Regardless, a game with as much hype and cost as Diablo III should take a REALLY LONG time to beat. If this is really true, I guess the game is not as epic as many of us thought, which is a shame. Oh well. We have plenty of other games to play anyway.

[via Ubergizmo via Geeky-Gadgets]

Directed by Aeon Flux creator Peter Chung, Diablo III: Wrath is a prequel to the game that focuses on the war between the angels and demons. Diablo fans are sure to love it, despite lines like “Your rage makes you powerful,” Besides what else are you going to do as you count the hours?

The cartoon is about six minutes long, and it is beautifully animated, regardless of the occasionally cheesy dialogue, so it is worth your time. Anyway soon you will be hacking and slashing to your hearts content, so in the meantime, enjoy.

[via Geekosystem]

I must say, Blizzard really gets the idiosyncracies of mobile gaming. Supply Depot has simple controls and is perfect for a 5-minute or even 5-second burst of gaming.

You can play the first mission of StarCraft: Supply Depot 2 on Blizzard’s website right now. Get on it, it might not be there tomorrow.

The game’s a bit too gory for kids though; if you have children I suggest you check out the company’s new Blizzard Kidzz educational games.

The first time I saw the image above, I thought someone at Blizzard had been watching too much Kung Fu Panda, and I still think that. The picture here is blatant leaner, meaner version of Po. If you are a big fan of the game, Blizzard promises that Mists isn’t the last expansion pack for the aging franchise.

In fact, Blizzard COO Paul Sams says that the fifth expansion pack to come sometime after Mists is already in the development stages. Rest assured as long as World of Warcraft is raking in the money, Blizzard will continue to make more expansion packs.

[via VR-Zone]

While there was never an official release date, we expected the game to land in 2011, which never happened. Then we heard the game would launch this month, and now we learn again that the game is delayed yet again. Activision announced during its financial report that there are no games to be delivered in Q1 of 2012. It looks like the soonest we will see Diablo III will be Q2 2012 – sometime between April and June. While you wait, sit back and enjoy opening cinematic from the game – which you won’t be playing any time soon:

Diablo III is still expected to launch this year, but the reality is that even that Q2 2012 launch date is unconfirmed at this point. Activision did state that two games are expected to launch from Blizzard this year. Diablo III is one of them, but the other title we aren’t sure of. It is expected to be Starcraft II, but there are other projects in the works at Blizzard as well.

[via Gamespot]

In case you’re not familiar with 72pins, the group sells functional NES cartridges, but instead of the original cover the cartridges have NES-style cover art featuring modern video games, such as the Blizzard games you see here – StarCraft, Diablo and of course the all-conquering World of Warcraft.

Enter the Konami Code and spawn at 72pins’ store to order the Blizzard Series three-pack for $42(USD). You can also order the NES cartridges separately for $16 each, except for the StarCraft cartridge because it’s already sold out. Again, each cartridge contains a random working NES game inside, so if your recipient still has a working NES you’re basically giving them a 6-in-3 set.

[via it8bit]

The delays were due to working out the bugs, and generally making sure that the game met Blizzard’s high standards. So it was pushed to 2012. And now there is light at the end of the treasure- and demon- filled tunnel.

Rumor has it that the release might be in the beginning of the new year. Amazon France now has the game listed as arriving on the February 17, 2012 and it can be pre-ordered from their website for €49.90 ($66 USD). Of course, if you don’t live in Europe, you’ll want to order a local copy to make sure you get the correct region. Hopefully, this is accurate as we are all sick and tired of waiting.

[via Ubergizmo]

The game will require a constant internet connection and there is no offline mode. You can only play online as you can in World of Warcraft. There will be no single player missions to learn on as there were in the past Diablo titles. The bigger bad news is that Blizzard has specifically disallowed game mods and bots. That means no hacks for new game play sadly.

The final bit of bad news is that all of the items in the online auction houses will be sold for real world money. That means rather than farming for gold and making loot killing things, you will have to get out your wallet. There are locks in place though that prevents low-level characters from just buying the best weapons. Some items are locked to specific level characters.

[via Rockpapershotgun]

At this point most of us would say, “Wow. The Maelstrom sure is epic, it’s cool that Blizzard thought of including that in the expansion”. However, one smartass in the beta forums of World Of Warcraft actually complained that the Maelstrom was not epic enough. If you’re a WoW player, you better thank that smartass, because Blizzard responded with an epic sandwich. Players who visit the Maelstrom will be treated to this apparition:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Yes, it’s an Undead playing guitar on top of a T-rex that’s on top of a rocket-propelled, laser-shooting flying shark. Note how the dwarf orc couldn’t take the epicness so he threw himself into the Maelstrom. That’s Cataclysm for you folks.

[via Videosift & WoWWiki]

Judging from the info from Lia at Forever Geek, the trojan only affects Windows users. Lia advises WoW players on Windows to look for a file named emcor.dll which will “probably” be found at C:\Users\(Your user name)\AppData\Temp. Of course there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to search for the culprit manually, so your best bet is to use a good anti-virus program. Have any of you experienced this problem?

[via Forever Geek]

It’s important to note that the rocks are an optional feature in maps, theoretically to give newbies more time to explore and test the game, or perhaps as an added challenge for veterans. So keep your cool, hardcore Starcraft fan. The rocks are optional.

The reactions of Ars commenters to the new add-on are varied; one said that the rocks caused a lot of matches to devolve into air versus air battles. Others said that the feature isn’t new at all, citing some maps in StarCraft 1 that had minerals blocking the paths. Still others cited rival RTS Total Annihilation, which not only had destructible walls that served the same function but also gave players a “No Rush” option; i.e. units are confined to their spawn points for a limited amount of time right after the battle starts.

I don’t really like RTS games, so all I know is that if this makes it to the final version of the game, “destructible rock” will be the perfect nickname for players who suck, like me: we only last the first few minutes, and are nothing but cannon fodder.

[via Ars Technica]

Each adorable widdle monster will come with a special code that will unlock its virtual, non-combat, account-bound equivalent. No word on the price or exact date of release yet, but they will be sold exclusively at Blizzard’s online store.

If Blizzard starts selling level 80 character stuff toys or action figures or whatever with codes for their in-game equivalent, I bet a lot of lazy gamers will snap that up. Maybe they should also start selling plush gold coins with codes for their in-game amount. Take that, gold farmers!

[via Destructoid]

DJ Hero is packing in an awful lot of variety here, from classic rock to all sorts of hip hop and pop music, to some really unexpected tracks.

• 2Pac – “All Eyez On Me” vs. The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)”
• 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
• 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”
• Afrika Bambaataa – “Zulu Nation Throwdown” vs. Freedom Express – “Get Down”
• Beastie Boys – “Here’s A Little Somethin’ For Ya” vs. DJ Shadow – “The Number Song (2009 Version)” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” vs. Blondie – “Rapture”
• Beastie Boys – “Lee Majors Come Again” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk” (Produced and mixed by Cut Chemist)
• Beck – “Where It’s At” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)”
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” Beat Juggle
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
• Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction” vs. Tiësto – “Elements Of Life”
• Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow” vs. Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction”
• Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs. 2Pac – “How Do You Want It”
• Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs. Connie Price & The Keystones – “Fuzz And Them”
• Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of Spades” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. The Zombies – “Time Of The Season” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. Young MC – “Bust A Move”
• Common – “Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)” vs. Masta Ace – “Jeep A** Gutter (Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir ” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. Classics IV – “Spooky”
• Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. David Axelrod – “The Edge”
• Daft Punk – “Around The World” vs. Young MC – “Bust A Move”
• Daft Punk – “Da Funk” vs. N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip”
• Daft Punk – “Megamix 1″
• Daft Punk – “Megamix 2″
• Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim – “Al Naafyish (The Soul)” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Queen – “We Will Rock You”
• Daft Punk – “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of Spades”
• Daft Punk – “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan – “Cars”
• Daft Punk – “Television Rules the Nation” vs. No Doubt – “Hella Good”
• David Axelrod – “The Edge” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President”
• Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. DJ Shadow – “Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)”
• Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. Justice – “Genesis”
• DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)” vs. D-Code – “Annie’s Horn”
• Eminem – “My Name Is” vs. Beck – “Loser”
• Fedde Le Grand – “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit” vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn – “I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
• Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench” vs. Beastie Boys – “Sabotage” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero” (DJ-Guitar mix, produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” vs. Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones, Pt 2″ (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
• Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.” vs. Blondie – “Atomic”
• Grandmaster Flash’s – “Boom” vs. “Tap” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
• Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool, DJ Demo – “Here Comes My DJ” vs. Gary Numan – “Cars” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. InDeep “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life” (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
• Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” Beat Juggle
• Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
• InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life”
• JAY-Z feat. Pharrell – “Change Clothes” vs. 2Pac – “All Eyez on Me”
• JAY-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Eminem – “My Name Is”
• JAY-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back”
• JAY-Z – “Excuse Me Miss” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
• Jean Knight – “Mr. Big Stuff” vs. Masta Ace – “Born To Roll”
• Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
• Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Herbie Hancock – “Rockit”
• Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite” vs. Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow”
• Kool Moe Dee – “How Ya Like Me Now” vs. Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman – “I Like To Move It”
• Little Richard – “Tutti Frutti” vs. Shlomo – “Beats” (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
• M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Wale – “Lookin’ At Me”
• Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
• Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
• Motörhead – “Ace Of Spades” vs. Noisia – “Groundhog” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip” vs. Isaac Hayes – “Theme From Shaft”
• Noisia – “Groundhog” Beat Juggle (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• Paul van Dyk – “Nothing But You” vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn – “I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
• Public Enemy – “Shut ‘Em Down” vs. Beck – “Where It’s At”
• Public Enemy ft. Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX” vs. Justice – “Genesis” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Public Enemy featuring Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Q-Tip – “Good Thang” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
• Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Beastie Boys – “Brass Monkey” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. Kid Sister – “Control”
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Trammps – “Disco Inferno”
• Shlomo – “Beats” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
• Street Sweeper Social Club – “Fight! Smash! Win!” vs. Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)”
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
• The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)” vs. LL Cool J – “Rock The Bells” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
• The Scratch Perverts Beats and Pieces (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
• Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”
• Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. Paula Abdul – “Straight Up”
• Wale – “Lookin’ At Me” vs. Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie – “Hey Mama”
• Weezer – “Beverly Hills” vs. Evidence, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, Rakaa & 88 Keys – “Fresh Rhymes And Videotape” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” (DJ-Guitar mix)

Now all you need is the right outfit, and you can be rocking (mixing?) out like this.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

[via Joystiq]

While the Marines need no introduction to anyone who’s played SC, the rest of the units that Pepa Quin copied are new to the game, which makes his creations even more awesome. Here’s his take on the Hellion, a Terran ground vehicle that attacks using a flamethrower:

I guess the Firebat is no more. Here’s yet another Terran unit, the Banshee, a powerful air-to-ground attack aircraft:

How. Awesome. Is. That. Seriously. Look at the in-game unit and you’ll realize how accurate this is. But my favorite has to be Pepa Quin’s version of the Immortal, another new unit, this time from the sleek and spiritual Protoss. Immortals are great against heavy ground vehicles like the Crucio Siege Tank, but they’re easy pickings for small & fast-moving units like Zerglings or the new Terran Reapers.

Although the in-game Immortal packs bigger guns than the ones we see here, the… Protoss-ness…Protossity… the essence of the Protoss is here. One look at this thing and I immediately thought: “Protoss!” Then, “Starcraft!” Then “Pants are wet now.”

To Blizzard: Lego Starcraft. Think about it. To Pepa Quin: Please make a C-C-C-Carrier arrive. That or a Thor. And have your hands insured. To everyone else: check out Quin’s Flickr page for more delicious pics.

[via Kotaku]

Inside, the eatery is a love song to Blizzard’s MMORPG, with recreations of armor and other loot, and giant screens blasting in-game images while diners order food named after WoW characters. It’s a haven for anyone who can’t get enough (if, that is, you can leave the house to get there), and according to the owner, that feeling of shared fandom is exactly what he was going for with the restaurant.

Considering China’s official position on intellectual property, it’s doubtful the establishment has any sort of sanction. We should probably all be grateful the restaurants won’t be spreading all over the world.

[CCTV via WoWInsider via Game|Life]