Interviews

Jonathan Steinhauer continues his application of the writings of Clausewitz to gaming, this time examining what happens when you have to turn and run.

The European beta sign up process for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has begun according to fansite WorldofWar.net. North American sign up has not yet begun though it appears it will begin later today. Check out the details by clicking below.

At Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational 2008, WarCry's Whitney "Teleios" Butts had the opportunity to sit in on a private press conference with members of the World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 development teams. Read more below the cut!

WarCry's own Whitney Butts sits down with World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King at the Worldwide Invitational 2008 and shares her thoughts!

This time on RoleCraft, Jim Moreno wants to hear from you roleplayers out there.

The WoW: Wrath of the Lich King bestiary has been updated with information about the legendary Flesh Giant. This huge denizen of the North is a scourge to all adventurers. Find out more and see one 'in the flesh'.

World of Warcraft and Blizzard have announced a new "authenticator" for players to use to make their accounts more secure. For details about what exactly that means, click 'read more'.

The Blizzard-induced fever of Net speculation continues to rise with Day 4's splash screen. The melting ice backs off a bit today and a pair of eyes seems to be peering menacingly from within. Check it out after the jump.

Blizzard SVP Rob Pardo gave listeners a shock in a GDC Paris Q&A session when he told them that World of Warcraft was slated to be free-to-play. Pick your jaw off the ground and click below to read it all.

World of Warcraft developers announced today that Season 4 of the 2008 Arena Tournament has begun. Read the particulars by clicking below.

The World of Warcraft team has announced the Midsummer Fire Festival scheduled to run from June 21-July 4, 2008. Packed with special events and items, players can read all about it after the jump.

The patch notes for the latest update, v2.4.2, have been released by World of Warcraft developers. It's a huge list of changes that you can read after clicking below.

Phase Two of the 2nd qualifying round in the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament has begun and team tracking information has been posted. For all the details, pop through the jump.

In this installment of RoleCraft, Jim Moreno looks at an interesting idea from WoW RP Realms: Full Immersion Roleplaying (FIRP).

Jonathan Steinhauer continues his study of Clausewitz and examines the art of the kill.

The World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King bestiary has been updated with a description and screenshot of the Jormungar. See what we're talking about after clicking 'permalink'.

World of Warcraft's music player has been updated with a new tune, "Power of the Horde". Find out the particulars after the jump.

The latest episode of The Instance has hit the airwaves. Containing all its usual frivolity, this particular episode is entitled "Gnome with a Knife". See what the discussion focuses on by clicking below.

WoW comic fans will be thrilled with the news that the creators of the Penny Arcade comic, Tycho and Gabe, will be at this weekend's Darkmoon Faire in Seattle. For all the details, click 'read more'.

According to a recent study by a US-based psychiatrist, admitting to sex-addiction is preferable to revealing one's addiction to MMOs. Dr. Jerald Block has even gone so far as to press the American Psychiatric Association to enter "Internet Addiction" as a new diagnostic term. Read some of what Block has to say about it all by clicking below.

The World of Warcraft website will be undergoing some hefty maintenance. There is no timeline for the project's completion but the result will net a host of bigtime improvements. Check it all out after the jump.

Between a rock and a hard place in the Shattered Suns environs? If so, never fear, Blizzard's Guide to the Shattered Suns is here! Containing tips and quest information, you can find it all at the link provided.

The latest official podcast from Blizzard is out and ready for download. Wrath of the Lich King is prominently featured with discussions about machinima, dungeon and raid design.

The newest entry in the WoW wallpaper archive is none other than the Lich King himself. Available in several sizes, it can be downloaded at the link provided.

The latest critter from the upcoming WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, has made its debut. Called the 'magnataur', it's a frightening looking beast. Read about it and see a screen by clicking below.

WoW devs need YOU to submit your screenshot of the day. Need details? Click below and find out!

Blizzard has announced the beginning of the 2nd round qualification round in the 2008 Arena Tournament.

Check it out after the jump.

Just in case you may not be aware, RoleCraft isn't the only place where you can find roleplaying related info on the interwebs. Of course you know that, and I'm only joking. During the course of my day, I am given and locating sites which are directly related to or merely referencing some aspect of roleplaying, and I consider it part of my duty to help keep you, my fellow roleplayers, informed as much as possible.

Blizzard announced the Round 1 2008 Arena Tournament winners today in preparation for Round 2.

We're glad to announce the winners of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's first qualification round. These three teams have demonstrated their Arena combat prowess against strong competition.

* 1: Dude I got it on FRAPS
* 2: duelists going for glad
* 3: Frag Dominant

There was a tie for the fourth-place team, and we will be holding a special playoff to determine the fourth-place winner. Each team will be invited to participate in the regional qualifier for a chance to further showcase their skills, win cash prizes, and compete for an invitation to the global finals. For more information about the tournament or details on signing up for the second qualification round, please see our Arena tournament information page. Congratulations to all the winners!

Sign up for Round 2 at the link above.

World of Warcraft's official site has a pair of news items for those artistically inclined.

• 

  The winner of the May comic contest has been published:

  And the comic contest winner for May, 2008, is... Nekkron ! Congratulations! Remember, this contest will go on all year long, so you will have a new chance to win a copy of the World of Warcraft Battle Chest signed by both Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen and Art Director Chris Robinson, as well as a World of Warcraft 60 day pre-paid time card every month. Keep those comics coming, and you might be next! Stop by each week to see a new comic from the contest.

• Devs are looking for your screenshots:

  We're always on the lookout for eye-catching screenshots of World of Warcraft. Do you have a screenshot that would make other people go "Wow!"? Send it in. We've been really happy with our screenshots of the day and would like to thank you for your great submissions (over 1,350 and counting). We particularly enjoy screenshots featuring humor, creativity, or large gatherings.

What're you waiting for? Get crackin'!

The latest edition of "The Instance", a fan podcast dedicated to the World of Warcraft universe, is now ready for download. This time the topics include last week's Flash vulnerability and the upcoming Blizzard Invitational among others.

• Flash Vulnerability
• Blizzard Invitational 2008
• Town Crier
• Drop of the Week: Custom macro

Check it out at the link above.

The World of Warcraft site has been updated with two stories from soldiers in the US military. Focusing on the friendship angle, here's a teaser from one of them:

When my turn to deploy to Iraq came about, I was trying to think of a way to easily keep in touch with my family. We used to play Baldur's Gate with each other back in the day so I thought World of Warcraft would be a great idea. I had a hard time convincing my father to step away from the game he had been playing, but he did it and loved World of Warcraft. Then after a bit my two sisters, my nephew, and my two nieces all decided that they wanted to play with my dad and me. We all rolled up Alliance characters to play together on the same realm, and now, due to my work shift in Iraq, we are able to play for a few hours four nights a week with each other. It has been a great way for us to stay in touch. Thank you for enabling this, Blizz--you've made my first deployment a lot easier.

Pretty heartwarming stuff and proof positive that MMOs do enhance real life connections.