World of Warcraft Announces WoW 'Cataclysm' Expansion Pack, but No Release Date

As part of the Blizzcon 2009, Blizzard Entertainment announced a new expansion pack for their blockbuster MMORPG entitled Cataclysm, which offers a higher level cap, new worlds to explore, and two new customizable races, MTV reports.

The level cap jumps up from 80 to 85; the previous level cap was set with WoW's previous expansion. Wrath of the Lich King. The game adds two new races of characters, the Worgen (a race of wolves) and the Goblin. The PC game also offers seven new gaming areas, new monsters, and an array of new quests.

The official Blizzard WoW: Cataclysm FAQ details some more minor changes in the gameplay: more high-level raid content, new combinations of races and classes, guild advancement, archaeology as a profession, and flying mounts in Azeroth.

Blizzcon 2009 is a 2-day convention hosted by Blizzard Entertainment at the Anaheim Convention Center on August 21 and August 22. For those who can't make the trip, it offers a streaming pay-per-view look at the event. Blizzard's most popular games, Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, are the highlights of the event. Convention attendees got to try the new expansion pack firsthand, creating their own Worgen and Goblin players after watching a World of Warcraft: Cataclysm teaser trailer.

The release date of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is still unknown. The previous expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, was announced two years ago, on the first day of Blizzcon 2007. It took over a year for the official release of Wrath of the Lich King, in November 2008. When Wrath was released, it sold 2.8 million copies within the first 24 hours, so anticipation for Cataclysm will remain very high until its release. It's a sound strategy for Blizzard Entertainment to keep offering game expansions every few years to draw in new players and to keep the hardcore players still interested.

According to Wired in October 2008, Blizzard claimed that the World of Warcraft universe had over 11 million subscribers. World of Warcraft currently offers a 10-day free trial to hook new players, followed by a monthly subscription of $13 to $15 dollars, depending on length of contract. The installation disc itself is $20 new.

World of Warcraft has been a controversial video game, as it is highly addictive. It has been blamed for ruining lives of both children and adults, symptoms including obesity, depression, a disinterest in schoolwork and adult employment, and the fracturing of personal and romantic relationships. Telegraph has reported on August 21 that a 19-year-old World of Warcraft addict is the first American to check into the eStart Internet Addiction Recovery Programme in Washington.

MTV.com, "'World Of WarCraft: Cataclysm' Expansion Revealed - New Details And Trailer At BlizzCon 2009"
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm FAQ
Wired, "World of Warcraft Tops 11 Million Subscribers"
Telegraph, "Teenager obsessed by World of Warcraft first to attend US internet addiction retreat"