2012 is LOOKING GOOD

[Davion Fuxa]

Looks like some good games will be out in Early 2012 - including quite possibly the long awaited Diablo III!

A new Counter-Strike may also be entering the scene as well as a new Ghost Recon as well.

What are you anticipating?

[Spaced Ape]

I'm not much for WoW and I stopped playing before the first expansion came out.

But my girlfriend has an unhealthy obsession with Pandas. So it looks like we'll be getting back into WoW in this coming year.

The SC2 expansion looks cool for the new units its getting, and although I can't play it I do enjoy watching professional games on YouTube, so it'll be fun how it changes up the game-play.

Even as the original mod for this section, I've been dreadfully behind in the game scene because my computer can't play many games at all. And I don't have any consoles.

So mostly I just watch game trailers and dream...

[Azgarth]

the new wow expansion had me hope it was an april fool's joke for a while.
come on, fucking panderia? those guys were originally a bloody april fools joke themselves...
looking forward to skyrim, arkham city on computer.

[Davion Fuxa]

Even as the original mod for this section, I've been dreadfully behind in the game scene because my computer can't play many games at all. And I don't have any consoles.

So mostly I just watch game trailers and dream...

You sound like me, sort of. I could possibly play most of the games coming out - albeit it would be on the minimum settings for them; I'm almost rich enough to buy a new computer outright too though I'm not because I don't feel like doing so now and getting Windows Vista or Windows 7 when I could wait and get Windows 8 or for the new Game Consoles that will come out.

What to do in the future, what to do....

[Azgarth]

new consoles'll probably be 2013+ though.
new gaming rig can be done for under 600 at decent settings. not maxxed though, depending on the game.

[HeRetiK]

The Darkness II - Loved the first part, I hope the second installment comes even remotely close to it.

Bioshock Infinite - Not sure if want, but still very curious how it'll end up.

Hitman Absolution - Didn't know that this one's coming out until just a few weeks ago. No idea whether it's gonna be hit or miss, but I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Prey 2 - I'm afraid of that one. Loved the first part, but this one seems way far off from the original game. Still, also on my watchlist.


Also... wait what, there's going to be a Panda based WoW expansion??? O.o

[Azgarth]

you're listing some interesting games, can't believe i forgot some of those.
the new assassins creed might be mildly interesting, as well.

bit afraid of the new hitman, myself, looks more "shoot dudes", looking at the trailers.

[HeRetiK]

Don't feel bad, I actually looked up a list of 2012 releases. I knew these games were coming, but wouldn't have been able to remember them from the back of my hand.

The next games that are on my list are Batman: Arkham City and the new Assassin's Creed installment. I also have a lot of backtracking to do, missed a lot of games this summer. But for now I'm heavily occupied with the Gears 3 multiplayer.

[Spaced Ape]

The Darkness sequel is coming out!?

I loved that game and the story was so cool. I didn't think there was going to be a sequel but sweeeeet.

And Az, the whole WC universe wasn't meant to be taken seriously. Get over it. And the Pandaren have been part of the lore since the WC3 expansion.

[Azgarth]

there's not meant to be taken seriously and jumping the shark.
when the pandaren were brought in as an april fools joke a few years back, and fans wanted them to become canon blizz's own reaction was a "what the hell people? ah well, if you wish".

the sequel looked a bit cartoony to me, but it might still work. also, quad wielding.

[Spaced Ape]

I remember when people bitched about WoW jumping the shark and removed WarCraft from the RTS genre.

People will bitch just to bitch.

[Ashreal]

Skyrim is heading my way as i type this, can't wait. New ghost recon looks awesome, and as for Diablo 3 ........ i reserve my judgement. I had high hopes for dues ex, and it didn't deliver all it promised.

[Azgarth]

heading your way? what? how?
it's only gonna be out 11-11-11!
deus ex 3 was decent, better than most other stuff that came out and certainly better than deus ex 2, but it was no deus ex 1.

space,
that's different. i wouldn't object if they'd do something stupid like make a warcraft racing game or whatever. but this is changing the vibe of the world, the lore. if terry pratchett stopped making discworld the funny and almost-real world it is and turned it into pure slapstick, i'd object just the same. the tone of the stuff, it's important.

[Spaced Ape]

No it isn't, as its been in the lore since WC3:TFT.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Pandaren

They're even mentioned in Blizzard's "Manual of Monsters" a over a year before the release for WoW:

http://www.wowwiki.com/Manual_of_Monsters

The April Fools part you mention was a parody they gave on EQ's deal with Pizza Hut:

http://www.wowwiki.com/Pandaren_Xpress

The Pandaren were clearly already established by then as a race of creatures in Azeroth.

The fuckin' Draenei they brought in on the first expansion was more of a ret-con to the lore than the Pandaren ever will be.

[Azgarth]

you actually read the links?
your first, direct quote.

The pandaren started as a creation of the Blizzard artist Samwise Didier and an April Fool's joke, but they got a massive response from Warcraft fans. In the first BlizzCast episode launched on Jan. 10, 2008, Samwise recalled the process to the creation of the Pandaren April Fool's page: "But so we put that up in there and everyone was like “Oh my God! A PANDA RACE? That’s kind of cool!” And I’m like “Are you kidding me, really? You want to see pandas in Warcraft III or whatever?”" Soon, they were included in the Warcraft III expansion and Chris Metzen began to write them into the game lore.

[Spaced Ape]

Ok, then I admit to being wrong about that.

But it still was established long before many of the other expansions. Which still makes me feel people are bitching about their addition just to bitch. Just like every expansion they've ever made for WoW.

Just seems there's a very vocal community of WoW fans who are massive bitches about anything they change from the game and still play all the time. It gets tiring hearing it because I love Blizzard as a company.

Honestly I still don't see why you are complaining. It doesn't mess with the lore any more than any other expansion (especially the first) has.

[Azgarth]

i tend to play in 1 to 2 month shifts, then drop, do the same all over again about once every half year. don't think i'll be going back again.
blizz has a huge fanbase, a huge load of which do bitch to bitch, i never bitched about anything warcraft related they did before (except, as you pointed out, during their first expansion pack), i just don't like it when they screw with the vibe this much. it was a part of it, now it's become central, from a joke, to an in joke/meme, to what it'll be now, focal point.
blizz did/does great stuff (and earns the money because of it), but that don't mean one should not bitch.

unfortunately blizz DOES seem to be taking a turn for the worse (activision's meddling? i dunno, it seemed like they were too strong to be influenced too much); starcraft not having regular lan capabilities, diablo having all the limits of an mmorpg? that's stuff you expect ubisoft to do, or the EA from a while back.
i am gonna get d3, and i am probably gonna play the hell out of it online, because that's how i want to play it, but the idea that if i'd want to play singleplayer, i'd have to stay connected to their servers during the entire playthrough... not good.
play in the train, on the plane, on vacation? tough luck, you're gonna need a stable internet connection.

[Spaced Ape]

Yeah, I wish I knew who's bright idea that was... (in regards to D3)

Here's what I don't like about the Pandaren idea. It can be both Horde AND Alliance. That just seems lazy. If you ask me they need to stop worrying about adding races and start adding more hero classes. That was something I believe they wanted implemented in Vanilla. I don't think there's a single MMORPG out there (worth paying for) that has just as many choices as you do in WoW. They don't need more.

[Azgarth]

pandaren were actually semi-neutral, it's silly adding them to either. the handwave worked for the goblins, not so for the pandaren. and a new neutral factionset would screw things up too much

[synchrononymous]

I played WoW for two years (back before cataclysm), and I have got to say that panda thing is a really dumb idea IMO. That's great that they're introducing an 'eastern' flare, but honestly. PANDAS? I like the cow-men, but the pandas seem to me to add nothing good while making WoW look like a cheap remake of Kung-Fu Panda. I also checked out a quick announcement on what the new expansion will entail, and it also looks like they're going to try to encompass pokemon fans too with an all new 'pet fighting' system. Seriously, it reads exactly like a description of pokemon.

I think blizzard has been over-extending itself for years. They seem to be emphasizing customer quantity over customer loyalty.

Also: Do any of you play Dwarf Fortress? It's pretty much the only game I play anymore. When I got to college, I told myself I should give up video games - so I got rid of all but one, DF.

[Spaced Ape]

[Azgarth]

XD nice.
but bull.
there's bending the lore, adding it, changing it up. and there's completely messing with it.
'sides, a lot of those came in with legit reasons and logic behind them, they weren't like the pandaren.
pandaren's a lot like jar jar binks, really. didn't fit the tone of what was previous, supposedly funny comical relief, absolute hell on the final product.

[Ashreal]

Really? i picked the naked walrus man.

[Spaced Ape]

I might agree with you Az, if not for them being added to lore by the team (even if they were added as a joke), compared to that of the Dranei and Worgen.

Still makes it seem like you people are whining just to whine.

BTW shoulda sourced it:
http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments ... ow_lovers/

[Azgarth]

"you people"?
bliz is free to do what they want, they can publish this, their right, their choice, and, while i disagree, i could see why they chose for this.
making a few bad remarks about a franchise you're otherwise favourable about ain't whining.