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Ben Affleck says "all I did was stay home for 3 years and play StarCraft" after finding fame, but nowadays he's on Valorant getting cussed out by 11-year-olds
Actor Ben Affleck revealed that during his early years of fame, he spent three years exclusively playing StarCraft. He also mentioned playing modern titles like Valorant, where he is frequently bested by younger players, and expressed fondness for games like Doom, Myst, Madden, Civilization, and NBA 2K.
Xbox CEO: We Must Rely On The Past, But We Cannot Rely On The Past
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma emphasized the need for Microsoft's gaming division to balance reliance on major franchises with the creation of new intellectual property for long-term survival. While acknowledging the importance of established titles like Halo and Gears of War, Sharma stressed that innovation and new IP are crucial to reaching new audiences and preventing stagnation.
Asha Sharma reportedly tells rattled Xbox employees: "We have to find new ways, and courage, to have invention on new IP"
Xbox leader Asha Sharma reportedly stated that the company must innovate and create new intellectual property to survive, rather than solely relying on existing franchises. This comes despite recent studio closures and consolidations that have impacted developers known for creating new game ideas.
Hearthstone is full of "tall tales," but that leaves room for limitless narrative possibilities
Hearthstone's narrative approach, characterized by 'tall tales' told in taverns, allows for limitless storytelling possibilities within the Warcraft universe. Executive Producer Nathan Lyons-Smith and Lead Game Designer Brendan Sewell discussed how the upcoming 'Reign of the Black Empire' expansion and the new Journal feature will tie narratives together cohesively, serving both core and new players.
WarCraft III’s visual overhaul update is rolled back after its release messes with existing campaign saves
Blizzard Entertainment has rolled back a recent visual overhaul update for WarCraft III: Reforged after it caused existing campaign saves to become incompatible. The update, intended to bring visuals closer to the original game, was reverted to allow players to complete their current acts before it is re-released. A warning about save compatibility has been added to the Battle.net launcher.
The WoW: Forever team says it learned a lot from Classic: Season of Discovery, including managing the in-game economy and RMT — but Blizzard will be 'more careful and cautious' with class changes as it 'knew we were going too far'
Blizzard Entertainment has learned from World of Warcraft Classic: Season of Discovery, acknowledging they "went too far" with class changes and will be more cautious with World of Warcraft: Forever. The studio also developed systems to better manage the in-game economy and combat real-money trading, implementing penalties for offenders.
Does Blizzard's revival of its classic games signal a return of the 'old Blizzard?'
This opinion piece discusses whether Blizzard Entertainment's recent announcements, including new content for Heroes of the Storm and Warcraft 3: Reforged, signal a return to its former glory. While acknowledging the positive reception for some legacy game updates, the author notes that the company's approach to games like Diablo 3 and the overall corporate shift suggest the 'old Blizzard' may not truly be back, though a core passion for games still exists.
Why alts are part of World of Warcraft: Forever's core progression plans
Blizzard Entertainment is encouraging players to create multiple characters, or 'alts,' in World of Warcraft: Forever by implementing incentives tied to its Legacy System. This system awards points for major accomplishments, which can be used to unlock quality-of-life improvements. The developers aim to make the game more accessible for new players and to ensure players experience all the new content being added.
World of Warcraft Forever had a much smaller original pitch, but it ‘built up over time’
The development team behind World of Warcraft Forever initially had a much smaller scope for the project, focusing on minor class changes to Vanilla World of Warcraft. However, the ambition grew within the team and Blizzard to deliver a more substantial experience than players might have expected, leading to the expanded scope for the game's launch.
World of Warcraft: Forever may take us to Northrend and Pandaria one day as "Azeroth is a big place," Blizzard teases, even if it's all about the first year of the MMO for now
Blizzard Entertainment executives Holly Longdale and Clay Stone have teased that World of Warcraft: Forever could eventually take players to regions like Northrend and Pandaria. While the current focus is on the game's first year, they stated that "nothing is off the table" for future content expansions, with the original continents also having potential for evolution.
World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Anniversary heads to Zul’Aman while Classic’s future remains in limbo
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Anniversary is releasing its Zul'Aman raid on October 22nd as part of Phase 3.5, offering a 10-player challenge for the Amani War Bear mount. Meanwhile, the future of World of Warcraft Classic remains uncertain following BlizzCon.
Can fans expect Goblins or Vulpera in WoW: Forever? Blizzard says it has 'no plans' to add modern WoW races to the game — 'Our main focus for the game is to build off the foundational lore of Warcraft'
Blizzard Entertainment has stated that World of Warcraft: Forever will not include modern races from World of Warcraft expansions, as the game maintains its own continuity and focuses on building upon the foundational lore of the original Warcraft games. The development team aims to tell new stories within this distinct timeline, differentiating it from the vast narratives of the retail game.
World of Warcraft Forever devs have learned "you don't listen to the loudest people in the room"
Blizzard Entertainment executives Holly Longdale and Clay Stone discussed the development of World of Warcraft Forever at PAX Australia, emphasizing a new direction that retains core values while expanding horizontally. They highlighted the massive engagement in the beta and the lesson learned to not solely listen to the loudest voices, but to research player feedback trends to create a complete experience.
WoW: Forever's classes won't be modernized, but Blizzard has added some new mechanics for 'engaging depth' as 'some classes' in World of Warcraft Classic 'were too simple'
Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that World of Warcraft: Forever will not modernize its classes to maintain the 'Classic' experience, but will add 'engaging depth' to some that were deemed too simple. The game aims for approachable and familiar mechanics while freshening up the vanilla experience without drastically speeding up gameplay or making it overly complex.
World of Warcraft Forever dives deep into the Rogue, Warlock, Mage, and Shaman
Blizzard Entertainment has released deep dives into the class designs for Rogue, Warlock, Mage, and Shaman in World of Warcraft, detailing changes coming to the beta and launch. Rogues will see improved combat proficiency, Warlocks gain pet scaling and new skills, Mages receive tuning for their magic schools, and Shamans get totem reworks and hour-long weapon imbues.
WoW: Forever, by casting off modern convenience, has horseshoed back around to being casual friendly again
This article argues that World of Warcraft: Forever, despite its initial appearance as an antidote to modern MMO convenience, is actually very casual-friendly. It contrasts the game's slower, more deliberate pace with the overwhelming nature of seasonal structures in retail World of Warcraft, suggesting that the older design offers a more relaxing experience for players with limited time.
Weekend PC Download Deals for Oct. 9: The Triple-I Initiative Showcase
This article rounds up various PC game deals available over the weekend, including discounts on Steam, Humble Store, and other digital storefronts. It highlights free games, bundle offers, and specific title sales, with a focus on titles featured in the recent Triple-I Initiative Showcase.
Hearthstone offers a close look at its all-encompassing journey journal
Hearthstone is introducing a new 'journey journal' feature on October 13th, which will serve as a central hub for expansions, bringing together story, quests, rewards, and events. The first chapter, 'The Road to Ny’alotha,' will unfold over seven weeks, offering new story content and weekly quests that award card packs for the upcoming 'Reign of the Black Empire' expansion.
World of Warcraft: Forever Beta Week 4 update brings new City of Dalaran dungeon
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever has released its Week 4 update, introducing the new City of Dalaran dungeon. Players can also re-explore content from previous weeks up to level 30. The update includes fixes for Rage generation for Druids and Warriors, and a reversion of the mob farming experience system.
World of Warcraft: Forever patch notes leave fans asking Blizzard "why" and hoping for more class adjustments
A new patch for the World of Warcraft: Forever Beta has introduced changes to looting behavior and class adjustments, but has been met with community backlash. Players are questioning the purpose of reintroducing classic looting mechanics and are dissatisfied with the lack of meaningful class updates, particularly for Rogues and casters.
