If you've been playing the Wrath of the Lich King beta, then this stuff isn't new to you. However, it sure is pretty. All those lush environments, just waiting to be riddled with the corpses of the vanquished. Straight to you from BlizzCon comes the video above, and the gallery below.

Story at 11.

One day of BlizzCon is already behind us, and with it came the announcement of the Wizard class for Diablo III, the fact that Starcraft II is going to be a trilogy, and the truism that World of Warcraft players really love their costume and dance contests.

Check out the video of the pants-off dance-off above, hit the links below that for some highlights, and then be sure and crawl through our galleries below for all that we've seen so far. Today brings more panels, more Diablo III news (omg wtf?!), and a closing ceremony featuring Patton Oswalt, Video Games Live, and Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain. We'll be bringing you audio and video, so keep watching.

Were you one of the many who didn't have the opportunity to make it out to Blizzneyland... er, we mean BlizzCon, of course... this year? Never fear, because Joystiq is on-hand to tell you exactly what's happening on the show floor. Enjoy BlizzCon from the comfort of your desk chair, away from the lines and the crowds and the delicious Diablo 3 gameplay... but we digress. On with the show. See our live coverage of:

• The convention floor, full of all sorts of shiny temptations for your inner fanboy (or girl).
• The uneventful opening ceremonies. I hope you weren't expecting a big announcement!
• The many fans attending in costume and the costume contest.
• Panels on World of Warcraft's user interface, the game's classes, the game's art, and the arena PvP tournament.
• Diablo 3 news ruled the day, with the announcement of a new class (the wizard), plenty of wizard info in their class panel, new screenshots & cinematic, gameplay video, and hands-on gameplay.
• The news that StarCraft 2 was being released as a trilogy (with one game for the Terran campaign, one game for the Zerg campaign, and one game for the Protoss campaign) left some people cold, but we've got to say the gameplay Blizzard is showing off still looks incredible.

Stay tuned for more news from Blizzneyland... er, BlizzCon... throughout the day.

There's no denying that World of Warcraft's latest expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is likely to have a purple (epic) orange (legendary) launch. The only thing standing in the way of the WoW faithful from getting their Northrend on is the new tech specs a meeting with Arthas will require.

PC:

• Windows XP SP3 or Vista SP1 (Windows 2000 no longer supported)
• Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1.5 GHz (up from 800 MHz Intel/AMD). Dual-core recommended.
• RAM: 512 MB/1 GB for Vista, same as before. 1 GB/2 GB recommended.
• Video: GPU with hardware transform and lighting and 32 MB VRAM, same as before. Recommended 128 MB VRAM.

Mac:

• Mac OS X 10.4.11 (10.3 no longer supported)
• PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo. G4s are no longer supported. Intel 1.8 GHz recommended.
• RAM: 1 GB, up from 512 MB. 2 GB recommended.
• Video: Hardware transform and lighting, 64 MB VRAM. 128 MB VRAM recommended.

Although it's a boost up from The Burning Crusade expansion, Wrath won't require most to get a new PC. Blizzard has already stated that it loves its money more than pushing the graphics envelope and will evolve WoW slowly over time not to lose customers.

[Via WoW Insider]

BlizzCon is almost upon us -- this weekend, thousands will descend on Anaheim to celebrate Blizzard and its games, and Blizzard developers will share their wisdom with us about Wrath of the Lich King, Diablo 3, and Starcraft II. And WoW Insider will be there: if you're going, make sure to come by our big reader meetup on Thursday night at The Lost Bar, and if you're not going, stay tuned to the site all weekend long for live-on-the-scene coverage.

News

• Raids rebalanced for patch 3.0.2
  Even Burning Crusade raids are getting a facelift, considering how much is changing in the upcoming expansion.
• Patch 3.0.2 release date revealed (probably)
  Set your calendars for October 14th -- that's when you'll get to try out all the new talents and skills.
• BlizzCon schedule and interactive map
  Blizzard announces what's going down at their third BlizzCon event in Anaheim, CA.
• Blizzard wins $6 million in court case against Glider
  The botting company loses big time in the ongoing lawsuit.
• Tigole confirms dual specs are still in the works
  Players are still begging for a way to switch specs more easily, and we might just get it.

Features

• Tips for new Death Knights from a fellow melee, part 1
  Trying out the new Death Knight class? Here's a quick review on how to stab things.
• Don't Panic: Paladin changes in beta build 9014
  Pally developments in the latest Wrath of the Lich King beta build.
• Ask a Beta Tester: Soundtracks, trinkets and travel
  One of our beta testers answers all your questions about what's going down in the beta version of Northrend.
• Tenacious D discovered Northrend first
  Think the frozen wastes came from the mind of Chris Metzen? There's a secret to be told.
• Spiritual Guidance: Everything you ever wanted to know about raid healing at level 80
  And then some -- our priest blogger Matticus lays down the facts on what's up in the Wrath raids.

We haven't spent much time talking Lego Universe (if we're going to waste our lives in a pretend land, we at least want to be able to sport crude geometric breasts, thankyouverymuch) but a recent nugget from a Massively interview with project lead Mark Hansen has our interest piqued:

"Massively: Are you interested in bringing some of the more story rich play themes into Lego Universe? Star Wars, Indiana Jones?

Hansen: I think that IPs would be great to see in the game. It's not for the first launch.

Mass.:It's not something you're discounting, or isn't possible, though.

Hansen: No, not at all. I think you will ... yeah. (laughs)"

So, with Star Wars a possibility, could The Boss be far behind?

Joystiq's sister site Massively.com has all the news you'll need about MMOs. Here's the best, brightest, and most interesting stuff from the last week, all in one convenient place for your MMO minute.

	The Digital Continuum: Rock Band, the MMO I've actually entertained the idea for a long time now, only to shove it aside as a crazy notion. But the thing kept popping back into the forefront of my mind so often that I couldn't discount it as happenstance. I've become enamored with the idea, because let's face it; a Rock Band MMO has the potential to ooze- no, to gush pure liquid awesome.
	Massively's exclusive Mines of Moria dev tour Earlier last month, Massively was invited to get a hands-on look at Mines of Moria, the first-ever expansion for Lord of the Rings Online with Turbine's Adam Mersky and Moria Producer Mike Jablonn. During this special dev tour, we were treated to many of the features of the new environments, new creatures, certain landmarks and the Legendary Item system.
	Is LotRO coming to the console? According to a job posting on Turbine's website, they're looking to hire a Senior User Interface Engineer who "may be refactoring existing user interfaces or implementing completely new user interfaces for systems such as combat, skills, inventory, treasure, and social systems." Does this mean LotRO?

Before beginning this post, we have a number of important announcements to make:

• It is currently October.
• Sandwiches, when prepared correctly, are delicious.
• Salt is salty.
• There are five items in this list.
• You are currently reading Joystiq.

What's that? You're not sure why we're announcing things you already know? Perhaps you'll be equally flabbergasted by a rumor that LucasArts and Bioware will likely soon reveal the Knights of the Old Republic MMO that EA CEO John Riccitiello already totally confirmed. The rumor originates from a blurb in UK newspaper Daily Star, the author of which claims he's coming stateside to check the title out at LucasArts HQ. If the author is on the level, we certainly expect one of the two developers to "reveal" the title before his article goes to print. Perhaps they can still surprise the eleven people on the planet that don't already know about it.

News

• Spoiler: Angrathar, the Wrath Gate
  Don't click that link if you don't want the story ruined, but s. is about to hit the f. in Northrend. if you know what we mean.
• Ask a Beta Tester: Multi-passenger mounts and Enchanting
  Our beta tester (one of them) answers your questions about what's going on in the Wrath of the Lich King beta.
• New items for old Honor
  Blizzard's about to wipe all Honor and marks off the map, so here's what they're offering to let you buy before everything goes bye-bye.
• Shaman changes in Wrath beta build 8982
  Class tweaks are coming faster than ever near the end of the beta, and our class columnists are keeping you updated on what's going on.
• Boss models updated in Wrath beta
  Finally, Sylvanas looks like the badass Blood Elf Banshee Queen she's supposed to be.

Features

• First Impressions: 5-man healing in the beta
  What it's like to keep a group up in Northrend.
• Skill Mastery: Mind Sear
  A look at an Area of Effect ability coming to Shadow Priests,
• Breakfast Topic: The last week of Brewfest
  The in-game holiday of drunken Dwarves is almost over -- did you get your Brew of the Month membership yet?
• WoW Insider's preview of PopCap Games' Bejeweled addon
  Here's a first look at PopCap's official Bejeweled addon -- one addictive game inside another.
• Will Wrath really be ready by November 13th?
  Blizzard, a company known for polish, is still not done with some of Wrath. Will the game come out unfinished?

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley stated the company is considering an MMO for the PSP. He tells MTV Multiplayer that SOE started considering one seriously when the division was transferred over to Sony Computer Entertainment last April. SOE was previously under the control of Sony Pictures -- yeah, don't ask how that made any sense.

Smedley doesn't announce any games, but he says that kid-focused PS3 MMO Free Realms "could have a pet-training system" for the PSP. An MMO is clearly a good idea with 34 million PSPs currently out there, but from Smedley's comments it sounds like any realization of that seems years away.

One of the secrets to World of Warcraft's popularity is that even older rigs are able to run it pretty capably. But it seems that a portion of that market may be left out in the cold when expansion Wrath of the Lich King launches this fall -- it will be arriving solely on DVD, with not a CD-ROM to be had. (Get it? Left out in the cold? Frozen throne? Arthus? Nothing for that?)

That doesn't mean they'll never get in -- Burning Crusade was a digital download two weeks after its retail release -- but it seems a little unfair to slight our underpowered friends. On the bright side, maybe they'll have a few more free hours for all those WoW-addict pastimes like kayaking and hooking up with attractive people.

All week, Joystiq will be revealing the 25 finalists for the IndieCade: International Festival of Independent Games, set to take place October 10 through 17 in Bellevue, Washington. The winners will be announced on October 11.

ibb & obb (website)

The pictures do not do ibb & obb justice. Without motion, it just looks like a colorful sidescroller in the vein of Yoshi's Island. In motion (as seen in the video above), the game is an inventive co-op platformer that also plays a bit with gravity. The project was made by Richard Boeser as a graduation project for Industrial Design at Delft University of Technology.

When the Joystiq Network last spoke with Warhammer Online executive producer Jeff Hickman, the experience left us rolling on the floor in laughter. During a guest appearance on the Big Download podcast, Hickman and company were noticeably tired from a tour in Leipzig and PAX promoting the massively multiplayer title, and decided to kick back with a few drinks and have fun.

While still entertaining, this time it's all business. Today, signifying Warhammer Online's one-week retail anniversary, Hickman returns to discuss the launch, future add-on content and address some of the issues with the game.

Listen to the entire interview now or jump in if you like your interviews in ye olde style wall-of-text format. We're all about options here.


[MP3] Download this interview in MP3 format