Month: May 2010

Free Features

• Browse the Auction House
• Get real-time notifications when your auctions sell or expire
• Get real-time notifications when you win auctions or when you are outbid
• View your characters' current gold
• View the status of your auctions and search for similar auctions
• View the items you can sell in your bags, bank, and mailbox
• View the status of auctions you are bidding on
• View the items you've sold in the Auction House
• View your expired auctions
• View the status of auctions you created
• View your successful auctions

Subscription Features

• Bid on auctions
• Buy out auctions
• Create auctions from items in your bags, bank, and mailbox
• Collect gold from successful auctions
• Collect gold from unsuccessful bids
• Collect all outstanding gold with a single click
• Cancel your auctions
• Relist items for sale from your expired auctions

The World of Warcraft Remote Auction House beta test is now open for business! The Remote Auction House is a new service in development that lets players access the World of Warcraft Auction House from the Armory website (http://us.wowarmory.com/auctionhouse/) or the Mobile Armory app for iPhone and iPod touch (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=321057000&mt=8). Players can browse their characters’ local Auction Houses with the same search functionality available in the game, as well as see the real-time status of each of their current bids and auctions.

As we’d mentioned previously, certain features of the Remote Auction House will be premium-based. Once the beta test is complete and the Remote Auction House is live, players will be able to subscribe to a new service called World of Warcraft Remote (http://us.wowarmory.com/wow-remote.xml), which will allow them to buy items; post items for sale from a character’s bags, bank, or mailbox; collect gold from their bids and auctions; and more. During the beta test, players can try out these features for free, and each World of Warcraft account will be able to perform up to 25 transactions per day. (Please note this limit will be increased at launch.)

The list of realms eligible to participate in the beta test is displayed below. If your realm is not on this list, please check again soon, as we plan to eventually open the beta test to all realms.

Anub'arak
Blackwater Raiders
Bladefist
Cenarion Circle
Cenarius
Darrowmere
Echo Isles
Fenris
Hyjal
Korialstraaz
Lightbringer
Maiev
Misha
Ravenholdt
Shu'halo
Sisters of Elune
The Forgotten Coast
Uther
Vashj
Winterhoof

For more information on the Remote Auction House, refer to the FAQ (http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/REMOTE). We hope you enjoy trying out this new service, and we look forward to hearing your feedback in the thread below.

What is the World of Warcraft Remote Auction House beta test?
The Remote Auction House is a new feature, currently undergoing beta testing, that allows players to log in to the Armory and browse any Auction House that the characters on their World of Warcraft account have access to. Once beta testing is complete and the Remote Auction House is live, players who subscribe to an upcoming service called World of Warcraft Remote will also be able to bid on or buy out existing auctions; post items for sale from their bags, bank, and mailbox; and collect gold that they earn in auctions or that is returned as a result of being outbid, all through the web or their compatible mobile device. During the beta-testing period, players will be able to try out and test all of these features, including premium features such as making bids and posting auctions, without a subscription to World of Warcraft Remote.

How do I browse the Remote Auction House via the web?
After you log in and designate a primary character, click on the Browse Auctions tab, and then enter the search term in the field. You can narrow your search using the filters and options, which are similar to those available in the game. To switch between the character’s faction-specific auction house and the realm’s neutral auction house, click the faction symbol in the upper-right corner of the interface. A World of Warcraft Remote subscription will not be required to browse the Auction House in this fashion; however, please note that after the beta test concludes, you will need to subscribe to World of Warcraft Remote in order to bid on or buy out items from the results window.

How do I create auctions?
From the Create Auctions tab, select the item you wish to sell from the list on the left side of the screen. You can sell any transferable item (excluding account-bound items) from your bags, bank, or mailbox. Once selected, you can set a starting price, a buyout price, the quantity you wish to sell, and the number of stacks (to create multiple auctions for that item). Please note that after the beta test concludes, you will need a subscription to World of Warcraft Remote in order to create auctions.

How can I collect gold from successful auctions and unsuccessful bids?
To collect gold from a successful auction, click the My Auctions tab, and then click the Claim Gold button next to the successful auction, or the Claim All Gold button to claim the gold from all successful auctions. The gold will be removed from your mailbox and given to your character. You can also reclaim gold from unsuccessful bids on the My Bids tab. Please note that after the beta test concludes and the live service launches, you will need a subscription to World of Warcraft Remote to use these features.

How will I subscribe to World of Warcraft Remote?
Subscriptions to World of Warcraft Remote are not yet available; we’ll have more information about how to subscribe after the Remote Auction House beta test concludes. In the meantime, you can visit the World of Warcraft Remote FAQ for more information.

Is there a limit to the number of transactions (purchases and sales) I can make?
Yes. In order to help prevent abuse of this service, there will be a system in place to limit the total number of Auction House transactions (including bids, buyouts, and creating auctions) that a single World of Warcraft account can perform through World of Warcraft Remote each day. For the purposes of the beta test, the limit is set to 25 transactions per day per World of Warcraft account. When the Remote Auction House beta test ends and the live World of Warcraft Remote service launches, we plan to increase the limit to 200 transactions per day (with a World of Warcraft Remote subscription), thoug…

IRVINE, Calif., May 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that tickets for its fifth BlizzCon(R) gaming convention will go on sale in two batches on Wednesday, June 2 and Saturday, June 5, 2010. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft(R), Diablo(R), and StarCraft(R) game universes. The event will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on October 22 and 23. Live coverage of the event will be available as a DIRECTV(R) Pay Per View package and as a multi-channel Internet stream, allowing viewers online to switch between coverage of multiple panels and activities during the show.

"BlizzCon is a unique opportunity for our players to meet one another, strengthen the friendships they've formed online, and have a great time celebrating a shared passion for gaming together with Blizzard employees," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "For those who can't attend, we're pleased to be providing an unprecedented level of access to the activities and attractions that BlizzCon has to offer."

In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will have an array of activities, including discussion panels, competitive and casual tournaments, contests, hands-on playtime with current and upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games, and more.

Tickets to the convention will be priced at $150 USD each and will be available for purchase from the official BlizzCon website at www.blizzcon.com. Tickets will be released in two separate batches on June 2 at 7 p.m. Pacific time and on June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Those interested in attending BlizzCon can simplify the purchase process by registering a Battle.net account at www.battle.net before ticket sales begin.

The popular DIRECTV(R) BlizzCon Pay Per View event will return in 2010, available to existing DIRECTV customers in the United States for $39.95 USD. The event will again deliver comprehensive live HD coverage from the show floor on each day of the convention, including exclusive interviews, demos, and more.

Gamers around the world will also have the option to purchase the Pay Per View event as a multi-channel Internet stream, also priced at $39.95 USD (pricing may vary by region). For the first time, anyone who purchases the Internet stream will be able to switch freely between multiple channels of coverage dedicated to different areas of BlizzCon, allowing online viewers expanded access to the panels and events they're most interested in. DIRECTV customers who order the televised event will receive this Internet stream at no extra charge, allowing them to watch in the format of their choice. Those who order the event will also receive this year's BlizzCon-exclusive World of Warcraft(R) in-game item (availability may vary by region), to be revealed at a later date. Limited streaming coverage of the BlizzCon opening ceremony and certain BlizzCon tournaments will be available via the Internet for free.

As BlizzCon draws closer, further details about the show, including ordering and programming information for the DIRECTV BlizzCon Pay Per View event and multi-channel Internet stream, will be announced at www.blizzcon.com.

To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company is currently hiring for numerous open positions. More information on available career opportunities can be found at www.blizzard.com/jobs.

Now that the 3.3.5 patch is available for PTR testing, we wanted to have a round of focus testing for Ruby Sanctum. Only normal mode will be available, with Heroic testing to occur at a later date.

Everything related to this zone is implemented for this test, please note any issues with the trash creatures and sub-bosses, loot, achievements, and quests.

US Testing Schedule:
Date to be determined

EU Testing Schedule:
Tuesday, May 18 starting at 19:30 CEST.

We plan to allow testing for an extended period. However since this is the Test Realm, unforeseen issues could delay or cancel testing at any time.