BlizzCast Episode 6 has been released. Karune talks about how units evolve from concepts to playable units with Samwise Didier, Blizzard Senior Art Director, and Dustin Browder, lead designer for StarCraft II. Samwise wrote: We'll come up with a unit and we'll all like it and then we'll decide it too powerful or unmanageable and it will end up getting delegated to just single player play but we also create a lot of things specifically for single player. Like we've created the Jackel now I believe it called the Hellion and we will take variations of that, strip off the black paint, make flames on it, and then it becomes a single player civilian vehicle. New StarCraft II media has been released with the BlizzCast, including portrait animations for the Mutalisk, Marauder and Thor (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Chris Metzen): There are also new portrait renders, and one new screenshot showing new artwork for a Nullifier attack animation and the Xel'Naga Watchtower: 
   Source:Blizzard - BlizzCast Episode 6
Blizzard Entertainment has announced Echoes of War, a partnership with Eminence Symphony Orchestra to produce classical versions of StarCraft, Diablo and Warcraft audio tracks. The songs have become icons of the series in many cases. "Tristram" jogs as many memories as LE does for Diablo 2 players while also representing Diablo (along with the gutteral screams of the catacombs). StarCraft audio is used continuously in shoutcasting, podcasting and tournaments. You can listen to the original tracks on Battle.Net's audio player here. Echoes of War is an album of rearranged orchestral music from previous and upcoming Blizzard games i.e. Wrath of the Lich King, StarCraft II, and Diablo III. Here is the official trailer: According to IGN, Russell Brower, Blizzard's director of audio and video, has this to say about Echoes of War: Russell Brower wrote: It's amazing to know that we're going to bring music that's really just starting to mature in its genre to a larger audience. Not just the gamers out there, but their friends, and their parents and siblings, and they'll start getting curious about the music and the games. A sound track of rearranged StarCraft music called " En Taro Adun" is available for previewing at the Echoes of War sample tracks Here is the tracklist: Quote: The Third War Symphony [music from Warcraft III]
1. Journey to Kalimdor
2. Eternity's End
The Shadow of the Legion Symphony [music from World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade]
3. A Tenuous Pact
4. Anar'alah Belore
5. The Betrayer and the Sun King
The Visions of the Lich King Overture [music from Wrath of the Lich King]
6. The Visions of the Lich King Overture
The Koprulu Symphony [music from StarCraft]
7. No Matter the Cost [Terran]
8. En Taro Adun [Protoss]
9. Eradicate and Evolve [Zerg]
10. Victorious But Not Unscarred [Starcraft: Ghost]
The Hyperion Overture [music from StarCraft II]
11. The Hyperion Overture
The Symphony of Sanctuary [music from Diablo II, Lord of Destruction, and Diablo III]
12. The Eternal Conflict [Diablo II]
13. Legacy of Terror [Diablo III]
14. Children of the Worldstone [Original Composition by Kow Otani]
15. BONUS: Last Angel [Original Composition by Ladybird Moai] Echoes of War is available for purchase at the Eminince Online Store in both a standard and legendary edition. Sources:Echoes of War WebsiteIGN - WoW, Starcraft and Diablo: Together At Last
Blizzard recently announced that at this years Blizzcon there will be several community tournaments.
These include a StarCraft II tournament. This will provide not only a brilliant opportunity for community members to test their micro against the best in a new environment, it will also allow us all to see StarCraft II in its natural place as an e-sport. This will be helpful for both fans and developers alike, allowing them to see for the first time how new players deal with the game in a competitive situation.
Also announced were the tournament brackets for StarCraft and other games. As usual, tournaments will be in the double elimination fashion, and should take place over both days of the event. Particular interest will most likely be placed on the non-Korean participants, particularly IdrA. Can they end the complete Korean dominance of professional StarCraft?
Source:
BlizzCon Official Page
Blizzard Entertainment announced that they will streaming select tournaments from BlizzCon live via the BlizzCon website:
Battle.Net wrote:
When the fierce gaming competition gets underway on the tournament stages at BlizzCon, you'll be able to follow the action at home -- right on your computer screen. On October 10 and 11, we'll be providing streaming video coverage of select tournaments live from the convention floor. Whether you prefer the coordinated team play of World of Warcraft's Arena, the meticulous hero management of Warcraft III, or the fast-paced space battles of StarCraft, you're sure to find something to cheer about. Stay tuned to BlizzCon.com for the live stream on the first day of the show. This will allow us to watch some of the most competitive StarCraft matches live from home! Source: Battle.Net - BlizzCon Tournaments Live Stream Information
 Today Blizzard announced that the first of its three current projects is about to be released. Their largest and most profitable franchise World of Warcraft is going to get it's expansion in just a few months: Quote: Wrath of the Lich King invades stores November 13
In the frozen wastes of the north, the Lich King Arthas Menethil rallies his undead army and schemes to bring an end to all life on Azeroth -- and in a couple of months, you'll begin your epic journey into Northrend to confront the Lich King and his minions yourself. Blizzard Entertainment's second expansion to World of Warcraft -- Wrath of the Lich King -- will be in stores on November 13... In addition, WotLK will be available in a standard edition and (surprise, surprise) a collector's edition. Quote: We're happy to announce that World of Warcraft: The Wrath of the Lich King will ship in standard as well as Collector's Edition packages. The Collector's Edition will come in a special box that contains many exclusive extras to enhance your adventure into Northrend, including:
World of Warcraft: The Wrath of the Lich King on DVD-ROM.
The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.
An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.
A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King intro cinematic with director commentary, and more.
The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.
A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.
Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector Edition. Traditionally these collector's editions have gone very quickly. We can only speculate as to what StarCraft II's will look like - but we can image in will be incredibly awesome. The release of WotLK means that Blizzard can devote much more of its resources to finishing up their other two major projects - it means that the other two games are coming. Sources:Blizzard's WotLK Launch Official Press ReleaseWrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition
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