  • Reviews: Check out our reviews of the PC version of Bionic Commando Rearmed and the latest chapter of American McGee's Grimm.
  • Hands-on previews: Check out our hands-on impressions of Aion, Battleforge and Battlefield Heroes
  • BigVersus: Our latest game comparison column takes a look at the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Bionic Commando Rearmed.
  • Big Iron: Our latest PC hardware column takes a look at power . . . power supplies for your rig that is.
  • Big Ideas: Our latest column on themes in gaming takes a look at the so called "new games journalism."
  • Alt-Tab: Our newest column takes a look at RTS gameplay conventions and how Relic could change them with Dawn of War II.
  • Freeware Friday: Our latest look at free PC games is the classic Nethack.
  • BigCast: It's our regular podcast with team members chatting about all things PC gaming.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 18-24

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]]>aionbattlefield-heroesbattleforgebig-downloadbionic-commando-rearmedSun, 24 Aug 2008 17:00:00 ESTGameTap Thursday: Grimm vs. Puss in Boots; Patrician gets all medievalhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/gametap-thursday-grimm-vs-puss-in-boots-patrician-gets-all-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/gametap-thursday-grimm-vs-puss-in-boots-patrician-gets-all-me/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/gametap-thursday-grimm-vs-puss-in-boots-patrician-gets-all-me/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


This week American McGee's Grimm retells the story (in Grimm's special way) of the anthropomorphic Puss in Boots. The episode is free for everyone the first 24 hours after release and will be available only to GameTap subscribers after that time.
  • Grimm: Puss In Boots (Windows) - Cats are evil and Puss is no exception. Dogs rule!
  • Patrician III (Windows) - How to describe ... how to describe? Oh, it's like playing "Medieval Tycoon."
There are no new additions to GameTap's free games lineup this week. As always, though, the full list of free-to-play titles can be found after the break.

Continue reading GameTap Thursday: Grimm vs. Puss in Boots; Patrician gets all medieval

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]]>gametapgametapthursdaygrimmThu, 21 Aug 2008 03:00:00 ESTWrath of Lich King cinematic debuting at Leipzighttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/wrath-of-lich-king-cinematic-debuting-at-leipzig/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/wrath-of-lich-king-cinematic-debuting-at-leipzig/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/wrath-of-lich-king-cinematic-debuting-at-leipzig/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Blizzard announced today that World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King's opening cinematic will premiere at the Leipzig Games Convention. The clip will be shown this Thursday, August 21, at 1PM German standard time (7AM Joystiq time).

We'd speculate about what Blizzard has in store for a big reveal at Blizzcon, but with Diablo 3, Starcraft 2 and WoW in play, who knows what the company could announce. We'll see what happens on October 11.

[Via WoW Insider]
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]]>activision-blizzardarthasblizzardblizzcon-2008cinematicleipzigleipzig-08world-of-warcraftwowwrath-of-the-lich-kingMon, 18 Aug 2008 17:45:00 ESTAnalyst: Potter movie delay could push back release of EA's gamehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/analyst-potter-movie-delay-could-push-back-release-of-eas-game/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Fans of J.K. Rowling's uber-successful series of wizardly novels received some heartbreaking news Friday -- the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been delayed from its initial release date of November 21, 2008 to a distant July 17, 2009. Electronic Arts has yet to announce how this major delay will affect the release window of their similarly titled video game adaptation of the film/book, though many gaming industry analysts, such as Signal Hill's Todd Greenwald, are predicting that EA will follow suit, with hopes that the film will whip up a Half-Blood frenzy that will boost sales of the game.

The repercussions of a Potter game delay could be bad for Electronic Arts, as both their holiday profits and fiscal 2009 revenue could take a hit without the title -- however, it could mean good news for those waiting on a truly stellar Harry Potter video game. Greenwald claims the title is "pretty much done and ready", meaning a delay would give EA an extra eight months to perfect the movie tie-in. We'll let you know what EA decides to do once they make an official statement.
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]]>delayeaelectronic-artsharry-potterharry-potter-and-the-half-blood-princeSun, 17 Aug 2008 19:30:00 ESTThe Best of Big Download: August 11-17http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/the-best-of-big-download-august-11-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/the-best-of-big-download-august-11-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/17/the-best-of-big-download-august-11-17/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We have had a busy week at the PC centric Big Download site. As we approach two big gaming events (next week's Games Convention and Labor Day weekend's Penny Arcade Expo) we should have even more to write about in the coming days. In the meantime let's look back at the week that was:

Exclusive Features
Downloads
News
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]]>american-mcgees-grimmbig-downloadspace-siegestrong-badSun, 17 Aug 2008 18:30:00 ESTBlizzard 'reevaluates' BlizzCon space, announces ticket lotteryhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/blizzard-reevaluates-blizzcon-space-announces-ticket-lottery/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/blizzard-reevaluates-blizzcon-space-announces-ticket-lottery/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/blizzard-reevaluates-blizzcon-space-announces-ticket-lottery/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

lottery
Blizzard president Mike Morhaime has issued a public apology on behalf of the company for the recent BlizzCon fiasco -- the "Wrath of the Ticke-Ting" -- which left thousands of F5ers empty-handed after two days of strenuous clicking. "As a result of this week's events, the excitement that many of you felt about the show has turned into dissatisfaction and disappointment," Morhaime writes in a statement posted on various Blizzard-operated sites. "Due to these circumstances, we've reevaluated our convention hall space and come up with some solutions that will allow us to offer 3,000 more tickets for sale."

We don't know where Blizzard plans to squeeze the additional load of freaks and geeks -- worst case scenario: dump some mobile buildings in the parking lot and load 'em with free diet soda and chips ... and dip -- but we do know that the only way to become one of the fabled "3,000" is to sharpen your Sword of Last Resort and spill some virgin blood upon the Alter of Actilizzard toss your name into a hat and hope it gets pulled. That's right, "To avoid the issues many of you faced this week, we'll be selling these 3,000 via a lottery," Morhaime explains (read: the servers still can't handle the force of 10 million clicks). Further details will be posted once Blizzard figures out how it's gonna work. Suggestions?
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]]>blizzardblizzconblizzcon-2008lotterymike-morhaimeThu, 14 Aug 2008 17:00:00 ESTSpore (finally!) evolves into Gold statushttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/spore-finally-evolves-into-gold-status/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Calling all gamers, non-gamers and militant atheists alike, Will Wright's years-in-the-making "Sim Everything" Spore has passed through its cell, tribal and civilization phases and has gone gold. The game is set to make its previously announced PC and Mac release date of September 5 for North America and September 7 for Europe. We now look forward to breaking even more Sporepedia milestones in our quest to collectively become 84% God. In the meantime check out our exhaustive Spore Q&A with Maxis Producer Thomas Vu from last month's E3.

Fun fact: Spore's original release date was Fall 2006.
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Continue reading Spore (finally!) evolves into Gold status

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>breakingnewseaelectronic-artssporeThu, 14 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EST'Bulk' of BlizzCon tickets sold out, remainder go on sale at 11pm ET tonighthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/blizzard-store-blizzcon-tickets-sell-out-come-back-then-sell/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/blizzard-store-blizzcon-tickets-sell-out-come-back-then-sell/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/blizzard-store-blizzcon-tickets-sell-out-come-back-then-sell/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

As of 3:50 PM ET according to the World of Warcraft forums, Blizzard reinstated the BlizzCon ticket sales after "murloc failing" the first time earlier this week. But within 30 minutes the Blizzard store was listing the tickets as sold out ... then it came back up ... and now it's sold out again. Additionally, there are a few unverified reports of credit cards being double- and triple-charged without even receiving confirmation of a ticket.

While you shake your Epic Fists of Anger (with +2 fire damage) at them for yet another botched launch, our calmer friends at WoW Insider remind us that Worldwide Invitational tickets sold in multiple rounds and that more BlizzCon tickets -- with hopefully less technical malfunction / malfeasance -- could be given out at a later date. For a more detailed chronicling of the BlizzCon ticket drama, check out WoW Insider.

Update: A WoW forum poster is reporting that a billing service rep is telling her that the tickets are being sold in phases at the moment to keep up with order processes and that it's going to cycle between "sold out" and "available" repeatedly today until they really do sell out. When you're not busy refreshing the Blizzard store listing, practice typing in your account information really fast.

Update 2: Blizzard has posted an official statement on their website: "The bulk of the BlizzCon tickets we had available were sold out within minutes of ticket sales going live again this afternoon. We have a small reserve of tickets left -- to make these available to some of you who might not have had a chance to purchase yet, we will be releasing the remaining reserve tickets for sale tonight, August 12, at 8:00 PM PDT. We appreciate the enthusiasm everyone has shown, and wish we were able to accommodate even more attendees at this year's BlizzCon."
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>blizzardblizzconbreakingnewsdiablodiablo-3starcraftstarcraft-2world-of-warcraftwowTue, 12 Aug 2008 16:50:00 ESTBlizzCon tickets go up, Blizzard.com comes downhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/blizzcon-tickets-go-up-blizzard-com-goes-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/blizzcon-tickets-go-up-blizzard-com-goes-down/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/11/blizzcon-tickets-go-up-blizzard-com-goes-down/#commentsFiled under: , ,

fail murloc
Blizzard.com briefly crumpled under the weight of its epic-sized fan base this morning, as visitors stormed the site eager to secure passage to BlizzCon 2008. Tickets went on sale exclusively through the new Blizzard Store today, but we've yet to receive confirmation of anyone making a successful purchase.

Posting on the WoW Forums, Blizzard urged frustrated clickers to ease off the panic button -- "Billing and Account Services and the In-Game Support Department will be unable to provide assistance" -- and dropped this vague reassurance: "Our Web Administrators are working as quickly as possible to remedy the issue, but I'm afraid there is no ETA at this time." While both Blizzard.com and the store have since reappeared, users attempting to purchase BlizzCon tickets are still slapped with the "Failoc" (pictured above) upon credit card authentication. We'll keep you posted.

Update [1:33 pm ET]: Blizzard writes, "This is top priority right now, and we are still actively looking into this issue. I can tell you that we have confirmed that no tickets have been purchased at this time, so no one should fear that they are going to be sold out while they are refreshing."

Update: Check WOW Insider for the latest updates.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>blizzardblizzconblizzcon-2008breakingnewsMon, 11 Aug 2008 12:05:00 EST