I would think Blizzard loves the references to such a popular movie. It's good publicity for them.

And personally, I am way to jaded to think that it was all a grand coincidence that Blizz comes out with Kung...I mean "pandarians" right around the same time as the jack Black vehicle.

Sure, it's just a coincidence. No high-paid marketing suit never, ever, ever saw a connection.

No sireebob.

Kung-Fu Panda: 2008
Pandaren: April 1st 2002

Yup, must be a coincidence...

@Bynde

You do realize that the first Kung-fu panda came up years before MoP was announced? And that Pandaren were created years before Kung-Fu panda was made? And that Pandarens were going to be included in Burning Crusade as a Alliance race before they decided to use Draenei instead, which was also a year before Kung-Fu Panda?

Which is to say... timing don't really work, yo.

I think it's simply adorable that you guys think there was no
consideration of Kung Fu Panda I or II when this idea of 'Mists' was
in development. (BTW, KFP II came out in 2011).

Don't ever change your innocent ways. It's refreshing to see.

I think a timeline of events may be too complex for these people..

@Bynde:
I'll just leave this here... http://classic.battle.net/war3/pandaren/
It's the official Blizzard page of the Warcraft 3 joke about Pandaren. You can look at the Kung-Fu Panda references of the illustrations.

Don't ever change your foolish ways, it's refreshing to find someone so easy to bash :)