WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2015 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.15 Minutes of Fame: Actor Jake Stormoen lives the fantasy life on set and in Azerothhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/27/15-minutes-of-fame-actor-jake-stormoen-lives-the-fantasy-life-o/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/27/15-minutes-of-fame-actor-jake-stormoen-lives-the-fantasy-life-o/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/27/15-minutes-of-fame-actor-jake-stormoen-lives-the-fantasy-life-o/#commentsFiled under: ,

Photo: Arrowstorm Entertainment
I actually made myself practice saying the first name of actor Jake Stormoen before our recent phone interview: "Jayyyyyyyke," I intoned over and over, trying to banish the memory of the chewy Irish "Jehk" I'd heard so many times in tale after tale of Azerothian camaraderie from long-time gaming buddy Kristian Nairn ("Hodor" in HBO's Game of Thrones). It's impossible to get very far talking with either actor without running into a reference to the other; the two have formed one of those crazy gaming bonds that -- well, you know how it is with a bromance forged in the ice and fire of Azeroth.

I caught up with the smaller half of the inseparable WoW-playing duo by phone during a break from the frigid set of multi-part fantasy epic Mythica, now filming on location in Utah in temperatures as low as 10 below zero. Young actor with a cool fantasy role? This guy's most definitely got it going on. We explored WoW friendships, mused over the pressures of tanking, laughed about blowing off steam in Azeroth after a long day on the set -- oh, and paused the whole interview mid-stream to deadpan and snort our way through a phone call from the Hodor-sized half of the Nairn/Stormoen duo.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Actor Jake Stormoen lives the fantasy life on set and in Azeroth

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Actor Jake Stormoen lives the fantasy life on set and in Azeroth originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>arrowstorm-entertainmentfacebookfeedfeaturedgame-of-throneshodorjake-stormoenkristian-nairnmatt-mercermichele-morrowmythicaworld-of-warcraft-hodorworld-of-warcraft-interviewsworld-of-warcreaft-kristian-nairnwow-communitywow-hodorwow-interviewsLisa PoissoThu, 27 Feb 2014 13:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Flower power pollinates leveling for true neutral pandarenhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/20/15-minutes-of-fame-flower-power-pollinates-leveling-for-true-ne/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/20/15-minutes-of-fame-flower-power-pollinates-leveling-for-true-ne/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/20/15-minutes-of-fame-flower-power-pollinates-leveling-for-true-ne/#commentsFiled under: ,

Crazy metagaming projects are among my favorite topics here at 15 Minutes of Fame. It's impossible not to catch the excitement of someone who's figured out a new way to spin Azeroth. Take for instance the curious case of Doubleagent , the "neutral" pandaren who's managed to make it to level 80 and still climbing without ever leaving the pandaren starting zone. In his case, staying put also means never having chosen a faction; Doubleagent is neither Horde nor Alliance but instead remains a neutral party. And the method to his madness? Flowers. Lots and lots of herbalism and flowers.

Ticking through level 83 when this article was posted, Doubleagent continues to drift through the gentle fields leading to level 90 and beyond -- because oh yes, this is one player who plans to take his leveling project all the way to the top in the coming expansion as well.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Flower power pollinates leveling for true neutral pandaren

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Flower power pollinates leveling for true neutral pandaren originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>communitycommunity-interviewsdoubleagentfeaturedinterviewsmetagamingneutralneutral-factionneutral-pandarenwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalLisa PoissoThu, 20 Feb 2014 10:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Converting all of Azeroth to raid by the thousandshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/13/15-minutes-of-fame-converting-all-of-azeroth-to-raid-by-the-tho/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/13/15-minutes-of-fame-converting-all-of-azeroth-to-raid-by-the-tho/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/13/15-minutes-of-fame-converting-all-of-azeroth-to-raid-by-the-tho/#commentsFiled under: ,

You know the new guild on the scene is making a impact on the community when other players offer it up as a solution to other players' woes. Take a look at this excerpt from the comments of a recent Drama Mamas column, wherein a player was unhappy with the way her new raid guild membership was unfolding:

janet.houck I think you need to leave your current team, do some research to find a good match, and move. Aerie Peak has the CTR uber guild, and we're sitting at over 90 raid teams. You can always find a team for you. If you can't, you can build it.

MarshallGlenn @janet.houck wth is CTR uber guild?

janet.houck @MarshallGlenn @janet.houck Convert to Raid, the podcast, has a greenwall'ed guild on Aerie Peak-US A. I think there's 8 sub-guilds at the moment. We tend to attract an older and more serious crowd, so for a 45-year old player, it might be a nice place to check out. :)

TaxmanCDN @janet.houck @MarshallGlenn All of my toons are in the CTR guild. Best guild I've ever been in. I'm on two raid teams, and on my off-nights if I feel like doing a flex there's always someone looking. Great community there, and I've found it to be a better class of raiders (in general) than on other realms.

Liopleurodon @MarshallGlenn @janet.houckConvert To Raid is a popular WoW podcast. They have a series of raiding guilds on Aerie Peak, because there's a cap to the number of people you can have in a guild. I was also under the impression that there were 'steps', like the more casual guild splinter vs the hardcore one to make it easier to find your niche but I'm not entirely sure about that. There are a few other mega/meta-guilds similar to this around, too.

MarshallGlenn @Liopleurodon @MarshallGlenn @janet.houck ahhh very cool. Edit

bluefer I had something like this problem and I transferred my toons to Aerie Peak and joined CTR. I suggest you roll an alt on Aerie Peak. AT L15 you can join CTR mega guild and find a ton of teams to choose from with good people and lots of raiders who treat each other pretty well. Best of luck.


While Bluefer sent our letter-writer off with a "best of luck," we don't suspect the Convert to Raid success story has anything to do with luck. We suspect it has everything to do with Pat Krane.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Converting all of Azeroth to raid by the thousands

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Converting all of Azeroth to raid by the thousands originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>communitycommunity-interviewsconvert-to-raidfeaturedgamebreaker-showinside-the-studiointerviewskoltranelegendary-showpat-kranepodcastersraiding-guildssignals-mediawarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 13 Feb 2014 09:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Japanese players build their own community in World of Warcrafthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/15-minutes-of-fame-japanese-players-build-their-own-community-i/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/15-minutes-of-fame-japanese-players-build-their-own-community-i/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/02/06/15-minutes-of-fame-japanese-players-build-their-own-community-i/#commentsFiled under: ,

What does World of Warcraft sound like from an entirely different cultural perspective? Jump to about 8:30 in the above video and listen to the last moments of this heroic boss kill -- the point at which terse expletives usually bristle from from even the most disciplined, well-oiled raiders, the whole thing followed by a deafening avalanche of shouts and cheers when the boss finally falls. Contrast those expectations with the understated pleasure here of CAVAG, a guild of Japanese players on Proudmoore (US-Horde), and you'll gain a sense of just one of the more outward cultural differences between this group and the typical American raiding guild.

Welcome to the world of #wowjp, a network of Japanese WoW players who've learned English primarily through playing the game. You can find localized versions of World of Warcraft in Korea, mainland China and Taiwan, but Japanese players are left to their own devices -- no dedicated servers, no language localization. To solve those challenges, Japanese players have banded together to create their own Japanese game guides, share addons and tips for typing in Japanese within the game, and form a network of Japanese-language guilds across several North American realms.

Bringing us this interview with two Japanese WoW players is the Sha of Happiness, herself a native Japanese speaker and a member of the #wowjp community. But before we begin, a simple and heartfelt message from the Japanese players:

The wowjp community wished to tell the readers/Blizzard: "Thank you for providing the Hippogryph Hatchling for the tsunami relief efforts. Thank you for all of your donations."

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Japanese players build their own community in World of Warcraft

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Japanese players build their own community in World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 06 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>communitycommunity-interviewsfeaturedinterviewsjapanjapanesejapanese-wow-playersroleplayroleplay-communitywarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-in-japanwow-peoplewowjpLisa PoissoThu, 06 Feb 2014 19:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Turwinkle the gnome charms with adventure videos and community interviewshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/30/15-minutes-of-fame-turwinkle-the-gnome-charms-with-adventure-vi/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/30/15-minutes-of-fame-turwinkle-the-gnome-charms-with-adventure-vi/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/30/15-minutes-of-fame-turwinkle-the-gnome-charms-with-adventure-vi/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sometimes a letter from an appreciative fan is the best way to introduce a player to WoW Insider readers:

I'm writing in to nominate a wonderful man that I recently had the pleasure of working with. Known as Turwinkle on Twitter or Palmerbomber1 on YouTube, he comes from Moon Guard and has recently begun making rounds on Wyrmrest Accord, where he gets in touch with various guilds and interviews them about what they are, what their stories are, and advertises their members. He also has a series with his gnome Turwinkle where he records himself leveling through the game, narrating the adventures of his mage.

The exposure he's done for the Wyrmrest community is second to none, and I'd love to see him get the recognition he deserves. The two hours he spent with our guild was a blast for everyone involved, and I'm sure many of the others he's spoken with felt the same.


Introducing the gentle good humor of Turwinkle the gnome, star of the "let's play" Adventures of Turwinkle and host of Turwinkle Talks interviewing roleplay guilds across Azeroth.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Turwinkle the gnome charms with adventure videos and community interviews

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Turwinkle the gnome charms with adventure videos and community interviews originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 30 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>adventures-of-turwinklecommunitycommunity-interviewsfeaturedinterviewsroleplayroleplay-communityturwinkleturwinkle-talkswarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 30 Jan 2014 09:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: TEDx speaker on overcoming anorexia with WoWhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/23/15-minutes-of-fame-tedx-speaker-on-overcoming-anorexia-with-wow/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/23/15-minutes-of-fame-tedx-speaker-on-overcoming-anorexia-with-wow/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/23/15-minutes-of-fame-tedx-speaker-on-overcoming-anorexia-with-wow/#commentsFiled under: ,

Continuing our look at young people successfully folding World of Warcraft into their successfully unfolding lives, this week we interview another student for whom WoW has made a big impression. "I saw your Breakfast Topic post How has WoW made your life better?, and well, a few weeks back I had the opportunity to give a TEDx talk about how playing World of Warcraft helped my fight anorexia and a crappy education system," wrote Erik Martin, aka Klaes of Emerald Dream (US).

Talk about All The Things ... Also a game designer who has even worked on projects for the federal government, Erik has rallied from anorexia to go on to advocate for student agency and motivation in education. With a confidence bolstered in Azeroth, he's assembling his own experiences and aspirations into a big-picture view large enough not only to fill his own sails but to help others push off from safe harbor.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: TEDx speaker on overcoming anorexia with WoW

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: TEDx speaker on overcoming anorexia with WoW originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anorexiacollegedisableddisabled-gamerseducationerik-martinfeaturedtedxwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleyoungyoung-playersLisa PoissoThu, 23 Jan 2014 17:00:00 ESTGrowing Up in WoW: One-third of a lifetime shared with Azerothhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/16/growing-up-in-wow-one-third-of-a-lifetime-shared-with-azeroth-t/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/16/growing-up-in-wow-one-third-of-a-lifetime-shared-with-azeroth-t/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/16/growing-up-in-wow-one-third-of-a-lifetime-shared-with-azeroth-t/#commentsFiled under: ,

A few months ago, I received an email from the kind of player who sets off all sorts of bells and whistles for a feature writer like me -- a WoW fan who's integrated the game into a balanced, engaged, lively lifestyle. If you've ever found yourself shaking your fist and snarling at teenaged players as a group -- Get off my lawn! -- then you've probably never met a young player who's got his stuff together quite so well as Zukkai of Area 52 (US).

I'm 18, I'm a raid leader for one of the 10man teams in our guild, and I've been playing since I was 12. In December, I can claim that I've played WoW for a third of my life. Along the way I've been in school full time, and will be attending university in the fall. When I first started playing, my parents regulated my play time. Once I started controlling my play time, I had to learn about my own time management and how to balance WoW with RL priorities. I've also learned how to deal with the social stigmas of playing WoW through high school, including how to explain to your friends that you might not be able to go somewhere because you have to raid.

I've managed to grow up right along side the game, and I think playing it for so long has taught me a couple of valuable lessons along the way. I've had stretches where I'd be playing 4-5 hours a day and I've had stretches where I've toyed with quitting, but I've kept going for 6 years. I've never had massive amounts of time to play, but I've managed to put together my Insane title and collect a large sum of pets and mounts, as well as raid at the heroic level.


Fixated on gaming? Hiding away from life? Not in the least. Our conversation with Zukkai reveals a player for whom World of Warcraft is just another pastime -- albeit one that's filled a full one-third of his lifetime. Moving in and out of WoW with the rest of life's rhythms is as natural as breathing, as Zukkai demonstrates in this look at life for one of the many players today who are growing up in Azeroth.

Continue reading Growing Up in WoW: One-third of a lifetime shared with Azeroth

WoW InsiderGrowing Up in WoW: One-third of a lifetime shared with Azeroth originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 Jan 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>collegefeaturedtime-managementwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleyoungyoung-playerszukkaiLisa PoissoThu, 16 Jan 2014 12:00:00 ESTThe fascinating personalities of World of Warcrafthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/08/15-minutes-of-fame-the-fascinating-personalities-of-world-of-wa/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/08/15-minutes-of-fame-the-fascinating-personalities-of-world-of-wa/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/08/15-minutes-of-fame-the-fascinating-personalities-of-world-of-wa/#commentsFiled under: ,

The annual "Where are they now?" roundups for 15 Minutes of Fame are a high point of my year as a feature writer. It's rare to get a built-in opportunity to re-open the conversation with someone I've interviewed, and it's always intriguing to learn where these passionate, involved players and people are headed today. Not everyone's answers make print, of course; the pool of past subjects after six years is much larger than we could reasonably follow, and not everyone is still doing something related to WoW. So far, limiting coverage to those who reply to an email inquiry seems to keep things to a manageable roar.

The downside of compiling a yearly update is all the time I lose wandering down the side streets of Memory Lane. This year, I finally realized that if revisiting all those articles was so interesting to me, it probably would be to you too. So today, I'm curating some of my favorite 15 Minutes of Fame interviews for your perusal. There are many more I couldn't include due to space constraints, but you'll discover a little something for everyone here. As we push off from the shore of a new year, I think you'll find the creativity and passion with which they weave the World of Warcraft into their lives to be positively energizing and inspiring.

Continue reading The fascinating personalities of World of Warcraft

WoW InsiderThe fascinating personalities of World of Warcraft originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookfeedfeaturedwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleLisa PoissoWed, 08 Jan 2014 13:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? 2013 editionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/02/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-2013-edition/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/02/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-2013-edition/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/02/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-2013-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Five or six years is a long time, even among MMO players. Many of the people we spend every night with raiding, laughing, squabbling, and goofing off inevitably move on, diving into the next passion in their lives with as much gusto as they once held for Azeroth. Of course, many more are still right here after all this time, like the WoW personalities we've interviewed here at 15 Minutes of Fame over the past six years.

What about the people we met during 2013? We touched base with everyone we hadn't caught up with since before BlizzCon to see what's going on in their worlds -- and, of course, in Azeroth.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? 2013 edition

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? 2013 edition originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookfeedfeaturedwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 02 Jan 2014 16:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? WoW personalities, 2008-2012http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/26/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-wow-personalities-2008/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/26/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-wow-personalities-2008/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/26/15-minutes-of-fame-where-are-they-now-wow-personalities-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's somewhat ironic that the very earliest group profiled on 15 Minutes of Fame to have responded to this year's for "Where are they now?" updates remains one of the most vibrant guilds making a name for itself in today's game. Spectacular Death from Llane (US-Alliance) just keeps running "the stuff you wish your guild did," tempting players in search of an active, engaged, relaxed and somewhat silly group of gaming friends. (Full disclosure: They tempted me into the fold, too.)

The spectacular attraction of Spectacular Death "As we head into our seventh year of existence, I guess that sort of makes us an 'elder' guild, in terms of longevity," muses GM Gimmlette. "(You kids get off our lawn and leave the flamingos and the garden gnomes alone.) Our core mission is still the same as it was when we started, to see all and do all but in a casual fashion.

"It's not a race, it's a journey, and that journey is generally filled with hilarity and looking at the game from a slight skewed perspective. We're the guild who revels in trying to skewer ourselves on the steeple of the church in Stormwind as well as working through SoO in flex mode. Elephant parades in Ironforge, naked runs of Molten Core, raft races in Krasarang, jumping off of Dalaran -- yeah, we've done all of that, and more.

"We're still going strong and I don't foresee us closing up shop any time soon," she continued. "I asked tonight why people stay in the guild and was told: 'The dental plan means I keep all my teeth in raids,' 'the 401(k),' 'I was promised a pony,' 'Oompaloompas,' 'tasty cookies,' 'beer,' and 'earworm night' ... um, yeah."

What are the other 15 Minutes of Fame's WoW personalities of 2008 through 2012 doing today?

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? WoW personalities, 2008-2012

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Where are they now? WoW personalities, 2008-2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 26 Dec 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookfeedfeaturedwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-personalitieswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 26 Dec 2013 16:00:00 ESTVoiceover actor Matt Mercer on working in games and comics, plus the "Vezax voice"http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/20/voiceover-actor-matt-mercer-on-working-in-games-and-comics-plus/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/20/voiceover-actor-matt-mercer-on-working-in-games-and-comics-plus/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/20/voiceover-actor-matt-mercer-on-working-in-games-and-comics-plus/#commentsFiled under: ,

Cartoon Voices I- Room 6BCF - 1:00-2:00 at San Diego Comic Con 2012
Halion the Twilight Destroyer. General Vezax. Ka'roz the Locust. You know Matt Mercer already -- he's the voice booming in your head in Ulduar, during the Siege Orgrimmar, in the nooks and crannies of Azeroth. The phenomenally popular video game and anime voiceover actor is known for -- well, let me just slide you a link to his Wikipedia page and let you delight in discovering his stamp on one of your own favorite comics, anime or video games from Sinbad to Resident Evil 6.

Behind that panoply of voices is a WoW player and fan whose GM, actress Michele Morrow, describes as a wonderfully down-to-earth and nice guy. "Every now and then, we'll have his boss [that he voiced in game] come along, and so we yell at him ... to do the voices," she recounted last week here at WoW Insider. "He's fantastic; you'll love him."

Continue reading Voiceover actor Matt Mercer on working in games and comics, plus the "Vezax voice"

WoW InsiderVoiceover actor Matt Mercer on working in games and comics, plus the "Vezax voice" originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>andrea-toyiasbridgitte-burdinefacebookfeedfeaturedgeneral-vezaxhalionkaroz-the-locustmatt-mercermichele-morrowpen-and-paper-and-laser-gunsvoice-actingvoice-actorvoiceoverwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communityLisa PoissoFri, 20 Dec 2013 09:00:00 ESTWoW-Playing Actress Michele Morrow: Less Sylvanas, more chaotically awesomehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/wow-playing-actress-michele-morrow-less-sylvanas-more-chaotica/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/wow-playing-actress-michele-morrow-less-sylvanas-more-chaotica/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/12/wow-playing-actress-michele-morrow-less-sylvanas-more-chaotica/#commentsFiled under: ,

When we first met actress Michele Morrow in 2010, she was inching her way across the shallow field comprising the Hollywood crowd that plays World of Warcraft. It appeared to be a successful combination for Michele; in fact, for a while it seemed the horror flick star might actually be becoming best known as "that actress who wants to play Lady Sylvanas in a WoW movie," courtesy of a vocal Facebook page created by an enthusiastic fan.

While Sylvanas doesn't now appear to be spawning in the upcoming WoW movie, Michele's been popping up not only in Azeroth itself (with a commemorative NPC on Wandering Isle) but on gamer and nerd websites across the internet and in gaming-related film projects slated to begin hitting in 2014. Reconnecting with Michele at BlizzCon 2013 unspooled a reel of geekery worth investigating anew, as well as relatable tales of the sort of down-to-earth, casual raiding and in-game friendships that so many players enjoy as the WoW experience today.

Continue reading WoW-Playing Actress Michele Morrow: Less Sylvanas, more chaotically awesome

WoW InsiderWoW-Playing Actress Michele Morrow: Less Sylvanas, more chaotically awesome originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 12 Dec 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bitesize-tvfacebookfeedfeaturedhello-gigglesjeff-reitmanlady-sylvanasmatt-mercermichele-morrownerdistpen-and-paper-and-laser-gunsthe-road-to-azerothwarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-moviewow-peoplewow-personalitiesLisa PoissoThu, 12 Dec 2013 12:00:00 ESTHow the Sha of Happiness conquered BlizzCon 2013http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/05/how-the-sha-of-happiness-conquered-blizzcon-2013-thursday/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/05/how-the-sha-of-happiness-conquered-blizzcon-2013-thursday/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/12/05/how-the-sha-of-happiness-conquered-blizzcon-2013-thursday/#commentsFiled under: ,

It stands to reason that if someone known as Angryorc turns out to be Mr. Nice Guy in person, someone named the Sha of Happiness could turn out to be a real stinker. Fortunately for all of us, the Sha of Happiness took BlizzCon 2013 by storm in the sunniest of ways. Her relentless positivity illuminated the dark convention hall in Anaheim, and players discovered to their delight that the character they've embraced on Twitter is as welcoming and personable in the flesh. Whenever the Sha was about, BlizzCon's Meeting Stone and Community Corner positively glowed as welcoming destinations that other players found themselves returning to again and again.

Inspired by Angryorc and other WoW-themed roleplay characters such as @Arakkoa on Twitter, Shappi (as she's popularly known) created the Sha of Happiness character to shine a little light into the WoW community at large. "I've been posting on the EU/NA Warcraft/D3 general forums and more for about five years now, and I've been disheartened at the farewell posts and them stating that it didn't feel like a home for them anymore," she explains. "Whether it be Sanctuary or Azeroth, everyone should have a safe space. I strive to provide something like that for people on Twitter."

Continue reading How the Sha of Happiness conquered BlizzCon 2013

WoW InsiderHow the Sha of Happiness conquered BlizzCon 2013 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>angryorcfacebookfeedfeaturedsha-of-happinesswarcraft-peoplewarcraft-personalitiesworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peoplewow-personalitiesLisa PoissoThu, 05 Dec 2013 12:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Angryorc smashes into WoW community's affectionshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/27/15-minutes-of-fame-angryorc-smashes-into-wow-communitys-affect/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/27/15-minutes-of-fame-angryorc-smashes-into-wow-communitys-affect/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/27/15-minutes-of-fame-angryorc-smashes-into-wow-communitys-affect/#commentsFiled under: ,

Before November and BlizzCon 2013, the man behind the runaway Twitter hit @Angryorc1 was a little hesitant about unmasking his identity. BlizzCon-bound, he seemed uncertain how to meet fans without compromising his own privacy or popping the illusion when people met a very real, very down-to-Earth dude named Gregg. "Up till now, all my interview requests have been for podcasts, which I have avoided doing," he wrote nervously in October. "I feel the character will lose something if I put my voice out there, plus I sound like Aaron Neville."

But then came BlizzCon. Angryorc charged the convention head on, fully open with his identity, and fans adored him. "I signed autographs, Lisa," he marveled. "Many. How crazy is that? Totally floored by all the support. People telling you they use Twitter specifically to read your stuff or that your jokes have inspired them to come back to play WoW is very, very humbling. It's lit a fire in me to go even harder, to be funnier -- how the hell do I do that?"

With more than 12,000 Twitter followers, he seems to be managing quite well. Here's our interview of the man behind the orc -- and a short interview with the orc himself, as well.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Angryorc smashes into WoW community's affections

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Angryorc smashes into WoW community's affections originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Angryorcangryorc1facebookfeedfeaturedsha-of-happinessworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoWed, 27 Nov 2013 16:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: BlizzCon meetup balloons into mega-podcast eventhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/21/15-minutes-of-fame-blizzcon-meetup-balloons-into-mega-podcast-e/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/21/15-minutes-of-fame-blizzcon-meetup-balloons-into-mega-podcast-e/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/21/15-minutes-of-fame-blizzcon-meetup-balloons-into-mega-podcast-e/#commentsFiled under: ,

It was early spring when a few BlizzCon-bound WoW players who were looking to connect and make friends in Anaheim started gathering forces on Twitter.


"I will say as the list has grown, more and more folks have asked me if there was going to be something beyond just the Twitter list," mused Ceraphus, co-host of The Sundering and Azeroth Pirate Radio podcasts and sparkplug for the growing list, back in April. "So right now I am really just in a brainstorming phase and seeing who may be interested in assisting on any potential event."

That must have been some pretty good brainstorming. What started out as a Twitter list of enthusiastic BlizzCon-goers turned into a full-bore pre-BlizzCon mega-podcast event called World of Podcasts. With representation from 23 podcasts across six panels, the event attracted so many fans that the venue location had to be expanded at the last moment. Ceraphus explains how the fan event unfolded across Twitter to explode onto the BlizzCon scene and teases us with a glimpse of what may be in store for future World of Podcasts events.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: BlizzCon meetup balloons into mega-podcast event

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: BlizzCon meetup balloons into mega-podcast event originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookfeedfeaturedworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 21 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: The friendliest cosplayer at BlizzCon 2013http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/15-minutes-of-fame-the-friendliest-cosplayer-at-blizzcon-2013/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/15-minutes-of-fame-the-friendliest-cosplayer-at-blizzcon-2013/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/14/15-minutes-of-fame-the-friendliest-cosplayer-at-blizzcon-2013/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's only a very few cosplayers who make it to the top of the pyramid at Blizzard's official BlizzCon costume contests. Officially, pandaren monk cosplayer Amanda Wisley may not have among those finalists this year -- but unofficially, the bubbly redhead earned a reputation for her bright, engaging cosplay with attendees delighted to find themselves in animated conversation with a fully suited pandaren.

Amanda's experience as a professional children's entertainer specializing in mascots laid the foundation for some truly magical moments. Stop to observe for a moment, and you can literally watch her audience melt. A companionable wave, a welcome with arms flung wide, or a little jig of excitement demonstrate that this is one friendly pandaren who's eager to make an in-character connection. It's a reminder that Disneyland lies just across the street, and the effect is downright irresistible.

After first meeting Amanda cosplaying a paladin at BlizzCon 2010, we decided to follow her cosplay journey to BlizzCon 2013. We explored her preliminary plans, then caught up with her again just before the con. When we last left Amanda, she was agonizing over her position on the contest registration wait list, wondering if after committing to the expense, hotel and air reservations, ticket money, and preparations, she would even gain a chance to participate in the official contest. Did Amanda get her chance to walk across the stage at BlizzCon 2013?

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: The friendliest cosplayer at BlizzCon 2013

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: The friendliest cosplayer at BlizzCon 2013 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>amanda-wisleyblizzcon-2013blizzcon-costume-contestcosplaycostume-contestfacebookfeedfeaturedworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 14 Nov 2013 19:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Road to BlizzCon cosplay -- the grind to perfectionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/07/15-minutes-of-fame-road-to-blizzcon-cosplay-the-grind-to-per/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/07/15-minutes-of-fame-road-to-blizzcon-cosplay-the-grind-to-per/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/11/07/15-minutes-of-fame-road-to-blizzcon-cosplay-the-grind-to-per/#commentsFiled under: ,

There's simply something about Amanda. When we first spied her making the rounds with her stunning green-eyed paladin at BlizzCon 2010, we found ourselves captivated. Yet Amanda wasn't a finalist in 2010. She didn't draw crowds by displaying huge swaths of bare skin, parading up and down the promenade in front of the convention center. Not a seamstress, she doesn't even craft all of her costumes' parts and pieces personally by hand.

What Amanda Wisley does is cosplay with heart. The die-hard fan outsources her imagination to create costumes that exemplify the spirit she sees in the game she loves. This WoW lover loves to bring her visions to life, sharing them over long hours walking the convention floor and grounds to visit with other fans. But while this year's BlizzCon will see her buried inside a full fur suit as a pandaren monk, will her hopes of participating in Blizzard's official costume contest get buried as well?

In an upsetting discovery made long after tickets had been purchased and her costume was in progress, Amanda learned early last month that she'd not been lucky enough to snag one of the coveted sign-ups for the costume contest. She's been assured that she's high on the waiting list -- but after months of preparation, a successful race for BlizzCon tickets, booking air travel and accommodations, and of course all the expenses of creating her costume itself, will she get her shot at walking across the BlizzCon stage?

Take a look at the emotional highs and lows of this determined cosplayer's road to BlizzCon 2013 as her costume and itinerary laboriously come together.

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Road to BlizzCon cosplay -- the grind to perfection

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Road to BlizzCon cosplay -- the grind to perfection originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 07 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>amanda-wisleyblizzconblizzcon-2013cosplayfacebookfeedfeaturedworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 07 Nov 2013 13:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: The rainbow world of TradeChat's Panserhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/31/15-minutes-of-fame-the-rainbow-world-of-tradechats-panser-thur/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/31/15-minutes-of-fame-the-rainbow-world-of-tradechats-panser-thur/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/31/15-minutes-of-fame-the-rainbow-world-of-tradechats-panser-thur/#commentsFiled under: ,

Panser
The trademark pink hair of video blogger Panser of TradeChat and WoW Insider's weekly news recap should be declared a valid form of crowd control. Less enlightened viewers seem to find themselves sheeped in her v-log comments on a regular basis, bleating about her eye-popping pink coif, the peaches-and-cream looks that propelled her to the finals in the Maxim Gamer Girl competition, and (oh dear, guys, don't get out much, eh?) her gender.

But it's Panser's bona fides as a gamer, not her pink hair, that make her updates one of the liveliest, most informed sources of WoW, League of Legends and gaming news on the web. A lifelong gamer with five active level 90 WoW characters and what she refers to as a "small problem with alts," Panser crunches through the weekly WoW news like a bag of Skittles, full of fun and flavor. Ready for a peek over the TradeChat rainbow?

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: The rainbow world of TradeChat's Panser

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: The rainbow world of TradeChat's Panser originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>facebookfeedfeaturedpansertradechatworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 31 Oct 2013 09:00:00 ESTFantasy character artist explodes onto WoW community scenehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/24/fantasy-character-artist-explodes-onto-wow-community-scene/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/24/fantasy-character-artist-explodes-onto-wow-community-scene/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/24/fantasy-character-artist-explodes-onto-wow-community-scene/#commentsFiled under: ,

15 Minutes of Fame Fantasy character artist explodes onto WoW community art scene
If you're headed to BlizzCon next month, will you be lucky enough to be wearing a coveted custom name badge by Noxychu? Her whimsical character portraits have become all the rage this year, and Noxychu has even turned out badges for the entire Blizzard community manager staff. As staff artist for Wowhead and well-known WoW "Twitterati," the unassuming Brit has long since had to pause taking on new commissions, and her newfound popularity promises great things post-BlizzCon.

WoW Insider: Everyone wants a Noxychu! I'm betting most readers will recognize your name from the artwork you do for Wowhead. Tell us what you do there and how you got started.

Noxychu: I'm not sure I have a proper title; I guess just "artist" covers it. I make logos for the various ZAM websites, and I illustrate the occasional contest and guide. I got started with Wowhead by volunteering, I made some badge art for them in 2008, and then after that the occasional Warcraft-themed web comic. And they were bloody awful. I really loved making them, and they were weekly for a while. Unfortunately I'm a terrible at writing scripts, and I have been unable to find a consistently funny writer that is willing to put up with me to try and get the Wowhead web comic back to regular updates.

Continue reading Fantasy character artist explodes onto WoW community scene

WoW InsiderFantasy character artist explodes onto WoW community scene originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>artcharacter-artfacebookfeedfan-artfeaturednoxychuworld-of-warcraft-artworld-of-warcraft-interviewswow-artwow-communitywow-interviewswow-peopleLisa PoissoThu, 24 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST15 Minutes of Fame: Shooting Azeroth in all its HD gloryhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/17/15-minutes-of-fame-shooting-azeroth-in-all-its-hd-glory/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/17/15-minutes-of-fame-shooting-azeroth-in-all-its-hd-glory/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/10/17/15-minutes-of-fame-shooting-azeroth-in-all-its-hd-glory/#commentsFiled under: ,

15 Minutes of Fame Screenshot photographer shoots Azeroth in all its HD glory
WoW wallpaper sites come, and WoW wallpaper sites go. You can always download a fresh look for your screen directly from Blizzard. But as satisfying as it is to set a novel desktop wallpaper that truly delights, I enjoy the process of poking around to find wallpapers from people who are passionate about WoW -- like WoWScapes, the passion project of a former raider and amateur photographer who's become fascinated with taking and sharing high-quality screenshots that showcase the striking beauty of Azeroth.

WoWScapes creator Jeremy (aka Rotted of Sen'jin-US) specializes in bringing eye-popping images to players who don't have the hardware or haven't slowed down enough to savor Azeroth's splendor. "In a way, I feel sorry for people who use low-end hardware and cannot thoroughly enjoy the beauty this game displays," he notes. "So with that being said, I have turned many heads and had many people say, 'Is that really what WoW looks like on max settings? All this time, I have been playing and have never seen blades of grass on the ground or bark on the trees.' It's responses like this that make me happy about sharing my 'photos.'"

Jeremy is currently adding two screenshots per week to WoWScapes. "I never had intentions to make money off of the website," he says. "It is strictly something I enjoy doing in my free time -- usually while my wife is raiding. Every wallpaper is free to download."

Continue reading 15 Minutes of Fame: Shooting Azeroth in all its HD glory

WoW Insider15 Minutes of Fame: Shooting Azeroth in all its HD glory originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>desktop-wallpaperfacebookfeedfeaturedhd-screenshotshd-wallpaperphotographyscreenshotswallpaperworld-of-warcraft-interviewsworld-of-warcraft-wallpaperwow-artworkwow-communitywow-interviewswow-peoplewow-wallpaperwowscapesLisa PoissoThu, 17 Oct 2013 20:00:00 EST