Monday, November 17, 2008

Heavy cheating distracts

Heavy cheating distracts game companies from their primary mission
Video game cheaters and pirates got some comeuppance this week, as Microsoft and Blizzard together banned or suspended hundreds of thousands of gamers for various infractions.
Microsoft got things started by banning from Xbox Live an unspecified number of gamers who had modified their consoles to play pirated – excuse me, backup – copies of their games.
There were no official numbers, but the forums where such gamers cruise were full of bizarre outrage. (“How dare they ban me for playing pirated games!”)
Blizzard, maker of World of Warcraft （ Buy wow gold ）, was more forthright, stating that it had banned 350,000 online players from its older StarCraft and Diablo II titles for using software cheats and hacks during online games against other players.
Cheating is nothing new.
I’m sure the first cavemen to literally roll the bones against their cave wall had fights over cheating.
But what’s annoying is that these video game companies are having to divert what seems a growing pool of resources to chasing and defeating these nincompoops.
That’s time and money and manpower that doesn’t go to making a new game or improving existing titles.
•
The recently concluded Dallas Video Festival handed out an award to a documentary on video game violence called Moral Kombat. (Great title, by the way.)
The movie is apparently (still waiting to see it, myself) an evenhanded look at the explicit carnage found in many games.
But while I’m sure the issue will flare up again, it does seem like game violence has ebbed somewhat in the last year or so as hot cultural topic.
I think that’s because games won the debate without ever really addressing the issue.
People made a fuss about Grand Theft Auto and its sequels, for example, but the developers simply kept cranking out the games without apology.
After a while, the critics seemed to give up, and GTA continued to sell millions of copies.
Just like a forest fire can reignite after it appears to be extinguished, though, this tussle may not be over.
A game called MadWorld under development by Sega for the Nintendo Wii could be a flashpoint.
The developers say that their game “revolves around the themes of brutality and exhilaration.”
That seems designed to get some people riled up.
But maybe we’ve found other, even more politically sensitive topics over which to get hot and bothered.
An upcoming downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 called Fat Princess has feminists all twitchy because you have to rescue a rotund royal.
So perhaps fat is the new violent.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:46:48 | Permalink | No Comments »

Kyle keeps on fighting

Westlake rallying behind Lindgren with marrow drive, auction

It was the third time Kyle Lindgren and his family learned he was suffering from leukemia, but this time the diagnosis was unusually cruel.

Kyle, 11, was stricken with the illness in 2000 and suffered a relapse in 2003. But unlike those times, on Oct. 8, when Kyle visited his doctor for a routine checkup, he felt perfectly healthy. Kyle had started sixth grade at
Westlake Middle School, had joined the band and was learning to play the clarinet.
“He was just so excited,” said his mother, Denise. “He was just getting to be a normal boy. That’s why it’s so frustrating.”
Within days of the October diagnosis, Kyle had started chemotherapy and was too ill for school. The treatment has sapped his energy and ravaged his immune system. Instead of following his grades, his mother tracks his blood cell counts to see if it’s safe for Kyle to be around other people and risk catching a bug that would complicate his treatment. The treatment has even robbed Kyle of his voice.
Sadly, the routine has become familiar.
“Maybe we don’t even know what normal is anymore,” Denise said. “Your whole life revolves around his blood counts.”
Kyle’s voice might be gone, but he’s figured out clever ways to work around it. He’ll play his favorite online video game, World of Warcraft (Buy wow gold ) , with a friend who talks to him over a speakerphone. He types out his responses using the game’s chat feature.
His mother admits she doesn’t understand the game, where Kyle, who plays under the name Sandyclawz, is a level 70 troll shaman. But she appreciates that it lets him play with friends and get to know new users online.
Doctors said Kyle likely will need a bone marrow transplant. Although the most likely donors are immediate family members, Kyle’s parents and siblings aren’t matches. That’s why his family and friends are turning to the public.
A bone marrow drive at Westlake on Nov. 24 might help find a donor. The test consists of a simple cheek swab. If the initial test looks promising, the next step is a blood draw.
Kyle’s doctors also are considering treating him with marrow cells derived from umbilical cord blood.
To help raise money to pay for future treatment, NASCAR memorabilia and donations from local businesses will be auctioned off at the Nov. 24 event. Contributions also can be made to the Cure for Kyle fund at Bank of the West, 1000 E. First Ave.
If a donor is found, Kyle will be hospitalized for at least six weeks after the transplant. Most of that time will be spent waiting for his immune system to build up its strength.
In the past, doctors thought chemotherapy would be enough, Denise said. Kyle would be spared the transplant surgery, and he seemed to be responding well to chemo. His leukemia was in remission, at least according to the tests.
“The thing with cancer and leukemia cells is they’re really good at hiding,” Denise said. “It will just keep coming.”
Fortunately, so has support from the community. In 2006, students at Meridian Elementary raised more than $6,000 to help with treatment. Last St. Patrick’s Day, firefighters from North Metro Fire Rescue District shaved their heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research as part of the national St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser. Kyle’s fight was part of their inspiration.
Jen Jones, a family friend, is helping organize the bone marrow drive. Kyle’s fortitude has impressed her.
“He’s not the scared little kid. He knows what to expect and he’s kind of fed up and wants to be done with it,” she said.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:45:56 | Permalink | No Comments »

Upgrade of cult online game has local players in frenzy

THE DWARVES, elves, trolls, orcs and humans of Cyprus emerged from the shadows late Wednesday night to get their hands on the latest expansion of the cult computer game “World of Warcraft （ Buy wow gold ）”.The Megaland store in downtown Nicosia opened shop doors shortly before midnight especially for the European release of the newest chapter in the series, “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King” on November 13. Megaland was one of an estimated 15,000 stores around the world that opened especially for the midnight release.The manager of Megaland, Paris Gaidajis, told the Sunday Mail this week that he had anticipated a large turnout. He said that 400 copies of the expansion had already been reserved by fans prior to the event and estimated that about 700 Warcaft fans attended the release.Costas Koulermou, a Megaland staff member and part time cyber-warrior, indicated that the turnout exceeded expectations“It was crazy,” he said. “People started arriving at about 10pm … [and were] here until about half past three.” Some fans had to exercise their powers of patience. “Some people were saying ‘We’ve been waiting here for three hours … where’s our game?’“ Koulermou said.Megaland fortunately had enough copies in stock to prevent the part-time warriors leaving empty-handed and teary-eyed. Koulermou believes that the store had nearly sold all the copies it had available by the time it closed.Megaland awarded free Warcraft subscriptions during the events and one lucky gamer won an enormous metal sword – a replica of one seen in the game.Since its launch in 2004, World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ), a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, has gained a cult following across the globe with almost 11 million subscribers. For a monthly subscription fee, the game allows the player to assume the role of an avatar in the virtual
kingdom of Azeroth. The armour-wearing, sword-wielding, spell-casting hero must do his best to complete challenges in a world filled with legions of evil incarnations with the help of other online gamers.“Wrath of the Lich King” is the follow-up to the 2007 expansion “The Burning Crusade” which broke records when 2.4 million copies of it were sold in the first 24 hours after it was released.Blizzard Entertainment has not yet released sales figures for the latest expansion. Among other things, this latest offering allows players to enter new lands in the Warcraft universe and increases the maximum experience level a hero can achieve from 70 to 80.Costas Koulermou describes the game as “pure addiction”. He usually spends 3 to 4 hours playing every day. “It’s like a full-time job!” he said.He believes this expansion to be the last instalment in the Warcraft series, and expects the story to reach its logical conclusion – the destruction of the undead warmonger called the “Lich King.”Since there are hundreds of new warriors only just beginning their adventures in Azeroth every day, it would be premature for mothers, wives and girlfriends to celebrate the end of Warcraft just yet however. It seems internet warriors of all breeds will continue to spend many hours swinging their swords against the forces of evil for a long time to come.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:45:12 | Permalink | No Comments »

World of Warcraft Gets Its First Level 80

Barely more than 24 hours after the release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the game has its first level 80 character.The second expansion to World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) increased the character level cap from 70 to 80, enough of a leap to keep normal players, and even normal hardcore players, occupied for awhile. But a warlock by the name of Nymh who plays on the French PvE server of Drek’thar is clearly not normal: He hit the level 80 ceiling just 27 hours after the expansion went live on European game servers.
Nymh describes himself as 21 and employed in an interview on MMO Champion, and says he took a few days of vacation so he could spend some quality time with the expansion. Prior to that, he had experimented with different leveling strategies during the Wrath of the Lich King beta, and had come up with a plan he believed would powerlevel him to the top in as short a time as possible. “The biggest problem was to find a spot with enough monsters to grind without too much downtime,” he said. “I spent some time on beta servers and eventually found the crypt in Drakil’ji Ruins (Grizzly Hills), I think that’s one of the only place in Wrath of the Lich King where monsters repop in about 30 seconds, mobs here are also neutral and it makes grinding a little safer.”
Nymh said several players “helped a lot” with his achievement, including a healer named Pavelomm who stuck by him and kept him alive during his quest for level 80, as well as the characters Ardanell, Bro and Zhazha, who traveled to Grizzly Hills to teleport him back to Ironforge so he could train his new spells without losing much gametime.
Congratulations to Nymh on the accomplishment, but I have to admit the whole thing leaves me a little bewildered. Is it possible to really enjoy and appreciate the game when you blow through it at warp nine? To each his own, I suppose.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:44:08 | Permalink | No Comments »

Fans raid Fairbanks stores in search of latest ‘World of Warcraft’ expansion pack

FAIRBANKS — While people tend to stay indoors and get lethargic during this time of year, the Orcs, dwarves and elves are just getting started.
On Thursday, Blizzard Entertainment released “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King,” the second expansion pack for the popular online computer game. Gamers across the country lined up at midnight to get their hands on the highly anticipated game. But they weren’t the only ones — the game was released in Europe,
Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Russia on the same day.
“World of Warcraft （ Buy wow gold ）” is the world’s largest massively multiplayer online role-playing game and has more than 11 million subscribers worldwide. Players create characters to explore the lands of Azeroth, the fictional world where the game is based. Players fight monsters, complete quests and interact with other characters in the game. Most of the game is focused on completing quests, which include killing creatures, gathering resources and finding hidden objects.
The expansion pack includes new items, quests, improved graphics for players and increases the maximum level a player can attain.
U.S. gamers will soon be joined by players from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand as the game is released in those countries today. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will see the game on Tuesday.
In Fairbanks, below-freezing temperatures did little to curb the line that formed outside GameStop in the Johansen Expressway shopping center. The line for people picking up preordered games extended past the neighboring Barnes & Noble bookstore. Fans without preorders tried to retain body heat while they waited in a second line to purchase their copies.
Six hundred copies of the game were delivered to the GameStop off the Johansen Expressway, and 580 of them were already reserved, said Brittany Bray, the store’s assistant manager. Bray missed the midnight madness — when the store opened at midnight to let fans get their hands on the game as soon as it was released. But she found eager gamers waiting for her when she reopened the store Thursday morning at 10.
“Anything that has ‘Lich King’ on it has been sold out,” she said.
Bray said she knew the game would be a big deal but didn’t expect the turnout to be as big as it was.
“It’s one of the biggest games of the year,” she said.
But fans Hal Salerno, Stephen Gasparini and Chris Matzie already knew that. All three said they were on the preorder list soon after it was announced and were at GameStop on Thursday morning to pick it up.
“I was on the list two weeks after it was started,” Gasparini said.
Gasparini said he couldn’t make it to the midnight release because of work, while Matzie said the long lines deterred him from picking it up at midnight.
Salerno said new storylines offered in the expansion pack will be an improvement. Gasparini said he was excited about the expansion pack because of the new content, especially the new land of Northrend.
“There are new places to explore and new achievements,” he said.
Salerno and Gasparini did not know each other before meeting in line at GameStop but talked casually until it was revealed Salerno’s character in the game is part of the Horde while Gasparini is on the Alliance side.
“They are opposing factions; they hate each other,” Salerno said.
The two can agree on one thing when it comes to “world of warcraft ( Buy wow gold )”: It took them a while to get really involved with the game. Salerno said there is a sizable learning curve that took some time to conquer and a “Warcraft” culture to learn.
Matzie, who aligns with the Horde, said he was instantly attracted to the game when it was first released but also found it hard to play at the beginning.
“There were many sleepless nights,” Matzie said.
Behind Gasparini in line was Michelle Champion, the opposite of the gamer stereotype. A mother of two who is expecting her third child, Champion said her husband and his co-workers introduced her to the game.
She and her son were waiting in line to pick up the expansion pack for her husband, who has been in Iraq since September.
“It’s his birthday present,” she said.
Champion said she and her husband are part of the Horde. She said that although she isn’t a big gamer, the lure of “Warcraft” was too strong.
“I saw my husband playing it, and I’m not a gamer, but it is very addicting,” she said.
Champion said she loves all aspects of the game, especially the seasons and holidays. She said she is particularly looking forward to the new continent and the new character class, the death knight.
Two versions of the expansion pack were released. The basic version retails for about $40, and the Collector’s Edition, which is more expensive, includes the expansion, a hardcover book, an exclusive in-game pet, a behind-the-scenes DVD, trading cards, a mousepad and a soundtrack for the game.
But finding the Collector’s Edition will be harder than unraveling all of the mysteries of Northrend.
Bray said GameStop only had Collector’s Editions for people who reserved them. Brad McGinnity, co-manager of Wal-Mart, said the store didn’t have any Collector’s Editions, and Melinda Merrill, director of public affairs for Fred Meyers, said the Collector’s Editions are so rare, copies are being raffled off at two Fred Meyers that specialize in Warcraft. One store is located in Anchorage, and the other is in Oregon.
Neither Wal-Mart nor Fred Meyers took preorders for the new expansion pack. McGinnity said despite that, 15 to 20 people were at the store at midnight to pick up the game. While he said the number of customers was significant for midnight, game sales “weren’t anything huge.”
Merrill, on the other hand, said sales have exceeded expectations at Fred Meyer and outpaced the first “Warcraft” expansion pack, “The Burning Crusade.”
It is still unknown if there was a rise in energy drink sales or sick days taken Thursday.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:43:06 | Permalink | No Comments »

World of Warcraft: WotLK: Talents for the Talented

Zachary “Fix” Diaz takes a look at the newly revamped talent trees for all class at 80, and irons out their impact in PvP and high level Arenas.
Wrath of the Lich King has landed, and hopefully you’ve been keeping up with the insane amount of changes being made to each and every of the current nine classes in world of warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) However, if you’ve found all of the patch notes and forums posts a little confusing, GotFrag is here to make it much simpler for you. In this article, GotFrag will take a focus onto the new 51 point talents in the major three trees of each class, and how they just might affect PvP and arenas at level 80. Many class defining abilities and spells were also changed along with the introduction of these new talents, so if you’re looking to find the best way to spend your talent points once you’ve hit 80 and are ready to duke it out in an Arena, look no further.
Warriors have had quite a decent overhaul in all three of their trees for the 3.0/WotLK patch. The biggest change that most people seemed to be interested in is the addition of the 51 point talent in Arms called Bladestorm. For only 25 rage, you do a whirlwind every 6 seconds and (practically) immune to every form of CC out there. This skill is often called the “spin and win” move as it is very hard to escape if the warriors plays it smart and uses it when his opponent has no more outs left. However, with the tweaking of certain talents like Improved Disarm, you may see some hybrid specs or even tri-spec warriors in arenas. However, the reality is that both Shockwave and Titan’s Grip are far too removed from the burst nature needed in 3.0, and will most likely rarely be used except in the case of gimmick or fun runs. A few other key skills for warriors have changed to make them even more desirable in PvP, beyond the MS and hamstring one/two trick ponies they were before. Recklessness and Shield Wall are now usable in an arena, which means they will have significantly higher burst or defense on call whenever they need it. Post 3.0, there is definitely a higher skill cap for warriors in high end arenas. Most warriors will go with a Bladestorm-esque build and get to a decently high arena rating, but a warrior who can handle a hybrid or tri-spec will have the utility and DPS to be very appealing in the professional scene.
Warlocks at the end of 2.4, had it fairly easy with the WLD arena composition and seemed like they weren’t going anywhere. However, the name of the game changed from outlasts to burst when 3.0 hit and Warlocks have been left in the dust. Metamorphosis is the new Demonology 51 point talent, and seems to be the only one worth even attempting for in Arenas. 600% increased armor and 20% reduction on damage taken for 30 seconds is huge, and allows them to tank melee with ease. The other two 51 point talents, Haunt and Chaos Bolt seem to provide little needed utility to Warlocks in arenas. Haunt has the ability to do nice damage over a short period of time (if not dispelled), but not anywhere near the burst needed and will sadly fall far behind when compared to Mages. Chaos Bolt is something completely out of left field, and seems more like a neat gimmick rather than a spell to be feared. It used to be decent when it would actually penetrate an Ice Block or Divine Shield, but no longer actually penetrates immunities functions, only spells such as Power Word: Shield or Cloak of Shadows.A much needed buff to the control and utility of pets was completely passed over with this patch, and sadly Warlocks will probably be the 2.4 Ret Paladins or Shamans of WotLK, rarely seen and rarely taken seriously. Expect a few tweaks over the next patches to bring them back up to speed, hopefully Blizzard gives them more sustained DPS as it seems like they’re out of the burst game for now.
Shamans have finally stepped into the ring of being truly viable in high level 3v3 arena play. Before, Shadowplay was the only time a shaman was ever seen, and now they will definitely be competing for the top spot in arenas both as healing and DPS. Thunderstorm has the ability to knock players back, which was recently introduced in the 3.0 patch. This may come into some very strange plays, but don’t be surprised to see a few elemental shamans running around trying to gib players. With the 3.0 patch, however, Shamans also received two new very interesting abilities: Hex and Cleanse Spirit. Hex is a decent CC ability that still gives the CC’d player the chance to move, and Cleanse Spirit means that Shamans finally have a de-curse.Feral Spirit is also an extremely viable 51 point talent for a shaman to try out. They have a stun and they heal the shaman for a percentage of the damage done, which is nothing to scoff at. However, most shaman will try out the 51 point restoration talent of Riptide as it provides the shaman with a great heal over time, and also allows for a decent bonus on the amount healed by Chain Heal. Look for Shamans to come back with a force, both as DPS and healing specs, or even a mixture of the two. There have been a few specs floating out there that allowed for a Shaman to fulfill both roles with deadly force, and they’re definitely a deadly combo together.
Rogues, as always, will be popular in PvP, and Wrath will not be changing that tune. Shadow Dance will allow for an insane amount of burst in a fashion not seen before. Being able to cast stealth-required spells such as Ambush and Cheap Shot while the buff is active is a force to be reckoned with. Casters caught off guard by a SD spec’d rogue have a Garrote -> Ambush -> Cheap Shot -> Ambush -> Ambush chain to fear. Killing Spree definitely gives combat the needed burst instead of the usual sustained damage, however the damage is fairly negligible if used when two (or more) targets are near. Look to see a healer or caster caught off guard and bursted down with a quickness thanks to the Adrenaline Rush and Killing Spree combo. The third and final 51 point talent for rogues is Hunger For Blood and sadly seems fairly lackluster for PvP. It comes with a 9% increased damage effect (when stacked three times) and has a chance to remove a bleed effect which is one of the more annoying aspects of playing a rogue. Rogues will most likely be a dominant class in the 3v3 arena bracket at 80, as being able to pick up both Shadowstep and Shadow Dance means a player can do ridiculous burst and stay on top of their target with ease.
Priests have always been good healers in Arenas; however mobility was their weak point. However, with the arena play shifting towards burst, the time finally seems appropriate for Priests to rise back up in popularity. Rapture seems to be a ridiculously good talent for priests, which allows them to recoup mana on certain heals and damaged absorbed by PW:S. While mana may not be the largest limiting factor at 80, the fact that so many spells are costing a large portion of base mana, it definitely seems like a much needed spell. Penance, the 51 point Holy talent, is definitely a great HPS spell and does decent damage if cast on an enemy player. There are two downfalls however, as it is a channeled spell and is also fairly costly in respect to mana. Look for Holy priests to be the best straight healers in arenas without as much versatility as other healers.Guardian Spirit is sadly another talent that will not see much use in PvP because it seems strictly designed around PvE ideas. Depending on how insane the burst gets at 80, however, this spell may just actually come into play. It basically allows the player to live for at least 10 seconds, if not longer because of the heal if the target is bursted down while the buff is active. Dispersion, the final talent in the Shadow tree, is definitely a must if you plan on spec’ing into shadow for Arena. 90% reduced damage taken alone is enough to convince most folks to take it, and can definitely be a huge life saving clutch play when you’re forced to LoS a healer.
Paladins had a chance to fulfill the burst role when they’re Ret tree was insanely broken in the early days of 3.0, but have since fallen back into obscurity. Ret runs out of mana extremely quickly, and if they’re unable to take someone down in the initial burst they’re basically out of luck. Divine Storm is definitely a skill to fear, but any form of kiting on a paladin will quickly put them out of sight and out of mind. Holy Shock seems to have gotten some decent buffs that will allow them to fill the healer/hybrid roll in a much more complete way, which is something most paladins have wanted since day one. Sadly, Protection really offers nothing valuable to paladins in terms of PvP and arena, and will most likely stay that way for a vast majority of the time.
Mages are without a doubt the strongest DPS class in arenas right now. Two trees that serve two different play styles but ultimately allow for such extremely control over an opponent means that practically every top comp will include a mage (in their current incarnation, anyways.) First off, Arcane has the ability to completely wreck and destroy practically any class. Slow affecting cast times means it will be fairly difficult for a competent mage to miss an improved counter spell, and Arcane Barrage with a three second cooldown is absolutely brutal. Not to mention the painful Arcane Power -> Presence of Mind -> Fireball/Frostbolt macro can still be executed with skill and grace.Frost, on the other hand has the control that Arcane does with no less than four different roots, but also presents a nice opportunity to lay down the burst with the 51 point talent of Deep Freeze. A 5 second stun that is also a freeze means a potential 3 or 4 spell sequence of insanely high crits even while on the move with instant Ice Lances. Improved Water Elemental means higher utility out of your pet, Shatter Barrier adds one more annoying way to root any melee who might be sticking onto you, and finally Fingers of Frost adds more RNG allowing you to cast spells as if the target were frozen. Burst with frost will become even much more RNG dependant than anyone could have hoped for with the ability to proc instant (and mana free!) fireballs as well.Fire, sadly, is not looking so well as Living Bomb is a much more AoE oriented spell and will rarely be seen outside of the occasional battleground. However, the other two trees more than make up for the short comings of Fire and Mages are looking to be extremely dominant at level 80.

Hunters did fairly well in the 3.0 / Wrath of the Lich King expansion as far as revamped skills are concerned. Aimed Shot now has a Mortal Strike like debuff, meaning that a warrior is not the only option when needing to cut down the utility of an opposing teams healer. Pets also received some decent buffs such as an intercept ability that will make them more of a pain to casters than they ever were before. Concerning talents specifically, Chimera shot is an incredible ability that will probably be the most common spec for quite some time. It will basically wreck any mana user, which will drastically reduce the burst potential of an opposing arcane mage or similar class. Explosive Shot seems like a decent talent, although much more PvE oriented than most hunters were hoping for.In all, however, the extra ten talent points seem to really be where the hunters will shine overall. The ability to grab the Beastial Wrath talent and Readiness will be really hard for decent hunters to give up, especially depending on how good some pets DPS will end up being at 80 along with their masters’.
Druids, everyone’s favorite healer, definitely is not the end all be all dominant force it used to be. Lifeblooms coefficient received a heavy nerf . However, that does not mean that the Druid is out of luck just yet. Blizzard may have finally done the impossible and given a hybrid class just the right tweaks to allow them to choose just enough talents to make them useful in Arenas without being overpowered (or underpowered.)Typhoon and Starfall and some really decent utility and DPS to boomkins in arena, though they are extremely mana intensive. Berserk will probably attract a lot of feral druids in the beginning, though most will find feral a lacking tree in terms of utility, eventually being swapped out for a rogue or warrior (or even a Death Knight!) Wild growth is definitely not an arena oriented spell, or at least for the 3v3 bracket. It will find its place in 5v5/PvE, and there is definitely talk of it being nerfed in the near future.
Death KnightNo real point in talking about how amazing the 51 point talents are, because Death Knights overall haven’t even been seen in arenas in the first place. However, DKs are definitely going to see a ton of action over the first few weeks of the Arena season as they are the new class on the block. The ability to, literally, pull any target directly on top of themselves, an anti-magic shield, silences and interrupts and decent DPS to boot means that they will be able to fill almost any roll you can think of. They have the opportunity to have great synergy with Frost Mages, and are a direct counter to any healer that casts a HoT, so look out for a complete shutdown if you just happen to face a DK with the wrong class composition.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:42:06 | Permalink | No Comments »

Day of dread arrives for World of Warcraft Widows

The latest World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) game was eagerly awaited by millions, but there was one group who have been filled with dread by the game’s release: “Warcraft Widows”.
The game has such a firm grip over the lives of many men, that some wives complain they rarely see their spouses any more. One 39-year-old Warcraft Widow, Carolyn, recently told The Times that the game has so absorbed her husband Paul, that she sees him only during meal and lavatory breaks.
“We’ve had to enter into some heavy negotiation to work out the nights and weekends when Paul can play without me nagging him to stop, because it’s not just the odd half hour,” she said.
At a recent gaming convention, one player said a friend became so obsessed with the game that his wife gave him an ultimatum: quit Warcraft or the marriage is over. He started divorce proceedings the next day.
The game makers, Blizzard Entertainment, do not reveal the average time players spend on the game, but academic research estimates it as much as 25 hours a week. One unpublished study says the figure could be closer to 40 hours.
Spotting this trend, Relate, the relationship-counselling organisation, has introduced a training module for its counsellors on problems caused by online gaming-obsessions. An internet support group called “WOW_widow” has also sprung up with the motto: “Stop leveling and start living!”
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:41:04 | Permalink | No Comments »

Ford, Nokia, CCTV, Li Ning, and World of Warcraft Sponsor Eighth Annual One Show China

The Largest Group of Advertising Professionals From Around the World to Ever Travel to China Teams Up With The One Club to Nurture Young Creative Talent
NEW YORK, NY, Nov 12, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — Ford, Nokia, CCTV, Li Ning, and World of Warcraft （ Buy wow gold ） are sponsoring an ambitious journey to Shanghai in which a stellar group of international advertising professionals will conduct workshops with young professionals and university students from throughout mainland China (People’s Republic of China) in The One Club’s 8th Annual One Show China Creative Workshop to take place November 15-21, 2008. The
Fudan University in Shanghai is hosting this unusual event at the International Convention Center.
The focus of the workshops is a competition in which students will compete to create marketing campaigns to promote awareness for a particular brand or product. Eighteen advertising industry influentials from around the world will join The One Club President Kevin Swanepoel and CEO Mary Warlick to make up the largest group of advertising professionals to ever travel to China.
“This is a unique experience for both the students in China and the accomplished advertising veterans from around the globe to interact,” said Swanepoel. “The One Club is the first western organization to establish workshops in China for this purpose. We appreciate the incredible support shown by the major companies CCTV, Ford, Li Ning, Nokia and World of Warcraft.( Currency: wow gold ) All have sponsored creative briefs that will be key to the educational development of the next generation of Chinese creative professionals.
“It is a testament to the success of this program that 18 teams from the previous year have been hired by esteemed agencies including Weiden + Kennedy and Ogilvy,” added Swanepoel.
3,000 entries were submitted from 24 universities and 16 agencies spanning 32 provinces and municipal cities in China. Only a selection of these entries will be chosen as finalists to participate in the One Show China Workshops. Judges will select the students from their work on a record five client briefs from Ford, Nokia, Li Ning Company, World of Warcraft and China Central Television (CCTV). Topics of the briefs range from raising awareness of Nokia’s maps and navigation systems to reinventing the brand slogan “everything is possible” for Li Ning to demonstrating Ford’s leadership in design to improving the image of the World of Warcraft online game and helping China Central Television (CCTV) present its mission of “being the window for China to understand the world and the world to understand China.”
“China is a country with the deepest heritage in the past. And at the same time, it holds the biggest potential for the future. The young people of China have the highest pride of their past. And they have the most fearless ambition for the future,” said Rei Inamoto, Co-Chief Creative Officer, AKQA. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and spend time with the young creative professionals of China.”
Winners will receive gold, silver and bronze certificates.
In addition to the workshops, The One Club has gathered the best creative minds from the interactive industry and will hold their first-ever series of internet conferences and boot camps in Asia. These conferences will take place in Shanghai sponsored by SINA on November 21st, in Taiwan sponsored by Yahoo! on November 28th and Singapore sponsored by MasterCard from December 13 to 15.
Tags: wow gold，world of warcraft gold

Posted by JImmy at 01:39:56 | Permalink | No Comments »