Blizzard have shot through some information they've gathered (themselves) on the success of their recently released expansion for World of WarCraft, Cataclysm, claiming the game has sold more than 3.3 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale (this figure also accounts for digital purchases).

While this information is based on Blizzard's internal figures, reports from distribution partners and how many people there had their fingers crossed, we're inclined to agree the figure is likely to be accurate, with the previous 24-hour sales record being held by the Wrath of the Lich King, which sold some 2.8 million copies in the same time period in 2008. Huzzah for the shopkeep.

"We had to bring Azeroth to the brink of destruction in Cataclysm, but the result was our best expansion yet,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment (via press release). “We want to thank all of our new, existing, and returning players throughout the world for their incredible enthusiasm and support, and we look forward to hearing what they think about all the new content.”

Blizzard also reminds us that such an undertaking as this is trying on their infrastructure, which is why the company is currently hiring, details of which you can learn more about right here.

In case you missed it, we also have a heft Cataclysm competition running right here on AusGamers, which you can find out more about here, and stay tuned for a detailed run-down of my very own 1-10 Cataclysm experience after more than four years away from WoW.

While we all sit and wait for the results of today's SCAG meeting, why not take the time to enter one of the most epic competitions we've ever run on AusGamers, with a massive haul of prizes thanks to the fine folks over at Blizzard.

We have some serious give aways, including official WoW gaming peripherals, plush toys, in-game pets, magazines, T-Shirts, figurines and more! And all of this will be divvied up between five lucky people with one grand-prize winner, one second-place winner and three runner's up prizes, all to celebrate the launch of World of WarCraft: Cataclysm.

Click here for all the juicy info, and to enter.

NOTE: The original Thrall Figure has been replaced with a Goblin Tinker figure for allocation reasons.

AusGamers had an epic talk with Blizzard's Alex Afrasiabi, Lead World Designer on World of WarCraft: Cataclysm, regarding the game's development, how Cataclysm reshapes and expands a lot of the series' lore and whether or not we'll ever face off against an Epic Level 100 Murloc King. Seriously.

It's a big interview, with a lot of depth regarding the overall process of bringing together an undertaking like this, in the best and most cohesive way possible, and for those still not sold on getting into the game, much of the interview focuses on what's been put in place for you to make the game far more engaging and enjoyable.

Click here for the full interview.

You know what people need more of during an earth-shattering cataclysm? Pets. Lots and lots of pets.

At least that's what Blizzard believe as they've confirmed two new pet additions of the World of WarCraft pet store with the arrival of Lil' Ragnaros and the Moonkin Hatchling (who is a charity pet, so purchasing him is a good karma move). Both pets can be picked up for US$10, but make sure you want them and that they're going to a good home. And remember, they might be cute now, but they grow up - don't dump them post-Xmas like so many douche-bags do every year.

Check out each pets descriptions from Blizzard below.

Ragnaros, the dread master of all fire elementals, will return in Cataclysm to avenge his defeat in Molten Core. And what better way to head into battle than with a miniature version of the firelord himself following at your beck and call? Lil' Ragnaros, just like his full-scale namesake, burns with constant fury (not to mention flames that serve as a handy cooking fire) and comes equipped with the legendary hammer Sulfuras. And as a being of pure elemental fire, he has no need to walk from place to place -- he just submerges into the magma below the world's surface when you start walking and reemerges when you stop.

The googly-eyed Moonkin Hatchling, which comes in unique Horde and Alliance versions, will occasionally plant flowers at your feet, and happily /dances with any willing partners. Like last year's Pandaren Monk, the Moonkin Hatchling has a soft spot for helping children. For every Moonkin Hatchling adopted from November 29 through December 31, 2010, Blizzard Entertainment will donate 50% of the $10 USD purchase price to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

We're less than a week away from the official launch of Cataclysm, so stay tuned to AusGamers for more through the week. We have a few cool surprises in store.

Blizzard has released a official statement on their World of Warcraft community website, stating that pre-purchasing for the digital copy of the expansion is live and ready.

The Cataclysm looms near, and you can be ready to play the minute the servers go live by pre-purchasing the expansion digitally on Battle.net now. Simply complete the digital pre-sale process on Battle.net, and your account will be flagged for automatic access to Cataclysm when it launches at 12:01 a.m. PST (7:01 p.m. AEDT) on December 7.

Downloading of files will commence once you purchase the copy, and you are required to login at least once to flag your account properly, and begin the download either by playing and having it in the background, or just leaving the initial launcher up.

More details and a Q&A from Blizzard can be found in this press release.

The end is soon!

As part of the opening ceremony for BliCon 2010, Blizzard's head honcho, Mike Morhaime, revealed that you won't need to wait for an install off the disc or a host of patch updates to play World of WarCraft: Cataclysm as soon as you purchase it, in fact you can buy the game in full from them digitally, pre-load it and start playing the minute they turn on the servers - taking obvious cues from how Steam do it.

A few other announcements made it out of the morning's address, including details on the fifth and final Diablo III class (more of which we'll tell you about shortly), which you'll find in full in our quick wrap-up right here.

Stay tuned for more throughout the day.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Cinematic Trailer

One thing you can always bank on from Blizzard is the quality of the cinematic clips that accompany their game's and this new video for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm does not dissapoint.

Due for launch on December 7th 2010 here in Australia, the third expansion for the hugely successful MMO is set to rock the World of Warcraft like never before.

Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

Check out the embeded video below or download the 720P Source video here from our files library.

Blizzard have finally lifted the lid on their official Cataclysm launch date, letting us know the game-changing expansion Cataclysm will hit retail this December 7th. The new expansion reshapes much of the game's environments; offering up all-new quests and opportunities for long-time players. It has also been in beta testing for several months, which means it's likely going to roll out pretty much spot-on thanks to Blizzard's usual focus on balance and quality.

"Cataclysm includes the best content we've ever created for World of Warcraft," Blizzard's Mike Morhaime said. "It's not just an expansion, but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned leveling experience for those just starting out."

If you've been slogging it out in the beta, drop us a line in the Comments.

Blizzard have announced the inevitable collector's edition of the new World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm. It contains a whole bunch of swag of the quality you'd expect from a Blizzard collector's edition:

• Art of the Cataclysm art book, featuring 176 pages of never-before-seen images from the archives of the Blizzard Entertainment cinematics department and the World of Warcraft development team, as well as progressive visuals from multiple stages of development.
• Exclusive in-game pet: he may not be a breaker of worlds just yet, but Lil' Deathwing will still proudly accompany heroes on their struggle to save Azeroth from his much, much larger counterpart.
• Behind-the-scenes DVD with over an hour of developer interviews and commentaries, as well as a special Warcraft� retrospective examining the rich gaming history of the Warcraft universe.
• Soundtrack featuring 10 epic new tracks from Cataclysm, including exclusive bonus tracks.
• Special-edition mouse pad depicting Deathwing menacing the ravaged continents of Azeroth.
• World of Warcraft Trading Card Game cards, including a 60-card starter deck from the Wrathgate series, two extended-art cards, and two Collector's Edition-exclusive hero cards, marking the first appearance of goblin and worgen heroes in the TCG.

I'd imagine places will start taking orders for these now, and Blizzard usually do a pretty limited run of their collector's editions, so if you want one, get in quick.

For more information, including pictures of the box art and the contents, head over to Blizzard's Cataclysm collector's edition website.

Promoted forum item

Time to check those spam folders if you signed up, as the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Closed Beta has kicked off!

IRVINE, Calif. � June 30, 2010 � Blizzard Entertainment announced today that the closed beta test for Cataclysm�, its highly anticipated new expansion for World of Warcraft�, has begun. The company has started issuing invitations to participate in the testing process to a wide range of players from around the world who signed up via their Battle.net� accounts. While enjoying an early look at the game, beta testers will provide valuable feedback to help Blizzard Entertainment find bugs, address balance issues, and polish the new content.

"Our focus with Cataclysm has been to build on the knowledge we've gained through the previous expansions to deliver the best, most compelling World of Warcraft content for our players to date," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Gathering focused feedback during the beta test will go a long way in helping us reach that goal when we launch Cataclysm later this year."

Cataclysm is the third expansion for World of Warcraft, the most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world. The first two expansions, The Burning Crusade� and Wrath of the Lich King�, each shattered PC game sales records upon their release. In Cataclysm, the face of Azeroth will be forever altered by the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing. Players will explore once-familiar areas of the world that have now been reshaped by the devastation and filled with new adventures. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races -- worgen and goblins -- will join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. As players journey to the new level cap of 85, they'll discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world.

If it's like past closed beta invites the roll-out will happen over a few days so if you've not got an email yet, there's still hope! promoted forum item