In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.

• Name: Zack Stern
• Job Position: Contributing Editor
• Past Experience/Education: I worked as an editor at Gamers.com in its (brief but glorious) 2000 heyday, and have since contributed to dozens of technology and gaming publications. Recent articles have appeared in PC World, PC Gamer, Maximum PC, Official Xbox Magazine, Mac|Life, Wired Test, Make, and many more.
• Life outside of the 'Stiq: I'm an improviser, photographer, videomaker, and cook. Those all blend together into a delicious, sometimes metaphorical hooch.
• Why I'm blogging: I'm entrenched in old media but want to maintain a presence online. The two styles inform each other; knowing their similarities and differences makes me better at both.
• First game experience: I used to play Chinese checkers at my grandparents' house growing up, and the pinball machine at my mom's ad agency was better than day care.
• Favorite games: Prince of Persia, Myth, Deus Ex, Pikmin, Kururin Paradise, Portal, Rock Band
• Compact Flash or SD? Compact Flash.

There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

It was a hell of a week in the World of Warcraft. Not only did we get a flood of information about the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion, but Blizzard announced that they are in fact having another BlizzCon this year -- and as you can see from the picture above, last year's was just plain awesome. For info about BlizzCon and everything else WoW, count on Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider.

News

• The Death Knight class revealed
  Blizzard drops the goods on the game's first Hero Class.
• More Death Knight news and clarifications
  Clearing up players' questions and concerns about what the Death Knight is for.
• Is it really OK for Arthas to be 10-mannable?
  The game's baddest bad guy (mortal, anyway) is going to be able to be taken down by 10 players. Are we really that powerful?
• More Wrath of the Lich King impressions and information
  Lots more news about the new zones in Northrend and what we'll find up there.
• Blizzard cracks down on Arena win trading
  Cheaters never win... trade. At least not anymore.

Features

• Around Azeroth: Grand Theft Azeroth
  Our daily screenshot column mixes up Liberty City and the World of Warcraft with wacky results.
• Arcane Brilliance: Level 70 checklist
  Things to do for Mages at the highest level in the game.
• Scattered Shots: Why certain pet families are popular
  Why do some Hunters choose bears and others go for boars? Find out here.
• Spiritual Guidance: 30 If statements that priests should adhere to
  You might be a priest if... most of your Showbiz pizza tickets came from Whack-a-mole.
• Guildwatch: Going too far
  You don't have to be in a guild full of drama to love our scandalous weekly column about how mean people are to each other in game, but it helps.

In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.

• Name: Ross Miller
  
• Job Position: Features Editor, Webcomic Guru, Master of Ceremonies
  
• Past Experience/Education: This is my first game journalism gig. Education-wise, I'm finishing undergraduate degrees in Telecommunication Arts and Math, and a certificate in New Media, at the University of Georgia.
  
• Life outside of the 'Stiq: Still schooling. I also get a kick out of playing drums and guitar, simultaneously, and obsessing over LOST. Beyond that, there's no time left. If only I had a time-turner or could Facebook friend Hiro Nakamura.
  
• Why I'm blogging: Don't like wearing clothes to work. Or ever.
  
• First game experience: Parents had two Atari 2600s and a shoebox full of games. I remember spending weeks on E.T. and that really bad Pac-Man port.
  
• Favorite games: Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, Fallout 2, Starcraft, Smash Bros, Portal, Rock Band
• "Ya know, you kind of look like ...": Gordon Freeman, Adam Savage, Rivers Cuomo, Elvis Costello, Jonathan Coulton, Nintendo Wii Fanboy's JC Fletcher
  

More to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.

• Name: Justin McElroy
• Job Position: Blogger and host/producer of the Joystiq Podcast
• Past Experience/Education: I've been writing about video games since I started reviewing them for The Herald-Dispatch when I was 12 years old. Besides Joystiq my work has appeared in Computer Games Magazine, The Escapist, Gamezebo, Gamers With Jobs: Press Pass and GameDaily.
• Life outside of the 'Stiq: I also have a degree in theater that I occasionally utilize. And, as you can tell with a quick Google Image Search, I love exercising. But my favorite (usually) non-gaming activity is hanging out with my wife Sydnee.
• Why I'm blogging: It's not very hard.
• First game experience: My earliest gaming memory is playing H.E.R.O. on the Atari 2600 at my friend Eric Near's house.
• Favorite games: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Seaman, Spider-Man 2, Quest for Glory series, BioShock, Phoenix Wright series, Fugitive Hunter, Portal.

More to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

What's been missing from the Joystiq family? The console fans all have their homes, handhelds too, and even MMO enthusiasts and WoW players have a corner to call their own. Today we're happy to give PC gamers a place to call home at our new sister site, Big Download. In partnership with our good friends at GameDaily, we're taking the wraps off the beta version of a full-fledged, fast and free PC downloads engine married to a news and features blog powered by Joystiq -- chock full of all the Special Goodness ^TM our writers bring to you daily.

At Big Download you'll get all the news and views fit to print about PC gaming, a file tracking system that remembers your favorite titles, and no waiting, no fees access to demos, patches, mods, trailers and more. We're inviting you to come on in, make yourself at home and start poking everything with sticks. Like any modern web product we're launching in beta version -- there may be kinks and rough edges to be worked out, so bear with us, mind the dust and be sure to send us any feedback you have so we can make all the final fixes. Unlike certain products that stay in beta forever we hope to remove the beta tag with all due swiftness and come out with guns blazing. Big guns.

We hope to see you at Big Download, where all the news is big and all the downloads are above average!

News

• Season 4 items unveiled
  The next Arena season's items are slowly leaking out on the servers -- find out the gear you'll be wearing if you can pull off that Arena rating.
• Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain featuring an orphan on air guitar
  It's Children's Week in Azeroth (you can check out our Horde and Alliance walkthroughs as well), and a little Blood Elf girl learns to shred with Blizzard's band.
• M'uru world first kill by SK Gaming
  The next boss in the Sunwell Plateau goes down for the count.
• Can WoW be beaten?
  World of Warcraft is doing great lately, and a looming expansion only means bigger things are coming. Or will two big competitors take a bite out of Azeroth's population?
• Diablo3.com acquired by Blizzard
  Blizzard takes over what might be the new website for the Diablo sequel we've all been waiting for.

Features

• Guildwatch: The aftermath
  The best part of playing an online, massively multiplayer game: the backstabbing, lying, and drama.
• New M'uru items datamined
  A gallery of new gear from the M'uru encounter.
• Shifting Perspectives: Druids just wanna have fun
  A flock of Druids descends into havok in Nagrand, to hilarious results.
• Officers' Quarters: We love you, but L2P
  If you're raiding, sooner or later, you'll have to make sure you (and everyone you raid with) knows what they're doing.
• Build Shop: Shaman 18/43/0
  Our talents column takes a look at a kickass Shaman Enhancement build. You want to Shock and Awe with your totem dropper? Here you go.

Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider is dedicated like a Night Elf Hunter's pet leveled up to the highest loyalty to bringing you news from all over Azeroth. From the upcoming patch 2.4.2 to everything you need to know about the next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, we've got your your back just like that sneaky Shadowstepping Rogue. Ok, well not quite in that way, but you know what we mean. Here's our top posts from the last week in Warcraft.

News

• Patch 2.4.2 notes released
  Blizzard announced what's coming down in the next (bugfix, not content) patch.
• Undocumented changes in 2.4.2
  And we cover what they didn't announce.
• Blizzard to Boll: Thanks, but no thanks
  Well at least we can say one good thing about the Warcraft movie: Uwe Boll won't be directing it.
• Macro for a prettier WoW
  Type this into your console, and spice up the look of Azeroth's environments.
• Drysc reveals Arena Season 4 ratings requirements and rules
  News about the Brutal Gladiator gear coming in Season 4, and how Blizzard is fighting win trading.

Features

• Guildwatch: "officers dont do officers like u did"
  Drama, downed and recruiting news from around the realms -- oh my!
• Blood Sport: No scrubs allowed in Season 4
  Our Arena PvP column lays out the changes to requirements in Season 4, and if you're not good, you're not getting gear.
• Spiritual Guidance: Three priest specs your raid shouldn't leave Shattrath without
  Tips for holy priests, or raids who want their help.
• The Care and Feeding of Warriors: Are Warriors underpowered?
  Matthew Rossi might be crazy -- but he also might be right.
• Five tips to minimize raiding downtime
  Five ways to keep the mobs coming while raiding with a larger group of players.

News

• New Wrath of the Lich King screenshots leaked
  Eventually they were all found to be from the beta at Blizzcon, but here's the biggest look we have at the expansion so far.
• Outland Reputation Battlegear
  Loved by NPCs in Outland? Go get your free gear! This comprehensive gallery shows you what's what and where.
  
• Bornakk hints that Tier 3 might be removed from the game
  Naxxaramas, the last major raid pre-expansion, is moving to Northrend and getting retuned. Does that mean the Tier 3 gear in there is disappearing?
• Brutal ratings requirement for Brutal Gladiator items?
  Rumor has it that season 4 gear will have an even steeper ratings requirement than previous Arena seasons.
• Why PvE has been, and always will be, the only real game
  Or why, PvP, popular as it is, will always have to play second fiddle to the real World of Warcraft.

Features

• WoW, Casually: Finding groups fast
  Quick ways to get yourself in a group, whatever you'd like to do.
• Guildwatch: We're $#*&ing good at this game, too
  Our guild drama and news column has some good stories in it this week, including a Vent recording that can't be missed.
• Ready Check: Brutallus
  Our raiding column takes on the big ugly monster in the Sunwell Plateau.
• Spiritual Guidance: Thirteen dos and don'ts of a holy raiding priest
  Spiritual Guidance, the priest column, makes its triumphant return, now hosted by blogger Matticus. And he starts up with a good advice column for anyone raiding.
• Around Azeroth: Glitchstravaganza
  Glitches everywhere! Players send in some of their weirdest screenshots of all time.

World of Warcraft isn't only the biggest game in the world -- it's also loved by hot and nerdy starlets everywhere. And when you need info about WoW and its Wrath of the Lich King expansion, whether you're Mila Kunis or that fat guy from the South Park episode, there's just one place to go: Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider. Here's a few great links from our site from the past week.

News

• Breaking: Wrath is in alpha
  We scooped the dev status of the game's next expansion.
• Forum Post of the Day: Player tries to scam GM, gets shut down
  And we get a look at just how much information Blizzard has on what you do in game.
• What we know about Death Knights
  Everything that's been released so far about the new class coming in Wrath of the Lich King.
• Craig Sherman of Gaia Online: WoW is "not a success"
  How can you have a 10 million player game and still not have success? Ask Craig.
• Why Mount Hyjal and Black Temple attunements still matter
  Blizzard has made it easy on raiders progressing upwards, so why should we care about old quests?

Features

• Breakfast Topic: What are you doing with all that gold?
  Our daily discussion feature wants to know why you've got all that cash.
• Guildwatch: Drama at the fishing tournament
  Yep, even the weekly Stranglethorn fishing tourney has its share of drama.
• Blood Sport: Arena season 4 in early June?
  Our Arena column attempts to divine the next season opener date.
• He Said, She Said: Tauren females
  In a new gender-based debate column, our two columnists talk about the aesthetic beauty (or lack thereof) of some of the player races.
• Reader UI of the Week: Zerfall of Eonar
  One of our readers shares his UI and addon setup with us.

Yes, the news that we were becoming Hello Kitty Online Insider last week was actually a joke, and we're back covering the World of Warcraft and all of its ten million players (most of which showed up on the Isle of Quel'danas this week, as you can see above, courtesy of WI reader Sync). Here's a look at the most popular and interesting posts from Joystiq's Azeroth-inclined sister site, WoW Insider.

News

• Sunwell griefing runs rampant
  What happens when you put hundreds of players in the same place? Rampant griefing, of course.
• Shattered Sun Offensive pendants make some regret faction choices
  Regretting that Aldor or Scryer faction choice that you made way back when? Too bad.
• Proudmoore gets badge vendor to 100%, chaos ensues
  On the first realm to unlock some of the world event rewards from patch 2.4, things get a little nuts.
• Patch 2.4.1 available for download
  Blizzard wasn't just joking around last week -- they were working, too.
• Sunwell Daily Quests
  Our feature page on the Sunwell Dailies has everything you need to know about unlocking the NPCs on Sunwell Isle.

Features

• Guildwatch: Years between bosses
  When guild drama rears its ugly head, our weekly Guildwatch column is right there to document it all.
• The trinkets of Magisters' Terrace
  What to look for in terms of trinkets inside the game's new five man instance.
• Hybrid Theory: Brutallus and you
  Making it past patch 2.4's big gear check with a hybrid class.
• Ready Check: Getting your first bear
  Our hardcore raiding column tells you how to head into Zul'Aman and pick up the coveted bear mount.
• Know Your Lore: The Wrynn dynasty
  KYL covers the kings of Stormwind and what happened to most of them.
  

Did you enjoy our French Reference Day? We thought it'd be a fun way to celebrate the first of April. For those that missed it, in every post yesterday we included some reference to France, French language or French culture*. Feel free to take a look for yourself and try to catch 'em all. For all the answers, peep below the break. Be sure to check out our gallery of April Fools' shenanigans, as well.

* Note: Just to be extra clear (because we sometimes need to be), Joystiq is not based in France.

Playstation Nation is one of the most popular and widely listened-to Playstation podcasts on the internet, and we're pleased to bring news that PS Nation is joining up with Joystiq satellite sites PS3 Fanboy and PSP Fanboy to become the official PS Fanboy podcast.

New episodes of the podcast will premiere in April, and be released every Friday on both PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy, as well as vgevo.com. Format-wise, PS Nation won't change much, but will benefit from the collaboration of the PS Fanboy team, with more exclusive interviews, previews and reviews. We'd like to say congrats to all those involved. We're looking forward to tuning in.

Today is one of the highest holy days in the world of Azeroth -- yes, that's right, it's Patch Day! Patch 2.4 is now coming to the live servers (they supposedly came back up at 11:00 a.m. PST), and WoW Insider has every square inch of the patch notes covered like a quilt, from the brand new Sunwell Isle zone to all the new daily quests, and class information for everyone out there. It's time for patch 2.4 (the last big content patch before the expansion), and if you want to know about it, we can tell you.

News

• Patch 2.4 Notes, Live version
  Here's Blizzard's official live realm notes for Patch 2.4. All of today's changes, all in one post.
• Top 5 must-dos in Patch 2.4
  Wondering where to go and what to do first? Worry not -- we've got your agenda planned.
• Magister's Terrace round-up
  Everything you need to know about the game's brand new five-man instance, Magister's Terrace.
• The seven most fun trinkets in World of Warcraft
  Seven great trinkets, in or out of patch 2.4, that make the game more fun.
• The WoW Insider Directory
  Just in time for the new patch, our brand new browsable archive of guides, columns and tips opens up for business. If it's on our site, you'll find it in here, too.

Features

• Sunwell Isle world quest walkthrough
  The first major world event since the invasion of the Scourge is going down on Sunwell Isle, starting today.
• Shifting Perspectives: 2.4 badge-a-palooza, Druid style
  Badge loot in 2.4 for shapeshifters.
• Encrypted Text: Gear me up in 2.4
  What should you wear as a rogue in the new patch? Our weekly rogue column tells you.
• Hunter changes in patch 2.4
  What's new for rangers and their pets on the live realms today.
• Welcome to 2.4, Warrior
  Matthew Rossi runs down everything warriors need to know about all the new changes to the game.

And there is much, much more to be found about the new patch over at WoW Insider. If you log in to find that your character's abilities are different and your addons don't work, come on over -- we've got you covered.