The first time I loaded up WoW after downloading The Shattering Patch was a magical moment. I had seen the new opening cinematic previously after it was unveiled at BlizzCon 2010, but not in such pristine detail across my full screen. That, and the realization that while I had been patching, the Shattering had occurred and Deathwing was now on the prowl sent shivers down my spine.
While I haven’t yet encountered Deathwing in-game since that fateful moment, I have seen the the destruction that this vile, vicious, frightening creature has wrought upon the lands that I love. And I know that someday, he will pay.
What was it that made me conjure up these images of future retaliation? It was a quality cinematic produced by the creative minds at Blizzard. I love behind-the-scenes looks at game development — and this quick look at the making of the Cataclysm opening cinematic makes me appreciate the work that went in to giving WoW players around the world these same feelings that I had upon loading up the game after the latest patch.
Hope you enjoy it, too.
I think it’s something we all take for granted as gamers and that’s all the incredible work these guys do. It’s so much more than coding and I think we lose sight of it.
Given the sophistication/mentality of today’s gamers, it’s surprising these guys come across as cool and laid back as they do when we’re SUCH a choosy crowd to please.
‘I think it’s something we all take for granted as gamers and that’s all the incredible work these guys do. It’s so much more than coding and I think we lose sight of it.’
It’s also sad to see that a lead designer of a big game project can easily achieve ‘rockstar’ status and recognition (think Cliff Bleszinski), whereas people will never remember the names of those working on a game trailer or optimizing server infrastructure or any other (important) task that isn’t consdiered as ‘cool/sexy’ by the media/industry.