Warcraft III Expansion Goes Gold, Due July 1st

Thanks to several readers for pointing out that the Warcraft III expansion, The Frozen Throne, has gone gold - it's due in stores worldwide on July 1st. The add-on has an extensive official site describing new features, including extra campaigns, units, maps, an enhanced world editor, and new multiplayer clans and tournaments. The press release describes "initial orders of over 2.5 million copies", which is even more impressive considering Warcraft III has 'only' sold "well over 3 million copies".

Comments

Re:Anyone else disappointed with WCIII?

[Bonewalker]

Well, yes and no. I love some of the really cool new spells and items, and mercenaries, and creeps, and the team options.

However, I have to agree that this game would have been perfect utilizing a 2d setting. The 3D just doesn't quite cut the mustard, and I agree with you that it makes battles cumbersome.

Re:Download the Expansion?

[FroMan]

Couple things here.

Blizzard is in the business to make money. They make a product and ask a fee for the product. Their business plan is to get paid for their work. This plan may or may not work here, but it is their plan.

RTCW is an example of another business plan. The company feels that a good will gesture will yeild more money in the long run than to toss a whole project out the window. They had already put in the bulk of the R&D, yet they did not feel it was marketable so they are releasing it for free.

Piracy. What a scummy thing. I hate shoplifters. The people who have enough money to pay for something then they just lift it cause they can. That is so slimey. Piracy is the same thing. Take it cause you can.

Folks here love to rationalize their actions, saying they are getting ripped off, or that they deserve it cause they are a big bad corporation. Well, if you really want to protest Blizzard, don't buy AND don't play the game. If you feel the game is not worth what they are asking for it, don't play it. Nothing gives you the right to play it. The best part, is you really get to stick it to Blizzard that way. You are voting with your dollar and not adding to the player base. Once you add to the player base more people will play.

Look at MS. Why are they king of the desktop? Because people keep USING it. Not because they are buying it. Look at how their market share grew so large when they didn't really attack piracy. Consider IE v. other browsers. Mozilla and IE and Opera (non registered) and most others are free. There is no excuse to use IE if you don't want the web to only be an IE haven. You just have to stand up for what you believe. Stand up and be counted. Be a leader and not a follower. However, understand that being a leader you pay a different price, that price is ostracization. You may not be in the in crowd, you might not be able to use your bank's website, you may not be able to see certain applets or plugins. However, future generations will if you make a mark.

So, in short, you may not be able to play WCIII expansions if you do not buy them, but don't pirate them if you dop not feel stongly enough to pay for them. Let your real dollars vote, and stand by your vote.

Re:warez?

[jeffehobbs]

If I decide the expansion is worth it, I'll pick me up a copy of the original, just to be legit

S-u-u-u-u-re you will.

~jeff

Re:warez?

[Omestes]

You comment of Blizzards quality is COMPLETELY unfounded. Warcraft IIIs quality is supurb, very pretty, very runable, kinda playable. Let me explain the last line there, I am used to playing TA, where I never need worry about resources, and I can make 100 units in five minutes, with two factories, so all blizzard RTS's are kinda slow paced to me.

IMHO Starcraft kicked TA's ass only because the Blizzard name. While starcraft had a very nice story, and good concept art, TA was technically superior, and was much funner to play/mod. TA has had the best engine in RTSs up until C&C Generals.

Blizzard is good for story. Cavedog was good for inovation (notice my ignoring TA:K).

Also look at the Blizzard titles coming out AFTER Starcraft, Diablo II, LoD, WarIII. How are these bad quality? Please explain this?

Don't Support Blizzard

[cc_pirate]

These are the same scumbags who went after Open Source guys for reverse engineering their server TCP/IP calls and making an Open Source server, which should NOT be illegal. They didn't steal any code, they reverse engineered fair and square.

But that wasn't good enough for Blizzard.

They invoked the evil DMCA and went after the poor OS guys.

The penalty to Blizzard should be severe. So boycott them! They obviously think all their customers are criminals who can't be trusted, so don't give them more money to sue more of us.

I know I won't buy ANY game from those scumbags, nor will I play any game from them.

There are plenty of other games from decent, hardworking people who don't go after innocent folks with evil corporate bought laws.

Blizzard = evil incarnate in my book.