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Maybe try out their authentication key replacement policy...

"Just as if the game were missing a disk or the instruction manual, a copy of the game that is missing an Authentication Key is defective. If the place of purchase is not able to provide you with a complete copy of the game, we can replace the Authentication Key per the instructions below.

Please mail in the World of Warcraft instruction manual to the P.O. box listed below. If the manual is missing, please send the CD case in its place. If you are missing both the manual and the CD case, you can send one of the game CDs. If you must do this, be sure to pack the CD as securely as possible; we are not responsible for any damage occurring from mailing the CD to us."

http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowbilling/?id=abl 01117p

Seems like this was one of the guys who made the music for the starcraft broodwar intro "morituri te salutant".
One of my favorite songs, so anything he makes just has to be good :)

you can get it from blizzard btw: bwintro.zip
More songs from blizzard here

You might have to wait a long time for Cedega support. The game will only be released on the consoles (PS2, Xbox, GameCube).

Starcraft: Ghost FAQ

I think they foresaw that their game would be popular. I mean, they have a lot of servers, right? They have about 90 servers, I think. If each could hold 2000 players, and be stable, that's 180k players at the same time. They shattered records by having 200k players online at the same time, didn't they?

Well, my server (unnamed to protect it's stability) hasn't suffered any problems. It's a low-medium population server and I don't think we've hit the cap, yet. At least, I've never had to wait in line to log in and I play all the time.

So, I do believe they forsaw that a great many people would flock to their game, but they didn't forsee that record-breaking numbers of people would flock to certain servers. Perhaps, their server-placement protocol wasn't as spread out as it should have been?

Jobs are listed on the front page.

Demand was much higher than expectations, according to Blizzard with 600,000 copies sold and 200,000 simultaneous players (self-congratulatory press release). That's a lot more than predicted.

In totaly unrelated news Blizzard has a "Hot New Job - Network Operations Manager" as well as a few other positions including "Senior Server Programmer". If you wish to apply you can visit Blizzard.com

In totaly unrelated news Blizzard has a "Hot New Job - Network Operations Manager" as well as a few other positions including "Senior Server Programmer". If you wish to apply you can visit Blizzard.com

In totaly unrelated news Blizzard has a "Hot New Job - Network Operations Manager" as well as a few other positions including "Senior Server Programmer". If you wish to apply you can visit Blizzard.com

DAoC didn't break the record for concurrently connected users either. I agree the downtime and problems suck, but it's because they grew so fast.

Blizzard explicity states that they won't delete your characters if you stop paying for your account.

Oh gaming is no problem on this. From the Warcraft 3 specs it is plenty enough power to run Warcraft 3 and it could run World of Warcraft just fine if you add another 256mb of ram.

Doom 3 wouldnt run however.

StarCraft: Ghost. They need to finish StarCraft: Ghost, dammit!

WoW would cost me what, 70 bucks for the game, and another 20 or so to play for a month? That's me going 90 bucks out of pocket for a game, hell a whole genre of gaming, that I don't know if I'd like or completely hate.

Take the WoW Census numbers with a grain of salt. The most accurate numbers about games sold/subs have come from Blizzard in press releases. Keep in mind their latest release is only from Dec. 1 though.

I liked that game too. But wasn't it Blizzard that published it?

PS check out Blizzard's awesome screenshots here. Wow, so impressive. Check the weapons, character models, esp. the beast hands. Try to make out what kind of characters these are supposed to be. Nice. Gamespot is so gay.

World of Warcraft has a fully-customizable and programmable interface and I'm sure someone could write up a chat encrypter for it that would look like gobbledygook to outside players. Heck, WoW already sort of does this internally- the two factions can't talk to each other, it looks to the other faction like nonsense. Since I love this game so far, and know a little bit about encryption, I think I'm going to have to get on coding that =)

IRVINE, Calif. - December 1, 2004 - Blizzard Entertainment® today confirmed that World of Warcraft® has broken day-one sales records in North America, making it the most successful PC game launch ever. World of Warcraft, the company's subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), sold through to over 240,000 customers at retailers in North America on Tuesday, November 23, selling more in its first 24 hours than any other PC game in history.*

[...]Over the Thanksgiving weekend, players continued to buy World of Warcraft in record numbers, with a total of over 350,000* copies of the game selling through. Blizzard Entertainment and its retail partners expect the remaining supplies of World of Warcraft to sell out soon.[...]

If you want to trde, use the in-game trading system, which lets you trade virtual-items and virtual-money for other virtual-items and virtual-money.

So how much virtual-money does it take to play the virtual-game for a month? Division by zero error, you say? Until you can use in-game money to pay to remain playing, pretending you can trade within the game economy is a joke.

Blizzard can afford kick the players that are only there to make money off the system, so they will do it.

No, they really can't afford to kick the people who continue to play their game. Just because I have gained two +6 swords (or whatever) and I can get rid of one for $15, allowing me to essentially play a month for free, doesn't mean I'm only playing to make money.

The other MMORGS would do this too, but they are probably scared of turning away subsribers, when in reality, banning this activity could ulimatly bring in new subscribers.

Funny, because the reverse is so obviously the case. People spend real time and money creating a virtual world for Blizzard, and Blizzard thinks they can turn around and say it was all a complete waste, and somehow such a sinkhole is going to attract new subscribers? If they, or any other MMORPG, really wanted to attract subscribers they would create an actual economy within the game first, and even then they have to allow people to transfer resources back and forth between the real world and the game world.

The simple reality is that even in virtual worlds it takes real money to create resources. If it takes a customer two months of play to get an item, they've created something that is worth at least $30. They can dance around the issue all they want and attempt to enforce their haphazard internal economy as much as they like, but it all still comes down to dollars and cents in the real world. Until they change their payment options to support game currency, they don't have an isolated economy. The paradox, of course, is that in accepting the internal currency they have to acknowledge that value in the game still translates to value out of game. Their current stance is so mentally confused I can't give them my money any more than I'd give money to the crazy person with the sign at the exit ramp.

Netcraft is dead!

Heh, Blizzard did that for Diablo 2 beta, test, or something. I think it ended before the day of the release.

Just a note on use of BT to distribute files. Blizzard has been "evaluating" a bit torrent file distribution system for some time. AFAIK it is now the planned distribution mechanism for patches and content updates in the soon to be released World of Warcraft MMO.

Many of the posts on how this system handled the 2.6 GB files they were throwing around are terrible, giving the entire distribution mechism a black eye in that community. If any of you are skilled in the coding of a BT, call Blizzard for a job! :-)

Just a note on use of BT to distribute files. Blizzard has been "evaluating" a bit torrent file distribution system for some time. AFAIK it is now the planned distribution mechanism for patches and content updates in the soon to be released World of Warcraft MMO.

Many of the posts on how this system handled the 2.6 GB files they were throwing around are terrible, giving the entire distribution mechism a black eye in that community. If any of you are skilled in the coding of a BT, call Blizzard for a job! :-)

I don't find it very likely that BitTorrent authors will be sued. Many Linux distributions use BitTorrent to distribute Linux ISOs. Many download sites, like Filerush.com, offer torrents as alternatives in addition to normal HTTP/FTP download sites.

Heck, even the entertainment industry could use BitTorrent-like technology to offer video or music on demand without having to invest truckloads of money into bandwidth.

"Isn't it clear that BitTorrent wasn't designed with copyright infringement in mind?"

Wheher BitTorrent was designed with copyright infringement in mind is completely irrelevant. It's seeing many useful legal purposes. I use it for completely legal downloads all the time.

Blame the people, not the tools.

Check http://www.blizzard.com/

Blizzard (how ironic, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal) will be using torrents to more efficiently distribute world of warcraft beta files, and almost certainly to reduce their future bandwidth costs as they release future game patches.

Wish I was there. I could have given an example of at least one company that realizes that CDs don't last forever, and you have a right to the game you purchased: Blizzard

Send them the wrecked CD, a note explaining what happened and what you need, along with your contact info and ten bucks to cover shipping costs. They'll replace it. If it hasn't been 90 days yet since purchase and you can prove it, they won't even charge you at all.

Jack Valenti can't have it both ways, and he knows it: he's not an idiot. It's just that he worked for a bunch of greedy bastards, and was a well-paid mouthpiece for them.

The fact is, piracy is limiting the availability of software for PCs.

Perhaps you might want to back up this "fact" with evidence ? Such as some examples of software that wasn't released on PC because of piracy ?

I think PC gaming is basically going extinct.

Of course. That's why there's no new games being released for PCs. None are being planned either. And there certainly is no freeware/FOSS ones either.

Slashdot confirms it - PC is dying :).

Why release for a platform where most people won't even pay you

Apparently some companies think that it still makes sense to make games on PC. But what do they know :)

when you've got platforms like Xbox and PS2 where there's little or no piracy?

I must have imagined those hundreds of pirated PS2 and XBOX games on suprnova then.

• everything they want runs only under windows

• everyone else runs windows, so should I.
  

Fortunately my mac is obsolete and won't run StarCraft.

There are a LOT of good legal uses for it. Moreso (in my mind) than KaZaA.

Yes indeed, not only to distribute Linux ISO's which is a common example, but BT usage is popping up all over the place, so I really hope they won't block the protocol at ISP level or try to make the software itself illegal. But then there's those loons that try to illegalize the whole thing, so you never know. :-P

I suspect Blizzard know this already from their sales figures. Why else would they be making a 3rd person console-oriented stealth-action game, geared much more towards the Japanese market (in a way which will still appeal in the US and EU), rather than building upon their success with this supposedly legendary Korean market?

I'm not so sure about this. While it may be true that the Korean market is exaggerated, it still is a major market. Consider the languages/nations the Blizzard homepage is available in: US, Korea, UK, Germany, and France. Japan isn't there.

Also consider this press release from Blizzard: "...Blizzard Entertainment unveiled plans to utilize a local World of Warcraft(TM) team in Korea, which will grow to over 100 Korean employees in the next 12 months....".

And then there's the location of Blizzard's Battle.net servers. You've got providers in the U.S., Europe, and... Korea. So, while it's nice to downplay Korea's impact, Blizzard clearly has invested a lot into the Korean market (including sponsoring Starcraft tournaments). Which suggests that Korea is the powerhouse that people suggest, at least with respect to blizzard RTS games...

Except, from what Blizzard has indicated, SC: Ghost will be console only. So no PC/Mac versions. I don't quite understand the logic behind limiting it to consoles, but that's their perogative.

I am not saying that the man hours put in, cost of distribution (online or shipping) and other costs don't justify a high price, but they do guarantee that most people will think twice or thrice before purchasing that software even when they reall really need it. Video game that I use 8 hours a day for months (Diablo 2 with expansion, anyone?) -- US$30-$50. And I would be willing to bet that it cost just as much to develop between writing, programming and developing the engine, sound, graphics, packaging, tech support, etc. than any version of Photoshop ever produced. Ok, I don't know that, but come on.

If your software only costs a small amount and people are willing to pay for it, don't you come out just as well (and with a larger user base, to boot) as the monster corporations that charge an arm, a leg, and a third extension and half less people buy it (but thanks to whatever method you use, just as many people using it?

I am not saying that the man hours put in, cost of distribution (online or shipping) and other costs don't justify a high price, but they do guarantee that most people will think twice or thrice before purchasing that software even when they reall really need it. Video game that I use 8 hours a day for months (Diablo 2 with expansion, anyone?) -- US$30-$50. And I would be willing to bet that it cost just as much to develop between writing, programming and developing the engine, sound, graphics, packaging, tech support, etc. than any version of Photoshop ever produced. Ok, I don't know that, but come on.

If your software only costs a small amount and people are willing to pay for it, don't you come out just as well (and with a larger user base, to boot) as the monster corporations that charge an arm, a leg, and a third extension and half less people buy it (but thanks to whatever method you use, just as many people using it?

They're not made anymore?

I know, all of us here in Slashdot, would find it difficult to believe, but the majority of people who buys games, are playing them off-line. Blizzard for example, who sells millions of units per game, has stated repeatly that only a small fraction of it's player base ever goes online with their games. Although that fraction turns out to be a couple of hundred-thousand players, it's still a small portion of the over-all pie.

With the recent series of MMORPG cancellations, like Ultima X: Odyssey, Warhammer Online, Mythica, and several others, it is no secret that companies are re-evaluating what kind of profit an online game can generate. It is not the easy cash cow that developement houses came to believe it to be.

Real Lives 2004, as previously mentioned on Slashdot. Oh, and Starcraft.

The PS2/Xbox title

Regarding to their FAQ it is being relased for all 3 major platforms....

from the faq:
Q: On what platforms will StarCraft: Ghost be available?
A: A: StarCraft: Ghost will be available on the Xbox(TM), GameCube(TM) and Playstation® 2.

unless of course that has changed as well without notice...

Diablo II, Starcraft, Warcraft
Unreal Tournament 2004, Neverwinter Night, Dungeon Siege, Civ III
Myst, Riven, Exile
Medal of Honor and expansions, Battlefield 1942, Ghost Recon
Ghost Master
Quake III, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
Escape Velocity Series, among others

There are plenty of other games for the Mac platform as well, check the Apple website for a larger list.

Oh no, that is 1, see: Blizzard has a proof :P

...is World of Warcraft.

Blizzard is applying a very stylized cartoonish look to the game, and I think it's much more attractive than the other online games that attempt to be as real as possible.

Blizzard's Classic line for the GBA also has a flash demos available here.

My dear friend, you are surely denigning yourself quite the treat. You see Diablo II predates final fantasy X by some time and i can assure you that warcraft III's cinematics put it to shame and (IMHO, though many might argue) are sexier even then the final fantasy X in game cinematics (though this is more of a style preference). Check out some of the World of Warcraft previews! Both model detail and physics are incredibly polished.

regarding ESRB and putting specifics on the box:

I think they already do. Or at least some game makers take the additional step to do so. Checking out the ESRB rating for Warcraft III (bottom of page), you'll note it got a T for blood and violence. Checking out the ESRB for Metroid Prime, and it's a T but no mention of specifics. So there are some thorough developers/publishers and some not so thorough developers/publishers. (To Nintendo's credit, when you try to access any game with T or higher rating on their website, a warning will pop letting you know the rating and asking if you want to continue.)

What will happen is Lieberman and other congress-types will hold more hearings and eventually the ESRB will cave and be forced to enforce their ratings both at the publisher side (i.e., more acting like Blizzard) and at the retail side (i.e., don't sell the M games to children). Hopefully, it won't make it fully into the realm of regulation. (both the music and movie industries averted that, no? I know the MPAA rating system is voluntary, and I presume the parental warning stickers on albums were a self-regulated thing, rather than a governmental mandate)

This article makes for interesting reading for developers and gamers alike.

On a more basic level, I can think of several games I have played that really impressed me graphicly. One that springs to mind (that got a mention in the article) was Quake III from id Software. Another game I remember being impressed with was WarCraft 3 from Blizzard (The way it let you angle the camara and sort of fly from an overhead view into tight third-person was awsome).

With all the cinimatics we're seeing in games (both for the computer and the console) I can only begin to imagine what the future holds for this industry, but I think gamers can be sure of one thing. They definatly have something to look forward to :)

This article makes for interesting reading for developers and gamers alike.

On a more basic level, I can think of several games I have played that really impressed me graphicly. One that springs to mind (that got a mention in the article) was Quake III from id Software. Another game I remember being impressed with was WarCraft 3 from Blizzard (The way it let you angle the camara and sort of fly from an overhead view into tight third-person was awsome).

With all the cinimatics we're seeing in games (both for the computer and the console) I can only begin to imagine what the future holds for this industry, but I think gamers can be sure of one thing. They definatly have something to look forward to :)

All of those screenshots you linked to are of women. Is it really suprising that the programmers took a little extra time to make the female avatars look good?

I interpreted the original comment that the game looks ghastly to be a reflection on the "style" of the game.

For example:
EQ2 trees
WoW trees

Basically I see this as a problem I had when I was taking art classes: I'm a perfectionist. I love everything to have nice sharp lines.
That's the EQ2 way (from what I've seen).

Conversly I can't describe the WoW way (I sucked at art, thus I can't pick out what is right). But I know that it doesn't look like a static computer generated world.

Really Really funny pictures (if you're a geek).

Now to make this post a bit more relevant, I give you my pathetic try on a fun quote for a screenshot.

Market prices really plummeted to an all time low, when city council decided that it would be nice with a huge pool of lave in the town square