Section: Gaming News, Exclusives, Features, Consoles, Xbox-360

This Tuesday (November 17, 2009) Microsoft unleashed a new update for it’s Xbox 360 system.

The new update includes the ability to use a bigger screen, a clearer picture and accessibility from the comfort of your living room couch.

To access all this cool stuff, you need an Xbox live membership, and of course an Xbox 360 system. All these updates are available now, and you should see it right when you log onto your profile.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Facebook:

Almost everyone in the world is on Facebook; Now you can access it from your 360 console. Update your status, leave messages for your friends, play games and upload pictures, just like you would on your computer. You can also compare your Xbox Live and Facebook friends lists to see which of your friends are on Xbox Live .

• Zune:

Listen to music and watch videos right from your 360 with instant-on HD in 1080p and 5.1 channel surround sound. You don’t even have to wait for buffering or downloading, the video or song is there as quickly as a button push. You can also share your music with up to six friends through Avatar integration and voice chat.

• Twitter:

Along with telling people what you are doing every second of the day, you can also view friend profiles, trends and conversations, and search to see if anyone is tweeting about your favorite game.

• Last.fm:

This feature allows you to listen to your own personal radio station right on your 360. You can skip, ban, or love a song is it seems fit; create your perfect mix. There are even now “gamer stations” with game related and styled music, picked just for the gaming community.

Site [Xbox] Read [Stage Select]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, PCs, Genres, MMO, Updates

Who says print is dead? World of Warcraft, the game that has spawned an entire subculture of fans (and millions of happy subscribers/addicts) will soon be getting its very own print publication. According to GameDaily, the new mag will be a quarterly publication, available to fans for the rather steep price (for four issues!) of $39.95 per year.

However, the production sounds pretty fantastic. There will be no ads (so this puppy will be entirely subscription-based), and yes, you can only get it if you sign up and pay up. The very first issue will feature 148 pages (massive for a gaming-oriented publication), complete with a bonus “fifth anniversary perspective about the evolution of the game, it’s future, and top tips from top guild leaders”.

If you really, really love WoW (and I realize, that speaks to many folks), this sounds like the ultimate way to stay tapped in to the community. I personally love a good, well-produced print magazine (RIP, Electronic Gaming Monthly!), so I’m all in favor of resurrecting the format, especially for specialized audiences. In fact, this model only really makes sense for a loyal, premium-paying target (otherwise, gamers get their news, reviews and commentary almost exclusively online these days).

If you’re interested, mosey on over to the magazine’s official site and check it out.

Read [GameDaily] Site [WoW Magazine]

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Reviews, Features, Lists, Mashups

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Five simple things Nintendo can do to improve the Wii
  ” Nintendo has found unprecedented success with the Wii. Yet, the system isn’t everything that it could, or should, be. It’s certainly a fine console, with quite a wide selection of quality games. But there are things that can, and should…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Wallace and Gromit: The Bogey Man for PC
  “Title: Wallace and Gromit: The Bogey Man Price: $8.95 System(s): PC Release Date: July 29, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Telltale Games ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for comic mischief and mild…” MORE ?
• Top 10 iPhone, iPod Touch games every gamer should try
  “In lieu of digging through most of garbage apps that make up the App Store landfill (I kid, I kid) this week, I decided it would be better to spend my time offering suggestions of gaming apps you’d actually want to try.? Sure, some of these apps are the…” MORE ?
• GamesCom 2009: Sony information explosion includes slim PS3, PSP minis and more
  “There has been a serious information explosion from Sony at GamesCom 2009 today, which rivals, and perhaps even puts to shame, the E3 2009 Sony press conference. After comparing the announcements, I’m definitely feeling more excited now. The main…” MORE ?
• Former LucasArts president trying his hand at politics
  ” The video game industry could gain a powerful Washington ally in Arizona’s 2010 Congressional election. Former LucasArts head Jim Ward, who resigned from the company in 2008, wants to be the next US representative from Arizona’s 5th MORE ?
• Persona 3 gets portable
  “Famitsu is amazing. Let’s hear a big round of applause for the magazine that revealed that a PSP port of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is on the way. Not only that, but said port isn’t just your standard…” MORE ?
• Five PSP RPGs you missed the first time around
  ” There’s been a bit of a lull when it comes to PSP releases. Aside from releases from Atlus, NIS, Square Enix and XSEED, the system hasn’t seen a lot of action. This makes now an ideal time to take…” MORE ?
• Gotta catch ‘em all over again next spring in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
  “The inevitable announcement has come. Nintendo has confirmed that it is planning to release the latest DS Pokemon games, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, to North America and Europe in Spring 2010. The news came during the 2009 Pokemon World…” MORE ?
• Hardcore Wii Franchise #5: Fire Emblem
  ” I picked up my first Fire Emblem game—Radiant Dawn—during one of the WiiGaps soon after the system’s release (WiiGaps being those periods where nothing new of note has been released or will be in the immediate future). I didn’t like…” MORE ?
• Top 5 hardcore Wii franchises (for gamers ready to do more than bowl) – (updated)
  “Maybe you’re young and, when looking for your first gaming console, the Wii was the cheapest. Maybe you saw grandma and grandpa bowling at the retirement home and thought, “Hey, this is for me!” Maybe your mom prefers you play fewer games…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

So, ummm, I guess my “WoW 4.0” series is done with. :p Who am I kidding? Like I was really posting anyways.

So, the plan is to start posting again. Sometimes “the plan” doesn’t work out. We’ll see what happens.

Oh, by the way, the new expansion for WoW was announced today at BlizzCon 2009. Anyone whose even semi-involved in WoW outside of the actual game probably already knew everything about the game a week ago anyways – thanks to MMO-Champion. Here’s some key info for the new WoW: Cataclysm.

What is the story of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
While the attention of the Horde and Alliance remained fixed upon Northrend, an ancient evil has been lying dormant within Deephome, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth, nursing his hatred for the inferior creatures that infest the surface realm…and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deephome will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation. The face of Azeroth is altered forever as the destruction left in Deathwing’s wake reshapes the land and reveals secrets long sealed away. Players will be able to re-experience familiar zones across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, rewrought by the cataclysm and filled with new opportunities for adventure.

What are the features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Some of the new features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm include:

• Two New Playable Races: Adventure as one of two new races–the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
• Level Cap Increased to 85: Earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to improve characters.
• Classic Zones Remade: Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens, which has been sundered in two.
• New High-Level Zones: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj’ir beneath the sea.
• More Raid Content than Ever Before: Enjoy more high-level raid content than previous expansions, with optional more challenging versions of all encounters.
• New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.
• Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
• New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
• Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
• Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before.

Why are you revisiting the continents of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
As we developed new content and expansions, we learned a lot of techniques to provide players with a better game experience–but the majority of the new content we were creating was for high-level characters only. We felt we could apply the lessons of Outland and Northrend to improve the gameplay experience while leveling in the original two continents. Imagine revisiting a familiar zone like Darkshore only to find Auberdine destroyed by the cataclysm–and then discovering entirely new towns and quests in other parts of the zone. Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are central to World of Warcraft lore, and we want those areas to remain an important part of the game, not just a place to train or auction. Our goal is to make questing, leveling, and the overall story more fun for new, returning, and existing players. By redesigning areas of the original continents and introducing new content that matches or exceeds the quality of Wrath of the Lich King, we can revitalize the nostalgia and coolness of Azeroth.

How did you decide upon the two new playable races, worgen and goblin?
The community has been requesting to play as the goblins for quite some time now, and we wanted to stick with at least one race that players were very familiar with. This expansion was the perfect time to bring the goblins to the forefront and offer more insight into their past, since the catastrophic events of the expansion really hit close to home. As for the worgen, players have been hoping to be able to learn more about them since Silverpine Forest. This is a great opportunity to explore their lore and the mysteries of the Greymane Wall. The worgen are an aggressive and beastly race, which is something you see often among the Horde races, but is unique among the Alliance races.

Will the two new races have all-new starting experiences?
Yes, we are creating all-new level 1 to 15 starting zones for both races. Players will start their adventures with the worgen in Gilneas, which was sealed off behind the Greymane Wall. Goblin players will start on the Isle of Kezan and then head to the Lost Isles in the South Seas before joining the mainland. Each starting experience will be presented in a fashion similar to the death knight starting area in Wrath of the Lich King, and these starting zones will make extensive use of our new phased-terrain technology.

Which classic zones have been overhauled? What are some examples of changes?
Nearly all of the game’s original zones are being altered to some degree, but the extent of the changes varies by zone. For example, Darkshore is flooded and has been completely redesigned with all new quest hubs. The Barrens have been split in two; one half is for low-level players and the other is for higher-level players. Azshara is now a low-level zone for Horde players and connects directly to Orgrimmar.

Is another Hero class being added to the game?
We are not planning to add a new Hero class in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. For this expansion, it was more appropriate to focus on the two new races, the goblins and worgen. We never intended to include a Hero class in every expansion. As you saw with death knights, adding a new class changes the dynamics of the game dramatically, which is not something we want to do in every expansion. We still have plans to introduce new Hero classes in the future.

Will I be able to use my flying mount in the redesigned Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
Yes. While the original Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor weren’t designed for flying mounts, we’re redesigning the continents with flying mounts in mind. However, we’re still determining whether there will be any restrictions on where you will be able to fly, at what level flying will become available, or whether you’ll need to do anything to unlock it. We’ll share more details about this in the future.

Will I need the expansion to be able to experience the Cataclysm changes?
When the Cataclysm occurs, it will occur for all players, whether they have purchased the expansion or not–you will no longer be to play in the original version of Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms. However, certain features such as the new zones, new races, and new level cap will only be accessible to players who purchase the expansion.

Will “phasing” be used more extensively in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Yes. We’ve come up with a number of new, cool ways to using phasing since we introduced it in Wrath of the Lich King, and plan to use it more extensively to change the world as players progress. We are also now able to phase terrain, which players will see in the starting areas for the goblins and worgen. We’re also adding some UI improvements to help determine when another player is in a different “phase” from you.

Will there be any updates to the graphics and changes to the minimum system requirements?
Yes, there will be incremental tweaks and updates to the graphics engine in this expansion. For example, we’ve made improvements to the way that water is rendered. We’ll announce the exact system requirements closer to the expansion’s release.

I might post more info later. But, to be honest, there’s enough places out there for info right now. So, I’ll probably post commentary instead.

Here’s an HD version of the trailer for Cataclysm that was shown at BlizzCon a few hours ago. I anticipate it to become the most popular copy of the trailer on YouTube, just like my video for Wrath.

-Matt Graham

So, ummm, I guess my “WoW 4.0” series is done with. :p Who am I kidding? Like I was really posting anyways.

So, the plan is to start posting again. Sometimes “the plan” doesn’t work out. We’ll see what happens.

Oh, by the way, the new expansion for WoW was announced today at BlizzCon 2009. Anyone whose even semi-involved in WoW outside of the actual game probably already knew everything about the game a week ago anyways – thanks to MMO-Champion. Here’s some key info for the new WoW: Cataclysm.

What is the story of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
While the attention of the Horde and Alliance remained fixed upon Northrend, an ancient evil has been lying dormant within Deephome, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth, nursing his hatred for the inferior creatures that infest the surface realm…and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deephome will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation. The face of Azeroth is altered forever as the destruction left in Deathwing’s wake reshapes the land and reveals secrets long sealed away. Players will be able to re-experience familiar zones across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, rewrought by the cataclysm and filled with new opportunities for adventure.

What are the features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Some of the new features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm include:

• Two New Playable Races: Adventure as one of two new races–the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
• Level Cap Increased to 85: Earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to improve characters.
• Classic Zones Remade: Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens, which has been sundered in two.
• New High-Level Zones: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj’ir beneath the sea.
• More Raid Content than Ever Before: Enjoy more high-level raid content than previous expansions, with optional more challenging versions of all encounters.
• New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.
• Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
• New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
• Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
• Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before.

Why are you revisiting the continents of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
As we developed new content and expansions, we learned a lot of techniques to provide players with a better game experience–but the majority of the new content we were creating was for high-level characters only. We felt we could apply the lessons of Outland and Northrend to improve the gameplay experience while leveling in the original two continents. Imagine revisiting a familiar zone like Darkshore only to find Auberdine destroyed by the cataclysm–and then discovering entirely new towns and quests in other parts of the zone. Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are central to World of Warcraft lore, and we want those areas to remain an important part of the game, not just a place to train or auction. Our goal is to make questing, leveling, and the overall story more fun for new, returning, and existing players. By redesigning areas of the original continents and introducing new content that matches or exceeds the quality of Wrath of the Lich King, we can revitalize the nostalgia and coolness of Azeroth.

How did you decide upon the two new playable races, worgen and goblin?
The community has been requesting to play as the goblins for quite some time now, and we wanted to stick with at least one race that players were very familiar with. This expansion was the perfect time to bring the goblins to the forefront and offer more insight into their past, since the catastrophic events of the expansion really hit close to home. As for the worgen, players have been hoping to be able to learn more about them since Silverpine Forest. This is a great opportunity to explore their lore and the mysteries of the Greymane Wall. The worgen are an aggressive and beastly race, which is something you see often among the Horde races, but is unique among the Alliance races.

Will the two new races have all-new starting experiences?
Yes, we are creating all-new level 1 to 15 starting zones for both races. Players will start their adventures with the worgen in Gilneas, which was sealed off behind the Greymane Wall. Goblin players will start on the Isle of Kezan and then head to the Lost Isles in the South Seas before joining the mainland. Each starting experience will be presented in a fashion similar to the death knight starting area in Wrath of the Lich King, and these starting zones will make extensive use of our new phased-terrain technology.

Which classic zones have been overhauled? What are some examples of changes?
Nearly all of the game’s original zones are being altered to some degree, but the extent of the changes varies by zone. For example, Darkshore is flooded and has been completely redesigned with all new quest hubs. The Barrens have been split in two; one half is for low-level players and the other is for higher-level players. Azshara is now a low-level zone for Horde players and connects directly to Orgrimmar.

Is another Hero class being added to the game?
We are not planning to add a new Hero class in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. For this expansion, it was more appropriate to focus on the two new races, the goblins and worgen. We never intended to include a Hero class in every expansion. As you saw with death knights, adding a new class changes the dynamics of the game dramatically, which is not something we want to do in every expansion. We still have plans to introduce new Hero classes in the future.

Will I be able to use my flying mount in the redesigned Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
Yes. While the original Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor weren’t designed for flying mounts, we’re redesigning the continents with flying mounts in mind. However, we’re still determining whether there will be any restrictions on where you will be able to fly, at what level flying will become available, or whether you’ll need to do anything to unlock it. We’ll share more details about this in the future.

Will I need the expansion to be able to experience the Cataclysm changes?
When the Cataclysm occurs, it will occur for all players, whether they have purchased the expansion or not–you will no longer be to play in the original version of Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms. However, certain features such as the new zones, new races, and new level cap will only be accessible to players who purchase the expansion.

Will “phasing” be used more extensively in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Yes. We’ve come up with a number of new, cool ways to using phasing since we introduced it in Wrath of the Lich King, and plan to use it more extensively to change the world as players progress. We are also now able to phase terrain, which players will see in the starting areas for the goblins and worgen. We’re also adding some UI improvements to help determine when another player is in a different “phase” from you.

Will there be any updates to the graphics and changes to the minimum system requirements?
Yes, there will be incremental tweaks and updates to the graphics engine in this expansion. For example, we’ve made improvements to the way that water is rendered. We’ll announce the exact system requirements closer to the expansion’s release.

I might post more info later. But, to be honest, there’s enough places out there for info right now. So, I’ll probably post commentary instead.

Here’s an HD version of the trailer for Cataclysm that was shown at BlizzCon a few hours ago. I anticipate it to become the most popular copy of the trailer on YouTube, just like my video for Wrath.

-Matt Graham

So, ummm, I guess my “WoW 4.0” series is done with. :p Who am I kidding? Like I was really posting anyways.

So, the plan is to start posting again. Sometimes “the plan” doesn’t work out. We’ll see what happens.

Oh, by the way, the new expansion for WoW was announced today at BlizzCon 2009. Anyone whose even semi-involved in WoW outside of the actual game probably already knew everything about the game a week ago anyways – thanks to MMO-Champion. Here’s some key info for the new WoW: Cataclysm.

What is the story of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
While the attention of the Horde and Alliance remained fixed upon Northrend, an ancient evil has been lying dormant within Deephome, the domain of earth in the Elemental Plane. Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth, nursing his hatred for the inferior creatures that infest the surface realm…and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire. Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deephome will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation. The face of Azeroth is altered forever as the destruction left in Deathwing’s wake reshapes the land and reveals secrets long sealed away. Players will be able to re-experience familiar zones across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, rewrought by the cataclysm and filled with new opportunities for adventure.

What are the features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Some of the new features of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm include:

• Two New Playable Races: Adventure as one of two new races–the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
• Level Cap Increased to 85: Earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to improve characters.
• Classic Zones Remade: Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been altered forever and updated with new content, from the devastated Badlands to the broken Barrens, which has been sundered in two.
• New High-Level Zones: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great Sunken City of Vashj’ir beneath the sea.
• More Raid Content than Ever Before: Enjoy more high-level raid content than previous expansions, with optional more challenging versions of all encounters.
• New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.
• Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
• New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
• Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
• Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms like never before.

Why are you revisiting the continents of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
As we developed new content and expansions, we learned a lot of techniques to provide players with a better game experience–but the majority of the new content we were creating was for high-level characters only. We felt we could apply the lessons of Outland and Northrend to improve the gameplay experience while leveling in the original two continents. Imagine revisiting a familiar zone like Darkshore only to find Auberdine destroyed by the cataclysm–and then discovering entirely new towns and quests in other parts of the zone. Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms are central to World of Warcraft lore, and we want those areas to remain an important part of the game, not just a place to train or auction. Our goal is to make questing, leveling, and the overall story more fun for new, returning, and existing players. By redesigning areas of the original continents and introducing new content that matches or exceeds the quality of Wrath of the Lich King, we can revitalize the nostalgia and coolness of Azeroth.

How did you decide upon the two new playable races, worgen and goblin?
The community has been requesting to play as the goblins for quite some time now, and we wanted to stick with at least one race that players were very familiar with. This expansion was the perfect time to bring the goblins to the forefront and offer more insight into their past, since the catastrophic events of the expansion really hit close to home. As for the worgen, players have been hoping to be able to learn more about them since Silverpine Forest. This is a great opportunity to explore their lore and the mysteries of the Greymane Wall. The worgen are an aggressive and beastly race, which is something you see often among the Horde races, but is unique among the Alliance races.

Will the two new races have all-new starting experiences?
Yes, we are creating all-new level 1 to 15 starting zones for both races. Players will start their adventures with the worgen in Gilneas, which was sealed off behind the Greymane Wall. Goblin players will start on the Isle of Kezan and then head to the Lost Isles in the South Seas before joining the mainland. Each starting experience will be presented in a fashion similar to the death knight starting area in Wrath of the Lich King, and these starting zones will make extensive use of our new phased-terrain technology.

Which classic zones have been overhauled? What are some examples of changes?
Nearly all of the game’s original zones are being altered to some degree, but the extent of the changes varies by zone. For example, Darkshore is flooded and has been completely redesigned with all new quest hubs. The Barrens have been split in two; one half is for low-level players and the other is for higher-level players. Azshara is now a low-level zone for Horde players and connects directly to Orgrimmar.

Is another Hero class being added to the game?
We are not planning to add a new Hero class in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. For this expansion, it was more appropriate to focus on the two new races, the goblins and worgen. We never intended to include a Hero class in every expansion. As you saw with death knights, adding a new class changes the dynamics of the game dramatically, which is not something we want to do in every expansion. We still have plans to introduce new Hero classes in the future.

Will I be able to use my flying mount in the redesigned Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor?
Yes. While the original Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor weren’t designed for flying mounts, we’re redesigning the continents with flying mounts in mind. However, we’re still determining whether there will be any restrictions on where you will be able to fly, at what level flying will become available, or whether you’ll need to do anything to unlock it. We’ll share more details about this in the future.

Will I need the expansion to be able to experience the Cataclysm changes?
When the Cataclysm occurs, it will occur for all players, whether they have purchased the expansion or not–you will no longer be to play in the original version of Kalimdor or the Eastern Kingdoms. However, certain features such as the new zones, new races, and new level cap will only be accessible to players who purchase the expansion.

Will “phasing” be used more extensively in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?
Yes. We’ve come up with a number of new, cool ways to using phasing since we introduced it in Wrath of the Lich King, and plan to use it more extensively to change the world as players progress. We are also now able to phase terrain, which players will see in the starting areas for the goblins and worgen. We’re also adding some UI improvements to help determine when another player is in a different “phase” from you.

Will there be any updates to the graphics and changes to the minimum system requirements?
Yes, there will be incremental tweaks and updates to the graphics engine in this expansion. For example, we’ve made improvements to the way that water is rendered. We’ll announce the exact system requirements closer to the expansion’s release.

I might post more info later. But, to be honest, there’s enough places out there for info right now. So, I’ll probably post commentary instead.

Here’s an HD version of the trailer for Cataclysm that was shown at BlizzCon a few hours ago. I anticipate it to become the most popular copy of the trailer on YouTube, just like my video for Wrath.

-Matt Graham