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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsCataclysm Friends and Family Alpha to begin Tuesday [Updated]
by Alex Ziebart 
Jan 9th 2010 at 3:32PM
- The Cataclysm alpha will be starting Tuesday, January 12th.
- The alpha will not be distributed digitally, but burned to disc.
Update: Various parties have come forth to confirm the suspicions that the disc in the original image is faked. However, our sources stand by the alpha starting within the next week. It is very possible that whoever faked the disc stumbled upon a convenient coincidence. If we hear any more, we will keep you updated.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgens to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Blizzard, News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 10)
Chris G Jan 9th 2010 4:24PM
cool to the max...how fdo I get in on this?
Slashee the Cow Jan 9th 2010 4:06PM
Not that I'm partucularly surprised, but am I the only one worried by the Activision logo appearing on the disc?
Gnosh Jan 9th 2010 4:11PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activision_Blizzard
It's not just you. But it's pointless to complain.
People leveled the same complaints about Vivendi when they owned blizzard.
Slashee the Cow Jan 9th 2010 4:18PM
I know Activision owns Blizzard (I doubt there'd be many readers of this site that don't), but I thought they said that they'd leave Blizzard alone.
Aurilia Jan 9th 2010 4:24PM
Even if they are "leaving Blizzard alone," they're still entitled to corporate branding when one of their subsidiaries releases a product.
Slashee the Cow Jan 9th 2010 4:37PM
Yeah, but just because they're entitled to slap their name on it doesn't mean they have to, especially if it sends people like me into a completely unjustified NEEEEEEEERD RAAAAAAGE!!!
Artificial Jan 9th 2010 4:54PM
Does this mean Pitfall Harry will be showing up in the game somewhere?
Slashee the Cow Jan 9th 2010 5:11PM
Nah, Pitfall doesn't make enough money. With the amount of cash Guitar Hero rakes in though, the Bard class might make it out of April Fool's Joke area sooner than you think.
moreau.derek Jan 9th 2010 8:40PM
"I know Activision owns Blizzard (I doubt there'd be many readers of this site that don't), but I thought they said that they'd leave Blizzard alone."
LEEEEEEEAVE BLIIIZARD ALONNNEEEE
PvtDeth Jan 10th 2010 12:25AM
That's how branding works. When people know that World of Warcraft is an Activision product, it makes all other Activision products more credible by association. Not using Blizzard for marketing at all would be a huge mistake. After all, Activision is not accountable to it's customers, but its shareholders.
Aaron Jan 9th 2010 4:12PM
I smell abunch of "You've been invited to the Cataclysm Alpha!" scam emails, about to arise.
TheChao Jan 9th 2010 4:10PM
time to research your websites for wow leaks.
Once upon a time, i was part of teams that 'got' the alpha and played around before anyone else, such as nogg-aholics for BC and wotlkinfo for Wrath. Unfortunately, the sites usually disappear soon after the beta comes out and everyone is allowed to talk about it. But, remember, there is always one. Always.
Aaron Jan 9th 2010 4:19PM
Can someone tell me if im right here but BC and Wrath both added 10 levels. Cataclysm will only add 5 levels so wont that speed up the release date time since they only have to make half the quest of Wrath?
TheChao Jan 9th 2010 4:21PM
or twice the content per level?
Ves Jan 9th 2010 4:22PM
They're going to spend 50% of development time on the 80-85 content, and 50% of development time revamping the 1-58 content.
Well, it probably won't be that neat a split, but you get my point.
Brent Jan 9th 2010 4:29PM
Yeah, I've been sort of scratching my head asking myself how they are going to add 5 levels AND revamp the entire world. It seems like a TON more work than the 10 level expansions.
jealouspirate Jan 9th 2010 5:03PM
You have to remember that "levels" are completely arbitrary. They could make the new level cap 81 and have it take longer than going from 1 - 80, if they wanted.
And as others have stated, they're also devoting a lot of time to reworking the Old World and making a large amount of endgame content (more than Wrath had at launch).
Alucard396 Jan 9th 2010 5:47PM
So, since the wrathe alpha and beta took 7 months, we can assume that this will take either that long or longer due to the extreme changes to the game itself. So, between July and November! Woo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ragen Jan 9th 2010 4:39PM
@Bubsa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym
A Firetruck Jan 9th 2010 4:42PM
one wonders why they include a map of the old world